The Church Of The Capuchins.

The Crypt Of The Capuchins.

Allusion has been made to the effect which the death of her husband produced on Maria Theresa. The end had come so suddenly that he had been incapable of receiving the last sacrament. The Empress, therefore, felt it her duty to offer up constant prayers for the repose of his soul, and frequently went down, for this purpose, to his tomb in the gloomy vault of the Capuchins. Toward the last of her life, her health became so impaired that she had to be lowered into the crypt in a chair. On the last of these mournful visits, as the Empress was being drawn up, the rope broke, and she exclaimed : " He wants to keep me with him. Well, I shall come soon." Unfortunately, in her devotion to her husband's memory, Maria Theresa compelled others to do unwillingly what was to her a duty and a consolation. Thus, in 1769, her beautiful daughter, Maria Josepha, was betrothed to King Ferdinand IV. of Naples. Before setting out for her new home, Maria Theresa ordered her to descend into the sepulchral vault and offer up a prayer beside the coffin of her father. The young girl implored to be excused from this appalling duty, but her mother was inexorable, and the unfortunate Josepha, trembling with fear, was led down into the crypt. Scarcely four months had elapsed since the corpse of her sister-in-law had been buried there, and the small-pox, which caused her death, had been so virulent as to render it impossible to embalm the body. The noxious odor was still perceptible, and the fetid air communicated the infection. Accordingly, soon after her visit to the vault, the young Archduchess was seized with small-pox and died on the very day appointed for her departure to Naples.

Prince Rudolph.

The Princess Stephanie.

The Obelisk.

One of the finest works of art in the Austrian capital is the tomb of the Archduchess Christina, daughter of Maria Theresa, in the Church of the Augustines. It is a product of Canova's genius, and the sculptor's own tomb, in the Church of the Frari in Venice, was modeled after this; as if no finer idea could be expressed, and no more perfect work could be executed. The monument is in the form of a marble pyramid, approached by a flight of steps. The door of the sepulchre in the centre of the pyramid is slightly ajar, and toward this a number of marble figures appear to be slowly moving. This is not an exaggerated statement; for, after watching these wonderfully life-like statues till the mind fully comprehends the motive of the work, it is easy to imagine them endowed with life, and one half expects to see them disappear within the open portal. They represent a group of mourners, and typify qualities for which the Archduchess was distinguished. The principal figure, carrying in an urn the ashes of the deceased, symbolizes Virtue, and is attended by two maidens, bearing torches to illumine, and flowers to relieve, the gloom and sadness of the tomb.

Tomb Of The Archduchess Christina.

Another beautiful statue typifies Benevolence, and supports a feeble, decrepit man symbolizing Old Age. Childhood is also represented, mourning its benefactress, by a youthful figure, whose folded hands and drooping head indicate that in this bereavement children, too, have cause for grief.

Beside the entrance to the tomb is a recumbent lion guarding the ducal sepulchre, and against this leans the Genius of Death with inverted torch. Over the doorway is a medallion of the Archduchess, and beneath it, in the concise Latin, are three words, which in the presence of these sculptured forms are sufficient and appropriate. They are "Uxori optimae Albertus" - "Albert to his perfect Wife."

Many travelers come to Vienna, expecting to find it situated actually on the banks of the " Beautiful, blue Danube." In reality, however, the great river of Austria is two miles away. Nevertheless, to all intents and purposes Vienna does lie on the Danube, for it is connected with it by a navigable canal. At one point this " Little Danube," as it is called, forms a junction with the river Wien, which, although still more insignificant in size, gives the German name Wien, and the English Vienna, to the Austrian capital. The pointed strip of land, at which this union is effected, advances into their commingled waters like the prow of a wherry. The river Wien, like the Manzanares at Madrid, frequently runs dry ; yet, like its Spanish rival also, it is capable of assuming threatening dimensions, when swollen by copious rains or melting snow. In summer, however, the appearance of massive bridges spanning a dry and stony canon provokes a smile until the occasional necessity for them is explained.