or that opens to the court, is
surrounded along the interior by an open gallery, into which each
individual chamber-door opens. The consequence is, that in winter, at
least, it must be next to impossible to keep any part of the house
warm, for the drafts are endless, and the exposure to the atmosphere is
very great.

When we visited Tetchen for the second time, the contents of a very
valuable green-house appeared to have been brought forth into the
central court. The effect was most striking; for all sorts of rare and
sweet-smelling shrubs were there; and flowers of every dye loaded the
air with their perfume. The gardens, likewise, which lie under the
rock, and in the management of which the count takes great delight,
were beautiful. One, indeed, a fruit garden, is yet only in its
infancy; but another, which comes between the castle and the
market-place, reminded me more of the shady groves of Oxford than of
anything which I have observed on the Continent. Count Thun, moreover,
having visited England, and seen and justly appreciated, the
magnificent parks which form the characteristic charm of our scenery,
seems willing, as far as the different situations of the two countries
will allow, to walk in our foot-steps. He has enclosed a rich meadow
that runs by the bank of the Elbe, and treats it as his demesne. All
this is the more praiseworthy on his part, that even in his own day the
castle of Tetchen has suffered most of the calamities of war, except an
actual siege. Twice during the late struggle, was it seized and
occupied as a post, a garrison put into the house, and cannon mounted
over the ramparts; nay, the very trees in the garden, which it cost so
much pains to cultivate, and such a lapse of time to nourish, were all
destined to be cut down. Fortunately, however, an earnest remonstrance
from the count procured a suspension of the order, till the enemy
should make his approaches; and as this never happened, the trees still
survive, to afford the comfort of their shade both to their owner and
his visitors. The havoc occasioned by the throwing up of batteries was
not, however, to be avoided; and it is only within these three or four
years that the mansion has resumed its peaceful character.

There is an excellent library in the castle of Tetchen, of which the
inmates make excellent use. It contains some valuable works in almost
all the European languages, with a complete set of the classics; and as
the tastes of t