114

CATHOLIC PRIESTHOOD.

which our night's residence in the priest's family disclosed to us; for it is said to be rather characteristic of the class. In the next room to that in which we slept, we heard the chattering, the stifled laugh, the scolding, and the slap, which declared those mischievous mortals, children, to be not far off. In fact, our host in his younger days had yielded to the forbidden temptation; and instead, as he grew older, of patching up his conscience for heaven by driving away the partner and offspring of his errors, he had installed her in the office of his housekeeper, and given shelter to the children under the convenient title of nephews and nieces. This sort of thing is said to be of not unfrequent occurrence; and the prudent guest of the Hungarian priest should never look too admiringly at any pretty handmaid who may chance to serve his supper; nor ask too particularly as to the parentage of any little tale-tellers he may see about the parsonage, — though I believe of the two, the latter would be the least offensive.

But to return to the priest of Teplitz, who did not ask us to dinner, but conducted us to the church. Service was just about to commence, and the body of the church was crowded with peasants; the married women on one side, with a head dress of white linen, in form much like that of the statues of Nemesis, and the men on the other, while the maidens, with their long bands of braided hair

THE MUMMY OF TEPLITZ.

115

hanging down the back, crowded round the steps of the altar. In a side chapel, built in imitation of that of our Lady of Loretto, which — as the priest observed, with a very intelligible smile of incredulity- came from the Holy Land, we found the body of Sophia. The priest unlocked a painted coffinshaped box, and there lay the mummy in a modern dress of black silk, the face shrunk, and the extremities dry and hard, but the fleshy parts still retaining their soft and flesh-like feeling. Some of the peasants crowded round to catch a glimpse of their favourite saint - the box was reclosed and locked - we thanked the priest for his attention, and passed on our way to visit the castle.

At Várin, we were obliged to leave the carriage, as the road by the side of the Waag was no longer passable; and following the course of the river on foot for about an hour, we came opposite Strecsno, where we fortunately found the ferry boats ready to start. These, like the others we had before seen, were only canoes joined together by a cord, and pushed over by two men, one placed at either end. Each canoe, besides these men, contained not less than five or six women, laden with immense sacks. To prevent accidents from the wind, the women knelt down; and holding the sides to keep themselves steady, remained in that position, quite still, till they arrived at the other side and were allowed to rise.

116

CASTLE OF STRECSNO.

The Castle of Strecsno is beautifully situated and very extensive. The rock on which it stands is a black limestone, * rising precipitously from the river.

Here, as well as at Csejta, we observed a great quantity of recent bones falling down the sides of the mountain with the débris of the rock; and, in the former instance, we found they proceeded from the interior of the ruins, where we picked some up. They were principally bones of sheep, hares, birds, and other small animals, with a few that might have belonged to oxen or horses. We were quite

puzzled to account for their presence; foxes or wolves, we knew, would have eaten the small bones and gnawed the larger, which was not the case; and we did not think that any bird of prey could have carried them; but just as we passed under the ruins, the harsh croaking of a raven caught our ears, and reminded us that Csejta had been similarly tenanted.

As we had left Stephan with the carriage, and the peasants we met spoke only Sclavackish, we were not able to make any inquiries as to the distance to Margita ; a narrow and dangerous pass in the navigation of the Waag, not very far from Strecsno, and which we wished to visit. The Margita is a name given to three or four rocks in the middle of the river, so called from a luckless maid, whom the jealousy of a cruel step-mother condemned to an untimely grave in this wild spot. Since that time, the wandering spirit of Margita hovers over these rocks, and demands one life every year for the bridegroom she was robbed of; is it without fear and trembling, that the poor floatmen, who fully believe the story, approach the spot which may condemn them to a phantom bride and a watery couch.

nor

118

A SPECIMEN OF

CIIAPTER V.

VALLEY OF THE WAAG.

A Specimen of Vorspann Driving. — The Jew of Tyerhova and

Sir Walter Scott. – Diffusion of English Literature. — Valley of Wratna. - A Jewish Landlady. – Sheep and Cattle of Northern Hungary. — The Pupor. — Roads in Arva. — The Álás and the Juden Knipe. — County of Arva. — Castle of

Arva. — Peter Varda. — George Thurzo. — Flogging Block. — Rosenberg. Church of St. Marie. Inn at St. Miklós. Cavern of Demenfalva. Ice Pillars. - Hradek. — Wood Cutting and Floating

On resuming our journey, we had rather a curious specimen of Vorspann driving. As is very often the case, the horses belonged to two different peasants, and had not only never run together, but one had never before drawn at all. The harness consisted of one thin rope round the neck, and two others attached to the carriage in the form of traces. One of the peasants was upon the box, while the other mounted the near wheeler, seated on his great coat instead of a saddle, and drove the four horses by means of his long whip and the string round the neck of the near leader.

In stopping his horses, the gentlest wo ! — by the