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door—massive as that to an iron safe— in tlie first passagewithin the Castle, " was tlie prison of the German EmperorHenry IV."

The gloomy vault into which we are ushered is like acellar. The walls are bare and ochred, and thcre is only arüde, little, conical chimneyplace sunk in one corner of theapartment, while, facing it, is a mere port-hole of a window setin a recess no bigger than an embrasure. On one side of thisis a small stone slab projecting from the thick wall, andintended to serve as a rüde seat near the casement.

" Here, your grace,"* says the old corporal, "Henry IV.was imprisoned for two years of bis life. The German princeshad risen in rebellion against Ihm, and elected in his placehis brother-in-law, Rudolph, duke of Swabia. Yes, my lordis right," he continues; " Henry was a brave man, and slewRudolph afterwards in single combat at Meresberg, in Saxony;for, when Rudolph was about to cut the Emperor down,Henry, with one stroke of his sabre, severed his right bandfrom the arm through the coat-of-mail that covered it, and thenthrust the usurper through the body. ' That,' said the dyingRudolph repentantly, on being shown his lost limb, ' is thehand which I pledged when I swore fealty to the Emperor.'Ah, your grace ! I often read about Henry's troubled life here,for we have a good bit of spare time, and living on the spotwhere the old monarch was confined makes one like to knowall about him. Besides," he added, laughing, " I have a num-ber of odd questions put to me by the visitors, and one doesn'tlike to appear ignorant."

"No, that I wouldn't, your lordship," replies the soldier,in answer to a question from us; "I wouldn't like to haveexchanged places with Henry, great emperor as he was, for he

* Euer gnaden (literally, your grace, or your honour) is a common mode ofaddress to Englishmen by the peasants of Germany.