The Tabernacle and the Front of the Altar are of massy Silver, charged with several Mouldings, and Foliages of Silver gilt; and there are few Altars more splendidly decorated. There is a miraculous Image of the holy Virgin, which the Archduke Leopold, the Sovereign of Tirol, brought hither from Dresden. That Prince made a Visit to the Elector of Saxony, who shewing him his Treasure, desir'd him to chuse any Piece that he lik'd best; Leopold singled out this Figure, because he was told that in the early days of Lutheranism, it had been cast three times in the Fire, and always taken out again without any damage. The Archduke on his return to his Dominions, made a Present of this Image to the Parish, and it has ever since been held in great veneration, and never fail'd of working great Miracles. Three great Lamps of massy Silver are continually burning before it; and the other Chapels have each a Lamp of solid Silver whose Light is always shining. All this Plate was given to the Church by the Elector Palatine.
The famous golden Roof is near the Parish Church, and serves to cover a Balcony of the Chancery which fronts the Square. They say that Frederic of Austria, the Sovereign of Tirol, caused this
Roof to be made, to let his Subjects see that he was not so bare of Money as they thought him, and that he did not deserve the Nickname they had given him of the Pennyless Prince. There are many however who affirm that this Roof is not of Gold, while others say the contrary. As far as I can judge of it, I believe 'tis of Copper only covered with very thin Plates of Gold, and by consequence of no great Value. And supposing the whole Roof was of solid Gold, I don't believe the Expence was very extraordinary, though to be sure it was by much too great for so mean a purpose.
The House or College of the reverend Fathers the Jesuits, is a very great Building in which no Cost has been spared. Its principal Front is 166 Paces in length. These Fathers are the Directors of the University. Near to their College is the Church of the Franciscans, whose Convent was founded by the pious Legacies of the Emperor Maximilian, who on his Death-bed ordered his Successor to cause this House and Church to be built at Inspruc. His Grandson Ferdinand I. Son to Philip the Fair, perform'd his Will, and in honour of his Grandfather's Memory, raised him a Marble Tomb which may be rank'd among the most stately Mausoleums in Europe. The Emperor Maximilian is there represented on his Knees upon a Cushion, with his Hands lifted up to Heaven, and as it were prostrate in Prayer: He is adorned with the Crown, and the Imperial Dalmatic. This Figure is of a gigantic Size, and admirably well done in Brass. 'Tis plac'd on a great high Base of black Marble, forming an oblong Square, on an Ascent of three Steps of red Marble. The whole Base is divided into twenty-four Compartiments, or square Tables of white Marble, representing the memorable Actions of Maximilian in excellent Bas-Reliefs. The
four cardinal Virtues in a mournful Attitude, are represented in Brass, as sitting on the Corners of the Mausoleum, and looking on Maximilian's Statue. The entire Mausoleum stands by itself in the middle of the Church; and the following Inscription is engraved in Letters of Gold all round the Base of this Monument;
IMPERATORI CÆSARI MAXIMILIANO, PIO, FELICI, AUGUSTO, PRINCIPI TUM PACIS TUM BELLI ARTIBUS OMNIUM ÆTATIS SUÆ REGUM LONGE CLARISSIMO; SUB CUJUS FELICI IMPERIO INCLYTA GERMANIA, DULCISSIMA IPSIUS PATRIA, TAM ARMIS QUAM LITERARUM STUDIIS PLUS QUAM UNQUAM ANTEHAC FLORERE CAPUTQUE SUPER ALIAS NATIONES EXTOLLERE CŒPIT: CUJUS INSIGNIA FACTA TABELLIS INFERIORIBUS, QUAMVIS SUB COMPENDIO, EXPRESSA CONSPICIUNTUR. IMPERATOR CÆSAR FERDINANDUS, PIUS, FELIX, AUGUSTUS, AVO PATERNO PERQUAM COLENDO, AC BENE MERITO, PIETATIS ATQUE GRATITUDINIS ERGO POSUIT. NATUS EST DIE XXVII MARTII ANNO DOMINI M.CCCC.LIX. WELSÆ IN AUSTRIA DENATUS.
All this fine Mausoleum was executed with very great Care and Skill, by Alexander Colin, a Native of Mechlin; the Picture of which ingenious Painter, and that of his Wife, are kept in the Church, as an Acknowledgment due to that excellent Artist. This Mausoleum was mightily enriched by the Magnificence of Frederic Archduke of Austria, surnamed the Pennyless Prince, who caused to be placed in
the Nave of the Church twenty-eight Statues of Brass seven Foot in height, representing so many Princes and Princesses that were related to the House of Austria. They are set up in two Rows from the great Gate to the Altar, and therefore separate the Nave from the two Wings on the Sides. 'Tis pity that those Statues are in the hands of Monks who neglect them very much, and suffer the Dust to eat into them. They would do much better in a Royal Palace: Some of them are in great perfection. I fancy you will be glad to know the Names of the Persons they represent.
I. The first, beginning on the right Side of the Altar, is the Figure of Joan of Castile, Mother to Charles V. and Ferdinand I. the Heads of the two Branches of the House of Austria; the first of which became extinct by the Death of Charles II. King of Spain, but the second still flourishes among us with Glory in the Person of the August Charles VI.