On August 30th, early in the morning, we started for Cologne; proceeded thence by rail to Bonn, and embarking on board a steamer for Coblentz, went up the Rhine. After a pleasant voyage, surrounded by beautiful scenery, at half past 5 we passed the Fortress of Ehrenbreitstein, and in a few minutes reached our destination. At Coblentz we remained two nights; on the morning of Sept. 1st continued our voyage up the Rhine, and soon after 5 o'clock landed at Biberich, near Mayence, from which place an open carriage conveyed us to Wiesbaden, five miles distant.
There Mr. Müller held eight German meetings, including six at the Vereins Haus, an address at the Paulinen Institute of German Deaconesses, and a service on Sunday morning, Sept. 10th, at the principal German Protestant Church at Wiesbaden, a large building like a Cathedral, where he preached at half past nine.
Wiesbaden is a beautiful spot, abounding in parks, avenues of trees, fountains, flower gardens, etc., and is much resorted to by visitors. It contains 30 different kinds of hot mineral springs, which supply 850 varieties of baths.
On Sept. 11th, we left Wiesbaden for Mannheim, where my husband preached four times; and on the 16th started for Heidelberg, at which place, on Sunday, Sept. 17th, he preached at the Evangelical Capelle both morning and afternoon. During our stay at Heidelberg, he held four other meetings at the same place of worship, and on the 22nd we went to Munich, in Bavaria, 210 miles from Heidelberg, a very popish place, where, though some openings for service presented themselves, none were of a very extensive character. On Sunday, the 24th, in a Hall, at 3 p.m., Mr. Müller addressed a company of about 200, including children, teachers, and young persons, and at 5.15 the same afternoon gave an address to a congregation of 200, at the Hall of "The Herberge zur Heimath." On the 27th and 28th he spoke again at this Hall; preached at the Evangelische Hauptkirche on the 29th, and on Sunday afternoon, Oct. 1st, held another meeting at the same church at 3 o'clock. At half past 5, he preached at the Deaconesses' Institution also, which was his last service at Munich.
On Oct. 2nd we left for Vienna (272 miles from Munich) where he held a number of meetings and we remained 18 days. He preached repeatedly at Mr. Millard's Hall, at the German Reformed Church, at the Presbyterian Church (in English), at the German Methodist Church, and gave an address also to colporteurs and to other Christian workers. As Vienna is full of popery, service for the Lord there is connected with many difficulties. One regulation (by order of the Government) is, that three days' notice must be given to the police before extra religious meetings can be held; but the work of God is carried on, and prospers to some extent, though, on account of the little religious liberty that exists it is often greatly hindered.
Several years ago, the spread of the gospel in Austria was resolutely opposed by the Government; for the agent of the British and Foreign Bible Society, after being turned out of Vienna with all his Bibles, was conducted by a military escort to the frontier, and told that he must leave the country. Though it is not as difficult to hold Protestant services in Austria now, as was formerly the case, scarcely any real religious liberty is to be found in that land. The Presbyterian minister at Vienna said, that, during his comparatively short residence in this city, he had been obliged to appear seven times before the magistrates, to give an account of the services at his church, and to answer questions put to him.
Vienna is a large splendid city on the Danube; it contains upwards of one million one hundred thousand inhabitants, and is considered one of the finest capitals of Europe.
On Oct. 20th, we left and went to Pesth (called also Buda-Pesth) the capital of Hungary, 172 miles from Vienna, where, on Sunday the 22nd, Mr. Müller preached at the German Reformed Church in the morning, and at the Baptist Chapel in the evening. During our stay he held seven other meetings also, including a service in English at the Presbyterian Church, a meeting for Christian workers at the School House of the Jewish Mission, and an address to 50 patients at the Hospital of the Kaiserwerth Deaconesses, when from 30 to 40 gentlemen and ladies were likewise present. At some of these services, there were many Catholics amongst the hearers.
On Monday, Oct. 30th, early in the morning, we started for Brünn, Moravia, 229 miles from Pesth (on our way to Prague), but remained there two nights only, and on the 31st, walked up to the Spielberg (an ancient fortress at Brünn, upwards of 1000 years old, situated on the top of a hill, nearly 900 feet high,) intending only to look at the view obtained from that elevation; but having (very courteously) been invited by the Commander of the garrison to enter the Citadel, we mounted the ramparts, from which the prospect was extensive. Amongst other places, Austerlitz, 14 miles distant, could be seen, where, on Dec. 2nd, 1805, Napoleon Buonaparte (whose head quarters were at Brünn) gained a victory over the Russians and the Austrians. Our guides (an officer and a soldier) afterwards conducted us down several flights of steps into the dungeons of the Spielberg, and, with a lighted torch, led the way through those infamous abodes of the cruelty of years gone by. Here, Baron Trenck, General Mack, and Silvio Pellico were imprisoned long ago; the dreadful tortures, formerly inflicted upon robbers, murderers, and political offenders, as well as upon Protestants (there is reason to believe), were minutely described to us; and the horrible scenes, which then took place in these places of confinement, were specially detailed. One of these dark vaults contained a stone figure, representing a man stretched out at full length upon a rack, with his arms drawn up above his head, to show the manner in which the limbs of victims used to be gradually torn from their bodies, by means of machinery, which ruptured their blood vessels also, and dislocated their bones. Then, on the walls were iron rings, to which, with outstretched arms, condemned criminals were fastened in such a way that it was impossible to move; and there, without food or water, they were left to perish. In another of the dungeons was a second figure, of a man in chains, standing upright, but fettered so cruelly that, if it had been a living human being, the agony occasioned by the bonds would have been excruciating. Some of the prisoners, not killed by cold and hunger, were partially devoured by rats, whilst others were slowly put to death by atrocities that rivalled even the dread punishments of the Inquisition. A wall smeared with blood, which has left indelible stains, was also pointed out, together with a trap-door in the roof of these dungeons, through which the condemned were let down into their dreary sepulchres beneath.
It may seem almost strange to dwell even for a moment upon such horrors; but it should be remembered that the terrible deeds just adverted to were facts. Many of the Lord's people too, in years gone by, have had to pass through fiery trials such as these. Deep gratitude should therefore fill our own hearts, that we do not live at a time when, and in countries where, such outrages can legally be perpetrated. The present Emperor of Austria, Francis Joseph I. (as our guides informed us) once caused himself to be shut up for a few hours in the dungeon where the second figure was, in order that he might be able, practically to enter into the terrible character of these prisons; and afterwards gave orders, that no condemned criminals should in future be subjected to such punishments.