COUNT VON MOLTKE AT HOME.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7636, 8 January 1887, Page 3

COUNT VON MOLTKE AT HOME.

A pleasant account is given by Ednard Pietzcher in the North German Gazette of a visit made in' spring to Count von 1 Moltke's retreat at Creisau. Twenty years ago, as Herr Pietzcher says, the : ' name of Creisau was never spoken of, but: Moltke has made the' place famous, jußt.--as Bismarck has.' thrown lustre upon, Varzin. Here in rural quiet, fay from the, • activity of the" city, Fiold-MarshaL, Count! von, Moltke has . set up for himself a' Tusculanum, where" in the < utmost seclusion ho recruits his strength- after the fatigue, of the winter. Having intercourse .'only with his' nephew arid; his .immediate' neighbors, he assembles! here new forces forTiis work.' Travellers, for" pleasure' seldom come into the district,.since Creisau lies far from .the great high-' ways.' Staying last 'spring at the ad-, iacent .village of Graditz, I was enabledby tlie mediation of '"the clergyman, to pay a visit . to Creisau. On a beautiful spring day we proceeded by the field. way to our destination; In the course of con-: versation the clergyman told me that last, summer he baptised the Field -Marshal's grand-niece. ; He could 'not sufficiently, praise Count yon .Moltke's amiability. l He related, too, how the . church at Graditz had received from its patron, 1 Count von Moltke, two fine bells. A day or two later I ascended > the church tower, and found the following inscription on these bells :— " Field-Marshal General von Moltke, Creisau. •• Cast; out of French cannon taken- from .the enemy through German bravery, 1870 and 1871 by the' Emperor William;. Given to the Field-Marshal Count von Moltke. Dedicated to the honor of God for the ringing of peace." . Chatting on the way we. came at last to the village of Creisau, and soon we arrived at the castle. _ It is a plain quadrangular building, with one story and a high gable. General von Moltke acquired this seat with the money given to him by the grateful Fatherland. On.both'sides of the iron steps leading to the hall are great cannon taken in the French war at Mont Valerien, and afterwards presented, by the Emperor y to the Count. They are bronze, and are covered all over with reliefs and chased work. In the hall itself are three beautiful equestrian statues of bronze, resting on colossal sockets. The central figure is that of the Emperor, with mantle, helmet, and flyipg plume, the right hand raised. An inscription says that this was a.'gift from the .Emperor., on the sixtieth anniversary of Moltke's sendee. Eight of this statue is an artistically executed copy of Eauch's •monument of Frederick the Great. On the- third, plinth stands the. excellent equestrian statue of Moltke himself, a gift of the Great General Staff. On the walls of the vestibule are large bronze busts of the Prussian kings, .with those ,of the Crown Prince and Prince Frederick Charles. Entoring the sitting-room we find it simply furnished, giving, a true picture of the Field-Marshal's modesty. Here is the low field-bed, ' with a plain writing-desk, while large maps hang onthe wall.. In the upper rooms, of the castle are many family portraits. 'In these room's, too, are kept the gifts made to the count from time to time; .Beneath , a glass shade is a small .marble bust of Napoleon, a gift of the late French" Emperor to Moltke, made when he was at the height of his -power. Bronze busts of the late Grand Duke of Mecklenburg, of the King of Saxony, andportraits of the Emperor, . the Crown ' Prince, " and Prince Frederick Charles also adorn the rooms. All these works of art were the gifts of the princes themselves, and were accompanied by cordial words expressing high praise of this faithful counsellor. : Count Von Moltke likes when staying here to go over his fields and to prune the youns; trees planted in the park.:- Home-grown fruit must' appear on the' table, and tlie -Count then speaks with pride to his guests of -the produce of-* his lauds. The school • which lie'has built is.often visited byhim, and he listens to the teaching, .questioning the young ones 'limself at times.; It was late &i night, when. we left the portal of the oastle by moonlight. On; the corner pillars rise gladiators larger than life-siz.e, They keep guard at' the entrance of the residence of the 'man; whose nanie will be spoken of so long as anyone asks after 1 tlie architects of the' German Empire.