46

WILDBAD. — CHAPT. III.

to sce this stone must takc a guide, clsc it w r ould not easily be found.

In 1525., at the time of tlic Jacquerie, Hirsau was plun- dered by tbe rebellious peasants, and some years after the duke of Wiirtemberg convcrtcd tbe convent into a Protestant school. Tbe French in 1692 burnt it, and but few traccs remain of its former grandeur. Tlicre are gardens now among tlic. ruins, and a beautiful elm grows in tbe wall of what was once tbe ccllar.

Tbougb Hirsau lies in ruins, and licaven only knows wliere the bones of the last pious monks may moulder, piety bas not died out in the neighbourhood. Scoffers would say, “It’s a proof tliat tbe disease is catching.” — Tbe town of Calw, situated at a mile’s distancc from the convent, at pre­sent is the headquarters of tlic german pietists, a sect, very much ressembling tbe Moravians, and to wliich tbe greater part of the 4200 inhabitants belongs. Tbeir great aim is tlic spreading of Christendom by means of missions, and in pursuance of it they send fortb enormous quantities of re- ligious tracts and missionary petitions with wliich they supply not only Würtcmberg, but also all Germany besides, and, in fact, half of Europe. The inhabitants are very industrious and tbeir manufaetures of woollen clotli, wliich existed already in the 14 l| i Century, werc celebrated in former tiines.

The valley of the Nagold possesses two watering-places, cach of wliich is famous for its efficacy against particular complaints. As Dr. Granville in bis excellent work on the spas of Germany lias given a very good account of tliem, we cannot do better, but give tbeir description in bis own words, taking leave only to omit such points as the reader is already aequainted with from the perusal of the foregoing pages, and to add some details he bas not mentioned.