From a Terrace in Prague

The morning sun that tips the pinnacles of the Castle of Prague with gold, that dispels the purple shadows in which the city lies shrouded, and calls forth sparkling facets on the broad Vlatava river, dissipates our dreams of cities that have failed and perished.

It summons us to study this ancient city, old yet ever young.

Beautiful, too, in all the varying glints of light upon the spires and turrets of its hundred towers, when the morning breeze comes down-stream and rustles in the trees that deck the islands, to the golden glory of the sunset behind the purple masses of the castle.

Then a short star-lit night while Prague rests in dreams of former greatness to gain strength to face her high duties of the morrow. Indeed, Prague is an ancient city, yet young and active and wonderfully beautiful in all its aspects.

It is not my intention to conduct you round Prague, to introduce to you one by one the many features of the city, and tell you all there is to know about them. This for two excellent reasons: one, that I am far from having got to the end of such knowledge myself, the other that you may be induced to come here and find out for yourself how much of interest and of beauty lies open before you.

As in introducing a friend, I mean to state only a few salient points, to give you a hint of the city's story here and there as told by ancient buildings, as shown in public haunts or quiet nooks, hoping that in your turn you may make a friend of this venerable, this beautiful Prague.

There are many excuses for publishing websites, and sometimes there may even be sufficient reason. I offer no excuses, but will give what reasons I have for committing to cyberspace these reflections or meditations inspired by the sight of a fine old capital city as seen from a terrace in Prague.

The first reason I wish to give may be altruistic, namely, that finding so many people quite ignorant of Prague and all that city stands for right down the ages, I feel compelled to add my mite to what has already been written about the subject.

My second reason, a strong one with me, arises out of my inability to enjoy things of beauty and interest without letting my friends know about them. This may be a weak and selfish reason, but there it is.

The third reason rests on my intense desire that you should come out here, to Prague, even to the terrace of my choice, and look at the scene through my eyes while I would endeavour to see it through yours. This, I admit, is undiluted selfishness on my part.

While awaiting you, I am preparing, by means of this website, to introduce you to a good number of people who know or knew this city and loved it well. Perhaps they may admit me to their round table as the last to arrive, and the least. In any case, I owe them a debt of gratitude for their help in becoming acquainted with Prague and the deeper meaning of this glorious city. There are many such kindly helpers: there was Cosmas Pragensis the chronicler, Palacky the historian, there was Count Luetzow, whose works on Prague, as on his native country, are inspired by intense love of them, and illumined by transparent honesty.

There are others of more recent times who inspired a love and understanding of Prague. A walk with Dr Jerabek in the gardens of Waldstein's palace, a talk with Professor Skola, and many other good friends of mine in Prague, have made a pleasure of this work I have undertaken. Out of sheer joy in the things I have seen and heard, and the kindly spirit that informed those who helped me, have I created this website - from a terrace in Prague.