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diff --git a/44913-0.txt b/44913-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..600397a --- /dev/null +++ b/44913-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,7612 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 44913 *** + + THE + LIFE OF THE MOSELLE, + From its Source in the Vosges Mountains + To + Its Junction with the Rhine at Coblence. + + + BY + OCTAVIUS ROOKE, + +Author of "The Channel Islands, Pictorial, Legendary, and Descriptive." + Illustrated with Seventy Engravings from + Original Drawings by the Author. + + Engraved by T. Bolton. + + + LONDON: + L. BOOTH, 307 REGENT STREET. + + 1858. + + + + + + + + Ein donnernd Hoch aus voller Brust + Ersling zum Himmel laut, + Dir schönem, deutschem Moselstrom, + Dir, deutschen Rheines Braut! + + Julius Otto. + + + + + + + + THIS BOOK IS + DEDICATED TO + + His Wife + + BY THE AUTHOR. + + + + + + + +PREFACE. + + +The beautiful scenery of the Moselle has too long been left without +notice. It is true, some of our Artists have presented to us scenes +on the banks of this river; but English travellers are, for the most +part, ignorant how very charming and eminently picturesque are the +shores of this lovely stream. + +"The Rhine! the Rhine!" is quoted by every one, and admired or abused +at every fireside, but the Moselle is almost wholly unexplored. Lying, +as she does, within a district absolutely overrun with summer-tourists, +it is altogether inexplicable that a river presenting scenery +unsurpassed in Europe should be so neglected by those who in thousands +pass the mouth of her stream. When the Roman Poet Ausonius visited +Germany, it was not the Rhine, but the Moselle which most pleased him; +and although glorious Italy was his home, yet he could spare time to +explore the Moselle, and extol the loveliness of her waters in a most +eloquent poem. + +The Moselle, which rises among the wooded mountains of the +Department des Vosges, never during its whole course is otherwise +than beautiful. Below Trèves it passes between the Eifel and Hunsruck +ranges of mountains, which attain to the height of ten or twelve +hundred feet above the level of the river. + +In the Thirty Years' War the Moselle country suffered severely from +the ravages of the different armies; but there still remain on the +shores of this river more old castles and ruins, and more curious +old houses, than can elsewhere be found in a like space in Europe. + +Having in the following pages endeavoured to lay before English readers +the interesting scenery of the Moselle, I trust, that although in +summer my countrymen do not mount her stream, fearful, perhaps, +of discomfort; yet that by the fireside in winter the public will +not object to glide down the river, in the boat now ready for them +to embark in; and hoping that they will enjoy the reproduction of a +tour that afforded me so much pleasure, + + I subscribe myself + + Their humble servant, + + THE AUTHOR. + +Richmond, December 1857. + + + + + + + +CONTENTS. + + + CHAPTER PAGE + + I. THE SOURCE 1 + II. REMIREMONT AND EPINAL 12 + III. TOUL AND NANCY 24 + IV. METZ 39 + V. FROM METZ TO TRÈVES 65 + VI. TRÈVES 70 + VII. RIVER INCIDENTS 99 + VIII. PIESPORT 110 + IX. THE VINTAGE 125 + X. VELDENZ 133 + XI. BERNCASTEL 144 + XII. ZELTINGEN AND THE MICHAELSLEI 153 + XIII. TRARBACH 165 + XIV. ENKIRCH AND THE MARIENBURG PROMONTORY 173 + XV. BERTRICH 185 + XVI. BREMM, NEEF, AND BEILSTEIN 197 + XVII. COCHEM 207 + XVIII. CARDEN AND ELZ 219 + XIX. OLD CASTLES 235 + XX. GONDORF AND COBERN 249 + XXI. CHANGE OF THE SEASONS 261 + XXII. COBLENCE AND JUNCTION WITH RHINE 269 + + + + + + + +ILLUSTRATIONS, +FROM SKETCHES BY OCTAVIUS ROOKE; + +THE BORDERS AND FLORAL DECORATIONS BY NOEL HUMPHREYS; + +THE ENGRAVINGS BY T. BOLTON. + + + FRONTISPIECE. + DEDICATION. + PAGE + THE SOURCE 1 + THE SPIRIT OF THE MOSELLE AND HER ATTENDANTS 4 + THE CONFLUENCE 12 + NURSES AT EPINAL 20 + RIVER FALL 23 + BATHING AT TOUL 24 + REAPING 31 + JOAN OF ARC 38 + AQUEDUCT AT JOUY 39 + METZ 52 + ENVIRONS OF METZ 64 + ROMAN BRIDGE AT TRÈVES 65 + INITIAL 70 + PORTA NIGRA 71 + ROMAN BATHS 84 + FOUNTAIN 95 + ROMAN MONUMENT, IGEL 98 + FERRY 99 + WOMAN FERRYING 102 + BOAT-BUILDING 103 + DITTO 104 + HAY-LADING 106 + BEDDING 106 + BOAT WITH CASK 107 + CHURCH 109 + PIESPORT 110 + THE VINTAGE 125 + GIRLS TENDING VINES 132 + VELDENZ 133 + GIRL AT SHRINE 143 + BERNCASTEL BY MOONLIGHT 144 + OLD HOUSES, BERNCASTEL 147 + THE GERMAN MAIDEN 152 + THE GRÄFENBURG 153 + TRARBACH 165 + CONFLAGRATION AT TRARBACH 170 + LILIES 172 + MARIENBURG 173 + ENKIRCH 175 + MERL 183 + BERTRICH 185 + KÄSEGROTTE 192 + ALF-BACH 195 + THE OLD CHURCH 196 + BEILSTEIN 197 + NEEF 199 + KLOSTER STUBEN 203 + COCHEM BY MOONLIGHT 207 + CLOTTEN CASTLE 216 + FISHING 218 + INITIAL 219 + TOLL-HOUSE 224 + CARDEN 226 + GATE AT CARDEN 227 + CASTLE OF ELZ 231 + SKETCH AT CARDEN 234 + BISCHOFSTEIN 235 + ALKEN 243 + THURON CASTLE 245 + ASCENDING SPIRIT 248 + GONDORF CASTLE 249 + LOWER CASTLE AT GONDORF 252 + THE PROCESSION 257 + ST. MATTHIAS CHAPEL 260 + WINTER SCENE 261 + TOWING 268 + MARKET, COBLENCE 269 + SPIRITS OF THE MOSELLE AND RHINE 287 + + + + + + + +CHAPTER I. + + +At a short distance from Bussang, a little town in the Department des +Vosges in France, is the source of the Moselle; trickling through the +moss and stones that, together with fallen leaves, strew the ground, +come the first few drops of this beautiful river. + +A few yards lower down the hill-side, these drops are received into a +little pool of fairy dimensions; this tiny pool of fresh sweet water +is surrounded by mossy stones, wild garlic, ferns, little creepers +of many forms, and stems of trees. + +The trees, principally pine, grow thickly over the whole ballon (as the +hills are here called); many are of great size; they shut out the heat +of the sun, and clothe the earth with tremulous shadows--tremulous, +because the broad but feathery ferns receive bright rays, and waving +to and fro in the gentle breeze give the shadows an appearance of +constant movement. + +Here, then, O reader, let us pause and contemplate the birth-place of +our stream; leaving the world of stern reality, let us plunge together +into the grateful spring of sweet romance; and while the only sounds +of life that reach our ears are the rustling of the leaves, the +buzz of the great flies, the murmur of the Moselle, and the distant +ringing of the woodman's axe, let us return with Memory into the past, +and leaving even her behind, go back to those legendary days when +spirits purer than ourselves lived and gloried in that beautifully +created world which we are daily rendering all unfit for even the +ideal habitation of such spirits. + +And reverie is not idleness; in hours like these we seem to see +before us, cleared from the mists of daily cares, the better path +through life--the broad straight path, not thorny and difficult, +as men are too prone to paint it, but strewed with those flowers and +shaded with those trees given by a beneficent Creator to be enjoyed +rightly by us earthly pilgrims. + +Life is a pilgrimage indeed, but not a joyless one. While the whole +earth and sky teem with glory and beauty, are we to believe that +these things may not be enjoyed? Our conscience answers, No; rightly +to enjoy, and rightly to perform our duties, with thankfulness, +and praise, and love within our hearts, such is our part to perform, +and such the lesson we are taught by the fairy of the sweet Moselle. + + + +BIRTH OF THE MOSELLE. + +The fair Colline slept in sunshine, when from the far horizon a +rain-cloud saw her beauty, and with impetuous ardour rushing through +the sky he sought the gentle Colline, wooed her with soft showers, +and decked her with jewelled drops and bright fresh flowers. + +She soon learnt to love the rugged cloud, and from their union sprang +a bright streamlet which, cradled in its mother's lap, reflected her +sweet image. Then, as the time passed on, the little one increased +in strength, and leapt and danced about its mother's knee. Larger and +stronger grew the streamlet until its tripping step became more firm, +and then it passed into the valley, catching reflections from the +things around. And onward went this fairy stream, her source watched +over by a mother's love; and her cloud-father fed her as she passed +between her grassy banks. + +Then girlhood came, and sister streams flowed in, and, whispering +to her, told their little tales of life: so now, her mind enlarged, +she onward flows, sometimes reflecting on the things of earth, but +oftener expanding her pure bosom to catch the impress of the holy sky; +and all the tenants of the sky loved to impart their infinite beauties +and their glory to the pure stream. + +The age of girlhood passes now away, and she becomes a fair maiden, +to gaze on whose beauties towers and cities, castles, spires, and +hills, come crowding, and line her path, each giving her the gift of +its own being. + +Now come the mountains, too, with their crowns of forest waving on +their heads, and do homage to her beauty: she gives a sweet smile to +all, lingering at every turn to look back upon her friends; but yet +she tarries not, her duty leads her on,--nor worldly pomp, or pride, +or power, can keep her from her appointed path; she leaves them +all behind, and swelling onwards through the level plain, receives +the approving glance of heaven, and meets her noble husband Rhine, +who, long expecting, folds her in his arms. And thus her pilgrimage +complete, her duty ended, she calmly sleeps that happy sleep which +wakes only in eternity. + + + +Such is the history of the birth and life of the Moselle. We have +now to wander from her birthplace here, in the Vosges mountains, +to where she joins her glorious husband Rhine beneath the walls of +Ehrenbreitstein. From time to time we shall linger by the roadside, +to pluck a flower from legendary lore; from time to time we shall +stop to secure a chip from the great rock of history: storing thus +our herbal and our sack as well as our portfolio, we shall follow the +many bendings of our graceful river, which, womanlike, moves gently +and caressingly along, soothing and gladdening all things. + +The fairy and the river are as one, life within life; ever flowing +on, yet always present; ever young, and yet how old; ever springing +freshly mid the hills and woods, yet ever ending the appointed course. + +One life is material, earthly, but still sweet and beautiful; the +other life is born of the first, but far exceeds it,--it is the +life poetic, whose other parent is the human mind: this life, which +leaves the parent life behind, floats upwards on its glorious wings +and reaches the highest realms of heaven, carrying with it the souls +of those who read this life aright---- + + + +Lying here beneath the pines, we recall those old days of the past +when, on the borders of our river, only forests waved, amid whose +depths tribes of wild warriors dwelt apart,--their only amusement +hunting, their only business war, they scorned to cultivate the soil +save for their actual necessities. + +In this neighbourhood lived the Leuci, whose capital was Toul; lower +down, the Mediomatrices had their chief city, Metz; and beyond these +again came the Treviri, occupying the country about Trèves. + +All these were members of that great German family which gave +sea-kings to Norway, conquerors to imperial Rome, and at a later day +that champion (Charles Martel) who stayed the tide of Moslem conquest +near Poitiers; thus Christianising half Europe, and probably saving +all earth from Mahomet's false creed. + +Rugged and strong were these old Germans--the huge pines well +represent them; glorious in strength, stern in duty, upright, sombre, +and picturesquely magnificent: they are recorded as having been of +great size, with blue eyes and light hair, inured to every hardship, +and never laving aside their arms. + +Owning no superior, yet when once they had elected a chief, and +raised him aloft upon their shields, they obeyed him implicitly; if +unsuccessful in battle they would kill themselves rather than survive, +believing that those who died on the battle-field were received by +the Walkyren, or heavenly maidens, who hovered over the fight and +chose lovers from the dying warriors. + +What a picture of barbaric grandeur and indomitable will is given us +in the last act of one of their more northern naval heroes! Being +mortally wounded in a fight in which he had conquered his enemies, +he caused himself to be placed on board his vessel with the bodies of +his slain enemies around him, and all his plunder piled into a throne, +on which he sat,--then the sails were set, the pile was lighted, and +the blazing vessel putting out to sea, he sought his heaven--Walhalla. + +This Walhalla was supposed to contain a great battle-field, on +which the warriors fought their foes all day, receiving no hurt; +and at evening they returned to carouse and enjoy the caresses of +the Walkyren. + +Of these immediate tribes, however, Cæsar relates, that "they only +worshipped the forms of the gods they could see and whose beneficence +they felt, such as the sun, moon, and fire; of others they had never +heard." Doubtless, in after days, they adopted many of the Roman +divinities, but at the time of which we speak they adored their Creator +on the mountain tops; and when Christianity was introduced they built +their churches on the tops of hills, and even now the sacred edifices +are usually placed on eminences. Some remnant of the old hill-worship +still remains, for the Mass is annually read to the Sens shepherds +on the Alps; and not long ago the Saint John's fire was yearly lit +upon the hill-tops. + +Christmas was their most holy time; for then, they said, the gods +walked on earth. + +The oak and the alder were objects of especial reverence; for from +the former man was made, and woman from the latter. + +They considered all trees, and flowers, and plants, and stones, +and even animals, to be inhabited by beings of a superior order, +who came from an intermediate heaven and hell. + +Lakes, rivers, and springs, were held in special veneration; and +Petrarch relates, that even in the fourteenth century the women at +Cologne bathed in the Rhine to wash away their sins. + +Strangely in their natures were intermixed the gentle and the savage, +the cruel and the terrible, with the honourable and brave. Side by side +we find human sacrifices and a festival in honour of the first violet; +men who had been mutilated, and sickly children were sunk in morasses, +or otherwise destroyed; and we find them with a pure love for woman, +whom they held in the highest reverence. Their women were brought +up in the strictest seclusion, scarcely seeing any stranger,--an +injury offered to female modesty was punished by death, and fines +for injuries done to them were heavier than for those to men. + +Maidens were portionless, so only married for their merits or their +beauty: they seldom married before their twentieth year, and the +husband had generally reached his thirtieth; they had but one husband, +and the historian Tacitus observes, speaking of them, "as she can +have but one body and one life, so she can have but one husband." + +Prophetesses were frequent, and great confidence placed in their +predictions,--they were called Alrunæ, and lived apart in the recesses +of the forests. + +They had many ways of interpreting the will of the gods, but of +all interpreters the horse was considered the most sacred; white +horses were peculiarly venerated, and maintained at the expense of +the community, expressly to interpret the divine will,--even the +priests themselves considered that they were but the ministers, +while the horses were the confidants of the gods. + +The priests, as in all semi-barbarous countries, were the real +governors of these uncurbed Germans: no control but theirs was +submitted to; even in camp they alone had the right to bind and flog, +and in all public assemblies they kept order: these functions they +assumed as ministers of the supreme, invisible Being. There was, +however, no priestly caste, and each head of a family could perform +religious offices for his own household. + +Thus we find, at this earliest period of the known history of our +river--its banks occupied by a brave, hardy race, given to dissipation +and war, and governed by priests whose bloody sacrifices were offered +to a supreme Being, worshipped through His great emblems of sun, +fire, and water--they enjoyed a life of action, and looked forward +to a death of glory. + +Under this rugged nature appear the gentler attributes of love and +veneration; and a belief in Fairies, Kobolds, Nixies, and all the +different classes of superior existences with which they supposed +the whole world to teem. + +Savage and grand, loving and honourable, we shall, if we examine +history, find them first engaging the Romans on equal terms, then +for a while giving place to the conquerors of the world, but ever +holding themselves superior to them, not adopting their habits but +merely borrowing their knowledge to render themselves more fit to +encounter them; and finally, we shall find them supplanting these +world-conquerors, and seizing for themselves that crown and dominion, +the fairest portion of which remains with the German race to this +present day. And, moreover, it is this German race that has carried +civilisation over the whole earth, and whose descendants, the English +people, are rapidly populating the great continents of America and +Australia. + +Back from the train of old history our thoughts return as the evening +closes in by the source of our sweet river, and we bend our steps +down through the dim woods. The white butterflies flap past, heavily, +as though feeling the last moments of their short lives are fleeting +fast; frequently above our heads starts out a projecting mass of rock, +from whose summit a great pine towers up, first leaning forward, +then shooting upwards, its top seems piercing the blue sky. + +Ever and anon open out green dells, filled with bright foxgloves and +other beautiful flowers; through these dells trickle tiny rivulets +that swell the course of our young stream, which through the woods +we hear gurgling and gushing on, falling from stone to stone, and +wearing many a little pool in the rough ground. + +Occasionally we pass a heap of fresh-cut wood, and across our path lie +huge trunks of the fallen forest giants; a resinous odour is strongly +mixed with the scent of the wild flowers,--one flower, from which the +mountain bees make their delicious honey, is peculiarly fragrant and +very frequent; occasionally the rivulet is quite hid by the luxuriant +carpets of the false forget-me-not that line its banks. + +At length we pass from the forest to the cultivated land: the little +valley opens into a wider one, which is surrounded by mountains of +diverse forms steeped in sunlight; the sun declines, and wreaths of +blue smoke ascend from the châlets on the hill-sides, where the evening +meal is being prepared for the active, hard-working peasantry, who, +with loads of all sorts on their heads, pass by, saluting politely +as they go us and each other. + +The young stream dances along by the roadside, and thus we enter +Bussang, and close our first chapter of this fairy life. + + + + + + + +CHAPTER II. + + +From Bussang to Remiremont our infant stream gurgles plashingly +along; sometimes it conceals itself in little tranquil pools, where +the large trout lie deep beneath the roots of the overshadowing +trees; sometimes it falls with a gentle splash over an obstruction, +leaping, as we do in early life, over all difficulties with a smile, +even seeming to enjoy that which at a maturer age too often frets and +chafes us, though we conceal our chagrin under an unruffled surface. + +Sometimes our stream passes, broken into ripples, over smooth shiny +pebbles,--here the trout from time to time suddenly dart up and +seize their insect food; and sometimes it glides between green banks +which hem it in (fair setting for so bright a gem): here it is blue, +reflecting the sky above. + +Through the sultry summer days, hours spent splashing in this little +stream, or dreaming on its banks, are most delicious,--but beware, +O bather! of the shining pebbles that gleam mid the blue tide, for + + + Beneath the waters bright + The glitt'ring pebbles lie, + Like nymphs whose eyes the light + Shines on with brilliancy: + + Like wicked water-sprites + These rounded pebbles trip + The bather, who delights + His body here to dip. + + The timid foot is placed + Upon the tempting stone, + Then downward in all haste + The luckless wight is thrown. + + And when he wrathful tries + His footing to regain, + The sprites, with shining eyes, + Just trip him up again. + + +The scenery down the valley is altogether charming, occasionally grand, +but oftener sweetly beautiful; the hills are of considerable height, +some cultivated in patches of grain-crops, some covered with trees, +while others again are brightly green with turf, except where grey +rocks crop out and break the outline. Farther off the large shadowy +mountains rise, calmly shutting in the minor hills, the valley, and the +stream; the fleecy clouds float gently on, and rest upon their summits. + +Groups of trees half hide the houses which frequently appear within +the valley; the numerous bridges are generally of wood, some covered +as in Switzerland. + +The peasant women, in great straw hats or little close caps, work hard +amidst the fields storing the hay crop; the oxen yoked together munch +their fill of sweet fresh grass, that has grown in the well-watered +meadows; round them the children play, piling the hay upon each +other until, overcome by the heat, they hasten off to bathe in our +cool stream. + +Here, at a short distance above Remiremont, is the confluence of two +branches of our river; and river the Moselle now becomes. Leaving +her infant days she glides forth, with all the sunny joyousness of +girlhood, through the valleys of Remiremont and Epinal, then on through +the undulating plain, past Toul, to meet her confidant the Meurthe. + +Remiremont is a well-built, clean town, with rivulets flowing +constantly on both sides the roadway; it contains a fine church, +near which are the buildings that formerly held the celebrated Dames +de Remiremont, of whom the following account is given. + +In the seventh century a monk named Amé arrived at the court of King +Theodobert of Austrasia; moved by his preaching, one of the principal +officers of the king, named Romaric, embraced the monastic life, and +gave an estate to found a monastery of nuns: the mountain on which +this monastery was built was called "Mons Romarici," hence the modern +name of Remiremont. + +A community of monks was established shortly after, near the nunnery, +and St. Amé governed both; he dying, Romaric succeeded him: but +now the female monastery was governed by an abbess,--it is said, +a daughter of Romaric. + +To this monastery Charlemagne came to enjoy the pleasures of the +chase, and here the unhappy Waldrada, wife of Lothaire II., came to +die after her long persecution by the Church. + +In the tenth century the Huns penetrated here, and ravaged the +monastery; a few years after it was totally destroyed by fire; +after this event it was rebuilt at the foot of the mountain: the two +communities now separated, the ladies entering on their new abode, +and the monks retiring to the mountain. + +The ladies lived such scandalous lives that Pope Eugenius reproached +them with dishonouring the religious habit; his complaints were +useless, and the ladies soon threw off even the appearance of +religieuses, and remained bound together by a sort of female +feudality. The abbesses were people of the best families, and none +were admitted as members of the community but those who could prove +themselves of noble blood on both sides for two hundred years. + +The abbess ranked as a princess of the Empire, and held a feudal +court,--a drawn sword was carried before her by one of the officers, +of whom she had many in her service; she received her investiture from +the hands of the Emperor himself, and had many rights over different +parts of the surrounding country, her power often clashing with that +of the Dukes of Lorraine. + +The Dukes were bound to appear before the monastery on the 15th +of July of each year, and to carry on their shoulders the shrine +of St. Romaric; they then signed, in a large book plated with gold +and kept for that purpose, a confirmation of all the privileges of +the abbey. In consideration of these services, however, they gained +certain solid advantages. + +One of the most violent quarrels between "les Dames" and the Dukes of +Lorraine was owing to Duke Charles III. refusing to carry the saint's +relics on his shoulders; eventually the ladies gave up the point on +consideration of receiving, in lieu, an annuity of 400 francs. + +In 1637 Duke Charles IV. besieged the town, which had been garrisoned +by the French with fifteen companies of the regiment of Normandy. These +soldiers being driven to extremity, declared, rather than submit +without conditions, they would burn the abbess, abbey, and all the +ladies, as well as the citizens; the ladies despatched six of their +number to the Duke, who, overcome by the tears of beauty, granted an +advantageous capitulation to the Norman rascals. + +Next year Turenne appeared before the city, which the Duke had left +feebly garrisoned; but the abbess, mindful of the Duke's kindness, +so stoutly defended it, that after three assaults Turenne retired +with considerable loss. After this the abbess obtained from the French +king a promise of neutrality. + +The power of these extraordinary "Dames de Remiremont" lasted +(though somewhat shorn) until the tide of the French Revolution +swept away for a time even the name of the town, which was called +Libremont. The church and buildings still remain, the last remnants +of this extraordinary community. + +Having climbed the hills above Remiremont and seated ourselves amid +the heather and ferns, the valley in folds of bright green extends +itself beneath; the hills around are varied and beautiful, clumps of +trees adorn the meadows, and great shadows steal along, presenting +to our eyes a constant succession of moving pictures. + +One of these shadows we watch roll down the distant mountain-side, +leaving it bright and glowing with the grain,--then, coming onwards, +it rests upon a great clump of trees, whose contrasted darkness lights +up the grass beyond: they in their turn are left behind, and, now +quivering in light, they stand backed by the sombre mountain wrapped in +a succeeding veil; these clouds roll on, and others quickly following, +give to the valley an appearance similar to that of a rolling prairie: +now they approach, and envelope the hill on which we sit in gloom; +but shortly all again is clear, the sky above is pure, the air is +sweet; the meadows glory in their abundance, and our river, bending +and turning, now to the far side of the valley, now towards the town, +freshens the heated herbage with its limpid stream. + +From the valley, beautiful though it be, we turn our eyes to the more +glorious beauty of the + + + NOONDAY CLOUDS. + + Over our heads the sunbeams quiver, + The air is filled with heat and light, + While at our feet the shining river + Sparkles with thousand dimples bright. + + The distant hills, in sombre masses, + Sleep calmly on amidst the haze; + A mighty cloud through heaven passes, + And from the earth arrests our gaze. + + For in the shadows of that cloud, + We seem to see extending far + Valleys and hills, where seraphs bow'd, + Praising their great Creator are. + + Praising for ever "Him on high." + Those glorious seraphs also pray, + That from this planet crime may die, + From man and earth sin pass away. + + The shades of these hills of central air, + The gales that spring 'mid their lake, + Spread over our earthly valleys fair, + From our souls the weariness take; + And hope reviving emits its glad beam, + Which brightens our hearts, as sun does the stream. + + +Where we sit the ground is heaped into all sorts of forms, and covered +with ferns and heather,--from the latter rushes a large covey of +whirring partridges, and swoops into the valley. + +Above, the still forest sends down its treasures of bark and firewood, +which are borne in creaking waggons down the steep ascent; the oxen +stagger beneath the weight, while the drivers shout encouragement, +and their great dogs look calmly from the overhanging bank upon the +busy scene. + +All the environs of Remiremont are beautiful, and the town itself is a +favourable specimen of a French country town: it is much better paved +than those towns usually are, and the principal street has arcades +under the first floor, beneath whose shade it is pleasant to sit during +the midday heat, and hear the water rushing through the tiny canals. + +In the little busy inns people come and go rapidly, the fashionable +watering-place of Plombières being only some twelve miles distant: +the tables d'hôte at these inns are wonderful, the number of dishes, +the rapidity with which they are served, and the really excellent +cookery. Most of the diners are men, and they one and all make love to +the woman who, in conjunction with a lad, waits on some twenty guests, +and yet finds time to parry all their jokes with sharp repartee. + +Here may be seen a good specimen of the false politeness of the +French,--they never help themselves to the vin ordinaire without +filling up their neighbour's glass, whether he wants more or not, and +they almost invariably pick out the choice morsel from the dish which +the aforesaid neighbour eyes with longing looks: one, an epicure, +reaches over you to secure the oil and pepper, with which to make +additions to some vile sauce he is compounding for a coming dish; +another will have something out of its proper turn, which irritates +the handmaid; all eat voraciously, and with knives scoop up superfluous +gravy, endangering the fair proportions of their mouths. After dinner +(which is at twelve), cards and coffee fill the time until a little +gentle exercise brings them to a second dinner at seven, when the +knives play their part again. + +Travelling in the smaller diligences is very miserable, but the little +rattling carts that can be hired are worse and slower. Journeying, +again, brings out the politeness of the French men,--who secure the +best seats if possible, never giving them up to ladies, and fill the +vehicle with very bad tobacco smoke. + +Leaving them to the smoke and dust, we will go down into the meadows, +and walk with our fresh river through the fields it waters on its +passage to the gay town of Epinal. + +On a slight elevation at the entrance of the town is a public garden +of fine old beech-trees, that shade seats and walks; rough grass lawns +fill the intervening spaces. Here plays a military band on Sundays +and fête-days, and the young men sun themselves in the eyes of the +fair ladies, who in many-hued attire float up and down, ostensibly +listening to the military music, but really to that of the voices of +their admirers. + +Here on all days play the children, and on the grass sit the +picturesquely-dressed nurses, with great bows in their hair and +snowy sleeves puffed out upon their arms. It is a pleasant lounge and +of considerable extent; on one side is the river, the main body of +which falls over a wear, while a portion of the water is conducted +through the town in a clear stream, which reunites itself with the +main body below the town: thus an island is formed, and Epinal stands +on both banks as well as on this island, several bridges joining the +different quarters. + +There is near the end of the town a very beautiful old church; on +the hill above, was formerly a strong castle, only a few stones of +which now remain: the hill is covered by a private garden commanding +fine views. + +Epinal is on the site of a very ancient town that was twice destroyed +by a fire and pillage; the modern town arose round the walls of a +monastery founded in 980 A.D. by a Bishop of Metz, and enlarged in +the following century. + +The ladies of this monastery appear to have rivalled the "Dames de +Remiremont" in leading scandalous lives, if not in power; and when, +in the thirteenth century, a Bishop of Toul undertook to re-establish +the primitive rules among them, they refused to take any vow, and +ended by secularising themselves, but still kept in some measure +aloof from the world: they had two dresses, one for the convent, +the other for society. They existed as a community till last century. + +As a Bishop of Metz had founded this monastery, his successors +assumed the sovereignty of the town, and one of them, in the thirteenth +century, caused it to be fortified. This sovereignty was often disputed +by the townspeople on the one hand, and by certain seigneurs, who +had been declared guardians of the monastery, on the other: thus many +disputes arose; at last it was agreed that the town should be ceded +to the Dukes of Lorraine, and to this house it remained attached. + +Frequently taken by the French, and as often retaken, it suffered +much from war, but was always constant to its ducal rulers until +Lorraine became finally incorporated in France. At the present day +it is bustling, dirty, thriving, and ill-paved. + + + +And now away, over the hills and valleys. The river swells on beneath +or past us, leaving Thaon, Châtel, Charmes, and many other towns and +villages behind; on it flows, falling over wears and circling many +islands, wearing its course along until it leaves the Department des +Vosges and enters on that of the Meurthe. + +Laughing and gay, we shall in the next chapter find "the fair girl" +basking amid the corn-fields that adorn her course near Toul. + + + + + + + +CHAPTER III. + + +"Oh, pleasant land of France!" sings the poet; and a pleasant land it +is, especially when, as now, the tall and yellow grain is spreading +over its fair plains. As we approach Toul the reapers are at work; +the women and children are busy binding or spreading out the sheaves +fast as the men can cut them,--all is gay and happy; the sun glowing +on the grain makes the whole land seem an El Dorado, and we appear +to move in one of the golden dreams of fairyland. + +Coming on our river again, which has serpentined along, loitering to +water those fruitful plains of "old Lorraine," we find her stream +shrunk within its pebbly bed; for the sun has drunk from earth her +moisture, and the fire element rules now for the good of man, where the +water, moistening the earth, had produced the germ within her bosom. + +The contrast of the burning sun and corn makes our dear river seem +the cooler and the fresher. All down its course the bathers are +wading refreshingly about: in a side-stream, shaded by tall poplars +and guarded from eyes inquisitive by rows of piled-up firewood, +bathe the women, maids, and girls; in long loose dresses floating, +with hair wreathed lightly round their glistening heads, they toss +the glittering drops upon each other, and laugh, and scream, and sing: +here, hand-in-hand, with tottering gait, they struggle up against the +stream, slipping and tumbling at each forward step,--then, the desired +point reached, merrily they float down, and the blue tide sparkles +with their beauty. Upon the bank are some timidly adventuring their +hesitating feet before they plunge into the element; some bind their +hair, preparing; others, having bathed, unbind, and the long tresses +stream over the fair shoulders: blithely thus they pass the time, +and defy the hot old sun upon the river's bank. + +A little further, and the green slopes of the fortifications sweep up, +and the cathedral towers stand high above the invisible town; beyond +the towers is a great flat-topped hill, whose smaller brethren stretch +south-wards: in all, the same flatness of the summit is perceptible. + +The river makes a great bend after passing Toul; she seems to have +come so far, to see the old capital of the Leuci, and finding there +little to arrest her progress or detain her steps, she hastens off +to hear from her girlish friend, the Meurthe, the history of Nancy, +whose walls the latter guards. + +Before we go with our Moselle to hear the tales of Nancy, we must +first listen to a simple story from French every-day life, near Toul. + + + +ADÈLE AND GUSTAVE. + +Once more War stalked the land; again France was aiming, and calling +on her sons to fight a foreign foe: but this time her quarrel was a +righteous one, for side by side with England she appeared, to guard +the weak against the oppression of the strong. + +Adèle's heart was beating with anxiety when the day for drawing +the fatal numbers had arrived,--those numbers that should determine +whether Gustave left her for the battle-field or remained to marry, +as had been agreed between them and their parents. + +Gustave, however, though he dearly loved his sweet fiancée, loved more +that empty trumpet glory, a grand word, and one that chains the hearts +of men,--but, like the drum and trumpet, its appropriate adjuncts, +only expressing a hollow though a ringing sound. + +Such was the glory Gustave dreamt of,--not true glory, not heroism +in daily life, not the dying in defence of what we love,--but the +rush and the glitter, the pomp and the pride, the excitement and the +turmoil of the imagined war. + +Little thought he of the days of severe privation, the nights +of watching, the constant petty troubles, and the lingering pains +brought on by disease engendered by a soldier's life; and still less, +it is to be feared, did his mind dwell on the number of Adèles this +ruthless war leaves mourning and trembling, while their husbands, +friends, and lovers, fight and die afar. He only thought of glory +in the abstract; perhaps also of a time when, a high grade won, +triumphant he should return and lay his spoil at Adèle's feet. + +And he was drawn; his friends begged him to let them purchase a +substitute,--he, with his ambition and his love for them combined, +would not allow that they should thus impoverish themselves; but, +being strongly urged, he turned to where Adèle silently was grieving, +and left the choice to her. + +Poor Adèle, knowing well his secret heart, and fearing that he +would only fret and chafe at home,--perhaps, too, being herself a +little tainted with his love for glory,--wept, but said, "Go, then, +dear Gustave; never shall a French girl counsel her lover to desert +his country." + +So, while many a tear and secret prayer are poured out for his welfare, +Gustave goes. + +The land rings with martial preparations; on all sides is the +excitement of the coming war: the eagles and the banners are raised +high; and all the air is filled with the grand anthem, "Partant pour +la Syrie." + + + +Part II. + +Gustave wrote often: first he was learning his drill, then he had +finished his initiation and was in favour with his superiors, often +being able to assist with his clear head and ready pen. + +Soon after these, a letter came to say the regiment was to hasten to +Marseilles, there to embark for Eastern service. + +A long silence, and a battle had been fought upon the plains of Alma: +his name was not in the lists of killed and wounded,--those fearful +lists that break the hearts of many; it is not those fighting, but +those left behind we ought to pity. + +Then came a day of joy: Gustave had performed one of those daring +feats of which the Russian war gave so many instances,--he had been +promoted; and Adèle's eyes sparkled, and her bosom heaved, as friends +came flocking in offering their congratulations. + +The long winter was rolling on; still the enemy, with desperate +courage, defended the beleaguered city; and men died fast of fatigue, +and cold, and want, both within and without the walls. + +Gustave was strong and healthy, never sick or suffering; but, alas! a +day came when, after a night sortie gallantly repelled by the French, +who followed the enemy nearly into the very town, it was found that +he had not returned; and his men reported that he had fallen mortally +wounded close to the city walls: they had endeavoured to bring him +off, but the task was too difficult, and he was left to breathe his +last where he had fallen. + +The Colonel himself wrote to his friends, and a decoration was +forwarded; but did those words of praise, did that cold cross, repay +Adèle for her lost lover? Often, when no eye but that of God was on +her, she sat with these treasures in her lap, but from her eyes the +tears would flow, and the cross and words were dimly seen through +the descending drops,--no, Adèle was not consoled, though he had died +for France; hollow were to her the words, "Mourir pour la Patrie." + + + +Part III. + +Peace was with the earth again; the dear-bought peace, that found +parents and children, wives and sisters, mourning for those the war +had snatched from their embrace. + +Around the walls of Toul the harvest had been gathered; the last few +sheaves were loaded on the carts as the declining sun sank down; +the horses or oxen, gaily decked, moved slowly towards the city; +round the waggons the children danced, and thus the maidens sang as +in the olden time:-- + + + THE HARVEST SONG. + + Our labour all is done; + We've finished with the sun, + Who now, in the far west + Low sinking, goes to rest. + + The golden grain is stored; + The Great God be adored, + Who sent the sun and rain + To swell the golden grain. + + The stalwart oxen strong + Drag the great wain along; + The last ray from the sun + Shines on our work now done. + + Twine, then, the garlands gay; + Let, then, the music play; + And gaily dance till morn, + And fill the flowing horn: + + For now the grain is stored, + The Great God be adored, + Who sent the sun and rain + To swell the golden grain. + + +Adèle entered not into their joy, her heart was like her +lover--dead. As they go with the last waggon towards home suddenly +a shout is heard--a crowd comes on--she hears her name called--many +voices seem to say "Gustave!"--the crowd gives way. + +Well-known eyes are looking into hers as she awakes to +consciousness--his arm is round her, and his heart is beating +against hers. + +Alive, though grievously wounded, he had been taken care of by a +noble foe; and at the termination of the war, released, he had come +back; one empty sleeve was pinned against his breast, but there she +placed the cross,--he smiled fondly on her, but looking at it sighed, +thinking perchance glory may be bought too dear. + +And now by the Moselle's banks Adèle nurses her invalid husband, and +peace for the moment reigns in France. But, alas and alas! many another +Adèle will mourn many another Gustave, before mankind have learnt to +fulfil the wish contained in Jeanette's song, and be content to + + + "Let those that make the quarrel be + The only ones to fight." + + +Toul contains little to detain us except its fine cathedral; it is +"dullest of the dull," no movement in its streets; a railroad hurries +past her gates, but few of the passengers enter them; her history +alone is interesting: built before history for this portion of the +globe began, she was, when visited by the Roman eagles, the capital +of the warlike Leuci. + +Erected at a very early period into a bishopric, its Bishops were its +rulers; nominally subject to these Bishops and the Counts of Toul, the +burghers seem actually to have enjoyed all the rights of a free city, +and eventually the town was reckoned one of the free Imperial cities. + +In a quarrel which arose between these burghers and their bishop, +Gilles de Sorcy, in the thirteenth century, three arbiters were named +to settle the dispute. It appeared, that formerly the townspeople +had been obliged to find food for the Bishop's table during the +month of April; this custom had fallen into disuse, but now Gilles +claimed arrears and its continuance: the burghers, in their turn, +claimed certain gifts from the Bishop on his entrance into the city. + +It was agreed that the town should pay to the Bishop sixteen pounds, +money of Toul, each year; and he, on his part, was to distribute, +on his solemn entry into the city, forty measures of wine, eight +hundred pounds of bread, and an ox boiled (?) whole, with parsnips. + +By this award it would appear that neither party had the upper hand, +but that the power was nearly equally divided. + +At the death of Gilles dissensions broke out, and in A.D. 1300 +the people placed themselves under the protection of the King of +France. Disputes now arose between the French monarchs and the German +emperors, as Toul was an Imperial free city; but the French were the +more active, and the city was considered under their protection. + +Occasionally the citizens had to be recalled to a sense of their +allegiance by burning their suburbs or occupying their town. Finally, +in the sixteenth century, Toul was formally ceded to France, and +in A.D. 1700 Louis XIV. pulled down the old walls, and erected the +fortifications within which the town now stagnates. + +The great canal connecting the Rhine and Marne runs parallel with +the Moselle to Frouard, near which place the Meurthe falls in: the +country is pleasant, diversified by hill and dale, and richly wooded. + +Beyond Liverdun, railroad, road, canal, and river, run side by +side,--fire, earth, water, and air, all rendered thus subservient +to man. + +And now the Meurthe runs in; full of gay confidence, this friend +imparts her knowledge to our stream. + +She tells her of a city beautifully laid out with gardens of great +trees, beneath whose shade gay dames and damsels walk, while music +fills the air; hard by the numerous fountains play; and the old palace +of King Stanislas, who enriched the town with many a stately building, +is near. The shops and cafés, the theatre and walks, all render Nancy +a cheerful and agreeable abode. + +Within the old town is the curious palace of the ancient Dukes, +containing a museum, where all sorts of relics are preserved. + +Old towers stud the walls; and statues, groves, and churches ornament +the town: in the ducal chapel are the tombs of the Dukes of Lorraine, +who were powerful sovereign princes. This chapel is very beautiful. + +Nancy appears to have been at the height of its lustre during the +reign of Stanislas, who received the Duchy of Lorraine, in lieu of +his own kingdom of Poland, from the French monarch; at his death the +duchy finally reverted to France, and became extinct in 1766. + +Stanislas and his queen, in 1699, took part in a very curious ceremony +called "The Fête des Brandons," annually practised in Nancy. + +This fête was thus conducted: on a certain day all the newly-married +couples, of whatever degree, were obliged, under pain of penalty, +to go out of the city gate and fetch a fagot; these fagots were, +to save them the trouble of going to the wood, sold to them outside +the gates, where a sort of fair was held, in which they purchased +ribands, pruning-knives of white wood, &c.; they returned, with +their fagot bound with the ribands, and the husband with one of the +pruning-knives hanging to his button, to the Halle des Cerfs in the +ducal palace: from there they went in procession to the market-place, +and formed a pile with the fagots; they then inscribed their names +at the Hôtel de Ville, in a book kept for that purpose, and received +certain privileges for the coming year. + +Returning to the palace, they danced in the court, and the young men +pelted peas under their feet; which "being," says the chronicler, +"very hard, occasioned the dancers many falls, which caused great +hilarity among the spectators." + +At seven in the evening they had a grand supper at the Hôtel de Ville, +and afterwards the bonfire was lit and fireworks sent up. + +During the blazing of the bonfire the new-married had the right of +proclaiming from the balcony of the Hôtel de Ville, "Les Valentins +et les Valentines," i.e. they called out the names of any of their +unmarried friends with the following words, "Qui donne-t-on à +M----?" "Mademoiselle ----" was answered by another, and the crowd +took up the names, expressing their approbation or otherwise. + +In the course of the next week the Valentin was to send to his +Valentine a bouquet, or other present; if she accepted it, she +appeared, with the cadeau, at the toilette of the Duchess, on the +following Sunday; if no present had been sent by the Valentin, his +neighbours lit a fire of straw in front of his house, as a sign of +their displeasure. + +The ladies were to give a ball to their Valentins, and if they did +not do so, a straw-fire was lit before their houses. + +These fires were called "Brûler le Valentin," or "Valentine," and +showed "the new-married" had made a mistake in their choice for +the unmarried. The chronicle finishes by saying, "the people were so +pleased at seeing Stanislas and his queen taking a part in their fête, +that they did not pelt peas under their feet when dancing." + +Nancy is not a town of very ancient date like its neighbours, Metz +and Toul; it dates only from the eleventh century, and even then it +was merely "a castle with a few houses clustered round." + +Here Joan of Arc, born at Domremy, near Toul, was first presented by +the Sire de Baudricourt to Duke Charles II., who gave her a horse and +arms, and sent her to Chinon to the King, Charles VII. of France, +to whom Joan made use of the following words:--"Je vous promets de +par Dieu, premier qu'il soit un an, tous les Anglais hors de royaume +je mettrai, et vous certifie que la puissance en moi est." + +After her barbarous murder the King ennobled all her family, males +and females, in perpetuity; and they retained this privilege into +the seventeenth century, when a parliamentary decree confined the +honours to the males. + +Many in Lorraine believed that Joan was not really burnt: this belief +gave rise to several impostors, one of whom was so successful that she +deceived even Joan's brothers, and under her assumed name married a +certain Seigneur des Armoises: another was for some time believed in, +and fêted accordingly, but at last, being confronted with the King, +he posed her by asking what was the secret between them. + +In 1445 the Duke of Suffolk arrived at Nancy to demand the hand of +Marguerite, René's beautiful daughter, for Henry VI. of England; René +willingly consented to this honour, and Marguerite went forth to pass +her troubled life in camps and battles, until, after the murder of +her husband and son, she returned to Lorraine, and died in 1482, near +St. Mihiel. She was remarkable, says the historian, for her virtues, +her talents, her courage, her misfortunes, and her beauty. + +Charles the Bold besieged and took Nancy in 1475; contrary to his usual +custom, he was most affable to the citizens, wishing to make Nancy the +capital city of the new kingdom he proposed carving out for himself +from the adjoining states; but his quarrel with the Swiss arrested +the progress of these schemes, and in his absence René II. retook the +city, the garrison capitulating: after the capitulation the governor +sent René a pâté of horseflesh, and told him that for several days +they had been reduced to such nourishment. + +Immediately afterwards Charles re-appeared, and again besieged +the city; René departed to procure assistance from the Swiss, +the garrison promising to hold out for two months; and in keeping +this promise it suffered great hardships,--the walls were in ruin, +a terrible disease appeared within the town, and no less than four +hundred men were frozen to death on Christmas night only. + +At length René and the Swiss arrived; then the celebrated battle was +fought in which Charles was slain. It is said that before the fight +commenced he feared for the result, as, in putting on his helmet, the +crest fell to the ground. René re-entered his capital by torchlight +the same night. + +Under its Duke, Charles IV., Nancy suffered much from war, and endured +several sieges; at length it was finally incorporated in the French +Empire in 1766. + + + + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + + + Sweet age of girlhood's prime, + When glad, and gay, and free, + Loving and loved by all, + Life flows on joyously; + Ere yet earth's cares have dimm'd + Eyes bright with happiness, + Or thrown a shade of gloom + O'er the imagined bliss + Of coming life, which in + Dim future seems to shine, + Lit up by present hope + As jewels light the mine. + O fair Moselle! O sweetest Maid! + Who, dancing on midst sun and shade, + Hast left thy distant mountain home, + Through woods and valleys thus to roam; + May no sad shade thy life o'erspread, + No storm break o'er thy beauteous head, + But ever may thy fair wave glide + Peaceful, as when Meurthe's sparkling tide + Flows in, and gently whispering its tale doth tell + To thee, O Queen of Rivers, radiant Moselle! + + +It is a rich green valley where these waters meet, where the Meurthe +dies, and dying, gives her waters to increase those of her friend. + +Bountifully watering the valley's soil, our river flows through the +department named after her, Moselle, and forms a large island, where +the ancient Roman aqueduct formerly strode over. + +Of this aqueduct sixteen arches and one column still remain on the +right bank, at the village named Jouy aux Arches; from the gardens +above, the river is seen glittering through the valley, which is +framed into pictures by the huge arches. + +Of course a legend exists that the Devil built this aqueduct. He had +promised to do it, for some unknown consideration, before cock-crow; +the cock, however, crowed too soon, and the Devil, irritated with the +cock and himself, kicked down an unoffending arch: the uncompleted +aqueduct soon became ruinous. + +Another legend makes Azita (a daughter of Noah) the builder of these +arches; she, being a cautious lady, erected them in order that, +if another flood came, she might climb up and be safe. + +This aqueduct, which was six leagues long, poured its waters into a +vast bason, where representations of naval engagements were given by +the Romans. It was already a ruin in the tenth century. + +Jouy is about six miles from Metz, which is esteemed the strongest city +in France, and is garrisoned by twelve thousand men. As we approach +the town the beautiful cathedral is seen looming large above the +other buildings; it was commenced in the eleventh century, and not +completed until the sixteenth: it is elegant in its proportions and +beautiful in its detail; another older church is incorporated into it, +and its windows are filled with very beautiful stained glass. + +Approaching the town, the river breaks into two branches, and +another stream comes in, all helping to fortify the old capital of +the Austrasians. + +The history of Metz is one of the most interesting that can be studied; +its first appearance in history is as the capital of the Mediomatrices, +and early it became the see of a Christian Bishop. + +In the fifth century, Attila with his Huns swept like a pestilence over +Europe, and Metz was sacked and burnt; to the Romans, Attila was "the +Scourge of God," to his countrymen little less than a god himself. At +length he was defeated by the allied Germans and Romans on the plains +of Chalons, after losing two hundred thousand men; but even then his +power was unbroken, and in a few months he was before Rome, which +city he was induced to spare by the intercession of the Pontiff, Leo, +who, arrayed in priestly robes and surrounded by his clergy chanting +hymns, sought him in his camp. Soon after he retreated northwards, +and was murdered by his wife, Criemhilda, who was of German origin: +with him fell his vast empire, and the Huns disappeared beyond the +Black Sea. This extraordinary century saw the rise and fall of three +separate kings and tribes. First came Alaric, king of the Visigoths, +who overran the Roman Empire and took Rome itself by storm, A.D. 410; +but soon after, dying suddenly, his kingdom perished with him. His +body, it is said, was laid in the bed of an Italian river, from which +the stream had been diverted; an immense treasure was placed around +him, and the stream returning to its natural course, the labourers +were murdered, and thus the secret of his burial-place was hid for +ever. After him came Attila; and lastly, Odoacer, sprung from the +Heruli, became the King of Italy, dethroning Romulus Augustus, the +last Roman Emperor: he perished too, being murdered in 493 by orders +of Theodoric the Ostrogoth. + +During all these wars, and midst the crash of falling empires, +rose slowly the sun of Christianity, and soon its penetrating beams +dispersed the night that had obscured earth since the Roman splendour +had passed away. Now a king was baptized, and anon a martyr died, both +events alike serving to spread the religion of peace; and on the ruins +of Paganism is now built up the Church of Christ, and a new period +of the world's history begins with the downfall of the Roman Empire. + +The history of Metz at this early period is the history of the +Austrasian kingdom, of which it was the capital. + +At the beginning of the fifth century, a nation called the Franks +appeared upon the scene of history: this nation was a powerful +confederacy of German tribes, and came from the north-western parts +of Germany. + +They took possession of the neighbouring lands as far as the Moselle, +and, the half of them settling on that river, were called the +Salii. Gaul soon after being abandoned by the Romans, the Salii became +an entirely independent nation, and about A.D. 420, being emulous of +the fame of the great Gothic King (Alaric), they for the first time +elected a king over themselves, and composed the celebrated Salique +law. This king is handed down to us under the name of Pharamond, +but it is very doubtful whether such a person ever existed; he was +succeeded by Clodion, whose successor, Merowig, was the founder of +the Merovingian dynasty: his grandson, Clovis, was the real founder of +the kingdom of the Franks; he died "leaving a kingdom more extensive +than that of modern France." + +He divided his territories into four parts, but his son Clotaire +reunited them. Clovis was baptized a Christian in A.D. 493; he was +ever the champion of the Church against the great Arian heresy, and +has received, therefore, from the Church's hands, a meed of praise, +certainly unwarranted, "as he had on all occasions shown himself a +heartless ruffian, a greedy conqueror, and a bloodthirsty tyrant;" +his great power was only attained by wading through a sea of blood, +flowing not only from enemies, but also from his nearest relatives +and friends. + +Clotaire, who is recorded as having been "cruel and licentious, +even for a Merovingian," dying, the kingdom was again divided by his +sons into four parts, Sigebert receiving Austrasia, with Metz for +his capital. + +He married the beautiful Brunhilda, daughter of Athanagildis, king +of the Visigoths; and his brother, Chilperic, married her sister: +this sister was murdered at the instigation of Fredegunda, to whom +Chilperic was shortly after married. Then began a series of murders +and bloodshed between the rivals Brunhilda and Fredegunda. + +Never, says the historian, has one family amassed such a heritage of +crime as King Clovis and his descendants,--the cruelties and murders +of his sons were far exceeded by those of his grandsons, their wives, +and successors. The history of this period is a chaos of murders, +treachery, and license. The kings lived each with several wives and +concubines, murdering each other and committing every crime; while +the queens caused those who opposed their power to be assassinated, +poisoned even their own sons, and sowed dissensions on all sides, +leading as vile lives as their husbands. Thus the Merovingian race +fell under the weight of its own crimes, and, long before its final +extinction in 752, it possessed but the shadow of authority, the real +power being in the hands of subjects, termed Mayors of the Palace, +who, from being mere house-stewards, rose to be leaders of the armies +and presidents of the councils of their effeminate monarchs. + +It is curious to find this debased family, through all their misdeeds, +crimes, and impotency, still regarded with affection and veneration by +the mass of their subjects; and although mere puppets in the hands of +the Mayors, the people must have been unaware of their loss of dignity, +and their eyes must have been systematically blinded by a fictitious +state being preserved round these nominal kings. The following legend +of Theolinda will exemplify this; the Sigebert referred to is Sigebert +III., son of Dagobert I., who was the last of the family that exercised +anything like independent authority. + + + +THEOLINDA. + +On the banks of the Moselle, Theolinda was the fairest shepherdess; +happy in love and beauty, she sat by the river's bank, Alcidor's arm +around her. While sitting thus they were surprised by the approach +of Sigebert and his Queen, who were passing a few days in a solitary +castle which stood near the banks of the Moselle, surrounded by groves. + +The King asked Alcidor if he would wish to serve in the army as a +knight's squire; and the Queen offered Theolinda to place her among her +ladies, where she would be "as a rose among wild flowers." Both humbly +declined, urging that love was sufficient for them, but professed +that they were ready to lay down their lives, if needful, for their +King: he smiled and left them, assuring them of his protection and +assistance, should they need it. + + + +The hordes of the Vandals were threatening Austrasia, and Sigebert +stood on the defensive, feeling his weakness; his general took up a +strong position in the Vosges mountains, and there awaited the enemy. + +The news of these events reached the quiet valleys of the Moselle, +and Alcidor hastened to fulfil his promise to the King, and joined +the army that was gathering in the forest of Ardennes; being known +as a brave man, and perfectly acquainted with the intricacies of the +forest, he was appointed to command a body of bowmen. + +A battle ensued, and Alcidor, with his war-cry of "Theolinda," +drove all before him, but in the heat of the battle a javelin struck +his heart; the battle was lost, and Theolinda heard the news from +a grey-haired shepherd: she dropped senseless to the ground, but +recovering, hastened to the royal camp. + +The King was sitting in his council-chamber, surrounded by his +courtiers, in the city of Metz, when a knight came in and said, +"Gracious prince! while setting the watch a virgin approached me; she +was majestically handsome and mild. First I took her for a divinity, +but she addressed me in the following words,--'Permit me to speak to +the General before the King quits the council-chamber.'" + +"Admit her," quoth the King. + +And Theolinda entered, looking mildly and steadfastly around. + +"Poor shepherdess!" said the King, "thy faithful lover hath fallen; +his memory will ever be dear to us. What can I do for thee?" + +"Oh, King," replied Theolinda, "last night I saw him in my dreams, +and he told me that by the decree of Heaven I am ordained to stop +the career of the barbarian hordes. Wheresoever I cast my looks there +shall the dark-red banner fail; the lilies shall advance carried by +thy general, I preceding. Thus the white dove shall precede the army +and victoriously soar aloft like the royal eagle; and I am come, +my King, to lead thy warriors to victory." + +The King, without hesitation, exclaimed, "I feel the power of her +words, and grant Theolinda's request." + +Arrayed in glittering armour, and a white plume on her head, Theolinda +preceded the King's army: the King, on a fleet horse, flew from rank to +rank encouraging, and victory crowned their efforts; the routed Vandals +fled; and peace and prosperity returned to the banks of the Moselle. + +Returning in triumph, the festive train proceeded to the Cathedral, +and all being assembled within the sacred edifice, the King asked, +"Where is the heroic maid that saved the country?" + +At these words the ranks of the guards opened, and Theolinda appeared; +her arms were bright as the morning-star, her eyes were clear and +serious, roses adorned her floating hair. The King addressed her thus: +"Be a member of the most noble order; Pharamond's sword knights thee." + +The virgin humbly bent her knee, he touched her with his sword, and +knights and people shouted, "Hail! all hail! blessed be the saviour +of her country!" + +One only request she made, which was, that at her death her ashes +should be laid with those of the dead Alcidor; and then, heedless of +remonstrance, departed to live the life of a hermit in the wilderness; +and many suffering pilgrims wandered to her for consolation. + +Many years in pious seclusion she lived; at length Alcidor again +appeared to her in a dream, and said, "Thy time of probation is ended; +follow me now to the regions of eternal bliss!" She inclined her head +and died. They laid her, as she had requested, with Alcidor. + + + +In many points of view this legend is curious and interesting; +perhaps, could we tear the veil from history, we might find that these +Merovingians were not so black as they are painted, or, at any rate, +that it was owing to some redeeming points that they lived thus in +their subjects' hearts. Curious especially is this legend, inasmuch +as in all probability it may have incited Joan of Arc to perform +her deeds, the similarity of the two stories being remarkable; and +there can be but little doubt that this legend was rife at Joan's +day in this district, near which she lived: in any case, the legend +is touchingly simple and beautiful; it is given at great length in +"Traditions of the Countries of the Rhine," by Dr. Aloys Schreiber. + + + +The Bishops of Metz early played an important part in history. Arnulph, +who flourished about 622, was almost a king in power, and from him +descended Charles Martel, whose son Pepin became in name, as his +father had long been in fact, King of France. + +Pepin's son Charlemagne, we are told, held his court at Thionville +(about twenty miles lower down the Moselle). Here he was accompanied by +his seven beautiful daughters; all taught to work in wool, to ride, and +to hunt, in order that they might not be corrupted by idleness: they +all supped with him, and when he journeyed rode after him on horseback. + +Charlemagne was said to have been seven feet high, and his arm was +as mighty as his genius; wisdom and dignity sat on his brow; his seal +was the handle of his sword, and he was wont to say, "With my sword I +maintain all to which I affix my seal." He died in 814, and was buried +sitting upright as on a throne, and clothed in his imperial robes. + +His successor, Louis, convoked the States at Thionville in 835; no +less than eight Archbishops and thirty-five Bishops attended on this +occasion, so numerous had become the Christian prelates. In 869 Charles +the Bald was crowned at Metz, the Bishops of Metz and Toul being +especially mentioned; and in his grandson's reign we find a Bishop +Wala, of Metz, killed before the gates of that city, while fighting +bravely in its defence against the Norsemen, who at this period made +frequent incursions into France and the adjoining countries. Bishops +had ceased to be pastors, and become warriors and temporal princes. + +The Bishops of Metz were long able to maintain their authority +in the city, though often the citizens disputed it. In Henry the +Fowler's reign, Metz became a free imperial city; and in the twelfth +century a Maître Echevin, with twelve councillors, was established, +and for centuries this form of government was adhered to: thus the +Bishops were superseded by a Republic. They still, however, enjoyed +considerable power, being the principal parties in the election of +the Maître and his council. + +A curious legend of Metz is handed down to us from the beginning of +the thirteenth century. + + + +THE MIRACULOUS SHIRT. + +In Metz there lived a lady named Florentina, whose husband, Alexander, +was going to the Crusades; she presented him, on his departure, +with a miraculous shirt, which would always retain its purity (a +great comfort in a crusade). + +The Knight was taken prisoner, and being put to labour, the Sultan +remarked the extraordinary circumstance of a prisoner being always +in a clean shirt, and inquired the reason. Alexander told him it +was a miraculous shirt, which would always remain as spotless as his +wife's virtue. + +The Sultan despatched a cunning man to undermine the lady's virtue, +as he thought ill of the sex. + +The emissary was quite unsuccessful. + +Florentina having learnt from the cunning man her husband's +condition, disguised herself as a pilgrim, and reached the place of +his captivity. She then, by her singing, so charmed the Sultan, that, +at her request, he made her a present of a slave who she selected. This +was her husband; and she gave him his liberty, and received in exchange +from him a piece of the miraculous shirt, he not recognising his wife. + +Florentina hastened back to Metz, but Alexander arrived there first, +and was informed by his friends of his wife's long absence during his +captivity. When she arrived, he bitterly reproached her (although +the shirt had not become dirty). She explained, and produced the +piece he had given her, thus showing how she had been employed; +and so they lived happily together. + + + +Very quaint is this legend, and we are at a loss to understand the +origin of so curious an invention. The following is a story of the +same date, and, though not belonging to Metz, serves to illustrate +this period:-- + +A Thuringian Count, who was married, being taken prisoner in the East, +the Sultan's daughter fell in love with him, gave him his liberty, +and fled with him to Europe, he promising to marry her. + +On arriving at home he presented her to his Countess, and with the +consent of all parties, and the Pope's sanction, wedded her also, and +they all three lived very happily together. At Erfurt may be seen the +three effigies, the Count in the centre: the tombs have been opened, +and one of the skulls was found to be like an Asiatic's, thus in some +measure corroborating the truth of this remarkable tale. + +We have now emerged from what may be termed the ancient history of +Metz, and the more detailed accounts of the modern period give us a +series of sieges, battles, and plots, from which we will select those +appearing the most interesting. + +In 1354 the Emperor Charles IV. remained some time at Metz, +and returned there again two years after, when he held a Diet, at +which the Archbishops of Trèves, Cologne, and Mayence, and the four +lay-Electors, were present. At this Diet additions were made to the +celebrated Golden Bull, which was then published, and remained the +law of the Empire until the nineteenth century. Metz was now at the +height of its glory. Now, say the "Annals," Metz was resplendent with +knights, princes, dukes, and archbishops. The Emperor, clothed with +the imperial ensigns, and surrounded by the great officers of state, +the naked sword in his hand and the crown on his head, attended +service in the Cathedral. + +A party in the town wished to raise a tumult, and deliver the city +to the Emperor; but the Cardinal de Piergort representing the infamy +of such treachery, the Emperor sent for the chiefs of the city and +gave up to them the traitors, who, when night-time came, were drowned +in the river. The Emperor departed, and then followed a series of +discords unimportant except to the actors. + +In 1365, companies of countrymen, and pillagers set free by the peace +of Bretigny, succeeded each other in attacking Metz, and ravaging the +neighbourhood. With some difficulty they were defeated and dispersed. + +No sooner were these petty wars ended, than a larger one broke out +with the Lorrainese; and the Count de Bar advanced to Metz and defied +the Messins to combat, sending them a bloody gauntlet. The citizens, +however, declined the conflict, and peace was concluded. + +In 1405 an émeute took place in the town, and the people rising +turned out the magistrates, and replaced them with their own +representatives. Soon, however, the ancient rulers managed to reinstate +themselves, and took a bloody vengeance on their enemies. + +In 1407, the Duke de Bar resolved to take Metz by surprise. He secretly +fitted out a train of boats, filled with arms and munitions of war, +and sent a large body of soldiers, who secreted themselves near the +town. All was prepared, and on the morrow an attack was to be made, +when a sudden panic seized the attacking party, and they fled, leaving +their boats and munitions, by which the Messins learnt the peril they +had escaped. + +In 1444, a furious war was waged between the Duke of Lorraine and the +Messins: the Duke was assisted by his brother-in-law, Charles VII. of +France. The quarrel originated in some money claims that the city had +on the Duchess of Lorraine, which claims she refused to satisfy. The +irritated Messins seized on the lady's baggage between Pont-à-Mousson +and Nancy, as she was performing a pilgrimage to the former. The +Duke, in revenge, besieged the city, and the burghers ravaged his +territories. Much blood was shed on both sides, until at last peace +was made between the belligerents by the King, who received a sum of +money from the Messins. So powerful was this republic, that it could +single-handed wage war with a sovereign prince. + +A few years after, when the celebrated War of Investitures took place, +the Messins were called on to fight for Adolphe of Nassau, the nominee +of the Pope. They pleaded their privileges and the late ruinous wars, +and begged to remain neutral. The Pope, in consequence, excommunicated +the city; a great number of the clergy obeyed the Papal Bull, and +left in procession for Pont-à-Mousson, with the cross and banners at +their head. For three years this extraordinary state of things lasted, +during which time the churches were empty and the dying unshriven. At +length the Pope took off the interdict, and the priests and canons +returned, but the Messins had to pay dearly for their opposition to +ecclesiastical power. + +About this period the wily Louis XI. of France thought the time +was come for joining Metz to his dominions; he accordingly wrote a +kind, mild letter to the citizens, suggesting that they should put +themselves under his protection, and thus secure their peace. The +citizens wrote back cautiously, but expressed their surprise at the +King's proposition; he, fearing to incense and thus throw so powerful +a city into alliance with the noblesse that were taking part against +him, disowned his herald, and denied the letter he had sent. + +The next event was an endeavour to take Metz by storm, on the part +of the Duke of Lorraine, and it very nearly succeeded. Early in the +morning of the 9th April, 1473, while the Messins still slept, ten +thousand Lorrainese arrived near the walls from Pont-à-Mousson, having +marched during the night; with them was a certain Krantz, nicknamed +"La Grande Barbe," who had constructed a peculiar waggon, filled with +casks, which was capable of sustaining the weight of a portcullis, +and thus preventing its closing when once it had been raised. + +Disguised as merchants, Krantz and some of his companions, +with a train of waggons filled with casks, among which was the +peculiarly-constructed one, appeared before the city gates, and were +admitted; the waggons entered, and the particular one was halted +immediately beneath the portcullis, the pretended merchants then +rushed on the guardian of the gate and killed him. + +Being joined by a select body of five hundred men, who quickly entered, +La Grande Barbe raised the shout of "Ville gagnée!" adding, "Slay, +slay, women and children; spare none! Vive Lorraine!" + +The awakened burghers rushed in disorder from their beds, knowing +what these sounds portended, and all was lost but for the presence of +mind of a baker named Harelle, who lived near the gate under which the +waggon was stationed. He ran to the house over the gate, and succeeded +in lowering the side portions of the portcullis, so that horsemen +could not enter, and foot soldiers only by creeping under the waggon. + +Then rushing into the streets, Harelle rallied and encouraged the +citizens, and finally routed the Lorrainese, slaying La Grande Barbe +and two hundred of his companions, the rest escaping by flight. + +In a few minutes all was over; the assaulters dead or flown, the +gates reclosed, and the assembled Council preparing to prosecute the +war. Thus the clear-headed baker saved the good city of Metz. + +In 1473 the Emperor Frederick III. visited the town, and the keys being +presented to him, he promised solemnly to preserve the liberties of +the citizens. He then, accompanied by his son, Maximilian, entered +in state, followed by the Archbishop of Mayence, and other princes +and prelates. + +The Messins had been so harassed by attempts at surprise that they +now were ever on their guard against them; and so fearful had they +become, that when the Emperor, in visiting their church, came to +the great bell, and expressed a wish to hear it sound, they declined +respectfully, saying it was an old custom only to sound it thrice in +the year. This they did, fearing it might be meant as a signal of +attack on their hardly-maintained liberties. They also had, during +the Emperor's visit, 2000 men constantly under arms, ready to obey +the Maître Echevin's orders at a moment's notice; and they kept strict +guard over the gates. + +While Frederick was with them the Messins refused to admit Charles +the Bold, with more than five hundred horsemen. He was furious, +but the Emperor agreed to meet him at Trèves instead; and afterwards +Duke Charles had no time or opportunity to revenge himself on Metz, +but rather conciliated that powerful city, and when he took Nancy +sent a present of cannon and other spoil to the Messins, who were +delighted at the misfortune of their old enemies, the Lorrainese. + +In 1491 another attempt was made by the Duke of Lorraine to gain +possession of the town. Surprise and stratagem having previously +failed, he now tried treachery, and secured the services of a certain +Sire Jehan de Landremont, who induced one of the gatekeepers, named +Charles Cauvellet, a Breton by birth, but who had acquired the rights +of citizenship, to join the plot. + +All was easily arranged, thanks to Cauvellet, who had the keys of the +city. A day was fixed on, but it turning out so rainy that the river +flooded the approaches to the town, a fresh day was named; in the +meantime Cauvellet's conscience pricked him, and he confessed the plot +to the Maître Echevin. His life was spared, but the Sire de Landremont, +after his sentence had been read at every cross-street in the town, +he being led about on horseback for this purpose, was strangled, +drawn, and quartered. He died with a smile on his countenance, saying +he only regretted having been unsuccessful. + +A peace was soon after patched up between René and the Messins. + +Though so long resisting, the city was doomed eventually to fall by +treachery, and the time at length arrived. + +In 1552, Henry II. of France entered Lorraine, and occupied +Pont-à-Mousson. On the 10th of April he presented himself before the +gates of Metz, which is styled in the annals of the day "a great and +rich imperial city, very jealous of its liberties." Although Henry +had taken the most rigorous measures to suppress Protestantism in his +own dominions, he here appeared as the champion of that religion, +and entered into a secret treaty with the Protestant Princes, who +agreed that he should occupy Metz, Courtrai, Toul, and Verdun, as +Vicar-Imperial. Henry, wishing to gain immediate possession of Metz, +engaged his ally, the Bishop, to bribe the inhabitants of the "Quartier +du Heu," and raise dissensions among the garrison. These preparations +made, the Sieur de Tavannes arrived before that quartier, and harangued +the people, telling them that the good King Henry was fighting for +their liberties, and they could not do less than allow him to lodge in +their town with his body-guard of five hundred men. "Surely that was +not too much to grant to their defender?" The people, half-persuaded, +allowed a body of men to approach and commence filing through the +gate, but seeing that instead of five hundred there were nearly five +thousand drawing near, they wished to close the gate; but Tavannes +continued to speak them fair until upwards of seven hundred picked +men had entered, when a Swiss captain, who held the keys for Metz, +seeing the number, threw the keys at Tavannes' head, exclaiming in +the idiom of the country, "Tout est choué." + +Thus was Metz taken, kings and nobles thinking any treachery fair +against mere bourgeois. Of course Henry kept it for himself, not the +Protestant interest; and henceforward it remained a portion of the +French dominions. + +Before the Emperor Charles V. allowed so important a free city quietly +to revert to France, he sent Alba with a large army to besiege it, +he remaining at Thionville to watch proceedings, his health being +too bad to allow him to prosecute the siege in person. + +The town was defended by the young Duke of Guise, who turned out all +the women, old men, and children, and pulled down half the town in +order the better to defend the other half; working himself in the +trenches, he by his example so encouraged his soldiers and citizens, +that they sustained all the assaults of the Imperialists. + +Charles V., seeing that the siege did not progress, and that the +breaches were repaired as fast as made; finding also that his own army +was rapidly wasting with cold and sickness, reluctantly ordered Alba +to raise the siege; the Duke retired, leaving his tents and sick, +together with a great quantity of baggage and munitions: to the +credit of the conquerors, they treated the sick with great kindness, +contrary to the usual custom at that period. Charles departed, saying +that he perceived "Fortune, like other women, accorded her favours +to the young, and disdained grey locks." + +In 1555, the people of Metz became exceedingly discontented at the +Governor's taking-away many of their ancient liberties; this gave +rise to the + + + +PLOT OF THE CORDELIERS. + +A Cordelier, named le Père Léonard, guardian of a convent, engaged +many of the leading townspeople in a conspiracy to retake Metz from +the French. + +For this purpose, having first persuaded his brother monks to join him, +he introduced into the convent, which had walls capable of defence, +arms and soldiers. + +He then agreed with the Governor of Thionville to open an entrance +into the town for a body of Imperialist troops on a given night; +at the same time, to distract the French, the town was to be fired +in several places. + +Vieilleville, the Governor of Metz, hearing that a Cordelier was +constantly seen in conversation with the Governor of Thionville, +became suspicious, and suddenly visiting the convent, found the arms +and concealed men; he also seized Père Léonard as he entered the city +on his return from Thionville, and learning from him that a body of +Imperial troops was to march to Metz that very night, despatched +a force, which, taking them by surprise, routed them and cut them +to pieces. + +The monks, from whom by promises and threats he had extorted a full +disclosure of the plot, he threw into a dungeon, telling them they +should be hanged next day, and might confess to each other. + +On the dungeon being opened in the morning, it was found that the +monks, enraged with the Superior, who had drawn them into the plot, had +killed him and maimed his four advisers; these latter were, with ten of +their brethren, hanged, and the ten youngest were exiled from the town. + + + +In 1631, Metz capitulated to Gustavus Adolphus; he remained there all +the winter, and presented the Bishop's library to his Chancellor, +Oxenstiern, who sent it off to Sweden; but the vessel sank and the +books were lost. + +The only other extract from the history of Metz we shall here give +is of a different character. + + + +Louis XV. arrived at Metz with a strong army, in order to oppose +Charles of Lorraine, whose duchy he had given to Stanislas of Poland. + +Louis, who was accompanied by his mistress, the Duchess of Châteauroux, +and her sister, was taken mortally ill; previously there had been +erected a wooden gallery, which led, along the sides of four streets, +from the Duchess's apartments to those of the King: this gallery +was now given up at the angry remonstrances of the people, who were +much scandalized by the proceedings, and the sisters proceeded to +the King's residence, where they shut themselves into an apartment +adjoining that of the dying monarch. + +The Duke de Richelieu, who was in league with the Duchess, was First +Lord of the Bedchamber, and would not allow any of the Princes to +have access to the King. + +The town urged the King's Confessor to remonstrate with him, but he +refused; then the Bishop of Soissons undertook the task, and threatened +the King that he would not administer the last sacrament to him if he +refused to dismiss his mistresses. The doors were thrown open between +the King's room and that where the Duchesses sat, anxiously waiting +the turn of events. + +At length the King was induced to order them to depart, and they fled +into the country. + +Contrary to all expectation, and in consequence of a strong dose +administered by a quack, the King recovered, after he had been given +over by his doctors and received the last sacrament. The Duchesses +were recalled. + + + +Metz at the present day is the chief town of the Department of the +Moselle; it is situated on both banks and the island formed by the +embranchment of the river: its picturesque streets are connected by +several bridges, from which the views are very striking. + +It has excellent bathing establishments, fine cafés, a theatre, +good shops, and above all a promenade, almost unequalled in beauty; +it is situated on very high ground, densely shaded with great trees: +seats, and flowers, and grass are there; the military bands play in the +evening; the ladies are handsome and well-dressed, and from the walks +the view extends for many miles over the green plains of the Moselle; +the different branches of the river shine in the valley; the sun sets +over the hills which westward bound the view, its golden light streams +through the foliage and suffuses the whole valley; little boats glide +up and down the stream; merry voices sing in the distance; and thus, +with music, beauty, and sunshine, we leave the old Austrasian capital. + + + + + + + +CHAPTER V. + + +Leaving Metz, and all its soldiers, ramparts, and ditches far behind, +our river, passing through a level country, arrives at Thionville. This +town was in the diocese of Trèves, and dependent on the Parliament of +Metz. Here Charlemagne had a favourite palace; and here, in a solemn +assembly, he parted his vast estates between his three sons. + +Its history is like that of Metz, made up of sieges, assaults, and +surprises, but of less importance and less interest. It was always a +strong place, and at the present day its fortifications, constructed +by Vauban and Cormontaigne, are amongst the strongest in Europe: it +lies in a level plain, and is uninteresting, though rather picturesque. + +The Moselle rolls on, and in about twelve miles reaches Sierck, a +clean little town, on its right bank; and then we pass from France +to Prussia, and our river becomes German, its future beauty beginning +to dawn as it approaches Trèves. Two streams here increase the volume +of her waters--a smaller one on the left, and the Saar on the right. + +There is one peculiar charm about the banks and neighbourhood of +the Moselle, found equally at its source near Bussang, and amidst +the German hills, this is, the number and variety of the beautiful +wild-flowers with which its whole course teems, and with which our +river is, as it were, garlanded. + + + MOSELLE FLOWERS. + + Where the Mosel [1] murmurs low, + As its waters gently flow + Through the woods and flow'ry dells, + There a wood-nymph hidden dwells. + + Hidden she from mortal view, + Yet her footsteps may be traced + Where the night has scattered dew. + And the boughs are interlaced. + + If her feet have pressed the ground, + There the blooming flowers are found; + These gifts mark where she has strayed,-- + Thus we trace the fairy maid. + + The violet and lily grow. + The wild-rose and the tiny pink. + And the brilliant corn-flowers blow. + Hard by the gentle river's brink; + + The foxglove waves its lofty head + Above the trickling streamlet's bed; + The wild convolvulus doth twine + Its graceful arms around the vine. + + The snapdragon and mignonette. + The clematis and flox, + In ev'ry vale are frequent met; + And springing from the rocks, + The broom, the fern, and sweet red heather. + Profuse are found in groups together. + + The raspberry, strawberry, and thyme, + Over every hill do climb; + And in ev'ry wild retreat + We find the honeysuckle sweet. + + Blackberries, with fruit and thorn, + With the wild hop intertwine; + All these flowers the woods adorn, + And their loveliness combine. + + So the wood-nymph's steps we trace, + As she roams from place to place, + Scattering beauty o'er the ground; + Thus the earth with flowers is crowned. + + +Only a few of the flowers that we find growing there are enumerated in +the above; moreover, they are more beautiful than wild flowers usually +are, attaining to great size; the enothera, harebells, and campanulas, +with wild geraniums, and a host of others, go to swell the list. + +Before the Saar runs in, the red rocks of Trèves appear on the +left bank, jutting over the trees, close to the river's course; +then they retire inland, until the old Roman bridge is reached; +there they again approach, and from their heights the remnant of old +Trèves is spread out, environed by its avenues and studded with its +churches and ruins. The river is beneath; and the eight-arched bridge, +complete as in the golden days of Rome, clasps the waist of our river +as a zone encircling that of a young girl just budding into womanhood. + +And so, our graceful woman-stream at Trèves ceases her girlhood and +becomes more beautiful, more reflective, and more graceful; the hills +draw near, and the vineyards sparkle among the rocks; her handmaidens, +the brooks, wait at every turn to tend her, increasing her beauty; +and following in her train, pass along in glorious procession, the +trees bending and the rocks falling back before the might of innocence +and love. + +Strong in innocence, with virgin bosom unsullied, nothing less bright +than heaven's reflection ever having rested there; but mightier +still in love,--abounding love,--that causes her to feed the earth +and fertilise the soil wherever she passes; so that man, receiving +at her hands his daily food, thanks and blesses her, and praises, +through her, her Creator. + +We, the lookers-on, or lighter toilers, should bless her surely not +less than the poor vine-dresser or digger of the soil. True, for one +she has carved the rock into sunny platforms, and for the other she +has left upon the rocks a thick coating of productive earths; but to +us she has given that brighter gift of higher value far,--the impress +of God's beneficence, not merely through material food and drink, +but through the superior senses which feed the mind. + +It is impossible to wander from the source of our Moselle, to muse +over the rise and fall of the nations and cities on her banks, to +look upon her rocks and flowers, to glide adown her stream, to stand +amidst the ruined walls of her old towers, to watch the seed-time and +harvest on her banks, the clustering bunches and the brilliant glow of +the wine and corn, with all the lesser incidents adorning her;--it is +impossible to view all these, to ruminate and gaze, to live with her +and be of her in all her windings, all her sunshine and refreshing +shade, and not imbibe a portion of her spirit; a portion, larger as +we look deeper and think more, of her innocence and peace of mind, +which, laid up within our hearts, as the corn and wine within the +store, will give us at a future time joy and gladness. + +Harvest-time passes, and the vintage ends; but when the long winter +comes, their productiveness is present, and the stores laid up are +found to be indeed true treasures. + + + + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + + +"Augusta Trevirorum" of the Romans, "Trier" of the Germans, and +"Trèves" to English, is, or at any rate claims to be, the most +ancient city of Europe; according to the legend it was founded by +a Prince Trebeta, who was driven out of his Asiatic possessions by +Semiramis. He is described as having been a wise and strong prince, +who built a magnificent palace of vast strength on the heights over +the Moselle, opposite to the town, which he called after his own +name: these things he did 1300 years before the foundation of Rome; +and on the "Rothen Haus" in Trèves are still the words, "Ante Romam +Treviris stetit annis mille trecentis." A picture, said to represent +this Prince Trebeta, is in the Town-hall: he is sitting on his father's +lap, with the spires of the Cathedral in his hand. + +Very interesting is Trèves; and if we cannot place confidence in Prince +Trebeta and his days, we must turn to that surer period when it was +the capital of the Roman dominions beyond the Alps, and received the +name of Augusta of the Trevii; these Trevii being the German tribe +residing around this part of the Moselle. + +Under its Roman name Trèves rose to the height of its glory; it +was then celebrated for the number of its magnificent temples, its +splendid palaces, its amphitheatre and baths. Remnants of this past +splendour still exist; such as portions of the baths and amphitheatre, +the bridge, and especially the Porta Nigra, which is one of the finest +Roman ruins extant. + +Trèves was frequently the residence of the Roman Emperors, and +its inhabitants had all the privileges of Roman citizenship. In +the last half of the third century Galienus held his court here; +and here Maximian was attacked by the Franks, whom he defeated. Here +Constantine the Great, when celebrating a victory that he had gained +over the Franks, caused two of the captive princes to be thrown +to wild beasts in the arena. They met their death with smiles, +and shortly after the whole of the German nation rose to avenge +them. Constantine disguised himself, and entering the hostile camp, +gave the enemy false information, which led to their total defeat, +A.D. 310. The simple-minded Germans were no match for the Romans +in fraud; they deemed any ambuscade, or advantage taken against an +enemy, dishonourable, and we even find them sending messages to their +opponents of the day and hour upon which they intended to attack them. + +The cruelty of throwing captives to wild beasts, however, we find +surpassed by a German named Magnentius, who, having become a Roman +soldier, set himself up for Emperor in opposition to Constantius. This +Magnentius, on the eve of the great battle of Marsa, sacrificed +a maiden, and mixing her blood with wine, gave his army to drink, +and invoked his gods, pouring a libation of this fiendish drink in +their honour. He was totally defeated, and killed himself. + +The Western Empire of the Romans fell, and Germans walked the streets +of Rome, supplanting with their fresh vigour the worn-out strength +of that wonderful empire, on the ruins of which their leaders planted +their feet, which at first slipped and stumbled, but eventually found +a firm basis, on which was erected what we call Modern History. + +Many legends are given us by the German poets connected with Trèves; +the following are the most remarkable:-- + + + +LEGEND OF THE GREAT CANAL FROM TRÈVES TO COLOGNE. + +For more than a hundred years the people of Cologne had been +endeavouring to raise a Cathedral that should eclipse all others. The +master-builder was busy making measurements for the arch of the +great door, when one of his apprentices jeeringly said the building +would never be finished, but ever remain in fragments. Thereupon +the master waxed wroth and dismissed the apprentice, who departed, +saying: "Woe to thee, O my master! never shall thy work be finished; +sooner shall I complete a canal from here to Trier, than shalt thou +place a tower upon thy cathedral." + +Years passed on, and the Cathedral was rapidly approaching to +completion, when the master saw a huge worm creep from the ground. This +was the fiend, by whose assistance the apprentice had made a canal +from Trèves to Cologne: the apprentice appeared to the astonished +master and said, "Lo, my canal is complete, while thy church is yet +a fragment!" and water flowed from the canal, on which a duck came +swimming from Trèves. + +The water rose and encompassed the master, who thus perished, and his +cathedral is still unfinished; but the wicked apprentice fared still +worse, for the great worm strangled him, and he is doomed evermore +to haunt the cathedral, measuring the uncompleted works. + +The canal thus formed was used to send wine from Trèves to Cologne, +without the trouble of putting it into casks. [2] + + + +Not less wonderful is the following:-- + + + +LEGEND OF THE DOM [3] OF TRÈVES. + +While meditating over his undertaking, the contractor for the building +of the Dom was accosted by a gentlemanlike stranger in red, who said +to him in a hearty tone, "Cheer up, for I can help you; but first +tell me for what purpose you wish so large a house." + +The contractor, delighted, guessed who the stranger was, and replied +in artful words that he wished to raise this house for a gambling +and drinking palace. + +"Hurrah!" said the man in red, "just what I am fond of!" and they +agreed upon terms and went to work. + +The building went bravely on, until the Red Man seeing altars and +such-like things arising, with which he was then unacquainted, asked +what it all meant; but being told that these were tables for dice, +was satisfied. + +One day, returning from the roof to which he had been carrying +up large stones, the Red Man saw the Bishop consecrating the new +church; then the bells tolled solemnly, and Satan found he had been +outwitted. He rushed at an altar, and endeavoured to tear it down, +but left a claw sticking into it, it having been consecrated; then +with a yell he fled, and the contractor mocked him, shouting "Never +build more churches without a written agreement." + +The conversion of the heathen Trevii to Christianity was, according +to the legend, thus effected:-- + +The people of Trèves worshipped a statue of marble, from whose mouth +oracles proceeded; troops of pilgrims came to Trèves to hear from +this idol's lips answers to their questions: but now a foreign priest +appeared before the crowd, and with a crucifix in his hand he spoke +to them of Christ the Son of God; the people, leaving their idol +for the Truth, flocked to his feet, in spite of the threats of the +heathen priests. + +Thus Saint Eucharius converted the Trevii. + + + +The Moselle country was especially resorted to by hermits, who lived +in recesses of the mountains; of these Saint Antony was the first. + +Saint Nicolas was the patron of the bridge, and his statue stands +beneath the stone crucifix which adorns it. On one occasion, a mariner, +whose ship was in great danger of being cast away beneath the bridge, +called on the Saint, and vowed an offering of a taper as big as his +mast should he escape. + +He landed in safety, but finding himself secure snapped his fingers +at the Saint, saying, "Nicolas, thou wilt not have so much." The +Saint replied not. + +Again this mariner's vessel coming down the stream was in danger of +the bridge; once more he cried on Nicolas, but the water checked his +cry, and man and ship were lost. + + + +There is another legend of the Moselle bridge, which we will call-- + + + +THE RING. + +A certain man of noble family, after leading a glorious life, +committed fratricide; repenting of his crime he left his country, +and after many years arrived at Trèves. + +At sunset he stood upon the Moselle bridge, and there, kneeling before +the crucifix, wept; his tears flowing into the stream beneath: an Angel +swept by, and left him a palm-twig from heaven. He exultingly cried, +"Lord, forgive my sins before my end--never will I cease to repent +my grievous sin;" then, throwing his ring, which he had taken from +his brother, into the river, he prayed that if he were forgiven it +should be returned to him. + +Rising, he retired into a monastery, and eventually became a Bishop. A +fisherman one day arrived and offered him a fish; he took it, thinking +it a mark of reverence. + +At dinner the cook approached and presented him with a ring, which +he had found within the fish. + +The Bishop perceived it was his own, and exclaiming, "Heaven has sent +it to me as a proof of forgiveness!" expired. + + + +THE CRUCIFIX IN THE MARKET-PLACE. + +In the market-place at Trèves there stands a column, with a crucifix +on its summit. An inscription on it gives the following miracle as +the cause of its erection. + +The Huns were swarming over Germany, burning and destroying all things: +their march was as a pestilence; but the people of Trèves were gay and +merry, as if no danger threatened,--they rioted in wine, and luxury. + +One man only, within the city, still remained sober and prudent, and he +dreamt that he saw a great monster descending from the Marcusberg and +crawling its hideous length towards Trèves; arriving at the Moselle, +the loathsome monster rolled into its blue waves, and caused them so +to swell that the city was overflowed. + +Awaking, this good man ran to the Archbishop and told his dream, +explaining its meaning to be that the Huns were marching on the city +by the Marcusberg; the Archbishop only laughed at him, at which he +grew angry: but soon better thoughts possessed him, and he prayed +Heaven to avert the impending ruin. + +The sky grew black and dreadful; a nameless horror came upon the +people, and falling down they implored pardon for their sins, and +crosses fell from heaven. + +Then, believing, they marched out to the Marcusberg, and finding the +Huns vanquished them. + + + +Two new powers arose in Europe during the last days of the Roman +Empire: the one, as we have before said, planted its feet on the ruins +of Imperial Rome, and henceforth wielded her temporal authority,--this +was the German, or Frankish power; the other, amidst the fallen temples +overthrown by the German conquerors, raised up a fairer temple and a +purer worship,--this was the Church of Christ. At first over-shadowed +by the more gorgeous worship and grander temples of the false gods +of Paganism, the new Church had to struggle for a mere existence; +but these being overthrown, the remnants of Paganism soon melted away +before the innate majesty of truth, and the fanes of superstition +crumbling into dust, afforded a sure foundation for the new and +mightier edifice. + +These two powers, at the extinction of the Western Empire, ruled +nearly the whole of Europe: neither was as yet concentrated, both had +many heads, and it was not until the two powers coalesced that either +attained that temporal influence which they have since possessed. Hand +in hand, we find these two powers progressing in might and influence; +sometimes a temporary quarrel would separate, but common interest +invariably reunited them. + +It is in its infancy that the Church of Christ shines with its purest +light; and it is, consequently, to this period that the mind loves to +revert, and dwell on "that happy spring time" when the Fathers of the +Church went forth among the heathen, gathering the nations into one +family, the centre and head of which was God. How wonderful to watch +"the little star appearing in the East," and rising over the ruins +and decaying temples of old Rome, till gradually the whole air was +filled with the "light of truth!" + +Alas! that a time should come when, waning from its throne on high, the +Church fell so low in the person of its ministers and adherents, that +we find the chroniclers of the fifteenth century recording that "Nuns +did what the Devil was ashamed to think; and that Abbots, by means of +their poverty, became the greatest proprietors; of their obedience, +mighty princes; and of their chastity, husbands of all women;" and we +hear of men complaining that they were not rich enough to become monks. + +It is needless, however, here to give an account of those vicious +customs that arose within the bosom of the Church of Rome, and +eventually caused what we have quoted; we will rather turn to +the legends of the earlier period, many of which are singularly +beautiful. Among them we shall find many things which at first sight +may provoke a smile, but on reflection we shall arrive at the meaning +of what must be taken merely as an allegory. + +For instance, we are told that "King Sigebert appointed St. Goar to +the Bishopric of Trèves, and the Saint entering the King's saloon, +hung his cloak over a sunbeam, to prove that he was enlightened by +God." This would probably be an illustration of the power of faith, +and so with the other legends of the time. Here we shall only select +a few that are immediately connected with Trèves. + + + +LEGEND OF ORENDEL. [4] + +The great King Eigel resided at Trèves. He was supreme over twelve +kingdoms; his favourite son was Orendel. + +Orendel having reached his thirteenth birth-day was invested with a +sword, and vowed before the Virgin to be "a true chevalier on earth, +and a defender of widows and orphans;" then proceeding to his father, +he begged of him a wife, that the kingdom might have a queen. + +His father told him there was none in all his kingdoms worthy to be +his spouse; but at Jerusalem there lived a beautiful Queen, Breide +by name, to whom the holy grave belonged: her he must seek, and could +he succeed in wedding her, his happiness would be complete. + +Orendel, transported with the account of this virgin queen, prayed +his father to prepare him ships. His father consented, and three +years were spent in preparing for the expedition. + +Then in a great assembly the young King, who wished none but volunteers +to go with him on his journey, spake aloud: "Where are ye, O courageous +Kings! who will risk with me the voyage to the Holy Tomb?" and eight +brave kings stepped out, each with a thousand knights. + +Again King Orendel spake out: "Where are ye, Dukes and Counts! who +will join me in my voyage for the honour of God and the Holy Tomb?" and +a thousand nobles offered. + +Once more spake Orendel: "Be warned, O Kings, and Knights, and +Nobles! ye will suffer hell's heat and distress before ye reach the +Tomb. Come not unwillingly, nor unarmed." Nothing daunted, all girded +their swords, and prepared for the long journey. + +Thus went King Orendel forth from Trèves, surrounded by his kings and +knights, a golden cross grasped firmly in his hand, and the people +cheering. Embarking, he was carried by the Moselle upon his course, +and in the Holy Land he found his "Breide." + + + +THE GREAT MASSACRE. + +Varus, the governor of Gaul, caused so many Christians to be massacred +in Trèves that the Moselle ran red with blood, until it reached +Neumagen. For this he was condemned to ramble restlessly about the +city after his death, and to do deeds of kindness, assisting every +one requiring his aid in Trèves. In this character he is called +"the City Ghost." + +In after days a penitent from Trèves sought absolution from the +Pope. The latter ordered him to fetch a piece of earth from Trèves; +and on the penitent's again presenting himself with the earth, the +Holy Father prayed, and pressed it in his hands, and blood dropped +therefrom immediately. + +"This blood," said the Holy Father, "was shed by martyrs in Trèves, +who loved Christ so heartily that they gave their lives for him, +and thus became protectors of their city. + +"Go; thou art absolved for their sakes. And tell thy people what thou +hast seen and heard, that so they may be increased in their faith." + + + +ST. MATERN. + +St. Matern was the first Bishop of Cologne, and was much beloved. He +died young, and the mourning people sent to Rome to pray St. Peter +for comfort. + +St. Peter gave a staff to the emissaries, and bid them beat upon the +earth where Matern's bones were laid; at the same time they were to +call on him to rise, as it was not yet time for him to rest, but he +must still combat for the sake of God. + +This was done; and Matern, who had been dead forty days, arose, +and administered three bishoprics at once; viz. Tongern, Trèves, +and Cologne. + + + +THE FIRST FOUNDLING HOSPITAL. + +The first institution of this nature is said to have been in Trèves, +and was thus established: Saint Goar was a very pious man, harming +none, but the wicked calumniated him to the Bishop of Trèves. + +The Bishop ordered him to appear before him, and, to test his power, +asked him to declare who was the father of a child that had been +exposed near the Cathedral. + +The Saint bending prayed, and touched the child's lips; whereon +the child spoke, and the uttered word was "Rusticus," which was the +Bishop's name. + +The Bishop grew pale, the calumniators slunk away, and St. Goar, +turning to the Bishop, said, "Perceivest thou not thy duty? As the +Church embraces with tender arms erring children, so must thou, the +head of thy Church, foster such poor children, and bring them up in +the fear of God." + +The city of Trèves and surrounding country fell under the sway +of the Archbishops of the diocese, who were usually more warriors +than priests, if we may judge by their acts. Here is a picture of a +brother-Archbishop, who flourished in 1169:--"Christian of Mayence +is said to have spoken six languages, and was celebrated for his +knightly feats of arms. He was daily to be seen with a golden helmet +on his head, armed cap-à-pié, and mounted on his war-horse, the +archiepiscopal mantle floating from his shoulders, and in his hand +a heavy club, with which he had brained thirty-eight of his enemies." + +There were at this time four orders of nobility:--the Ecclesiastical, +comprising Bishops, Abbots, and other Church dignitaries. The remaining +three orders may be classed as follows:-- + +First, the old and proud families who still retained their free +grants of lands; these despised alike Princes and Bishops, Court and +Ecclesiastical dignitaries. + +The second order was formed of the nobles belonging to the different +orders of knighthood; these collectively enjoyed the power of +individual princes. + +The remaining order consisted of the feudal aristocracy; these were +the court nobility, who filled all the offices of state, and although +bound by oath to support their princes, they were often leagued +together in arms against them. + +These four powers were in constant hostility, and from the skirts of +the second and last crept forth a fifth disturbing force; this was made +up of what are ordinarily termed the Robber-Knights, the ruins of whose +castles are frequent on the Moselle and Rhine. In consequence of their +depredations, the princes and nobles were forced to erect strongholds +to protect their towns and villages; hence arose the numerous towers +whose ruins adorn the banks of the Moselle and other rivers. + +Most of the later legends are connected with these Robber-Knights; +and the history of their petty wars with the Archbishops of Trèves +and the Counts of Sponheim (the latter being lords of a large tract +of country), is the history of the Moselle during the middle ages. + +The Counts of Sponheim, too, were generally at variance with the +Archbishops of Trèves, and both these powers with the Archbishops of +Cologne; so we plainly see the necessity of the walls, which still +exist in fragments round the old towns and villages; and while we +quietly sketch the picturesque gate and water-towers, our minds revert +to the days when the poor burghers guarded them with jealousy. + +The burghers eventually, however, carried the day; and as they +increased in power the Robber-Knights were gradually swept away, +leaving only the blackened walls of their old keeps to mark where they +had plied their trade of robbery. See in the following story how the +citizens of Trèves paid off a certain Robber-Knight, named Adalbert, +whose castle was situated near their town, meeting violence with fraud. + + + +THE ANIMATED WINE-CASKS. + +Adalbert, from his castle of Saint Cross, disturbed by robbery the +city of Trèves. The city swore vengeance. + +A certain brave knight, named Sicco, offered to destroy both Adalbert +and his castle by cunning. This offer was gladly accepted, and the +clergy blessed the cunning knight. + + + +On a very hot day, when all within the Saint Cross castle were dozing, +a stranger appeared at the gate, and begged the warder to give him a +cup of wine, as he had travelled far, being just arrived from Italy, +and was on his way to his castle on the Moselle. + +The refreshment was given him, and the grateful traveller requested the +warder to tell his master that his kindness would not be unrewarded, +as he was the owner of a fair vineyard, and when he arrived at +home he would send him some casks of his best wine in return for +his hospitality. + +Before long a troop of peasants were seen approaching the castle, +escorting several carts laden with casks, which, however, were filled +with armed men instead of strong wine. + +The warder challenged the procession, and Sicco, who was disguised as +a peasant, said that they were sent by the pilgrim to whom Adalbert +had been so hospitable, and who now forwarded them in conformity with +his word. + +The door was opened, and Adalbert himself conducted the carts into +the court-yard; then Sicco drew his sword, and gave the signal to his +followers by slaying Adalbert, and the men, being liberated from the +casks, rushed on the garrison and slew them all; then the castle was +burnt. On the ruins a church was built. + + + +The Crusades gave a new impetus to arts and sciences, bringing +the luxury and refinement of the East into contact with the almost +barbaric simplicity of the Western nations; and from the eleventh +century we find the legends assume a different character, saints and +hermits giving place to knights and ladies, and minstrels sing lays +of love and pleasure in place of dwelling on the old themes of war +and religion. Instead of descriptions of lives passed in deserts, +and celestial visions, we have pictures of tournaments and tales of +robbers, ghosts, and stirring adventures of all sorts, mingled with +dreams of Eastern luxury. + +Popular fury having been raised by the preaching of Peter the Hermit +and others, it expended itself in the first place on those more +immediately within its reach; and in Trèves the Jews were so persecuted +that they frequently committed suicide, after slaying their children: +multitudes of them also embraced Christianity, only to resume their +real faith when the storm had passed. + +In the two succeeding centuries many curious laws were enacted to +suit the times,--those relating to trial by combat are among the most +remarkable; we will merely instance one: If a woman of the lower +classes had been violated, but the matter could not be proved, the +accused man was buried up to his middle in the earth, and a stick, +an ell long, put into his hand; thus he fought the woman, who was +armed with a stone tied up in her veil. + +Coiners were at this period boiled in kettles. + +In addition to courts of law, there were now established courts of +love; these were composed of select women and knightly poets, who +with extraordinary sagacity gave judgment in love affairs. + +The service of the fair formed an essential part of +knightly customs. To insult, or in any way injure a woman, was +disgraceful. Woman--the ideal of beauty, gentleness, and love--inflamed +each knightly bosom with a desire to deserve her favours, by deeds of +valour and self-denial. She was worshipped as a protecting divinity, +and knights undertook any task, however difficult, at the merest +hint that it would be acceptable, even deeming themselves happy to +die for her sake, and so win her approbation. + +Love became an art, "a knightly study," and this submission to +the gentle yoke of woman, bred in humility and religion, chiefly +contributed to humanise and civilise the manners of the age; and we may +thank the German element for superseding the grosser and more sensual +manner in which woman was regarded previously to the rising of that +nation. The historian concludes his remarks on this subject by saying, +"Fidelity was the essence of true love; and such were lovers then." + +In the thirteenth century arose an institution immediately allied +with the neighbourhood of our river; this was the Fehm-gerichte, +or Secret Tribunal. Engelbert, an Archbishop of Cologne, was the +first president and founder of this secret court. It was in the first +instance composed of a number of honourable men of every class, who +joined together for the purpose of judging and punishing all evildoers; +its measures were chiefly directed against the licentious nobles and +robber-knights; its proceedings were necessarily secret, as, were the +names of the judges known, they would have been objects of vengeance +to all the turbulent spirits of the day. In the fourteenth century +this association numbered a hundred thousand members, all bound by +a solemn oath, and known to each other by a secret sign. + +No ecclesiastics, except the spiritual lord; no Jews, women, or +servants, were admitted as members; nor were these amenable to the +court, all accused being judged by their peers. Accusations brought +before this court were only such as would not have been received by +the more legal tribunals. + +The accused was summoned to appear three times; and if he did not +then come forward, judgment was passed on him by default, the oath +of the accuser being considered sufficient proof of his guilt, +and the condemned criminal was secretly and mysteriously deprived +of life. His body was always found with a dagger, on which were the +letters S. S. G. G., [5] plunged into it. + +As an instance of the working and rude justice of this tribunal, +we read the following:-- + +"A certain Baron Wolfgang von Cronenburg ravished a nun, and bade +defiance to the laws, in his castle; but even here the arm of this +secret society reached him, and he was found dead. The nun being +pregnant by him was released from her vows, and the possessions of +her ravisher bestowed on her and her son." + +An extraordinary pilgrimage was founded about the end of the thirteenth +century by an Archbishop of Trèves; the pilgrims were to go to the +grave of Saint Willibrod at Epternach, and there join in a general +dance in her honour. During this dance the pilgrims of all ranks +were linked together; first they advanced, then retired, afterwards +ziz-zagging off to the right and left. This custom was kept up for +many years, and is still in existence in a modified form. [6] + +In 1473, Trèves was selected by Charles the Bold and the Emperor +Frederick III. as the place where they should meet and settle the +marriage of Mary of Burgundy with Maximilian, the son of Frederick; +Charles was on his side to be invested with the rank of King, and +receive the title of King of Burgundy. + +Frederick arrived, magnificently attended; but Charles, surrounded +by his nobles from the rich country of Flanders, outshone the +Emperor. The latter invested Charles with the Duchy of Guelders, +and a day was fixed for his coronation as King; but before the day +arrived Frederick quietly took boat and dropped down the Moselle, being +probably instigated by the French emissaries [7] to take this step. + +The disgust of Charles defrauded of a crown, and of the towns-people +disappointed of a spectacle, must have been excessive. + + + +The abuses of the Romish Church now culminated, and Luther, hurling his +bolt against the Roman Bishop, drove the faith of the times into two +opposite extremes,--infidelity and superstition. Men's minds became +unhinged; none knew what to believe; fantastic visions of every kind +dazzled the eyes of all; the devil seemed to walk on earth, and men who +believed in little else sought his protection. Now was the time when +people believed that certain charms rendered their bodies invulnerable; +and bullets, which never missed, could be cast. Gold was supposed to be +obtainable by skill; and above all, the elixir of life, which should +enable the possessor to lengthen his term of existence at pleasure, +was eagerly sought. One charlatan asserted that gold could be extracted +from Jews, and that the ashes of twenty-four of this nation would yield +one ounce. In the preceding century a Bishop of Lausanne had believed +in the efficacy of a spiritual anathema for driving away grasshoppers +and mice, and soon after a Bishop of Coire cursed cockchafers. + +The burning of witches formed one of the most remarkable features of +the age of the Reformation; it had commenced at an earlier period, +but became general in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. + +In the fourteenth century the Council of Trèves condemned the +belief in witches, and declared their supposed nightly expeditions +to be a fabulous invention; but in the fifteenth century the belief +came suddenly back with fresh force, Pope Innocent VIII., in 1485, +affirming the existence of witches. + +Old women were more persecuted by the Lutherans than they had been by +the Inquisition. They were accused of being in league with the devil, +and with his help raising storms, depriving cows of milk, carrying off +corn through the air, striking men and cattle dead, or afflicting them +with sickness, exciting love by potions, and unnatural hate by spells. + +For all these, and many other imaginary crimes, poor old women were +dragged from their homes and subjected to different ordeals. Firstly, +came the shaving of the head; and if any mole or scar was found, she +was proclaimed a witch. Secondly, if no mole or scar, she was usually +tried by either water or weight; if the former, her right thumb was +tied to her left great toe, and her left thumb to her right great toe, +and she was thrown into the water: if she floated, she was a witch; +if weight was the test, little shrivelled-up women had no hope, +for they were generally declared under weight, and tortured till +they confessed. Under these tortures they confessed whatever their +persecutors thought fit, and were then burned. There were many other +ordeals practised in different places. + +The Archbishop of Trèves, in 1589, sentenced so many women to the +stake, that in two districts only two women remained. This Archbishop +also condemned the Rector of the University of Trèves as a sorcerer. + +Towards the end of the seventeenth century, Trèves suffered much +from the different armies that repeatedly traversed her territories; +and in the beginning of the eighteenth century, one of its Electors +had the temerity to declare war against Louis XIV., without waiting +for the decision of the Empire. + +Louis determined to seize on the person of the Elector, who he +jeeringly named the "Little Curé of Trèves." For this purpose +he despatched a regiment of Hussars from Sarre-Louis, with orders +to bring him dead or alive. The Hussars endeavoured to surprise the +Elector while hunting; but a certain Postmaster warned him of the plot +and he fled to Ehrenbreitstein, closely followed by the Hussars. The +Elector rewarded the Postmaster, by ordering that whenever he came +to Ehrenbreitstein he should be allowed to eat and drink his fill of +whatever he chose, that was in cellar or larder. + +In 1803 the spiritual Electorates were abolished, and Trèves included +in France. It now forms a portion of Rhenish Prussia. + + + +Having touched on the leading historical events connected with Trèves, +from the earliest times to the present century, we will take a survey +of the city as it now exists. + +Formerly Trèves occupied a large space on both sides of the Moselle, +but it has in later years been confined to the right bank of the +river; indeed, it cannot properly be said to be on the Moselle at +all, for the principal part of the town is at some distance inland, +and everywhere walls shut it out from the stream, only a few detached +houses appearing on the banks. + +Completely modernised, Trèves yet possesses a certain look of age, +owing probably to its walls with avenues of trees surrounding, and an +air of decay visible throughout its streets and squares. The later +style of houses are of the time of Louis XV., and many of them are +good specimens of sufficiently ornamented dwellings. + +The Market-place presents a most animated appearance on the great +market-days; and it is with difficulty we can force our way through +the crowd on those days, owing to a fashion the women have of wearing +their baskets on their backs; which unwieldy things are unmercifully +pushed into the ribs of the passer-by, and while he tries to recover +his breath after the concussion his incautious foot probably receives +a solid sabot on its tenderest part. In the Market-place stands an +elegant fountain, opposite to which is the Rothen Haus, formerly the +town-hall: this building is now a comfortable inn, well placed for +studying costumes and customs. + +Within sight of the Market-place is the famous Porta Nigra; what its +original use was is a matter of vague conjecture, the learned in such +subjects not being able to agree in their opinions. During the middle +ages it was used for ecclesiastical purposes, and was fitted up as +two churches, one above the other, in which service was regularly +performed: the Prussian authorities have restored it to its original +state, and it is very well preserved, and is certainly quite one of +the most interesting Roman buildings extant. + +There are (as we stated at the commencement of this chapter) many other +reminiscences of the Roman rule to be seen in Trèves, the principal of +which are the bridge, the amphitheatre, and the baths: of the latter +a considerable portion still remains, but of the amphitheatre only +the form is left, with a mere fragment of wall at the entrance. It, +in common with the other ruins in Trèves, is well kept and preserved. + +The old palace of the Archbishops is now a barrack, and only +interesting from its associations. + +The Liebfrauen Kirche is a beautiful Gothic edifice, with noble arches +of extreme lightness and delicacy of appearance; the doorway is richly +carved; and, altogether, this church is as beautiful a specimen of +its order of architecture as can be found. + +The Cathedral is a fine building and stands side by side with the +Liebfrauen Kirche, which it far exceeds in size but to which it +is inferior in beauty; it is, nevertheless, a good specimen of the +Byzantine style, and from its proximity to the Liebfrauen Kirche we are +able, at a glance, to contrast the different orders of architecture. + +In this Cathedral is deposited the coat of our Saviour, "woven without +seam from top to the bottom;" and here flocked, so lately as 1844, +no less than one million one hundred thousand persons to gaze on +the wonderful garment, which was exhibited to the faithful for eight +weeks and then returned to its coffer. + +There are many other churches in and around Trèves, one of which the +commissionaires think very grand, and accordingly march their slaves, +the sight-seers, off to visit it, and expect them to fall into raptures +with a whitewashed, high-roofed ball-room, covered with tawdry, +coarsely-painted arabesques, and indifferent pictures; the slaves +generally gratify their tyrants by falling into unbounded raptures, +and nearly twist their necks off to get a look at the paintings on +the ceiling: latterly, little looking-glasses have been provided, +to save them from getting cricks in their necks. + +About six miles from Trèves, on the Luxembourg road, is a village +called Igel. Here is preserved a very curious stone obelisk, covered +with carvings of figures and inscriptions: as usual, there is a +considerable dispute as to its origin and purpose, but it undoubtedly +is a very curious relic of bygone days, and is not without beauty in +design and execution. + +Luxembourg is a very strong place, so scientifically fortified that it +is most difficult for an uninitiated person to find his way into it; +and having done so, the town is so wretchedly stupid and dull that +the visitor generally comes to the conclusion that he has taken a +good deal of trouble for nothing, and hastens to make his way out: +which task he finds not less difficult than the entry. From the walls +very striking views might be seen, only the sentries order you off +immediately, especially if you have so deadly an implement as a +sketch-book in your hand; however, we have no particular cause to +expatiate on Luxembourg, as it is only one small feeder of our river. + + + + + + + +CHAPTER VII. + + +That portion of our river which lies between Trèves and Coblence is +the most beautiful, and the part usually visited by the few who allow +themselves the enjoyment of seeing scenery yet unspoiled by Art. The +Moselle at this present time is much what the Rhine was half a century +ago. No great roads line the banks, cutting off the quaint houses +of the old towns and villages from the river-side; and the towns and +villages themselves are, with some few exceptions, far more picturesque +than those on the Rhine. Their old water-towers and walls still lave +their bases in the stream, as those of St. Goarshausen-on-Rhine did +until a few years back, when the new road drove them inland. + +In places where the rocks approach closely to the river, the usual +arrangement of the houses is in one long street, with behind it +ruined towers perched at intervals upon the ascending walls, which +straggle through the vineyards, till the rise becomes too sudden for +them to climb or intruders to pass over. Where the space is larger, +the houses are clustered among walnut-trees, which grow to an immense +size. Perhaps the greatest charm of all in descending our river is the +absence of those swarms of mere sight-seers who infest the Rhine,--the +trifling discomforts of a more unfrequented route being sufficient +to deter these garrulous butterflies from "doing" the Moselle; and +as yet Murray has not given in detail the number of turrets to each +castle on this river, for eager watchers to "tell off" as the steamer +breasts the stream. Still it is remarkable how few of all those that +pass the mouth of the Moselle at Coblence ascend its waters. + +We now invite those who cannot in person see "the blue Moselle" +to embark their minds in our skiff, and as we glide along we will +tell them tales of the old time, when the ruined towers above our +heads clanged with the tramp of armed men, and echoed to songs of +love and wine. + +Trèves and its bridge are shut out by the trees, and the river nymphs +surround us with garlands and with song. + + + Now our boat adown the stream + Floats, as in a happy dream,-- + Thoughts to fancy's kingdom go, + There, like waters, tranquil flow; + + Airy palaces they build + Where our kindred spirits dwell, + Who with woven sunbeams gild + Regions that we love so well. + + Rippling now the gentle waves + (Gay sunshine our pathway paves), + Sing to us as on we glide + Down the swiftly-glancing tide: + + "Happiness and harmless mirth + Innocently we enjoy, + So the denizens of earth + May, like us, their time employ,-- + Working we sing, + In leisure hours we play; + O'er toil we fling + A garland ever gay." + + O'er our heads the dark rocks rise, + Stern their mass the stream defies,-- + Round their base the dark wave flows, + Battling, silently, she goes: + + Thus in life, too frequent, rocks + Stand before us in our way; + And their bulk our passage blocks, + Bidding us our course to stay. + + Shall we at their bidding turn, + Fearful of their aspect stern? + No: for patiently we may + Round, or through them, win our way. + + +The little incidents seen on the banks of the river as we move along +are eminently picturesque, and give life and reality to what we should +otherwise almost imagine to be a dream of beauty, rather than real +actual scenes, where toil and labour are at work. Such foregrounds, +too, for artists! Here is a woman mowing: further down, one impels +a heavy boat along by means of a pole: there red cows stand, half +in the water, half on a grassy slope, with the reflected green of +which their red contrasts. Again, as we approach a village, some +of the maidens are seen drawing water; while others, in groups and +attitudes that present endless studies, wash their gay clothing, +or bleach long strips of brownish linen. + +Boat-building is carried on at nearly every village, and the smoke from +the accompanying fire wreathes among the walnut-trees. In reality, +the people work hard; but it is difficult to divest our minds of the +idea that they are merely sauntering about, and forming groups for +their own amusement and the delight of others. All is so complete in +loveliness, that it seems unreal. + +The ribs of the great flat-bottomed boats look like skeletons of +some curious animal, which the apparent loungers are examining at +their ease; and the nearly completed barge seems to be a sort of +summer-house, in which the idler can sit, or under which he may smoke +his pipe in the shade,--for, of course, all smoke. Usually the long +stem with the earthenware or china bowl is the medium by which the +fragrant weed is inhaled, but sometimes a few inches of coarse stick +(in appearance) is the substitute. + +These boats, when finished, are used for all sorts of purposes. The +want of good roads, and the fact of the stream being less rapid +than that of the Rhine, as well as the absence of steam-tugs, makes +the Moselle more lively with barges and small boats, especially the +latter; though, of course, there being only three or four steamers +on the whole distance (about 150 miles) between Trèves and Coblence, +the absence of those puffing drawbacks to tranquil enjoyment renders +the Moselle more quiet on the whole. + +The larger barges carry iron, earthenware, charcoal, bark, wine, +and general cargoes; while the smaller ones are filled with market +produce of all sorts going to be sold in the larger towns, and numbers +of these small boats are kept at each village for the residents +to cross to their farms or vineyards on the opposite bank. There +are also ferry-boats, large enough for carts and oxen, or horses, +at nearly every cluster of houses. + +Often watching these great boats with their miscellaneous lading, or +waiting our own turn to cross, we have been struck by the contrast +between the young fair children with flaxen hair and the careworn +countenances of the parents, whose skin is nearly as brown as that of +a Maltese boatman, his approaching to claret-colour. The peasantry +are, as far as we could judge or learn, a simple, contented race, +working hard, and in bad seasons ill-fed. + + + THE FERRY. + + On grassy bank the village stands, + The crowds returning, throng + The ferry-boat, which quickly lands, + Impelled by arms so strong. + + The heavy boat is filled with men, + With women, and with carts; + Amongst the crowd the children + Move with their lightsome hearts. + + The women's brows are stamped with care, + The men with toil are worn; + But midst them stand those children fair, + Those happy newly-born. + + The doom of man, "for life to toil," + Rests on the parents both, + But on that young, fresh, virgin soil, + Even the Sun is loth. + + His hot red hand too fierce to press, + Where innocence and love + Call for a mother's sweet caress + And from the sky above + Speak unto us, who labour here, + This message through them sent: + "Live, love, and worship, in God's fear; + "To labour be content; + "So shall ye live, and dying, shall not miss + "The life immortal, in the realms of bliss!" + + +The different seasons of the year, of course, bring different incidents +on our river into existence, each in its proper turn. The hay-harvest +is a very lively time upon its banks; everywhere the green slopes +are rid of their superfluous load, and boats cross and recross the +river with the sweet-scented cargoes, some of which are stored, +some transferred to larger bottoms for transportation down the stream. + +Later comes the corn-harvest, then the boats are freighted with the +golden ears; soon after an equally busy time sets in, when every +sort of boat is seen piled with small branches of the oak: the leaves +are stripped from the branches so brought home, and, being carefully +dried, they form an excellent material with which the people stuff +their mattresses, this making, as they assert, much warmer and softer +beds, than straw. Every village possesses a right of cutting bedding +at some place, and the different inhabitants have days allotted them +by the authorities, on which they may help themselves. + +The winter draws near and the vintage sets in, then all boats are +employed on this absorbing service; the little boats, with large casks +on board, look in the distance very much like gondolas: wherever the +eye rests, nothing is seen that has not some connexion with the great +event of the year on the Moselle. However, the vintage has a chapter +to itself, so we will not dwell upon it here. + +Carrying firewood is the last great occupation of the year for the +smaller boats, and it is well for those who can procure a good supply +of fuel, for the winter is cold and severe; unfortunately, too, wood +is very scarce and dear, and though somewhat cheaper on the Moselle +than in most parts of Germany, yet a good fire is quite out of the +reach of the poorer classes, and they scrape together every morsel +to enable them to feed the iron stoves which warm their cottages. + +The river is in parts so shallow that breakwaters are built out +from the banks, in order to deepen the centre of the stream; this, +of course, makes the water run swifter, and it requires great toil +of many horses to tug the barges up the stream. Floating down these +rapids is agreeable enough, and the descent is made with very little +labour, towns and villages succeeding each other on the banks, the +approaches to them being lined with fruit-trees, of which the walnut +and cherry are the most conspicuous. + +The cherries are excellent, and so plentiful that children will often +refuse a handful when offered, having previously gorged themselves +at home. Numbers are exported, going by river to Coblence, and so on +down the Rhine. + +Apricots are also abundant in good seasons. They are grown on +standard trees. + +Garden produce of all sorts abounds, and apples and pears drop unheeded +to the ground. + +Through incidents like these, on bank and river, we glide on. We have, +perhaps, halted during the midday heat at some inviting spot, where the +cool shadows reposed beneath the walnuts; now the evening draws near, +and rounding a corner, our resting-place for the night appears. The +thin mist rising from the river obscures the base of the church, whose +sharply-pointed spire is conspicuous above the trees; lights fall in +tremulous lines from the high windows, and in the air is the sound of-- + + + CHURCH MUSIC. + + From the church the anthem pealing, + O'er the wave is gently stealing: + Now it swells, now dies away, + Making holy harmony. + The spire from out the trees + Our eyes directs on high; + The sounds which swell the breeze, + The heavens to us bring nigh; + For while we listen to the song + Of glory rais'd to "Him on high," + Our thoughts soar up, and dwell among + Those realms where Immortality, + In angel forms and bright array, + Before God's throne for ever pray, + And Hallelujahs joyous raise + To their "Almighty Maker's" praise. + + + + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + + +From Trèves to Trittenheim the scenery of our river, although very +pleasing, has not yet attained to its full beauty; the Moselle, woman +as she has become, is still scarcely matured in beauty; many charms are +hers already, but until approaching Neumagen her life does not reach +the fulness of its summer glory. Then, indeed, the full enchantment +of her beauty breaks upon us, as, often in life, we have been in the +habit of seeing a lovely girl pass from childhood into the graces +of early womanhood, we admire and love; but at some future day we +suddenly perceive that the lovely girl has become a glorious woman, +replete with every grace. The change seems to take place in a day, +even in an hour: some incident, trifling perchance in itself, has awoke +the spirit, and the lately shy and timid girl has become a woman in +spirit as in name; losing none of the happy loveliness of her earlier +years, she has acquired a dignity and nameless, indefinable grace, +which completes her beauty and robs us of our hearts. + +Such has our Moselle become when she winds among the mountains past +Neumagen and Piesport. + +The promontory at the back of Neumagen is divided into two parts by +the little river Drohn. It is supposed by many that it was on the +bank of this little stream that the celebrated Palace of the Thirty +Towers stood. This palace, built by the Archbishop Nicetius of Trèves, +is supposed to have been most beautiful, and formed entirely of marble, +with pleasure-grounds sloping to the stream and river. The description +given of these gardens by the poet, Venantius Fortunatus, reads more +like an Eastern account of those gardens of Paradise sometimes for a +moment unveiled to the wanderer in the Arabian desert. Bishofstein +(lower down the stream) also claims the honour of being on the +site of the Palace of the Thirty Towers, but it does not in any way +answer the description. Whether the banks of the Drohn were the site +of this marble palace or not, the beauty of the situation certainly +gives it a claim to have been so, and the Archbishops did possess a +country-house near Neumagen. + +A few miles below Trèves we pass Pfalzel, which lies on the left bank; +this little town is interesting, as it is said to be the site of the +beautiful legend of Genoveva, handed down to us in so many different +versions. + + + +LEGEND OF GENOVEVA. + +The Pfalz-graf Siegfried was married to a lovely and virtuous lady, +named Genoveva, and they lived together in great happiness and content, +until a wicked courtier, named Golo, whose attentions the lady had +repulsed, plotted how he might ruin her in her lord's esteem. + +To this end he poisoned the Pfalz-graf's mind against his virtuous +wife, and so, deeming her guilty of crimes she never even imagined, +her lord drove Genoveva from his castle, that so she might be slain +of wild beasts or die of hunger. + +Genoveva, as she passed out from the castle gates, threw her +wedding-ring into the water, that so the crime of her lord might be +lessened, as he was thus released from the marriage-tie. + +Time passed on, and Siegfried, being on a hunting excursion, wished +for food and rest; he therefore ordered a tent to be pitched on the +banks of a stream. No sooner was this done than two fishermen arrived +with a great fish, which they presented to the Pfalz-graf; the fish +being opened, a ring was found, which the Pfalz-graf no sooner saw +than he perceived it was that of his dead wife. + +Returning home he was much troubled at this circumstance, and falling +asleep he dreamt that he saw a dragon persecuting Genoveva, who still +was dearer to him than all the world beside. He related this dream +to Golo, who pacified him for a time: but again he dreamt, and in +his dream he hunted a pure white hind, following, and persecuting it +remorselessly; awaking, he felt that the hind was Genoveva, and he +was indeed a cruel huntsman, who had chased a spotless deer to death. + +He ordered everything to be prepared for the chase,--why, he knew not, +but felt the dream must be followed out; Golo was seized with agony +when the Pfalz-graf set forth, and secretly followed his master's +steps. + +A spotless hind was found, and the Pfalz-graf eagerly followed on her +track, wounding her with an arrow; on sped the hind, until, with a +last bound, it forced its way through the bushes, and fell bleeding +and exhausted at Genoveva's feet. + +Siegfried followed close, and threw himself on his knees before his +injured wife, who had been wonderfully preserved from death, and, +together with the child to which she had given birth, nourished by +the poor deer, which now was dying of her wounds. + +Pointing to her babe, Genoveva showed that in every feature it was +the counterpart of her lord: thus was Golo's treachery made manifest, +and his head, being struck from off the body, was exposed upon the +castle walls. + + + +Another legend of Pfalzel tells of a wicked nun, who, by the devil's +aid, worked a magic garment and presented it to the Archbishop; +immediately on putting it on horrible desires seized on him, and he +felt as if the fiend were dragging him to perdition. Throwing it off, +others tried it, and on all it had the same effect; being therefore +convinced of the iniquity of the worker, the Archbishop turned the +nun out of the convent, but finding that her sister nuns were as +bad as she, he was compelled to treat them all in a similar manner: +the garment, however, still exists, and is worn by many. + +Inland of Pfalzel is Rammstein, where a certain Count of Vianden (like +Adalbert of St. Cross) came to an untimely end by an overfondness +for wine. He had once taken the Bishop prisoner and put him into +fetters; this the latter never forgot or forgave, so, knowing the +Count's fondness for wine, he, one very sultry day, sent a string of +carts filled with barrels past the walls of the Count's strong castle; +down swooped the Count's followers, like beasts of prey as they were, +and carried off the convoy; then they all set to work drinking, +in the true German fashion. + +While thus carousing, the armed followers of the Bishop suddenly +surprised them, and the castle was taken and burnt; the Bishop +shouted to the Count, who in his turn was put in fetters, "Behold +the consequence of raising thy hand against the Lord's anointed!" + + + +Near Pfalzel several brooks run into the Moselle; one on the same +bank, named the Kill, passes Rammstein, and flowing through a charming +valley, waters a large strip of most productive garden-ground, which +extends from the Moselle to some distance inland. + +These lateral valleys are very frequent on our river. We can scarcely +wander along her banks for a quarter of a mile but a recess in +the neighbouring hills is seen, through which a little stream comes +dancing. Penetrating into the gorge we find busy little mills at work, +and are led into scenery which at every turn seems to increase in +beauty. We shall hereafter have to describe some of these lateral +valleys, so need not now dwell on their delights. + +On the opposite shore, which is watered by another stream, is +Grünhaus, and above it Grüneberg. From these vineyards come the most +highly-prized wines of the Moselle, though many think the wines of +Zeltingen more delicate in flavour. + +Past little islands, and through rich fields filled with garden +produce, we glide on, following the serpentine course of our river. The +wood-embosomed villages peep at us as we go by, each group of houses +has its church rising in the midst: gradually the banks grow steeper, +hills swell up inland, and here and there come down to look on the +Moselle. These reconnoiterers retire, and having told their chiefs +of the approach of the glorious stream, at Trittenheim we find the +right bank covered with mountain-giants, come to do homage to the +spirit of the waters. + +At Trittenheim is one of those flying bridges, almost peculiar to the +Moselle. It is thus formed: two strong towers are built, one on each +side of the stream; from the summits of these towers, attached to +great posts built into the solid wall, stretches a rope, which falls +in a curve over the river; a stout cord attached to a swivel, which +runs freely along the rope, descends to the surface of the river, and +to it is fastened a barge, which propelled by the action of the swift +running stream, and guided by the boatman, passes from side to side at +his pleasure, carrying heavy loads, with little labour to the ferryman. + +Where the breadth of the river admits, these sort of flying bridges are +used; in other parts, those with which the reader is probably familiar +on the Rhine are in operation; and again, where the stream is sluggish, +barges unattached to any rope are poled up stream, and floated across. + +Trittenheim was the birth-place of the celebrated Trithemius, famous +for his many writings and his learning. He, in common with all learned +men of his time (end of fifteenth century), was considered a sorcerer, +and the Emperor Maximilian applied to him to raise the spirit of +his deceased wife, Mary of Burgundy. This he is said to have done, +and the dead Princess reappeared in all the charms of her youthful +beauty: but a more probable account of this transaction is given in the +following version, taken from the beautiful poem in the Mosel sagen. + + + +TRITHEMIUS AND THE EMPEROR. + +One very dark night a man wrapped in a mantle, so as to conceal +his features, entered the cloister at Spanheim, and demanded to see +the Abbot. + +Trithemius (the Abbot) advanced to meet his visitor, who he immediately +recognised as the Emperor Maximilian. The Emperor requested him to +raise the shade of his first wife, Mary; upon which Trithemius took +him by the hand, and leading him out of doors, pointed to two bright +constellations in the form of staves, which were shining in the sky, +and addressed him as follows:-- + +"You see there, my Prince, the two principles of government; by ruling +with the one, bad princes beat down their subjects beneath their feet, +and cause those little stars, which represent drops of blood and +tears, to flow; in that garden where the seeds of time are ripening, +this staff will stand like a parched trunk, but the other staff will +flourish green as a palm-tree, unhurt by the heat of the summer's +day; for this last is a righteous sceptre, a staff of pure gold, +serving to support and strengthen those who lean trustfully upon it, +and use it to benefit their subjects. Choose, then, O Monarch, with +which staff thou wilt rule." + +While the Priest thus spoke another star shone forth, and directing +the Emperor's attention towards it, Trithemius again addressed him. + +"I see, O King, a young and smiling face beam from the newly-risen +star. Tearless and blissfully it smiles on you, wearing the look of +your glorified wife. Pain and tears are left behind her in the grave, +on which they blossom like pale roses. Mary beckons to you from on +high to join her in the gardens of God. + +"Choose, then, thy sceptre, O Prince. Erect to thy loved wife a +monument of deeds. To act is a ruler's duty. We priests have had +bestowed upon us a magic virtue; it consists in wiping away your tears, +and animating you to tread the right path with the sceptre of blessings +in your hand. + +"Be strong, be wise, my Prince, and receive my blessing on your noble +path. Farewell." + +The Prince, perceiving the value of the counsel he had received, +departed through the night, which now was luminous, with the words +of truth. + + + +The promontory on which Trittenheim is situated is clothed with +fruit-trees, and rivals in fertility the opposite shore, on which, +a little lower down, Neumagen is situated. + +Before reaching Neumagen we pass a little chapel, erected at the spot +where, according to tradition, the waters of the Moselle ceased to +be tinged with the blood shed at Trèves in the massacre of Christian +martyrs. + +Neumagen enjoys a most agreeable site. Sheltered by the hills which +rise at its back, it faces the bold cliffs that now have arisen on +the left bank of our river. On ascending the hills at the back of the +town we find ourselves on a level platform, with the Moselle on one +side of us and the Drohn on the other; beyond these, other table-lands +swell into hills, and varied outlines of distant mountains curve into +the sky. + +On this elevated table-land a refreshing breeze blows, even on the +most sultry days, and the tender blue lines of the receding hills give +an air of coolness which is delicious to the heated pedestrian. Such +variety of scenery as the walking tourist meets on the Moselle is +scarcely to be exceeded; hill and dale, mountain, river, wood, and +plain, all are there combining their charms. + +It was over these hills that Constantine was marching when, at break of +day, [8] the fiery cross appeared in the sky, with the inscription, "In +hoc vince." Wonder arose in the minds of Constantine and his legions, +but none could interpret the meaning of the celestial sign. At night, +in a dream, Constantine saw Jesus with a cross in his arms, like +to that he had seen in the heavens; and the vision commanded him to +attach a mark of the same form to his standard, telling him that by +so doing he should vanquish all his enemies. + +Arriving at Trèves, Constantine, mindful of his dream and the +celestial sign, called together cunning artificers; and a cross, +surmounted with a crown of gold and jewels, was set upon the lance +from which the purple standard of royalty floated. + +And all his enemies were conquered, in accordance with the words +spoken to him in his dream. So Christianity triumphed over idolatry. + + + +Walking across the promontory that lies between Neumagen and Piesport, +we found the ground covered with the delicate autumn crocus, whose +jewels sparkled among the grass; and apples, with their ruddy hues, +lay beneath the trees, from which they had abundantly fallen. + +Piesport is confined by the mountain at its back to one narrow, +straggling street; it possesses a handsome church, from which we saw, +soon after our arrival, issue forth a long procession. First came men, +two and two, clad in blue frocks; then children, followed by women in +like order; these preceded the old priest and choristers; then again +came men; and, lastly, old women. The procession wound its chanting +stream along, round the little town, and returning, made the circuit +of the church and re-entered the edifice. The object of the ceremony +was to charm rain from the sky by their chanting. The performers and +assisters ill the scene gossiped and chatted to each other in the +intervals of singing, and the poor old priest seemed quite wearied, +and glad to return to his church. The singing did not in any way +influence the weather, certainly for some weeks. + +The mountain behind Piesport is entirely covered with vineyards. These +celebrated vineyards were considered the best on the Moselle in the +earlier part of last century; but having gained this reputation for +their wine, the cultivators introduced a worse sort of grape, which +bore more fruit, in order to make a greater quantity of wine; but, +fortunately for the place, a new Curé, who was appointed in 1770, +induced them to restore the old sort of vine, and thus regain the +reputation they were rapidly losing. + +Having succeeded in getting up nearly to the summit of the mountain +without un coup de soleil, we got among groves of picturesquely-formed +oak, many of the trees being of considerable size. Throwing ourselves +down beneath their grateful shade, a fine view of the surrounding +district is before us. This view we have endeavoured to lay before +our readers in the vignette at the head of the chapter. The spire of +the church at Piesport is seen cutting against the bed of the river, +and the peep of distance gives a good idea of the peculiar formation +of the hills. + +The hills of the Moselle are not hills in the ordinary acceptation of +the word, as they all form part of a high table-land, which extends +from near here to beyond Andernach-on-Rhine, on the left bank, +and on the right to Bingen. The range on the right bank are called +the Hunsruck mountains; that on the left bank, the Eifel. Through +the great table-land thus formed flow the Rhine and Moselle; thus +the banks of both rivers are very similar in formation, and average +about the same height: but the Moselle, being a much smaller river, +of course her banks appear more mountainous; the ranges also approach +nearer to the stream, and the lateral valleys are far more frequent. + +It is astonishing at first, after climbing unceasingly for an hour, +to find one's self standing on a gently undulating plain waving +with grain, and forest-trees growing in masses. The river is then +seen to be in a gorge, worn by the perpetual action of her waters, +and we have only attained to the natural level of the country. + +This level is, however, broken by many other gorges, each containing +its stream, bounding downwards to our river. Towards the horizon +also (as we have mentioned in describing the view above Neumagen) +the table-land generally rises into higher ranges; thus there is +never any monotony about the scenery, which is enlivened by the +spires of churches, and busy labourers at work in what seemed to +us like Jack and the Bean-stalk's country. It so strongly resembles +the description given, where the immortal Jack climbs up and up his +bean-stalk, until at length he arrives at the level of a new world. + +In autumn, when the weeds, &c. are being burnt, the scenes on this +table-land are very striking. Far as the eye can reach wreathe up +the columns of white smoke, spreading a purifying smell of burning, +and wrapping the view in a filmy veil that increases its beauty. + +The name of Piesport is derived from Pipini Portus, the place having +been thus called from being an allod of the Carlovingian house, +of which Pepin was the founder. + +Clausen, which lies at a short distance from Piesport, contains +a miraculous picture of the Virgin, which was originally brought +from Trèves by the zealous Saint Eberhard, whose hermitage stood in +the forest. + +The Saint built a chapel, and in it he placed this wonderful picture: +here many miracles were performed; on one occasion a paralytic man +was completely restored to the use of his limbs: he threw away his +crutches, and walked home, no longer requiring the horse that had +brought him. + +The miracles wrought in the Saint's little chapel gave great offence +to the constituted Priest of Clausen, and eventually the picture was +removed to his church; but it ceased to perform miracles, its virtue +was gone, and now it is only regarded with veneration on account of +its former celebrity. + +Having now arrived in the heart of the wine-district, we will +proceed to give some little account of the vintage, which occupies +all attention and employs all hands in these parts. + +And, with the merry peasants, we will sing the praise of their good +genius:-- + + + THE VINE. + + The vine! the vine! + Hurrah for the vine! + That gives us wine-- + Bright, joyous wine; + Hurrah for the merry vine! + + O maiden mine, + Press out the wine + With feet that shine + Like gems in mine,-- + Press out the glorious wine! + + The clusters press + With firm caress + Of glist'ning feet, + That merry meet: + Flow freely forth, O wine! + + Then, maiden sweet, + With full lip meet + My offer'd kiss; + Complete my bliss, + And quaff with me the wine. + + So love and wine + Shall thus combine, + And no alloy + Shall mar our joy, + As thus we quaff the wine. + + So, sing the vine-- + Hurrah for the vine! + That gives us wine-- + Bright, joyous wine; + Hurrah for the merry vine! + + + + + + + +CHAPTER IX. + + +On the Moselle the vintage is still conducted in the old-fashioned +way, much of the wine being still pressed from the bunches by the +feet. The clusters, which have been carefully cut from the trees, +are placed in the baskets (which the people seem always to wear on +their backs), and borne down the hill-side to the village, where +they are tumbled into great tubs, in which they are crushed, if not +by the feet, by wooden mallets. + +The long toil of carrying up great basketsful of dressing for the +roots, of hacking round the vines, of carefully tying up the boughs +and tending them in every possible way, repairing the walls and steps, +and placing beneath the fruit-bunches flat stones to refract the heat +on to their lower sides, is ended; all having prospered, joy is at +its height, for plenty will fill the homes of the cultivators during +the coming winter. + +The peasantry suffer great hardships in bad years; and, unfortunately, +these more frequently recur than good. + +Having, week after week, toiled up and down the nearly perpendicular +cliffs, and worked amid their vineyards unmindful alike of sun and +rain, it is very sad to think that generally the gain is small for so +much labour; and even in good years, although the peasantry benefit +considerably, yet it is not they, but the wine-buyers, who make the +principal profit. + +In every village may be seen one or two houses, evidently occupied by +a class far above the peasantry. To these houses are attached large +cellars, through whose open doors we sometimes see great casks piled +up; the owners of these dwellings are small merchants, who buy up +the grapes from the poorer people, paying by the weight. They are the +real gainers by a good year, for they rule the prices of the market; +and by advancing sums when necessary to the peasants, the latter +are in a measure bound to accommodate them. That all do benefit is, +however, an undoubted fact; and the happy vintage-time is the most +joyful season of the year upon our river's banks. + + + + THE HARVEST. + + The green leaves wither with the autumn's breath; + The brown leaves falling, pass from life to death. + The winter, stealing on with silent feet, + Hastens the yearly cycle to complete. + + But on our river's banks no sorrows dwell, + No sigh is breath'd for summer on Moselle; + For autumn's glory throws its ripening beam + Upon the cluster'd vine, whose branches teem + With the rich fulness of the luscious prize, + Which each year gives to man, ere yet it dies. + + The evening spreads its shadow over earth, + From ev'ry vineyard comes the sound of mirth; + High spring the fiery rockets into air, + And hearty shouts the vintage-time declare. + + The ruddy fires illumine ev'ry hill, + Reports of arms the throbbing valleys fill; + These from the river back are lustrous thrown, + Those by the rocks repeated thunder on. + Thus is the grape-god welcom'd to his throne. + And Bacchus rules, in vintage-time, alone. + + +With sounds like these the great harvest of the year is ushered +in. Rejoicing and merriment rule all hearts; the voice breaks forth +in song, and the dance is followed by unwearied feet. Every thought +for months past has been directed to the vine. Other harvests have +been stored, with thankfulness, but the vintage has ever been the +great subject of conversation in every cottage and at every well. The +tedious watches are at an end, for, thickly clustered on every tree, +the grapes are ready for the gatherer's hand. + +Our river is now more beautiful than ever: the panorama at our feet +is gorgeous with crimson and gold; groups of children pile the grapes +into the baskets; boats, laden with the rich treasure, are passing +to and fro; and from them we hear the voices of the rowers, which, +re-echoing from the rocks, roll away into distance, filling the great +valley with songs of happiness:-- + + + From the Mosel's clust'ring hills + Freely flows the sparkling wine; + Midst them cooling water-rills, + Through the greenwoods pleasant shine. + + These sweet draughts of beauty give + To the charmèd eyes of men; + Let us hasten, then, and live + With woods and rivulets again; + Our eyes shall feast on streams, our lips on wine; + We'll quaff by night--by day we'll garlands twine. + + And with these garlands gay + The lovely maids we'll crown; + So joyous pass the day-- + The night in goblets drown: + Life thus shall roll its days and nights along, + We'll pass the hours away with cup and song. + + +The whole course of the Moselle is more or less sheeted with +vineyards. Wherever a shelf of rock is accessible, or can be made so, +there are the vines. Within the old walls of the mouldering castles +are vineyards; upon the nearly level ground are fields of vines; +hanging from every wall, and climbing round every window, are the rich +green leaves and graceful tendrils of this wine-giving plant. And +yet there is no sameness; from the peculiar formation of the hills +there is always some outjutting crag or overhanging precipice, with +roof of trees, to break the lines of the vineyards. Great masses +of forest still remain in many places, reserved for fire-wood and +other purposes: the vineyards, too, are for the most part formed of +old vines; their foliage, consequently, is more luxuriant. Owing to +these reasons the vine does not assume on the Moselle that monotonous +appearance that it presents in many parts of the Rhine, and generally +in France. Interspersed with the vines are numbers of wild flowers, +of which the white convolvulus is the most conspicuous; its graceful +flower contrasts beautifully with the deep rich green of the supporting +plant, and where the vines festoon, wreaths of unsurpassed loveliness +are formed. + +Piesport is considered the centre of the wine district, and its wine +bears a high reputation, though other names bear a higher price, and a +few of the wines are better flavoured. Almost all the Moselle wine is +white, and has a scented flavour and exquisite bouquet; it is thought +by many superior to Rhine wine, but it will not bear transport so well. + +Even the most ordinary table-wine has generally a sparkling freshness, +most grateful to the drinker, as it assuages his thirst much better +than other wines; but what we term "sparkling Moselle" is only to be +obtained in Trèves or Coblence, and even then it is not like our idea +of that wine: therefore it must, like port and sherry, be prepared +expressly to suit English palates. + +Some of the red wine is tolerable, but not to be compared to the +red wines of the Rhine and the Ahr valley; it has something of the +roughness of the latter, but not its flavour. + +They have in many places in Germany what is termed the "Grape +Cure." The season for this begins as soon as the grapes are ripe +enough to be eaten; and the cure consists simply in munching as many +bunches as the patient can possibly swallow,--about fourteen pounds +being considered a fair day's eating for one person: nothing else is +to be taken. Whether this cramming cures the patient of anything but +love for grapes is doubtful; but it must have that effect, so it is +perhaps properly called "Grape Cure." + +Little paths lead up to the hill-sides through the vineyards. Often +steps in the solid rock have had to be cut, and the labour and +perseverance must have been immense. When the vintage approaches, +these paths are closed by great bundles of thorn, and other signs +and marks are put up to warn off intruders. + +In bad years more vinegar is made than wine; often even they do not +attempt to make the latter. + +The completion of the vintage is celebrated as it began, by firing +and shouting, dancing and singing, and then the toil of tending the +vines recommences; but if the season has been propitious, the result +may be easily read in the features of the peasants, which are now for +a time released from the anxious contracted look they wore through +the summer and earlier part of the autumn. + +So much in celebration of wine; but, ever mindful of our beautiful +Moselle, we will close this vintage chapter, with its praise of +wine, with a few lines in praise of water, and thus preserve that +happy balance between the two fluids which is the true secret of +enjoyment. Both are good; both are gifts to be rightly used and +thankfully enjoyed: but if the palm is to be given to one over the +other, it should not be to the usurper Wine, who generally sits upon +his sister's throne. + + + PRAISE OF WATER. + + Many sing in praise of Wine, + Many toast the bounteous Vine; + But I will sing in praise of Water, + Earth's fairest, best, and sweetest daughter. + + Many love the grape to sip, + Carrying goblets to the lip; + But I will rather seek the spring, + Its pure delights will rather sing. + + Wine will cheer, but also steep + Senses in a troubled sleep; + Water ever thirst assuages, + Cooling us when fever rages. + + Wine, like man its maker, flows, + Joy mixt up with many woes; + So water, made by "Him above," + For ever flows a stream of love. + + + + + + + +CHAPTER X. + + +A little below Piesport the course of our river is obstructed by a +huge mass of nearly perpendicular rock, descending so abruptly into +the water, that no path can be made round its base. From the top of +this tremendous rock the best view on the whole river is obtained. From +there the eye can follow the windings of the stream as it serpentines +through the hills, for many miles. + +Unable to force her way through, the river bends off to the right, +and wins by concession what she cannot gain by force, affording a +lesson to her sex; teaching them to encircle by affection, instead +of battling against the rock. By the latter course she may at length +succeed in her desires, but not without fretting and chafing the hard +rock, causing many a line upon its once smooth brow; and, finally, +when the way is worn, the passage forced, will not the sullen rock +for ever hang, darkening with its shadow the stream conqueror, and +threatening to fall and overwhelm the persevering brawler? while, by +the course here taken, the glad wave circles with her bright arms the +lordly rock, and the sunlight on his face is reflected in her bosom; +while the light from her gay, happy breast, is thrown back upon his +manly front. + +At this corner, too, the tree-groups teach us the same lesson; repeated +and beautified by the tender water hues, they, in lending beauty to +the stream, enhance their own, and give another of the innumerable +instances in which by nature we are shown how all things are adapted +and suited to their several stations; and, by aiding and assisting +one another, increase their own beauty or usefulness: thus should it +be in life. + + + REFLECTIONS. + + The dark shades quiver + Where the tree-tops bend + Over the river, + To whose depths they lend + Their leafy beauty, which reflected lies + Within the wave, like love that never dies; + But ever from the loved one back is thrown, + Encircling him whose love is all her own. + + +On the promontory which we are now leaving behind us on the right +are several little villages, of which Emmel is the principal. It is +celebrated for a schism which took place there. + +In 1790, the Directory at Paris wished the Curé of Emmel to take +the same oath they had compelled the French clergy to pronounce; +and on receiving the Curé's refusal, he was proscribed. All his +flock accompanied the Curé on his being driven forth, until he thus +addressed them: "I quit you, but my spirit will always remain with +you. At Bornhofen, whither I now go, I shall say the mass every +morning at nine, and you can in spirit join in the service." + +They all promised so to do; and every day at nine the people collected +in the church, and said their prayers without a Curé. + +After some years the Curé died, and a new one was appointed, but +the people of Emmel persisted in saying their prayers by themselves +without any assistance; and, in spite of all remonstrances, many +families remained schismatics until a few years back. It is doubtful +whether they have all returned to their former allegiance, even at +the present time. + +Round the pebbly bed in which our river sings along her course where +her banks widen, then again beneath impending cliffs, we hurry on, +past Minnheim, Rondel, Winterich, and other little nests of vitality, +from which the labourers come forth to cultivate the fertile soil. + +Two pretty legends are told of this district; the first is called +"The Cell of Eberhard;" the second, "The Blooming Roses;" and there +is an evident connexion between the two. + + + +THE CELL OF EBERHARD. + +A mother, being provoked, said to her unoffending child, "Go off +to the devil!" The poor girl, frightened, wandered into the woods, +then covered with snow. + +Soon the mother, growing calm, became anxious about her child, +and sought her everywhere, but she could not be found: lamenting, +she wept all night. + +At daybreak she arose, and induced her neighbours to join her in her +search; but no tracks were found in the freshly-fallen snow. + +The mother then sought Eberhard's Cell, and wept and prayed till +four days and nights had passed. She now requested the priest to +say a mass for her lost child. No sooner had the priest raised the +Host on high, than a tender voice sounding from the forest said, +"Your little girl yet lives." + +Out sprang the mother, and there, beneath the trees, she found +her little daughter, a nosegay of summer flowers in one hand and a +green twig in the other. With tears of joy the mother clasped her, +and asked her how she had been preserved. + +"Dear mother," replied the child, "has always been with me. Dear +mother carried a light, and with her ran a little dog, white as the +snow, and so faithful and kind." + +Then the mother perceived that the Virgin had guarded her child; +and she led the little girl into Eberhard's Cell, where they offered +the wreath at the Virgin's shrine. + +Still blossoms the wreath, embalmed by love and thankful prayer. + + + +THE BLOOMING ROSES. + +Within the forest stood a little chapel, in which was a statue of +the Virgin. Hither came a young girl, and day by day adorned it with +fresh flowers. From the Madonna's arms the infant Jesus smiled upon +the child. Thus passed the spring and summer. The girl, devoted to her +occupation, and her heart filled with love for Jesus, thought less +and less upon the things of this world. One thought alone troubled +her as the autumn advanced; this was, that in winter she would not +be able to find flowers to adorn the chapel. + +This sad thought weighed heavily on her till one day, when sitting +weaving a rose-wreath for the child Jesus, a voice said in her ear, +"Be not faint-hearted: are not the summer's blessings still present +with thee? let the present be sufficient for thee:" and so the girl +wove on with lightened heart. + +When winter came and the roses faded, the young girl was lying on her +death-bed; her only sorrow was leaving the Virgin and child Jesus so +lonely in the forest. + +Lo! at her death the hedges once more bloomed; and, in spite of snow +and frost, fresh roses blossomed in the forest. With these was the +pall decked, and on the gentle wings of their fragrance the spirit +of the young girl was wafted to the sky. + + + +A funny story is told of an old lady at Winterich (which we are now +passing). The old lady had been the superior of a convent which was +suppressed by the French. Much grieved at this, the old lady was seized +with fits of melancholy, and when in these fits was in the habit of +knocking her head against the table. These knocks being often repeated, +and with considerable force, the part thus ill used became hard and +horny, until at length a regular ram's horn, with three branches, +protruded from the much-knocked head. The old lady cut them down; +but they only grew larger and harder, entirely covering one of her +eyes. A surgeon being called in, operated on the old dame, who, +although now eighty-eight years old, got well through the operation, +and lived for two years after, dying in 1836. + +The hill called Brauneberg is now passed; the vineyards on it produce +a fine wine, called by its name. + +At Muhlheim we must leave our river for a time, and explore the +charming valley of Veldenz, with its ruined castle placed on the +summit of a richly-wooded hill. The walk there is through miles of +vineyards edged with fruit-trees, and the valley below the castle is +emerald with well-watered grass. + +The hills are a mass of forest, and the variously-shaped houses, +which are dropped at uncertain intervals along the bubbling stream, +form a pleasant picture of rural beauty. + +Veldenz was a little principality in itself; formerly it was governed +by the Counts of the same name, but afterwards it was given to the +church of Verdun, and was then governed by fourteen magistrates, +elected by the different villages, and presided over by a prévôt, +probably appointed by the Bishop of Verdun. + + + +LEGEND OF VELDENZ. + +Irmina wept for her knightly lover, who had departed to fight the +Saracens. Her mother bade her dry her tears, for there was no lack of +lovers for a pretty girl like her; but Irmina replied with sobs, that +the ring which her knight had given her, and which she always wore, +united her to him for ever, and seemed to whisper words of love and +caress her hand. + +Then the mother, fearing for her daughter's health, advised her to +throw off the ring, for her lover was surely dead, and it would be +wiser to take a live husband than mope for a dead lover. + +Persuaded at length, Irmina cast her ring into the well, and seemed +to get the better of her melancholy; but one day the ring was drawn up +in the well-bucket, and the maid brought it in to her young mistress: +then her love likewise returned. + +Her mother again persuaded her to cast away the fatal ring, and this +time it was buried deep in the earth; but a bean that was buried +there likewise, grew rapidly up, and carried the ring to the window +of Irmina's chamber. + +Much frightened, Irmina yet rejoiced at recovering her ring, and +her love for the absent knight grew stronger than ever. Her mother +once more pressed her to destroy it, and this time proposed fire as +a means of being quit of the ring for ever. + +"Do not, dear mother," said the maiden; "'twould be sin before +God. In spirit I am wedded to my absent knight, and, alive or dead, +none other husband will I have." + +Still the mother persisted, and wrested the ring from her daughter's +hand; but before she could cast it into the flames the knight +stood alive in the room, and soon the ring was used for the purpose +of turning the wandering knight and the lady Irmina into a happy +bridegroom and bride. + + + +A day's exploration of the Veldenz-thal, and other valleys into +which it leads, makes us acquainted with many agreeable walks and +charming scenes. The old castle itself is quite a ruin, but well worth +exploring, there being still a good deal of its stone-work remaining; +vineyards are found within and around its walls. + +What enjoyment there is in finding one's self free to climb and saunter +amidst delicious scenery! Now we walk briskly along, returning the +"Guten tag" of the ever-polite peasants, who enunciate this phrase +from the bottom of their throats. The guten is not heard at all, +and the tag sounds as if, in the endeavour to swallow the word, the +performer choked, and was obliged, when half-strangled, to gasp it out. + +At midday we halt, and luxuriate over our hard-boiled eggs and +bread and cheese, with green cloth ready spread, and gushing stream +sparkling from the rock. Then, as we lie back musing and dreaming, +what strange thoughts of the old times come into our heads! Peopled +by fancy, the old towers and walls again re-echo to the lutes and +voices of long-gone days. + +And what a charming friend or mistress we find in Fancy! Most +beautiful of aërial beings, she gilds for us the darkest paths, +and smiles through every cloud upon her admiring followers. + + + FANCY. + + I climb the hill, + And sit me in the shade; + Sitting I muse, + And, musing, woo the maid + Whose steps earth fill + With flower and loveliness + For those who use + Her kindness not amiss. + + She softly sends + To me the gentle gale; + My brow she cools + With scented sweets, that sail + From where she bends + The tree-tops down below, + Mid which in pools + The tiny brooklets flow. + + I woo her, she gently kisses me-- + Thus goes day, as happy as can be. + + +Great peaks of jagged rock start out of the green hills that surround +Burg Veldenz. The stream at its base glitters through the foliage; +and the neat, well-kept farm-houses (unusual in this part) that are +sprinkled through the valley, make "Thal Veldenz" a perfect Arcadia. + +Re-embarking at Muhlheim, and continuing our descent of the river, +into which three or four streams now now from the side-valleys, we +soon get a sight of the ruined castle above Berncastel, and rounding +the island opposite to Cus, the town itself, with its picturesque +houses and towers, comes into view. + +Muhlheim is celebrated in verse for the sorrows of three sisters, +who, as young ladies will do, fell in love, one after another, as +each came to years of indiscretion. The eldest, being forbidden to +marry by her father, died in three months; the second, being also +forbidden, was obliged to be confined in a mad-house; still the +unrelenting old father treated his third and youngest daughter in +the same harsh manner, objecting to her very natural wish to marry a +brave young esquire: having more spirit than her sisters, or being +warned by their fate, this youngest ran away with her sweetheart, +and was disinherited by the old curmudgeon, who seems to have loved +nothing but his gold. We are not told the after-fate of the youngest, +or whether love made up for loss of gold. + + + + + + + +CHAPTER XI. + + +Berncastel is a delightful, old, tumble-down-looking conglomeration of +queer-shaped houses; a mountain-stream hurries through its principal +street, if such a heterogeneous jumble of odd gable-ends and door-posts +may be called a street: but as it does duty for one, it must receive +the appellation. + +This street should rather be spoken of in the past tense, for the +greater part of it was burnt in 1857; three times the town was on +fire in this year, a church and about forty houses being consumed +in the last and largest conflagration. As we shall have to revert to +these fires again, suffice it to say that the part of the old street +nearest the mountain was destroyed. + +Berncastel contains some four thousand inhabitants; the tourist passing +in a steam-boat would hardly believe so many people were housed in +so small a space. This remark will apply to most of the towns and +villages on the Moselle, for only a few of the better class of houses +are visible from the water in general, the mass of buildings being +huddled out of observation as much as possible, and crowded under the +base of the impending hills; formerly these Burgs were all walled, +which accounts for the crushing. + +This town dates from the tenth century, and at the end of the +thirteenth it was destroyed by a fire, in which the château of the +Bishop was burnt, together with many pictures and other valuable +objects, to the estimated worth of 70,000 rix thalers; it is now +inhabited by many rich people, to whom a great part of the fine +vineyards of the vicinity belong: there are also mines of gold, +silver, copper, and lead, which serve to enrich the community. + +The vineyards are very extensive, and produce a very good wine; they +cover the mountain to a height of some hundreds of feet, and extend +for miles down the river. We are shown the estimation in which the +Berncasteler wine was formerly held in the following story of + + + +THE BEST DOCTOR. + +The lord of the château of Berncastel sat with his Chaplain drinking +his wine,--not sipping it, but pouring down huge bumpers, as was the +custom then. + +Seeing his Chaplain did not drink, the Baron pressed him to do so, +assuring him that the fine Muscatel-Berncasteler would be good for +his health. + +The Chaplain sighing, refused, saying, "It was not meet that he should +be drinking while his Bishop lay sick in the town at their feet." + +"Sayest thou so!" cried the Baron; "I know a doctor will cure him;" +and quaffing down another mighty flagon he set off to the Bishop, +carrying a cask of the precious wine upon his own shoulders. + +Arrived at the palace, he induced the invalid Bishop to consult the +doctor he had brought with him: the invalid tasted, and sipped, then, +finding the liquor was good, he took a vast gulp, and soon a fresh +life seemed glowing within him. + +"That wine restores me," quoth the Bishop. "In truth, Sir Baron, +thou saidst well; it is the best doctor." + +From that time the Bishop's health mended, and returning again and +again to the great phial--for he was in nowise afraid of its size--he +soon was quite cured; and ever after he consulted this doctor when +feeling unwell, keeping him always within easy reach. + +Since this wonderful cure many patients have imitated the example of +the venerable Bishop, and a single barrel of Berncasteler-Muscateler +is considered sufficient to cure an ordinary patient. More must, +however, be taken by those who require it; and in all cases it has +been observed, that the patient so loves his good doctor he never is +willing to be separated from him for long. "Come and try the Doctor +Wine, O ye who suffer under a vicious system of sour beer!" + + + +The little openings in Berncastel, for we cannot call them squares, are +rich in subjects for the painter of old houses; they look as if they +had walked out of one of Prout's pictures, and set themselves up like +stage-scenes for the oddly-costumed people to walk and talk between. + +A good view is got from the ruined castle over the town; which not +in itself very interesting, is yet, on this account, well worth +a walk. When there, Cus lies at our feet, with the river rolling +between us and it. This Cus (pronounced Koos) was the birthplace of +the celebrated Cardinal Cusanus, who, report says, was a fisherman's +son: this is, to say the least of it, very uncertain; but doubtless he +was born in quite a low station of life, and by his abilities raised +himself to be Bishop of Brixen in the Tyrol, and a Cardinal. + +He died in 1464; his body rests at Rome, and his heart is deposited +in the church of the Hospital which he founded at Cus, for the +maintenance of thirty-three persons who were to be not less than +fifty years of age, and unmarried; or if married, their wives were +to go into a convent. + +Of these thirty-three, six are ecclesiastics, six nobles, and +twenty-one bourgeois; they all dine at a common table, and wear a +like habit of grey; they are presided over by a Rector, who is to +be always a priest of irreproachable manners, a mild and good man, +and not less than forty years old: all the inmates take a vow of +chastity and obedience to the orders of their superiors. + +The Inn in Berncastel is a fair sample of the houses of refreshment +on the Moselle: the landlord dines with his guests; the dinner is +good, but ill-served, and is eaten at one o'clock, being followed +by supper at eight. Travellers come and go without the people of the +house seeming to care whether they stop long time or short; they are +charged according to their nation, English paying more than French, +and Germans less than either: however, the charges are not at all high, +except for private dinners and out-of-the-way things. + +The original pie-dish bason is here found in full force, accompanied +by small square boards of napkins; the scantiness, combined with the +hardness of which, render them about as useful as a wooden platter +would be for the purpose of drying your face,--which, owing to +the fortunate construction of the bason, does not, luckily, become +very wet. + +An agreeable fellow-diner informed us, that on the Moselle two codes +of law were in force,--the Prussian on the right bank, and the Code +Napoléon on the left: thus, in Berncastel a couple could not be +united in marriage without a church ceremony, while in Cus it was +optional. Our informant added that the ladies generally insisted on +a church marriage, not because they thought the ceremony necessary, +but to show off the grand array of their wedding-finery. + +A tale is told at Cus of a Ghost who haunts the neighbourhood, and +sometimes visits the town; he is called + + + +THE BAD MAURUS. + +The departed Maurus, who now figures as a pernicious hobgoblin, +was formerly a resident of Cus; a drunkard and scoffer at all things +holy, this wretch filled up the measure of his iniquities by beating +his wife: so ill did he use her, that the neighbours were constantly +obliged to come in and save her from his brutality. + +The thread of his evil life was summarily cut in this manner: one night +as he returned, drunk as usual, to his home, fully intending to beat +his wife if waiting up, and equally bent on thrashing her if she had +gone to bed, a man in black with a lantern kindly offered to show him +the way home: he eagerly accepted the offer, and his guide preceded +him; so the two went on, the black-hearted man led by the man in black. + +In the morning Maurus was found lying dead at the foot of a rock; +they raised the body and brought it to his poor wife, who, forgetting +all his ill-usage, sorrowed for the death of her husband. + +The widow ordered a suitable funeral, and the body was laid in the +churchyard, but on coming back from the funeral, Maurus was seen +looking from the garret-window, where he had been observing and +sneering at his own funeral: everybody was horrified, and Maurus +continued to haunt the upper story of his wife's house until three +priests exorcised the hobgoblin, and forced him into the country. + +Here the mischievous rascal amused himself by shouting to the ferrymen, +"Fetch over! Fetch over!" They, thinking it the voice of a voyager, +willingly crossed; then Maurus jeered them, clapping his hands: at last +the priests attacked him again, and drove him into the forest. Still, +at times the wicked Maurus sneaks into town, and sits on the doorstep +of his old house, and his voice is yet heard in the forest, where he +wanders for ever. + + + +A charming mountain walk of about four miles leads to Trarbach. Up +through the vines we climb, no longer wondering where all the wine +comes from; above the vines is a bare crest of heath-covered turf, +then a steep descent leads into the valley, at the mouth of which +Trarbach is placed: but by going this road, beautiful as it is, +more interesting scenery is omitted. The distance by river from +Berncastel to Trarbach is about fifteen miles, while by land it is +only, as we have said, about four, so great are the bendings of the +stream; which, however, we shall follow, being by no means tired of her +society. It was at Berncastel that the following verses were written, +after admiring the lovely effects there produced by the + + + MORNING MISTS. + + I love the river when the sunshine gay + Kisses the waves, which joyful seem to play, + Dancing like elves so merrily around, + Rippling and gurgling with many a happy sound. + + I love the river when the dewdrops fall, + When rocks re-echo to the herdsman's call, + Who, as the eve spreads darkly o'er the plain, + Returning, leads his cattle back again. + + I love the river at that moonlight hour + When all bad spirits lose their evil power; + Calmly and holily she rides on high, + The waves soft murmur and the zephyrs sigh. + + But most I love thee, O my gentle River! + When at glad morn the mists around thee quiver; + When round and o'er thee the faint-flowing veil + Now falls, now rises with the swelling gale. + + As on her wedding morn the blushing bride, + With fleecy veil and white robe seeks to hide + From eager gazers, who in crowds attend, + Her beauty, and the very act doth lend + + A greater charm, a new and crowning grace, + To which all other lesser charms give place: + Arrayed in veil and robe of pure white, she + Fit emblem is of virgin modesty. + + O thy great beauty! thy enduring grace! + To which all other scenes and streams give place; + Causing all those who thy sweet waters know, + To praise their God, "from whom all blessings flow." + + + + + + + +CHAPTER XII. + + +Early rising is absolutely indispensable to the tourist on the +Moselle. The steamers constantly start at five or six in the morning, +and if walking, the midday heat is too great to be encountered; added +to which, he would lose his pleasant rest-time by the sparkling stream. + +From Berncastel, then, in the grey of early morning, we wander +forth. There are roads on both banks,--small pleasant by-roads, +through gardens and vineyards. As we proceed, and begin to think +that coffee and new-laid eggs would be no encumbrance, but rather +help to balance the system, a faint tinge of crimson appears over +the grey hills; little wreaths of mist break away from the mass of +watery vapour that clings to the river's banks, and curl upwards to +the light, and then with all its glory comes the + + + BREAK OF DAY. + + How beautiful the first faint rays of light, + Gilding the clouds that, banishing the night, + Come like swift messengers, and drive away + From us the darkness, ushering in the day! + + The day approaches, brighter and more bright; + The heavens seem bursting with the coming light; + Up flames the sun! and first the lofty hills, + The corn and uplands, with his lustre fills; + + The shades retire, the birds melodious sing, + The glad earth turns to meet its gracious King; + Cool blows the wind, the water freshly flows, + All earth rejoices and in sunlight glows. + + +How strong and full of life we feel as (having break-fasted) we stride +along, drinking in with every breath the pure sweet air! "Guten morgen" +has not yet given place to "Guten tag," and the peasants are ascending +to their labour amid the vines; suddenly a strain of martial music +fills the air, and all look towards the trees through which now wind +a body of soldiers, with their helmets glittering in the light; gaily +they march along; the music ceases, and voices take up the strain, +which gradually sounds fainter as "the pomp of war" recedes into the +distance, until at length the air is left free to the songs of birds. + +The birds, the flowers, the trees, the river,--all inoculate our +senses with their delights; all claim our praise and thankfulness: +but to which shall we award + + + THE PRIZE OF BEAUTY? + + The birds sang, "Unto us the prize + "Of beauty must be given; + "Our songs at morn and evening rise, + "Filling the vault of heaven." + + The flowers uplifted their bright heads + From where they had their birth; + "Nay, for our scented beauty sheds + "A charm o'er all the earth." + + The trees from ev'ry leafy glade + Their claims with haste expressed; + They urged that they "gave cooling shade, + "'Neath which mankind could rest." + + The stream in gentle music said, + "Like birds I sweetly sing; + "Like flowers a charm o'er earth I spread, + "Like trees I coolness fling: + + "Thus all their beauties I combine; + "And unto me is given + "A greater glory, for I shine + "With light that flows from heaven." + + +Where we come to patches of grain-land we find the ploughman busy with +his oxen turning up the fresh earth. The oxen are coupled together +by short beams of wood, which are fastened to their heads, and must +keep the poor animals in a constant state of misery; in other respects +the cattle seem well cared for. + +Occasionally we meet droves of sheep tended by boys and dogs. The +sheep crop a precarious livelihood from the bits of waste land near +the river and on the slopes of hills, whose aspect is unfavourable +to the culture of the vine. + +Arriving at Zeltingen, on the right bank, we taste one of the most +delicious wines on the Moselle; it is of a fine rich colour, with +a highly-scented flavour, but is withal light and sparkling. In +the following incident it will be seen that this wine was properly +appreciated by the prebends who owned the Martinshof farm in former +days. + + + +THE CASK IN RESERVE. + +The fame of the wine made from the grapes that grew in the Martinshof +vineyard penetrated even to Trèves, and the Elector Philip was very +desirous to drink of a wine so renowned; but the monks, who owned the +vineyard, would not take heed of the hints dropped by the Elector on +this subject, as they did not love his tyrannical government. + +The Elector, therefore, determined, under the pretext of an official +inspection, to visit the Cloister. + +He accordingly arrived, and the prebends, who had been summoned to +meet him, did not fail to make their appearance. + +The Abbot perceived that the inspection concerned more his cellar +than his cloister. He kept his own counsel, and ordered different +sorts of Rhine, Moselle, and Nahe wine to be set before the guests, +murmuring the while to himself, "Drink on--drink away, my noble Elector +and guests; but the Martinshof wine remains, bright in the cellar: +of the mother cask shalt thou never taste." + +When the Elector was about to leave he called the Abbot aside, +and praised highly the wine he had drunk, and thanked him for his +hospitality; he also invited the Abbot to Trèves, but told him he +feared he could not give him as good wine as his own Martinshofberger. + +The Abbot smiled, thanked him for the compliment, and added, that +when the Elector should come to see his cloister, not his cellar, +he would serve to him the real Martinshof wine; till then it would +be saved for his true friends. + + + +The prebendaries and monks were so fond of good wine, that the +people suppose their saints must also have a liking for grape-juice; +therefore, as soon as the new wine is made each year, a bottle is +placed in the hands of the effigy of the Patron Saint, or offered at +his shrine: who drinks it eventually, does not appear. + +We seem to be quite out of the world on the banks of the Moselle. We +wander along amid its ever-varying scenery with that delight which +novelty always gives. At every turn new views break upon us; at every +step something calls our attention; now it is a flower, then a rock, +and again a castle, a group of old houses or trees, or perhaps a +little gay boat adorned with boughs of trees, in which children, +celebrating a holiday, are singing: so we wander on, and find at +midday that, owing to the many detentions caused by these things, and +the frequent sketches the beauty of the localities have compelled us +to make, we have progressed but little on our road. But what does it +matter? we cannot be in a paradise too long; and at every few miles +we are sure of finding a little village inn, with a clean room in +which we may eat or sleep. + +Cloister-Machern is on the left bank of our river, a little further +down the stream than Zeltingen. This cloister once contained a lovely +nun, named + + + +ERMESINDE. + +Antioch had fallen before the Crusaders' arms, and the Cross waved +from her towers. The joyful tidings were brought to the banks of +the Moselle, and bonfires celebrated the event. The pilgrim who had +brought this news from over sea was feasted by Ermesinde's father, +and all gathered round him, eagerly catching his words. + +He told of the deeds of valour performed by the Christian Knights; +and as Ermesinde greedily listened, but feared to question the pilgrim, +he mentioned the name of her lover, and highly extolled him, mournfully +adding, "Such valour as this Knight showed forth was surpassed by none, +but now the grave is closed over his glory." + +Hearing, poor Ermesinde fell as though dead, and lay motionless on +the stone floor; then the pilgrim saw by the looks of those present +that he had incautiously broken her heart. Further interrogating the +pilgrim, Ermesinde's father only gained a repetition of the first +story told him, and other particulars seemed to confirm it. + +The walls of Cloister-Machern received the poor broken reed, who +offered to heaven a heart that was dead to the world. + +Soon poor Ermesinde found that stone walls do not shut out wickedness, +nor sombre dresses cover only morality; for in Cloister-Machern the +nuns, one and all, led scandalous lives, and mocked her for not joining +with them. She resisted their wiles, and sought refuge in prayer. + +One evening a pilgrim arrived at the gate, and asked Ermesinde, who +answered the bell, to give him refreshment. As a strain of music, +once familiar and dear, the sounds smote on the nun's ear, and with +a bewildered look she gazed on the pilgrim's face; the light fell on +her pale features, and the pilgrim exclaimed, "Ermesinde!" One long +look into each other's eyes and time had vanished, care was forgotten, +intervening years had rolled away, and Ermesinde and Rupert were in +each other's arms. + +Bound by her vows, Ermesinde would not consent to accompany her lover +in flight, but she agreed to see him at intervals; and while her sister +nuns rioted in the hall she sometimes knelt with Rupert in the chapel, +where they prayed for each other's happiness. + +When waiting one night for her lover, an old beggar drew near, +and prayed for some food. Ermesinde went in to fetch some, but the +others refused her request that the old beggar should be relieved, +and coming out to him, they drove him away with threats and abuse. + +Then the old beggar turned round, and raising his hand to the heavens, +cried out: "Woe be unto you, ye false servants of God! chastisement +will soon overtake you." So saying, he vanished into the dark cloudy +night. + +Rupert and Ermesinde were kneeling within the chapel when the storm +which was threatening burst forth; fire struck from the clouds on +the cloister, destroying the nuns in the hall; the chapel alone +was preserved. + +Ermesinde now was persuaded that she was released from her vows, +and soon she pledged them to Rupert, and as his loved wife she +worshipped her God and performed all her duties far better than those +who uselessly shut themselves up from the world. + + + +A curious old robbers' nest is still to be seen in the Michaelslei, +which is a tall red cliff, a mile or two further on. It consists of a +cave, with a strong wall built over its mouth. No path used to lead +there, and long ladders were used by the robbers, who, drawing them +up after them, were in perfect security. + +This castellated cave was once used as a prison, in which an Archbishop +was placed; this was the good Bishop Kuno, who was on his road to +Trèves, where he was to be installed as Archbishop. + +The prebends of Trèves wished not to have Kuno for their +Archbishop. They, therefore, excited Count Theodorich, who was governor +of their town, to send out armed men and capture the Bishop. + +Accordingly, when halting at Kylburg, the Bishop, who was travelling +in company with the Bishop of Spires, was seized and carried off to +the Michaelslei fortress, and there thrown into a dungeon. + +Many days the good Bishop languished in his damp cell. At length four +ruffians entered and carried him forth to the top of the rock; there +binding his limbs, they addressed him as follows: "We have brought you +here to see whether you are, indeed, elected of God; as if so, no harm +will befall you." Thus jeering, they threw him down into the valley; +but the Bishop sustaining no hurt, they twice repeated their deed. + +Finding he was not thus to be slain, they ended by killing him with +their swords, and cut off his head. + +The good Bishop was laid in a tomb, and many miracles were there +performed. These coming to the ears of the Count Theodorich, his +conscience smote him, and he took the cross and proceeded to the +Holy Land. The vessel, unable to uphold his guilty weight, sank down, +and the waters now shroud the remains of this wicked Count. + +Rounding the promontory on which the Wolf's Cloister is buried in +trees, our river's course turns for awhile in the direction of its +source, so much does it wind. The Wolf Cloister is only a ruin, +of which but little remains. + +At a small chapel near here the Pastor of Traben used to perform a +service on each Tuesday after Pentecost, and here gathered crowds +from all parts to attend at the ceremony. All were covered with +flowers, and the young of both sexes pelted each other with bouquets, +and dancing and merriment occupied all. But now, says the narrator +(Storck), the convent and the sanctuary are no more; their place is +filled with vineyards. The present age respects nothing but gold; +popular fêtes, sanctuaries, souvenirs of antiquity, and rustic +simplicity, are alike swallowed up, and all is sacrificed for money. + +A wonderful story is told of a young lady of these parts. One fine day +in summer, a very beautiful girl of the family of Meesen was sitting +at her open window, engaged in knitting. She was so occupied with her +work or her thoughts, that she did not perceive the fearful storm that +was rising over the mountains, until suddenly there came a clap of +thunder that shook the whole house. Arising in haste, the "fräulein" +endeavoured to shut to the window; but before she could accomplish her +object a thunderbolt fell, and striking the metal-work which adorned +the laces that fastened her bodice, it passed through her garments, +softening the metal clasps of her garters, and partially melting +her shoe-buckles; then, without having harmed the fair fräulein, +it burst its way out by the floor. [9] + +Very high hills are surrounding us as we approach Trarbach, a +beautifully wooded slope, and rich cliffs announce a site of more than +ordinary beauty; but before we take our evening's rest in Trarbach +we must, landing at Riesbach, climb to the top of Mount Royal. + +This fortress was made by Vauban for Louis XIV. It cost an immense +sum of money, and people from all parts were collected and forced to +work at its ramparts; but sixteen years after its completion it was +dismantled in compliance with treaties, and only a few mounds and +walls now mark the site. + +Splendid views are seen from it on all sides. The river, starting +from our feet, appears gliding in all directions; and the evening +shadows are filling the valleys and climbing the hills, while the +glory of the departing sun hangs yet upon the corn-fields. + + + MOUNT ROYAL. + + Upon the Royal Mount I stood, + The day was waning to its close; + Soon the great "Giver of all good" + Would send to weary man repose. + + The glorious brilliancy of day + Now soon would leave the world to rest; + And speed on glowing wings away, + To shine on regions further west. + + Beneath my feet, the haunts of men + With many sounds of eve were teeming; + The herds returning home again + Drank where the river's tide was gleaming. + + Beside me were the wrecks of power + That had been grasped by hand of man; + Around me was that evening hour, + Reminding me how short the span + + Of life which kingly pomp and pride, + Though strong on earth, yet vainly tries + To lengthen or to set aside, + When dying on his couch he lies. + + Throw down thine iron sceptres then, O kings! + Lift up thy feet from off thy people's necks; + No longer look on fellow-men as things, + Whose toil enriches and whose labour decks + + Thy fleeting pomp, thy quickly-passing pride, + Which leaves thee but a worm when life decays; + When no proud robe thy earthly dust shall hide, + And vanished be the pomp of former days. + + Like this dead king, whose ruined forts surround, + Lay not up on earth what ye deem glory, + But store that which hereafter may be found + Immortal crowns and thrones to set before ye. + + + + + + + +CHAPTER XIII. + + +Trarbach was an interesting little town, of perhaps fifteen hundred +inhabitants. It was one of the most perfect specimens of its class +existing, and the fire that burnt it to the ground has robbed many a +tourist of subjects for his sketch-book that can scarcely be replaced. + +The streets of the town were very narrow and winding, the houses +projected over their bases in every variety of irregularity: they +were nearly all built of wood frames, filled up with plaster, as +those in the villages are; but frequently this plaster was covered +with many-coloured tiles, rounded at the edges. The general effect +was a sort of green shot with red tints, and being glazed, these +tiles reflected blue from the sky, and broken lights and hues of all +sorts, giving a very gay and pleasing appearance. The casements were +filled with glass that was nearly as green as the tiles, and from +the windows hung out lengths of cloth; or bright flowers in their +pots filled the openings, when not occupied by the faces of gossips, +who carried on quick conversation with others below in the street, +or else in the opposite windows, almost within reach of their arms. + +A little canal wound about, following the course of the streets. This +was covered over with flat stones; but many apertures allowed your feet +to slip in, if a careful watch was not kept. The pavements required +the same caution, as holes were abundant, and cabbage-stalks plentiful. + +Here and there houses more modern, or of greater pretension than +others, had large windows and walls built of stone. The church was +placed on an eminence, and had many gables, quite in keeping with the +little walled town over which it presided. Squeezed into a space too +small for its wants, the town overlapped the old walls and formed +different suburbs, the chief of which lay on the banks of a brook +which here dashes down through the steep valley into the river. + +Busy and flourishing, Trarbach was quite a gay city compared to the +clusters of houses that call themselves Stadts and Dorfs on the banks +of our river, and in the valleys surrounding. + +High up on a lofty cliff directly over the town are the ruins of +the Gräfinburg Castle. In bygone days this castle belonged to the +powerful Counts of Sponheim, and was built with funds procured in +the following manner from an Archbishop of Trèves, and named after +the sharp-witted Countess. + + + +THE BISHOP'S RANSOM. + +The Count of Sponheim dying, his beautiful wife, Lauretta, was left +with her young son to contend against the malice of the Archbishop +Baldwin of Trèves, who claimed her territory for himself, with no +right but that of "the strong hand;" Baldwin deeming that a young +widow would not be able to support the claims of her son against an +Elector and Prince-Bishop. + +The Archbishop formally excommunicated her as a first step, on her +contumaciously refusing to surrender her rights to a usurper. The +beautiful Countess laughed at this proceeding, and being assisted by +many good knights, defied all his efforts. + +One fine day in May, the Bishop, who was lodging in Trarbach, embarked +in a boat for Coblence, and much enjoying the voyage, stood talking +and planning with his adherents how best he might surprise the Countess +of Sponheim, whose castle of Starkenburg rose from the rocks overhead. + +While thus scheming, the Bishop perceived on the bank a number of men, +who seemed armed, and awaiting his coming. Hastily, therefore, his +lordship gave orders to quicken their pace; but suddenly a great shock +threw Baldwin and many of his friends down on their knees. This was +caused by the bow of the boat coming quickly against a strong chain, +which was placed by the Countess's orders just under the water, +reaching from shore to shore. Before the Bishop and friends could +recover their footing the Countess's adherents were on them, and the +whole party made prisoners and marched up to the Castle of Starkenburg. + +The angry Bishop was led into the presence of the beautiful lady. At +first the Prelate demanded that he should instantly be freed, and +spoke of the rights of the Church, the shameless treachery of the +whole proceeding, and the risk his captors ran of damnation. + +At all this the lady but smiled, and the Bishop's heart melted within +him as he gazed on her beauty. + +The days sped away, and the Archbishop Baldwin finding the beautiful +Countess was not to be moved by his threats, nor yet won by his love, +bethought him at length of his people, who pined for so gentle a +shepherd; therefore he sent off to Trèves, asking his flock for a +ransom, which the Countess insisted his lordship should pay before +he set out, "as some slight compensation," she said, "for the loss +of his presence. Moreover," her ladyship added, "that the Archbishop +was something indebted for the use of her larder and cellar." + + + +The bill for eating and drinking proved heavy, and the amount for the +loss of his pleasing society brought the sum total up to sufficient to +pay for the building the strong castle, whose ruins now crumble over +the good town of Trarbach: this castle proved an effectual barrier +against the Archbishop's encroachments. + +At parting, the Prelate absolved the fair Countess of guilt, and took +away the excommunication under which she had laboured; so there is +probably no truth in the tale that her ladyship haunts the old ruin, +and constantly weeps for her crime of incarcerating so holy a man. + + + +This castle of Gräfinburg was a most important fortress, and capable of +making a stout resistance, even in the days of cannon; for, in 1734, +the Marquis of Belle-Isle was sent by Louis XIV., with a strong army, +to ravage the territories of the Elector of Trèves, who escaped +by flight to Ehrenbreitstein. The Marquis laid siege to Trarbach, +and after a hard struggle, and enduring a fierce bombardment, the +garrison capitulated, and marched out with all the honours of war: +the castle was then rased to the ground by the Marquis, leaving only +the portion engraved at the head of the preceding chapter. + +The burning of Trarbach, which happened last autumn, was a splendid +but melancholy sight; we chanced to be sleeping at Traben, a town +on the opposite side of the river, and from our windows we saw the +magnificent spectacle. + +About four in the afternoon the fire first began, caused (it was said) +by some children playing with matches. As may be easily imagined, from +the fact of the very old houses, all built of wood, being crushed into +narrow streets and enclosed within walls, the flames spread rapidly; +so fast, indeed, they came on, that the poor people flying were forced +to throw down the goods they were trying to save and run for their +lives. The church, being on an eminence a little out of the town, +was thought quite secure, and in it were stored the effects from the +neighbouring houses until it was filled from roof-tree to floor. + +The night now set in dark as pitch; still the fire crept on, reaching +its red forked tongue over the narrow streets, in spite of the water +which was freely supplied from the river; at last the church caught, +and the flames, bursting from windows and roof, consumed all the +goods that were stored, and destroyed the old building itself. + +The sight was superb; the whole space, enclosed by the hills in which +the town lay, surged in great waves of fire: in this huge molten sea +great monsters appeared to be moving, whose shapes seemed writhing +with pain as those of the devils in hell. + +The glare fell on the ruins of Gräfinburg, and the water reflected it +back. The houses were all burnt to the ground, excepting only those +seen in the view, and a very few others which lay in the outskirt. The +inhabitants laboured all night with the engines, but at six in the +morning, when we came away, great clouds of dull smoke still ascended +from where Trarbach had stood, but which now was only a ruin. + +This fire was one of a series. In three succeeding days, Zell, +Zeltingen, and Trarbach were more or less burnt; and within a short +time Berncastel was thrice visited by the Fire-fiend. Many other +smaller fires also took place, and no one could give us the reason; +troops were sent out from Trèves, but nothing was ever elicited. + +Traben, which was also partially burnt, is a curious enough place, +and has as bad pavement as any in Europe: the little inn there was +well spoken of by Murray, so now they charge very dear, and give +very indifferent food. When we speak of dearness on the Moselle, +we do not mean actually dear, for prices are far lower than those +on the Rhine; only when in one little inn we get our supper and bed, +with bottle of wine, for three shillings, we grumble at paying five +for the same in another, where nothing is better. + +Not far from Traben is the place where Kloster Springiersbach formerly +stood in a solitude; here came crowds of pilgrims, for the place was +most holy, and inhabited by many pious monks: of one of these a legend +is told, called + + + +THE LILY IN THE CHOIR. + +A very pious monk lay dying upon his bed, around him his brethren +prayed for his soul; the dying man suffered from much pain, therefore +his dissolution would be a blessing for him. The monk had been too +weak to attend at his prayers in the chapel for many days past, +and lo! over the place where he had been accustomed to pray, a white +lily put forth its leaves. The holy man died, and the lily then burst +into flower: so passed the guileless soul of the man from earth into +heaven, and the pure blooming lily long marked the place where he +knelt in the chapel,--an image of him whose departure from earth we +now have narrated. + + + + + + + +CHAPTER XIV. + + +Still surrounded by very high hills, the course of our river winds +onwards past Starkenburg, from which the Countess pounced down on the +crafty Archbishop. The pathway to Enkirch extends, under fruit-trees, +a little way inland, to where the ferry-boat crosses the river. + +Passing from Bertrich to Traben one day, we heard, on arriving near +Enkirch, sounds of music and lowing of cattle. People in shoals, too, +were crossing the river, filling the boats of all sizes. We found it +was Fair-day in Enkirch, so, joining a party of brightly-dressed girls, +we went over to see all "the fun of the Fair." + +At these Kermes, or Fairs, the amusements are much like those on +similar festivals in England. Goods of all sorts are exposed in little +old booths, round which the gossiping purchasers stand. Ribbons and +gingerbread, shawls, pottery, and cheap dresses, are the principal +objects of purchase; also spikes for the back of the hair of unmarried +girls, and little embroidered pieces of velvet or cloth. + +The amusements consist chiefly in dancing and drinking; there are +not many shows, but "the round-about" plays its full part, and even +women and men ride, as well as the children. + +The dancing is carried on with the greatest possible spirit; in fact, +it seems a matter of duty. The "Schottische," or something very much +like it, seems to be the favourite dance; but waltzing in the old +style has many adherents. + +The girls are smartly dressed, and very lively and pleasant; they and +their lovers drink freely of the light wine of the country, and grow +a little more lively as the day turns into night. + +Strangers at these places are considered as part of the show, and +stared at amazingly; but when addressed, the peasants are perfectly +civil, and seem glad to talk: they are, for the most part, well +informed,--far more so than farm-labourers in England usually are. + +When the Kermes is over, the holiday-makers in groups embark in their +boats, or walk merrily home, often singing in parts as they go. Some +of the men take rather more wine than is good for them, but a quarrel +very seldom occurs. + +Enkirch is a small town of 2000 inhabitants, containing nothing +remarkable. A great deal of wine is made near there, and its situation +is very agreeable; surrounded as it is by hills, the summer showers +often break over it, cooling the air, and freshening the sail. + +From Enkirch a very pleasant path leads us to Entersburg, famous for +the legend of + + + +THE VALLEY OF HUSBANDS. + +On the heights over the little hamlet of Burg are still to be +seen some remnants of an old castle. Here a Robber-Knight once had +his residence. This Knight made it his profession to capture all +travellers, and carry them off to his dungeon, from which they were +only released on procuring a very large ransom. + +For a long time this trade was most prosperously carried on, but at +length (success perhaps begetting envy, as usual,) a certain nobleman +vowed vengeance on the depredator, and swore to destroy him and his +castle. For this purpose he set out with a large force, and surrounded +the Robber-Knight's tower. + +The robbers fought furiously, yet were forced to retreat into their +fort by the superior force of the nobleman. + +The chief then being short of provisions, consulted his wife (as all +prudent men should), and she concocted a plan. The lady then mounted +the tower, and addressing the nobleman, said that the stronghold +should be given up if he would allow her to carry out a bundle of +whatever she wished. To this modest request the besieger readily gave +his assent, and the lady came forth with a heavy bundle placed in a +basket, which she carried with difficulty. + +The besiegers allowed her to pass, and rushed into the fort, slaying +the robbers who there were collected. + +The lady and bundle were all that escaped; and so this courageous +and sharp-witted woman saved the life of her husband. + +The valley is still called the Manne-thal, or Valley of Husbands. + + + +Below Burg, on the left bank, is Reil, most charmingly snuggled in +trees; a road from it leads up to the forest, through which passes +a good road to Alf. This road keeps along the crest of the hill, +past the neck of the Marienburg promontory, then descends into Alf. + +The views from this road are superb. Through the openings of oak-trees +are seen distant landscapes, that, sleeping in sunshine, seem gems +to adorn the green girdle which Nature binds round the earth. + +The fairy Moselle seems tranquilly sleeping through noontide, while +in the heavens the fleecy white clouds are protecting our gentle river +from harm; and their brightness reflected in her, seems a sweet dream +sent from above, which gladdens the heart of the sleeper. + +There is a dip in the long neck of land that leads towards Zell, +which enables us to see a distant reach of our river; thus, standing +quite still, three different windings are seen, and by taking a very +few paces, a fourth (beyond Alf) comes in view. + +Comparisons are more or less odious, as every one knows, and has +written when young; but, considering the raptures in which people +annually indulge on the Rhine, it is, to say the least of it, wonderful +that scarcely any visit our lovely river, which certainly will not +suffer by being compared with the grander and manlier stream. + +The Convent of Marienburg dates from the twelfth century. Owing to +its situation, it was always sought by conflicting parties as a strong +post in war-time, which so interfered with its usefulness as a place +of repose for the weary in mind, that Pope Leo X. had it abolished, and +the twelve canonesses received each a pension of twenty-five florins of +gold, a half tun of wine, and three sacks of corn; so with these goods +of the world they contented themselves for the loss of their convent. + +At this present time the ruins of the convent and church are still +standing, and within them an inn and a bright little garden, where +refreshments are served by the landlady and her two daughters: the +father is one of the Foresters, and his house is adorned with arms +of all sorts. In the garden is a large room, surrounded with spoils +of the chase, and stuffed animals of all sorts and sizes. The young +ladies play the guitar and sing national songs, so a day may be +pleasantly spent there in the old German style. + +There is a little chapel still fitted up; as they open the door +the interior is gloomily seen, but a window throws a strong light +on a misshapen image of some cadaverous saint. The effect is quite +startling, especially if you have been listening to the tales of the +hermits and ghosts who delighted to live and to wander here. Here is +one of the stories, called + + + +THE PALE NUN. + +Over-persuaded by the Abbess and sisters, Marie had entered the +convent, forsaking her lover, the Knight Carl of Zant, and all her +worldly possessions. + +The vows were taken and the days wore on, the kind attentions and +former solicitude of the nuns vanished, and poor Marie found her life +one long monotony; then she remembered her lover, and the wings of +the poor prisoned bird were hurt by the wires of the cage. + +At length she bethought her that her possessions, not herself, were +the objects desired by the Abbess; so she fell at the feet of this +lady, and offered to give all that she had to the convent, if only she +might depart. The haughty Superior severely replied, that her goods +had all passed to the cloister, and inflicted a penance for the carnal +desires that she said were wickedly filling the heart of the nun. + +From this time forth Marie rapidly drooped like a poor blighted flower, +whose beauty and gladness departed, remains on its stem with bowed +head and but a semblance of life. + +One morning a fisherman found her dead body at rest within the +Moselle. The Knight Carl being informed of her fate set off for the +Holy Land, and there died fighting the battles of faith. + +The Pale Nun may often be seen, with her wan face lit up by the moon, +as she glides noiselessly through forest and ruin. + + + +The ruins are placed on the summit of the neck of land, and Murray's +"Guide-book" compares the view at this place to one on the Wye, and +with justice; indeed, those who are acquainted with the beautiful +Wye will find the Moselle has many points of resemblance to her +young sister in England, but she is in every respect more lovely +and graceful. + +This promontory is about three miles in length, and scarcely five +hundred yards across in the narrowest place. It is a spur of the Eifel +mountains, or hills, as they are called, according to the fancy of +the speaker. The promontory is two or three hundred feet over the +bed of the river, and near the ruined cloister the slope is almost +precipitous, just affording spaces for vines, which flourish extremely +on the south side. The forest extends over the base of the promontory, +and then gives place to the corn-fields and meadows. + +The Eifel is a volcanic range, which is thrown up in peaks and great +rugged masses. Formerly, these were volcanoes or craters, but now +they are merely objects of interest in the landscape, shining above +the level of the forest, which climbs round their bases. This level +varies in height, but is always some hundreds of feet above the river; +and from the table-land break little valleys, completely embosomed +in trees, and glittering with brooks. In the next chapter we shall +visit one of these valleys. + +On the upper or south side of Marienburg, and immediately opposite, +is Punderich, famous for nothing except the following legend:-- + + + +THE GOLD CROWN. + +A little way out of the village of Punderich stands a small chapel, +within which, on a stone altar, is a figure of the mother of God. A +crown of silver shines on her head, and a white veil flows over +her shoulders. + +A long while ago the Virgin was crowned with a crown of pure gold; +but a wicked knight, named Klodwig, who owned many forts on the banks +of the river, passed by. When he was near to the chapel a great storm +arose, and the fierce thunder crashed round him. Seeing the chapel he +sought refuge there, and guided his horse up to the altar. Thankless +for shelter, on perceiving the crown he snatched it down from the +image's head, and placed it upon that of his courser. + +No sooner was the sacrilege committed than off started the courser, +and fled frantically over the fields; the guilty knight, seeing the +river before him, endeavoured to throw himself down from his horse, +but before he could accomplish his purpose the river received them, +and down sank the gold crown, the knight, and his charger. + + + +At the end of the Marienburg promontory, round which we are now +passing, is the village of Kaimt, and on the opposite shore stands +the bright town of Zell. + +Zell is a flourishing place, extending along the bank of the river; +its general aspect is cheerful and new, but here and there an old house +with little quaint pinnacles reminds us of the age of the place. These +little old houses seem squeezed into corners by the pretentious +new-comers, whose elbows push into the ribs of the poor old fellows, +until their timbers or ribs are bulged out by the pressure. + +There is a round tower above, and lines of poplars reach out of the +town; the mountain overhead is full of ravines, and bushes of stunted +growth here and there appear on the surface. A little higher up stream, +where the river turns round, resuming her course to the north, the +hills are most beautiful; for, covered with trees, the shadows as +the day lengthens creep on, and break into masses the huge cliffs +and sons of the forest. + +Zell is renowned for the bravery of its inhabitants, which at one +time had passed into a proverb. + + + +The village of Kaimt, from whose gardens the vine-wreaths sweep down +just over our heads as we pass, was always unlucky; as the weaker in +war go to the wall, so, being close to the strong fort of Zell and +the fortified cloister of Marienburg, Kaimt was generally burnt by +one or other of the contending parties, and always plundered by both. + +Soon we reach Merl, where the Knight Carl of Zant lived, who loved +the Pale Nun of Marienburg. Many other distinguished families lived in +this town, which is very old, and full of quaint houses; its situation +is very delightful: sheltered from cold by the vine-covered mountain +behind, it looks out on the bend of the river, with Marienburg opposite +and Alf in the distance. + +Before arriving at Alf is Bullay. This charming town is celebrated for +its fêtes and its gaiety; on one of its fêtes, a noble and numerous +company being collected, the host of the party, a relation of the +Knight Carl of Zant, filled a huge bumper and asked one of his guests, +named Frederick of Hattstein, if he could drink it down at a draught, +as he thought he seemed afraid of his wine. + +Frederick being a very strong man (not liking to be mocked), seized a +full cask that stood in the room and lifted it up; then exclaiming, +"I take this draught in honour of the Elector of Trèves, my good +master;" he finished the ohme. + +Excited by this, and not wishing to be outdone by a stranger, the +host and his brother each seized a like cask, and emptied them in +honour of the Emperor and the Abbess of Marienburg: these three are +still known as the three topers of Bullay. + +Without answering for the truth of this story, we believe it is an +undoubted fact, that in the "old times" German nobles daily drank a +portion of wine equal to about sixteen of our bottles. + +We now arrive at Alf. + + + + + + + +CHAPTER XV. + + + Deep down, within the caverns of the earth, + Reigns Rubezahl, the Gnome; + Here reigned he, long before man had his birth, + Beneath the rocky dome. + Fires glowed around him, and the great hall shone + With fitful glare that from their flames was thrown. + + Diminutive and swart his subject slaves + Grim-visaged stood around, + Collected in all haste from central caves, + Where, delving underground, + Ever these baneful sprites are doomed to toil, + And win from rocky beds their iron spoil. + + Met thus within the murky council cave, + The Gnomes and their great King + Agree to stay the course of the pure wave + Which now is hastening + From her far mountain source with joyous tide, + To meet her husband Rhine, a fairy bride. + + The scheme agreed upon was, by the fire + Enchainèd underground, + To raise within the earth commotion dire; + And thus with rocks surround + The pure stream, which hitherward was flowing + With beauty crowned and with heaven's light glowing. + + So with his flame-sceptre King Rubezahl + Causes the earth to shake; + Back flow the streams, the neighb'ring mountains all + With fear and terror quake; + The lurid fires burst forth with horrid glare, + Defacing earth, defiling the glad air. + + Thus were the Eifel mountains upwards thrown + From out the deep abyss; + Thus sought the Evil King to reign alone, + Driving from earth that Bliss + Which rapidly was gliding here to dwell + In the sweet person of the bright Moselle. + + Joyously onward, from the Vosges hills speeding, + Dances the fairy stream; + Attendant rivulets her course are feeding, + Whose shining torrents gleam + Forth from the valleys, where they timid hide, + To join their life with hers and swell her tide. + + Thus flowed she on, until her course was stayed + By the uplifted hills;-- + Grim smiled the Fire-king at the fairy maid + And her attendant rills. + The Gnomes peeped forth from many a cavern hole, + And forged fresh fetters to enchain the soul. + + Oh, short-lived triumph! never yet was sin + Allowed to conquer long; + Never was bounteous love thus hemmèd in + By evil spirits strong, + But it would win its way through hearts or stone, + Causing their power to yield before her own. + + So wins her way around, with graceful bend, + The fairy stream Moselle; + And the Gnome King, and all his will attend, + Are forced their wrath to quell; + While she and her enleaguèd fairies throw + Over these Eifel hills, thus raised, a glow + + Of more than earthly beauty, which exceeds + All else around her course; + Each Fairy gives her gift--the streamlet leads, + Above the hidden force + Of demons toiling in eternal night, + Its silv'ry thread, for ever glad and bright. + + The Wood-Nymphs give their shadiest coverts green, + Spread out fresh turf and flowers, + And clothe the banks which the brooks glide between + With everlasting bowers. + Thus were the rocks thrown upward by the Gnome + Made pleasant spots for future man to roam. + + In the most exquisite of these sweet vales + Gushes a healing fount, + A bounteous spring, whose water never fails + To flow from forth the mount. + Love so has banished Hate, and Beauty shines + Above the darksome toil of demon mines. + + +From Alf to Bad Bertrich an excellent road runs winding through a +succession of green valleys, shut closely in by the mountains, which +are covered with foliage. The Alf-bach, or brook, runs by the side +of the road; its waters turn the wheels employed in the iron-works, +which are embosomed in trees near the entrance of these secluded +valleys. So, after all, we find the fire-fiend is not extinguished, +but by the assistance of his friend Man is, as of old, still defacing +nature and enslaving a beautiful stream. + +Six English miles of beauty bring us to Bad Bertrich itself. In all +probability, the tourist in Germany will here exclaim, "I never heard +of Bad Bertrich." Even so, we reply; and that constitutes one of its +greatest charms. While the English, and Russians, and French are all +swarming to Baden, to Ems, Schwalbach, Wildbad, and the legion of +baths with which all Germany teems, there is left neglected one of +the most beautiful places in Europe. There is plenty of shade, and +plenty of sun, and plenty of air, and yet "the Bad" is quite sheltered. + +The village is very small and clean. There are several small inns, and +one good hotel, called Werling's. This hotel is kept by an unmarried +woman, who is one of the oddest, best-hearted old bodies possible. She, +however, is not the leading person in the establishment, as everything +is left to the waiter, a remarkable character. + +This waiter is an exceedingly jolly old fellow, who, as the day +advances, becomes more and more deeply in liquor; his eyes close up +gradually, and his senses seem to be wandering. Now these symptoms +are not unusual to men in his state; but it is most unusual for a man +when so overcome to be able to wait on some twenty or thirty guests, +to bring what is wanted for each, and to (without any notes) keep +account in his head of what wine and food each has partaken. Yet all +this he does, and does it right well. + +In the winter this hotel is shut up, and our old friend the waiter goes +hunting with two apoplectic dogs, that snore on chairs all the summer. + +While we were there, his waiting, and drinking, and hunting were nearly +all brought to a sudden termination; for one night, while sitting at +supper, a tremendous smell of sulphur began to pervade the apartment, +and following our noses, we found that it came from a small room to +which the old waiter retired between courses to indulge in a sip. By +this time the smell was so strong, and on opening the door the air +became so dense, that it was all we could do to drag the old fellow +out. It then appeared that some visitors had given him a parcel of +fire-works to put safely aside, and he had for safety placed them +among matches and candle-ends, and somehow the whole had exploded. + +Adjoining the inn is the bath-house, and around it a garden and +promenade. Close by is a fountain, where the public drink the +waters for nothing. The baths cost one shilling each, and are most +delicious. The water flows through all the time you are in, and +bubbles and seethes round your body: the after-effect is to freshen +and strengthen the frame, while the nerves are all soothed. + +The Herr Director is an old officer of engineers or artillery, and +speaks excellent English. He is a man of great taste, and has laid out +(at the expense of the Government) the walks and extensive grounds +of the place. + +All over the woods and the valleys these walks wind through the shade; +and at all the best points of view are seats of wood or stone, covered +with bark. Often, too, summer-houses, with roofs that will keep the +showers from wetting the visitors, are met on the hills. + +Bad Bertrich was well known to the Romans, who, in the fourth century, +erected a bath-house and other fine buildings. Remnants of these are +often turned up, and some are preserved. + +In the fifteenth century these baths again became noted, but fell +again into disuse; but in 1769 the last Elector of Trèves had the +springs properly managed, and built the Kurhaus, which now stands. + +The bathing establishment, hotel and village, are clustered together +at one end of a circular valley. Precipitous cliffs shut in this +beautiful valley, round which a brooklet runs singing. The cliffs +are covered with forests of oak, beech, and other fine trees. The +little paths that wind round them are bordered with mountain-ash, +through whose red clusters of berries the green carpet which lies in +the valley, with the water splashing around it, is seen. + +Two eminences in the green valley are surmounted by the two churches: +one is Protestant, and the other (the old one) is for Roman Catholic +worship. + +A pleasant little society of Germans collect at this place, and music +enlivens the air; but the season is considered quite over in September, +and the music then goes away. + +Water to drink and water to bathe in, and plenty of fresh air and +exercise, will render a stay at Bad Bertrich most pleasant; added +to which there are plenty of excursions to make, plenty of pleasant +walks, and objects to sketch; and wild flowers and rocks to examine; +or shooting for those so inclined. + +One of the shortest and most beautiful walks about Bertrich is to the +Käsegrotte, or cheese grotto: this is a cave supported by basaltic +pillars which look as if made of cheeses placed one on the top of the +other. By the side of the cave tumbles a rill of water, which flows +from a most beautiful little pool above; over the ravine is a rustic +bridge, exceedingly well-constructed: the banks are covered with trees. + + + LINES ON THE KÄSEGROTTE. + + Pure and beautiful the streamlet flows, + Fresh from the earth it springs; + Like heavenly light that o'er earth glows, + And fans the angels' wings. + + Within the grot a Spirit dwells, + Lovely, and pure, and sweet; + Hard by the streamlet gently wells, + Cooling the fair retreat. + + So, hidden in the heart of man, + Is love for nature pure; + So, ever since the world began, + Has welled God's mercy sure. + + +Close to this grotto is a seat commanding an exquisite view of the +Alf-bach; its course is blocked with masses of stone washed down by +its torrent: these stones form the brook into a succession of little +pools, in which the setting sun reflects his brightness. Paths along +the brook lead through groves in which seats, beautifully placed, +are dedicated to different German poets. + +Another little spring, called the Peter's Brunnen, on the side of the +hill opposite the village, is famous for the extreme clearness and +coldness of its waters; the water is collected into a cistern, and +sitting in the shade under the rock which holds these cold waters, +the air is cool even on the hottest day. A lion's head allows the +imprisoned spring to send forth its waters, which trickle and splash +into a bason underneath. + + + LINES ON THE PETER'S BRUNNEN. + + Trickling gently, lightly falling, + The Water-Nymph to us is calling + From her hidden cool retreat, + Where the hill-drops fresh do meet; + And to us she seems to say, + "My commands on you I lay, + "That, while thus you near me stay, + "You shall drive all care away, + "And with my waters' murmur sweet + "Refresh your minds at my retreat." + + +The meadow that fills the valley of Bertrich is intersected with +walks, and gardens are being formed at the end farthest from the +village. Above these new gardens the Alf falls in a cascade over the +rocks; a part of the water is conducted into fish-ponds, that are to +be well stocked. + +The Falkenlei is well worth visiting; it is a bare mass of rock, +that rears its head over the tree-tops on the summit of a mountain: +it is 160 feet high and 600 feet long; it is formed of basalt, and +is inhabited by foxes and falcons. It is supposed to be an extinct +volcano. + +One of the best rambles is down the valley nearly to the village +of Alf, and then up the hills to Burg Arras; afterwards, explore +the Uesbach valley. But in all directions the walks are nearly +equally beautiful, and as only a visit can convey a proper idea of +Bad Bertrich, we will not endeavour to bring into mere words such +beautiful scenery: go and explore! + +The first Knight of Arras was a brave man, who, at the time of the +Hunnish invasion, was a poor collier; he had twelve sons equally brave, +and they all fought so stoutly and well, that after the defeat of the +Huns the Pfalz-graf selected this collier as the bravest and best +warrior there, and causing him then to kneel down conferred on him +the order of knighthood and gave him this castle. + +The Alf-bach, of which we here give a peep, falls into the Moselle at +the village of Alf, which is a cheerful old town; as usual, beautifully +placed between the river and brook: it contains very good little inns, +and is a good point to rest at. + + + EVENING SHADOWS. + + The sun retires--the shades draw near-- + Their lengthened forms now close appear; + With noiseless step they onwards speed, + Like Time, whose passage swift we heed + As little as the close of day, + Which vanishing from us away + Leads surely to eternity. + + Oh, let the waning daylight teach + This lesson; whilst yet Time can reach, + Ere from our eyes is passed for ever + That day which life from death doth sever,-- + "From earthly shadows let us fly, + "Let upwards soar our thoughts on high, + "To where Love reigns eternally." + + + + + + + +CHAPTER XVI. + + +The steamers that ply on the Moselle are few in number, but very well +appointed. Sometimes in summer there is not enough water to enable +them to travel, and often a good bump is experienced from some hidden +rock. On one occasion we knocked quite a good-sized hole in the bottom, +and tore off a large piece of one paddle-wheel; but there was not the +slightest danger, as the water was not deep enough for us to sink into +it, so we pumped away for some time, and patched up the hole. Shortly +after we met the down-steamer, which had likewise started a leak, +and we were all much amused at the solemnity with which our captain +handed over to his friend a pump, which he knew would not work, +as he had tried it in vain in our boat. It was received with gratitude. + +There was a waiter on board this boat, whose sole object in life +seemed to be to cheat the passengers; his powers of addition were +very great, and only surpassed by his effrontery. There is a printed +tariff for everything, so his attempts were generally unsuccessful; +but, like a gallant fellow, he returned again and again to the charge, +nothing abashed; we frequently met this individual, and although he +must, after the first two or three attempts, have found out that we +were not to be done by him, yet up to our last settlement he tried +to overcharge; poor fellow, it was, we suppose, an innocent mania, +like some people have for pocketing lace. The living is good, and +the boats not at all crowded, which is better for the passengers than +the Company; and the officers are very polite. + +A straight reach of the river brings us to Neef, which is completely +embosomed in trees, and the hills at its back are covered with +vines. On the opposite bank the bare rock abruptly approaches the +water; from it a road has been blasted. + +The Government are yearly improving the navigation of our river, +by blowing up rocks and damming the stream. + +There is a legend connected with Neef, nearly similar to that of +St. Brelade's Church in Jersey, which we have already laid before +our readers in Channel Islands. The following is the Moselle version:-- + + + +THE ANGEL WORKMEN. + +On the hills above Neef is a graveyard, still used for its original +purpose. In this formerly stood a chapel, which was built here for +the following reasons:-- + +In olden times the chapel of Neef fell into a ruinous state, +and collections were made all about the Moselle country to enable +the village to rebuild their chapel. The holy communities in the +neighbourhood gave liberally, and soon sufficient being collected, +the work was begun. + +To the surprise of the builders, every morning they found their +yesterday's labour undone, and the stones and other materials carried +up to where the graveyard now is. + +The Pastor ordered night-watches to guard the new works, and punish +the guilty offenders. + +The night closed around them, and the hours wore on without anything +happening to alarm the watchmen, when suddenly one exclaimed that +the stars were moving towards them. The eyes of all then beheld +luminous flakes, which, coming nearer and nearer, grew into angels, +with bright shining wings, and love on their brows. + +The angels approached and gathered the stones, then bore them to the +hill-top, after which they receded again into heaven. + +The materials thus consecrated were used for the purpose so clearly +pointed out, and the chapel was raised on the top of the hill, +instead of being hid in the valley beneath. + + + +A sharp turn to the left brings us to Bremm, an old rotten town, +with a good church. The people of Bremm seem more squalid than those +of any other town on the Moselle; whether they merely wish to be in +keeping with their houses or not, we did not ascertain. + +Opposite Bremm is a fair promontory, on whose sloping green turf +the ruins of Kloster Stuben are seen. The hills on the left-hand +bank bend round in the form of a horse-shoe, and the river flows +at their base. The hills are very superb, of considerable height; +and their grand sombre mass contrasts with the green fields around +Kloster Stuben. + +This horse-shoe form constantly occurs on the Moselle; and not only is +the bend of the stream in the form of a horse-shoe, but the enclosed +space is usually shaped precisely as it would be had it been formed +of soft lava, and stamped by the gigantic foot of a horse. Perhaps the +Wild Huntsman rode here while the volcanoes were still in full force. + +The first Abbess of Kloster Stuben was Gisela the Fair; her father, +a knight, built the cloister, and endowed it as a resting-place for +his poor daughter Gisela, who thus lost her lover:-- + + + +GISELA. + +The fair Gisela sat in her bower, waiting impatiently for her knightly +bridegroom. + +The sun watched with her all day, but at last, growing weary, sank +westwards. + +Still Gisela watched--for love never wearies--and at length she had +her reward; for, rounding the cliffs, a noble bark came gallantly on, +and nearer and nearer it glided until she could see her loved knight, +who stood looking eagerly up. + +On seeing Gisela he shouted, and all his friends waved their hands. His +ardour could not be restrained to the vessel's slow motion, and +landwards he sprang to embrace his fair bride; but the leap was too +great, and the good knight sank down, overpowered by the weight of +his armour, and never rose more. + +Gisela wept not, but her bosom became cold as the waters that closed +over the head of her lover, and she passed from the world into the +cloister of Stuben. + + + +Another legend of Kloster Stuben we may call + + + +A LIBEL ON NIGHTINGALES. + +The monks of Himmerode led dissolute lives, and Saint Bernard was +sent to reprove them, and endeavour to bring them back to a sense of +their duty. + +In vain the Saint lectured--the monks were wicked as ever, and the +Saint in despair sought his chamber; there, opening his window, +he sat down to plan fresh arguments with which he might touch the +wicked hearts of the monks. + +The music of the sweet nightingales swelled up to his ears, and +steeped his senses in bliss; but the Saint perceived, to his horror, +that wicked desires then arose in his breast: so, closing the window, +he hastened away. The thought then occurred to the Saint that, if the +songs of the nightingales thus affected so holy a man as himself they +must do infinite harm to the monks; he therefore (having the power) +banished the birds, and shortly the monks were reformed. + +The Abbess of Stuben, who gently ruled over a religious body of nuns, +hearing the nightingales had been driven out, and were wandering in +search of a home, invited them to settle in the meadows and groves +that surrounded her cloister. + +The birds gladly arrived, and their songs, which had harmed the wicked +monks' hearts, cheered and exalted the thoughts of the pure-hearted +nuns. + + + +Nuns and nightingales are now alike departed, as well as the droning +old monks, whose notes we could better have spared. + +There is a fine view from the cliffs behind the cloister, and the +walk hence to Beilstein is very agreeable, as the banks are all richly +wooded, and of a great height. + +The river winds on past many a hamlet and burg; the forests and vines +succeed to each other; islands are passed, and the scene constantly +changes; spires rise among trees, old houses peep forth, cattle wade +in the stream, and our little skiff glides along until Beilstein +Castle appears, so beautifully placed, and so charmingly surrounded +by forest, that we at once stay the course of our boat, and pull out +our sketch-books. The townlet is nestled in walls, which are adorned +with several turrets, and over it stands up the sharp-pointed spire +of a church: the castle presides above all. + +A great load of bark is slowly drifting down our river's sparkling +tide, and the boats are crossing and recrossing, filled with busy +husbandmen. + +Where our boat now stands, once a gentle peasant girl found her death +and grave together, and with the latter peace, we trust. + + + +THE SHIPMASTER'S DAUGHTER OF BEILSTEIN. + +Kuno of Beilstein was struck with the beauty of a shipmaster's +daughter. She heard and responded to his love, believing the words +that he spoke. + +The innocent dove cannot stand any chance with the hawk; so the poor +girl after a time found out, to her cost, when Kuno forsook her. + +Madness seized on the brain of the wretched girl, and for a long +time her senses were wandering; but one morning in spring her memory +returned, and she begged her father to take her where she might gaze +on the castle of her false betrayer, for she loved him still. + +Her father, who truly loved her, placed the poor girl in a boat, and +rowed up the river to where a good view of the castle was gained. She +gazed with tears on the spot, and prayed for the welfare of Kuno. + +While gazing, a sound of horns and of dogs swept down the valley, and +as the shouting grew nearer Count Kuno was seen, with his young haughty +bride riding near him. Kuno, at seeing the girl in the boat, started, +and uttered her name. The young bride grew jealous, and questioned +the Count as to what he knew of the girl. He replied, she was nothing +to him; and, to pacify her, launched an arrow at his former love. + +The shot took effect, and the father, rushing to save her, overbalanced +the boat, and both father and daughter sank down for ever. + + + +Beilstein is not over-clean, although a stream runs through it; +but then it is the essence of picturesqueness, which more than makes +up. It seems to have been in former days a place of some importance, +but with the decay of the castle the town itself has decayed, and +the walls crumble down, and the houses are empty. + +Many Jews live here, and it is said the dark-eyed Jewesses are very +beautiful, and extremely inquisitive about strangers, asking them +many questions. + +A series of valleys--all wooded, and watered, and pleasant--lie at the +back of Beilstein. Unfortunately the inns are very poor, so it is not +a good place to stop at; but if not very fastidious, the accommodation +will suffice for two or three nights; and the white wine is good. + +There still remain considerable portions of wall and fragments of +towers of the castle of Beilstein. Its situation is very happily +chosen for both beauty and strength. On the side over the town an +ascent is impossible. A narrow ridge connects the castle with the +neighbouring mountains; along this ridge is a path, which conducts us +through fruit-trees and vineyards to an old burial-ground, filled with +tombstones with Hebrew inscriptions. Here the Jews are buried apart. + +On the opposite side of our river is Poltersdorf, or the village of +blustering fellows; so called, because its inhabitants were always +quarrelling with those of the neighbouring hamlets. + +The scenery from Beilstein to Cochem is not to be surpassed on +our river. There are mountains, beautiful churches and villages, +trees, rocks, and water, with happy faces smiling from under their +picturesque head-dresses. + +Arriving at Cochem, Herr Paoli, who talks French, and his wife, who +talks English, will attend to your comforts at the Hôtel de l'Union. + + + + + + + +CHAPTER XVII. + + + The moon shines bright o'er vale and hill, + O'er castle wall and donjon keep; + Her beams they dance on every rill, + On every turret seem to sleep. + + +Such was the hour and such the night on which the mad Pfalz-graf, +Henry of Cochem, slew his wife. Thus runs the tale in the overture:-- + + + +LEGEND OF COCHEM. + +The Pfalz-graf Henry, called "the Mad," had a bitter quarrel with +the Archbishop of Cologne, and had been worsted in combat with the +Archbishop's troops; retiring, he shut himself up in his castle +of Cochem. + +As the evening drew on, the Pfalz-graf became more and more excited, +and strode to and fro in his chamber. The light of the full moon +still further added to his fury, and he raged like a lion confined +in his den, constantly calling on the Archbishop by name, and vowing +vengeance against him. + +His gentle wife approaching him sought to soothe him with her caresses, +and addressed him with words of endearment. For a few moments he +seemed to be calmer; but then starting up, he seized a great axe and +struck his wife to the earth. + +At seeing this monstrous deed, the attendants sprang forward; alas! too +late, for the gentle lady was dead. + +The madman was seized and taken to the Archbishop of Trèves, who had +him confined in a cell, where he soon after died. + + + +The town of Cochem is hid by the trees on our left as we look at the +castle: it contains about 2500 inhabitants, and is a very clean, +flourishing town. It contains very fair shops, and the hotel is +good. It is very picturesque; its streets are steep and narrow, and +the old walls and gate-towers add to its general appearance of age. On +market-days it is crowded with people from all the adjoining villages, +who sell their produce to dealers who supply the market of Coblence. A +little steamer bustles and puffs down the stream into Coblence every +day, and gets back again in the evening. + +Cochem is a good resting-place, as in its neighbourhood are found +many interesting places, such as Beilstein, Marienbourg, Clotten, +Treis, Elz, &c.; and immediately around it the country walks are very +numerous, varied in character, and beautiful. + +Sitting in the balcony of the inn, too, is very pleasant; the steamers, +with their passing life, arrive and depart just opposite; the great +fleets of barges are pulled past by dozens of horses, at which the +drivers scream and crack their whips till the whole valley resounds; +fishermen ply their trade, and at night-time light fires on the banks, +that thus they may be able to see their prey in the water. + +Opposite is a small village, and behind this village are vineyards +belonging to Cochem; so the constant communication necessarily kept +up makes the river appear very lively. Boats also are generally being +built or repaired, and the girls are washing linen or carrying water +up from the stream. + +Between Cochem and Beilstein there is, at a turn of the river, a +beautiful cemetery, and a church with twin-spires. The cliffs and +river sweep round the angle and shut in this retired nook, which, +thus separated from the world, appears a fit resting-place for those +whose waking will be in a world more glorious than this. There are on +our river many cemeteries and graveyards, most beautifully placed; and +the graves, with their simple crosses, seem the realisation of peace. + +Nearer to Cochem is a very perfect echo; it repeats twice with great +clearness, and is so long before answering that there is time to +say quite a sentence. Thus it invited us to "come again to-morrow;" +and for many a morrow we visited and revisited the scenery here, +the endless foot-paths over rocks and through vines, or forests, or +fields, ever giving us new views and fresh combinations of beauty, +and we found days pass into weeks with the greatest rapidity. + +Following the brook at the end of the town, we arrive at the foot of +the hill on which the strong castle of Winneburg stands, midst its +own ruins. It has two sets of walls and moats, and must have been +quite inaccessible in the old time. It is difficult to get into it +now, even without anybody to poke a pike down one's throat, or pour +molten lead in your eyes. + +Its situation is fine, and from it part of Cochem is seen, and the +castle of Cochem, which rises quite close to the town. It is curious +how deceptive these places are in size. What seems from below to be +a mere fragment of ruin, becomes, at your nearer approach, a most +extensive circuit of wall, with many roofless chambers and turrets; +just as we never know the size of a tree until it is felled. + +The legend of Winneburg, called "the Immured Maiden," merely relates +that the master-builder who had contracted to finish the keep within +a certain time failed in his contract; and being reproached by his +employer, was about to jump into the Moselle from the walls: but a +stranger assured him, if he would allow him to build into the wall +the little daughter he loved so dearly, he would finish the keep in +a day. The rascal consented, and the devil built the little girl up +in the foundation of this strong keep-tower. + +We doubted the truth of this story, as the master-builder must have +been a very active man to have jumped two miles and a half, which is +the distance from Winneburg to the Moselle. + +Continuing our course from the hill on which Winneburg stands, we +enter a narrow part of the valley called the Enterthal. This Enterthal +consists of a series of openings in the very high hills; the openings +are exquisitely green lawns, surrounded by thick foliage and rock; +through or round these openings runs the brook, heaping up stones +and spreading into pools, or tumbling down headlong in its hurry to +reach its gentle sovereign the Moselle. + +The path is rough, and constantly you have to hop from stone to +stone across the brook. Thus picking our steps, we came suddenly on +a most aristocratic fishing-party, consisting of the burgomaster +and his attendants, clad in blue, with red stripes to their caps, +and with naked legs. They seemed very successful in procuring trout +for the official supper. Their mode of fishing was not scientific or +sportsman-like,--an odd-shaped net, which they poked under the banks, +being the only tackle of this great man, who did not disdain to wet +his own Herr-burgomasterial legs in the pursuit. + +After a long ramble an old mill is reached, and a good sketch found; +indeed, the whole walk was a sort of diorama of beautiful moving +pictures of rock, and tree, and water. The people we met in these +valleys were by no means civil; and we found out at last that their +incivility was caused by their thinking we were making plans to divert +the course of the stream, or otherwise injure their properties. + +English ladies were evidently quite new objects of curiosity to +the people of Cochem. On leaving the hotel, the ladies of our +party immediately became objects to be pointed at, talked about, +and stared out of countenance. If the streets had been empty before +their appearance, there were always spies of some sort on the alert, +who called to doors and windows those who made a perpetual peep-show +of these wonderful strangers. Every tea-table and wine-party also, +as we were informed, discussed us, and wondered what could induce +us to remain at Cochem when we might be enjoying all the gaieties +of Trèves or Coblence. Although we passed weeks there their wonder +never diminished, nor did their curiosity cease. They seemed to have +no idea of scenery being worth anything. + +Luckily, this unpleasant curiosity was confined to the people of the +town; in the country a hearty "Guten tag," or "Gute nacht," always +greeted us, and the greatest readiness to direct or assist us was +always shown by the peasants: one man was, it is true, exceedingly +tickled at the idea of our asking the way to a valley which we were +already in, and could scarcely answer for laughing. Evidently, too, +they in general fancied that so important a place as Something-heim, +or whatever the name of the place happened to be, ought to be well +known to every one. + +The castle of Cochem affords a most agreeable retirement to those who +are fond of reading, sketching, or musing through the summer's day: +unlike the ruins on the Rhine, it is wholly uninfested by beggars, +donkeys, or venders of faded flowers and wreaths. Here you may walk +up the hill and enter by a stone bridge into the outworks; perhaps +a few sheep or goats, with an attendant boy, are there: if not, +Solitude holds his court amid the deserted walls. Through the ruined +window-arches the river is seen, and the town is immediately under us: +vines cover one side of the steep hill, and a little chapel nestles +itself into a corner where the rock shelters it from stones; above +rise the mountains, covered with cherry and other trees to near the +top, where young oaks supersede the less hardy fruit-trees: a soft +green lawn fills the space surrounded by the outworks of the castle; +in the centre stands the massive keep, beside which is a smaller tower, +and in the distance, Winneburg is greyly visible. + +Cochem was one of the three castles given up to the Countess of +Sponheim by Archbishop Baldwin, as a security for the heavy ransom she +made him pay: this happened in 1328. About the same period the Jews +of Cochem were massacred; the popular fury was raised against them +by the story of the supposed murder of the child Werner at Oberwesel +on Rhine. The truth appears to be, that the Jews had become richer +than the other members of the communities in which they lived, and +therefore Envy roused the populace to fury with a fictitious story +of murder, and by this means plundered the unfortunate Hebrews, +who no longer lived to protect their property. + +Cochem suffered terribly when it was taken by Marshal Boufflers, +who, after devastating the Palatinate, advanced against this town; +thrice his troops were repulsed by the brave defenders, at length +the superior numbers of the besiegers forced an entrance, but with a +loss of 2500 men, among whom were six colonels: all the inhabitants +that remained alive after the pillage were sent into other countries, +and only a few ever found their way back. After the taking of the town +the cruelties exercised by the French troops were only surpassed by +Tilly at Magdebourg. + +The assault took place on the fête of St. Louis, and Boufflers sent the +news of the taking and burning of Cochem to Louis XIV. as a pleasant +gift, well suited to the occasion. + +The château of Winneburg was taken and sacked at the same time. This +castle afterwards became the family seat of the Metternichs. + +For a long time after these outrages, it is said that those who had +witnessed the dreadful scenes at the taking of Cochem were wont to +start up in their sleep, crying, "The French! the French!" + +Passing out of Cochem, as we continue on our flowery path, we find +ourselves in the shade of the Kreuzberg mountain: it is covered with +vineyards, which produce a small quantity of excellent wine. + + + +The next town is Clotten; between it and Cochem a fine range of rocky +precipices form an amphitheatre, that dwarfs even the gigantic works +of the old Romans. What ants we appear when from a rock we look down +on our human mole-hills! + +The church at Clotten is remarkably well placed on an eminence, +where its handsome proportions are seen to the greatest effect. The +town is very dilapidated and irregularly built: there are some very +picturesque houses in it still, but the old walls and gate-towers +have nearly all disappeared to make room for the vines. + +At a little distance from the town is the ruined tower, that alone +survives of the former castle of Clotten; it is partially undermined, +and a great hole broken into its centre. The castle of Clotten was +extensive, and very strong; at one time it was the residence of +a queen, Richenza of Poland. She was the wife of Miceslaus II., +and during her husband's lifetime she managed all the affairs of +the kingdom: at his death she was made Regent during her young son's +minority, but the Poles drove her out of their kingdom, and she took +refuge with her son Casimir in Clotten: here she shut herself up, +and Casimir became a monk. Some years after, a deputation from Poland +waited on Casimir, and begged him to return to Poland as king; this he +did, the Pope releasing him from his vows on the whimsical condition +that all the Poles of good birth should cut their hair close to the +point of the ear, in perpetual recollection of their king having been +a monk. + +Richenza endeavoured to persuade her son not to accept the throne, +but her arguments did not convince him of the vanity of royalty; she +remained in this country, constantly residing at Clotten Castle, near +which she built a hermitage with a chapel, to which she often retired. + +A fine reach of the river is seen from the ruin, and behind it is a +deep valley, in which one or two mills are just perceptible through +the trees that envelope the course of the brook which turns their +great wheels. + +The spires of the churches are in general finely pointed, the one +at our feet, as we stand here, is a fair example of their style of +architecture. On Sundays and fête-days they are crowded; often they +are so full, that late-comers are obliged to stand in the doorway or +outside: the crowd is made up of both men and women; the head-dresses +of the latter are gay and graceful. The embroidered cloth or velvet +covering the thick plaits of the unmarried girls, the close caps of +the old women, and the smart streaming ribbons of the young wives, +make the heads of the crowd like a bed of tulips. + +The men always wear blue blouses and black hats, or plain cloth caps, +so they are commonplace-looking enough: the boatmen are alone, of +their sex, picturesque; a red cap sets them off amazingly, and they +seem to have a very good opinion of themselves, if we may judge by +the ease with which they joke the mädchen they pass on their voyage. + +A good many fish are caught in the river, but they are generally +small. All day long solitary men sit in boats, and at long intervals +dip up and down nets that move on a pole at the end of a swivel: they +must have immense patience, and consume, we should suppose, the greater +part of their earnings in the tobacco that they constantly smoke. The +casting-net also is much used, but then there must be two men, one +to pole the boat into the rapids while the other swings in his net. + + + + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII. + + +From Cochem, an easy walk brings the tourist within reach of no less +than seven castles,--viz. Beilstein, Cochem, Winneburg, Clotten, +Treis, Elz, and Pyrmont. The first four we have already noticed: +in this chapter we will make a walking tour to the other three named. + +Leaving Clotten behind us, we walked on, under a broiling sun, to +Pommern. At the back of Pommern is a long, winding, narrow valley, +through which the Pommerbach runs. Where it enters the Moselle, +the banks of our river are covered with turf and shade-spreading +trees. Under these latter we lay, enjoying the cool after our hot, +dusty walk. The brook was nearly dry, so we made an agreement with +a wild-looking girl, who was watching some cows drink in the river, +that she should for the sum of twopence sterling fetch us a pannikin +of fresh, cold water, we stipulating to look after her cows in the +meanwhile. We found our task rather difficult, as the cows were +a most unruly set of brutes, who, not recognising our authority, +wished to make their way into the adjoining gardens. At length, +however, the water arrived, and the bargain was completed. + +Most luxurious was the fresh well-water, the tree-shade, and the rest: +a cigar also lent its "enchantment to the view," which embraced a reach +of the river, with the woods on its shores, glowing in the noonday +haze. Close to us was an ancient château, with its high-peaked roof +and many gables; a tower was at one end, and over the roof appeared +the church spire. The brook trickled past, and the pollard willows +on its green banks marked its course down to the river. The château +is now only used as a farm, and the upper part was stored with +hay. Formerly it was the residence of a knight, who held it in fief +from the Archbishop of Trèves. + +Our river lay so still, so clear, so blue beneath us; she also seemed +resting till the heat should pass. The mountains, towers, and towns +were watching as she slept over the glorious beauty of our Fairy Queen +Moselle. As of old, in her earliest days, the freshness of purity +still was in her waters,--still innocence and beauty were combined +in her azure form; but who shall describe the glory of her maturity, +the loveliness of her now perfected form? + +It was noontide, and no foot was stirring. The birds had ceased their +songs, the trees were motionless, and the still mountains were repeated +in the stream, as though they had plunged from their burning heights +headforemost into the cool wave. + +And thus we sat and mused: speech would have been desecration. Peace +was on the earth! What sermons Nature preaches!--always eloquent and +simple. How she touches our hearts, and teaches us the truth; while +human eloquence, with all its art, fails to impress or rouse us from +our state of apathy! What lessons may be learnt, what blessings gained, +in a summer's ramble by rivers' banks, and through the mighty forest, +where the silence is more eloquent than words; or on the mountain-tops, +where earth seems already left behind, and the sky appears almost +within our reach! + +A little below Pommern, where a large island ends, we crossed to Treis, +and went through the meadow valley to the base of the rock on which +Treis Castle stands. It was a good climb to the summit, and the path +appeared as unfrequented as the forest round the princess who slept +until an adventurous knight woke her with a kiss. + +The castle of Treis belonged to a very ancient family, who sent +knights to the Holy Land under Godfrey de Bouillon. Afterwards it +passed into the hands of Queen Richenza of Poland, who gave it to +the Convent of Brauweiler, and it was henceforth garrisoned for the +Church by dependants of the Archbishop of Trèves. + +On one occasion, the Pfalz-graf of the Rhine sent word to the +Governor of the castle that the Church did not want forts, as it was +sufficiently protected by the Divine power. The Governor acquainted +the Bishop, and he excommunicated the Pfalz-graf for his impiety +(a step the bishops always seem to have taken in their personal +quarrels). The Pfalz-graf, however, did not care for the Bishop's +threats, and took the castle. + +The angry Bishop assembled an army, and marched to retake this Church +property. He soon appeared before the castle, and, with his crucifix +in his hand, summoned it to surrender, and upbraided the Pfalz-graf +for seizing it. + +The Pfalz-graf, seeing the army of the Bishop was too numerous for him +to contend with successfully, began to think the Bishop's arguments +were strong ones, so he quietly gave up the castle. + +The poet ends by saying what may be thus almost literally translated:-- + + + "The Cross a perfect victory gained, + "Thus was its mightiness maintained." + + +This castle is curiously constructed. It is placed on the summit of a +neck of land, both sides of which are precipitous. The keep is at the +outer extremity of this neck, and the high rock on which it stands +towers perpendicularly from the valley to the height of some four +hundred feet. The main part of the castle was on the neck of land, and +at the inner end of the neck was a very strong gate-tower and other +buildings. These three portions of the castle were joined together +by strong walls: but if the gate-tower was forced the garrison could +first of all defend the centre, which was divided by a great ditch +from the gate-tower; and, finally, they could retire into the keep, +which formed a castle in itself. Thus the assailants had to take +three separate fortresses. + +The tower and considerable fragments of the other parts of this +castle still remain, wrapped in solitude. The old hall can still +be traced. Where the knights caroused and the ladies smiled is now +the haunt of the owl, who sleeps among the branches of ivy that are +gradually forcing out the stones from the old walls. + + + IVY-GIRT RUINS. + + From the ruined, crumbling wall, + Ancient fragments downwards fall, + No longer held in iron grasp + By ivy hands, which twining clasp + Those ancient towers and turrets grey, + To which their girdling brings decay. + As an old nation, tottering to its fall, + Doth foreign legions to its armies call, + A time triumphant! then the hireling Band, + That erstwhile strengthened, seize on the command. + + Alike the ivy and the friend + Their aid insidious freely lend, + And gradual push their fibres in, + Until the tower or land they win,-- + Until the yoke is firmly placed, + Or firm the twigs are interlaced; + Then dies all freedom from the conquered land,-- + Then is the ancient tower compelled to stand, + Supporting by its strength the plant whose sway, + Like despot monarch's, brings it sure decay. + + Years wear away, the despot's crown + Is green with laurel of renown. + In slavery the nation groans: + Griped by the iron twigs, the stones, + Disjointed from their firm array + By tyrant plants' (or monarchs') sway, + Fall crashing down, and in like ruin hurled + Are walls, and stones, and conqu'rors of the world; + Oppressors and oppressed all equal share + The curse inhaled in slavery's foul air. + + +Treis boasts a fine church and good inns. Carden is a town of size, and +many of the buildings deserve notice, the first is the old toll-house, +the landing-place. + +On the hill opposite Carden is a chapel high upon a rock: the road +leading to it has at intervals shrines, at which the religious +processions halt on their way to the chapel. Through the vineyards +inland of the town there is also a road, with shrines at every ten +yards; this likewise leads up to a Calvary chapel. Carden, in the +number of its religious edifices, surpasses all the other small towns +on the river. + +Many of these buildings are now secularised into barns and outhouses, +but the church of St. Castor has just been repaired, as also a small, +elegant chapel, that stands close to the river. + + + +LEGEND OF ST. CASTOR. + +For many years St. Castor lived in the forest, eating nothing but +herbs, and drinking only from the clear spring. He taught the Gospel +to all, and was much reverenced by his hearers. + +The people, who were living in rough huts in the forest, now +collected by St. Castor, built a village, and raised a church to +the glory of God. His work completed, the Saint died; and in the +course of centuries men forgot where his body had been laid, until +a certain priest dreamt, and in his dream it was revealed to him +where the Saint slept. Thrice this dream was repeated; so, going to +the Bishop of Trèves, the priest told him what had occurred. Search +was then made, and the bones of the Saint were discovered; and over +them was raised the stately church which we see at the present day, +and which is dedicated to this good Saint. + + + +Brauer's Inn is good, and Carden is a very interesting old place. The +space near the church is surrounded by funny-looking, high-peaked +old houses, a group of which we here give. + +The highly picturesque and interesting castle of Elz is about four +miles distant from Carden. It is situated on a great rock in a narrow +valley, and surrounded on three sides by the Elz brook, that nearly +encircles the rock. The hills surrounding are higher than the rock +the castle is on, and completely shut it in. They are densely covered +with forests, full of roe-deer: hares, foxes, and occasionally wolves, +are shot there in winter. + +The lord of the castle sometimes comes there to shoot, or to fish in +the Elz brook, which is swarming with trout. + +We slept in Carden, so as to have the whole day to explore the valley +of Elz; and early the following morning we set off over the hills, +passing out from the town under one of its little old gateways, +several of which still remain. + +Coming suddenly on Elz as we gained the top of the mountain above it, +the view was very striking; we might have been living in the dead +centuries, it looked so perfectly habitable; and yet there was such +a quaint look about it, it seemed scarcely real. Soon after we met +some of the Count's people going out with dogs and guns: they were +dressed after the fashion of huntsmen whose representatives appear +nowadays only in theatres,--at least, so we thought until now. + +On reaching the castle, we found it more ruinous than we at first +had supposed. On ringing a bell we were admitted, and shown over +the rooms, in which are preserved many old pieces of armour, arms, +pictures, and furniture; also spoils of the chase. + +The shapes of the rooms, and the staircases leading to them, are +wonderful: two American artists were hard at work, sketching interiors +and old furniture. + +We read of a knight, George of Elz, so far back as the tenth century, +figuring at a tournament at Magdebourg; and the family holding this +castle were always of the highest consideration. But they appear +to have been a very turbulent race, and much given to quarrelling +amongst themselves, even on some occasions slaying each other; and a +family agreement was signed by three of the brothers, who seem to have +all resided at Elz, which concluded with the following extraordinary +terms:--"He of us who shall during this peace kill either his brother +or son (from which God defend us!) shall be forced to quit the house, +and neither he nor his heirs shall have any rights over the castle of +Elz, unless expiation for such mortal sin shall be made. He of us who +shall disable one of the others, or his wife or child, shall quit the +house and never return. He of us who shall wound or stab the other, +shall be banished the house for a month." + +This wonderful treaty provided that they should assist each other +against their common enemies, and they appear to have done so. + +Of course, a castle inhabited by such a set of quarrellers is haunted +by the ghosts of those murdered; thus Elz is particularly rich in +such stories. But, in general, they are only commonplace ghosts,--just +ladies knocked into the valley beneath for not kissing an importunate +lover, or built into a wall by a jealous husband; or a mournful +murderer, who howls through the long winter's nights in expiation of +his crimes here committed. In winter time the occupants must need +large fires and a good cask of wine to keep out these troublesome +spirits. A better one of these ghosts is a lady, who came by her +death in the manner recorded in the following version of + + + +THE PERFORATED HARNESS. + +The Lady Bertha of Elz was left by her brother, who had gone to fight +in the Holy Land, to take care of the castle of Elz; her lover, Count +Edmund, had died, and she mourned for him whom she so dearly had loved. + +One evening, when the stars were consoling her for the loss of her +lover, she sat gazing on them, and tranquillity fell on her heart. + +The hours silently passed, and the lady prepared for her rest, little +thinking how near to its final repose life was passing. Suddenly she +saw glittering of helmets, and heard noises of clanking of armour +below in the valley. Rousing her attendants, Bertha armed herself in a +light suit of mail, and went forth with her esquires and adherents to +oppose the robbers, who came like caitiffs to attack a female by night. + +Advancing in front of her friends, the courageous lady addressed the +leaders of the marauders, asking why thus they attacked her. An arrow, +launched from an unseen bow, pierced her harness: this was the only +reply. Bertha fell dying, and her soldiers rushed on and defeated +the foe. + +The Lady Bertha was laid in a grave near the castle, over which a +weeping willow still points out the spot; and in the still, starlight +nights, she and her lover, happy in death, sit hand-in-hand, contented +and silent. + + + +The castle of Elz was at length taken from its proper possessors by +the Archbishop Baldwin of Trèves, who, although outwitted by Lauretta +of Sponheim, seems generally to have worsted his enemies. + +There had been a long feud between the knights and the Bishop, who at +last vowed to reduce them to obedience. He accordingly besieged the +castle in form, and, in order to cut off all supplies, caused a new +castle to be erected on the rocks opposite (a fragment of it still +exists). This new castle he filled with armed men, and at length the +knights of Elz agreed to own the warlike Bishop for their liege lord, +and henceforth they held the castle as vassals. + +Three or four miles higher up the valley of Elz is the castle of +Pyrmont. It is romantically seated on rocks which border the stream +that a little lower down falls in a cascade into a deep pool. This +fall is said to have been a favourite resort of the lady whose lover +met the sad fate here recorded:-- + + + JUTTA OF PYRMONT. + + A minstrel came to the castle-gate, + And tidings ill he bore; + He told of the brave Count Fred'rick's fate,-- + The Count was now no more. + + For in the far Italian land, + In lowly grave he lay; + Slain by the loathsome headsman's hand, + Though spared in the bloody fray. + + Of all who loved the noble knight + Only this Page was left, + Who now fulfilled, in woful plight, + His master's last behest; + + That he should seek far Pyrmont's walls, + And there his master's fate, + In Lady Jutta's lofty halls, + With speed and truth, relate + + How many frays the Count did win + Till that sad field was fought, + Where he and brave Count Conraddin + Both prisoners in were brought; + + How then the coward Duke d'Anjou + Struck off his captive's head, + And slew his followers so true + (All save this Page were dead). + + The Lady Jutta heard the tale; + No word the lady spake, + But still she sat, and deadly pale, + The whilst her heart did break. + + To convent walls the dying maid + Retired, her days to close; + Soon in the grave her sorrow laid, + God sent her his repose. + + +Retracing our steps down the valley of the Elzbach, we found a good +path leading through the bottom of the vale. Little meadows bordered +the brook which we were compelled to cross frequently, but the great +stepping-stones afforded a sure footing over the stream in which +the trout were greedily rising at flies. It was evening, and on our +left the dense foliage was glowing in light, while the meadows and +opposite hills were in shade with little puffs of grey spreading in +thin lines among the trees. + +At the mouth of the valley we came upon Moselkern, and put up at a +tidy little inn, where the young lady of the house rather despised +two travellers who had no baggage but what their capacious pockets +contained. She was a pretty girl, and doubtless a village belle, so +had a right to give herself airs. She, however, relented, and became +more polite, when we, regardless of expense, ordered the best wine, +which cost at least eighteen-pence a bottle. + +In all these inns, we observed that the landlord or his representative +thought it a matter of necessity to sit and keep company with his +guests, even if they did not talk. + +Moselkern we found to be a cheerful village, very prettily placed +among the trees, just below where the Elz brook falls into the +Moselle. Between it and the river is a broad, green piece of land, +where boat-building is generally going on. + +Here the youth of the place bathe, and the inhabitants meet to discuss +the prospects of the coming vintage, and rejoice or mourn over the +past one. + +There seemed to be a great leaning towards the French on the banks +of our river. In most of the villages there is to be found some old +soldier, who expatiates to his listeners on the glorious days of the +old Napoleon; and many of the better class of villagers speak a sort of +mongrel French. Even among the lowest, French expressions are common. + + + + + + + +CHAPTER XIX. + + +Three more castles now claim our attention; they were all places of +great importance. Bischofstein appears to have been, as its name +denotes, garrisoned for the Bishop (of Trèves), while Thuron and +Ehrenburg were held by adherents of the Count Palatine, or other +enemies of the Elector of Trèves. + +Pursuing our course down the river, we left Moselkern by a path +running through gardens, whose hedgerows are vines trained on +a lattice-work. We found the peasants digging up fine potatoes, +so congratulated them on their crop, and also on the appearance of +the grape bunches; but people are never satisfied, and they said, +"Yes, it is very good for the wine, and the corn, and potatoes, +but the garden greens are all burnt up with the sun:" we thought of +the wretched farmer, whose potatoes were all so large there were no +little ones for the pigs. + +Bischofstein is finely placed on a spur of the rugged mountain; +beneath it is a chapel and farmhouse: vines grow in the castle-yard, +and wherever a shelf of level ground can be made into soil fit for +their cultivation. + +There is a great white stripe round the middle of the tower, which the +popular belief attributes to a deluge which submerged all the valley, +and only stayed its course when half up the tower of this castle; +the account given in the following tale is more probable:-- + + + +THE BISHOP'S SERMON. + +The country round Bischofstein was swarming with robber-knights and +pillagers of every degree, to such an extent, that the Archbishop +Johann of Trèves sent out a strong band of knights, who took up their +abode in the castle of Bischofstein. + +The knights stayed the ravages, and soon the robbers found their +occupation gone, and good living on plunder a thing of the past; +so they took counsel together as to what should be done. + +The robbers determined that Bischofstein must be taken and the knights +in its garrison slain; therefore, with the utmost secrecy, a plan was +concocted by which they succeeded in entering the castle by stealth: +thus they were able to seize on the knights and their servants, +and they slew every one. + +A poor peasant who was in the fort contrived to escape, and he carried +the tidings to the Archbishop, who sent out an army, which arrived +at the fort and found all the robbers sleeping, quite drunk: these +they quickly despatched, and the fort was regarrisoned. + +Then the Bishop Johann caused a white line to be made round the wall of +the tower, that all rogues should see, and by noting the fate of the +robbers preserve themselves from the stern hand of justice. "Thus," +said the Bishop, "I preach them a sermon by which evildoers from sin +may be saved; if they heed not this warning, the sword must preach +in its turn." + +Hatzeport, which we pass on the way to the castle of Ehrenburg, +is a well-built, well-to-do place, with a fine church. It stands at +the entrance of one of the innumerable valleys that break the great +ridges of mountain that shut in the course of our river. + +Crossing from thence to the village of Brodenbach, we enter a gorge +of the hills which conducts us to the beautiful valley, at the far +end of which the castle of Ehrenburg seems hanging in air. + +The contrast of the sweet smiling valley, with its brook murmuring +along, makes the stern fortress more gloomy. Leaving the valley, +we gradually ascend by a footpath, until at length we reach where +the draw-bridge formerly stood; now there is but the stone pillar +that used to sustain it. + +Some rough steps lead up to the gate-tower, and a ring at the bell +brought a chubby-faced child, that looked much out of place amid the +ruins. We entered, and an old dreamy man took the place of the child; +he led us through a ruined garden that surrounded a tower of immense +thickness, entering which he slowly led us by a winding road, that +would admit six men to mount abreast, up to the summit of the tower. + +To our surprise we now were on a piece of level ground; this tower, +which was the only entrance, having been built on a lower ledge +of rock. + +The garden we were in was neatly kept and full of vegetables; at its +extremity stood the castle, from the centre of which, and on a still +higher piece of rock, the donjon keep, with its twin towers, rose up: +these towers are circular, and joined by a double wall. + +All round outside the walls was air; the valley seemed far away: +for hundreds of feet, a pebble that we dropped fell down, striking +nothing till it came into the depths of the valley. Much of the ruin +still remains, and the old man showed us how we might ascend to the +top of the twin towers. + +There we sat wrapped in solitude, the valleys far beneath us, and +the hills spread out like a raised map, with here a tint of green +where trees should be, and there a grey patch for rock, while over +them shone out a bit of molten silver where our river flowed: so +was the whole country charted out for us, and here for hours we sat, +our senses drinking with delight from the pure well of fresh, sweet +pleasure raised by our most novel situation. + +The old man sat still beneath us; and the records in our hand told +us what the old guide could not, the legends of the place. + +The Knights of Ehrenburg were vassals of the great Counts of Sponheim, +and very powerful in council and war; the last of the race was Count +Frederick, who, according to the Chronicle of Limburg, burnt down +a great part of Coblence: his reason for so doing appears in the +following legend:-- + + + +THE LAST KNIGHT OF EHRENBURG. + +Count Frederick of Ehrenburg was the last of his race, his father had +died while he was yet young. Feeling his castle to be lonely without +a companion, he looked far and near to find a fair lady whom he might +love and bring home to be mistress of Ehrenburg. + +Having found a suitable lady, he begged her hand from her father, +saying that he would give her his castle, his name, and his sword as +a dower; but the grim old warrior replied, that though his castle was +strong and name great, yet his sword was too bright, too glittering, +and new; and added, that his daughter's husband must be able to show +some marks of hard fighting on sword or on person. The old warrior +further suggested that the young Count should burn Coblence, as he +had a feud with that town. + +Count Frederick retired and collected his friends, with whom he made +many inroads on the burghers of Coblence, and at length he succeeded +in burning a part of the town. + +He immediately repaired to his loved lady's castle, when, to his +great annoyance, he found the fair one was flown. Having heard of +her father's wicked promise, that he would give her in marriage when +Coblence was burnt, she had retired from the world, and in a nunnery +was endeavouring to atone for the crime of her father. + +The young Count raged and swore, and eventually took to his bosom +a different lady, but no children were granted them, so he was the +last of his race. + + + +The records go on to relate how this last Count, having no son of his +own, adopted one of the sons of a friend; this boy's name was Walter, +and he met with the adventure described in the tale called-- + + + +THE TIMELY WARNING. + +It was Carnival in Coblence--all the world was there; the streets +were thronged with masks, shows and processions were in all the public +places; music, dancing, and merriment, reigned supreme. + +Walter, the adopted son of the Count of Ehrenburg, longed to visit +the gay scene, but the Count had never yet permitted him to go so far +away; at length, by dint of importunity, he got leave to set out, but +was strongly cautioned to meddle with no one, and avoid all disputes +or quarrels: with two stout men-at-arms he went forth. + +When arrived at Coblence, he went first to an hotel by the shore; +in the windows of this hotel stood the young Count of Isenburg with +a beautiful girl, and many of the Count's servants were loitering +about the doors of the inn. + +The Count of Isenburg, on seeing young Walter, commenced forthwith to +mock him, and sneered at the lad's scanty retinue. Walter was angry, +but, remembering his promise not to quarrel or fight, strode into +the house without saying a word. + +Walter had nearly forgotten the incident, and was gazing on the gay +crowd that moved to and fro over the old Moselle bridge and in the +road under his windows, when a soft low knock came to the door. On +opening he found the beautiful girl that he had seen by the side +of Count Isenburg; she hastily entered, and said, "Noble youth, you +must hasten away, for the Count is now gone into the town to excite +the townspeople against you, and unless you depart with great speed, +the people, who hate your family, will certainly seize you." She added +that, like him she addressed, she did not belong to a noble family, +but her father being Count Isenburg's vassal, she was forced to +dissimulate and receive his attentions till she could make her escape. + +She had scarcely done speaking when the Count appeared in the doorway, +his naked sword in his hand, and fury flashing out from his eyes. "What +dost thou here, venal wench!" he cried out; "how darest thou speak to +this Bastard?" Then, running at Walter, he sought to slay him while +off his guard. + +But Walter, hastily drawing his sword, not only parried his thrusts, +but wounded him sorely; then, whispering adieu to the girl Wallrade, +who had given him so kind and timely a warning, he sought out +his servants, and rode forth from the town, not without some sharp +exchanges of blows between them and the Coblencers, who were collecting +in haste to oppose their outgoing. + +The Count of Isenburg and a party of citizens followed soon after, +and besieged the castle of Ehrenburg; but the garrison mocked them, +and when the besiegers retired, they advanced upon Coblence, and +burnt down the suburbs. + +Walter contrived to rescue from durance the girl Wallrade, who, +together with her father, had been thrown into prison; but the +chronicle does not relate whether he married his fair preserver or no. + + + +After an afternoon spent at Ehrenburg we returned to the village of +Brodenbach, where there are several clean little inns. + +The great castle of Thuron well merits its name of "the Throne Castle;" +it stands on the heights above Alken, which is a considerable village +at a short distance from Brodenbach. + +At Alken, and in the vicinity, many Roman coins, coffins, and pieces +of armour, have been found; so it is probably a place of considerable +antiquity. It is sheltered by a bold rock that juts into the stream, +and was connected with the castle of Thuron by a line of towers, +which still remain standing in the surrounding vineyards. + +On the preceding page we have given a sketch of one of the little +chapels, with a line of shrines on each side of the steps that lead up +to it; these shrines and chapels form a leading feature in the Moselle +scenery. Nestled under the side of the hill on which the great castle +of Thuron stands, this little chapel, with its sharp-pointed spire, +is in fine contrast to the huge cliff and massive walls; but there +is a look of age about it and the old houses near which renders the +whole scene in perfect keeping. + +On leaving the river to explore our way up to Thuron, we enter one +of those beautiful valleys into which the hills so constantly break; +a clear trout-stream runs through it, and the mountains close it in +on all sides. + +One or two labourers are past, a "good day" exchanged, and then +we commence the ascent, which is long and steep. The path lies +through a wood, and not a single person did we meet in our walk, +after leaving the valley, until on the top of the hill we found some +wood-gatherers. Here the castle with its two towers appeared; it is +the most stately ruin we ever saw, very extensive, grandly placed, +and so inaccessible, that when we arrived at the base of its outer +wall we could not get in. + +At last we managed to scramble through a window, and then luxuriated +in the great ruin; blocks of stone and bushes usurp the ancient +place of knights and ladies, and no sound is heard but the song of +birds. This castle was built by the Count Palatine Henry, in 1209, +after he came back from the Holy Land; he was the delegate of his +brother, the Emperor Otho IV., and he exercised a sovereign power +over the countries adjoining the Moselle. He often resided in his new +castle, and had many feuds with the Archbishops of Trèves and Cologne, +who enjoyed certain rights of sovereignty in Alken. + +These discords gave rise to the celebrated siege of Thuron. It is +celebrated, not so much for the deeds of valour there carried on, +as for the extraordinary quantity of wine there drunk,--no less than +three thousand cartloads having been consumed by the besiegers alone. + + + +SIEGE OF THURON. + +The Knight Zorn commanded for the Count Palatine in his strong castle +of Thuron, when the Archbishop of Trèves advanced and laid siege to +it. The commander of the castle, who was supported by a brave garrison, +amply provisioned, laughed the besiegers to scorn. + +Finding they made no progress, the Archbishop's Commander sent to +the Archbishop of Cologne for assistance. This was willingly granted, +and the united armies blockaded the castle. Zorn expected daily that +they would deliver an assault, but to his surprise, day after day and +night after night went by, and no movement took place in the camps +of his enemies; eating and drinking seemed their sole occupation. + +Every house in the neighbourhood was ransacked by the troops of the +Church, and every cellar was emptied; carts also arrived in long +strings, bringing great butts of wine. Thus they went on drinking +and singing, while Zorn from above looked on astonished at these most +unusual proceedings. + +Occasionally a herald arrived, and summoned Zorn to surrender; but +no assault was delivered. + +The empty casks of the Church were piled up in heaps, and at the end +of two years they formed a mass which looked like a great fortress; +and a message was sent to the castle, that if the garrison did not +surrender they would continue to drink till the whole country was dry, +and the empty casks sufficient to form a fortress larger and stronger +than Thuron. + +Zorn now agreed to capitulate, and at length it was settled, that +he and his garrison should retire unmolested, that the soldiers of +Cologne should at once leave the country, and that the castle should +be dismantled. + +One unlucky personage appears to have been excluded from this pacific +arrangement: this was a village magistrate, who had acted as spy for +the besieged. He was taken by the conquerors, and a rope having been +stretched over the ravine, between the castle and the hill of Bleiden, +he was suspended at an immense height from the ground. + +Another version of this story makes the magistrate-spy to walk +across ropes so stretched over the valley; and it is added, that he +accomplished the feat, and in gratitude built the chapel which we see +(now in ruins) on the hill to the right of the castle. + +The views from Thuron are very extensive, a long reach of the +river leads the eye back to the villages and cliffs we have past; +undisturbed by those infesters of the Rhine, who turn every place +of interest on that river into a tea-garden, we can here enjoy our +meditations without hindrance, and muse our fill. + + + THE BIRD AND THE RUIN. + + I gazed on an ancient keep; + Its hoary turrets high, + And its gloomy dungeons deep, + Its mould'ring cistern dry, + All seemed to me to say, + "Behold in our decay + "An emblem of mortality!" + + Whilst thus I mused and gazed, + A little bird upsprang, + To heaven its voice it raised, + And thus it sweetly sang: + "On earth all creatures die, + "But in the holy sky + "Is love and immortality." + + + + + + + +CHAPTER XX. + + +The rock that projects into the river below Alken was formerly a +very dangerous point for boats to pass; now, owing to the submerged +portions having been blasted, it is no longer regarded with terror: +but still we see a saint's image placed in a niche of the rock, so +that he may be near if required to render any assistance. The summit +of this rock is level, and some hundreds of acres of corn are grown +on the curious table-land thus formed. + +The road from Alken to Coblence is very indifferent, but not so bad +as represented by the coachmen of Coblence. One who drove us told us +beforehand, that a short time previous a lawyer going this road was +upset, and had not since left his bed; but as we found that the road +so abused was perfectly safe if ordinary care was taken, we suspected +that, like the man in the play, who wished "every soldier would kill a +lawyer and take the legal consequences," the learned gentleman's driver +must have had some spite against him. Our driver was a funny fellow, +and among other things, speaking of a village we were passing, he said, +"They make excellent wine there, although they are Protestants." + +At Kür we found so clean and pleasant an inn, that we stopped for +the night. As we were resting at one of the open windows, through +which the still evening was visible, suddenly the shutters flapped +to, and in an instant the water was ruffled, the wind howling, and +everything creaking and slamming. + +The storm grew louder and fiercer, the waters were boiling: then came +a crash through the hills, as if the mountains were rent; the rain +poured in jets from the sky, the blackness of which was illumined by +lightning, which at short intervals flashed over the valley. + +Soon the storm had passed by, and the ever calm moon was floating +serenely in heaven. + +The lights of the stars fell tremulously down on the still agitated +waters. The air was so sweetly refreshing, that we sat on and on +enjoying the now lovely evening, till we were quite startled by being +suddenly summoned to supper,--not exactly startled at the notion of +supper, but astonished to see the ghost of a first-rate-inn waiter, +for such our summoner seemed, clad, not in grave-clothes, but clothes +of grave hue, and a white handkerchief, folded with the greatest +precision, round his waitership's neck. We had so long been absent +from civilisation, that we were rather abashed at so fine a gentleman +waiting on us rugged wayfarers, as we appeared; so we came quietly +up to our table, modestly ate, and retired to our rooms. + +In the morning, to our relief, we found our stately waiter in his +shirt-sleeves and not very dandy continuations; so we mustered up +courage to settle our bill, and departed, to revel among uncivilised +castles. + +Kür was formerly a domain belonging to the Archbishop Poppo. He +gave it to the ecclesiastics of the Cathedral at Trèves, and the +wine there produced--which was more than sixty tons annually--was +used by the recipients as table-wine, the surplus serving to pay for +its transport: thus they drank their wine at no cost. The Bishop, in +presenting this gift, told the clergy, "that he hoped to have their +prayers at the last judgment." In 1802 the vineyard was sold, and a +Jew who bought it bequeathed it to the civil hospital at Coblence; +and "thus," adds the writer we quote, "the Israelite nobly revenged +his race on the Archbishop Poppo, who was described in a document of +the period as a friend of Christians and a mortal enemy of Jews." + +Traversing a green bank of turf, we arrive in ten minutes at +Niederfells. On the opposite side of the river is Gondorf, and a +farthing ferry deposits us under the walls of the old Stammschloss, +or family house, of the Counts von der Leyen, given at the head of +the chapter. + +Members of this family have figured in history as generals in the +Imperial armies, in the Swedish, French, and Turkish wars; and as +deans and prebends in the Rhenish churches and chapters. + +The last of this time-honoured race, the Count Philip, died in 1830 +at Cologne. He was buried, in accordance with his expressed desire, +in the little churchyard above the castle of Gondorf, where his +bones lie in the midst of a people to whom his forefathers and he +had endeared themselves by centuries of charity and kindness. + +The motto of this family was, "Rock I am; on rock the lily never +thrives, for in rock-clefts the eagle only lives." + + + +THE RED SLEEVE. + +The Chronicle of Gondorf tells us, that in the olden times the judges +of Gondorf used to wear red robes when pronouncing sentence of death on +criminals; and the citizens regarded these robes with great veneration, +considering them to be part and parcel of their own dignity. + +So exemplary were the inhabitants in their behaviour, that many years +passed without the robes being wanted; but at length a criminal was +brought before the Court, and found guilty. + +The attendants searched and the judges searched, but no red robes could +be found: time and moths had consumed them, all but one sleeve. The +situation was difficult, for the people would not believe that justice +was done unless they saw the red robes. + +A happy thought lit up the face of one Judge, and this was his plan: +each Judge in his turn was to put on the one sleeve, and presenting +himself at the window there deliver his judgment, hiding thus the +unrobed part of his person. The idea was deemed a hit, and put into +practice accordingly,--the populace being led to believe that the +Judges gave their opinions thus separately, in order that the opinion +of one should not bias the minds of the others. It is added, that +the people were very much pleased at the whole proceeding; but the +narrator does not say what the criminal thought of it, or whether his +counsel raised any objection to the irregularity, if not illegality, +of a sentence so pronounced. + + + +The lower castle of Gondorf is used as a barn, and looks very +dilapidated. + +Getting near Cobern, an opening in the trees shows us the castles +that crown the hill over the town. A chapel is in the foreground, +and here once lived + + + +THE HERMIT OF COBERN. + +Robin of Cobern had a beautiful daughter named Else. Her heart had +long been given to the Knight Hans of Sable, but Hans had offended +the Bishop of Trèves, and so was outlawed and excommunicated. + +Hans was obliged to conceal himself, and hastily flying, took refuge +for a long while in solitudes. At length he could no longer endure +being absent from his beloved, so he procured a harp, and set out for +the castle of Cobern, where some festival was then being held. In +his character of Minstrel he was readily admitted into the castle, +and there he sang a favourite song which Else knew well. The tide of +long-past events rushed so tumultuously back upon fair Else's mind +that she fainted: when she recovered, the Minstrel was gone. Knowing +the hopelessness of his passion, yet unable to conquer it, he now +assumed the habit of a Hermit, and established himself where he could +sometimes see Else as she rode forth on her palfrey. + +One evening the Hermit was sitting silently dreaming of days of +happiness, that might have been his in reality, had not his headstrong +will marred his prospects. As thus he sat musing, some robbers drew +near, and not being aware of the Hermit's proximity, one of them said, +"Well, be it so; at midnight we meet: the postern gate is secured, +and Else shall be our prize." The robbers were now out of hearing. + +The Hermit, who had little doubt of the meaning of the few words +he had heard, hastened up to the castle in order to warn the Count +Robin. At midnight the robbers came on, and it then was found out +that the postern gate yielded at once to their efforts, which showed +that some treachery was working within; but, spite of both force and +fraud, the robbers were beaten. The Hermit, fighting most valiantly, +fell mortally wounded, and when the fight ended his life was fast +ebbing. The Knight and his daughter stood by him; to the Knight's +eyes the valiant Hermit was dying, but Else wept for her lover. + +In his hour of death concealment was no longer necessary; and Hans +avowed his identity, and begged that his body might be laid in the +chapel below in the valley, that so in death he should still be near +his loved Else. + +Then turning his eyes upon her, who, whatever his faults, had but one +feeling for him that had so long and faithfully loved her, he said, +"Farewell, my beloved; in heaven I trust we may meet!" + + + +The town of Cobern lies at the foot of a lofty hill, which separates +two valleys that meet in a level plain close to our river. This town +was strongly fortified and defended by the castles, of which the +lower one still exists, and is shown in the vignette on the opposite +page. The drawing is taken from the wall of the upper castle, of +which only one tower and a very few fragments remain. + +In the upper castle-yard also stands an elegant chapel; it is +hexagonal, and supported inside by a cluster of pillars, which spring +from the centre, from these start six pointed arches: the interior +is chaste. + +This chapel is called by the people the Church of the Templars, +because the castle, in whose walls it stands, was inhabited by some of +the Knights of the Temple after the suppression of their Order. The +proper name of the building is the St. Matthias Chapel, and it was +the principal station of the great pilgrimage which yearly took place +from Coblence to Trèves. These processions now are less frequent, +but still, in a modified form, they often take place. + +With song and banners waving, these processions wind their way along, +stopping at intervals when before a shrine. The background is formed +by ruined castles, woods, and vineyards; the songs resound among +the hills as in the old days of Germany, when churches there were +none, and God was worshipped under the holy vault of heaven; where +the visible beauties of his works preached the religion of Nature to +those who bad not yet heard Christ's Gospel. Sorrow it is, and shame, +that so much mummery should now be mixed with that which was so clear +and simple when proceeding from His lips. + +A legend of Cobern, relating to the old possessors of the castle, +which still stands, is called + + + +THE CHARACTERISTIC MARK OF COBERN. + +The battle was won, the enemy defeated and flying, when the Commander +of the army collected his forces and caused proclamation to be made +that the young warrior of Cobern, who had saved his life at the risk +of his own, should stand forth. For a long time no one came forward, +the modest soldier not wishing to make too great a service of what +he had done. + +At length a young man advanced and said he was the man, whereon all +hastened to praise him, and the Commander offered his thanks and bade +him kneel down to be knighted. Then out stepped the true man of Cobern, +and addressed the young man thus: "Of Cobern thou sayest thou art, +O Goliath! then tell to this gallant assembly, what is the sacred +and characteristic mark of that place?" + +The impostor not being of Cobern, was unable to answer the question; +he stuttered and turned pale, whereon the Commander ordered him to +be placed in fetters. + +Then the true Coberner said, the secret mark, only known to our +townspeople, is this: "Beneath the high altar in the Church of Cobern +is a spring; this spring bubbles and murmurs while the priest prays." + +The brave man, whose modesty was highly extolled, was knighted in place +of the young man who had tried to assume a credit not due to him; +and the Knight so made was the first lord of the Castle of Cobern, +and for centuries his family flourished there. + +Among his descendants were three sisters, so renowned for their beauty +that they were called "The beautiful Trefoil of Cobern." + +Cobern was the country of the poet Reiff, whose sonnets, of a triste +character, were much prized. The ruins which cover the country are +said to have much influenced, and given this sombre character to, +his writings. + +The earliest traditions of this town record that a certain Lubentius, +who was a contemporary of St. Castor of Carden, converted the ancient +inhabitants and performed many miracles; and on one occasion a dispute +having arisen between the canon, Peter of Carden, and the chaplain, +William of Cobern, as to the respective merits of their two patrons, +they fought it out with their fists. William of Cobern being the +biggest and strongest, his cause was the best; so Saint Castor must +rank after Lubentius. + +On the fête of Lubentius fires were lighted on the surrounding hills, +in emblem of the light of the Gospel, which dispersed the darkness +of Paganism. + +This fête took place at the time of the vintage, and the assisters +thereat frequently imitated their champion, William the Chaplain, +and strove to uphold their patron's authority by the same arguments, +the new wine giving life to old quarrels. + +The ancient documents relating to Cobern are filled with histories +of the quarrels of the inhabitants one with another, or with those +of the neighbouring places. + +The last Knight of Cobern was Johann Lutter, who, being taken prisoner +by the citizens of Coblence, was by them beheaded as a disturber of +the public peace. + + + + + + + +CHAPTER XXI. + + +Autumn had long been turning the green leaves to gold. A tinge of +yellow first appeared upon the trees; then warmer and brighter grew +the foliage; the vintage came and ended; the corn-harvest was long +stored away, and, like the Roman Empire, more gorgeous in decay than +in its prime. The forest stood crowned with a thousand hues,--crowned +like a sacrifice of old prepared for death,--prepared to offer up at +Nature's shrine the loveliness she gave. + +The most gorgeous of the seasons, Autumn is still the saddest. We +look on the fallen leaves and think of friends departed; the useless +heaps that lie around the stems remind us of our lost time, and +as the winter comes age seems stealing on our brows. Who can say, +I shall see spring again? Yet the lesson thus taught us is for our +good. Time moves on and brings us to eternity; therefore, is it not +well for man that Nature warns him of the lapse of Time? + +Nor is winter to us an unpleasant or unprofitable period. In winter +we meet again our friends, we gather round our hearths, or meet by +theirs those that we love; old friendships are renewed, old ties +are strengthened, and by the cheerful fireside we repeat tales of +old times,--tales of days that made our country famous; in gaining +which fame our fathers bled, and we their descendants receive fresh +strength to emulate their deeds. + +In the old days, upon our river's bank, the Germans deemed Christmas +more sacred than all other times; for then, they said, "The gods +walked upon the earth." + +So should it be. At Christmas, we should with the old year bury our +quarrels and our cares; and as our religion teaches, look forward +with a sure hope and certain faith to the new year, which assuredly +will dawn. + +In the dark days of Paganism we can well imagine how men's minds were +affected with the gloom of impending winter; but we are no longer +fearful of the coming time, now that we know eternity is open and +that we shall live hereafter. + + + THE SUCCESSION OF THE SEASONS. + + The day succeeded night, and eve the morn, + In those far ages back ere Man was born; + Then only Elves and Fairies played + Beneath the leafy covert's shade, + + And all was Summer, and the bright sun shone + On this fair world, and ruled it for his own; + For Winter there was none, nor cold + Nor cloud in those bright days of old. + + The birds and flowers for ever bloomed and sang, + The springs perpetual from the dark rock sprang; + Time strode with even step along, + His path begirt with flowers and song. + + The dainty Elves and Fairies wandered free, + Passing their hours in mirth and harmless glee, + Until at length of sunshine they + Grow weary, and for some new thing pray. + + Then Autumn first into the world was sent, + And all the Elves and Fairies were content; + But soon they learnt that, Change begun, + Its onward course would ever run. + + Succeeding Autumn, cold, dark, Winter's reign + Commenced; the Elves wished Summer back again, + Fearing no more its light to see, + Dreading lest thus Eternity + + Should Time have swallowed up, and, falling fast, + Their fairy tears were shed for pleasure past, + As ours too often vainly fall, + Seeking our lost ones to recall; + + Till Spring the wintry earth revived again, + Refreshing all things with its gentle rain. + Then danced the Elves, then sang the Fairies gay, + And so the winter clouds all passed away; + Henceforth the seasons in succession rolled, + And new years hastened to supplant the old. + + Thus let us learn when coldest winter chills, + And darkest night with fear our bosom fills, + To trust in His unfailing love, and turn + Our hearts to where, with thankfulness, we learn + + That, as the Spring and Summer cold succeed, + And morning to the night, + So will His mercy wandering footsteps lead + From darkness into light. + + +Between Cobern and Winningen our river makes its last great bend at +a point where a splendid mass of rock towers up on the left bank. It +is the last of the Eifel family of Giants we encounter; for, beyond +Winningen, the scenery on that side becomes softer in character, +smaller hills become undulations, and then, as we get close to +Coblence, these slope into the garden with which the plain is covered. + +The first cluster of houses we encounter after leaving Cobern is +Dieblich. It lies quite back from the stream, and looks anything but a +place that would be especially selected by witches to carry on their +spells and incantations; yet so infected (say the Chronicles) was +this town with witches, that in a short time twenty-five individuals +were burnt there, who all confessed that they were in the habit of +meeting on a neighbouring mountain and worshipping a goat, who was +an incarnation of the Evil One. + +They also confessed to having emptied cellars, cursed cattle, raised +storms, destroyed the harvests, and performed all the feats usually +attributed to those unfortunates. The key to the true causes of their +being persecuted lies, perhaps, in the following tale, which, if true, +clears the memory of one witch of Dieblich. Spite, envy, jealousy, +or some other evil passion being, in all probability, the denouncer +of the unfortunate witches in nine cases out of ten. + + + +THE FATE OF THE FALSE SWEARER. + +An old country Squire who was unmarried, having been much struck +with the appearance of a young girl of Dieblich, determined to ask +her mother to give him the daughter in marriage; so he donned his +best suit and set off. + +Now Elsbeth was, as she richly deserved, the belle of the place. Many +and many a head had been broken, and many a tall wine-bottle emptied, +in honour of her. The mother was naturally proud of her daughter's +attractions; indeed, perhaps, as mothers will do, she rather overrated +her merits. + +When the Squire rode up to her door, the housewifely frau was busy +preparing the soup, which forms so essential an item of dinner +in Germany. "Good day! God be with you!" said he. "And with you +also, mein Herr!" replied she; "what brings your honourable and +ever-to-be-delighted-in presence to the door of my humble abode?" + +Then followed the explanation of how the Squire would honour the +buxom Elsbeth by making her his wife; but the frau, nettled at the +Squire's manner, demurred,--thinking much greater ceremony should +have been observed in asking the hand of the Belle of Dieblich. + +The Squire, not expecting any obstacle, was astonished, then angry; +but at that moment the Beauty entered, and he addressed himself for +an answer to her. She laughed in his face, and averred that he had +better marry her mother; so off rode the Squire, vowing vengeance. + +It was, however, a very dear joke for the mother; the Squire hurried +off to Coblence, and there denounced her for a witch. Her friends and +her daughter's lovers came forward to plead in her favour, and swore +that she was a godly old woman, who never had harmed man or beast. + +The false-swearing Squire swore to the contrary, and said these +neighbours of hers were bewitched. The Court, of course believing a +rich man rather than a number of poor ones, ordered the old woman to +be put to the rack; there she confessed sins of which she had never +been guilty, and then she was burnt. + +Elsbeth, afraid she should meet the same fate, jumped into the river. + +The wicked Squire rode thoughtfully home, beginning to fear that he +had not gained peace of mind, though he had had his revenge. He came +in sight of his house, and perceiving a storm was arising, pushed on +with all haste; but it is in vain to fly from our fate: the lightning +flashed out, and his horse starting, reared,--then bounding forward, +it hurled its rider with force to the ground. Thus perished the +swearer of lies. + + + +At Winningen the inhabitants are Protestants, and are, says M. de +Bourdelois, "distinguished for their religion, language, and manners, +above their Romanist brethren." The vine is nearly the sole object +of culture. Formerly, at Pentecost, a very great fête was held in +the neighbouring forest, at which was collected all the nobles and +knights, burgomasters and aldermen, of the district; the Lord of +Elz gave a huge tun of wine, and the monasteries of St. Martin and +Marienrod sent the eatables, to this gigantic pic-nic. + +The people living at this part of our river, especially a little lower +down, near Lay, have been subject to terrible disasters, caused by +the ice which collects here in winter, and then, suddenly breaking +up, floods the whole country. In 1670 the Lahn, being unfrozen, and +swollen with the rain that had fallen in the Taunus range, rushed +down, and sweeping past Coblence, forced its way up the Moselle; +thus causing great icebergs to form in our river, which killed the +vines and swept away orchards, houses, men, beasts, and boats, all +in one chaos of general destruction. In 1709, thrice the ice became +melted and then froze again, each time spreading disaster abroad; +Coblence, Güls, Lay, and Moselweiss, all severely felt the effects. + +On the hills above Lay is the great drill-ground of Coblence; here +the large body of forces collected in Ehrenbreitstein and Coblence +are manoeuvred. From these heights, too, a remarkable view of the +windings of both Rhine and Moselle may be seen. Stoltzenfels and +Lahneck appear in the distance. Coblence, with long lines of trees +approaching it from all quarters, is just underneath the end of this +promontory of rock; the stone bridge of the Moselle and the boat-bridge +of the Rhine are observed; and the strong fortress of Ehrenbreitstein +is on the opposite side of the Rhine. + +Just opposite to Güls the Hunsruck mountains recede inland from the +Moselle, and our glad river flows now through a plain. Her course is +nearly finished, her journey is almost accomplished; soon she will +unite her pure spirit and her being with the lordly Rhine. But one +other city standing on her banks has yet to be described; one other +chapter is required to finish the life of our sweet river. + + + + + + + +CHAPTER XXII. + + +Coblence is situated at the extremity of a level plain watered +by the Moselle and Rhine. It is placed in the angle formed by the +junction of those two rivers. Immediately opposite to the town is the +strong fortress of Ehrenbreitstein, which has the reputation of being +impregnable: it is much doubted whether this fortress would be found +as strong as it is represented to be, now the art of gunnery has been +so much improved; yet it would certainly be a formidable obstacle +to an attacking army. Coblence itself is strongly fortified, and, +together with Ehrenbreitstein, is garrisoned by about 4000 men. Every +year troops are gathered from other garrisons to the neighbourhood of +Coblence, where they encamp and rehearse all sorts of field evolutions. + +During the earliest period of the Roman Empire a castle was built +by the Romans at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle. This +fortress fell into the hands of the Franks towards the end of the +fifth century. Gradually a town arose round the fortress, till the +space between the rivers was filled; then two suburbs were built, +one called Thal Coblenz, or Coblence in the Valley--this was on the +right bank of the Rhine; the other, on the left bank of the Moselle, +was called Klein (little) Coblenz. + +After a time the town passed into the possession of the Electors of +Trèves, and they built a palace and fortified it. + +The bridge over the Moselle is of Roman origin; but it has frequently +been repaired and partially rebuilt, being subject to great pressure +from the breaking up of the ice on the Moselle, when parts of Coblence +are frequently inundated. + +Ehrenbreitstein is built on the site of an ancient Roman tower, which +is described in old maps as "Turris adversus Germaniam Magnam." The +Archbishops of Trèves built a palace under the walls of this castle, +which was by that time much enlarged and strengthened. The palace +still remains. + +During the Thirty Years' War, the garrison of Ehrenbreitstein was +reduced to such straits for provisions, that on one occasion, at a +banquet given by the General Commanding to his officers, there were +served up to table sixteen mules, eight dogs, and eighty rats,--the +latter delicate animals costing twenty sous each: in addition to these +appetising viands, a morsel of bread was served out to each guest, +the flour to make which cost one hundred florins a bushel. + +At the French Revolution, Coblence became the capital of the Department +of the Rhine and Moselle; in 1814 it was given to Prussia, and is now +the capital of the Rhenish Provinces of Prussia, and the seat of the +Government of those Provinces. + +Old Coblence was built along the right bank of the Moselle; and its +formerly important suburb of Little Coblence formed with it one town, +immediately connected by the bridge. This bridge was entirely rebuilt +by the celebrated Elector Baldwin of Trèves. It is recorded of him, +that he, by his influence, procured the election of his brother Henry +to the Imperial throne; and after his brother's death he placed the +crown on the head of the Duke of Bavaria: his nephew also was raised +to the throne of Bohemia. He travelled into Italy with the Emperor, +and was on that occasion surrounded by all the chivalry of the Moselle, +the Counts of Elz, Von der Leyen, &c. &c.; in short, he seems to have +equalled in power and magnificence any prince of the age. Yet he was +outwitted by Lauretta of Sponheim. + +The bridge was formerly the great centre of gaiety, and the place +most resorted to for exercise and fresh air. Here, on the first day +of the new year, came the chief magistrate to receive tribute from +the different communities that owed him allegiance. The Seigneurs +presented cheeses or a couple of fowls; the Religieuses of Oberwerth +a cake, and those of the Chartreuse a quarter of a hundred of eggs. + +On the occasion of this ceremony the senators and magistrates were +allowed to snowball each other; but the bailiffs of the Elector were +not permitted to take a part in this exercise. + +A reunion of the authorities also took place on the bridge on +the eve of St. Walpurgis. Then the two burgomasters of Coblence +and Little Coblence arrived, each with a bouquet of lilies freshly +gathered. Lavender and thyme that had been plucked in the woods near +Coblence were also made into bouquets and presented to the wives and +daughters of the principal citizens. + +The Walpurgis eve was, according to the old stories, the great day +when the witches assembled from all parts, and rode abroad on the +wind, or else bestrode their housewifely brooms. On one of the annual +reunions upon the bridge a handsome and well-dressed cavalier, holding +a bouquet of the fairest flowers in his hand, was seen wending his +way through the crowd. The eyes of all the young maidens were turned +with admiring glances upon the cavalier's handsome face, and great +was the jealousy when he stopped before Lieschen, and presented his +bouquet to her. The plaited tails of their hair became more and more +agitated, and meaning looks were exchanged as Lieschen (who, the men +said, was lovely, but who, the girls said, was an impudent thing) was +led by the hand through the crowd, her conductor being the handsome +young stranger; but all their jealousy turned into pity when, the +next morning, it was found that Lieschen had vanished. Doubtless the +young man was a spirit of evil, who had carried her off to destruction. + + + +On the day of the dedication of the Church all the young people danced +on the bridge. + +The air inhaled on this bridge was held to be of peculiar salubrity, +and an old locksmith, who lived to the age of 120, considered that the +length of his life was entirely owing to his daily walk on the bridge; +and he believed that he might have lived to a much greater age had +not he been prevented one day from taking his accustomed exercise. + + + +LEGEND OF THE MOSELLE BRIDGE. + +A youth stood leaning on the parapet of the Moselle Bridge. He +thought of the numerous stories then rife in those regions, in which +water-spirits played so conspicuous a part. As he silently gazed, +and his young heart yearned for something to love--something more +pure and ethereal than the Sannchens and Lisbeths of every-day life, +a gentle Spirit arose from the waters--a Spirit of purity raised by +the Spirit of Love. + +"Dreamer," said the pure Spirit of Water, "day after day and night +after night I hear thy sighs and complaints. Thy tears fall down into +the stream, and cause me to pity thee. Nay more, I could love thy +sad heart were I a mortal; but, unlike thee, my poor youth, I live +for ever. I was old when thy fathers were young, and young shall I +be when thou art departed." + +Then broke forth the youth:--"Ever young, ever glorious art +thou! Receive but my love, and I shall be contented to pass from my +mortal existence at once." + +"Nay," gravely replied the pure Spirit, "thou thinkest alone of thy +love and thy pleasure; know this for thy good,--all like thee of mortal +race must perform the duties of their lives before their great reward +is gained. If then thou truly lovest me, and earnestly fulfillest the +work appointed thee to do, faithfully and steadfastly pursuing the +straight path in life, then will I, when thy years are full, receive +thee in my arms, for so only canst thou gain perpetual youth and be +a fit associate for even such as I, who am but a handmaiden of the +Queen Moselle, who herself is but one of the lesser Spirits of the +Universe. Go, and be just, and honourable, and brave; be kind to all, +and liberal to the poor; so shalt thou gain immortal youth and me." + +The Spirit was gone, and the bright waves shone in the moonlight; +the youth returned, silent and thoughtful, towards the city. + + + +Year after year went by, and every night a solitary figure appeared +at the same spot on the bridge, until the snows of a century crowned +the brows of him who was still in heart but a youth; then his radiant +bride appeared, and the pure-hearted man was wafted away on the bosom +of the pure Water Spirit. + +Still on the waters live spirits, beautiful and pure as that which +appeared to the youth, but as yet no other mortal has been found +who, at his death, could claim by his own spotless life an immortal +bride. And if it is the case that scarce one is sinless enough to +claim even a handmaiden among spirits, who shall take his place with +those higher hosts that fill the sky? Who shall dare aspire to the +central heaven itself? + + + +The Germans of the present time are quite as much given to amusement +as their forefathers were; on every possible occasion they indulge +in pic-nics, dances, fairs, processions, and festivals of all +sorts. Christmas and New-year's Days are perhaps the greatest holidays +in the year, but Carnival time is also universally kept as a fête, +the same as in Italy. + +In summer, excursions into the country are the most favourite +amusements; people of all classes, high and low alike, indulge in +these excursions. Some of the villages on the Moselle are particularly +frequented by the people of Coblence. Güls, Moselweiss, and Lay are +often crowded with pleasure-seekers of the poorer class, while the +richer are met with at much greater distances; crowned with wreaths, +and laughing and singing, these latter seem to pass very merry days +in the woods, exploring old castles, &c. Certainly our pic-nics +in England are but dull affairs in comparison, but then our belles +are on such occasions better dressed, and it might hurt their fine +clothes if they went romping about as the German girls do; besides, +the impropriety would be shocking. + +Coblence is, on the whole, an uninteresting town; it has all +the disadvantage of being a garrison without any particular +redeeming point; the rivers are quite shut out from the town by the +fortifications, and can only be seen by going on to the bridges: +however, the hotels, which are very good, command views of the Rhine +from their windows; and the Belle Vue may be especially mentioned, +as affording most animated scenes to those who occupy its apartments, +it being just opposite to the bridge of boats, where promenaders sun +themselves and military are always crossing and recrossing. + +Occasionally the bridge of boats is opened, and steamers, each tugging +a fleet of from two to six, or even seven vessels, beat up the stream; +or else a gigantic floating village of wood comes gliding down, +quite filling the aperture, and looking as if it would carry away +the whole bridge. It is wonderful the skill with which these unwieldy +rafts are managed. + +In the town there are good shops, but not much outward display; +and though, as we have mentioned, not in itself very interesting, +yet there are many and beautiful excursions to be made from it: +the society is said to be agreeable. + +Near the junction of the rivers is the church of Saint Castor; +it stands in a large open space, and is a stately and interesting +building: it contains a handsome monument to one of the Electors +of Trèves. + +The palace is a large house, not remarkable in any way; in it is a +chapel where English service is performed, as there are a good many +English constantly residing here, as well as the swarms of summer +visitors. Most of the more important buildings are near the Moselle +Bridge, or between it and the church of Saint Castor; that is to say, +they are in the old part of the town. + +Near the Castor Church, in the large square, is the monument erected by +the French to commemorate their invasion of Russia. To the inscription +recording the object of raising the monument, the Russian General +who in his turn invaded the Rhine provinces, added-- + + + "Vu et approuvé par nous, + Commandant Russe de la Ville de Coblence. + + + "Janvier 1ère, 1814." + + +The monument is a remarkably ugly lump of stone, which perhaps was +meant for a fountain, but there is no water. + +Very few historical associations belong to Coblence, and those that do +are not particularly interesting, so we will turn back to the legends. + + + +LEGEND OF MARIAHILF. [10] + +Near the Moselle Bridge stood a chapel, piously dedicated to the +Mother of God and her Son. Within the chapel were images of both +Mother and Son. + +Here resorted many pilgrims, especially those who suffered under bodily +infirmities: among others came a certain man who was paralytic, and +given over to death by his physicians. With great labour and trouble +he contrived to totter into the chapel by the aid of his staff. + +The pilgrims were singing a hymn, in which the words, "Help us, Maria," +occurred frequently. The poor cripple endeavoured to join in the hymn, +but could not, he was so weak. + +At last he made a great effort, and the words from his lips were +scarcely audible, but immediately he was relieved: his voice returned +to him, and his limbs became strong again; so that he no longer needed +his staff, which he therefore presented to the chapel. + + + +SAINT RITZA. + +Ritza lived in Little Coblence, just opposite to the Church of +St. Castor. When the bells tolled for morning prayers she used to walk +over the waters to attend at the service, returning by the same road. + +One day the waves were high, and the sky full of storms; she hesitated, +and finally gathered a vine-branch, with which she endeavoured to +assist her tottering steps: but faith had deserted her, and she sank +deeper and deeper into the waves--the prop was utterly useless; then +she thought on her Saviour and prayed for assistance; instantly she +rose again from the waters, and, casting away the false prop, gained +the opposite shore. + +After her death Ritza was canonised, and her bones were laid in the +Church of St. Castor. + + + +Another legend also relates how prayer saved those who had faith. It +was on the occasion of a great flood, which submerged a large portion +of the town, the people prayed at a shrine and the waters dispersed; +then on the sands, by the bridge, a figure was found, which all +declared to be the Virgin: it was taken up, and with great pomp placed +in a chapel. In after days this image was again thrown into the water +by the enemies of Coblence, but again it was washed on to the shore; +and, according to the legend, it is now placed near the harbour, +where it watches over the safety of the good city of Coblence. + +The other stories of Coblence are of a more material character. One +tells us of + + + +CORPORAL SPOHN. + +The great Corporal Spohn is still well remembered in Coblence; he +was one of the most faithful of men. He saved the life of the Emperor +Napoleon at the battle of the three Emperors. Napoleon had advanced +too boldly, and was in imminent danger of being taken prisoner by the +Cossacks; if not, which was more likely still, killed by those wild +soldiers. Corporal Spohn having noticed the desperate position of +Napoleon, ran up, and an agreement was hastily made, by which Spohn +mounted the white horse of Napoleon, who escaped then unnoticed. + +The Emperor was saved as a corporal; and the Corporal died as an +emperor. + +Ever since Spohn has been called the Great Corporal, and Napoleon +the Little Corporal. + + + +HENRY AND BERTHA. + +Henry was expecting his dearly beloved Bertha to arrive at Coblence; +he, therefore, stood watching most anxiously on the old bridge over +the Moselle. At last the boat which contained her came into view, +and she waved her kerchief to her constant lover. + +Alas! before he could clasp her the boat overturned, and Bertha was +struggling beneath an arch of the bridge. Henry rushed down to save +her, but just as he arrived at the edge of the water she uttered his +name and went down. + +Marking the place, Henry dashed in and seized on her loosened hair, +which floated on the surface of the agitated river: thus he succeeded +in saving her life, and gaining from the stream a loving wife. + +One more tale we found under the head of "Legends of Coblence," +so we conclude the scene therein depicted took place at this town; +it is called + + + +THE POET'S DEATHBED. + +Max of Schenkendorf is well known in Germany by his songs on those +combats for liberty, of which so many took place in his Fatherland. The +Poet was in the last stage of consumption. + +It was the morning of his birthday. Max lay sleeping in bed, but his +wife had arisen, and was now busy adorning his chamber with flowers +in honour of the Poet's birthday. + +Having arranged all the bouquets, she made up a garland of evergreens, +which she placed softly on the brow of the sleeper, fervently praying +that it might become an emblem of new laurels which her husband should +gain in this new year of his life. + +As she leant over him to place the wreath on his head, she tenderly +kissed the lips of the sleeper, and softly she murmured, "Oh, would +I could kiss you to health!" + +The decorations now were completed, and softly the wife stept from +the husband's bedside, softly she passed from the chamber. + +But as she went out an unbidden guest entered there--Death came over +the threshold and took the wife's place. Death strode up to the bed +and laid his chill hand on the feverish brow of the sleeper: closer +and closer then wound those arms which supplanted for ever those of +the wife--closer and closer, until icy and rigid became the frame of +the Poet. + +An hour slowly passed, and the fond wife re-entered. Max now was lying +a corpse, crowned with the wreath that she had placed upon his living +brow. In agony she cried, "Wake, O wake, my own, my beloved! Depart +not from her who lives but in thee! One word, but one----" + +The smile was on his lips, but the spirit was gone, leaving only its +imprint on the cold clay. + + + +"Weep, not, O woman!" said his spirit to her, "weep not for the clay +that lies here; the shackles are broken; what earth could not hold, +nor love longer detain, can neither be fettered by Death: the body is +dead, but the soul lives for ever; it lives in thy love and thy heart; +it lives in the sky." + + + +This is the last of our legends; and with a few remarks on the habits +and customs of the part of Germany near our river we will come to the +conclusion of our last chapter. Not without regret shall we end; for +it is a pleasant task, in these cold short days of winter, to record +that which brings to our remembrance the long bright days of summer; +especially as that summer was spent among such lovely scenes. + +The Germans bear the character of being an honest, hardworking, +intelligent people, very domestic in their habits, even to +exclusiveness; the different classes assort together less than they +do in England, but passing communication is freer and less constrained. + +During the many weeks we passed on the Moselle, and in a former +excursion on our river, we never once encountered a family of tourists +of the upper class of Germans. At Bad Bertrich there were some, but +they were there because it is a watering-place--not because it is +beautiful; and as soon as the season was over away they all went, as +if they were afraid to remain at a Bad out of the fashionable season, +although the weather was much more suitable for country pursuits than +it had been during the season. + +This same fashion arrays the dumpy young ladies of Germany in a most +strange deformity of inflated petticoats. Bad enough as these things +are in England and France, in Germany they are much worse. + +The gentlemen are, in general, agreeable, and more truly polite than +the French; but French ladies certainly have the advantage over their +sisters in Germany. + +The poorer classes still bear the stamp of the old German +character. They are frugal, hard-working, honest, and cheerful. They +are well-mannered and well-informed for their class. They also exhibit +considerable neatness and taste in their dress. No pleasanter object +can be met in a summer-day's ramble than a group of the mädchen, +with their hair neatly folded, smooth on the brow and plaited behind, +with the smart embroidered cloth or velvet head-dress, and the gilt +paper-cutter passed through the hair; neat shoes and blue stockings are +shown by the sensible length of the petticoats, and a gay handkerchief +sets off the firm bust. Their figures are lithe and upright, though +somewhat thick and substantial. The paper-cutter in the head is +supposed to represent a nail of the Cross. + +As housewives, the Germans are doubtless unsurpassed by any other +nation; the houses are clean, the stoves shine brightly, and they +are for ever washing clothes in the river. We cannot applaud the +way in which they cook their meat generally, but their puddings are +admirable. At Cochem our landlady used to send us up souffléd puddings +that would have done credit to the Palais Royal. On the Moselle +the old-fashioned spinning-wheel is to be seen in every village, +and knitting is always taken in hand when walking or superintending +household affairs. + +Singing is constantly heard in the evening, and many of the little +coteries in the townlets by our river's side subscribe to hire a piano +from Coblence or Trèves, and by the aid of its music they make lively +the long hours of darkness in winter. + +The priests seem respected, and on amicable terms with all classes, +but generally they do not hold the same social position that they do +in this country. + +If the traveller on the Moselle is himself not over-exacting, and +ready to meet civility half-way, he will find all those he encounters +polite and pleasant, and he cannot fail of spending an agreeable time +on the banks of our charming river. + +The Roman poet Ausonius, who about the year A.D. 370, when passing +through the dense forests that covered all Germany, suddenly came out +on the Moselle near Neumagen, was so struck with the beauty of the +river that he explored its course, and then wrote a poem thereon. The +palaces and the buildings he mentions have all passed away, but the +natural beauties remain; and the old castles that at the present time +adorn the tops of the hills quite make up for the towers that are gone. + +Now, as then, the vine grows luxuriantly over the cliffs, the peaceful +river flows calmly on; and the people dwelling on its banks are simple, +loyal, and brave. + +We have now reached and described Coblence, and with Coblence ends +the Life of the Moselle. We have sat with her beneath the forest +shade that shelters her birthplace in the Vosges mountains; we have +day after day wandered by her side as she bounded along in all the +freshness of her youth, or as, in later days, she floated on majestic +in her beauty; we have slept night after night, lulled by the ripple +of her waters; we have climbed among her mountains and her forests; +we have mused or sung amidst her ruins; we have dreamt of other days, +of olden times, of things that come not again save in such dreams; +we have also, it is to be hoped, in some measure, profited by our +communion with the great heart of Nature,--something, we trust, we +have learnt of that inner life which makes the very stones and earth +preach to us of their Divine origin. + +By the Moselle we have found flowers growing, beautiful in their +forms and colours, but more beautiful in their uncultured wildness; +we have listened to the songs of the gay birds as we rested in the +woods; the clouds have fleeted through the pure blue vault, rain has +freshened earth and sun has ripened her fruits: all these, and many +other incidents, have striven to teach us to love and reverence the +great heart of Nature; that heart which, if the Painter, with all +his skill of colour or of handiwork, fail to express, he sinks back +into the mere copyist; if the Poet feel it not or love it not, his +bark is stranded on a barren shore; and what would music be without it? + +If, then, the Moselle has whispered or suggested to us aught of this +heart, this inner life of Nature, let us preserve it within us pure +and beautiful, as all things in Nature are; so shall our summer's tour +have not been made in vain, nor useless been the life of the Moselle. + +Standing at that spot where the Moselle and Rhine are met, we now +take leave of our dear river. + +Night is in the heavens, the still cold night of winter; the stars +look down upon us with their eyes of love; the great fortress of +Ehrenbreitstein looms hugely over the Rhine stream, telling of war and +horrid strife, but on the shore of the Moselle rises a fair church, +telling of peace. The fortress shall crumble and decay, but the church +shall, in the end, remain when all else has passed away. + +The light of the stars falls coldly on the waters; the air is chill +and frosty; if we look further, we perceive in the distance forms +of beauty floating on: dark is the night around, but the stars are +bright. So with us, all is often dark and dreary; the very light we +have, seems cold, but if we search earnestly into Nature's heart, +and follow her guidance, she will lead us where those faint shining +stars become great worlds of light; and they, the footstools of still +higher realms, shall guide us to Heaven itself. + + + THE END. + + + + + + + +NOTES + + +[1] German name for the Moselle. + +[2] The foundation of this legend is, that portions of canals have +been found between Trèves and Cologne, but it is supposed they were +separate canals, not portions of one large one; therefore, perhaps, +the duck did not swim all the way from Trèves. + +[3] Cathedral. + +[4] Grimm supposes Eigel and Orendel to be Ulysses and Laertes. + +[5] Stock (stick), Stein (stone), Gras (grass), Grun (green). + +[6] As the author was informed at Trèves. + +[7] Query, Was this the origin of taking French leave? + +[8] According to Eusebius. + +[9] This extraordinary incident is related as a simple matter of fact, +which is well known in these parts. + +[10] Maria of help. + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's The Life of the Moselle, by Octavius Rooke + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 44913 *** |