The Tolling Of The
Bells At The Different Villages On The Banks Gives A Most Aweful Solemn
Religious Sound, And The Reverberation Is Prolonged By The High Rocks,
Which Seem To Shut You Out From The Rest Of The World.
There are the walls
nearly entire of two castles of the Middle Ages, the one called "Die Katze"
(the
Cat); the other "Die Maus" (the Mouse); each has its tradition, for
which and for many other interesting particulars I refer you to Klebe's and
Schreiber's description of the banks of the Rhine.
We arrived early in the evening at St Goar, where we stopped and slept. St
Goar is a fine old Gothic town, romantically situated, and is famous from
having two whirlpools in its neighbourhood. It is completely commanded and
protected by Rheinfels, an ancient hill fortress, but the fortification of
which no longer exist. It requires half an hour's walk to ascend to the
summit of Rheinfels, but the traveller is well repaid for the fatigue of
the ascent by the fine view enjoyed from the top. I remained at Rheinfels
nearly an hour. What a solemn stillness seems to pervade this part of the
river, only interrupted by the occasional splash of the oar, and the
tolling of the steeple bell! Bingen on the right bank is the next place of
interest, and on an island in the centre of the river facing Bingen stand
the ruins of a celebrated tower call'd the "Mauesethurm" (mouse tower), so
named from the circumstance of Bishop Hatto having been devoured therein by
rats according to the tradition. This was represented as a punishment from
Heaven on the said bishop for his tyranny and oppression towards the poor;
but the story was invented by the monks in order to vilify his memory, for
it appears he was obnoxious to them on account of his attempts to enforce a
rigid discipline among them and to check their licentiousness.
Bieberich, a superb palace belonging to the Dukes of Nassau on the right
bank, next presents itself to view on your left ascending; to your right,
at a short distance from Bieberich, you catch the first view of Mayence on
the left bank, with its towers and steeples rising from the glade. We
reached Mayence at 4 o'clock p.m., and I went to put up at the three Crowns
(Drei-Kronen). The first news I learned on arriving at Mayence was that
Napoleon had surrendered himself to the Captain of an English frigate at
Oleron; but though particulars are not given, Louis XVIII is said to be
restored, which I am very sorry to hear. The Allies then have been guilty
of the most scandalous infraction of their most solemn promise, since they
declared that they made war on Napoleon alone and that they never meant to
dictate to the French people the form of government they were to adopt.
Napoleon having surrendered and Louis being restored, the war may be
considered as ended for the present, unless the Allies should attempt to
wrest any provinces from France, and in this case there is no saying what
may happen.
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