Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Pages ...
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
RIESBECK’s TRAVELS THROUGH GERMANY. 259
inilies ; and, there are thirty-fix of them in a fpace of fifteen miles long, and fix miles
broad, which is the width of this beautiful amphitheatre. ‘Lhe declivitics of all the hills
and Taunt are planted thick with vineyards and fruit-trees, and the thick wooded
tops of the hills caft a gloomy horror over the otherwife cheerful landfcape. Every
now and then, a row of rugged hills runs directly down to the fhore, and domineer ma-
jeftically over the leffer hills under them. On one of thefe great mountains, jult about
the middle of the Rhinegau, you meet with Jobannis-Berg, a village, which produces
fome of the beft Rhenifh. Before this village is a pretty little rifing, and near the banks
of the river there is a very fine old caftle, which gives unfpeakable majefty to the whole
land{cape. Indeed, ii every village, you meet with fome or other large building, which
contributes very much to the decoration of the whole.
This country is indebted for its riches to this femicitcular hill, which proteéts it from
the cold winds of the eaft and north, at the fame time that it leaves room enough for
the fun to exercife his benign influences. The groves and higher fopes of the hills make
excellent paitures, and produce large quantitics of dung, which, in a country of this fort,
is of ineftimable value.
‘The bank of the Rhine, oppofite to the Khinegau, is exceedingly barren, and heightens
the beauty of the profpect on the other fide by the contraft it exhibits; on this fide you
hardly nieet above three or four villages, and thefe are far diftant from each other. The
great interval between them is occupied by heaths and meadows, only here and there a
thick bufh affords fome fhade, and a few corn-fields among the villages enliven the
gloomy landicape. ‘The back ground of this country is the moft pi€turefque part of it.
It is formed by a narrow gullet of mountains, which diminith in perfpective between
Rudefheim and Bingen. Perpendicular mountains and rocks hang over the Rhine in
this place, and feem to make it the dominion of eternal night. Ata diftance, the Rhine
feems tocome out of this land{cape, through a hole under ground; and it appears to run
tedioufly, in order to enjoy its courfe through a pleafant country the longer. — Amid{t
the darknefs which covers this back ground, the celebrated Moufe tower feems to fwim
upon theriver. Ina word, there is not any thing in this whole tract, that does not con-
tribute fomething to the beauty and magnificence of the whole; orif I may be permit-
ted the expreflion, to make the paradife more welcome. As you fail along the Rhine,
between Mentz and Bingen, the banks of the river form an oval amphitheatre, which
makes one of the richeft and moft picturefque land{capes to be feen in Europe.
The night was far advanced when we came to Geyfenheim; before we landed, we
had another profpect not often feen; we could difcover almoft the whole coaft of the
Rhinegau, which appeared one continued row of cities; the lights in the feveral villages
made them look like a great illuminated city, and the reflection on the glafly Rhine was
extremely beautiful. /
‘The day after our arrival we went to Rudefheim, where we had been invited by an
ecclefiaftic of Mentz. We found our hoft with a numerous company, fome of whom
were proteftants. After dinner he carried us in procefiion to his great faloon, from
whence we had a moit fuperb view of the here very wide Rhine, and the village of
Bingen. ‘The whole of the preparations feemed to announce a {plendid feftival, the na-
ture and charatter of which appeared a riddle to me. Ona fudden the doors of the
faloon were opened, and there came forth in feftive order a band of muficians, followed
by two pretty girls, well drefled, who brought in a large bunch of grapes, on a table
covered with a fine cloth. ‘The fides of the table were ornamented with flowers. They
put the bunch of grapes in the middle of the faloon, on a kind of throne which was
railed on a table; and! now difcovered that our hoft was celebrating the feftival of the
LE 2 frit
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
