taught us the art of writing; he regulated our hierarchy, and induced us to look on horfes' flesh with disgust.'

'On quitting Mayence, my eyes were often turned back to look at this happy city. No: the glorious fpectacle will never be effaced from my memory. I fhall ftill fancy that I fee the delicious country, the majestic bridge always animated by its paffengers, the dome which rifes proudly in the air; and the castle of Martinsbourg, rendered ftill more refpectable by its antiquity: nor fhall I forget you, ye floating iflands covered with willows and poplars, which fometimes conceal, and fometimes imperfectly discover, through your branches, the falling towers of a half-ruined caftle; nor you majestic river, whofe rich banks are covered, on every fide, with a rich vineyard, or adorned with a cheerful fhepherd, where I faw the tranquil feat of the wealthy monk, near a happy noify city and the ruins of a vast palace, which the cheerful peafant had converted into a fimple farm, covered with new haulm, under which dwelt innocence and gaiety.'

We have felected this fpecimen of our author's defcriptive talents, but must now haften on more rapidly. He proceeds to Wallauf, Elfeld, Niederingelheim, the favourite habitation of Charlemagne, and once ornamented with a fuperb palace of which not a wreck remains. After paffing Elfeld, the prof pects quickly change, and On a fudden, almoft without per ceiving it, I found myfelf in an uncultivated folitary district, the profpect of which infpired horror and terror. The fmiling vineyards were limited to a narrow vale, and, for many leagues, a chain of mountains hid the fun. Even the river feemed inclined to fink under thefe formidable rocks, and here terminate its courfe: I faw only a flender rivulet, rolling flowly and with difficulty, between barren banks; and a forry village, whofe tottering huts covered with haulm, and which was concealed by a green mofs, offered to the eye the picture of mifery and poverty.'

Still following the Rhine, whofe courfe is in this part wefternly, our traveller proceeds to Rudesheim and Bingen. This is the diftrict of the Rheingau, the country of the most celebrated Rhenifh wine, of which we fhall foon felect a fhort account. The city of Rudesheim rifes on an amphi theatre from the banks of the Rhine, and is a handfome, well-built town. I did not find, fays he, in any part of the Rheingau thofe large ftrong men of which the French traveller fpeaks. I only faw thin dry fkeletons, covered with a copper coloured fkin, but, to make amends, fenfible, lively,

*

It may be neceffary to obferve that these volumes are in part copied from the travels of another author, whofe name is concealed,

and

and ingenious; eager in purfuit of natural and moral phitofophy. We certainly must not in this place look for the Germans of Tacitus: my hoft, for instance, was extravagantly polite, but had neither the German fincerity nor probity, and this it is which renders fuch people intolerable: his wife was ftill more fo. The accent of the inhabitants of the Rheingau borders on the Jewish, and hurts an ear of any delicacy by its fharp nafal tones.' The account of the wines is taken from Gerken, and contains fome particulars little known in this country: we hall therefore fubjoin an abridged account.

In warm feafons, the wines from the mountains are preferred in cold, thofe from the banks of the river. The mountains, whofe foil is cold and ftony, produce ftrong rich wines, capable of being kept long: the warmer gravelly foil affords brifk fpirituous wines. Thofe which grow on a rifing ground, as at Hockheim, are the beft; for the wines of the lower damper fituation are unwholefome. Wines, of the best flavour, grow from a clayey foil, with red marle and ardoise. The wines from a newly dreffed hill, are strong and delicious, but unwholefome. Our author prefers the red grape of Burgundy. The marks of genuine found wine are an agreeable tafte, transparency, a little noise heard on pouring it out, and flight bubbles in the middle of the furface which foon dif

appear.

Bacharach, Kaub, and Obervefel, are the next towns which attract our author's attention, and these are in the northerly course of the Rhine, which bends into that direction by an eafy curve foon after patling Bingen. In this course we find nothing very remarkable, except a fhort account of the famous echo from the rock of Lurleiberg, whose name is derived from this peculiarity. St. Goar, the next town, is commanded by the caftle of Rheinfels, built on the top of an abrupt precipice in the dominions of the landgrave of Heffe Caffel, the firft feemingly of the German princes, who has felt the influence of the contagion of French liberty. At St. Goar is the fifth custom-house which occurs between this town and Mayence, and it leads our author to fome reflections on this interior system of taxation, in which it is unnecellary to follow him. Boppard introduces the traveller to the dominions of the electors of Treves; is the firft confiderable town in that prince's dominions, and fuppofed, without fufficient foundation, to be one of the fifty caftles built by Drufus Germanicus.

Coblentz will demand more of our attention. It is faid to be greatly improved in its appearance, but commerce has not added its invigorating spirit. The present elector, who feems to be an able and enlightened fovereign, is aware of this de

N n 4

fect.

fect. He knows that commerce is the ftrongest link which attaches man to man, the foul of Nature, which animates and vivifies every thing, connecting people the most oppofite and countries the mott diftant. Under the influence of commerce, mountains are levelled; diftance is annihilated; all the nations of the world form but one vaft family.' The inhabitants are described as tall and agreeable; their looks animated; their shapes flender and well formed. Even the citizens of moderate rank difplay genius, judgment and knowledge, very different from thofe cold heavy beings, their northern neigh bours. The defcription of the city and antiquities is interefting; but we can catch only, in this hafty copy, the principal features. The ftudies of thofe, educated at the college, appear to be well directed: they are not confined only to languages; and the German is taught grammatically. Men are taught to know men from hiftory; to know man in particular from the principles of morals, and this kind of morality conducts them to metaphyfics of an useful kind, because it is judicious and rational:' to thefe are added mathematics, natural philofophy, natural hiftory, and the civil law. The citadel is fituated on a very abrupt rock, which nature feems to have formed for the purpofe. Three winding almoft inacceffible paths formerly led to it, at prefent there are two only, for the third is defroyed. This rock is oppofite to the place where the Mofelle empties itfelf into the Rhine; and, from its top, there is a most magnificent profpect. The aftonished eye beholds a large valley, which declines a little, or rather a vast plain furrounded with mountains, partly cultivated, and in part woody. It is watered by the Rhine, and divided by the Mofelle. On the left, the Rhine comes gently from between the mountains; on the right, it moves ftill more flowly, as if it regretted leaving fo charming a spot, and at a distance, which the eye reaches with difficulty, it feems again to conceal itself between other mountains. In front, is Coblentz, whofe form is a perfect triangle, and the two iflands of the Rhine, of which each has a convent, and the fhape of one refembles a heart. Behind the city, at a little diftance covered with gardens and orchards, the Chartreufe may be feen on a deep mountain covered with wood and with vines, and a fertile plain with thirty villages of different fizes, feparated like fo many white cards on a green carpet. At each moment, the picture changes. An immenfe fea aftonishes at first fight; and this aftonishment is fucceeded by the most fublime ideas, but the wonder foon ceafes, and languor fucceeds; the variety in the prefent feene prevents difguft; the eye is fatigued before it is fatisfied.' The new palace is defcribed particularly, but fuch defcriptions neither fuit our defigns or

inclinations. For the fame reasons we fhall pafs on, without particularly noticing the caftle of Schonbornfluft, built by the elector of Schinborn. The manufacture of leather, in this neighbourhood, conducted by M. Decler, is faid to be in a very flourishing ftate, but it is not particularly defcribed.

Neuwied is defcribed by our author with peculiar afffection: the victim of minifterial tyranny in France, he fled to this place, and was received by the prince of Weid with particular regard. We wonder not, therefore, at the warmth of his commendations; and, while we have no reafon to believe that the prince is not poffeffed of numerous virtues, we may be pardoned, if we diftruft a little the fidelity of the picture in every part. Neuwied contains about fix or feven thousand fouls, and it is the work of its prefent fovereign. Numerous establishments are protected by him, and they are all in a flourishing condition: we need only mention, particularly, the printing-office flyled the Typographical Society, where the prefent, and numerous other valuable works have been printed. A fociety of Herenhutters, difciples of the famous count Zinzendorf, is established in this town, and our author glances rapidly' at their union and origin. We fhall copy fome of the more remarkable circumftunces, which, in this hafty fketch, he has noticed.

The principle of union in this fingular fociety is a religious fraternity; but wherever it has appeared, it has equally dif played industry, morality, a love of peace, and a fimplicity of manners. Their religious principles are the fundamental ones of Chriftianity, without engaging in difputed dogmas: their morality confifts not only in what is neceflary to be done or avoided, but is founded on principles connected with their religious fyftem. The maxim of their Apoftle, that every one ought to fubmit to the higher powers, renders them obedient and refpectful fubjects, even to the religious eftablishments of the fovereign or the country where they refide; without arrogating privileges or rights incompatible with the conftitution. They confider it as a duty to give some reasons for, and account of, their principles and establishment, when called on by government. In their eftablishments, the education of children is particularly attended to. Each fex has a different fchool, and different inftructors. Luxury and ornaments of every kind are banifhed from their focieties. Marriage, whether fuggefted by their own inclinations, or the advice of their parents, whether the neceffity of the employment or other circumftances point out the propriety of the union, is treated as a fubject of the first importance, It is confidered very maturely, and either has the fulleft right to refufe the perfon propofed.

The

The confent of the fathers and mothers is confidered as indifpenfible.'

Their church-yards resemble retired gardens, covered with turf. The tombs are difpofed in right lines; those of the men on the right, and of the women on the left. The infcriptions are always equally fimple, and their expreffion for diffolution, that he is gone home,' fpeaks, in our author's opinion, the purity of a foul without reproach and without fear.' In the houfe of the brethren there are fixty or eighty artists, but a profound filence reigns: whatever they do, is executed with care and tafte; and their anfwers, when quef tioned, are concife, but courteous and modeft. The unmarried brethren fleep in the fame room: the married ones are removed to feparate houfes. The latter are often engaged in commerce, and remarkable for candour, as well as integrity. Our author, however, tells us, that he looked in vain for plea fure and content in their placid countenances: yet they profefs themselves happy, and are not tied to the fociety by any indiffoluble link. We must leave Wied after transcribing one anecdote of its prince.

While the prince was one day on the terrace, he went haftily away, to the fhop of a fmith. Why, fays he, is there no noife in thy fhop? why are thy hammers idle? Ah! my lord, I have no iron: a misfortune which happened to me laft week prevented me from procuring fome at this time.' What, fays the prince, did not you know where I live?" adding, how much will the iron neceffary for one week cost?"

About ten crowns.' Hearken then-I fhall foon find if you have told the truth, or framed an excufe for your idlenefs: come to me to-morrow at eight.' The enquiry turned out in favour of the poor fellow, and his hammers were again heard.

Andernach is the laft city defcribed in the first volume. It is a volcanic country, and furnishes the tufa fo useful to the Dutch in forming their dykes. In this neighbourhood, the famous rafts are conftructed, which carry the woods of Germany to furnish the dock-yards of Holland. The defcription of thefe rafts is in a great meafure new and highly interefting.

Thele immenfe rafts may be flyled a fwimming island, one thousand feet long and ninety wide. It fupports twelve or fourteen houses conftructed of wood, and is directed by five hundred rowers; the lefler rafts are of the fame length, and come from above Mayence, but it is only a little below Andernach that they are united into this vait body, Before this , large mafs are feveral of the leffer rafts, which precede it like the horfes of a carriage. When it is going to depart, an