Chapter I: 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