BOPPART.

425 the eye, relieved by the rich foliage of the trees in its vicinity, and the mountains behind it irregularly intersected with terraces covered with vines to their very summits. The antiquity of this city is very great; it was one of the fifty places of defence erected on the banks of the Rhine by Drusus Germanicus, and in the middle ages was an imperial city.

Not far from Boppart we saw, on the right bank of the river, a procession of nuns and friars returning to a convent, the belfry of which just peeped above a noble avenue of walnut-trees; they were singing, and their voices increased the solemn effect of the surrounding scenery. We put up for the night at a little village, amid mountains half covered with vineyards, tufted with forests, and checquered with convents and ruined castles. The evening was stormy, and a full moon occasionally brightened the scene frequently we were enveloped in solemn gloom,

When the broken arches are as black as night,

And each shafted Oriel glimmers white,

When the cold light's uncertain show'r

Streams on the ruin'd central tow'r.

Lay of the last Minstrel.

CHAPTER XXIV.

THE YOUNG CONSCRIPT-SINGULAR FRENCH ANECDOTE-ST. GOARITS HISTORY--OBERWESEL--THE PALATINATE-A CELEBRATED VINEYARD--A REGALE BACHARACH-BACCHUS-THE RHYNGAU SONG-RÜDESHEIM--ROMAN DERIVATIONS-THE PRIORY OF JOHANNESBERG-VINEYARDS CLASSED-GRAPES CLASSED.

I HAVE before mentioned the excellent accommodations which I every where experienced at the different towns we stopped at. Although at the last place where we slept there were not above three or four houses, and we were not expected, we had an excellent supper, and clean comfortable beds. After our repast, as we were drinking some excellent hock, many of the company present communicated the object of their voyage, and amongst the rest an elegant young Frenchman, about nineteen, who had charmed us all the way by his politeness and inexhaustible flow of spirits, told us, to my no little surprize, that the object of his excursion would not admit of his returning when he pleased, for he was on his way to join part of the French army at Maynz, or Mayence, as a conscript, for which he had been drawn ; and as his father who was a man of fortune at Aix-la-Chapelle, but was very fond of his money, would not put himself to the expence of

THE YOUNG CONSCRIPT.

427

par conséil

paying the substitution money for him, "quence," said he with a smile of good humour, "me faut aller en personne." He told us that he had no hopes of raising himself from the ranks but by good conduct and equally good fortune, although his uncle was a general in the service, and commanded that part of the army into which he was soon to be incorporated. Whenever we stopped, he bestowed his money with liberality to beggars and chambermaids, alledging, that as he was about to be a soldier, he ought to live, when he became one, on a soldier's pay, and that to have more till he was promoted, would only make him uncomfortable; adding, that on his arrival at head quarters, he should order a noble dinner, and give his clothes to the waiters, and surrender himself up to the captain of his company. He neither blamed the cruelty of his father, the tyranny of the conscription, nor repined at his unlucky fate, but filling a bumper, exclaimed, "Tout ce qu'il me faut maintenant, "c'est, de devenir bon soldat." "All that I have to do is

I never saw a point more

to make myself a good soldier." easily and comfortably settled in my life. Our young conscript had the best wishes of us all, for his happiness and speedy promotion. This elastic spirit of vivacity seems to be the common property of every Frenchman, and never did it appear more striking than in the following circum

grey where profusely

... the hoary remains of piety and war, under the various tints of progressive day. In a minute after the boat had stopped, all the passengers disappeared to attend matins, it being Sunday, and left me to gaze in amazement upon the stupendous rock of Rheinfels, or the rock of the Rhine, which rises most majestically behind the town, and supports the remains of a vast fortress which bears its name, and which the French demolished in the last war. This fortress was next in strength to that of Ehrenbreitstein; it was in the year 1245 converted from