From the Literary Gazette, August 1818.

AN AUTUMN NEAR THE RHINE. 8vo. 1818.

THI HIS is one of the most pleasing softness almost bordering on timidity. journals of a Continental Excur- She has all the appearance of having sion which has appeared since the suffered much but the expression of opening of the communications, or we her countenance is rather that of penmight rather say of the Mine for trav- sive mildness than of melancholy. Her ellers, which, to own the truth, has features have a tone of quick sensibilibeen dug and bored most persevering- ty, which a lady happily described, in ly, till some ore and much rubbish has observing that the Queen always apbeen brought to the surface and import- peared on the point of smiling or weeped into England, in packages of the ing. Her manners are simple, and shape of unpretending duodecimos, frank in the highest degree. convenient octavos, and respectable- She is a good English scholar, and adlooking quartos. The author has fol- mired the poems of Lord Byron and lowed rather a new vein, and has, we Moore. The Princess (her think, extracted some tolerable speci- daughter) is of a slender delicate figmens of metal from it; and as he has ure, not without grace. The Prince been obliging enough to give it us un- (her son) a tall well-looking youth of mixed with too much, though there is sixteen, simple and good-humoured, a little, of the common make-weight with a strong resemblance to his father, earthy matter, we are bound to a fa- is now pursuing his education at the vourable report of his production. University of Heidelberg, under the care of a respectable Swiss governor. The Queen has some thoughts of sending her son to an English University."

The Ex-Queen of Sweden, called the Helen of the North for her beauty, is one of the author's portraits.

"The Queen, now above thirty years of age, still retains that interesting expression of countenance which is the best part of beauty. Her figure is slender and graceful; and her delicate complexion, and soft grey eyes, give

This Prince, who is within a few weeks of the same age as Oscar Bernadotte, no doubt looks forward with hope to the throne of his ancestors.

We had intended to extract, at her the features which are not quite length, the author's very spirited acGrecian, an expression of feminine count of German Universities, as repreᎡ ATHENEUM. Vol. 4.

130

Traditions on the Banks of the Rhine.

sented by Heidelberg; but we can only say, that in form and discipline, &c. they resemble the Scotch rather than the English. The students reside in lodgings, and there is no academical costume. In Germany, however, in their boyish patriotism, they have adopt. ed that of her ancestors three centuries ago, and the students are seen in this masquerade,

"Swaggering mustachioed youths, their hair flowing on their shoulders, without cravats, and with pipes in their mouths."

The traditions on the banks of the Rhine furnish matter more amusing than the history of these young zealots, however more their present mode of thinking and acting may influence the fate of Europe:

Traditions on the Banks of the Rhine.
"The tradition concerning the cas-
tle or rather hermitage of Rolandseck
says, that it was christened after Ro-
land the gallant nephew of Charlemagne,
who, as the story goes, set out one day
from his uncle's palace at Ingelheim on
a picturesque tour, on the banks of the
Rhine. He dropped in at the chateau
of a valiant knight, who received him
with a friendly squeeze of the hand;
while his daughter (who like other
young ladies in those good days, was
not above being useful) ran to fetch
him some home-made bread and wine.
As she poured out the wine, with the
grace of a Hebé, into a goblet adorned
with the arms of the old Chatelain,
and presented it with a blush to the
nephew of the great king, he was struck
with her beauty and modest grace;
and was soon surprised to find certain
enigmatical sensations creeping about
him which he never had experienced
before. His arm trembled as he took
the goblet, and he involuntarily said to
himself—“ this never happened to me
in presence of the enemy, or when ex-
posed to the thick swords of the Sara-
cens." At night Roland could not
close his eyes for the image of the beau-
tiful Hildegonda, which stood constant-
ly before him. In the morning, when
about to take leave, his kind host de-
manded his name.
The modest Ro-

[VOL. 4

land blushed as he gave it, for it was the glory of the whole country; and the knight was so enchanted at the distinction of his visitor, that he begged him to stay another day-Hildegonda said not a word-but her looks were eloquent, and Roland wanted little persuasion.

The fate of the young knight's heart was decided by his stay, and he only waited for an opportunity to declare himself. Such opportunities generally present themselves and Roland, as he walked in the garden, found the young lady sitting in a pensive reverie, in which a bolder modern beau would have flattered himself he had a place. Roland's timidity, however, made him awkward in accosting her; and the young lady to conceal her own embarrassment, stooped to gather a rose just by.-The knight begged her to give it him-lamenting that as yet no emblem of happy moments adorned his casque; and that when his comrades boasted the beauty and virtue of their belles, he was obliged to look down and be silent. Hildegonda with a blush complied, saying, as she presented it to him"All that is beautiful endures but for a moment."-Roland no longer hesitated to declare his passion-they swore to each other eternal fidelity; and the knight promised to return immediately after the campaign in Palestine, to lead his mistress to the altar.

After Roland's departure, Hildegonda, led a retired and pensive life. The fame of her lover's achievements reached her, and gladdened her heart. One evening a travelling knight demanded hospitality at the castle.-He had served in Charlemagne's army, and Hildegonda trembled as she demanded intelligence of Roland. "I saw him fail gloriously by my side, covered with wounds," said the knight ;-Hildegon.. da turned pale at his words, and was motionless as a statue. Ten days afterwards she asked permission of her father to take the veil; and she entered the convent of Frauenworth, in an island in the Rhine. The bishop of the diocese, who was her relation, allowed her to abridge her noviciate and profess herself at the end of three months.

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Traditions on the Banks of the Rhine.

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Roland, who it seems had been left both, was unwilling to grieve either by for dead on the field, and had afterwards preferring his rival. The elder son recovered of his wounds, came soon however believing that her heart a little after to her father's castle, to claim the inclined to his brother, resigned his prehand of Hildegonda. In his grief at tensions, and besought her to declare in the tidings he received, he built a her- his brother's favour.--The old knight mitage on a rock immediately above gave the young couple his blessing, but the island of Frauen worth, and called their union was delayed.-The elder it Rolandseck, (Roland's corner.) Here brother saw without envy, but not withhe passed the remainder of his days, out melancholy, the happiness of his sitting at the gate of his hermitage, rival. The charms of his beloved oblooking down on the convent which ject increased in his eyes every day, and held his beloved object. When the to fly from her presence he joined the matins bell roused him, he would rise Prince, residing at Rhense, and was and listen to the chanting of the nuns, admitted into his suite. fancying he could distinguish the voice of his Hildegonda; and when at night the lights glimmered in the cells of the convent, his imagination saw Hildegonda praying to Heaven for him. Two in this way years had nearly consumed his strength. One morning, looking as usual down on the convent, some people were digging a grave in the garden. Something whispered to Roland, that this grave was for Hildegonda. On sending to inquire, his conjecture proved true-he stood and watched the funeral procession, saw her corpse let down into the grave, and listened to the requiem chanted over her -and he was found not long after sitting dead before his hermitage, his eyes turned towards the convent !"

Just at this time St. Bernard was preaching the cross on the banks of the Rhine.-There was not a chateau near the river that did not send a knight to Frankfort, where the Emperor Conrad presented the Saint to the people, who all took the cross. Almost every castle along the river, from Basle to Cologne, mounted a streaming flag, with the holy symbol of our Saviour's sufferings; and the river and roads in the country were thronged with joyous companies. flocking towards Palestine. The young intended bridegroom caught the general flame, and resolved to visit the Holy Land before leading his bride to the altar. In spite of his father's displeasure, and the ill-concealed tears of the young lady, he assembled his little troop and joined the Emperor's army at Frankfort.

"Near the little village of Hirtzenach, between St. Goar and Boppart, the ru- The old knight dying soon after, the ins of the two old castles of Liebenstein elder brother returned from Rhense to and Sternfels stand close together on a take possession his ancestors' castle. fine mountain covered with vines on the Love was now ready to revive more right bank of the river. Their grey strongly than ever in his breast ;—but mouldering towers nod at each other he overcame himself, and scrupulously with a sort of rival dignity; and they treated the young lady with the kind go by the name of the Two Brothers. protection of a brother.-Two years Tradition says they were formerly had elapsed when the news arrived that. inhabited by an old knight who had the younger brother was returning from two sons equally dear to him, and a Palestine, accompanied by a beautiful rich and beautiful young orphan was Grecian dame, to whom he was be also brought up under his protection. trothed. This intelligence cut his deHer charms increased with her years; serted fair one to the heart; and, acand, as was very natural, the young cording to the custom of the age in such knights both fell in love with their fair disappointments, she resolved to take play-fellow. When she arrived at a the veil. The elder son was indig marriageable age, the father proposed nant at this conduct of his brother; to her to choose between his two sons; and, when a courier arrived at the casbut she, knowing the sentiments of tle to announce his approach, he threw

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Traditions on the Banks of the Rhine.

[VOL. 4

down his glove, bidding him take that (mountain) half buried in thick brush

for answer.

The Crusader arrived with his fair Grecian at the Castle of Sternfels, his paternal inheritance-and a bloody war took place between the brothers, which they were on the point of concluding by single combat, when the young lady interposed and pacified them by her persuasions. She afterwards quitted the abode of her infancy and took the veil,

wood in a hollow made by its own weight. It is above thirty feet long, and about four in greatest diameter— nearly cylindrical, and tapering with an exact proportion. At one end a sort of semicircular step is cut, apparently either to fit it to some other stone, or to fix machinery for moving it. The granite is of the hard dark description, of which all the masses in the neighbourhood are composed. This singular Sadness and mourning now reigned column, which has resisted so main the Castle of Liebenstein-while joy ny ages, has excited much speculation. and dissipation occupied the inhabitants Kotzebue proposed to have it conveyof Sternfels. The beauties of the Gre- ed to Leipsic, and erected in honour cian dame, and the graces of her con- of the stupendous victory there, of versation, attracted around her all the which it would be a worthy monugay knights of the neighbourhood; ment. Another immense rough block and she was by no means scrupulous in of granite near it, with a complete step receiving their homage. The elder cut in it, is called the Giant's Altar, and brother saw the disgrace of his brother, scattered about are many other blocks, before he himself was aware of it, and with similar traces of workmanship. soon found an opportunity to convince Conjecture attributes them to the anhim of his wife's infidelity. The young cient worship of Odin, to the middle knight would have sacrificed her to his ages, and to the Romans; the author vengeance; but she found means to sides with the latter, as he thinks the escape. His elder brother pressed him original Germans could not cut that in his arms as he was abandoning him- granite which their descendants can self to his despair, saying-" Let us barely scratch. The Felsen mer, a live henceforth together without wives, natural sea of Rocks (accurately desto do honour to the grief of our first cribed by its name) is another extraorlove, who is now passing the brightest days of youth in a convent." The younger brother agreed, and they remained bachelors and inseparable friends for the rest of their days. Their race expired with them-and their old ruined castles, which still retain the name of "The Brothers," remind the traveller of their history."

dinary spectacle in this vicinity. The Odenwald itself is full of romantic traditions. At no great distance from the Feldsberg, is the Castle of Rodenstein, on the top of a shaggy mountain. Here, as the tale goes, resides the Knight of Rodenstein, or the wild Jäger, who, issuing from his ruins, announces the approach of war by traversing the air with a noisy armament, to the opposite Castle of Schnellerts. The strange noises heard on the eve of battles, are authenticated on the spot by affidavits; and some persons profess to have been convinced by their eyes as well as their ears. In this way the people were forewarned of the victories of Leipsic and Waterloo."