Maumee City express. [volume] (Maumee City, Ohio) 1838-184?, 1838-08-25
RANDOM PASSAGES.
ny ISAAC APPLETON JEwErT.

RANDOM PASSAGES.
ny ISAAC APPLETON JEwETT.
SW TIER AND, GERMANY.
CoBLRNTz, ION THE RHrNE,) SErTEMBER.-
The steamboat at the quay at Mayence this
morning at six, with about one hundred pas
sengers, mostly English, on their homeward
retreat. For two or three miles, the banks of
the river continued to be low and tame. We
passed the palace of the Grand Duke of Mas
seau, a fine edfice, near the river. The clas
sical Brnnnens of Langen-Schwalbach are
few miles in the interior.
| We were this day to see the only interesting
part of the 'glorious Rhine,' that between
Mayencs and Cologne. Along here. there
area plenty of little islands, and the banks of
the river abound with picturesque rocky crags,
capped bv ruins of castles, and relieved here and
there by green meadov ", vineyard, or neat
village. Johanninsberg, chateau belonging
to Prince Metternich, is one of the first from
Mayence. This estate has fity-five acres OF
vincgrounds, from whence comes the most ce-
lebrated of the Rheinish VINES Speaking Of
Metternich, need not remind you Of his por-
traiture as Beckenorf,' in that unique produc-
tion, 'Vivian Grey Then we passed the ru-
ins of Klopp and Ehrensfels, Vantsbcrg cas-
tie, at present occupied, from which we were
saluled with a gun; the ruins of Falkenberg,
Guttensfels, Schoenberg, and the rocks of the
Seven Sisters IN the river:f Sternberg and
Liebenstein, the Brothers. ETC., all famed
by many pathetic legend. There are also
the pretty villages of Rudesheim, Gelsenheim,
Bingen, Oberwesel, Saint Goar, and Others
too tedious to mention; and the rock of Lure
ley, wit an echo which repeats seven times.
am now before the castle of Ehrenbreitsteln.
the stronges: fortress in Europe, built OH
r,cky elevation, commanding the river for Sc
veral miles. The cit of Coblentz, nearly
opposite, and connected with it by a foaling
bridge, is strongly fortified, and garrs"ned by
five thousand Prussian soldiers. IL was foun-
ded by Drusus, the Roman general, thirteen
years before Christ.
@Among the Rhenish legends, yersifed by
PLANcHE, is one of the Mouse Tower, near
| Ehrensfels, commencing:
sThe Bishop of Mentz was a wealthy prince,
Wealthy and proud was he;
He had all that was worth visa on earth,
But he had not charitie!
He would stretch out his empty hands to bless,
UT lIt Lne!n ooln 10 pray;
But, alack! to tighten mans distress,
I hey moved no other way
A famine came; the poor begged in vain for
aid, Till he 'opencd his granlries free and
then locked them in, and burned them every
ONE 'The merry mice! how shrill they
squeakp SAID the prelate:
8 But mark what an awful judgment soon
On the cruel bishop fell!
With so many nice his palace swarmd
That in it he could not dwell.
They gnaw'd the arras above and beneath,
They eat each savory dish up,
And sh, rtly their sacnlegious teeth
Began to nibble the bishop!
6 He flew to the castle Of Ehrenfels,
By the side of the Rhine so fair,
But they found the road to his new abode,
And came in legons there!
He built him in haste a tower tall
In the tide, for ris better assurance,
But they swan the river, and sca'd the wall,
And worried him past endurance!
sOne morning his skeleton there was seen,
BY load Of flesh the lighter!
They had pick'd his bones uncommonly clean,
And eaten his very mitre!
Such WIS The end of the Bishop of Mentz;
And oft at midnight hour,
He comes in the shape of fogo SO dense,
And sits on his old 'Mouse-Tower,'
+Perhaps you may be amused by this legend
1t runs as follows:
sTHs C ,stle of Schoenberg was lofty and fair,
And even countesses ruled there:
Lovely, and noble, and wealthy trow--
Every sister had suitors enow
Crowned duke and belted knight
/ Sigh d at the feet IF these ladies bright:
And they whispered hope to every one,
While they vow'd in their hearts they would
have none
Gentle list to the tale tell;
IT'S many year since this befel:
Women are altered now, ween,
And never say what they do not mean
sAt the Castle Of schoenberg t was mertiment
There was dancing in bower, and feasting in
hall;
They ran at the ring in the tilt-yard gay,
And the moments flew faster than tho't away
But not only moment--the days fled too:
And they were but as when they first clme to
| WOO;
And snake they of marriage or bliss deferrd,
They were silenced by laughter and scornful
word!
Gentles, list to the tale ] tell;
IT is many year since this befel:
And ladies' now so mildly reign,
s. They neversport with lovers pain!
sKnight look'd upon knight with an evil eye
Each fanced favored rival nigh;
Aud darker every day they frowncd,
| And sharper still the taunt went round;
Till swords were drawn, and lances in rest,
And the blood ran down from each noble breast;
while the sisters sat in their chairs Of gold,
And smiled at the fall Of their champions bold!