New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-07-21


bu, I've no doub: shall sleep J; of. l an sure
J shall be better in the morning
did not sleep !, of, however, that nigh., al
least, for, day or two af,e.ward, returned 10
the Rhine and carried the question clean against
ny friend, who had gone on 20 see " this S"l'-
zerand they make such tai about Boz
have grown better since and now confess me
Hudson.
The difference between the rivers ,sthat OF The
countries The Rhine is a narrow belt OF tlro'd
water winding among the vineyards ina, vain
upon each side In rs beautiful reach between
Bineen and Bonn, the only beautiful part Oh me
river. except near Lake Constance, i has no
shores but vineyarded hll-sides and occa Fionaily
a narrow vineyarded meadow in front Of them
There are no trees, no varieties OF outline, ana
the vines, regularly planted and kept snort iof
wine. not eft TO luxuriate al length, for heauty
are little formal In their impression ne cas-
,les,-those pets Of the young feminine fancy
thai crows lachrymose over the Pilgrims OF the
Rhine are not overgrown with IVY. Ihey are
rather small and toy-like, and stand Ike small
CENTRES upon the summit OF small hills, COM
,oandino the entrances 70 small vallies. Then
the castle traditions are very vague. You may
make as MANY as you viii, and at twilight with
"certain circumstances" hanging upon your arm,
Won VI III doubtless make great many and very
rnournfpl ones But under ordinary circumstan
ces with the white glare of noon transfxing the
hills, cloud of parasols upon such an immense
crowd Of cockneys under them, through whose
conversation swarm promiscuous MS, always
alighting upon the wrong ends OF words,-'Vlih
the waiter thrustlng wine-card at you and ner
yous gentlemen acting as millers 70 your feet III
their look out for the best places a; table you
will very humbly accept all he traditions OF the
red.book, and be very grateful when you step
ashore al Mayence.
think even my Heidelberg friend would be
appeased by that recantation. and yet am not
false to my first July day upon the Rhine. The
Rhine after all, IS the theme and mistress OF ro-
nance and ong-athough to many OF us that
fame be only traditional. The Rhine songs, those
that directly celebrate it's beauty, and those
which are ballads of life upon rs banks are among
the most sOnOrous in the sonrlul German litera-
ture II is the Rhine wine, pure Rhenlsh the blood
of the life that blooms along these monotonous
hill SIDES, which is the wine poetic, that routs
the vine itself is fair and lustrous. II wreathes
the hot hills with a gorgeous garland, and makes
the dav upon the Rhine a festival. Then the old
cmnblmg castles, if vague IN fame, are so much
the more suggestive, and from one shattered but
,ress 10 another, miles away Oh distant hilltop,
| the cav vine garland sweeps. alive now. as much
as ever. and by the vivid contrast soltcns the
| suggestion and dccpcnS the delight. Near 81
| Goar YOU glide under the loreei. and Hcnc
tells It's story in your memory how the Syrcn sat
| upon the clin over the water combing her golden
| han with golden comb, and singing so Wild
| " and well that the enchanted boatman driited
droamily toward the rocks and never reached the
| shore
| Mendelssohn was to have written al Opera
npon thus story and had already commenced 1t,
| bu, the King OF Prussia, who iS very classical
| gentleman and who has built Pompelan villa
at Potsdam, 0Icayen, Frederic the Great amt
| No,t,lr, save the mark } ordered the Conpos n,
| who was his Kapolmaster, to writer some music
| for the Aatigonc. How long must We wait for
another Fne.car to detect and interpret those
weird melodies Of the Loroci
These are the genuine lights OF the Rhine.
| They ave those of romantic association and sug-
cestion They arc those winch are only passa-
bic IN an old and stored country. !. Is not what
Won see there but what YOU feel through what
YOU see that charm, YOU. The Wild grape IN our
woods is pleasant from the association With the
Rhonish vineyards, and they IN turn from their
ASSOCIATION with the glory of the grape IN ali lit
erature and tradition The Rhine Is a lyric, or
a ballad. II Is one OF Chland's poems.
| MANY IA year is in It's grave
Since | crossed thlS restless wave.
And the evening, ialr rs ever,
Shines on ruin, rock and river
is tie song that the Rhine sings. AVOID the
steamer, If YOU can. and IN some country market
boat, foat at evening OF morning. along ITS
shores following the widest whIm of fancy
with INLAND IN one poke, and a frSche OF Rudes-
helmer IN the other. doing away The noon IN
the coolest corner of some old ruin and dream
ing oi Ariadne as YOU drift, signing, beneath the
moonhghted vineyards And you too will eyaS-
pcra,c some chance friend at Heidelberg and
believe IN the RHINE. for that nigh, only.
The Hudson however. is larger aud eraiier.
|, is NOT TO bc devoured IN detail No region
without association, l., except by science. But
It's spacious and stately character, ITS varied and
magnificent outline, from the Palisades 10 the
Ca,skill, are as epical as the loneliness OF the
Rhine Is lyrical The Hudson implies = cont
nent behind For VINEYARDS ii has forests For
belt Of water, majestic stream For graceful
and graln-godened hills II has imposing mouu-
talns. There l. no bitterness about the Hudson.
but there Is IN the Rhine Here everything y
boldly touched. What lucid and peneIrani lights
wha, broad and soinber shadows The River
moist.ns the feet, and the clouds The heads OF
regal hills The Danube has IN parts, slimpse>