In distant ages, many a German baron bold resided in rude dignity with his martial followers upon the summit of these mountains, from whence they waged war against each other, and many of their remains of antiquity are the work of Valentinian in the fourth century, who overthrew the Germans, and who fell a victim to his inordinate passion, for when the Quadi sent to him to make a peace, the _awkward appearance_ of some of the ambassadors so enraged him, that in his anger he burst an artery. Drackensels has infinitely the advantage of situation; it rises perpendicularly from the river to a stupendous height, crowned with the roofless remains of an ancient castle, brown with antiquity; midway it is covered with luxuriant vines, whilst all above is red and gray rock. The other mountains, which recede to a great distance, appeared to be clothed with the clustering grape, on the opposite side the vineyards, sloping close to the water’s edge, extended as far as they could reach; every where the genius of this terrestrial Paradise seemed as if with tasteful finger he had ——led the vine To wed her elm——she spoused about him twines Her marriageable arms! and with her brings Her dower, the adopted clusters, to adorn Her barren leaves. MILTON. As we advanced, a beautiful island in the centre of the river, covered with poplars, walnut-trees and elms, from the bosom of which arose the roof and belfry of the monastery of Nonen Werth, or Worthy Nuns, formed the back scene: the bosom of the river was enlivened with the peasants of the neighbourhood moving in boats worked and steered with paddles, and the banks of the French territory with groups of French soldiers bathing, and singing their national songs.