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 chequered 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. GOAR ... ITS 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 have 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 surprise, 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 expense of paying the substitution money for him, “par conséquence,” said he with a smile of good humour, “il 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, alleging, 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