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HINTS of OCCURRENCES , &c.

mountain clofe to Bingen, on the fummit of which we had obferved a confiderable ruin ; we found it to be the remains ofa large and ancient caftle, which had nothing but its antiquity to recommend it. We were amply gratified with theview of a landfcape in which every thing beautiful and fublime in nature are united. The channel of the Rhine ishere extended to near a mile in breadth, and flowing with lefs rapidity than we had yet feen it, appeared more likean arm of the fea than a river. The oppofite fhore prefented to us the numberlcfs towns, villages, caftlcs, vineyards,and romantic rocks that cover the face of the Rhinegan; encompaffed by mountains riling gradually to a prodigiousheight, from the margin of the river at Radefheim, and forming a femicircle not exceeding feven miles in diameter,which terminates at Walluff,a village about fixteen miles higher up the Rhine. Thefe mountains not only fhelter theRhinegan from the north and eaft winds, giving greater fertility to its vineyards, and rendering their produce moreexcellent than what any fpot in either circle of the Rhine can boaft ; but form likewife a back ground, the boldeft andmod majeflic that can be imagined, to this beautiful and wonderful feene. To thefe objects were added, immenferocks that overhang the river, and form the celebrated flreight of the Ringerlock, by which the extenfive channel ofthe Rhine is fo contra£ted, as barely to admit a pradicable paffage; the waterfall, by which the Nabe unites with theRhine ; and the ifland on which Hands a tower, rendered famous by the fabulous hiftory of an archbifhop of Mentz,who is faid to have been purfued to this place and devoured by rats; to which the people here give devout credit,and confidently relate it as a judgment upon him for his extreme covetoufnefs and want of feeling for the poor. Hav-ing feafted our eyes as long as the time would permit without fpoiling our appetites, we returned, with a determinationto renew our obfervations as foon as we had dined. Not having the good fortune to meet any perfon with whom wecould converfe, otherwife than by figns, our fituation was not very comfortable. After dinner we again fallied forthand were well entertained with viewing the town of Bingen, which is very ancient; and though at prefent nothingmore than a handfome village, was once an imperial city. I had no expeHation of finding any employment for mypencil in this walk; but the romantic grandeur of the abbey, which is a mixture of faxon and gothic architeHure, andthe pi&urefque beauty of a Hone bridge, which croffes the Nabe in front of it, and is faid to have been built by Drufus,fo captivated my fancy, that I immediately fet about the drawing from which thofe objefts are delineated in thefecond plate.

We again vifited this venerable ruin the next morning, and found another front of it fo highly picfurefque, that 1could not forbear fketching it. This view is the fubjeH of the third plate.

I was not indifferent, as an artiff, to the beauties of the Rhinegan, but though in nature they furpaffed all deferip-tion or imagination, they did not admit of a juft or pleafmg representation. For unlefs the objefts, which are fonumerous as to give the whole diftriH the appearance of a continued village, were comprehended in a much greater

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