HINTS of OCCURRENCES , &c.

2 9

We landed at Boppart; and in our way, reconnoitred the town: it had hardly any circumftances which couldbe deemed pi&urefque. The walls were high and extenfive; a tower of tolerable height appeared in the back-ground ; and fmaller turrets fringed the water: but the whole would not form an interefting pi£lure. A largenunnery commanded a fine view of the river; where beautiful ladies, peeping out at the windows, feemed impa-tient of confinement. Such an object is apt deeply to affe<5l the mind of a proteftant; the inhabitants palled by,without feeming to beftow a thought on the anguifh and mifery within.

From Boppart, we made for Braubach; and we fhall juft relate our difappointments, as warnings to artifts whomay fucceed us. The intermediate country is extremely beautiful; woods, rocks, fruit-trees, corn, and variouscircumftances combine to pleafe the eye, and might have inflamed the imagination in almoft any other place: buton the Rhine, the imagination of an artift is torpid to any thing not fublime.

In the paflage to Braubach, we pafled by Speiz, which is faid to be the centre of Heffe. That circumftance,and the appearance of its watch-tower, made me hefitate; but, on mature examination, I thought it moft prudentnot to land, until we arrived at Braubach. Here we were embarraffed by our unacquaintance with German ; theonly language fpoken by the watermen; and by all around us, except one gentleman. We were under the dif-agreeable neceftity of requefting him to be our interpreter; and he kindly conducted us to an inn; but in a ftreetfo narrow, and having apartments fo fmall and low, that we determined to truft our own eyes, rather than theinformation of the watermen. After a fhort ramble, we difcovered a fmall public-houfe by the water-fide: thenegociation with the landlord, who had but one fmall bed which he could fpare, and who underftood not a wordor gefture that was not German, was very arduous; but happily concluded in our accommodation. I was indul-ged with admiftlon to a vineyard, where I took a view, which will be added to the fubje£ls of another Number.

I beg leave to obferve, that though I flayed longer at St. Goar than at any place I had yet vifited, the timewas very infufficient for even fketching the hundredth part of the beautiful and interefting fubje£ls, that everywhere occurred in the enchanting neighbourhood of that city. The views I have given in this and the precedmgNumber, are a proof, that my admiration was not excited by common or inconfiderable obje6ls; they are form-ed, if contemplated fingly, to imprefs the mind of the beholder with aftonifhment and pleafure. But when myreaders are informed that the caftle of Rheinfels ; the Cat caftle ; the Moufe ; the city of St. Goar ; the town

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