4 °

HINTS of OCCURRENCES, &c.

princes, againft Saladin Sultan of Egypt, for the recovery of the Holy Land. The number of thefe knights, withtheir grand mafter (who refided at this caftle) was forty. The order was both military and hofpitable. Theywere held in great efteem, and were much regarded by all Chriftian princes, who teflified their affedlion towardsthem by frequent and magnificent prefents, and by conferring on them particular privileges and honors. Theirpower and property continued to increafe till the beginning of the lafl century, when they began to decline morerapidly than they had rifen. Moft of their commandaries (which comprehended twelve provinces) are now pof-feffed by the fons or younger branches of the families of the German princes.

Being impatient for a better acquaintance with this venerable ruin, than could be acquired at a diftance, I con-tented myfelf for the prefent with a flight (ketch of the fubje6t, and haftened to gratify my curiofity. The accefsto the caftle being broken by rocks beautifully cloathed with vines, or covered with a rich herbage, rendered theafcent lefs formidable in appearance, and deceived me very much with refpe£t to the real height of the mountainon which it hands. I found on reaching the caftle that I had been as much deceived in the magnitude and extentof its buildings, as in the altitude of its fituation.

This part of the ele&orate of Treves being populous, well cultivated, and extremely fruitful in corn and wine,the country on all ftdes was delightful; but the view from the gate of the high tower, which is the fubjeft of theeighteenth plate, was more enchanting than any thing I had ever feen. The building fituated in the centre, on ahigh and beautifully variegated rock, is a hermitage, the retreat of two hermits ; the one an old foldier, who,after ferving thirty-fix years in an imperial corps, retired to this place, which he has inhabited more thanforty years. The other, a young man of twenty-two (the fon of a dancing-mafter at Treves), who for a fhort timehad ferved likewife in the imperial army; but being difgufted with the profligacy and profanenefs of the foldierswith whom he was obliged to affociate, and being of a turn of mind unfuited to a military life, he prevailed onhis father (who had acquired intereft by inftru£ling the pages of the court) to folicit his difcharge, and a licenceto commence hermit; the laws of the country not permitting him, without a fpecial difpenfation, to devote him-felf, at fo early a period of life, to retirement. They are each poflefled of a garden and a fmall vineyard, whichthey cultivate with great care; but their chief employment is begging. They derive, likewife, conftderableadvantage from the pious donations of fuperftitious perfons of both fexes, and from the liberality of country lovers,who refort annually to the hermitage, to invoke the Virgin, of whom they have an image in their oratory, whichis faid to be endowed with the power of performing great miracles. The good hermits, by thefe means, contriveto make a tolerable livelihood.