HINTS of OCCURRENCES , &c.

53

The people of Hammerftein and Lintz are by no means fociable, like thofe of Andernach. The doors of theirhoufes are generally ftiut; and they feem to live like wolves.

Opposite to Hammerftein is the caftle of Reineck. It ftands on a beautiful, lofty, and pyramidal mountain;richly cloathed with woods and vines, variegated by broken ground and rugged rocks; and furrounded by im-menfe hills. A view of this fcene is given in the twenty-fourth plate. The caftle being at an aftoniftiing height,is rendered confpicuous by the bright cloud behind it; contrary to the general rule of placing the principal lighton the principal object; which in the prefent view is fo fmall, that it would not attra& notice fo well in light asin fhadow : and it is humbly imagined, if the principal objeft be particularly confpicuous, it matters not whetherit be by light or by fhadow. The two villages at the bottom feem placed on purpofe to give variety ; and thelight on the rock in the centre, relieves moft pleafmgly the church of Umkel or Unkel; and the dark front-ground and high trees are fo ftrong as to throw off all the other obje&s to their proper diftance. The wholeforms a fcene which aftonifhes the mind, and fills it with awful fentiments.

In 1784, during the feftival of Chriftmas, and in the middle of the night, this caftle and the new buildingsannexed to it took fire. Every thing confumable around it was reduced to afhes; and the old caftle only left:for the Rhine was frozen twelve feet deep, and no water could be obtained in any time to be of ufe.

The village at the foot of the hill is called Lower Reineck; the caftle, by way of eminence, Reineck. The

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inhabitants have little or no communication, and are hardly at peace with the people on the other fide of theRhine. The enmity has fubfifted more than three hundred years. In an engagement under the Emperor Charlesthe Fourth, the people of Lintz maffacred thofe of Andernach and Reineck, fparing only two men, whofe earsthey cut off, and fent them to the widows and children of the deceafed, with the news of their misfortune.Mafs is faid yearly on St. Bartholomew’s day, at Andernach, for the repofe of the fouls of thofe who were thusmaffacred. All the peafants of the furrounding country are obliged to attend, or to pay a fine of two gold florins.An inflammatory fermon, or homily, is pronounced againft the people of Lintz; none of whom prefume to beprefent, as they would certainly be put to death. So great is the effe£t of this pious mode of perpetuating ani-mofity, that only one native of Lintz has ventured to fettle at Andernach in three centuries; and he is obligedto retire every year on the day the fermon is pronounced.

At the diftance of lefs than a league, and in our progrefs towards Cologne, we took a flight view of Rowland-Sheitz, which had ferved as a retreat to an Ele6tor of Cologne, of the name of Thenigfche, who retired into it

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