upon
which Bonaparte's army was formerly encamped--seemed to be more lofty than
the spot whereon we stood. On the opposite side flowed the _Danube_: not
broad, nor, as I learnt very deep; but rapid, and in a serpentine
direction. The river here begins to be navigable for larger boats; but
there is little appearance of bustle or business upon the quays. Few or no
white sails, floating down the stream, catch the morning or the evening
sun-beam: no grove of masts: no shouts of mariners: no commercial rivalry.
But what then? Close to the very spot where we stood, our attention was
directed to a circumstance infinitely more interesting, to the whimsical
fancy of an Antiquary, than a whole forest of masts. What might this be?
Listen.

"Do you observe, here, gentlemen?" said the guide--pointing to the coping
of the parapet wall, where the stone is a little rubbed, "I do"--(replied
I) "What may this mean?" "Look below, Sir, (resumed he) how fearfully deep
it is. You would not like to tumble down from hence?" This remark could
admit but of one answer--in the _negative_; yet the man seemed to be
preparing himself to announce some marvellous fact, and I continued mute.
"Mark well, gentlemen; (continued he) it was here, on this identical spot,
that our famous EMPEROR MAXIMILIAN stood upon one leg, and turned himself
quite round, to the astonishment and trepidation of his attendants! He was
a man of great bravery, and this was one of his pranks to shew his courage.
This story, gentlemen, has descended to us for three centuries; and not
long ago the example of the Emperor was attempted to be imitated by two
officers,--one of whom failed, and the other succeeded. The first lost his
balance, and was precipitated to the earth--dying the very instant he
touched the ground; the second succeeded, and declared himself, in
consequence, MAXIMILIAN the SECOND!" I should tell you, however, that these
attempts were not made on the same day. The officers were Austrian.

The room in the middle of the platform, and surmounted by a small spire
does not appear to be used for any particular purpose. Having satisfied our
curiosity, and in particular stretched our eyes "as far (to borrow Caxton's
language) as we well might"--in the direction of _Hochstedt_--we descended,
extremely gratified; and sought the hotel and our dinner. Upon the whole,
the cathedral of Ulm is a noble ecclesiastical edifice: uniting simplicity
and purity with massiveness of compo