brated Mausetherm, or Mouse
Tower, said to have been built by Hatto, the Archbishop of Mayence, in
the tenth century. Southey's fine ballad has immortalized the legend.
Never did town present sweeter aspect than Bingen, at the foot of a
pyramidical hill, which is crowned by the ruined Castle of Klopp. In a
church here lies Bartholomew of Holshausen, who prophesied the fatality
of the Stuarts and Charles II.'s restoration, warning him not to restore
Popery. Bingen has, I think, some five or six thousand inhabitants, and
has a great trade in wine, which is collected here from all the
vineyards around. Rudesheim lies on the other bank, and its famous wine
comes from grapes growing close to Ehrenfels. Next comes Geisenheim,
also famous for wine, and soon comes the renowned village and vineyard
of Johannisberg, or Mountain of St. John. Here the river is wide
again,--perhaps two thousand fire hundred feet,--and we begin to see
fine meadows. This is where Prince Metternich has his seat, where once
was a priory, and various have been its vicissitudes. In 1816, it was
given to Metternich by the Emperor of Austria. The mountain contains
only seventy-five acres, and the choicest wine comes only from vines
growing near the castle, on the crown of the bill. The wine of the
village is very inferior to that of this estate. The place has but few
inhabitants--say five or eight hundred. The house is white, and not very
castle-like. The grape is called the _Riesslingen_.

[Illustration: VINEYARD ON THE RHINE.--Pp. 175.]

Here we found several islands. Erbach and Hattenheim are both famous for
vineyards, and between them grows the famous Marcobruenner; and the
Steinberg vineyard, a fortune to the Duke of Nassau, lies upon a slope
of the hill close to the convent, of Eberbach or Erbach. This convent
was founded in 1131, but is now a lunatic asylum. The churches here are
very fine. Opposite the shore lies Rhine Island, and forms a noble park.
Walluff, with few inhabitants, is regarded as the commencement of the
Rheingau, or wine district, along which we had coasted. Biberich, on the
duchy of Nassau, now comes upon our view; and the noble chateau of the
duke presents one of the finest mansions on the river. Here some of our
passengers left for Frankfort, and took the rail; but we wished to see
Mayence, and so went in the boat. The city looks finely, and its red
towers and steeples make quite a show. This city belongs to the Duke of
Hesse Dar