In places where the rocks approach closely to the [100]river, the usual arrangement of the houses is in one long street, with behind it ruined towers perched at intervals4 upon the ascending5 walls, which straggle through the vineyards, till the rise becomes too sudden for them to climb or intruders to pass over. Where the space is larger, the houses are clustered among walnut7-trees, which grow to an immense size. Perhaps the greatest charm of all in descending8 our river is the absence of those swarms9 of mere10 sight-seers who infest11 the Rhine,—the trifling12 discomforts13 of a more unfrequented route being sufficient to deter14 these garrulous15 butterflies from “doing” the Moselle; and as yet Murray has not given in detail the number of turrets16 to each castle on this river, for eager watchers to “tell off” as the steamer breasts the stream. Still it is remarkable17 how few of all those that pass the mouth of the Moselle at Coblence ascend6 its waters.
We now invite those who cannot in person see “the blue Moselle” to embark18 their minds in our skiff, and as we glide19 along we will tell them tales of the old time, when the ruined towers above our heads clanged with the tramp of armed men, and echoed to songs of love and wine.
Trèves and its bridge are shut out by the trees, and the river nymphs surround us with garlands and with song.
Now our boat adown the stream
Floats, as in a happy dream,—
Thoughts to fancy’s kingdom go,
There, like waters, tranquil20 flow;
[101]
Airy palaces they build
Where our kindred spirits dwell,
Who with woven sunbeams gild21
Regions that we love so well.
Rippling22 now the gentle waves
(Gay sunshine our pathway paves),
Sing to us as on we glide
Down the swiftly-glancing tide:
“Happiness and harmless mirth
Innocently we enjoy,
So the denizens23 of earth
May, like us, their time employ,—
Working we sing,
In leisure hours we play;
O’er toil24 we fling
A garland ever gay.”
O’er our heads the dark rocks rise,
Stern their mass the stream defies,—
Round their base the dark wave flows,
Battling, silently, she goes:
Thus in life, too frequent, rocks
Stand before us in our way;
And their bulk our passage blocks,
Bidding us our course to stay.
Shall we at their bidding turn,
Fearful of their aspect stern?
No: for patiently we may
Round, or through them, win our way.
The little incidents seen on the banks of the river as we move along are eminently25 picturesque, and give life and reality to what we should otherwise almost [102]imagine to be a dream of beauty, rather than real actual scenes, where toil and labour are at work. Such foregrounds, too, for artists! Here is a woman mowing26: further down, one impels27 a heavy boat along by means of a pole: there red cows stand, half in the water, half on a grassy28 slope, with the reflected green of which their red contrasts. Again, as we approach a village, some of the maidens29 are seen drawing water; while others, in groups and attitudes that present endless studies, wash their gay clothing, or bleach30 long strips of brownish linen31.
Boat-building is carried on at nearly every village, and the smoke from the accompanying fire wreathes among the walnut-trees. In reality, the people work hard; but it is difficult to divest32 our minds of the idea that they are merely sauntering about, and forming groups for their own amusement and the delight of others. All is so complete in loveliness, that it seems unreal. [103]
The ribs33 of the great flat-bottomed boats look like skeletons of some curious animal, which the apparent loungers are examining at their ease; and the nearly completed barge34 seems to be a sort of summer-house, in which the idler can sit, or under which he may smoke his pipe in the shade,—for, of course, all smoke. Usually the long stem with the earthenware35 or china bowl is the medium by which the fragrant36 weed is inhaled37, but sometimes a few inches of coarse stick (in appearance) is the substitute.
Boat-building.
Boat-building.
These boats, when finished, are used for all sorts of purposes. The want of good roads, and the fact of the stream being less rapid than that of the Rhine, as well as the absence of steam-tugs, makes the Moselle more lively with barges39 and small boats, especially the latter; though, of course, there being only three or four steamers on the whole distance (about 150 miles) between Trèves and Coblence, the absence of those [104]puffing drawbacks to tranquil enjoyment renders the Moselle more quiet on the whole.
The larger barges carry iron, earthenware, charcoal40, bark, wine, and general cargoes41; while the smaller ones are filled with market produce of all sorts going to be sold in the larger towns, and numbers of these small boats are kept at each village for the residents to cross to their farms or vineyards on the opposite bank. There are also ferry-boats, large enough for carts and oxen, or horses, at nearly every cluster of houses.
Boat-building.
Boat-building.
Often watching these great boats with their miscellaneous lading, or waiting our own turn to cross, we have been struck by the contrast between the young fair children with flaxen hair and the careworn42 countenances43 of the parents, whose skin is nearly as brown as that of a Maltese boatman, his approaching to claret-colour. The peasantry are, as far as we could judge or learn, a simple, contented44 race, working hard, and in bad seasons ill-fed. [105]
THE FERRY.
On grassy bank the village stands,
The crowds returning, throng45
The ferry-boat, which quickly lands,
Impelled46 by arms so strong.
The heavy boat is filled with men,
With women, and with carts;
Amongst the crowd the children
Move with their lightsome hearts.
The women’s brows are stamped with care,
The men with toil are worn;
But midst them stand those children fair,
Those happy newly-born.
The doom47 of man, “for life to toil,”
Rests on the parents both,
But on that young, fresh, virgin48 soil,
Even the Sun is loth.
His hot red hand too fierce to press,
Where innocence49 and love
Call for a mother’s sweet caress50
And from the sky above
Speak unto us, who labour here,
This message through them sent:
“Live, love, and worship, in God’s fear;
“To labour be content;
“So shall ye live, and dying, shall not miss
“The life immortal51, in the realms of bliss52!”
The different seasons of the year, of course, bring different incidents on our river into existence, each in its proper turn. The hay-harvest is a very lively time [106]upon its banks; everywhere the green slopes are rid of their superfluous53 load, and boats cross and recross the river with the sweet-scented cargoes, some of which are stored, some transferred to larger bottoms for transportation down the stream.
Later comes the corn-harvest, then the boats are freighted with the golden ears; soon after an equally busy time sets in, when every sort of boat is seen piled with small branches of the oak: the leaves are stripped from the branches so brought home, and, being carefully dried, they form an excellent material with which the people stuff their mattresses54, this making, as they assert, much warmer and softer beds, than straw. Every village possesses a right of cutting bedding at [107]some place, and the different inhabitants have days allotted55 them by the authorities, on which they may help themselves.
The winter draws near and the vintage sets in, then all boats are employed on this absorbing service; the little boats, with large casks on board, look in the distance very much like gondolas56: wherever the eye rests, nothing is seen that has not some connexion with the great event of the year on the Moselle. However, the vintage has a chapter to itself, so we will not dwell upon it here.
Carrying firewood is the last great occupation of the year for the smaller boats, and it is well for those who can procure57 a good supply of fuel, for the winter is cold and severe; unfortunately, too, wood is very scarce and dear, and though somewhat cheaper on the Moselle than in most parts of Germany, yet a good fire is quite out of the reach of the poorer classes, and they scrape together every morsel58 to enable them to feed the iron stoves which warm their cottages. [108]
The river is in parts so shallow that breakwaters are built out from the banks, in order to deepen the centre of the stream; this, of course, makes the water run swifter, and it requires great toil of many horses to tug38 the barges up the stream. Floating down these rapids is agreeable enough, and the descent is made with very little labour, towns and villages succeeding each other on the banks, the approaches to them being lined with fruit-trees, of which the walnut and cherry are the most conspicuous59.
The cherries are excellent, and so plentiful60 that children will often refuse a handful when offered, having previously61 gorged62 themselves at home. Numbers are exported, going by river to Coblence, and so on down the Rhine.
Apricots are also abundant in good seasons. They are grown on standard trees.
Garden produce of all sorts abounds63, and apples and pears drop unheeded to the ground.
Through incidents like these, on bank and river, we glide on. We have, perhaps, halted during the midday heat at some inviting64 spot, where the cool shadows reposed65 beneath the walnuts66; now the evening draws near, and rounding a corner, our resting-place for the night appears. The thin mist rising from the river obscures the base of the church, whose sharply-pointed spire67 is conspicuous above the trees; lights fall in tremulous lines from the high windows, and in the air is the sound of— [109]
CHURCH MUSIC.
From the church the anthem68 pealing69,
O’er the wave is gently stealing:
Now it swells71, now dies away,
Making holy harmony.
The spire from out the trees
Our eyes directs on high;
The sounds which swell70 the breeze,
The heavens to us bring nigh;
For while we listen to the song
Of glory rais’d to “Him on high,”
Our thoughts soar up, and dwell among
Those realms where Immortality72,
In angel forms and bright array,
Before God’s throne for ever pray,
And Hallelujahs joyous73 raise
To their “Almighty Maker’s” praise.
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1
enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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quaint
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| adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的 | |
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picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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ascend
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| vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上 | |
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7
walnut
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| n.胡桃，胡桃木，胡桃色，茶色 | |
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8
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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9
swarms
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| 蜂群，一大群( swarm的名词复数 ) | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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infest
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| v.大批出没于；侵扰；寄生于 | |
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trifling
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| adj.微不足道的；没什么价值的 | |
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13
discomforts
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| n.不舒适( discomfort的名词复数 )；不愉快，苦恼 | |
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14
deter
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| vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住 | |
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15
garrulous
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| adj.唠叨的，多话的 | |
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16
turrets
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| （六角）转台( turret的名词复数 )； （战舰和坦克等上的）转动炮塔； （摄影机等上的）镜头转台； （旧时攻城用的）塔车 | |
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17
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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18
embark
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| vi.乘船，着手，从事，上飞机 | |
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19
glide
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| n./v.溜，滑行；(时间)消逝 | |
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20
tranquil
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| adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的 | |
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21
gild
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| vt.给…镀金，把…漆成金色，使呈金色 | |
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22
rippling
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| 起涟漪的，潺潺流水般声音的 | |
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23
denizens
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| n.居民，住户( denizen的名词复数 ) | |
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24
toil
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| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 | |
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25
eminently
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| adv.突出地；显著地；不寻常地 | |
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26
mowing
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| n.割草，一次收割量，牧草地v.刈，割( mow的现在分词 ) | |
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27
impels
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| v.推动、推进或敦促某人做某事( impel的第三人称单数 ) | |
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28
grassy
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| adj.盖满草的；长满草的 | |
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29
maidens
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| 处女( maiden的名词复数 )； 少女； 未婚女子； （板球运动）未得分的一轮投球 | |
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30
bleach
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| vt.使漂白；vi.变白；n.漂白剂 | |
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31
linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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32
divest
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| v.脱去，剥除 | |
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33
ribs
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| n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹 | |
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34
barge
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| n.平底载货船，驳船 | |
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35
earthenware
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| n.土器，陶器 | |
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36
fragrant
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| adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的 | |
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37
inhaled
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| v.吸入( inhale的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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38
tug
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| v.用力拖(或拉)；苦干；n.拖；苦干；拖船 | |
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39
barges
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| 驳船( barge的名词复数 ) | |
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40
charcoal
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| n.炭，木炭，生物炭 | |
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41
cargoes
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| n.（船或飞机装载的）货物( cargo的名词复数 )；大量，重负 | |
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42
careworn
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| adj.疲倦的，饱经忧患的 | |
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43
countenances
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| n.面容( countenance的名词复数 )；表情；镇静；道义支持 | |
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44
contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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45
throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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46
impelled
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| v.推动、推进或敦促某人做某事( impel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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47
doom
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| n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定 | |
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48
virgin
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| n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的 | |
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49
innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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50
caress
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| vt./n.爱抚，抚摸 | |
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51
immortal
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| adj.不朽的；永生的，不死的；神的 | |
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52
bliss
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| n.狂喜，福佑，天赐的福 | |
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53
superfluous
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| adj.过多的，过剩的，多余的 | |
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54
mattresses
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| 褥垫，床垫( mattress的名词复数 ) | |
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allotted
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| 分配，拨给，摊派( allot的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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56
gondolas
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| n.狭长小船( gondola的名词复数 )；货架（一般指商店，例如化妆品店）；吊船工作台 | |
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57
procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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58
morsel
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| n.一口，一点点 | |
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59
conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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60
plentiful
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| adj.富裕的，丰富的 | |
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61
previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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62
gorged
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| v.（用食物把自己）塞饱，填饱( gorge的过去式和过去分词 )；作呕 | |
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63
abounds
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| v.大量存在，充满，富于( abound的第三人称单数 ) | |
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inviting
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| adj.诱人的，引人注目的 | |
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65
reposed
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| v.将（手臂等）靠在某人（某物）上( repose的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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66
walnuts
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| 胡桃（树）( walnut的名词复数 )； 胡桃木 | |
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67
spire
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| n.(教堂)尖顶，尖塔，高点 | |
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68
anthem
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| n.圣歌，赞美诗，颂歌 | |
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69
pealing
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| v.（使）（钟等）鸣响，（雷等）发出隆隆声( peal的现在分词 ) | |
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70
swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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71
swells
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| 增强( swell的第三人称单数 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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72
immortality
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| n.不死，不朽 | |
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joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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