The streets of the town were very narrow and winding2, the houses projected over their bases in every variety of irregularity: they were nearly all built of wood frames, filled up with plaster, as those in the villages are; but frequently this plaster was covered with many-coloured tiles, rounded at the edges. The general effect was a sort of green shot with red tints3, [166]and being glazed4, these tiles reflected blue from the sky, and broken lights and hues5 of all sorts, giving a very gay and pleasing appearance. The casements6 were filled with glass that was nearly as green as the tiles, and from the windows hung out lengths of cloth; or bright flowers in their pots filled the openings, when not occupied by the faces of gossips, who carried on quick conversation with others below in the street, or else in the opposite windows, almost within reach of their arms.
A little canal wound about, following the course of the streets. This was covered over with flat stones; but many apertures7 allowed your feet to slip in, if a careful watch was not kept. The pavements required the same caution, as holes were abundant, and cabbage-stalks plentiful8.
Here and there houses more modern, or of greater pretension9 than others, had large windows and walls built of stone. The church was placed on an eminence10, and had many gables, quite in keeping with the little walled town over which it presided. Squeezed into a space too small for its wants, the town overlapped11 the old walls and formed different suburbs, the chief of which lay on the banks of a brook12 which here dashes down through the steep valley into the river.
Busy and flourishing, Trarbach was quite a gay city compared to the clusters of houses that call themselves Stadts and Dorfs on the banks of our river, and in the valleys surrounding.
High up on a lofty cliff directly over the town are [167]the ruins of the Gr?finburg Castle. In bygone days this castle belonged to the powerful Counts of Sponheim, and was built with funds procured13 in the following manner from an Archbishop of Trèves, and named after the sharp-witted Countess.
[Contents]
THE BISHOP14’S RANSOM15.
The Count of Sponheim dying, his beautiful wife, Lauretta, was left with her young son to contend against the malice16 of the Archbishop Baldwin of Trèves, who claimed her territory for himself, with no right but that of “the strong hand;” Baldwin deeming that a young widow would not be able to support the claims of her son against an Elector and Prince-Bishop.
The Archbishop formally excommunicated her as a first step, on her contumaciously17 refusing to surrender her rights to a usurper18. The beautiful Countess laughed at this proceeding19, and being assisted by many good knights20, defied all his efforts.
One fine day in May, the Bishop, who was lodging21 in Trarbach, embarked22 in a boat for Coblence, and much enjoying the voyage, stood talking and planning with his adherents23 how best he might surprise the Countess of Sponheim, whose castle of Starkenburg rose from the rocks overhead.
While thus scheming, the Bishop perceived on the bank a number of men, who seemed armed, and awaiting his coming. Hastily, therefore, his lordship gave orders to quicken their pace; but suddenly a great [168]shock threw Baldwin and many of his friends down on their knees. This was caused by the bow of the boat coming quickly against a strong chain, which was placed by the Countess’s orders just under the water, reaching from shore to shore. Before the Bishop and friends could recover their footing the Countess’s adherents were on them, and the whole party made prisoners and marched up to the Castle of Starkenburg.
The angry Bishop was led into the presence of the beautiful lady. At first the Prelate demanded that he should instantly be freed, and spoke24 of the rights of the Church, the shameless treachery of the whole proceeding, and the risk his captors ran of damnation.
At all this the lady but smiled, and the Bishop’s heart melted within him as he gazed on her beauty.
The days sped away, and the Archbishop Baldwin finding the beautiful Countess was not to be moved by his threats, nor yet won by his love, bethought him at length of his people, who pined for so gentle a shepherd; therefore he sent off to Trèves, asking his flock for a ransom, which the Countess insisted his lordship should pay before he set out, “as some slight compensation,” she said, “for the loss of his presence. Moreover,” her ladyship added, “that the Archbishop was something indebted for the use of her larder25 and cellar.”
The bill for eating and drinking proved heavy, and the amount for the loss of his pleasing society brought the sum total up to sufficient to pay for the [169]building the strong castle, whose ruins now crumble26 over the good town of Trarbach: this castle proved an effectual barrier against the Archbishop’s encroachments.
At parting, the Prelate absolved27 the fair Countess of guilt28, and took away the excommunication under which she had laboured; so there is probably no truth in the tale that her ladyship haunts the old ruin, and constantly weeps for her crime of incarcerating29 so holy a man.
This castle of Gr?finburg was a most important fortress30, and capable of making a stout31 resistance, even in the days of cannon32; for, in 1734, the Marquis of Belle-Isle was sent by Louis XIV., with a strong army, to ravage33 the territories of the Elector of Trèves, who escaped by flight to Ehrenbreitstein. The Marquis laid siege to Trarbach, and after a hard struggle, and enduring a fierce bombardment, the garrison34 capitulated, and marched out with all the honours of war: the castle was then rased to the ground by the Marquis, leaving only the portion engraved35 at the head of the preceding chapter.
The burning of Trarbach, which happened last autumn, was a splendid but melancholy36 sight; we chanced to be sleeping at Traben, a town on the opposite side of the river, and from our windows we saw the magnificent spectacle.
About four in the afternoon the fire first began, caused (it was said) by some children playing with [170]matches. As may be easily imagined, from the fact of the very old houses, all built of wood, being crushed into narrow streets and enclosed within walls, the flames spread rapidly; so fast, indeed, they came on, that the poor people flying were forced to throw down the goods they were trying to save and run for their lives. The church, being on an eminence a little out of the town, was thought quite secure, and in it were stored the effects from the neighbouring houses until it was filled from roof-tree to floor.
The night now set in dark as pitch; still the fire crept on, reaching its red forked tongue over the narrow streets, in spite of the water which was freely supplied from the river; at last the church caught, and the flames, bursting from windows and roof, consumed all the goods that were stored, and destroyed the old building itself.
Trarbach in flames.
Trarbach in flames.
[171]
The sight was superb; the whole space, enclosed by the hills in which the town lay, surged in great waves of fire: in this huge molten sea great monsters appeared to be moving, whose shapes seemed writhing37 with pain as those of the devils in hell.
The glare fell on the ruins of Gr?finburg, and the water reflected it back. The houses were all burnt to the ground, excepting only those seen in the view, and a very few others which lay in the outskirt. The inhabitants laboured all night with the engines, but at six in the morning, when we came away, great clouds of dull smoke still ascended38 from where Trarbach had stood, but which now was only a ruin.
This fire was one of a series. In three succeeding days, Zell, Zeltingen, and Trarbach were more or less burnt; and within a short time Berncastel was thrice visited by the Fire-fiend. Many other smaller fires also took place, and no one could give us the reason; troops were sent out from Trèves, but nothing was ever elicited39.
Traben, which was also partially40 burnt, is a curious enough place, and has as bad pavement as any in Europe: the little inn there was well spoken of by Murray, so now they charge very dear, and give very indifferent food. When we speak of dearness on the Moselle, we do not mean actually dear, for prices are far lower than those on the Rhine; only when in one little inn we get our supper and bed, with bottle of wine, for three shillings, we grumble41 at paying five for the same in another, where nothing is better.
Not far from Traben is the place where Kloster Springiersbach formerly42 stood in a solitude43; here came crowds of pilgrims, for the place was most holy, and inhabited by many pious44 monks45: of one of these a legend is told, called
THE LILY IN THE CHOIR47.
A very pious monk46 lay dying upon his bed, around him his brethren prayed for his soul; the dying man suffered from much pain, therefore his dissolution would be a blessing48 for him. The monk had been too weak to attend at his prayers in the chapel49 for many days past, and lo! over the place where he had been accustomed to pray, a white lily put forth50 its leaves. The holy man died, and the lily then burst into flower: so passed the guileless soul of the man from earth into heaven, and the pure blooming lily long marked the place where he knelt in the chapel,—an image of him whose departure from earth we now have narrated51.
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1
specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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2
winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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3
tints
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| 色彩( tint的名词复数 )； 带白的颜色； （淡色）染发剂； 痕迹 | |
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4
glazed
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| adj.光滑的，像玻璃的；上过釉的；呆滞无神的v.装玻璃( glaze的过去式)；上釉于，上光；（目光）变得呆滞无神 | |
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hues
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| 色彩( hue的名词复数 )； 色调； 信仰； 观点 | |
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casements
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| n.窗扉( casement的名词复数 ) | |
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apertures
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| n.孔( aperture的名词复数 )；隙缝；（照相机的）光圈；孔径 | |
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8
plentiful
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| adj.富裕的，丰富的 | |
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9
pretension
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| n.要求；自命，自称；自负 | |
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10
eminence
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| n.卓越，显赫；高地，高处；名家 | |
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11
overlapped
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| _adj.重叠的v.部分重叠( overlap的过去式和过去分词 )；（物体）部份重叠；交叠；（时间上）部份重叠 | |
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12
brook
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| n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让 | |
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13
procured
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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bishop
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| n.主教，（国际象棋）象 | |
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15
ransom
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| n.赎金，赎身；v.赎回，解救 | |
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16
malice
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| n.恶意，怨恨，蓄意；[律]预谋 | |
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contumaciously
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usurper
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| n. 篡夺者, 僭取者 | |
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proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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knights
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| 骑士； （中古时代的）武士( knight的名词复数 )； 骑士； 爵士； （国际象棋中）马 | |
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21
lodging
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| n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍 | |
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22
embarked
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| 乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 )； 装载； 从事 | |
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adherents
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| n.支持者，拥护者( adherent的名词复数 )；党羽；徒子徒孙 | |
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24
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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25
larder
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| n.食物贮藏室，食品橱 | |
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26
crumble
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| vi.碎裂，崩溃；vt.弄碎，摧毁 | |
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absolved
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| 宣告…无罪，赦免…的罪行，宽恕…的罪行( absolve的过去式和过去分词 )； 不受责难，免除责任 [义务] ,开脱（罪责） | |
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28
guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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29
incarcerating
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| vt.监禁，禁闭（incarcerate的现在分词形式） | |
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30
fortress
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| n.堡垒，防御工事 | |
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32
cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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33
ravage
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| vt.使...荒废，破坏...；n.破坏，掠夺，荒废 | |
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garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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35
engraved
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| v.在（硬物）上雕刻（字，画等）( engrave的过去式和过去分词 )；将某事物深深印在（记忆或头脑中） | |
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36
melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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37
writhing
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| （因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的现在分词 ) | |
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38
ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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39
elicited
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| 引出，探出( elicit的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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40
partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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41
grumble
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| vi.抱怨；咕哝；n.抱怨，牢骚；咕哝，隆隆声 | |
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42
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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43
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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44
pious
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| adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的 | |
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45
monks
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| n.修道士，僧侣( monk的名词复数 ) | |
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46
monk
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| n.和尚，僧侣，修道士 | |
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47
choir
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| n.唱诗班，唱诗班的席位，合唱团，舞蹈团；v.合唱 | |
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48
blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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49
chapel
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| n.小教堂，殡仪馆 | |
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50
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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51
narrated
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| v.故事( narrate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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