O’er castle wall and donjon keep;
Her beams they dance on every rill,
On every turret1 seem to sleep.
[208]
Such was the hour and such the night on which the mad Pfalz-graf, Henry of Cochem, slew2 his wife. Thus runs the tale in the overture:—
[Contents]
LEGEND OF COCHEM.
The Pfalz-graf Henry, called “the Mad,” had a bitter quarrel with the Archbishop of Cologne, and had been worsted in combat with the Archbishop’s troops; retiring, he shut himself up in his castle of Cochem.
As the evening drew on, the Pfalz-graf became more and more excited, and strode to and fro in his chamber4. The light of the full moon still further added to his fury, and he raged like a lion confined in his den5, constantly calling on the Archbishop by name, and vowing6 vengeance7 against him.
His gentle wife approaching him sought to soothe8 him with her caresses9, and addressed him with words of endearment10. For a few moments he seemed to be calmer; but then starting up, he seized a great axe11 and struck his wife to the earth.
At seeing this monstrous12 deed, the attendants sprang forward; alas13! too late, for the gentle lady was dead.
The madman was seized and taken to the Archbishop of Trèves, who had him confined in a cell, where he soon after died.
The town of Cochem is hid by the trees on our left as we look at the castle: it contains about 2500 inhabitants, [209]and is a very clean, flourishing town. It contains very fair shops, and the hotel is good. It is very picturesque14; its streets are steep and narrow, and the old walls and gate-towers add to its general appearance of age. On market-days it is crowded with people from all the adjoining villages, who sell their produce to dealers15 who supply the market of Coblence. A little steamer bustles17 and puffs18 down the stream into Coblence every day, and gets back again in the evening.
Cochem is a good resting-place, as in its neighbourhood are found many interesting places, such as Beilstein, Marienbourg, Clotten, Treis, Elz, &c.; and immediately around it the country walks are very numerous, varied19 in character, and beautiful.
Sitting in the balcony of the inn, too, is very pleasant; the steamers, with their passing life, arrive and depart just opposite; the great fleets of barges20 are pulled past by dozens of horses, at which the drivers scream and crack their whips till the whole valley resounds21; fishermen ply16 their trade, and at night-time light fires on the banks, that thus they may be able to see their prey22 in the water.
Opposite is a small village, and behind this village are vineyards belonging to Cochem; so the constant communication necessarily kept up makes the river appear very lively. Boats also are generally being built or repaired, and the girls are washing linen23 or carrying water up from the stream.
Between Cochem and Beilstein there is, at a turn [210]of the river, a beautiful cemetery24, and a church with twin-spires25. The cliffs and river sweep round the angle and shut in this retired26 nook, which, thus separated from the world, appears a fit resting-place for those whose waking will be in a world more glorious than this. There are on our river many cemeteries27 and graveyards28, most beautifully placed; and the graves, with their simple crosses, seem the realisation of peace.
Nearer to Cochem is a very perfect echo; it repeats twice with great clearness, and is so long before answering that there is time to say quite a sentence. Thus it invited us to “come again to-morrow;” and for many a morrow we visited and revisited the scenery here, the endless foot-paths over rocks and through vines, or forests, or fields, ever giving us new views and fresh combinations of beauty, and we found days pass into weeks with the greatest rapidity.
Following the brook29 at the end of the town, we arrive at the foot of the hill on which the strong castle of Winneburg stands, midst its own ruins. It has two sets of walls and moats, and must have been quite inaccessible30 in the old time. It is difficult to get into it now, even without anybody to poke31 a pike down one’s throat, or pour molten lead in your eyes.
Its situation is fine, and from it part of Cochem is seen, and the castle of Cochem, which rises quite close to the town. It is curious how deceptive32 these places are in size. What seems from below to be a mere33 fragment of ruin, becomes, at your nearer approach, [211]a most extensive circuit of wall, with many roofless chambers34 and turrets35; just as we never know the size of a tree until it is felled.
The legend of Winneburg, called “the Immured36 Maiden,” merely relates that the master-builder who had contracted to finish the keep within a certain time failed in his contract; and being reproached by his employer, was about to jump into the Moselle from the walls: but a stranger assured him, if he would allow him to build into the wall the little daughter he loved so dearly, he would finish the keep in a day. The rascal37 consented, and the devil built the little girl up in the foundation of this strong keep-tower.
We doubted the truth of this story, as the master-builder must have been a very active man to have jumped two miles and a half, which is the distance from Winneburg to the Moselle.
Continuing our course from the hill on which Winneburg stands, we enter a narrow part of the valley called the Enterthal. This Enterthal consists of a series of openings in the very high hills; the openings are exquisitely38 green lawns, surrounded by thick foliage39 and rock; through or round these openings runs the brook, heaping up stones and spreading into pools, or tumbling down headlong in its hurry to reach its gentle sovereign the Moselle.
The path is rough, and constantly you have to hop3 from stone to stone across the brook. Thus picking our steps, we came suddenly on a most aristocratic [212]fishing-party, consisting of the burgomaster and his attendants, clad in blue, with red stripes to their caps, and with naked legs. They seemed very successful in procuring40 trout41 for the official supper. Their mode of fishing was not scientific or sportsman-like,—an odd-shaped net, which they poked42 under the banks, being the only tackle of this great man, who did not disdain43 to wet his own Herr-burgomasterial legs in the pursuit.
After a long ramble44 an old mill is reached, and a good sketch45 found; indeed, the whole walk was a sort of diorama of beautiful moving pictures of rock, and tree, and water. The people we met in these valleys were by no means civil; and we found out at last that their incivility was caused by their thinking we were making plans to divert the course of the stream, or otherwise injure their properties.
English ladies were evidently quite new objects of curiosity to the people of Cochem. On leaving the hotel, the ladies of our party immediately became objects to be pointed46 at, talked about, and stared out of countenance47. If the streets had been empty before their appearance, there were always spies of some sort on the alert, who called to doors and windows those who made a perpetual peep-show of these wonderful strangers. Every tea-table and wine-party also, as we were informed, discussed us, and wondered what could induce us to remain at Cochem when we might be enjoying all the gaieties of Trèves or Coblence. Although we passed weeks there their wonder never diminished, nor did their curiosity cease. They [213]seemed to have no idea of scenery being worth anything.
Luckily, this unpleasant curiosity was confined to the people of the town; in the country a hearty48 “Guten tag,” or “Gute nacht,” always greeted us, and the greatest readiness to direct or assist us was always shown by the peasants: one man was, it is true, exceedingly tickled49 at the idea of our asking the way to a valley which we were already in, and could scarcely answer for laughing. Evidently, too, they in general fancied that so important a place as Something-heim, or whatever the name of the place happened to be, ought to be well known to every one.
The castle of Cochem affords a most agreeable retirement50 to those who are fond of reading, sketching51, or musing52 through the summer’s day: unlike the ruins on the Rhine, it is wholly uninfested by beggars, donkeys, or venders of faded flowers and wreaths. Here you may walk up the hill and enter by a stone bridge into the outworks; perhaps a few sheep or goats, with an attendant boy, are there: if not, Solitude53 holds his court amid the deserted54 walls. Through the ruined window-arches the river is seen, and the town is immediately under us: vines cover one side of the steep hill, and a little chapel55 nestles itself into a corner where the rock shelters it from stones; above rise the mountains, covered with cherry and other trees to near the top, where young oaks supersede56 the less hardy57 fruit-trees: a soft green lawn fills the space surrounded by the outworks of the castle; [214]in the centre stands the massive keep, beside which is a smaller tower, and in the distance, Winneburg is greyly visible.
Cochem was one of the three castles given up to the Countess of Sponheim by Archbishop Baldwin, as a security for the heavy ransom58 she made him pay: this happened in 1328. About the same period the Jews of Cochem were massacred; the popular fury was raised against them by the story of the supposed murder of the child Werner at Oberwesel on Rhine. The truth appears to be, that the Jews had become richer than the other members of the communities in which they lived, and therefore Envy roused the populace to fury with a fictitious59 story of murder, and by this means plundered60 the unfortunate Hebrews, who no longer lived to protect their property.
Cochem suffered terribly when it was taken by Marshal Boufflers, who, after devastating61 the Palatinate, advanced against this town; thrice his troops were repulsed62 by the brave defenders63, at length the superior numbers of the besiegers forced an entrance, but with a loss of 2500 men, among whom were six colonels: all the inhabitants that remained alive after the pillage64 were sent into other countries, and only a few ever found their way back. After the taking of the town the cruelties exercised by the French troops were only surpassed by Tilly at Magdebourg.
The assault took place on the fête of St. Louis, [215]and Boufflers sent the news of the taking and burning of Cochem to Louis XIV. as a pleasant gift, well suited to the occasion.
The chateau65 of Winneburg was taken and sacked at the same time. This castle afterwards became the family seat of the Metternichs.
For a long time after these outrages66, it is said that those who had witnessed the dreadful scenes at the taking of Cochem were wont67 to start up in their sleep, crying, “The French! the French!”
Passing out of Cochem, as we continue on our flowery path, we find ourselves in the shade of the Kreuzberg mountain: it is covered with vineyards, which produce a small quantity of excellent wine.
The next town is Clotten; between it and Cochem a fine range of rocky precipices68 form an amphitheatre, that dwarfs69 even the gigantic works of the old Romans. What ants we appear when from a rock we look down on our human mole-hills!
The church at Clotten is remarkably70 well placed on an eminence71, where its handsome proportions are seen to the greatest effect. The town is very dilapidated and irregularly built: there are some very picturesque houses in it still, but the old walls and gate-towers have nearly all disappeared to make room for the vines.
Clotten Castle.
Clotten Castle.
At a little distance from the town is the ruined tower, that alone survives of the former castle of [216]Clotten; it is partially72 undermined, and a great hole broken into its centre. The castle of Clotten was extensive, and very strong; at one time it was the residence of a queen, Richenza of Poland. She was the wife of Miceslaus II., and during her husband’s lifetime she managed all the affairs of the kingdom: at his death she was made Regent during her young son’s minority, but the Poles drove her out of their kingdom, and she took refuge with her son Casimir in Clotten: here she shut herself up, and Casimir became a monk73. Some years after, a deputation from Poland waited on Casimir, and begged him to return to Poland as king; this he did, the Pope releasing [217]him from his vows74 on the whimsical condition that all the Poles of good birth should cut their hair close to the point of the ear, in perpetual recollection of their king having been a monk.
Richenza endeavoured to persuade her son not to accept the throne, but her arguments did not convince him of the vanity of royalty75; she remained in this country, constantly residing at Clotten Castle, near which she built a hermitage with a chapel, to which she often retired.
A fine reach of the river is seen from the ruin, and behind it is a deep valley, in which one or two mills are just perceptible through the trees that envelope the course of the brook which turns their great wheels.
The spires of the churches are in general finely pointed, the one at our feet, as we stand here, is a fair example of their style of architecture. On Sundays and fête-days they are crowded; often they are so full, that late-comers are obliged to stand in the doorway76 or outside: the crowd is made up of both men and women; the head-dresses of the latter are gay and graceful77. The embroidered78 cloth or velvet79 covering the thick plaits of the unmarried girls, the close caps of the old women, and the smart streaming ribbons of the young wives, make the heads of the crowd like a bed of tulips.
The men always wear blue blouses and black hats, or plain cloth caps, so they are commonplace-looking enough: the boatmen are alone, of their sex, [218]picturesque; a red cap sets them off amazingly, and they seem to have a very good opinion of themselves, if we may judge by the ease with which they joke the m?dchen they pass on their voyage.
A good many fish are caught in the river, but they are generally small. All day long solitary80 men sit in boats, and at long intervals81 dip up and down nets that move on a pole at the end of a swivel: they must have immense patience, and consume, we should suppose, the greater part of their earnings82 in the tobacco that they constantly smoke. The casting-net also is much used, but then there must be two men, one to pole the boat into the rapids while the other swings in his net.
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1
turret
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| n.塔楼，角塔 | |
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slew
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| v.（使）旋转；n.大量，许多 | |
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hop
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| n.单脚跳，跳跃；vi.单脚跳，跳跃；着手做某事；vt.跳跃，跃过 | |
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chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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vowing
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| 起誓，发誓（vow的现在分词形式） | |
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vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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soothe
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| v.安慰；使平静；使减轻；缓和；奉承 | |
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caresses
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| 爱抚，抚摸( caress的名词复数 ) | |
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endearment
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| n.表示亲爱的行为 | |
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axe
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| n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减 | |
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12
monstrous
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| adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的 | |
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alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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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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dealers
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| n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者 | |
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ply
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| v.(搬运工等)等候顾客，弯曲 | |
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bustles
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| 热闹( bustle的名词复数 )； （女裙后部的）衬垫； 撑架 | |
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puffs
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| n.吸( puff的名词复数 )；（烟斗或香烟的）一吸；一缕（烟、蒸汽等）；（呼吸或风的）呼v.使喷出( puff的第三人称单数 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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barges
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| 驳船( barge的名词复数 ) | |
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resounds
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| v.（指声音等）回荡于某处( resound的第三人称单数 )；产生回响；（指某处）回荡着声音 | |
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prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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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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cemetery
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| n.坟墓，墓地，坟场 | |
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spires
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| n.（教堂的） 塔尖，尖顶( spire的名词复数 ) | |
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26
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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cemeteries
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| n.（非教堂的）墓地，公墓( cemetery的名词复数 ) | |
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28
graveyards
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| 墓地( graveyard的名词复数 )； 垃圾场； 废物堆积处； 收容所 | |
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29
brook
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| n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让 | |
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inaccessible
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| adj.达不到的，难接近的 | |
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31
poke
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| n.刺，戳，袋；vt.拨开，刺，戳；vi.戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢 | |
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deceptive
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| adj.骗人的，造成假象的，靠不住的 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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chambers
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| n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅 | |
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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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36
immured
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| v.禁闭，监禁( immure的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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rascal
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| n.流氓；不诚实的人 | |
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exquisitely
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| adv.精致地；强烈地；剧烈地；异常地 | |
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foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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procuring
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的现在分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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trout
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| n.鳟鱼；鲑鱼(属) | |
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42
poked
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| v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 )；戳出；拨弄；与（某人）性交 | |
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disdain
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| n.鄙视，轻视；v.轻视，鄙视，不屑 | |
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ramble
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| v.漫步，漫谈，漫游；n.漫步，闲谈，蔓延 | |
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sketch
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| n.草图；梗概；素描；v.素描；概述 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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tickled
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| （使）发痒( tickle的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）愉快，逗乐 | |
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50
retirement
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| n.退休，退职 | |
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sketching
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| n.草图 | |
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52
musing
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| n. 沉思，冥想 adj. 沉思的, 冥想的 动词muse的现在分词形式 | |
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53
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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55
chapel
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| n.小教堂，殡仪馆 | |
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56
supersede
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| v.替代；充任 | |
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hardy
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| adj.勇敢的，果断的，吃苦的；耐寒的 | |
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ransom
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| n.赎金，赎身；v.赎回，解救 | |
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fictitious
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| adj.虚构的，假设的；空头的 | |
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60
plundered
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| 掠夺，抢劫( plunder的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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devastating
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| adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的 | |
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62
repulsed
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| v.击退( repulse的过去式和过去分词 )；驳斥；拒绝 | |
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defenders
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| n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者 | |
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64
pillage
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| v.抢劫；掠夺；n.抢劫，掠夺；掠夺物 | |
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chateau
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| n.城堡，别墅 | |
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outrages
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| 引起…的义愤，激怒( outrage的第三人称单数 ) | |
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67
wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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68
precipices
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| n.悬崖，峭壁( precipice的名词复数 ) | |
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69
dwarfs
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| n.侏儒，矮子（dwarf的复数形式）vt.（使）显得矮小（dwarf的第三人称单数形式） | |
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remarkably
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| ad.不同寻常地，相当地 | |
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eminence
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| n.卓越，显赫；高地，高处；名家 | |
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partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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monk
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| n.和尚，僧侣，修道士 | |
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74
vows
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| 誓言( vow的名词复数 )； 郑重宣布，许愿 | |
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royalty
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| n.皇家，皇族 | |
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doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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embroidered
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| adj．绣花的 | |
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79
velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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80
solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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81
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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earnings
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| n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得 | |
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