not all exist in the highest degrees together and in harmony. And certainly, in the case immediately before us-the comparison between our present condition and that of our ancestors of the earlier part of the last century-it would be very difficult to show that the higher degree of morality and liberty really went along with the lower degree of civilization and order.'-(Vol. IV. p. 856.)

(EDINBURGH REVIEW.)

THE TOWER OF LAHNECK:

A ROMANCE.

Amongst the many castled crags on the banks of the Rhine, one of the most picturesque is the ruin of Lahneck, perched on a conical rock, close to that beautiful little river the Labn. The Castle itself is a venerable fragment, with one lofty tower rising far above the rest of the building-a characteristic feature of a feudal stronghold-being in fact the Observatory of the Robber-Baron, whence he watched, not the motions of the heavenly bodies, but the movements of such earthly ones as might afford him a booty, or threaten him with an assault. And truly, Lahneck is said to have been the residence of an order of Teutonic Knights-exactly matching in number the famous band of Thieves in the Arabian Tale.

However, when the sun sets in a broad blaze behind the heights of Capelles, and the fine ruin of Stolzenfels on the opposite banks of the Rhine, its last rays always linger on the lofty towers of Lahneck. Many a time, while standing rod in hand on one or other of the brown rocks which, narrowing the channel of the river, form a small rapid, very favourable to the fisherman - many a time have I watched the rich warm light burning beaconlike on the very summit of that solitary tower, whilst all the river lay beneath in deepest shadow, save the golden circles that marked where a fish rose to the surface, or the bright coruscations made by the screaming

swallow as it sportively dipped its wing in the dusky water, like a gay friend breaking in on the cloudy reveries of a moody mind. And as these natural lights faded away, the artificial ones of the village of Lahnstein began to twinklethe glowing windows of Duquet's hospitable pavilion, especially, throwing across the stream a series of dancing reflections that shone the brighter, for the sombre shadows of a massy cluster of acacias in the tavern-garden. Then the myriads of chafers, taking to wing filled the air with droning-whilst the lovely fireflies with their fairy lamps began to flit across my homeward path, or hovered from osier to osier, along the calm waterside. But a truce to these personal reminis

cences.

It was on a fine afternoon, towards the close of May, 1830, that two ladies began slowly to climb the winding path which leads through a wild shrubbery to the ruined Castle of Lahneck. They were unaccompanied by any person of the other sex; but such rambles are less perilous for unprotected females in that country than in our own--and they had enjoyed several similar excursions without accident or offence. At any rate, to judge from their leisure steps, and the cheerful tone of their voices, they apprehended no more danger than might accrue to a gauze or a ribbon from an overhanging branch or a stray bramble. The steepness of the ascent forced them occasionally to halt to take breath, but they stopped quite as frequently to gather the wild flowers, and especially the sweet valley lilies, there so abundant, to look up at the timestained Ruin from a new point, or to comment on the beauties of the scenery.

The elder of the ladies spoke in English, to which her companion replied in the same language, but with a foreign accent and occasional idioms, that belonged to another tongue. In fact she was a native of Germany, whereas the other was one of those many thousands of British travellers whom the long peace, the steamboat, and the poetry of Byron had tempted to visit the "blue and arrowy" river. Both were young, handsome, and accomplished; but the Fraulein Von B. was unmarried; whilst Mrs. was a wife and a mother,

and with her husband and her two children, had occupied for some weeks a temporary home within the walls of Coblenz. It was in this city that a friendship had been formed between the German Girl and the fair Islander-the gentle pair who were now treading so freely and fearlessly under the walls of a Castle where womanly beauty might formerly have ventured as safely, as the doe near the den of the lion. But those days are happily gone by-the dominion of Brute Force is over-and the Wild Baron who doomed his victims to the treacherous abyss, has dropped into an Oubliette as deep as his own.

At last the two ladies gained the summit of the mountain, and for some minutes stood still and silent, as if entranced by the beauty of the scene before them. There are elevations at which the mind loses breath as well as the body-and pants too thickly with thought upon thought to find ready utterance. This was especially the case with the Englishwoman, whose cheek flushed, while her eyes glistened with tears; for the soul is touched by beauty as well as melted by kindness, and here Nature was lavish of both-at once charming, cheering, and refreshing her with a magnificent prospect, the brightest of sunshine, and the balmiest air. Her companion, in the meantime, was almost as taciturn, merely uttering the names of the places-Ober-Lahnstein-Capelles-Stolzenfels-NiederLahnstein-St. John's Church-to which she successively pointed with her little white finger. Following its direction, the other lady slowly turned round, till her eyes rested on the Castle itself, but she was too near to see the ruin to advantage, and her neck ached as she strained it to look up at the lofty tower which rose almost from her feet. Still she continued to gaze upward, till her indefinite thoughts grew into a wish that she could ascend to the top, and thence, as if suspended in air, enjoy an uninterrupted view of the whole horizon. It was with delight, therefore, that on turning an angle of the wall she discovered a low open arch which admitted her to the interior, where, after a little groping, she perceived a flight of stone steps, winding, as far as the eye could trace, up the massy walls.

The staircase, however, looked very dark, or rather dismal, after the bright sunshine she had just quitted, but the whim of the moment, the spirit of adventure and curiosity, induced her to proceed, although her companion who was more phlegmatic, started several difficulties and doubts as to the practi‣ cability of the ascent. There were, however, no obstacles to surmount beyond the gloom, some trifling heaps of rubbish, and the fatigue of mounting so many gigantic steps. But this weariness was richly repaid, whenever through an occasional loophole she caught a sample of the bright blue sky, and which like samples in general, appeared of a far more intense and beautiful colour than any she had ever seen in the whole piece, No, never had heaven seemed so heavenly, or earth so lovely, or water so clear and pure, as through those narrow apertures-never had she seen any views so charming as those exquisite snatches of landscape, framed by the massive masonry into little cabinet pictures of a few inches square so small, indeed, that the two friends, pressed cheek to cheek, could only behold them with one eye apiece! The Englishwoman knew at least a dozen of such tableaux,, to be seen through particular loopholes in certain angles of the walls of Coblenz but these pictures of the Lahneck gallery, as she termed them, transcended them all! Nevertheless it cost her a sigh to reflect how many forlorn captives, languishing perhaps within those very walls, had been confined to such glimpses of the world without-nay, whose every prospect on this side the grave, had been framed in stone. But such thoughts soon pass away from the minds of the young, the healthy, and the happy, and the next moment the fair moralist was challenging the echoes to join with her in a favourite air. Now and then indeed the song abruptly stopped, or the voice quavered on a wrong note, as a fragment of mortar rattled down to the basement, or a disturbed bat rustled from its lurkingplace, or the air breathed through a crevice with a sound so like the human sigh, as to revive her melancholy fancies. But these were transient terrors, and only gave rise to peals of light-hearted merriment, that were mocked by laughing voices from each angle of the walls.

VOL. II.

64

At last the toilsome ascent was safely accomplished, and the two friends stood together on the top of the tower, drawing a long, delicious breath of the fresh free air. For a time they were both dazzled to blindness by the sudden change from gloom to sunshine, as well as dizzy from the unaccustomed height; but these effects soon wore off, and the whole splendid panorama,-variegated with mountains, valleys, rocks, castles, chapels, spires, towns, villages, vineyards, corn-fields, forests, and rivers, was revealed to the delighted sense. the English-woman had anticipated, her eye could now travel unimpeded round the entire horizon, which it did again and again and again, while her lips kept repeating all the superlatives of admiration.

As

It is mine Faderland, murmured the German girl with a natural tone of triumph in the beauty of her native country. Speak - did I not well to persuade you to here, by little bits, and little bits, instead of a stop at Horcheim?.

You did indeed, my dear Amanda. Such a noble prospect would well repay a much longer walk. »

Look !-see-dere is Rhense-and de Marxberg-but the finger was pointed in vain, for the eyes it would have guided continued to look in the opposite direction across the Lahn. Is it possible, from here, inquired the Englishwoman, "to see Coblenz ? »

H

Instead of answering this question, the German girl looked up archly in the speaker's face, and then smiling and nodding her head, said slily, Ah, you do think of a somebody at home! »

N

I was thinking of him indeed, replied the other, and regretting that he is not at this moment by my side to enjoy » She stopped short for at that instant a tremendous peal, as of the nearest thunder, shook the tower to its very foundation. The German shrieked, and the ever ready Ach Gott!» burst from her quivering lips; but the Englishwoman neither stirred nor spoke, though her cheek turned of the hue of death. Some minds are much more apprehensive than others, and hers was unusually quick in its conclusions,-the thought passed from cause to consequence with the rapidity