Spiers: Memoranda of an autumn tour in 1836

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AUG. 23. TUES.

Our little French friend called early upon us & we walked with him to the fortress opposite Ehrenbreitstein & to the monument of General Marceau which Byron has named so feelingly in these lines commencing

"By Coblenz, on a rise of gentle ground."
"There is a small and simple pyramid. -

The 2 churches we looked into & in spite of the Frenchman's presence we visited the fountain which records the intended invasion of the russians by the French & the witty addition made to it by the former on their pursuit of the scattered invaders. Thus it runs "Memorable pour

"Vu et approuvé par nous, Commandant Russe, de la Ville de Coblenz. 1814

The Frenchman smiled, C'est la fortune de la Guerre, said he.

Ehrenbreitstein requires to be seen often & in different positions before you know its magnificent vastness & strength. On the road leading to Lahnstein by the side of the Rhine, is an excellent situation for viewing it. After ascertaining the non arrival of our letters or bag, we determined on making a little tour for 2 days & the above was the route we took. This walk was our first along the banks of the broad & deep & full flowing Rhine - & much did we feast our eyes thereon. A few miles brought us opposite to Stolzenfels castle, a ruin finely placed on a jutting rock & near the junction of the Lahn river with the Rhine another ruin of Lahnstein perched up on a mountain eyrie. It was a sweet spot that these 2 ruins frown down upon. We laid down upon the greensward of its banks before leaving the Rhine for a season. Our course now lay by the side of its tributary the Lahn which runs down a narrow little valley2 miles

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