y feet
front. All round this city, the heights are strongly fortified; and,
look where you may, you see means of defence.

We here determined upon an excursion to Stolzenfels, which is about four
miles from Coblentz, and our party went in two carriages--the family of
Mr. B. in one, and ourselves in the other. The ride was very pleasant
along the banks of the Rhine, and through orchards and vineyards--the
heights towering away over us all the way. We came to the village of
Capellen, which is a poor little hamlet at the base of the lofty
mountain on which stood the noble ruins of Stolzenfels Castle, which has
been most admirably restored, and is now the summer palace of the King
of Prussia. The ascent is very steep, but the road is admirable.
Carriages are not allowed to go up, and travellers are supplied with
donkeys, of which we found plenty in waiting. Our party all obtained
these patient beasts of burden, and I assure you that we made a funny
cavalcade. I do think it would have amused you to see ladies, gentlemen,
and boys, all escorted by ragged urchins, mounting the hill. The road
has been made at immense expense, and winds along in the most romantic
manner--giving you, at every turn, the finest views and catches of the
river, up and down; while the walls are frequently at the edges of
precipices, from fifty to two hundred feet over the ravines below. The
woods were in all their glory, and I never saw a finer day. On arriving
at the castle, we rang a bell, and the servant in livery appeared--a
fine, civil fellow he was. On entering, we were all furnished with felt
slippers, so that, in walking through the apartments, we might not
injure the polished oak floors. This castle was the residence of
Archbishop Werner, who, at the close of the fourteenth century, was
devoted to alchemy. The old tower is an immense affair, and still
remains, and is likely to remain for ages. The new parts of the palace
have all been restored with constant reference to the original
architectural style. We wandered from one apartment to another, perhaps
going into twenty or thirty apartments, none of which were very large,
and many of them quite small and cosy. We saw the bed-room of the king.
Every thing was plain, and the furniture generally made of oak or black
walnut. His study table had pen and ink and paper upon it, just as if
he had stepped out of the room. The queen's apartments were very
elegantly plain, and her oratory is as pretty