ROLAND'S TOWER.
"And now," said Mr. George, as soon as the porter had put down his trunk
and gone out of the room, "the first thing to be thought of is dinner."
Rollo was also ready for a dinner, especially for such excellent little
dinners of beefsteaks, fried potatoes, nice bread and butter, and
coffee, as his uncle usually ordered. So, after refreshing themselves a
few minutes in their room, Mr. George and Rollo went down stairs in
order to go into the dining room to call for a dinner. As they passed
through the hall, they saw a door there which opened out upon
beautifully ornamented grounds behind the house. The land ascended very
suddenly, it is true, but there were broad gravel paths of easy grade to
go up by; and there were groves, and copses of shrubbery, and blooming
flowers, in great abundance, on every hand. On looking up, too, Rollo
saw several seats, at different elevations, where he supposed there must
be good views.
While they were standing at this door, looking out upon the grounds, a
waiter came by, and they told him what they wished to have for dinner.
"Very well," said the waiter; "and where will you have it? You can have
it in your room, or in the dining room, or in the garden, just as you
please."
"Let us have it in the garden," said Rollo.
"Well," said Mr. George, "in the garden."
So the young gentlemen went out into the garden to choose a table and a
place, while the waiter went to make arrangements for their dinner.
The part of the garden where the seats and the tables were placed was a
level terrace, not behind the house, but in a line with it, at the end,
so that it fronted the road, and commanded a very fine view both of the
road and of the river, as well as of all the people, and carriages, and
boats that were passing up and down. This terrace was high up above the
road, being walled up on that side, as I have already described; and
there was a parapet in front, to prevent people from falling down. This
parapet was, however, not so high but that Rollo could look over it very
conveniently, and see all that was passing in the road and on the river
below. There was a sort of roof, like an awning, over this place, to
shelter it from the sun and the rain; and there were trees and trellises
behind, and at the ends, to enclose it, and give it an air of seclusion.
The trellises were covered with grapevines, on which many clusters of
grapes were seen, that had already grown quite large. Numerous flower
pots, containing a great many brilliant flowers all in bloom, were
placed in various positions, to enliven and adorn the scene. Some were
on the tables, some on benches behind them, and there were six of the
finest of them placed at regular intervals upon the parapet, on the side
towards the street. These last gave the gardens a very attractive
appearance as seen outside, by people going by in carriages along the
road, or in boats on the river.
Rollo and Mr. George chose a table that stood near the parapet, in the
middle of the space between two of the flower pots, and sitting down
they amused themselves by looking over the wall until the waiter brought
them their dinner.[9] The dinner came at length, and the travellers
immediately, with excellent appetites, commenced eating it.
[Footnote 9: For a view of this part of the river see frontispiece.]
"Uncle George," said Rollo, in the middle of the dinner, "my feet are
getting pretty lame."
"Are they?" said Mr. George.
"Yes," said Rollo, "I have walked a great deal lately."
"Then," said Mr. George, "you must let them rest. You must go down to
the river and bathe them in the cool water after dinner, and not walk
any more to-night."
"But I want to go up to Roland's Tower," said Rollo.
"Well," said Mr. George, "perhaps you might do that. You can ride up on
one of the donkeys."
This plan was accordingly agreed to, and as soon as the dinner was ended
it was put in execution.
The donkeys that were used for the ascent of the hill to Roland's Tower
were kept standing, all caparisoned, at the foot of the hill, at the
entrance to a little lane where the pathway commenced. Mr. George and
Rollo had seen them standing there when they came along the road. The
place was very near where they were sitting; so that, after finishing
their dinner, they had only to walk a few steps through the garden, and
thence out through a back gate, when they found themselves in the lane,
and the donkeys and the donkey boys all before them.
Mr. George thought that he should prefer to _walk_ up the mountain; but
Rollo chose a donkey, and with a little assistance from Mr. George he
mounted into the seat. At first he was afraid that he might fall; for
the seat, though there was a sort of back to it, as has already been
described, to keep persons in, seemed rather unsteady, especially when
the donkey began to move.
"It will not do much harm if I do fall," said Rollo, "for the donkey is
not much bigger than a calf."
Mr. George, who was accustomed to leave Rollo a great deal to himself on
all occasions, did not stop in this instance to see him set off, but as
soon as he had got him installed in his seat, began to walk himself up
the pathway, with long strides, and was soon hid from view among the
grapevines, at a turn of the road, leaving Rollo to his own resources
with the donkey and the donkey boy. At first the donkey would not go;
but the boy soon compelled him to set out, by whipping him with the
stick, and away they then went, all three together, scrambling up the
steep path with a rapidity that made it quite difficult for Rollo to
keep his seat.
The paths leading up these hill sides on the banks of the Rhine are
entirely different from any mountain paths, or any country roads, of
any sort, to be seen in America. In the first place, there is no waste
land at the margin of them. Just width enough is allowed for two donkeys
or mules to pass each other, and then the walls which keep up the
vineyard terrace on the upper side, and enclose the vine plantings on
the other, come close to the margin of it, on both sides, leaving not a
foot to spare. The path is made and finished in the most perfect manner.
It is gravelled hard, so that the rains may not wash it; and it mounts
by regular zigzags, with seats or resting-places at the turnings, where
the traveller can stop and enjoy the view. In fact, the paths are as
complete and perfect as in the nature of the case it is possible for
them to be made; and well they may be so, for it is perhaps fifteen
hundred years since they were laid out; and during this long interval,
fifty generations of vinedressers have worked upon them to improve them
and to keep them in order. In fact, it is probable that the roads and
the mountain paths, both in Switzerland and on the Rhine, are more
ancient than any thing else we see there, except the brooks and
cascades, or the hills and mountains themselves.
When Rollo had got up about two thirds the height of the hill, he came
to the pavilion, which you see in the engraving standing on a
projecting pinnacle of the rock, a little below the ruin. There was a
gateway which led to the pavilion, by a sort of private path; but the
gate was set open, that people might go in. Rollo dismounted from his
donkey, and went in. His uncle was already there.
It is wholly impossible to describe the view which presented itself from
this commanding point, both up and down the river, or to give any idea
of the impression produced upon the minds of our travellers when they
stood leaning over the balcony, and gazed down to the water below from
the dizzy height. The pavilion is built of stone, and is secured in the
most solid and substantial manner, being very far more perfect in its
construction than the old towers and castles were, whose remains have
stood upon these mountains so long. It will probably last, therefore,
longer than they have, and perhaps to the very end of time.
It stands on a pinnacle of basaltic rock, which here projects so as
actually to overhang its foundations.
The view both up and down the river is inconceivably beautiful and
grand.
There was no seat in the pavilion, but there was one against the rocks,
and under the shades of the trees just behind it; and here Mr. George
and Rollo sat down to rest a while, after they had looked out from the
pavilion itself as long as they desired.
"I believe I'll walk up the rest of the way," said Rollo, "and let the
donkey stay where he is."
"Why, don't you like riding on the donkey?" asked Mr. George.
"Yes," said Rollo, "I like to ride, but he don't seem to like to carry
me very well. Besides, it is not far now to the top."
The path immediately above the pavilion passed out of the region of the
vineyards, and entered a little thicket of evergreen trees, through
which it ascended by short zigzags, very steep, until at length it came
out upon a smooth, grassy mound, which crowned the summit of the
elevation; and here suddenly the ruin came into view. It was a single
ruined arch, standing alone on the brink of the hill. The arch was
evidently, when first built, of the plainest and rudest construction.
The stones were of basalt, which is a volcanic rock, very permanent and
durable in character, and as hard almost as iron. The mortar between the
stones had crumbled away a good deal, but the stones themselves seemed
unchanged. Mr. George struck his cane against them, and they returned a
ringing sound, as if they had been made of metal.
Around this arch were the remains of the ancient wall of the building,
by means of which it was easy to see that the whole edifice must have
been of very small dimensions, and that it must have been originally
constructed in a very rude manner. The arch seems to have been intended
for a door or a window. Probably they took more pains with the
construction of the arch than they did with the rest of the edifice,
using larger and better stones for it, and stronger mortar; and this may
be the reason why this part has stood so long, while the rest has fallen
down and gone to decay. In fact, it is generally found that the arches
of ancient edifices are the parts of the masonry which are the last to
fall.
The opening in the arch looked down the river. Mr. George took his stand
upon the line of the wall opposite the Island of Nonnenwerth, and said
that he supposed there must have been another window there.
"Here is where the old knight must have stood," said he, "to look down
on the island, and the convent where his lost lady was imprisoned."
"Yes," said Rollo, "he could look right down upon it from here. I wonder
whether the nun knew that he was up here."
"Yes," said Mr. George, "there is not the least doubt that she did.
They found out some way to have an understanding together, you may
depend."
After lingering about the old ruin as long as they wished, our
travellers came down the hill again as they went up, except that Rollo
walked all the way. He was afraid to ride on the donkey going down, for
fear that he should fall.
Rollo went down to the river side, and taking off his stockings and
shoes, bathed his feet in the stream. While he was there a great boat
came by, towed by two horses that walked along the bank. The rope,
however, by which the horses drew the boat was fastened, not to the side
of the boat, as is common with us on canals, but to the top of the mast,
so that it was carried high in the air, and it passed over Rollo's head
without disturbing him at all. They always have the tow ropes fastened
to the top of the mast on the Rhine, because the banks are in some
places so high that a rope lying low would not draw.
Rollo remained on the bank of the river some time, and then he put on
his shoes and stockings and went up into his room. He found that his
uncle George was seated at the table, with pen, ink, and paper out, and
was busy writing letters.
"Uncle George," said Rollo, "what shall I do now?"
"Let me think," said Mr. George. Then after a moment's reflection, he
added, "I should like to have you take a sheet of paper, and draw this
little table up to the window, and take your seat there, and look out,
and whenever you see any thing remarkable, write down what it is on the
paper."
"What shall you do with it when I have got it done?" said Rollo.
"I'll tell you that when it _is_ done," replied Mr. George.
"But perhaps I shall not see any thing remarkable," said Rollo.
"Then," said Mr. George, "you will not have any thing to write. You will
in that case only sit and look out of the window."
"Very well," said Rollo, "I will do it. But will it do just as well for
me to go down to the terrace, and do it there?"
"Yes," said Mr. George, "just as well."
So Rollo took out his portfolio and his pocket pen and inkstand, and
went down to the terrace, and there he sat for nearly two hours watching
what was going by, and making out his catalogue of the remarkable
things. At the end of about two hours, Mr. George, having finished his
letters came down to see how Rollo was getting along. Rollo showed him
his list, and Mr. George was quite pleased with it. In the course of the
evening Rollo made several additions to it; and when at length it was
completed, it read as follows.
[Illustration]