Excerpt from The Heart of Europe: From the Rhine to the Danube; A Series of Striking and Interesting Views; Including Illustrative Poems by Foreign and American Authors

Hills and towers are gazing downward

In the mirror-gleaming Rhine,

And my boat drives gayly onward,

While the sun-rays round it shine.

Calm I watch the wavelets stealing,

Golden gleaming, as I glide;

Calmly too awakes the feeling

Which within my heart I hide.

Gently greeting and assuring,

Bright the river tempts me on;

Well I know that face alluring!

Death and night lie further down!

Joy above, at heart beguiling,

Thou 'rt my own loves image, Flood!

She too knows the art of smiling,

She can seem as calm and good.

Heinrich Heine. Tr. C. G. Lf.land.

Victor Hugo remarks: "Of all rivers I love the Rhine." It is a noble stream, worthy of the great nations to whom it has belonged. It unites all charms: it is rapid like the Rhone, broad as the Loire, tortuous as the Seine, royal like the Danube, historic as the Tiber, mysterious as the Nile, flecked with gold like an American river, overhung with fables and phantoms like a river of Asia.

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