The Life of the Moselle

Octavius Rooke

The beautiful scenery of the Moselle has too long been left without notice. It is true some of our Artists have presented to us scenes on the banks of this river; but English travellers, are for the most part, ignorant how very charming and eminently picturesque are the shores of this lovely stream.

"The Rhine! the Rhine!" is quoted by every one and admired or abused at every fireside, but the Moselle is almost wholly unexplored. Lying, as she does, within a disrict absolutely averrun with summertourists, it is altogether inexplicable that a river presenting scenery unsurpassed in Europe should be so neglected by those who in thousands pass the mouth of her stream. When the Roman Poet Ausonius visited Germany it was not the Rhine,but the Moselle which most pleased him; and although glorious Italy was his home, yet he could spare time to explore the Moselle and extol the loveliness of her waters in a most eloquent poem.