CHAPTER V.
Roman Bridge at Trèves.
Leaving Metz, and all its soldiers, ramparts, and ditches far behind, our river, passing through a level country, arrives at Thionville. This town was in the diocese of Trèves, and dependent on the Parliament of Metz. Here Charlemagne had a favourite palace; and here, in a solemn assembly, he parted his vast estates between his three sons.
Its history is like that of Metz, made up of sieges, assaults, and surprises, but of less importance and less interest. It was always a strong place, and at the present day its fortifications, constructed by Vauban and Cormontaigne, are amongst the strongest in Europe: it lies in a level plain, and is uninteresting, though rather picturesque.
The Moselle rolls on, and in about twelve miles reaches Sierck, a clean little town, on its right bank; and then we pass from France to Prussia, and our river becomes German, its future beauty beginning to dawn as it approaches Trèves. Two streams here increase the volume of her waters—a smaller one on the left, and the Saar on the right.
There is one peculiar charm about the banks and neighbourhood of the Moselle, found equally at its source near Bussang, and amidst the German hills, this is, the number and variety of the beautiful wild-flowers with which its whole course teems, and with which our river is, as it were, garlanded.