Diary of John Quincy Adams, volume 1
This morning at 6 o'clock we set off from Cologne for Coblentz where we arrived at about 6 o'clock P.M. As we could not get horses to go any farther, we stopp'd here, the distance is about 66. English miles. The roads this day were the best we have had since we left Utrecht. Our road, some part of the way was cut through the mountains on the banks of the Rhine; On these mountains we saw the vinyards which produce the Rhenish Wine; Coblentz has nothing remarkable except the citadel which is on the other side of the Rhine, and is situated upon a high Mountain; We went to see it. From the top of it you have on one side, a large extensive plane, but on the other the mountains hinder you from seeing far. Here the river Meusel
On almost one page in the Diary is the seventh paragraph of The Spectator No. 631 (ed. Bond, 5:158), originally begun in the Diary on 11 July.
This morning at about four o'clock we set off from Coblentz for Francfort, Where we arriv'd at 8 ½ o'clock, the distance is 84 English Miles; All the way, the roads are mountainous till you get within about 10 Miles of Frankfort, and then you come upon a very large plain. The roads till the plain are in general very bad; but the soil is good, and cultivated in some places. On this plain we saw some fields of Indian corn, which was the best I have seen in Europe, tho by no means so large and fine as that in America.
From the Spectator (continued from yesterday).1
Here follow, on about one page in the Diary, the concluding two paragraphs from The Spectator No. 631 (ed. Bond, 5:158).
This morning we enquired something about this city: It is situated upon the river Meyn and is call'd Francfort upon the Meyn to distinguish it from another city in Germany call'd Francfort upon the Oder. It is an imperial city, govern'd by its own magistrates: they Choose every year a new burgermaster or mayor. The dominant religion in this city is Lutheran. Catholics and Jews are tolerated, but Calvinists are not; but they go over on Sundays to a village call'd Bockenheim, (which is subject to the Prince of Hannau) where they have a Church. This city is pretty Strongly fortified, but in time of war, whenever an Army appears they throw open their gates, whether friend or Enemy, and let it pass thro.' Here the Emperor is elected and crown'd. They have no Manufactures here, but import them from all parts of Germany France, Switzerland, Italy, England and Holland. There are 600 Jew families here who live all in one street which is shut up every night, and all day on Sundays, when the gates are shut they can only come out upon occasions of necessity, but the jews can keep their shops in any part of the City.
N. B. As I have not time for the present to copy any-thing, I shall leave it of