We now entered the saloon, for dinner.  It was a larger light, and lofty room.  The ceiling was covered with paintings of allegorical subjects, in fresco, descriptive of the advantages of piety and learning.  Among the various groups, I thought I could discern—­as I could only take a hasty survey during my meal—­the apotheosis of the founder of the monastery.  Perhaps I rather wished to see it there, than that it was absolutely depicted.  However, we sat down, at the high table—­precisely as you may remember it in the halls at Oxford—­to a plentiful and elegant repast.  The Principal did me the honour of placing me at his right hand.  Grace was no sooner said, than Mr. Lewis made his appearance, and seemed to view the scene before him with mingled delight and astonishment.  He had, in fact, just completed his sketch of the monastery, and was well satisfied at seeing me in such quarters, and so occupied.  The brethren were also well pleased to receive him, but first begged to have a glance at the drawing—­with which they were highly gratified.

My companion having joined the festive board, the conversation, and the cups of Rhenish wine, seemed equally to circulate without restraint.  We were cheerful, even to loud mirth; and the smallness of the party, compared with the size of the hall, caused the sounds of our voices to be reverberated from every quarter.  Meantime, the sun threw his radiant beams through a window of noble dimensions, quite across the saloon—­so as to keep us in shadow, and illuminate the other parts of the room.  Thus we were cool, but the day without had begun to be sultry.  Behind me, or rather between the Abbot and myself, stood a grave, sedate, and inflexible-looking attendant—­of large, square dimensions—­habited in a black gown, which scarcely reached the skirts of his coat.  He spake not; he moved not; save when he saw my glass emptied, which without any previous notice or permission, he made a scrupulous point of filling ... even to the very brim!... with the most highly flavoured Rhenish wine which I had yet tasted in Germany.  Our glasses being of the most capacious dimensions, it behoved me to cast an attentive eye upon this replenishing process; and I told the worthy master of the table that we should be quickly revelling in our cups.  He assured me that the wine, although good, was weak; but begged that I would consider myself at liberty to act as I pleased.

In due time, the cloth was cleared; and a dessert, consisting chiefly of delicious peaches, succeeded.  A new order of bottles was introduced; tall, square, and capacious; which were said to contain wine of the same quality, but of a more delicate flavour.  It proved indeed to be most exquisite.  The past labours of the day, together with the growing heat, had given a relish to every thing which I tasted; and, in the full flow of my spirits, I proposed—­a sentiment, which I trusted would be considered as perfectly orthodox—­“Long life, and happy times