224 



The Traun Stein Rock. 



began to come in front of the rock, 

 which was now to the south of me and 

 about ten miles distant. It appeared to 

 be about half a mile in length and four- 

 teen or fifteen hundred feet in height, 

 and was now partly blended with a range 

 of mountains running near it to the east 

 and west. Its outline was broken, but 

 although I examined carefully each side 

 of it I could see nothing of the profile 

 spoken of — when, happening to raise my 

 eyes to the upper edge, I actually started 

 and drew a long breath, and it was some 

 minutes before I recovered fi-om my as- 

 tonishment. The day was bright, the 

 sun being on the side, gave to the moun- 

 tains the coloring of India ink, and 

 against the clear sky was the profile of 

 a man, as perfect almost as if Canova 

 had cut it there. Whether I should 

 have recognized the resemblance to 

 Louis XVI, without being led to ex- 

 pect it, I cannot say ; but I think I 

 should, for, as he is shown on his coins, 

 which I have often studied, the similar- 

 ity is very striking. I am almost afraid 

 to trust myself to speak of it, for I fear 

 I may appear rather like an enthusiast 

 than a sober narrator of facts. And yet 

 I cannot attribute its powerful effect on 

 me to any expectation I had been led to 

 entertain of something wonderful : for 

 my road during the afternoon led through 

 a forest in its direction, and often while 

 engaged in other musings and not think- 

 ing at all of it, I caught sight of it sud- 

 denly between the trees — the feeling 

 was always that of wonder, mingled at 

 least with awe, to a degree that be- 



