48 U Ii E 
RHEIDT, or Rheyd, a town of the Prussian province 
of Cleves an<| Berg, on the rivers Niers. It contains 3600 
inhabitants, and is a brisk manufacturing place; the spinning 
and weaving of cotton employing above 1000 persons. 
Silk, velvet, and a very different article, soap, are also manu¬ 
factured here. 
RHEIMS, or Reims, derived from Reml, a large and an¬ 
cient city ofFrance, in the north-east of the kingdom, in the de¬ 
partment of the Marne. It stands on the bank of the small river 
Vesle, in a fine plain, surrounded at a distance with a chain 
of low hills, covered with vineyards. The form of the city 
is oblong, extending in length from south-east to north-west, 
and surrounded with a ditch and earthen mound, planted on 
both sides with double rows of trees, but serving only the 
purpose of embellishment, the remaining fortifications of the 
city having been levelled in 1812. The space inclosed by 
the walls is very large, but a considerable part of it, particu¬ 
larly on the south-west side, is occupied by gardens and 
walks. The closely built part, not one half the space inclosed, 
is a regular oval, of which the square called the Place Roy ale, 
may be considered the centre. The streets are in general 
wide and straight; in some quarters, however, they are 
winding and narrow. One of the finest is the very long 
street, which leads in a straight line, across the whole width 
of the town, from the eastern to the western gate, passing 
through the centre of the Royal square. The latter, for a 
French square, is large. The Place St. Rcmy, situated at 
'the southern extremity of the town, though ofan irregular shape, 
is pleasant. The houses of Rheims are in general well built, 
though, from their want of height, there is little striking in 
their appearance. The town is supplied with water by pipes 
from the Vesle. It has six gates, all of a fine appearance 
from the spacious and shady avenues leading to the city. 
Two of them, viz. the Porte dc Ceres, and the Porte dc 
Mars, have retained their Roman names. Outside of the 
former is a small suburb of the same name. 
Of the public buildings of Rheims, the most remarkable 
by far is the cathedral, a vast Gothic edifice of the 12th cen¬ 
tury, and one of the finest specimens of that kind of archi¬ 
tecture in France. The portal is quite a chef d'oeuvre, but 
the frontispiece is loaded with a profusion of sculptures in an 
indifferent taste. It was in this church that the ceremony of 
anointing or consecrating the kings of France, formerly took 
place. The second object of interest, so long as it stood, 
was the church of St. Nicaise, with its arch and pillar, which 
were said to shake on the ringing of one of the bells. The 
church of St. Remy is worth notice, both for its architecture, and 
as the depositary of the famous phial of oil with which the kings 
are anointed, and which, according to a tradition not yet ex¬ 
ploded, was brought from heaven by a dove, at the baptism 
of Clovis. The episcopal palace, near the. cathedral, is. a 
fine building. The hotel de ville is remarkable for its vast 
size, and the beauty of its front: it had formerly an equestrian 
statue of Louis XIII. Rheims contains three hospitals, and 
presents to the antiquary a considerable field for research ; 
many of its old buildings containing vestiges of very remote 
ages. Outside of the Porte dc Mars are to be seen the 
remains of a triumphal arch, and some traces of an amphi¬ 
theatre. A university, founded here in 1547, is now 
replaced by a royal college, or high school. The arch¬ 
bishop of this ancient city is the primate of the kingdom. 
The population of Rheims is about 38,000. The chief 
manufactures are of cotton and woollens; also of hats and 
stockings. It is the residence of a sub-prefect, but not the 
capital of a department. It was the birth-place of the famous 
Colbert. 
This town was the scene of sharp fighting between the 
French and Russians, in the spring of 1814. The latter en¬ 
tered it unexpectedly on the 12th March, but were attacked 
on the 13th by Buonaparte, then on his march from Laon, 
and driven from it, after the loss of their general, St. Priest, 
and 2000 men. This success, howe’ver, was temporary, 
being followed by the advance of the allies to Paris, and the 
abdication of Suonaparle; 26 miles north-north-west of Cha- 
E H E 
lons-sur-Marne, and 100 east-by-north of Paris. Laf. 43. 
16. N. Long. 4. 6. E. 
RIIEIN-BERRY, s [ spina cervina, Latin.} Buckthorn, 
a plant. 
RHEINA, the chief town of the principality of Rheina- 
Wolbeck, is situated on the Ems, in Prussian Westphalia, 
government of Munster. It has 2100 inhabitants. 
RHEINAU, a town in the north-east of Switzerland, in 
the canton of Thurgau. Near it, on an island in the Rhine, 
is a rich Benedictine abbey. Population 800; 5' miles 
south-south-west of Schaffhausen. 
RHEINA-WOLBECK, a small principality in Westphalia, 
formerly a bailiwic of the bishopric of Munster, but given as 
an indemnity to the prince of Lootz and Corswaren in 1802, 
and subject since 1815, to Prussia and Hanover. It consists 
of a long narrow track, extending along the west side of the- 
Ems, and has an area of 256 square miles, with 10,000 in¬ 
habitants, a number of whom, as throughout the rest of West¬ 
phalia, go in summer to Holland, in search of employment. 
RHEINBACH, or Rhynbach, a town of the Prussian 
province of Cleves and Berg; 20 miles south of Cologne- 
Population 1200. 
RIIEINBERGEN, a town of the Prussian states, in the 
government of Cleves, with 1700 inhabitants. It was for¬ 
merly fortified; and rows of trees are planted on each side 
of its streets. The Rhine at one time passed close to the 
town, but now flows two miles to the eastward; 8 miles 
south of Wesel. 
RHEIN-BISCHOFFSIIEIM. See Bischofsheim. 
RHEINECK, a small town of Switzerland, in the canton 
of St. Gall, on the Rhine, not far from the lake of Constance. 
It is the chief place of the district called the Rheinthal, and 
has a brisk trade in linen and cotton ; 8 miles south "west of 
Bregentz, and 24 east-south-east of Constance. 
RHEINFELDEN, a town in the north of Switzerland, on 
the Rhine; 9 miles east of Bale. Population 1200. There 
is here a covered wooden bridge over the river, which flows 
at this spot with great rapidity. 
RHEINFELS, or Rhinfels, a fortress of the Prussian 
grand duchy of the Lower Rhine, situated on an island in 
the Lower Rhine, at St. Goar, between Coblentz and Bach- 
araeh. This fortress was besieged by the French in 1672, 
but without success. In 1794, it was taken and dismantled 
by them, but it has been repaired. Over against this fortress 
stands New Catzenelnbogen, a very strong castle on a lofty rock. 
RHEINGAU, or Rhingau, a district of Germany, in 
the duchy of Nassau, situated on the north bank of the Rhine, 
and extending from Biberach to Rudesheim. It is about 12 
miles long, and 4 broad, has a warm exposure, and produces, 
the best quality of Rhenish wine. Along the Rhine there is. 
a number of villages. 
RFIEINHEIM, a town of the west of Germany ; 7 miles 
east-south-east of Darmstadt. Population 1600. 
RHEINHEIM, a village of the west of Germany, ia 
Baden; 6 miles east-south-east of Waldshut. Population 900. 
RHEINMAGEN, or Remagen, a town of the Prussian 
government of Coblentz, on the Rhine, with 800 inhabitants. 
It is a place of great antiquity, was anciently called Regiom- 
agus, and has several vestiges of Roman works. 
RHEINNAU, a town of France, in Alsace, on the Rhine; 
5 miles south of Strasburg. It was formerly large, but 
injured by successive inundations of the river. It now con¬ 
tains only 1200 inhabitants. 
RHEINTHAL, i. e. the Valley of the Rhine, a district of 
the Swiss canton of St. Gall, lying along the Rhine, from the 
lake of Constance to the lordship of Sax. It is above 16 
miles long, and 4 broad, and contains about 15,000 inhabi¬ 
tants. In the immediate neighbourhood of the Rhine the 
soil is gravelly, and the population thin; but at a greater 
distance, tillage succeeds better, and flax, fruit, vines, and 
maize, are all raised with success. The chief employment of 
the inhabitants consists in spinning and weaving cotton and 
flax for the manufacturers of St. Gall and Appenzel. ' The 
majority are Calvinists, but there are a good many Catholics, 
