The Rhine is named as the endpoint of France’s retreat in a historical survey of England’s growing military power. It functions not as a setting for a narrated scene but as a geographic marker in the account of shifting fortunes on the Continent.

Historical Reference

The novel places the Rhine at the end of a retreat from the Danube after an English victory. The brief reference links the river to the changing reach of military power without describing the Rhine itself or recounting events along its banks.

Narrative Function

The Rhine’s significance here is compressed and political: its name gives a destination to France’s withdrawal within a rapid catalogue of English successes. The passage offers no further detail about the river, its inhabitants, or a particular encounter there.