Rhine

The Rhine appears as a crossing on the escape route taken by Diego, Fernandez, and Julia in Hafen Slawkenbergius’s embedded narrative. The river is not described for its own sake: it marks one stage in a hurried passage across Europe, while the lovers’ rapid progress leaves the people of Strasbourg pursuing curiosity along a road that can no longer bring them to the object of their search.

A Crossing in the Lovers’ Flight

After Diego and Fernandez mount their animals outside the inn, they pass the Rhine, traverse Alsace, and head toward Lyon. The sequence is briskly compressed: the river is named as one point in a chain of movement, rather than presented as a destination or a place where the travelers stop. From Lyon, Diego and Julia proceed across the Pyrenees and reach Valladolid before the Strasbourg party has even set out.

Route and Narrative Contrast

The Rhine crossing belongs to the tale’s continental geography, linking the eastward setting of the Strasbourg episode with the lovers’ journey toward Spain. Its narrative importance lies in the contrast between two kinds of motion. Diego and his companions travel decisively onward; the Strasburgers, driven by curiosity, spend three days and nights tossed about on the Frankfort road before they can submit to return home. By the time their pursuit turns back, Diego is already in Spain, making it impossible to encounter the stranger on that road.

Significance in the Embedded Tale

The river’s concise mention contributes to the story’s swift, almost itinerary-like account of travel. Rather than lingering over scenery, the narration measures distance through successive crossings and changes of direction: the Rhine, Alsace, Lyon, the Pyrenees, and Valladolid. This movement sharpens the irony of the Strasburgers’ delayed expedition: their restless desire keeps them in motion, but does not bring them closer to the travelers who have already gone beyond their reach.