MOSCOW. Ill 



fhat the whole thing was accidental ! Whatever glory, 

 therefore, has been attributed to the Russians, for thia 

 supposed grand sacrifice, has been thrust upon them by 

 others, but rejected by themselves. 



But we must descend from Long John and examine the 

 Kremlin, its churches, nunneries, palaces, treasury. 



Impossible ! The mere catalogue of its curiosities 

 would occupy pages. We should be compelled to dege- 

 nerate into the " Look now before you, and here you 

 see,*' &c., of the penny showman. Yet, without doubt, 

 a collection of objects are here congregated expressive of 

 the history and rise of Russia. 



The palaces are extremely interesting. The New 

 Palace has the most magnificent suite of apartments I 

 have ever seen. The St. George's, Alexander's, St. 

 Andrew's, St. Catherine's, in which the knights of those 

 several orders are invested, are finer than any in St. 

 Petersburg, and are not surpassed by any in the world. 

 The old Tartar palace, with its low-roofed small apart- 

 ments, almost closets, its narrow screw staircase to tha 

 council-chamber, its thrones, beds, arabesque and fantas- 

 tic ornaments on the walls of trees with birds, and fruits, 

 squirrels, mice, painted in every colour, are all thoroughly 

 Oriental and Moorish. It was from the roof of this palace 

 that Napoleon first beheld Moscow, from within the walls ; 

 and the view is superb. 



The treasury, again, is a world in itself of national 

 curiosities. It contains, among other provincial wonders, 

 crowns 01 ail her emperors, and those of the several 



