1830.] Petcrsburgh, Moscow, and the Provi 



was with some difficulty dissuaded. Now that I am on the subject of Paul, 

 I may as well introduce a few anecdotes of that whimsical emperor. He 

 was not fond of compliments : the flatterer that would please him was under 

 the necessity of disguising his incense, which, if unsparingly lavished, was 

 coldly and often harshly received. Like the father of the great Frederick, 

 Paul had a singular liking for very tall people. One day, conversing with the 

 Count de Choiseul-Gouffier on the subject of the grenadiers of his guard, 

 ' I am not of low stature,' said the Emperor, ( and yet, even when I stand on 

 tiptoe, my nose hardly touches their chins.' ' Sire/ replied the Count, f there 

 are various descriptions of greatness/ The Emperor, assuming a tone of 

 raillery, and examining the Count's dress with attention, ' You have never 

 worn that coat before/ said his majesty ; ' 'tis of Versailles manufacture, I 

 presume ; and you have doubtless found that compliment in one of the 

 pockets.' 



" On one occasion, M. Doyen, a French painter attached to the court, had a 

 violent quarrel with Prince YousoupofF, the Director-General of the Fine 

 Arts. On the following morning the Emperor visited the gallery, where 

 Doyen was at work on a large painting, representing the break of day. His 

 Majesty, who happened to be in a charming humour, looked over the artist's 

 work, and desired to know .the meaning of a group of figures placed behind 

 the Hours. ' Sire,' replied the painter, ' they are the half-hours ; and when 

 Prince YousoupofF honours me with a visit, I am tempted to change them 

 into minutes/ This whimsical complaint amused the Emperor ;. and to amuse 

 him was to gain his good-will. The director-general was visited with the 

 imperial rebuke, and the painter was thenceforward left to follow his avoca- 

 tions in tranquillity. 



" On another occasion, Doyen being occupied with a painting representing 

 a passage in the life of Pericles and of the philosopher Anaxagoras, Paul 

 demanded the name of the latter personage ; ' Epaminondas/ replied the 

 painter. ' You are mistaken, Doyen,' said the Emperor ; * you mean Anaxa- 

 goras/ ( Sire/ said the waggish artist, ' you are right ; I never recollect 

 names ; my memory begins to fail ; my lamp is nearly extinguished for want 

 of oil/ The Emperor took the hint. On the same evening, he sent the painter 

 6,000 roubles (about 1,000.) under an envelope, on which was written with 

 his own hand, * Oil for M. Doyen's lamp/ A few days afterwards, Paul, 

 accompanied by some of his courtiers, met the painter in the public gardens, 

 and immediately accosted him ; ' Well, Doyen/ said he, ' is your sight 

 improved ?' ' Ah, Sire !' replied Doyen, ' your Majesty is the most skilful 

 oculist in Europe/ " 



In the following anecdote the author pays a delicate compliment to 

 Madame de Stael : 



" Madame de Stael once passed the evening at the same house with Ma- 

 dame Svitchin, to whom she had long sought an introduction. The hostess, 

 who was much occupied with her numerous guests, had not as yet taken an 

 opportunity of gratifying her wishes. Madame de Stael, at length tired of 

 waiting, without further ceremony left her chair, and went straight to Madame 

 Svitchin, whom she thus accosted in a tone of friendly reproach : ' It seems, 

 Madame Svitchin, you are by no means anxious for my acquaintance ?' 

 ( Madame/ replied the latter, ' sovereigns always make the first ad- 

 vances/ 



The facility and purity with which the Russians speak most of the 

 continental languages is universally acknowledged. Singular as the fact 

 may appear, the well-educated portion of society in Russia are frequently 

 better acquainted with the French than with their native tongue. With 

 regard to the variety of languages spoken by the barbarians of the 

 north, as they have been erroneously called, we have the following anec- 

 dotes : 



M.M. NewSeries.VoL.'Z. No, f>9. 4 C 



