Madbrtte, deStaei't Ten. Ytara' Exilbx 



U7 



simple ideas of religion and country 

 serve to lead tlie great mass iiuder the 

 guidance of a feiv lieads. The immense 

 0extent of tlie Russian empire also pre- 

 vents the despotism of the great from 

 pressing heavily in detail upon tlie peo- 

 ple : and finally, above all, tlie reli- 

 gious and military spirit is so predomi- 

 nant in the nation, that allowance may 

 be made for a great many errors, in fa- 

 vour of those two great sources of noble 

 actions. 



MOSCOW, 



jj,; Gilded cupolas announced Moscow 

 .jfrom afar ; however, as the surround- 

 ing country is only a plain, as well as 

 fclie whole of Russia, you may arrive in 

 that great city witliout being struck 

 with its extent. It has been well said 

 by some one, that Moscow was rather a 

 province than a city. In fact, you 

 tiiez'e see huts, houses, palaces, a bazar 

 ^as in the East, churches, public build- 

 . jings, pieces of water, woods, and parks. 

 The variety of manners, and of the na- 

 tions of vvhich Russia is composed, are 

 all exhibited in this immense residence. 

 ^jWill you, I was asked, buy someCash- 

 •^fliere shawls in the Tartai- quarter ? 

 iiJHave you seen the Chinese town? 

 ;iAsia and Europe are».found united in 

 'this immense city. There is more li- 

 berty enjoyed in it than at Petersburg, 

 where the court ne<;essarily exercises 

 great influence. The great nobility 

 settled at Moscow w'cre not ambitious 

 - of places ; but they proved their pa- 

 l(triotism by munificent gifts to the 

 .,/state, either for public establishments 

 during peace, or as aids during the war. 

 The colossal fortunes of the great Rus- 

 gian nobility are employed in making 

 collections of all kinds, and in enter- 

 prises of which the Aiabian Nights 

 have given the models ; these fortunes 

 are also frequently lost by the un- 

 jibridled passions of their possessors. 

 a»i When I arrivetl at Moscow, nothing 

 owas talked of but the sacrifices that 

 ywere made on account of the war. A 

 .young Count de Momonoff raised a re- 

 giment for tlie state, and would only 

 serve in it as a sub-lieutenant; a 

 iCountess Orlott', amiable and wealthy 

 i.in the Asiatic style, gave tlie fourth of 

 ^iher income. As I «as passing before 

 (ithese palaces surrounded by gardens, 

 /iWhere space was thrown away in a city 

 ■ as elsewhere in tiie middle of the coun- 

 iity, I was told that the possessor of this 

 ■jtuperb residence had given a tiiousand 

 .|ieasauts to the state : and of that, two 

 jBHttdred. I had some difhculty in ac- 

 ih|/i/ ' 



commodating myself to the expression, 

 giving itien, but the peasants them- 

 selves ofiered their services with ac- 

 dour, and their lords were in this wfa* 

 only their interpreters. 



As soon as a Russian becomes a sol- 

 dier, his beard is cutnff, and from that 

 moment he is free. A desire was felt 

 that all those who might have served 

 in the militia should also be considered 

 as free: but in that case the nation 

 would have been entirely so, for it rose 

 almost en masse. Let us hope that this 

 so much-desired emancipation may be 

 effected without violence: but in the 

 mean time one would wish to have the 

 beards preserved, so much strength and 

 dignity do they add to the physiogno- 

 my. The Russians with long beards 

 never pass a church without makmg 

 the sign of the cross, and tiieir confi- 

 dence in the visible images of religion 

 is very affecting. Their churciies bear 

 the mark of that taste for luxury which 

 they have from Asia : you see in them 

 only ornaments of gold, and silver, and 

 rubies. I was told fliat a Russian had 

 proposed to form an alphabet witli pre- 

 cious stones, and to write a Bible in 

 that manner. He knew the best man- 

 ner of interesting the imaginations of 

 the Russians in what they read. This 

 imagination, however, has not as yet 

 manifested itself either in the fine arts 

 or in poetry. They reach a certain 

 point in all things very quicklj', and 

 do not go beyond that. Impulse makes 

 them take the first steps ; but the se- 

 cond belong to reflection, and these 

 Russians, who have nothing in com- 

 mon with the people of the North, are 

 as yet very little capable of meditation. 



Several of the palaces of Moscow are 

 of wood, in order that they may. be 

 built quicker, and that the natural in- 

 constancy of the nation, in every thing 

 unconnected with country or religion, 

 may be satisfied by an easy change of 

 residence. Several of these fine edi- 

 fices have been constructed for an enter- 

 tainment ; they were destined to add to 

 the eclat of a day, and the rich manner 

 in vvhich they were decorated, has 

 made them last up to this period of 

 universal destruction. A great num- 

 ber of houses are painted green, yellow, 

 or rose colour, and are sculptured in 

 detail like dessert ornaments. 



THE KUEAILIN. 



The citadel of the Kremlin, in which 

 the Emperors of Russia defended theni- 

 selves against the Tartars, is surrounded 

 by a higli wall, embattled and flanked 



with 



