1824.] 



graced himself. Mr. 

 another young man, Mr. Reins, from 

 Yorkshire, liad visited Slecelburg Cas- 

 tle ; and while going round it, and 

 making enquiries, had seen and spoken 

 with the governor, but witliout taking 

 oft" their hats. The governor afterwards 

 appeared in uniform, and, asking some 

 questions, to wliich tliey returned an- 

 swers not so polite as was expected, 

 Alexander declared they should see the 

 inside as well as outside of the place. 

 They were accordingly confined, in 

 separate cells, for a week, and then 

 liberated. 



Paul had ordered Pliilip Cassoff, an 

 indigo-merchant, to be shaved ; but he 

 refused, pleading his religion. He would 

 sooner, he said, lose his life than his 

 beard. For this he was flogged, shaved, 

 and imprisoned in the castle. The 

 Razealnicks were persecuted for making 

 the sign of the cross with two fingers 

 instead of three. The Deists, for re- 

 fusing to cross tliemsclves, were either 

 sent to the mines, turned into nightmcn, 

 or made Kaleshnicks, with chains on 

 their legs, and so dispersed over the 

 empire. A sect of Eunuchs, (volun- 

 tarily, from wrong notions of religion,) 

 of which were many of the goldsmiths 

 and silversmiths of Petersburgh, in- 

 cluding a number of others that differed 

 from the Greek church, were persecuted. 

 The Jews paid double Poll Tax ; and 

 their property was, at times, seized on 

 and purloined. 'J'lie German clergy- 

 man, of Dorpst, who kept a circulating 

 library, wherein were certain prohibited 

 books, was, by Paul's order, brought to 

 Petersburgh, and knouted. Of this 

 infliction, the author was an eye witness. 

 In some of his proceedings, Paul 

 might, truly, be taxed with buifoonery; 

 while, in others, by wantonly insulting 

 religion, and making a jest of justice, he 

 showed himself madder than any con- 

 fined madman. The slate of abjection 

 into which native subjects were plunged, 

 was extreme. But all the advanlagnsof 

 protection, public or private, were not 

 always forfeited by foreigners residing 

 amongst them. The cruel and barba- 

 rous influence of this government found 

 restraint under Alexander, as in the 

 following instance. Its minute detail, 

 if descrii)tive of general character, will 

 appertain to the comprehensive history 

 of maimers, in that country, at that 

 epoch. 



At the German theatre, after the play 

 was over, and they had begun to put out 

 the candles, Mr, A, Grant wcul into a 



Sketchet of Modern Russia. ?.Q7 



T. Barnes, and side box, the second from where a gen- 

 tleman, in a shcariel, or officer's cloak, 

 sat, with two ladies ; he was looking 

 for a person in the pit. The officer 

 ordered him to take off his hat 

 asked liiai who 



. Mr. G. 



he was. ' I am the 



Emperor Alexander's afijiitant, BaroVi 



,' 'If you Avere of the imperial 



family, I certainly would, but I know of 

 no order — ;' here Air. G. vfas inter- 

 rupted, 'Who are you, sir?' ' An Eng- 

 lish merchant.' The officer, who prided 

 himself on his superiority, and would 

 make good hisclaim to this token of it, re- 

 garded Mr. G. with an eye of contempt, 

 and began to treat him with worse lan- 

 guage than the lowest rapscallion in an 

 army would use. Mr. G. then leaned 

 over the box, towards liim, and said, in 

 a low tone, that the ladies might not 

 hear: 'Let us have no noise in the 

 theatre ; if I have done you any injury, 

 I am willing to give you any satisfaction 

 an officer or a gentleman can desire, 

 but I will not put up with abuse.' The 

 police-officer, who was not gone, was 

 then desired to take Mr. G, into cus- 

 tody ; but, knowing each other, this was 

 deferred till the morning. Soon after, 

 Mr. G. was informed, by the Master of 

 Police, that the emperor desired he 

 should ask the adjutant's pardon. On 

 this, Mr. G. wrote a letter to the empe- 

 ror, stating the matter exactly as it had 

 happened. Herein he pleaded that he 

 was not the aggressor, or in fault, and 

 refused to comply with the order, 

 though, as he added, it should be at the 

 hazard of his life. Any mutual apolo- 

 gies he did not decline, but his honour 

 was his own. He sent a copy of this to 

 the British ambassador, claiming his 

 protection, &c. who tlieieupon transmit- 

 ted it to the Minister for Eoreign 

 Affairs. Mr. Grant was, soon after, 

 released from confinement, and the adju- 

 tant was reprimanded, by A lexandcr, and 

 shortly after desired to ask for his dis- 

 mission from the service. Mr. G. had 

 a brother, also, a merchant, who had 

 distinguished himself in the defence of 

 Porto Fcrrajo against the French. 



Through an unaccountable inconsis- 

 tency, Paul would act, occasionally, 

 with a propriety truly worthy of his 

 elevation. He was once driving along 

 the Fontalka ; when, making a sharp 

 turn, the guard were not out in time. 

 A heyduc was then .sent to demand the 

 sword of the captain on duty, which ho 

 refused. On this, the emperor jumped 

 out of his sledge, and went on to ask tho 

 officer tlic reason. 'Sir/ said he, 

 ' thcr* 



