1828.] Dr. Granville’s Travels to St. Petersburgh. 393 
(we repeat) our object in noticing the work is simply to cull from its 
thirteen hundred closely-printed pages a few of those which seem calcu- 
lated to amuse and interest all classes of readers. 
Prepared (we had nearly said determined) as the doctor evidently was 
beforehand to see every thing in Russia couleur de rose, it will naturally 
be supposed that he does not start without flinging a sarcasm or two 
at his predecessors, Doctors Clarke and Lyall, who had viewed things 
under a different aspect. But it is not our intention to follow the tra- 
vellers, step by step, on their journey ; but to hasten forward towards 
the end of it—that being the portion which seems most likely to afford the 
kind of matter of which we are in search. Still we may, in the course 
of the journey itself, pick up a few straggling matters not unsuited to 
our purpose. 
As we have hinted that the doctor travelled in the ostensible character 
of family physician to a lady of distinction; it seems superfluous to add 
that he is a most determined gossip. He scarcely sets foot on a foreign 
shore, before, finding that (happily for all parties) he has little or 
nothing to do in his primary capacity, he commences operations in his 
secondary one, by proceeding straight to the bookseller’s-shop—that 
(and not the barber’s) being, according to the doctor’s improved and 
refined notions of such matters, the true spot whereon to pick up an 
acquaintance with what is passing in any given city. Here he gains the 
following information, touching that unfailing theme of interest and 
inquiry, Beau Brummel :— 
“* We learned that one of these voluntary exiles, once the leader of ton, not 
at all an enemy to snuff, or to the boxes that hold it, is lodged very comfortably 
at a bookseller’s not a mile distant from Dessein’s, and that he has been resident 
there for the last ten years, without once sleeping out of the house. He lives 
rather retired, but objects not to the visits of many of his old friends, who, on 
passing through Calais, make it a point to call on this exquisite specimen of 
the refined gentleman. His mode of living is rather monotonous and seden- 
tary. He writes and reads a great deal, or converses with his landlord, who 
is a most intelligent person, formerly an associate of Miranda, with whom he 
went to South America. Although he complains of not being rich, his apart- 
ments are said to be furnished with the most superb buhl meubles, most of 
which were purchased and selected by him with great taste, at Dunkirk, to 
the amount of two thousand pounds. The landlord speaks with great regard 
of his: iumate, with the whole history of whom he appears to be well 
acquainted.” 
Only conceive of the most exclusive of ex-exclusives being looked upon 
«“ with great regard” by the gossiping, beggarly provincial town ! 
Proceeding without delay through the Netherlands, our travellers at 
_ Ostend, and again at Brussels, fall in with Capo d’Istrias. As that person 
_ is at present filling a part which, if he uses rightly the opportunities it 
_ will afford him, may be looked upon as one of the most important in the 
_ European drama of the day, the following notices of him, vague and unsa- 
_ tisfactory as they are, will be read with interest and curiosity :— 
_ “Count Capo d’Istrias was born at Corfu, where he was filling a public 
situation of trust under Government in the year 1802, at the time of my visit- 
ing that island, and was held in high esteem by his fellow-citizens. Corfu 
and the rest of the Ionian Islands, were then under the protection of Russia ; 
but enjoyed a form of government of their own, as has been the case since 
_ their occupation by Great Britain. The Representative of the Russian 
| M.M. New Series—Vou.VI. No. 34. 3 E 
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