1831.] Ml/ Acquaintance niiih Karamzin. 6-17 



him, I now fancied that I recognized features long ago familiar to me— 

 those of an author of whom I had more than once perused every line 

 that he had printed. From my earliest youth I had been a witness of 

 his triumphs and renown in the career of authorship ; for I belonged to 

 that generation during which his writings established a new era in our 

 literature. It was he who, by his " Moscow Journal" and " European 

 Herald," first created among us a taste for periodicals in our national 

 idiom; it was he who, by his "Aonides" and "Aglaia," introduced 

 into our country the fashion of literary almanacks ; while, by his " Let- 

 ters of a Russian Traveller," he taught us how to treat similar subjects 

 in a pleasing and animated style. His inimitable " Tales" first turned 

 the attention of our people of ion, and the fair sex, to their mother 

 tongue. To him also belongs the merit of having formed a light and 

 familiar prose style ; and of having been the first to impart grammatical 

 accuracy and regularity to our language, in which he has given vis 

 models of every species of composition. Lastly, he has rendered their 

 national history familiar to Russians of all ranks, and purified it from the 

 dust of mouldering chronicles. Such are the obligations he has con- 

 ferred on his countrymen. 



I now asked St. Maure to introduce me to the illustrious writer, a 

 request that was immediately complied with. " I quite agree with 

 you," said Karamzin to me, after the first salutations had been exchanged 

 between us, " as to what you say on the subject of tragedy. The 

 classic party insist upon a too vigorous observance of the three unities ; 

 the Romanticists, on the other hand, reject with disdain all artificial 

 principles and rules ; and you, therefore, have very justly observed, 

 that we ought to choose the medium between these two extremes. If 

 strictly adhered to, the unities must necessarily contract the action into 

 very narrow limits ; while the bringing together remote intervale of 

 time distracts the attention, and weakens the importance of the piece as 

 a whole. Let another Racine appear in France, and he will produce a 

 revolution in popular opinion, for the public are to be convinced as to 

 what constitutes excellence, by actual examples, not by mere theories." 

 Here he smiled, and added, in a tone of pleasantry, " I am not speaking 

 against yo7ir theory ; although politeness ought not to prevent any one 

 from uttering the truth." He then put some questions to me relative 

 to my travels abroad ; yet as neither the time nor the ])lace allowed us 

 to enter into a long conversation, I was, to my great regret, compelled 

 to make room for others, who now addressed themselves to this interest- 

 ing visitor. I therefore contented myself with begging permission to 

 visit him ; on which he shook me cordially by the hand, and said, 

 " Ten o'clock of an evening is the hour when I take tea with my family. 

 That is my time of relaxation. Do me the favour to come, as I shall 

 always be happy to see you ; and do not stand upon any ceremony 

 whatever." 



I did not fail to avail myself of this permission, but, a few days after- 

 wards, proceeded to Karamzin's. He then resided in the Tontanka, not 

 far from the Anitchkor bridge, in the house of Madame Muravier, where 

 he occupied an upper floor. In the first room which I entered, I found 

 the whole family around the tea-table, and Karamzin liimself, seated at 

 some little distance from it, among a circle of visitors. He advanced to 

 meet me, and, after saluting me in a very friendly manner, introduced 

 me to his family and to the company present. To a perfect knowledge 



