1831.] Mif Acquauilance with Karamzin. 649 



Chinese wall between the great and the learned world. Literary men 

 lose little by this ; or, rather, they are gainers by it, since they thereby 

 save that time which is so valuable to them : but the others are deci- 

 dedly losers, since, after spending their fortunes in balls and entertain- 

 ments, and sacrificing half of their existence in order to acquire noto- 

 riety, they generally fail of success, in consequence of neglecting the 

 fame that literature only can confer. How many high-sounding names 

 will be utterly forgotten by the next generation, together with the 



Address Calendar of the year ; while those of Shuvalov, Stroganov, 



andRumianzov will be venerated by posterity, solely because they loved 

 to entertain men of learning at their tables, and patronized literature 

 and the arts. Without Horace, we should hardly have known that 

 Mecaenas existed. 



At the period of which I am speaking as that when I became ac- 

 quainted with Karamzin, there wei'e but very few houses in St. Peters- 

 burgh which were open to literary men, or where the reception the 

 guests experienced depended on their personal merits. But I will now 

 return to Karamzin : in society this distinguished writer was the most 

 agreeable and delightful of men ; for no one understood the art of con- 

 versation better than himself. This talent must not be confounded with 

 that of being able to talk fluently ; an eloquent talker may be entertain- 

 ing enough when we are disposed to be mere listeners ; but he who 

 knows how to keep up conversation, and render it interesting, is always 

 welcome, because he is as ready to listen to others as to speak himself. 



Karamzin invariably gave the preference to his native language, never 

 employing any other in conversation excejit it was with foreigners. He 

 expressed himself elegantly, but without either studied tournure of 

 phrases or quotations from books, which are generally tiresome ; his 

 language, however, possessed a certain fulness and roundness in the 

 periods, nor were his sentences at any time abrupt. Generally quiet 

 and placid in his manner of speaking, he would, nevertheless, display a 

 considerable degree of warmth and energy whenever the conversation 

 turned upon Russia, on history, or on any of his old friends. At such 

 times his countenance would beam, and his looks would kindle with 

 particular expression. On no occasion did his politeness induce him to 

 acc|uiesce in opinions contrary to his own conviction ; yet neither did 

 this conviction render him disputatious ; but he would at such times throw 

 so much suavity and condescension into his manner of expressing his 

 own sentiments, as invariably to disarm his adversary, who, if he was 

 not convinced, was at least prevented from replying. Karamzin, how- 

 ever, never sought to triumph over an opponent in argument, but, if 

 lie observed that the latter was ready to yield, he would, with great de- 

 licacy and address, and apparently by accident, give a different turn to 

 the conversation, leading those with whom he was speaking to that sub- 

 ject on which they were qualified to shine. 



In the course of the evening, the comparative condition of the lower 

 orders in Russia and France happened to come under discussion ; on 

 which I observed, that France might be compared to a piece of bijou- 

 terie composed of delicate filagree work and enamel, while Russia might 

 be likened to an ingot of gold ; the former has the advantage in point of 

 appearance, the latter in weight. " It is true," replied Karamzin, 

 smiling, " Russia has some weight in the political scale, and that the 

 solidity of her substance will long secure her from being either broken 

 or trodden to pieces. Yet, excuse me," added he, " you have forgotten 



.AI..AI. AVw -Smcv.— V01..XII. N0.72. 3E 



