MANNERS AND CUSTOxMS. 



48.5 



there are yet some few moments 

 when the local interest of a par- 

 ticular spot, heightened perhaps 

 by the accidental glow of sunset, 

 or other adventitious circum- 

 stances, has power to excite a 

 sentiment of ecstasy that amply 

 compensates all the privations and 

 inconveniences one had under- 

 gone. The imagination, which 

 riots to satiety on the battle- 

 ground, or dwells with laptureon 

 proud memprials of ancient art, 

 may yet feel a quiet enjoyment in 

 the contemplation of a scene which 

 appears to lull in harmonious re- 

 pose all the higher feelings of our 

 nature. Such was the delight with 

 which we closed our journey on 

 the evening of the 19th of July. 

 The Dnieper rolled at our feet, a 

 smooth n)ajestic river, of more 

 than a verst in breadth: on its 

 banks was a caravan of Tartars 

 and Jtussians, listening to the 

 simple notes of the balalail<a ; 

 above our heads rose a long range 

 of hills encircled by a rich foliage 

 of trees, and crowned with the 

 gilt (16mes of the sacred city 



Having waited some time while 

 the horses and carts, near twenty 

 in number, were placed aboard, 

 we at length crossed the ferry, and 

 toiled up the steep ascent, over a 

 road as usual covered with planks. 

 When arrived at the summit, a 

 new scene presented itself: the 

 cupolas that before were but as 

 spots in the view, faced us with a 

 blaze of gold, and a thousand gay 

 colours shining around us dazzled 

 the eye : if we looked to the cnun- 

 try below, one imvaried plain ap- 

 peared of immeasurable extent, 

 and covered with a thick forest, 

 through the middle of wiiich the 

 Dnieper, now dwindled to a 



streamlet, was seen winding its 

 silvery path into the horizon : it 

 was a land seemingly untouched 

 by man, and attording a prospect 

 as wild in its character as any that 

 the most uncivilised tracts of 

 America could furnish. 



Our first duty on the morning 

 after our arrival, in the true spirit 

 of pilgrimage, was to pay a visit 

 to the catacombs. Upon proper 

 application being made at the for- 

 tress called Jferchask, within 

 whicli the monasteiy is situated, 

 we were admitted ; and received 

 infinite amusement from all we 

 saw. The entrance was ornament- 

 ed with pictures, that, like those 

 used for country shows in England, 

 were illustrative of the exhibition 

 in the interior ; around stood a 

 miserable looking crowd, the pur- 

 chasers and venders of crosses, re- 

 lics, and various other articles of 

 superstition : the walls of the court 

 within too weie covered with huge 

 religious paintings j and number- 

 less pilgrims, of both sexes, were 

 assembled in groups, reading, ad- 

 miring, bowing, praying. The 

 stories were chiefly selected from 

 the legendary tales ot the lives of 

 the saints; on one side was re- 

 presented the virgin Theodosia, 

 accompanied at each stage of her 

 life (a continued series of tempta- 

 tion) by two guardian angels, and 

 three or four ministers of rlark- 

 ness ; the devils always defeated, 

 the angels ev er triumphant ; and , 

 in the last painting she was repre- 

 senteil .is having surmounted all 

 her difficulties, and arrived in 

 heaven. The artist's imagination, 

 however, has somewhat failed, 

 and seems not quite to have seized, 

 on this occasion, the true notion 

 of the sublime, or the beautiful ; 



but 



