RECOLLECTIONS OF POBEDONOSTZEFF- 1892-1894 63 



ing for religious art as one of the deepest characteristics 

 of his nature. 



He was evidently equally sensitive to the beauties of 

 religious literature. Giving me various books containing 

 the services of the Orthodox Church, he dwelt upon the 

 beauty of the Slavonic version of the Psalms and upon the 

 church hymnology. 



The same esthetic side of his nature was evident at 

 various great church ceremonies. It has happened to me 

 to see Pius IX celebrate mass, both at the high altar of 

 St. Peter s and in the Sistine Chapel, and to witness the 

 ceremonies of Holy Week and of Easter at the Koman 

 basilicas, and at the time it was hard to conceive anything 

 of the kind more impressive ; but I have never seen any 

 church functions, on the whole, more imposing than the 

 funeral service of the Emperor Nicholas during my 

 first visit to Russia, and various imperial weddings, fu 

 nerals, name-days, and the like, during my second visit. 

 On such occasions Pobedonostzeff frequently came over 

 from his position among the ministers of the crown to 

 explain to us the significance of this or that feature in the 

 ritual of music. It was plain that these things touched 

 what was deepest in him ; it must be confessed that his at 

 tachment to the church is sincere. 



Nor were these impressions made upon me alone. It 

 fell to my lot to present to him one of the most eminent 

 journalists our country has produced Charles A. Dana, 

 a man who could discuss on even terms with any Eu 

 ropean statesman all the leading modern questions. Dana 

 had been brought into close contact with many great 

 men; but it was plain to see what he afterward acknow 

 ledged to me that he was very deeply impressed by this 

 eminent Eussian. The talk of two such men threw new 

 light upon the characteristics of Pobedonostzeff, and 

 strengthened my impression of his intellectual sincerity. 



In regard to the relation of the Russo-Greek Church 

 to other churches I spoke to him at various times, and 

 found in him no personal feeling of dislike to them. The 



