510 



RUSSIA. 



J?ussia. the Russians make the fairest promises, and the most 

 flattering assurances, when nothing more is intended. 

 Being uttered without meaning or sincerity, you can 

 have no reliance upon them. Having gained the object 

 of the moment, which, perhaps, was to make a favour- 

 able impression, they think no more of the matter, and 

 laugh at you for having been so easily duped. 



Russia is the empire of extremes and contrasts, whether 

 we regard the face of the country, its climate, and pro- 

 ductions, the diversity of its inhabitants, or merely the 

 national character of the real Russians. A Briton re- 

 quires to be only a very short time among this people 

 to enable him to remark, that all ranks are most ardent 

 in their expressions of friendship, but that the con- 

 stancy of their attachment is not equal to the fervency 

 of their emotions. They have more sensibility than 

 firmness ; they have lively feelings ; but having sel- 

 dom employed their reason in forming general rules of 

 conduct for the commerce of life, their actions, as flow- 

 ing from various and shifting emotions, are desultory, 

 and even inconsistent. The terms and phrases of en- 

 dearment among them are as extravagant as they are 

 gross and violent in their abuse. They are really 

 bearded children ; the creatures of the present hour ; 

 they will express the most ardent affection in the most 

 ardent language ; they will express the most furious 

 rage, in the most vindictive terms. But as we need 

 not lay great stress on the advantages to be reaped 

 from their friendship, so we need not be greatly 

 afraid of their inveterate or latent enmity. They go 

 from one extreme to another, and they think that all 

 the world can do so likewise. They quarrel with you, 

 and treat you ignominiously. and expect that you are 

 to take no notice of the matter whenever they change 

 their mode of procedure. Though nothing can be 

 more characteristic of the Russians than double deal- 

 ing, yet it is to be hoped that their inconstancy, their 

 deviations from truth, and even the perfidy with which 

 they are sometimes charged, may not be so much the 

 effect, of determined vice, as of irregular feelings. Dr. 

 Lyall's opinion is not favourable in this respect. " It 

 must be avowed, and it is a lamentable avowal," says 

 he, " that the Russians are not a sincere people ; and 

 that not one in a hundred has any friendship north pre- 

 serving. Warm hearts are deceived by their ardent 

 professions. The inexperienced think they have 

 frienls; but sooner or later they discover their mis- 

 take, and sometimes pay dearly for their ignorance." 

 It has been aptly enough remarked, that the Russian 

 nobles build houses for giants. All their undertakings 

 are upon the great scale, and they are seldom com- 

 pletely executed. They are pushed on with vigour till 

 novelty becomes exhausted, or till pecuniary means 

 fail ; they are often interrupted, sometimes recom- 

 menced, but rarely receive the last, the finishing touch. 

 There are, however, exceptions to this general feature, 

 but not numerous : for Dr Lyall says, he could not 

 point out half a dozen completely well arranged andfur- 

 ttu/ied nobleman's establishments, among the hundreds 

 of sumptuous palaces, the numerous fine villas, and the 

 many beautiful country retreats which decorate Mos- 

 cow and its vicinity. 



Though some of the nobles are cleanly in their per- 

 sons, and have their mansions well furnished and ar- 

 ranged, it must be allowed that, generally speaking, 

 there is, in these respects, much room for improvement, 

 and no where so conspicuously as in the Russian 

 kitchens. A Briton, accustomed to all the neatness, 

 order, and regularity of his dwelling in his own coun- 



Kus.sia. 



try, and especially to his cool, quiet, and comfortable 

 bed-room, is particularly sensible of the change he ex- * ~-*~' 

 periences in Russia, where the whole system of life is 

 so opposite. 



The genius of the Russo- Greek religion tends to ren- Religion. 

 der its votaries superstitious and bigotted, to supplant 

 the calm and sincere devotion of the soul, by attention 

 to pompous ceremonies, splendid dresses, and the glare 

 of burning candles, to smoking censers, sonorous 

 speeches, and solemn music, and to substitute crossings 

 and prostrations, salutations, and undue reverence to 

 the holy images, for serene and holy meditation on the 

 supreme being : in a word, it has all the outward show 

 of ornament, but too little of the practical and in- 

 dwelling influence of virtuous and religious conviction. 

 It warms the passions, excites the feelings, and cap- 

 tivates the imagination ; but, alas ! it has but too little 

 effect on the moral conduct of its adherents. There 

 are, no doubt, characters of this persuasion, whose 

 principles and conduct coincide, and do honour to our 

 race, and whose morals and religion are of the purest 

 stamp; but unfortunately their number is small. 

 Even this, however, is consolatory to the bosom of the 

 Christian. 



In one respect the Russians deserve the highest Toleration, 

 praise. They long have shown, and still show, an ex- 

 ample worthy the imitation of nations much more re- 

 mote from the age of ignorance and barbarism, in their 

 toleration of all religions and of all sects. Were this 

 toleration merely enforced by an ukaz of a despotic 

 government, as it may have been in its origin, it would 

 be no characteristic of Russia ; but when in a young 

 nation, charity in religious belief is prevalent among 

 all ranks and gradations of society, from the sovereign 

 to the peasant, the admiration and gratitude of all must 

 be excited : and foreigners resident in that country 

 feel themselves in possession of a great blessing. 



We shall now descend to a few particulars. The Imitative 

 talent of imitation of the Russians has been dwelt up- talent. 

 on by many authors. Dr. Clarke speaks of this sub- 

 ject in the following terms : " Imitation is the acme 

 of Russian intellect, the principle of all their opera- 

 tions. They have nothing of their own ; but it is not 

 their fault if they have not every thing which others 

 invent. Their surprising powers of imitation exceed all 

 that has been hitherto known." To the accuracy of 

 this quotation, Dr. Lyall remarks, general assent must 

 be yielded ; but he adds, it must not be forgotten, 

 that Russia has produced ingenious historians, and 

 meritorious poets, who, while they have borrowed 

 much from the other nations of Europe, have also, now 

 and then, exhibited original ideas and talents ; and a 

 few of them have written well in French. In our 

 days, Russia also can boast of one original and great 

 painter, whose name is now pretty generally known 

 by the dissemination of his works. This is the dis- 

 tinguished Orldvskii, who is attached to the Imperial 

 Court, and who has most successfully illustrated the 

 customs and manners of the Russians by his ad- 

 mirable pencil. The engravings from these, which 

 were tolerably well executed in Russia, have since 

 been copied and finished in a superior style, both in 

 Germany and in France, as well as in Britain. With 

 respect to the talent of imitation, reckoned so pecu- 

 liarly striking of the Russians, we have our own opi- 

 nion. Imitation ever has been, and ever must be, one 

 of the most remarkable talents of savage life, or rather 

 of savages in their gradual transition from barbarism, 

 to civilization ; and in proportion as they recede from 



