52 SECOND TRIP TO RUSSIA 



photograph in the middle of winter, but had previously 

 taken others (Figs, n and 12) from the top of the cathedral, 

 so as to get views comprising both banks of the Neva. I 

 obtained these photographs from the highest spot on 

 the river-bank, by oiling the palm of an attendant ; but 

 when I tried to repeat the performance, my very civilly 

 worded request excited much wrath in the priest to whom I 

 applied. 



The Hermitage is an extraordinary valuable and beauti- 

 fully arranged museum and collection of art galleries, in 

 which, among many other priceless paintings, are several 

 marvellously fine specimens of the work of Van Dyck and 

 Murillo. The attention of the lover of horses will be caught 

 by a large silver gilt Greek vase of the fourth or fifth century 

 before Christ. On it we find figures of men engaged in 

 holding horses with a lasso, as far as I could judge. In one 

 of the groups, a fore leg is being tied up. 



There is a laro-e number of interesting horse relics to be 



o o 



seen in the Museum of the Imperial Carriages, the saddest 

 of all being the shattered carriage in which the noble-minded 

 Alexander n. rode on the day of his assassination. Unlike 

 many of my countrymen, I have no sympathy with Nihilists 

 and other Anarchists, who in no way voice the wishes of 

 the people, and are consequently not entitled to oppose a 

 Government. Luckily for law-abiding people in Russia, the 

 police are well organised there. If I were a ruler against 

 whom Anarchists had a grudge, I would obey the counsel of 

 my head adviser, or sack him. There was once an Indian 

 prince who was too foncl of "pegs" composed of brandy 

 and champagne. The English Government sent him a doctor 

 who had orders to prevent him if possible from drinking to 

 excess. Despite the advice of the new medical man, the 

 Raja continued in his old ways, being encouraged therein by 

 his courtiers, who resented the presence of the Englishman. 



