THE COUNTRY AND THE PEOPLE. 55 



Oafalei, Nazo-Petroffsky, Urzan, Zalatanst, Miask, and 

 others, I have often been enchanted and charmed with the 

 variegated landscape, and the picturesqueness of the scene. 

 Trees of every foliage, flowers of every hue,mosses, ferns, and 

 grasses of exquisite form, are there. And when you get to the 

 top of a hill a grand amphitheatre stretches out before you, 

 unfolding a magnificent panorama, embracing many hun- 

 dreds of square versts in one view, of river and lake, forest 

 and plain, flocks and cultivated fields. Every bush and 

 every tree resounds with the delicious warble of thou- 

 sands of inimitable rivals of Patti — linnet, nightingale, 

 starling, and thrush ; and perhaps the beauty of the pic- 

 ture is enhanced by a peaceful town or a busy zavod in the 

 distance, with their prettily painted roofs, gilded domes, 

 and glittering spires. 



' Often have I stopped and tried to drink in the sub- 

 limity of those scenes, and, in the words of the poet, I 

 have exclaimed, " Can imagination, with all its boast, 

 paint scenes like these ! " Then I have often gotten out of 

 my conveyance and collected specimens unknown to me, 

 and called to mini the words of Him who understood 

 nature's book the best, "I say unto you that even 

 Solomon m all his glory was not arrayed like one of 

 these." Then I have wondered where could be the brains 

 of men contemplating such a sweet and beauteous view as 

 this, having tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, 

 sermons in stones, and yet trying to trace it all to spon- 

 taneous development. Of course it has been developed 

 and brought to such beauty and perfection as we see it 

 now ; but who developed it ? And the answer came to 

 me in the words of Milton's immortal hymn : — 



" These are thy glorious works, Parent of good ! 

 Almighty ! Thine this universal frame ! 

 Thus wondrous fair ! thyself how wondrous then. 

 Unspeakable, who sit'st above the heavens, 

 To us invisible, or dimly seen 

 In these, thy lowest works ! Yet these declare 

 Thy goodness beyond thought, and power divine !" 



