Retrospect of Domestic Literature—Voyages and Travels. 659 
pened, he attacked the lustre in good 
earnest, and did not give up his work 
ubtil he had entirely demolished it, 
**In the rare intervals of better tem- 
per, his good humour was betrayed by 
an uncouth way of swinging hig legs 
and feet about in walking. Upon these 
occasions he was sure to talk with in- 
decency and folly. 
“But the instances were few in 
which the gloom, spread over a great 
metropolis, by the madness and male- 
volence of a suspicious tyrant, was en- 
Jivened even by his ribaldry. The ac- 
counts of the Spanish Inguisitien, 
do not afford more painful sensations, 
than were excited in viewing the state 
of Russia at this time. Hardly a day 
past without unjust punishment. It 
seemed as if half the nobles in the 
empire were to be sent exiles to Si. 
beria. Those who were able to leave 
Petersburgh went to Moscow. It was 
in vain they applied for permission to 
leave the country, the very request 
might incur banishment te the mines. 
If any family received visitors in an 
evening; if four people were seen walk- 
ing together; if any one spoke too loud, 
or whistled, or sung, or. looked too 
Inquisitive, and examined any public 
building with too much attention; they 
were i) imminent danger. If they 
stood still in the streets, or frequent- 
ed any particular walk more than an- 
other, or walked too fast or too slow, 
they were liable to be reprimanded 
% 
and insulted by the police officers. 
Mungo Park was hardly exposed to 
greater severity of exaction and vil- 
lainy among the Moors in Africa, than 
Englishmen experienced at that time 
mm Russia, and particularly in Peters- 
burgh. They were compelled to wear 
a dress, regulated by the police; and 
as every officer had a different notion 
of the mode of ubserving these regu- 
lations, they were-coustantly liable to 
be interrupted in the streets and pub. 
lic places, and treated with imperti- 
nence. The dress consisted of a cock- 
ed hat, or for want of one, around hat 
pinned up with three corners; long 
cue; a single-breasted coat and waist- 
Coat knee-buckles, instead of string's 5 
and buckles in the shoes. Orders were 
£'ven to arrest any person seen in pan- 
taloons. A servant was taken out of 
his sledge, and caned in the streets 
for having too thick a neckcloth ;-and 
Wit had been too thin, he would have 
ishment, Alter every 
Met a similar 
' Moscow. 
precaution, the dress, when put on, 
never satisied ; either the hat was rat 
straizht on the head, the hair too shore, 
or the coat was not cul square enough. A 
lady at court wore her hair rather 
lower in her neck, than was con- 
sistent with the decree, and she was o«- 
dered into close confinement, te be 
fed on bread and water. A gentlemaa’s 
hair fell a little over his forehead, 
while dancing at. a ball; a police of- 
ficer attacked him with rudeness and 
with abuse; and told him, if ke did 
not instantly cut his hair, he would fiad 
a soldier who would shave his head. 
‘“‘ When the ukase first appeared 
concerning the form of the hat, the 
-son of an English merchant, with a 
view to. bafile the police, appeared 
in the streets of Petersburg, having oa 
his head an English hunting-cap, at 
sight of which, the police officers wera 
pozzled. ‘‘ It was nota cocked hat,” . 
they suid, “ neither was it a round 
hat.” In this embarrassment. they re- 
ported the affair to the eniperor. Aa 
ukase was accordingly promulgated 
and levelled at the hunting-cap; but 
not knowing how to deseribe the ane- 
maly, the emperor ordained that “ ne 
person should appear in public with 
the thing on his head worn by th |, 
merchant’s son.”? 
‘* An order against wearing boc 
with coloured tops was most rigorou 
enforced. The police officers stop 
a geutleman driving through 
streets in a pairof English boots. 
gentleman expostulated, saying, | 
he had ne others with him, ar 
tainly would not cat off the tops 
boots; upon which the officer: 
seizing aleg as he satin his 
fell to work, anddrew off hi 
leaving himto go barefooted 
These and other anecdotes « 
related, sufficiently account f 
volution which took place 
shortly after. 
In the second and third 
have the jaurney from Pe 
The direction 
veller, who sets out fro: 
for the south of Russia 2 
** Setimg out from P: 
the south of Russia, t' 
adieu to all thoughts « 
houses with the comnr 
bread and water. 1] 
find clean straw, if b 
upon the chance of 
iis 
aly 
ped 
| the 
| The 
that 
i cer- 
of his 
Sj, each 
dros, 
3s boots, 
nome.” 
ghich are 
er the re- 
in Russia, 
thanters we- 
terspurgh to 
g Sor a tra- 
a the capital 
re interesting. 
stersburgh for 
e traveller bids 
f inns, or eved 
jon necessaries of 
fe will not even 
» should speculate 
thing he may wart 
a bed. Every 
myst thorefore- be 
taken 
