fton, which on every impartial reader cannot fail to make a ferious impreffion. We fhall infert what the author fays on this fubject in his fecond edition, and then forfaking it altogether enter on the more agreeable province of attending him in his interesting progrefs.

"After the fullest and most impartial confideration, the author is contented to reft the truth and validity of his remarks, concerning the Ruffian character, upon the evidence afforded by almoft every enlightened traveller who has preceded him. In addition to their teftimony, the unpublished obfervations of the late Lord ROYSTON* may be adduced, to fhew that, fubfequent to the author's travels, and under happier aufpices of Government in Ruffia, the ftate of fociety appeared to that gifted young Nobleman as it has been described in the following pages. Lord ROYSTON, when writing to an accomplished friend, who was fnatched from the purfuit of worldly honours, by a fate as untimely although not fo fudden as his own t, thus briefly, but emphatically characterizes the state of refinement in the two great

"The kindness of the Earl of Hardwicke authorizes this allufion to his Son's Letters. Lord ROYSTON's name carries with it a claim to public confideration. Although the knowledge of his great acquirements had fcarcely tranfpired beyond the circle of his Academical acquaintance, his erudition was regarded, even by a PORSON, with wonder. The lofs fuftained by his death can never be retrieved; but fome confolation is derived from the con sciousness that all the fruits of his literary labours have not been annihilated. The fublime prophecy of his own Caffandra, uttering a parable of other times,' will yet be heard, in his native language, fhowing her dark speech,' and thus pourtraying his melancholy end.

"Ye cliffs of Zarax, and ye waves which wash
Opheltes' craggs, and melancholy fhore,

Ye rocks of Trychas, Nedon's dangerous heights,
Dirphoffian ridges, and Diacrian caves,

Ye plains, where Phorcyn broods upon the deep,
And founds his floating palaces, what fobs
Of dying men fhall ye not hear? what groans
Of mafts and wrecks, all crashing in the wind?
What mighty waters, whofe receding waves
Bursting fhall rive the continents of earth?'

Viscount Royfton's Caffandra, p. 28." "+ Rev, G. D. Whittington, author of an Hiftorical Survey of Gothic Architecture,' published fince his death by certain of his diftinguished friends. See the elegant tribute to his memory, in a preface to that Work, by the Earl of Aberdeen.”

cities of the Ruffian Emperor. A journey from Peterburg to Mofcow is a journey from Europe to Afia. With respect to the fociety of the former city, I almoft afhamed to ftate my opinion, after the stubborn fact of my having twice returned thither, each time at the expense of a thousand miles: but although I had not imagined it poffible that any place could exift more devoid of the means of enjoying rational converfation, I am now, fince my refidence here, become of a different opinion. Not that I have not been exceffively interefted, both during this and my former vifit to Mofcow. The feudal magnificence of the nobility, the Afiatic drefs and manners of the common people, the mixture of nations to be feen here, the immenfity, the variety, and the fingu lar architecture of the city, prefent altogether a most curious and amufing aflemblage. In a former part of the fame letter, the inattention of the fuperior Clergy to the religion of the lower or ders is forcibly illustrated. The words are as follow: You have probably received fome account of my journey to Archangel of my movement thence in a north-eafterly direction, to Mezen; of the diftinguished reception I received from the Mayor of that highly-civilized + city, who made me a fpeech in Ruffian, three-quarters of an hour long; of my procuring there twelve rein-deer, and proceeding towards the Frozen Ocean, until I found a Samoied Camp in the defert between the rivers Mezen and Petchora: and of my afcertaining that that nation, which extends over almost all the North of Ruffia, remains ftill in a ftate of Paganism; a circumftance of which the Archbishop of the diocefe was ignorant'.

"The defcript on given in this work of the miferable condi of the Ruffian peafants, and of the fcarcity of provisions, in the interior of the contrary, has been difputed. Let us now there

fore fee what Lord Royston has faid upon this part of the subject. It is contained in a letter to Mr. Whittington, from Cafan, dated May 16, 1807. I left Mofcow on Tuesday the 5th of May; and the first town at which I arrived was Vladimir, formerly the capital of an independent fovereignty, and the refidence of a Grand Duke. The accommodations are fuch as are alone to be met with all over Mufcovy; one room, in which you fleep with the whole family, in the midst of a molt fuffocating heat and fmell; no furniture to be found, but a bench and table; and an abfolute dearth of provifions.'

"In the e tracts added to the Notes, from Mr. Heber's Journal, there are certain obfervations which are faid to be at variance with the remarks in the Text; but it is hardly necetary to add, that they were introduced for this efpecial reafon. Some perfons have alfo infinuated that the author has accufed the Ruffians of want

This Letter is dated, Mocow, April, 13th, 180y." + So marked in the original".

of

of hofpitality; although the very reverfe may be proved from his writings. In defcribing the reception which he experienced at Mofcow, he lays particular ftrefs upon the hofpitality of the inhabitants, although,' to use his own words in the fourth chapter of the prefent volume, it was confidered dangerous at the time to have the character of hofpitality towards Englishmen.' He alfo cites a paffage in the Notes, from a French work of celebrity, to prove, with reference to Moscow, that l'hospitalité des Ruffes paroit ici dans tout son jour.' Another extract from Lord Royton's Letters will fhew that the fame characteristic of the inhabitants was obferved by his Lordship; although, as he exprefsly declares, it did not alter his general opinion of the people. It is taken from a Letter to the Right Honourable Charles Yorke, dated Mofcow, May 5th, 1807. 'Notwithstanding all the pleasure I promife myfelf from my tour, I fhall be forry to leave Mofcow: the hofpitality of the people is very great, and it is unpleasant to be always forming new and agreeable acquaintance, with the expectation of shortly leaving them, and the probability of never feeing them again. On leaving Petersburg, notwithstanding my general opinion, I felt very strongly how painful it is to quit for ever a place in which we have refided for fome time; and believe it was folely that feeling which caused me to return thither from Mofcow.'" P. i.

The prefent volume is only the first part of a series of travels in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Each part consisting of one or more volumes, will exhibit a furvey of fome particular region. This before us defcribes the author's Travels in Ruffia, Tartary and Turkey; he had a companion who was alfo, it feems, the caufe of his undertaking it, John Martin Cripps, M. A. of Jefus College, Cambridge. We fhall in this place purfue the plan, which on all fimilar occafions we have invariably adopted, of placing before our readers the path purfued by our travellers, and giving as we proceed fuch fpecimens of the work, as may at the fame time enliven our own pages, and afford the opportunity of forming a judgment on the powers of defcription, opinions, and abilities of the author.

In the first chapter we find Dr. Clarke at Petersburg, and are entertained with a lively defcription of the state of public affairs, and the ftrange infatuation, or rather madness, of the Emperor Paul.

The feven following chapters are employed on the subject of Moscow, and every thing connected with that magnificent city and neighbourhood, its buildings, ancient hiftory, local peculiarities, manners, cuftoms, ftate of literature and other matters of curiosity and importance.

To

To fay that this portion of the work is entertaining would be very cold praife. It is written with particular vigour, it abounds with the greateft variety of information, it indicate extraordinary acutenefs, ardour of enquiry, and fagacity of remark. From hence we fhall take our firft fpecimen :

"STATE OF LITERATURE.

"The bookfellers' fhops in Mofcow are better furnished than in Petersburg; but they are very rarely placed upon a ground floor. The convenience of walking into a fhop from the street, without climbing a flight of stairs, it almoft peculiar to England; though there are fome exceptions, as in the Palais Royal at Paris, and in a few houfes at Vienna. A catalogue of Ruffian authors in fome of the fhops fills an octavo volume of two hundred pages. French, Italian, German, and English books, would be as numerous here as in any other city, were it not for the ravages of the public cenfors, who prohibit the falc, of books from their own ignorant mifconception of their contents. Sometimes a fingle volume, nay a fingle page, of an author is prohi bited, and the rest of the work, thus mangled, permitted to be fold. There is hardly a fingle modern work which has not been Subject to their correction. The number of prohibited books is fuch, that the trade is ruined. Contraband publications are often fmuggled; but the danger is fo great, that all the refpectable bookfellers leave the trade to perfons, either more daring, or who, from exercising other occupations, are less liable to fufpicion.

"Yet there are circumftances arifing from the ftate of public affairs in the two cities, which gives a fuperiority to the bookfellers of Mofcow. In and near the city refide a vast number of Ruffian nobility. A foreigner might live many years there, without even hearing the names of fome of them; whereas at Peterburg a few only are found, who all belong to the court, and are therefore all known. The nobles of Mofcow have many of them formerly figured in the prefence of their fovereign, and have been ordered to refide in that city; or they have paffed their youth in foreign travel, and have withdrawn to their feats in its environs. Many of thefe have magnificent libraries; and, as the amufement of collecting, rather than the pleasure of reading books, has been the reason of their forming thofe fumptuous collections, the bookfellers receive orders to a very large amount*. When a Ruffian nobleman reads, which is very rare,

"Thefe orders are fometimes given in the ftyle related of one of the late Emprefs's favourites, who fent for a bookfeller, and faid, "Fit me up a handfome library : little books above, and great ones below.”

BRIT. CRIT. VOL. XXXVIII. NOV. 1911.

1

it is commonly a novel; either fome licentious trafh in French, or fome English romance tranflated into that language. Of the latter, the Italian of Mrs. Radcliffe has been better done than any other; becaufe, reprefenting cuftoms which are not absolutely local, it admits of eafier tranfition into any other European tongue. But when they attempt to tranflate Tom Jones, The Vicar of Wakefield, or any of thofe inimitable original pictures of English manners, the effect is ridiculous beyond defcriptiou. Squire Western becomes a French Philofopher, and Goldfmith's Primrofe a Fleur de Lis.

"Books of real literary reputation are not to be obtained either in Petersburg or Mofcow. Productions of other days, which from their importance in science have become raré, are never to be found. Coftly and frivolous volumes, fumptuously bound, and most gorgeoufly decorated, conftitute the precious part of a library, in Ruffian eftimation. Gaudy French editions of Fontenelle, of Marmontel, of Italian fonneteers, with Englifh folios of butterflies, fhells, and flowers; editions by Baikerville, Benfley, and Bulmer, with hot-preffed and wire-wove paper; in fhort, the toys rather than the inftruments of fcience, attract the notice of all the Ruffian amateurs. A magnificent library in Ruffia, on which immenfe fums have been expended, will be found to contain very little of ufeful literature. In vain, among their fately collections, fmelling like a tannery of the leather which bears their name, may we feek for claffic authors, hiftorians, law-givers and poets. A copy of the Encyclopædia, placed more for oftentation than for ufe, may perhaps, in a folitary inftance or two, greet the eye, as the only eftimabie work throughout their gilded fhelves.” ~` P. 70.

"The true manners of the people are not feen in Petersburg, nor even in Moscow, by entering the houses of nobility only. Some of them, and generally thofe to whom letters of recommendation are obtained, have travelled, and introduce refinements, which their friends, and companions readily imitate. The real Ruffian rifes at an early hour, and breakfasts on a dram with black bread. His dinner at noon confifts of the coarfest and moft greafy viands, the fcorbutic effects of which are counteracted by falted cucumbers, four cabbage, the juice of his vaccinium, and his nectar, quafs. Sleep, which renders him unmindful of his abject fervitude and barbarous life, he particularly indulges; fleeping always after eating, and going early to his bed. The principal articles of diet are the fame every where; greafe and brandy. A ftranger, dining with their most refined and moft ac. complished princes, may in vain expect to fee his knife and fork

changed.