CHAPTER XIX.

WARS AND GLORY.

WHEN Alexander, Paul's son, made his first public appearance as Czar, the Russians rejoiced to see him, and hailed him gladly. He was tall and very majestic, and with a noble, sweet face; and his manners were gracious and winning beyond most men. And his mind was clever and eager, for he had been taught and trained by the wise Catharine; and his heart was full of ready sympathy and a generous will to make his nation happy.

All the way from St. Petersburg, on a journey that he took later, the road was lined with men eager to see the Czar. One captain pressed forward crying out, "Make way, make way; I must see this prince of peace."

So his reign began gloriously with freedom and peace. For he took off the bands of laws and rules, and let the Russians free. Again, he said they might travel in foreign lands, and read what books. they liked. And he took away the punishment by

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torture, and the secret court that Paul had established. And all the Russians said, "Now freedom has come back to the land; this is indeed a prince of peace."

So for a little matters went smoothly and well. But it could not be so for ever. For anything that is a great task is a difficult task; and to set a nation free cannot be done at ease. For the Russians were like children that had been sitting for long in a dark room without air. It was not only that the door must be unlocked, that the children might walk out; but they had to be gently lifted up, and their cramped limbs taught to walk, and their eyes used to the sunshine and the bright

ness.

So difficulties came. Alexander might say that all should be judged justly, peasants and rich alike; but the judges had long learned to be dishonest, and to take bribes, and give unjust judgments, and Alexander's word did not make them fair and just at once.

In Moscow there lived a clever, shabby man, in small rooms, up many flights of stairs; and the room was untidy, with crumbs strewed about for birds, and he himself wore a ragged dressing-gown. But yet, for all that, his mind was clever and keen. He watched Alexander's work, and then he wrote. this fable:

"The Sheep could not live in peace because of the Wolves, till at last the rulers of the beasts interfered to save the victims. So they called a council, of whom more than half were Wolves. And why not? -for there have been Wolves who have walked quite quietly past a flock-when they have eaten enough. They met in a thick wood, and at last they made this law: 'As soon as a Wolf shall disturb a flock, and begin to worry a Sheep, then the Sheep shall be allowed, without respect of persons, to seize it by the scruff of the neck, and carry it before the court to be judged.' But," said Kriloff at the end, "though the law is all that could be wished, yet I have noticed that, in spite of it all, the Wolf is sure to carry off the Sheep."

Poor Sheep! Poor Russian peasants, in spite of Alexander's good laws!

And Alexander's great plan of making the serfs free was a plan which could not be made and carried out between a morning and an evening. And when Alexander saw difficulties growing and gathering, he began to be a little discouraged. And at the same time he began to long to make a great figure in Europe, in the wars that were going on, and to think more of the glory of Russia among European countries than of her happiness.

And so, like many other people, he grew a little tired of his plans; for, though Catharine, his grand

mother, had taught him many things, she had not taught him to be as patient and as firm and as steady as she was herself. And Alexander and his young friends, who were like himself, began to fall into a habit of talking over their plans and doing no more. And though they often said to each other, "Russia is a land of slaves, and this should not be," they did nothing to free the slaves.

At one time it seemed as if Alexander might wake again. For a young noble called Speranski came to Court, who was bright and eager, and full of a steady purpose. He set to work to carry out plans for the freedom of Russia. But it was all of no use. The Wolves of course disliked him; and the poor Sheep themselves thought he meant them evil instead of good. So it happened that he was sent away to Siberia, and his work for Russia

was over.

But we must hear about these wonderful European wars which took Alexander's mind away from his people; and these were the

NAPOLEONIC WARS.

It was a fierce time of war for the Russian people. Every bit of it is interesting. Some day you will read all the heroism and the gallant deeds. Now I can only tell you it very shortly.

The peace, as you may think, did not last long, for

Alexander hated the French nearly as much as Paul had loved them.

The same day that Napoleon was made Emperor, Russia declared war with France. It was a noble war, to help Europe to its rights. Alexander had many friends on his side. There were Sweden and England, and Prussia and Austria. Part of Alexander's army went with the three first. Alexander himself and his young officers took more to join the Austrians at Olmütz.

There was a splendid company of famous men : Koutouzof, the mighty general; Miloradovitch, of whom men said, "Whoever follows him must have a spare life;" and Bagration, who was known for dogged bravery. On the night before the battle there was rejoicing and great hope. "It seemed to us," said one of the officers, "that we were going straight to Paris.”

But under the dark sky, on the tops of the opposite hills, lay the vast hosts of Napoleon. They too had their famous men, and the great Emperor was there himself. Between the armies was a deep valley full of lakes.

This was the plan of the allied armies. Koutouzof and some Russians were to march down and attack the right wing of Napoleon's army. The dogged Bagration was to keep back the left wing. The Imperial guards were to stay on the heights.