Russia in 1839 -Empire of the Czar: A Journey Through Eternal Russia

would soon be induced even to love the enemy'

' This appears to me heroical macliiavelism,' I replied, ' but I cannot believe in it. If it be true, why do you not pardon them in order to punish them ? You would be then more adroit, as you are already more powerful, than they. But you hate them: and I am much inclined to believe that to

по

POLICY ATTRIBUTED

justify your rancour, you accuse the victims, and search, in every misfortune that happens to them, some pretext for laying your yoke more heavily upon adversaries whose ancient glory is an unpardonable crime; the more so, as it must be owned that Polish glory was not very modest.'

' Not a wit more so than French glory,' maliciously responded my friend, whom I had known in Paris.: ff but you judge unfairly of our policy, because you neither understand the Russians nor the Poles.'

' This is always the burden of your countrymen's song whenever any one ventures to tell them unpleasant truths. The Poles are easily known ; they are always talking: I can trust in boasters better than in those who say nothing but what we do not care to know.'

' You must, however, have a good deal of confidence in me !'

i( In you, personally, I have: but when I recollect that you are a Russian, even though I have known you ten years, I reproach myself with my imprudence — 1 mean my candour.'

' I foresee that you will give a bad account of us, on your return home.'

' If I write, I perhaps may; but, as you say, I do not know the Russians, and I shall take care not to speak at random of so impenetrable a nation.'

' That will be the best course for you to pursue.'

' No doubt: but do not forget, that when once known to dissimulate, the most reserved men are appreciated as if already unmasked.'

TO THE POLES.

Ill

(c You are too satirical and discriminating for barbarians such as we.'

Whereupon my old friend re-entered his carriage, and went off at full gallop.

I have already spoken of the care I take to conceal my papers, under a sense of the possibility of some secret, if not open means of discovering my thoughts being had recourse to. I place none of these papers in my eeritoire or portfolio ; hoping that, in the event of any such perquisitions, this might satisfy the inquisitors. I have, also, so arranged that the feld-jager does not enter my room until having asked my permission through Antonio. An Italian may compete in finesse with even a Russian. The Italian in question has been for fifteen years my valet-de- chambre. He has the politic brain of the modern Romans, and the honourable heart of the ancient. Had I ventured in this land with an ordinary servant, I should have abstained from writing my thoughts; but Antonio, countermining the espionnage of the feldjager, assures to me some degree of safety.

If it be necessary that I should offer excuses for repetition and monotony, it is equally necessary that I should apologise for travelling at all in Russia. The frequent recurrence of the same impressions is inevitable in all conscientious books of travels, and more especially of travels in this land. Wishing to give as exact an idea as possible of the country I survey, it is necessary that I should record precisely, and day by day, all that I am impressed with ; this is the only means of justifying my after-reflections.

112

A NIGHT AT THE

Troitza is, after Kiew, the most famous and best frequented place of pilgrimage in Russia. This historical monastery, situated twenty leagues from Moscow, was, I thought, of sufficient interest to allow of my losing a day, and passing a night there, in order to visit the sanetuaries revered by the Russian Christians.

To acquit myself of the task required a strong effort of reason : after such a night as the one I have passed, curiosity beeomes extinguished, physieal disgust overcomes every other feeling.

I had been assured at Moscow that I should find at Troitza a very tolerable lodging. In fact the building where strangers are accommodated, a kind of inn belonging to the eonvent, but situated beyond the sacred precinct, is a spacious structure, and contains chambers apparently very habitable. Nevertheless, I had scarcely retired to rest, when I found all my ordinary precautions inefficient. I had kept a candle burning as usual, and by its light I passed the night in making war with an army of vermin, black and brown, of every form, and, I believe, of every speeies. The death of one of them seemed to draw on me the vengeanee of the whole race, who rushed upon the place where the blood had flowed, and drove me almost to desperation. ' They only want wings to make this plaee hell,' was the exclamation which escaped me in my rage. These insects are the legaey of the pilgrims who repair to Troitza from every part of the empire; they multiply under the shelter of the shrine of St. Sergius, the founder of the famous convent. The benediction of heaven seems to attend their increase which proceeds in this

CONVENT OF TKOITZA.113

sacred asylum at a ratio unknown elsewhere. Seeing the legions with which I had to combat I lost all courage : my skin was burning, my blood boiled ; I felt myself devoured by imperceptible enemies, and in my agony I fancied that I should prefer fighting an army of tigers rather than this small pest of beggars, and too often of saints; for extreme austerity sometimes marches hand in hand with filthiness, —impious alliance! against which the real friends of God cannot protest sufficiently loudly.

I rose up, and found calm for a moment at the open window; but the scoiu*ge followed me—chairs, tables, ceiling, floor, walls, were teeming with life. My valet entered my room before the usual hour; he had suffered the same agonies, and even greater: for not wishing, nor being able to add to the size of our baggage, he has no bed, and places his paillasse on the floor, in preference to the sofas with all their accessories. If I dwell upon these inconveniences,, it is because they form a jiist accompaniment to the boastings of the Russians, and serve to show the degree of civilisation to which the people of this finest part of the empire have attained. On seeing poor Antonio enter the room, his eyes closed up and his face swollen, I had no need of inquiring the cause. Without uttering a word, he exhibited to me a cloak that had been blue the evening before, but was now become brown : after he had placed it on a chair, I perceived that it was moveable : at this sight horror seized us both: air, water, fire, and all the elements were put in requisition; though in such a war victory itself is a loss. At length, purified and dressed, I made a shadow of a breakfast, and repaired to the