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

TRICES 0Г MERCHANDISE.197

which is often powerless against its rival. Imperial pride contents itself with words, forms, and numbers ; aristocratic ambition aims at things, and makes a profit of words. Never did a master receive more adulation and less obedience than the deceived, soi-disant absolute sovereign of the Russian empire : disobedience is indeed perilous; but the country iÿ vast, and solitude is dumb.

The governor of Nijni, M. Boutourline, has very politely invited me to dine with him daily during my stay in the eity: to-morrow he will explain to me how conduct similar to that of Count Tcheremitcheftj rare everywhere and in every age, cannot be now repeated in Russia, I will give the summary of his conversation, if I can make anything out of it; for hitherto I have gathered little from the lips of the Russians but confused language. Is this owing to the want of logical minds, or is it done purposely, with the view of perplexing foreigners ? It is, I believe, attributable to both causes. By continually endeavouring to hide truth from the eyes of others, people become at last unable to perceive it themselves, except through a veil which daily thickens.

Nothing is cheap at the fair of Nijni, except articles that no one cares to buy. The epoch of great differences in pi`iee in different localities, is passed: everywhere the value of things is known: the Tartars themselves, who come from the centre of Asia to Nijni to pay very dear for the objects of luxury supplied by Paris and London, bring, in exchange, commodities of which they perfectly well know the value. The merchants may still avail themselves of the situation of the buyers to refuse them articles at a just к 3