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

70DEFINITIONS OF NOBILITY.

cratic tone, the perfect simplicity of which excludes all idea of ceremony : —

" You, who have seen almost all Europe, will, I am sure, be of my opinion."

" On what subject, my prince?"

" On England. I was saying to Prince,

here," indicating with his finger, and without further presentation, the individual with whom he was talking, " that there is no noblesse anions the English. They have titles and offices; but the idea which we attach to a real order of nobility, distinguished by characteristics which can neither be purchased nor conferred, is unknown to them. A monarch may create a prince; education, circumstances, genius, virtue, may make a hero ; but none of these things are sufficient to constitute a nobleman."

" Prince," I replied, i( a noblesse, in that meaning of the word which was once understood in France, and in which you and I, I believe, understand it at present, has become a fiction, and was perhaps always one. Yon remind me of the observation of M. de Lauraguais, who said, on returning from an assembly of the marshals of France, ' we were twelve dukes and peers, but I was the only gentleman.' "

íf He said the truth," replied the prince. " On the Continent, the gentleman alone is considered as noble*, because in countries where nobility is still something-real, it is inherent in the blood, and not in fortune, favour, talent, or avocation ; it is the produce of history ; and, as in physics, the period for the formation of certain metals appears to have ceased, so in communities the period for the creation of noble families

* Gentilhomme, i. e. person of ancient family. —Trans.