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

houses he was to visit; people were busy with their dresse= rooms were scoured, wax-lights substituted for the candles; in short, all the habits of life were changed.''

" Everything that you tell me only too well justifies my opinion: I see, sir, that, at the bottom, you think as I do: we only differ in language."

" It must be confessed that a man becomes very indifferent after having passed two years of his life in Russia."

" Yes, you give me a proof of it. Is this disposition general ? "

" Nearly so : one feels that tyranny is more powerful than words, and that publicity can do nothing against such facts."

" It must still have soiA efficacy, or the Russians would not so greatly dread it. It is your culpable inertia — permit me to say so — and that of persons who think as you do, which perpetuates the blindness of Europe and the world, and leaves the field free for oppression."

" It would be so in spite of all our books and all our exclamations. To show you that I am not alone in my opinion, I will relate to you the story of one of my companions in misfortune : he was a Frenchman. One evening, this young man reached the bivouac indisposed; he fell into a lethargy during the night, and was dragged in the morning to the pile with the other corpses. The soldiers left him for a moment to fetch some more dead, so as to place them all on the fire together. He had been thrown, clothed as he was, upon his back, his face turned towards the sky; while thus lying, he breathed, and even understood what passed around him, for consciousness had returned, but he still could not give any signs of life. A young woman, struck with the beautiful features and the touching expression of the supposed dead man's face, approached him, and discovered that he yet lived; she sought help, had him removed, nursed and finally restored the stranger. He returned to France several years after his captivity ; but he also has not written his memoirs."

"But you, sir, an educated and independent man — why do not you write yours ? Facts of this character, well vouched, would have interested the whole world."

;' I doubt it: the world is composed of men so occupied with themselves, that the sufferings of unknown parties little move them. Besides, I have a family, and a situation; I depend upon