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

CHAP. VI.

TRAGEDY OF BARON DE STERNBERG. — TYPE OF LORD BYRON'S

HEROES. PARALLEL BETWEEN SIR TV. SCOTT AND BYRON.

—HISTORICAL ROMANCE. — MARRIAGE OF PETER THE GREAT. —

ROMODANWYSKI. INFLUENCE OF THE GREEK CHURCH IN

RUSSIA. TYRANNY SUPPORTED BY FALSEHOOD. CORPSE IN

THE CHURCH OF REVEL.THE EMPEROR ALEXANDER DECEIVED.

RUSSIAN SENSITIVENESS TO THE OPINIONS OF FOREIGNERS. —

A SPY.

It must be remembered that it is the Prince K·

who speaks.

" Baron Ungern de Sternberg had travelled over the greater part of Europe. He was a man of intelligence and observation, and his travels had made him all that he was capable of being made, namely, a great character developed by study and experience.

" On his return to St. Petersburgh, in the reign of the Emperor Paul, he fell into undeserved disgrace ; and, under the bitter feeling which this produced, determined to quit the court. He shut lûmself up in the island of Dago, of which he was lord; and in the retirement of this wild domain swore a mortal hatred to all human kind, to revenge himself on the emperor, whom he viewed as the representative of the whole

race.

" This individual, who was living when we were children, has served as a model for more than one of Lord Byron's heroes.

" In his seclusion he affected a sudden passion for study, and, in order to pursue freely his scientific

VOL. I.F