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

THE CITY BY MOONLIGHT.295

chfficulty in finding it; although it is, notwithstanding its want of a sign, the best inn in Moscow and in Russia. Immediately on being installed I sat down to write. I\Tight is now approaching, and as there is a bright moon, I lay down my pen in order to take a ramble over the city, which promenade I will describe on my return.

I commenced my perambulations at about ten o'clock, without guide or companion, and strolled at hazard from street to street, according to my usual custom. I first traversed several Ì0n2` and wide

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streets, more hilly than most of those in Russia, but laid out with equal -regularity. There can be no complaint of the want of straight lines in the architecture of this country, nevertheless, the line and rule have less spoiled Moscow than Petersburg. There, the imbecile tyrants of modern cities found a level surface ready prepared for them; here, they had to struggle with the inequalities of the soil, and with the ancient national edifices. Thanks to these invincible obstacles presented by nature and history, the aspect of Moscow is still that of an ancient city. It is more picturesque than any other in the empire, which continues to recognise it as its capital, in spite of the almost supernatural efforts of the Czar Peter and his successors: so strong is the law of circumstances against the will of men—men even the most powerful. Despoiled of its religious honours, deprived of its patriarch, abandoned by its sovereign, and by the most courtly of its ancient boyards, without any other attractive association than that of a heroic event, too modern to be as yet duly appre-o 4