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

of the slave may not have followed the martyr in his triumph, even to the gates of heaven.

No! it cannot be: death is not a flatterer, not even in Russia. This example then of supernatural virtue proves to us the beautiful and desirable truth, that the action of the most corrupted society is insufficient to subvert the primitive plans of Providence; and that man, who, according to Plato, is a fallen angel, may always become an exalted saint.

What a tragedy was this! Never has Rome, either Pagan or Christian, produced any thing more noble than these long adieus of the son of Ivan IV. to his father.

If the Russians do not know how to be humane, they know sometimes how to soar above humanity.

Karamsin doubts the sincerity of the grief of the Czar. It is true it lasted only a short time, but I believe it was genuine.

However this may be, it did not soften the character of the monster, who continued to the end of his life to wallow in the filthiest debauch, and to wash himself in innocent blood.

On the approach of death, he caused himself to be carried several times into the apartment where lay his treasures. There he greedily feasted his dulled lack-lustre eyes on the jewels and useless gold which he could not carry with him beyond the grave.

After having lived as a tiger, he died as a satyr, outraging by a revolting act, his daughter-in-law, an angel of virtue and purity, the young and chaste wife of his second son, Fedor, who, after the death of the Czarewitch, had become the heir of the empire. This young lady approached the bed of the dying

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