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

140 INFLUENCE OF FEENCH LITEItATUEE.

The singularity of the rencontre, in a region where I supposed myself as little known as a Chinese, immediately gave a familiar and friendly tone to the conversation, which became general, without ceasing to be agreeable and easy. There was nothing concerted or affected in the pleasure they seemed to take in seeing me. The surprise had been reciprocal: no one had expected me at Yaroslaf; I had only ^decided to take that route the day before leaving Moscow.

The brother of the governor's wife, a Prince,

writes our language perfectly well. He has published volumes of French verses, and was kind enough to present me with one of his collections. On opening the book, my eyes fell upon this line, full of sentiment; it occurs in a piece entitled Consolations à une Mere:

" Les pleurs sont la fontaine cù ìiotre âme s'épure." *

Assuredly, he is fortunate who expresses his idea so well in a foreign language.

All the members of thefamily vied with each

other in doing me the honours of the house and of the city.

My books were loaded with indirect and ingenious praises, and were cited so as to recall to my mind a crowd of details that I had forgotten. The delicate and natural manner in which these quotations were introduced would have pleased me if they had less flattered me. The small number of books which the censorship allows to penetrate so far, remain popular a long time. I may say, not in my own personal praise,

* Tears are the fount that purifies the soul.