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

A CAUSE FOR HIS TYRANNY.315

But the opening scene was short, and the metamorphosis sudden, complete, and terrible.

Kazan, the formidable bulwark of Islamism in Asia, after a memorable siege, fell, in 1552, under the assaults of the youthful Czar. The energy which the prince there displayed appeared amazing even in the eyes of semi-barbarians. He laid out and prosecuted his plan of campaign with a sagaeity of mind and an obstinaey of courage which his oldest captains were at first incapable of duly appreciating, and, afterwards, of sufficiently admiring.

On his entrance in the career of arms, the audacity of his enterprises made all prudent courage appear pusillanimous; though we shall soon see him as cowardly, as ereeping, as he was at first fearless. In becoming cruel he became dastardly: it was with him as with nearly all monsters; cruelty had imbedded its principal root in fear. He remembered all his life how he had suffered in his infancy from the despotism of the boyards. Their dissensions had endangered his existence at the period when he had no power to defend it: it might be said that manhood brought hiin no other desire than that of avenging the imbecility of childhood. But if there is one trait profoundly moral in the terrific history of this man, it is that he lost his eourage in losing his virtue.

Is it true that God, when he made the human heart, said to it, " Thou shalt only be brave so long as thou art merciful" ?

If it were so, and if too many, too celebrated examples did not disprove the existence of so desirable a rule, faith might become too easy ; we should see God face to face in the destinies of his better crea-p 2