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

obscure general, a liberator of his country! The Emperor Alexander, on his part, never eeased to repeat, that he had not given any order for the burning of his capital.

This contest of mediocrity is characteristic. AVe can never cease to wonder at the sublimity of the drama, when Ave think of the actors by whom it was played. Never have performers given themselves greater trouble to persuade the spectators that they knew nothing of their parts.

In reading Rostopchin, I took him at his word; for I said to myself—a man who is so afraid of seeming great, cannot be great. In a case like this, Ave must believe people literally: false modesty is sincere in spite of itself; it is a brevet of littleness; for men really superior affect nothing; they do justice to themselves in their OAvn minds; and when forced to speak of themselves openly, they do so, without pride, but also without pretended humility. It is long since I read this singular pamphlet, but I have never forgotten it, for it impressed me at the time with the spirit of the Russian government and people.

It Avas already night before I left the Kremlin. The colours of the enormous edifices of Moscoav, and of the distant hills, Avere softly sobered; the silence of night descended upon the city. The winding's of the MoskoAva were no longer traced in brilliant lines, the flames of western day were extinguished; but the grandeur of the spot, and all the memories which it awoke, still stirred within my heart. I fancied I saAv the shade of Ivan IV.— Ivan the Terrible — standing upon the loftiest tower of his С 4