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ART. IX.-St. Petersburgh, Constantinople, and Napoli di Romania, in 1833 and 1834. By M. VON TIETZ, Prussian Counsellor of Legation. 2 vols. London: Richter. 1836.

HAD M. Von Tietz been specially retained to eulogise everything that is Russian, and Nicholas the First, he could hardly have been fuller of adulation, or more fantastically florid in his style of praise. He is one of the most exalted writers we ever encountered; he is never lower than on stilts, and very frequently would persuade us that the Great Northern empire borders on the third heaven. In the advertisement to the translation before us, from the German work, it is stated, that the author's high official rank must have ensured him many facilities for observation and inspection, not at the command of ordinary travellers. This is very likely; but the question is, as regards any work which professes to give a full and faithful picture of a nation, whether the writer's superior opportunities have enabled him to judge impartially and soundly of the condition of the great body of the people-their knowledge, the progress of their advancement in civilization, and their contentment. In his high-flown paragraphs, M. Von Tietz is full of admiration of particular facts touching the Emperor and the imperial family, public buildings, national festivals, and other generalities of a magnificent character; and all these as almost exclusively witnessed in St. Petersburgh. But little or nothing is said of the Serfs-their ignorance, the grinding oppression they endure, or their dreams about independence and freedom. This would have been a theme too vulgar for the handling of a "Counsellor of Legation," whose taste is to besmear with flattery everything that is royal, or rather, that is imperial. Had the spirit of the author, however, shown less of the sycophant, and had his phraseology dealt less in exaggeration, many of his notices, though having an exceedingly limited range, and altogether unequal to the magnitude and variety of St. Petersburgh-not to include Constantinople or Napoli di Romania —would have been curious and engaging. The sights and the scenes said to be characteristic of that imperial city, have seldom employed the pen of such sketchy and rambling writers as the present; for though he never seems to come near the point whence he can descry the social, intellectual, or moral state of the community, there is enough that is imposing on the outside to afford matter for description for several such volumes as are now before us.

We must now accompany our author over several scenes and sights in the great Northern capital, which, he says, can scarcely be equalled in point of magnificence by any other metropolis in Europe, and which he often characterises as the city of palaces. The mass of houses and palaces, in this surpassing capital, is thus outlined.

"A certain traveller remarks, somewhat correctly, that in St. Petersburgh, every house is a palace, and every palace a small town,' but to this, as to every thing else, there are of course exceptions. I found that, between my hotel and the Winter Palace, the usual residence of the Imperial family, there stood only about two or three houses, these consisting of the Cadet Institution, and, crossing the Isaac's bridge, the Admiralty. Nevertheless, the space I was obliged to traverse, in order to reach the abode of royalty, took me exactly, by my watch-walking, too, at a hasty pace-not less than twenty minutes. This circumstance, together with the fact that in the Winter Palace more than 5000 individuals constantly reside, may be regarded as a fair criterion of the extent of the several buildings. The Isaac's and Palace square-forming unitedly one grand mass of building-surpasses in magnificence and extent perhaps any thing of the kind in Europe. On the east side the military Parade House forms the boundary: towards the north, the space is occupied by the Winter Palace, the Admiralty, and the banks of the Neva, across which the Isaac's bridge is built; to the west stands the splendid new Council House, with the Riding School of the Chevalier Guard; and to the south, the new Isaac's Church, the completion whereof, although its erection is proceeded with as quickly as possible, cannot be expected before the expiration of ten years; then there are the War Office, the City Club House, the office of the Minister of Justice, the City of London Hotel, and (the most imposing structure of all) the Ordnance Office, as it is called, built in a half circular form, which besides the Military Offices of the State, comprises also the Topographic department, the Foreign Office and Finance Minister's department. The extent of this building, which is three stories in height, is proved by the number of windows in its front, each floor containing one hundred and twenty-five. Between the Ordnance Office and the Winter Palace, stands the celebrated Alexander Column. This monument is formed of one huge block of granite, and surpasses most other structures of the kind, as well in beauty as in grandeur and propor tion. Between the Isaac's Church and the Bridge opposite is erected, upon a colossal rock of granite, the equestrian statue of Peter I., executed by Falconet in the original antique style, and raised to the memory of her august predecessor by the great Catharine, as is specified in the inscription at the foot of the block: Petro I. Katharina II.”—vol. i, pp. 7-10.

The houses in this northern Palmyra, we farther learn, rarely rise to more than three stories, having flat roofs, covered with red iron plate. The churches dedicated to the Greek, or Russian form of religion, are distinguished by their Asiatic style of architecture, usually having a large gilded dome, with the Greek cross at the top, in the centre of four smaller ones at the corners. There seems to be much of barbaric splendour and pomp about some of these sacred edifices. The Casan church, for example, is decorated with gold, silver, and jewels. There are even silver doors, and a silver balustrade, separating the place where stands the altar from the nave; and the display of diamonds which reflect the lustre from the image of the holy mother of Casan, in whose honour the church is built, as well as the ninety-five colossal pillars, each of one solid granite

block, which support the nave, obtain the admiration of the author. The public buildings and the palaces must be upon the most massive scale. One of these, which Peter the First erected, comprises twelve colleges, together with the extensive custom-houses and their warehouses. Palace presses upon palace. That in which Paul, whom the author characterises as "the chivalrous, misunderstood, and falsely-judged ruler," ended his days, is described as gloomy, an appropriate enough style for the inmate, so highly spoken of. The author will not have it said that St. Peterburgh, Russia, and Siberia, are synonymous; for were the last like the first, he "should see no hardship whatever in being banished thither." Were the mines his place of abode and labour, perhaps in the course of years he might be led to change his opinion, and find out some dark and cruel points in Russian government.

The Winter Palace is a fabric of immense proportions, above which waves a white flag, displaying the crowned double-eagle, floating as a sign that the great ruler of the east, the eagle, if we may so speak," says the flowery writer, "who watches with keen eye and protecting wings over seventy millions of people, is to be found in his dwelling." The flag sinks when the Autocrat is absent from the city, which affords the author one of those opportunities, which he frequently goes out of his way to find, of praising to the skies the same potent sovereign, whom the inhabitants of the metropolis are declared to love so much, that his return to them is the signal for a festival.

"Perhaps no monarch has been less justly appreciated, by other than his own native subjects; and more especially has he been misrepresented by those who arrogate exclusively the appellation of liberals. But by the Russians he is almost adored. Numberless times during his reign has this prince proved what a truly noble being he is; and the denunciations of upstart demagogues concerning him may safely be left to sink back into the obscurity wherein they were originated.

"The personal appearance of the Emperor has something in it truly royal and awe-exciting; yet at the same time, it is calculated to inspire confidence. His erect figure, above the common height, is in every respect powerful and well-shaped, and the form of his head such, that it appears as if copied from the noblest specimens of the antique. An acquiline nose, a kindly-smiling mouth, and a blue eye, whose benignity of expression is blended with thoughtful gravity-these features, together with a forehead shaded by light brown hair, give to the whole countenance a friendly, but likewise a serious stamp."-vol. i, pp. 21, 22.

Nay, the emperor stands in such an endeared light to his subjects, that M. Von Tietz declares, he is usually denominated "our father," by them. We have an idea, however, that should any one be so unguarded as openly to express himself in much less fulsome terms, Siberia and he might very soon become acquainted. Nor,

amid all the fine words lavished upon his Imperial Majesty, does our author always succeed in his endeavour to leave upon the reader's mind the most favourable impression.

The various silly anecdotes quoted as evidence of the Autocrat's clemency and popularity, convey to us any thing rather than proofs of such enviable feelings being reciprocated between the "awe-exciting" man and the persons within the reach of his power. We give some examples. After stating how assiduous the Emperor has been in improving and watching over his fleet, which, the author significantly announces, "might be found more formidable than is imagined," the following marvellous instance of goodness and mercy is detailed.

"Nicholas himself very often makes an excursion in one of the steam boats to Cronstadt, in order to inspect the fleet there. On such an occa* sion he once stood (as is often his practice to do) at the helm; and, in order to show his dexterity, steered the vessel, as they entered the harbour of Cronstadt, within a hair's-breadth of a Prussian merchantman, lying at anchor, without so much as touching her. The Prussian captain, not knowing who the simply-dressed steersman was, held his Majesty's manœuvre to be the result of awkwardness; and after alluding to the chance there was that his ship might have suffered great damage from a contact, remarked in blunt terms, that the helmsman had better open his eyes wider another time,' &c.-The emperor laughed at this, whereat the Prussian waxed more and more wroth and abusive. On the next morning he was summoned to appear at the Admiralty. Rather apprehensive of punishment for the coarse invectives he had indulged in on the previous day, the Prussian obeyed the mandate. He was asked if he knew who the steersman was he had so roughly admonished, and upon pleading in reply his entire ignorance on that point, was informed that it was the Emperor. The Captain's flushed cheek next became ashy pale; but these hues were quickly chased away, on its being intimated to him, that, in consideration of any damage that might have happened to his vessel through his Majesty's want of nautical skill, the sovereign requested his acceptance of a valuable ring."-vol. i, pp. 25, 26.

What are we to think of the writer who, in a little occurrence of the kind described, and which, in a free country, could not, by the will of the sovereign, be construed into an offence, can discover such greatness of soul on the part of the Autocrat, as to form the groundwork of a most romantic story? The Captains' flushed cheek that "next became ashy pale," might have guided to a different mode of interpreting the facts. On another occasion, when the enligthened people of St. Petersburgh took it into their heads that the physicians were the cause of the breaking out of the cholera, and actually murdered numbers of the profession in consequence of this belief, Nicholas threw himself amidst the infuriated crowd.

"Like an ancient hero, he addressed the blood-thirsty throng; and

when some, exclaiming against the poisoners-as they called the medical men-appealed to the Emperor, he commanded them, with a powerful voice, to fall down upon their knees, and ask forgiveness from God for the transgression they had committed. As if struck by a thunderbolt, the congregated thousands complied with his mandate, and supplicated heaven and the Emperor to forgive their mistaken rage."vol. i, p. 28.

The truth is, that the Emperor, like his predecessors, has an authority of such a wide and minute character, arising from a singu larly oppressive system of government, and the gradations which his subjects maintain in relation to one another, that his will is law. He is a despot, irresponsible to any one, and before whom the highest as well as the lowest in the land, must crouch, tremble, or be loud in thanksgiving, just as the Autocrat chooses to be mild or cruel. To him, knowledge and liberty on the part of the great mass of the people would be equally unwelcome; and so long as this is the case, let us hear nothing of such slender acts of gentleness or generosity as our author alone adduces in defence of his idol. One example more of the kind of respect which seems to be generally entertained for the Emperor of all the Russias by his father-loving people :

"One day, when the heir apparent, who from childhood was a bold equestrian, was out riding with his governor, General Merder, in the Marsfeld, he dashed away and sprang over a very high gate. The horse, however, could not immediately recover its legs, but slipped and fell on one side, throwing off the prince, who was seriously hurt, and remained lying on the ground some minutes, almost lifeless. The general, who blamed himself for this accident, on account of not paying more attention to his pupil, was struck with such a degree of terror as threw him upon a bed of sickness."-vol. i, pp. 35, 36.

The Emperor is represented to be a man of such religious habits and principles, that his trust in Providence is constant and cordial ; and what is more, this trust is declared as never being misplaced. The long endurance of wicked rulers by the Almighty, could be so numerously quoted and strikingly illustrated, as to puzzle the most subtle casuist who should allege that this forbearance is indubitable evidence of divine favour. According to our author's account, it is clear that Nicholas's religion is admirably consistent with despotism, and that he is a predestinarian or fatalist of the first water; for we are told in these pages, that "when in Berlin, in the autumn of 1834, the Empress and royal family urgently begged him not to proceed to Warsaw, that seat of ingratitude and treachery. 'I stand in the hands of God,' replied the Autocrat; he has counted my days. If I sink, it is His decree. His will be done !"" And then follows this potent and lofty winding up :

"These traits in the character of the Emperor Nicholas are indubitaVOL. 11. (1836) No. IV.

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