snow. We, however, are armed against the cold, as we have provided ourselves, since we came here, with furs and other warm clothing for the winter. The shops, as I have already said, are well supplied, especially with furs; but it is by no means agreeable on a cold day to make purchases which require a little time in selecting: for, according to the old Russian custom, the shops have no stoves or fireplaces. The shops do not here, as in most countries, adjoin the residences of the tradesmen to whom they belong, but are all collected together in a sort of bazaar, a large building consisting of warehouses with shops in front, and in which no fire is allowed for fear of accidents. The tradesman spends the day in his shop, and only goes home at night. When the weather is cold he wraps himself up in furs, and keeps himself warm by drinking enormous quantities of hot tea, which is retailed in the streets to them and to the droschka-drivers who stand for hire, by people who are constantly going about with a portable samăvar or urn, kept hot by charcoal, and with cups fixed in a belt, and strapped round their waists. The bazaar or collection of shops in all Russian towns is called the Gastina Dvor, or Public Court.

Every Sunday morning, and every fête-day, the governor of Yaroslav holds a sort of levee-that is to say, a crowd of official persons in full uniform assemble before breakfast to pay their respects: and twice a week his lady is at home to all the people who are inclined to spend the evening, and a large society is generally assembled to play cards and sup.* Besides this, we have had dinner parties two or three times a week, and the party living in the house is considerable in itself. The present time, however, is not the gay season at Yaroslav, as most of the families who compose the society in the winter are still absent at their country houses. The establishment in this house is large even in Russia, especially for a town, but it would be considered enormous in England. Here, however, assessed taxes are unheard of. In the house about a hundred people are maintained; and upwards of

*(Note, second edition.)-Among the visitors at the Governor's residence during our stay at Yaroslav was Prince Gortchakoff-the general. not the diplomatist.

thirty handsome horses, chiefly for harness, are kept in good condition in the stables.

The Russians appear to be extremely devoted to cards, playing on Sunday as much as any other day. Whist is the usual game. They sit down before dinner, which is commonly at three or four o'clock, and, when it is announced, they leave their cards on the table, and resume their game the moment they return from the dining-room, continuing to play from that time till the party disperses; so that, excepting for those who are no card-players, there really is no conversation. I observe everywhere a custom which is in our eyes exceedingly slovenly, namely, that of marking the state of the game by scoring it in chalk upon the table-cloth, instead of using counters. Pieces of chalk, and brushes for erasing the figures, are always put on the table with the cards.

I will conclude my letter by a few remarks on the subject of Russian rank and title, which do not go together as in England. The Russians have but two titles of honour-that of

knaize, prince or duke, and graf, count. There are also barons, but they are not originally of Russian extraction, but German, usually from Courland and Livonia. All these titles multiply themselves ad infinitum,* being enjoyed equally by every descendant of the possessor, in the male line, without any distinction in favour of the eldest branch: they are, therefore, of comparatively little value, except as procuring consideration in society. All legal rank, privilege, or precedence in Russia is either military, or is measured by a military grade. A prince who is an ensign must give way to the son of a shopkeeper who is a lieutenant, and the daughter of an untitled general will walk before a princess whose father is only a colonel.† Though, however, titles are of

* As an instance of this, I may observe that of the name of Galitzin only there are, at present, no less than three hundred princes. How many princesses there may be I do not know, but they must be very numerous.

†There is, however, a title of Prince which is conferred rarely, and only for long or distinguished services, and which is therefore highly valuable. The Prince Volchonsky; Field-marshal Count Paskievitch, Prince of Warsaw; and the Prince of Italy, Count Souvaroff, are noblemen holding this rank. Princes of this class have the style of Highness, and the title descends only to the eldest son and to his heirs male; not passing to all the descendants, like other Russian titles.

no account, nobility confers great privileges. None but a noble can possess serfs, without which landed property in this country is of little value. The nobles are free from the conscription, which presses heavily on all other classes. They are in no case liable to the knout and other corporal punishments; and they can always claim to enter the service, as under-officers at least, receiving a commission, or attaining an equivalent rank as civilians, in three years at furthest, excepting in cases of misconduct. I should add, that being noble in Russia, as in some other continental countries, corresponds to the being a gentleman in England, although the Russian assumes the coronet and full-faced helmet with closed visor, instead of the simple crest and side-faced helmet of the untitled English gentleman. The Russian noble does not, however, use supporters to his arms, unless they have been specially granted to his family. Nobility is earned by service or acquired by inheritance. Every one who serves the Emperor, either in a civil or military capacity with the rank of officer, is noble, and may, therefore, wear a coronet on his seal or carriage, whatever he may have been by birth. Unless, however, he was noble by birth, his nobility does not descend to his children if he has not reached, at least, the grade of major; after which his family is placed in the position of hereditary noblesse.*

A census is taken at certain intervals, and if, during three generations, any family from father to son have failed to enter the service of the crown, it loses its nobility, it is erased from the list, and its members are reduced to the class of ordinary peasants. Excepting the clergy, who in Russia are a class apart, the members of all branches of the liberal professions are, as I have already told you, considered as "in the service;" and each individual is classed with entire reference to military rank. One civilian has the grade of ensign, another of lieutenant, and so on, up to full general. From the rank of major-general upwards, all persons, with their wives and daughters, so long as the latter remain unmarried, have the style of Excellency. Their sons

*The result naturally is, that nobility and penury are often combined. I have known the case, and it is by no means uncommon, of a lady's-maid who had as good a right as her mistress to the display of a coronet.

necessarily can enjoy no rank but that which they themselves attain in the service. A general's daughter ranks with a colonel's wife; but a lady, on marrying, loses whatever title or precedence she may have held by right of birth, or by an office at court, such as that of maid of honour, and can only assume that of her husband. Less fortunate than our honourable and right honourable young ladies, who retain their rank or title after marriage, the Russian general's daughter is no longer her Excellency when she has become the captain's wife, and Mademoiselle la Princesse must descend to plain Madame if she weds an untitled husband.

* I ought perhaps to apologise for the occasional use of a French expression, since French is neither the language in which I am writing nor that of the people I am describing. It is, however, the language commonly used by Russians in their intercourse with foreigners, and indeed, to a great extent, in society among themselves. During my visit to Russia, therefore, I heard French phrases universally applied to persons and to things, and these I have in some few cases retained, where, as in titles of courtesy adopted by themselves, there appeared to be no exact English equivalent.

ment

LETTER VII.

Exhibition of fire-engines -- Fire establishments in the hands of GovernAccount of the system - Village regulations - Frequent occurrence of rural fires Visit to a monastery Ex-archbishop-A Te Deum Convent treasures - Origin of the use of images in the Greek Church - Visit to Riepinsk - Going to bed - Mayor of RiepinskTowing-barge Project of establishing steam on the Volga-A name's day - Performance of mass by the archbishop-Mode of communicating the death of the Emperor Alexander to his mother - Treasures of the monastery at Yaroslav- Conclusion of visit at Yaroslav - Post-horse system Feldt yägers.

Yaroslav, October 4th, 1837.

We were much interested a few days ago by a little impromptu exhibition, which displayed the efficiency of the fire-establishment, and the alertness of the men: before, however, commencing any description of what we saw, I must give you a short account of the system.

The fire-establishments here are not, as in England, in the hands of insurance companies, but under the immediate control of government. The firemen are soldiers, and the horses, engines, &c., are the property of the crown. The whole, however, appears to be well organised, and the general regulations laid down by law to be extremely good. In the towns watchmen are stationed day and night on the tops of high towers, which are built in various quarters, so as to command the town; and at the foot of each tower is an establishment of firemen, horses, and engines, which are or ought to be always ready at a moment's notice. As soon as the watchman on the tower discovers a fire he rings a bell, which gives the alarm to the firemen below, while at the same time, by a telegraph, which can be used either by day or night, there being in the latter case a certain arrangement of lanterns, he points out the direction of the fire, and warns the establishments in other quarters of the town to send their assistance. As soon as the train of