mass in the church of his convent; the service being different from that in which an ordinary priest officiates. The archbishop was magnificently dressed in a robe of crimson velvet embroidered with gold, with the ribbons and crosses of various orders round his neck. On his head he had a mitre, also of crimson velvet covered with jewels; the mitre is not cloven, but is a high cap with a round top bulging out. At the conclusion, he stood before the altar, while his mitre and the robes in which he had officiated were taken off by the priests in attendance; a monk's gown, with two stars on the breast, was then put on, as well as a monk's cap; the crosses were replaced around his neck, and the archbishop walked out of the church blessing the congregation as he went. He was a little old man, apparently much more feeble and infirm than his predecessor whom I had seen at Tolga, and who had retired owing to his age and consequent inability to perform the duties of his office. The see of Yaroslav is one of the best in Russia: I am told the revenues amount to about two thousand five hundred a-year.

Nearly the whole service in the Greek Church is chaunted, and a good deal of incense is used: the officiating priest stands during the greater part of the time with his back to the congregation; he is always assisted by a deacon, who, whenever he gives him or receives from him a book, as often happens in the course of the ceremony, kisses his

hand. At the conclusion of mass the cross is brought forward by the priest to be kissed by the congregation. This latter ceremony was made the means of communicating to the Empress-mother the death of the late Emperor Alexander. On hearing of the illness of her son at Taganrog, the Empress ordered a mass to be celebrated for his recovery at the Kazan church of St. Petersburg. In the middle of the service the Grand Duke Nicholas was called out and informed that the tidings of his brother's death had arrived. He communicated the intelligence to the Metropolitan, who was officiating, and when the latter, at the conclusion of the service, presented as usual the cross to the Empress, it was enveloped in black crape.

On Monday we went to see the treasures of the convent where we had been at church the day before. We were taken by a monk into a strongroom, the neglected appearance of which little bespoke the riches it contained. The sides of the room were covered by miserable deal wardrobes, displaying, when opened, a great quantity of robes ; some of the richest silk or velvet of various colours embroidered with gold and silver, and others of gold or silver tissue. These, however, sunk into insignificance when compared with the dresses for the use of the Archbishop on high ceremonials; these were laid up in drawers, and were embroidered with jewels instead of gold. The most beautiful was of sky-blue velvet, with a broad border and other orna

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ments of a beautiful pattern of leaves and flowers in fine pearls, of which nearly six pounds weight were employed on this suit alone. There were other robes of velvet almost equally rich, and all had mitres to match, which were absolutely covered with jewels: one mitre was valued at about five thousand pounds. There were also bibles bound in gold and covered with jewels; crosses and images set in diamonds, emeralds, and other precious stones; and several handsome services for administering the sacrament. of these was of pure gold richly and beautifully chased, of the weight of twelve pounds avoirdupoise. The riches of this convent are chiefly owing to the munificence of the ancient princes of Yaroslav, but I am told they are nothing in comparison to the treasures which are heaped up in the convent of Troitska between this place and Moscow. The late Archbishop of Yaroslav found, on his accession to the see, that there were no less than sixty-four pounds weight of fine pearls; of which no use was made, but which were laid up in bags like seeds. Being a person of taste in such matters, he, in concert with the Abbess of a neighbouring convent, employed the pearls in embroidering the beautiful robes which I have just described; they have, however, still remaining unused, about eleven pounds of pearls. Besides these things, they have in the church a shrine of great size, of solid silver; an image set in broad frame of pearls which must be of immense

value; and also many precious and costly articles which I have not enumerated; the interior of the church is almost covered with gilding.

Although the dresses of the prelates, and even of the ordinary priests, are made and ornamented so magnificently, the forms of the robes are exceedingly stiff and ungraceful. Indeed, a false and frivolous taste appears to prevail in every thing connected with ecclesiastical pomp and ceremony in this country. Immense sums of money are lavished on petty minutiæ, on tawdry robes, gilt walls, and jewel-set images, which must be admired not for their beauty, but for their cost, which must be examined only in detail, and which produce no grand and general effects; while one seeks in vain for splendid cathedrals and noble architecture,* to impress and elevate the mind with solemn feelings, and to attest the genius and grand conceptions of ancient days.

We have passed our time here so agreeably, and have received so much kindness, that we are preparing with no small regret to leave Yaroslav to-morrow. Among the other attractions of the house, must not be forgotten in the heart of Russia, a number of modern English books which we have met with, and among the rest "Blackwood's Magazine,” which is regularly taken in by our hostess, who

* My opinion on these points was unchanged on leaving Russia; but the interior of the church of the Smolna monastery, and the columns of the church of St. Isaac, at Petersburg, are evidences of a taste for a higher order of things.

understands and speaks English exceedingly well, and who occupies herself much with English literature. The kind and repeated invitations which we have received to prolong our stay, are highly agreeable and flattering, but we are obliged to shut our ears to temptation, since the season reminds us that it is time to seek our winter quarters. My next letter will be addressed to you from Moscow, which is a hundred and eighty miles hence, and where we shall spend a few days on our way southwards.

We have been advised, instead of travelling to Moscow with post-horses, to make an agreement here with a man who undertakes to forward us all the way: by which means we avoid the chance of being detained for want of horses. The expense of a padoroshna, which I will explain directly, is also saved, though this is but trifling.

We have accordingly agreed with an istvostchik to pay him a sum equivalent to about five pounds ten shillings for the whole journey, with six horses; and we have received from him a paper on which are marked the distances, and the proportion we are to pay at each station. The stages are somewhat longer than those of the regular post, but this will be no disadvantage to us, as the Russian horses possess great powers of endurance, and more time is lost in this country, by frequent changes than is gained in increase of speed.

The post horses are an important source of revenue