That the result of the present war must be some amelioration of the slavish condition of all classes in Russia, cannot but be expected. That, when a chasm is made in a dungeon light will break in, is a truth which may, as applied to Russia, make even the philanthropist look on present miseries with complacency. Long since, the present Czar and his confidential minister Cancrin were of one mind in the proposition that "all foreign non-Russian influence tended to the injury of the State, and that every deviation from a statu quo in the position of a nation was an allurement to revolution." And we cannot but expect and hope that this will prove to be the case. But how, or why, or by what influence the Czar has been induced to set at nought this maxim, and to give reins to the spirit of ambition, so far as to enter on the present conflict, is a mystery beyond our power to decipher. Unless, indeed, it be in this case as in others that the Almighty makes use of the unholy dispositions of men, and permits them to blind themselves as to their true wisdom, that his own ways and his own methods for working out the events that are to come upon the earth, may be brought to pass. In the last days there are "to be wars and rumours of wars." And though civilisation and philosophy, and commerce, and the fine arts and the prosperity of nations,

and the desire and tactics of politicians have all combined to tell us that "there shall never again be "another European war; " still, by the blind violence, by the haughty superciliousness, by the unqualified ambition of one man, war is upon us, and all Europe is more or less engaged in it.

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CHAP. IV.

THE FOREIGNER IN RUSSIA.

IF the native Russian finds it hard to live, and indeed may not live anywhere without the permit of the Emperor, much more is the foreigner in Russia obliged to render an account of all he does and where he goes; added to which he is surrounded by spies on all sides. His valet is a spy, his interpreter a spy, his landlord a spy; and if he is suspected of writing at all, not even Bramah's locks are effectual to save his lucubrations from the inspection of the police. If he wish to write that which would be offensive to his entertainers, -as did the Marquis of Custine rather too often for the reader's good impression of the honesty of his character,—his only hope is to outwit the cunning of his surrounding spies, and to dispose of these same lucubrations in some unheard-of or rather unthought-of place. But before the traveller can write his observations on the country or its inhabitants, he has to establish him

self there: and this is by no means an easy process -vide the amusing account given by Mr. Sterling of the sufferings he underwent, or rather the fleecing he received, from the chinovniks, or officials.

"I was now recommended to bestir myself about my passport, which, from its being for the interior, would take some time as well as trouble to procure. In applying for it, I had an opportunity of observing one of the numerous methods adopted by the government of raising the wind through the medium of stamped papers. All business in the public offices and courts of justice is carried on in writing, and no communication is received by the head of the department unless the document has the imperial eagle upon it. The price of the lowest stamped paper on which the official business is transacted is about sevenpence of our money, and when the extent to which the system of 'bureaucracie' is carried is carefully considered, it will be evident that the sums raised in this manner must form

an important item in the revenue. The vexatious delays I had experienced in procuring my Crimean passport were few in comparison with what I encountered on this occasion. The first step it was necessary to take in this intricate affair was to go to the police-office with my 'carte-de-séjour.' Before this document, however, could be forwarded to the police-master it was requisite that it should be accompanied by a petition, and as I could not write Russ, I had to look about the office for one of the numerous scriveners who make a livelihood by inditing these official billets-doux. This was of course drawn

out upon a stamp; and having given in the two papers I departed, with an intimation that I might call again tomorrow.' Three hours were consumed in this preliminary step. The next morning, at the appointed time, I was again at the office; and after having had the satisfaction of seeing the hands of the cuckoo clock describe two circles, an understrapper announced to me the agreeable intelligence that I might follow him. Keeping close to his heels, we threaded, or rather pushed our way through the crowd of petitioners, all of the lower orders, until my companion confronted me with a man in green coat with brass buttons the civil uniform. This was only a chinovnik (i. e. an under clerk); though, judging by his important manner, he might have been Count Benkendorf himself. I now observed that a third document had been appended to the two I left the day before; this being, as usual, on a stamp, I paid for it; and in the official catechism that followed, the gentleman in green was so preoccupied, that he forgot to give me my change. The official jackal now took me to at least ten different persons, who signed and countersigned each paper; and after wheeling in and out of every room but the one I wished to get into, the principal one, I was brought back to my absent friend with the brass buttons; here I had to pay for another stamped paper, and have the change taken out of me 'again'; my silent submission to this roguery procured me a low bow, with a request to leave the papers with him and 'call again to-morrow.' Before I left the office I was informed that this delay was to give the police time to inquire whether there were any claims against me