CHAP. pass without notice. We had, moreover, a particular reason for hoping this would be the case; as, in obedience to a decree of the Emperor PAUL, we had collected our short hair into a queue, which appeared most ridiculously curtailed, sticking out, like any thing but that which it was intended to represent, and most remarkably contrasted with the long tails of the Russians. Unfortunately, the case was otherwise; and a curiosity to see the two Englishmen becoming general, to our great dismay we found ourselves surrounded by a crowd of persons, some of whom thought proper to ask, who cut our hair? Such questions, it may be conceived, did not add to the evening's amusement; but our astonishment was completed the next day, in receiving the thanks and blessings of a poor ragged barber, who had powdered us at the inn, and whose fortune he assured us we had made; all the young nobles having sent for him, to cut and dress their hair in the same ridiculous manner1. Such a trifling incident would not have been mentioned, if it had not ultimately taken a (1) A review of this work has appeared in America, professedly written by a Russian; indeed, it bears strong internal evidence of such an origin. Its author, speaking of this anecdote, confesses 66 that it has all the appearance of being rigorously true." The same very serious turn; for the police-officers interfering, the young men, who had thus docked themselves, were apprehended in the public walks, severely reprimanded, and compelled to wear false hair; and we were obliged to use the utmost circumspection, lest we should also be apprehended, and perhaps treated with more rigour. The dances were called Quadrilles, Polonese, and English. The Waltz, once their favourite, had been prohibited. But whatever name they gave to their dances, they were all dull, and consisted merely in a sort of promenade. Neither the men nor the women exhibited the slightest degree of animation in the exercise, but seemed to consider it as a sort of apology for not sitting still. Every person wore a full dress; the men appearing either in uniform, or in coats of very rich embroidery. acknowledgment of his faith is made with regard to the pickpocket in the Cathedral, stealing during his devotions: but he denies even the possibility of another theft, mentioned in p. 92. It is for this writer to explain why he should deny the least improbable story of the three; especially as there are many living witnesses of its truth. In stating the time of our residence in Russia, with a degree of accuracy highly characteristic of his countrymen, instead of calculating the period from the day of our arrival, he dates it from that of our departure! IV. V. MOSCOW. Surprising Talent of Imitation among the Russians- -Miracles wrought there-Nature of the ImpostureArtifice of a Merchant-Assassination of an Archbishop -Motive for the Worship of Pictures-Resemblance between the Russians and Neapolitans-Wives of the Nobles-Conduct of their Husbands-Children of Orlof -Princess Menzicof-Retributive Spirit exercised by the Emperor at the Funeral of his Mother. CHAP. IN whatsoever country we seek for original Talent of genius, we must go to Russia for the talent of Imitation. imitation. This is the acme of Russian intellect; V. the principle of all Russian attainments. The CHAP. Russians have nothing of their own; but it is not their fault if they have not every thing that others invent. Their surprising powers of imitation exceed all that has been hitherto known. The meanest Russian slave is sometimes able to accomplish the most intricate and the most delicate works of mechanism; to copy, with single hand, what has demanded the joint labours of the best workmen in France or in England. Although untutored, they are the best actors in the world. A Russian gentleman, who had never beheld an European theatre, assisted during the representation of a play in one of the remote eastern provinces, and his performance was accidentally witnessed by persons who were capable of estimating its merit: they pronounced it to be superior to the acting of any of our European stage-players. In other examples of their imitative powers, the author has witnessed something similar. If they were instructed in the art of painting, they would become the finest portrait painters in the world. To the truth of this, we saw one striking testimony: in a miniature portrait of the Emperor, executed by a poor slave, who had only once seen him, during the visit he made to Moscow. For the resemblance and the minuteness of the representation, it was V. CHAP. indeed a surprising work. The effect produced was like that of beholding the original through a diminishing lens. The Birmingham trinketmanufactory, where imitations of precious stones and of the precious metals are wrought with so much cheapness, is surpassed in Moscow; because the workmanship is equally good, and the things themselves are cheaper. But the great source of wonder is in the manner of their execution. At Birmingham, they result from the labour of many persons; in Moscow, from the hands of an individual; yet the difference between divided and undivided labour in this branch of trade occasions none in the price of the articles. In Moscow, imitations of the Maltese and Venetian gold chains were offered for sale, capable of deceiving any person, unless he were himself a goldsmith. This is not the case with regard to their cutlery; because here a multiplication of labour is môre requisite. They fail therefore in hardware; not owing to any inability in imitating the works they import, but because they cannot afford to sell them for the same price. Where a patent, as in the instance of Bramah's locks, has kept up the price of an article in England beyond the level it would otherwise find, the Russians have imitated it with the greatest perfection; and sold the copy at a lower rate than the |