Part 4 (1/2)
There are a nue pictures in the halls, the favourite subject of which is the retreat of the French fro of Moscow This subject is treated in every possible e pictures of the battles in which the Russians have been victorious They are not fond of keeping up a reood picture of the late Ehty brow, fierce eyes, and determined lips, the very iht down to the very dust; but, haughty as was that brow, the expression of the countenance gave no sign of talent or true genius It was indeed wanting He had the sense to take advantage of the ideas of others, and the determination to carry them into execution The colonel stopped to look at the picture, but there was no smile of affection on his countenance There were also full-length portraits of , half-tipsy look about it, very characteristic of the man The croas on one side, and the buttons of the waistcoat unfastened, if not, indeed, buttoned awry
Intoxication or insanity was clearly portrayed by the too faithful artist It was a way of speaking truth in which courtiers are not apt to indulge
The colonel led the party through a number of halls, each more vast and more beautiful than the forold, of another blue and silver, and of a third of a pinkish hue; but the most beautiful of all was the music hall The pillars which supported the roof hite twisted with gold--a allery above, with a second row of pillars It was more like a scene described in Eastern romance than what one expects to meet with in the solid reality of life The s of the hall looked out on a fine view of the Neva, with the citadel before it The colonel caught the eyes of the British officers looking at it
”Ah!” said he, taking the hands of the co to the fortress, ”that is the place you would have had to take if you had co; but, believe ly in this friendly way than I should have done at the point of the bayonet”
The colonel spoke in so frank and cordial a way, and with so race in his uests They all war to show hiladly have availed hio to Moscow to make preparations for the coronation
Two fine old soldiers, tall and upright, with huge moustaches, and breasts covered with decorations, stood guard at the entrance of the treasury It contained jewels of every description, and curious productions of rare art, such as a prince in the _Arabian Nights_from a far distant country before he could hope to win the hand of solass case, consisting of a golden tree, with a peacock, an owl, a cock, a s At each hour the peacock unfolds his tail, the cock crows, the owl rolls his goggle eyes, and thethan all the crowns of gold, the robes of silk, and the precious gereat Peter, and the tools hich he worked Ah affair, spy-glasses of huge di-sticks in nuh to knock down a giant, with every variety of handle, ending with the old man's crutch, a complete epitome of human life
It would be inificent pictures collected fro curiosities
This beautiful palace, as has been reht retire to it after the cares of state, and endeavour to forget the its varieties and objects of interest That she attained the ease and happiness she sought, is more than doubtful
”Depend on it, my lads,” observed Cousin Giles, ”that powerful but bad woman was far froive her Nothing but a good conscience, void of offence towards God and ot”
The Winter Palace is next to the Her, as the interior was burnt down in 1837, when s and articles of value were destroyed It is said that in the old palace there resided not less than six thousand persons, soht of disturbing the
That moon-stricken monarch, Paul, built a palace for hiht be safe froer was he to have it finished, that five thousand men were employed on it daily To dry the walls, iron plates were ainst theenerally ill done, and such was the case in this instance: the cost was three tireater than it need have been
Scarcely had the unhappy Emperor inhabited his new abode three ers of assassins, in the centre of the very fortress he had fancied would prove his security
The Herhly lionised under the auspices of the polite colonel, the party steered a course across the bridge of boats to the Exchange, a large building with a fine portico and a flight of steps facing the river, on the north side, at the eastern end of Vasili Ostrof, and with a fine open space before it It was presented by the late E, whoranite columns, decorated with the prows of shi+ps cast in , our friends discovered that it was covered with stucco, which inaway, as is the case with ree in this rapidly constructed city Cousin Giles and his friends were hesitating about entering when they were overtaken by Mr Henshaw
”Coers; they will not knock your hat over your eyes, as the frequenters of Change Alley are wont to do to intruders”
They followed their friend, and found theentry, with flowing beards and loned hats, inter round in expectation of a correspondent, others in earnest conversation in knots of twos or threes, busily engaged in buying or selling, a word deciding the fate of hundreds of fat oxen now feeding securely in their native pastures, or of thousands of tall trees growing in the primeval forest thousands of versts away They werean altar on one side of the entrance, with candles burning on it, and the picture of a saint, black, as usual, and in a golden habit, before which the native merchants bowed and crossed themselves as they passed onward to transact their affairs Here were collected representatives of all nations, and fronoues, and costumes; but so habitual has become to them a modulated tone of voice, that, in spite of the hundreds speaking at once, a gentle ners the Gerh position: in no community abroad are British ed in the Russian trade
Cousin Giles and his young companions , gentlemanly men Mr Henshaw took them to see the portraits of the present and the late E The present Czar is a slighter and shorter man than his father, and with a far milder expression of countenance
The picture of Nicholas speaks of undaunted courage and determination, and at the same time of a relentless and allad he was not my master,” exclai one!”
Leaving the Exchange, they returned to the south side, and then crossed another long bridge of boats, and afterwards a smaller one, to the Citadel Here their object was to see the Church of Peter Paul, where Peter the Great, and all his successors, including the late Ely fortified walls, an avenue of birch trees took theilt spire The richly painted roof is supported by massive square pillars, covered with pictures of saints, as is the pulpit The altar blazes with gold and silver, and huge silver candlesticks The faces and hands of the saints are all black, and peep out of holes cut in sheets of gold or silver maiked to represent their robes; thus the artist has very little labour in producing a picture The toh altar They are plain sarcophagi, are usually covered with black velvet palls, very simple and unostentatious On the walls and pillars are suspended various trophies taken in war from the enemies of Russia Over the s, as Harry observed, were soe jolly cherubs--that is to say,” he added, ”fat heads and nothing else to carry behind theet blown out”
”We have seen enough lions for one day,” said Cousin Giles as they left the fortress ”Fred will have work enough to write up his notes as it is”
After dinner, Fred read out to Cousin Giles and his brother the remarks he had made on the various scenes they had witnessed in their walks and drives through the city They will be found in the following chapter
CHAPTER SIX
Re, and the Habits and Customs of the Russians
The streets and places of Saint Petersburg are very badly paved: the holes and ruts in them are full of mud when it rains, and of dust in summer weather; some parts are covered with blocks of wood, like the streets of London Did the English learn the systelish? Other streets are paved with little round pebbles, very unpleasant to walk on The side pavements are often narrow and very uneven The frosts of winter stones