The whole length of the garden front of the Michael Palace is ornamented by an Italian colon-
* The conversation is repeated word for word as it occurred.
BEAUTIFUL ILLUMINATION.251
nade. Yesterday they availed themselves of a temperature of twenty-six degrees to illuminate the spaces betwixt each pillar of this exterior gallery with clusters of small lamps, arranged in a manner that had a very original effect. The lamps were formed of paper in the shape of tulips, lyres, vases, <&c. Their appearance was both tasteful and novel.
At each fete given by the Grand Duchess Helena. it is said that she invents something altogether new. Such a reputation must be troublesome, for it is difficult to maintain. This princess, so beautiful and intellectual, and so celebrated throughout Europe for the grace of her manners, and the charms of her conversation, struck me as being less natural and easy than the other females of the imperial family. Celebrity as a woman of wit, and high intellectual attainment, must be a heavy burden in a royal court. She is an elegant and distinguished-looking person, but has the air of suffering from weariness and lassitude. Perhaps she would have been happier had she possessed good sense, with less wit and mental acquirements, and had continued a German princess confined to the monotonous life of a petty sovereignty.
Her obligation of doing the honours of French literature at the court of the Emperor Nicholas, makes me afraid of the Grand Duchess Helena.
The light that proceeded from the groups of lamps was reflected in a picturesque manner upon the pillars of the palace, and among the trees of the garden. The latter was full of people. In the fetes at Petersburg the people serve as an ornament, just as a collection of rare plants adorns a hot-house. Delightful sounds were heard in the distance, where л 6
252Л GROVE IN A BALL-ROOM.
several orchestras were executing military symphonies, and responding to each other with a harmony that was admirable. The light reflected on the trees bad u charming effect. Nothing is more fantastically beautiful than the golden verdure of foliage illuminated during a fine nio;ht.
The interior of the grand gallery in which thej danced was arranged with a marvellous luxury. Fifteen hundred boxes of the rarest plants in flower formed a grove of fragrant verdure. At one of the extremities of the hall, amid thickets of exotic plants, a fountain threw up a column of fresh and sparkling water : its spray, illumined by the innumerable wax lights, shone like the dust of diamonds, and refreshed the air, always kept in agitation by the movement of the dance. It might have been supposed that these strange plants, including large palms and bananas, all of whose boxes were concealed under a carpet of mossy verdure, grew in their native earth, and that the groups of northern dancers had been transported by enchantment to the forests of the tropics. It was like a dream ; there was not merely luxury in the scene, there was poetry. The brilliancy of the magic gallery was multiplied a hundred-fold by a greater profusion of enormous and richly gilded pier and other glasses than I had ever elsewhere seen. The windows ranged under the colonnade were left open on account of the excessive heat of the summer night. The hall was lofty, and extended the length of half the palace. The effect of all this magnificence may be better imagined than described. it seemed like the palace of the fairies : all ideas of limits disappeared, and nothing met the eye but space,
RUSSIAN DANCING.253
light, gold, flowers, reflection, illusion, and the giddy movement of the crowd, which crowd itself seemed multiplied to infinity. Every actor in the scene was equal to ten, so greatly did the mirrors aid the effect. I thav never seen any thing more beautiful than this crystal palace; but the ball was like other balls, and did not answer to the gorgeous decorations of the edifice. I was surprised that this nation of dancers did not devise something new to perform on the boards of a theatre so different from all others where people meet to dance and to fatigue themselves, under the pretext of enjoyment. I should like to have seen the quadrilles and the ballets of other theatres. It strikes me that in the middle ages, the gratifications of the imagination had a greater influence in the diversions of courts than they have at present. In the Michael Palace the only dances that I saw were the polonaises, the waltz, and the degenerated country dances called quadrilles in the Franco-Russian. Even the mazourkas danced at Petersburg are less lively and graceful than the real dances of Warsaw. Russian gravity cannot accommodate itself to the vivacity, the whim, and the abandon of the true Polish dances.
Under the perfumed groves of the ball-room the empress reposed herself at the conclusion of every polonaise. She found there a shelter from the heat of the illuminated garden, the air of which during this summer night was as stifling as that of the interior of the palace.
I found leisure during the fete to draw a comparison in my own mind between France and Russia, on a subject regarding which my observations were
254INTERESTING CONVERSATION
not in favour of the former. Democracy cannot but be uncongenial to the ordering of a grand assembly. The one which I beheld in the Michael Palace was embellished with all the care and all the tokens of homage of which a sovereign could be the object. A queen is always indispensable to the maintenance of elegant pleasures. But the principles of equality have so many other advantages, that we may well sacrifice to them the luxuries of pleasure. It is this which we do in France with a disinterestedness that is meritorious ; my only fear is lest our great grandchildren may have different views, when the time shall have arrived to enjoy the perfections prepared for them by their too generous ancestors. Who knows if these undeceived generations shall not say, when speaking of us, ¢í Seduced by a sophistical eloquence, they became vague, unmeaning fanatics, and have entailed on us absolute misery?"
To return from the contemplation of the future which America is promising to Europe:—before the banquet, the empress, seated under her canopy of exotic verdure, made me a sign to approaeh her; and scarcely had I obeyed, when the emperor also came to the magic fountain, whose shoAver of diamonds was giving us both light and a freshened atmosphere. He took me by the hand, and led me some steps from the chair of his consort, where he was pleased to converse with me for more than a quarter of an hour on subjects of interest; for this prince does not, like many other princes, speak to you merely that it may be seen he does so.
He first said a few words on the admirable arrangements of the fete; and I remarked, in reply,
WITH THE EMPEROR.
255
that in a life so active as his, I was astonished that he could find time for every tiling, including even a participation in the pleasures of the crowd.
" Happily," he replied, " the machine of government is very simple in my country ; for, with distances which render every thing difficult, if the form of government was complicated, the head of one man would not suffice for its recµùrements."
I was surprised and flattered by this tone of frankness. The emperor, who understands better than any one that which is felt, though not expressed, proceeded — replying to my thought — " If I speak to you in this manner, it is because I know that you can understand me: we are continuing the labours of Peter the Great."
" He is not dead, sh`e; his genius and his will still govern Russia."
When any one speaks in public with the emperor, a large circle of courtiers gathers at a respectful distance, from whence no one can overhear the sovereign's conversation, though all eyes continue fixed upon him.
It is not the prince who is likely to embarrass you when he does you the honour of conversing; it is his suite.
The emperor continued: — " It is not very easy to prosecute this work: submission may cause you to believe that there is uniformity among us, but I must undeceive you; there is no other country where is found such diversity of races, of manners, of religion, and of mind, as in llussia. The diversity lies at the bottom, the uniformity appears on the surface, and the unity is only apparent. You see near to us twenty
256IMPROVEMENTS IN THE KREMLIN.
/> officers, the two first only are Russians; the three next to them are conciliated Poles; several of the others are Germans; there are even the Khans of the Kirguises, who bring me their sons to educate among my cadets. There is one of them," he said, pointing with his finger to a little Chinese monkey, in a whimsical costume of velvet all bedizened with gold.
" Two hundred thousand children are brought up and instructed at my cost with this child."
■` Sire, every thing is done on a large scale in this country — every thing is colossal."
" Too colossal for one man."
" What man has ever stood in nearer relation to his people ? "
" You speak of Peter the Great ?"
" No, sire."
" I hope that you will not be content with merely seeing Petersburg. What is your plan of route in visiting my country ? "
" Sire, I wish to leave immediately after the fete of PeterhoíF."
" Togo?"
í¢ To Moscow and Nijna."
" Good: but you will be there too soon : you will leave Moscow before my arrival, and I should have been glad to see you thei`e."
" This observation of your majesty's will cause me to change my plan."
" So much the better ; we will show you the new works that we are making at the Kremlin. My object is to render the architecture of these old edifices better adapted to the uses now made of them. The palace was inconveniently small for me. You
ENGLISH XOBLEMAX.257
will be present also at a curious ceremony on the plain of Borodino: I am to place there the first stone of a monument which we are about to erect in commemoration of that battle."
I remained silent, and no doubt the expression of my face became serious. The emperor fixed his eyes on me, and then continued, in a tone of kindness and with a delicacy and even sensibility of manner which touched my heart, — " The inspection of the manoeuvres at least will interest you."
" Sire, every thing interests me in Russia."
I saw the old Marquis D, who has only one
leg, dance the polonaise with the empress. Lame as he is, he can get through this dance, which is nothing more than a solemn procession. He has arrived here with his sons: they travel like real great lords; a yacht brought them from London to Petersburg, where they have had forwarded English horses and carriages in great number. Their equipages are the most elegant, if they are not the most sumptuous, in Petersburg. These travellers are treated with marked attention. They are intimate with the imperial family. The emperor's love of field sports, and the recollection of liis journey to London when Grand Duke, have established between him and the Marquis D —— that kind of familiarity which, it appears to me, must be more pleasant to the princes than to the private individuals who have become the objects of such favour. Where friendship is impossible, intimacy I should think can be only constraining. One would have said, to have sometimes seen the manners of the marquis's sons towards the members of the imperial family, that they thought on this subject as I did. If
25«
ANECDOTE.
freedom of manners and speech should gain a footing at court, where will falsehood and politeness find a refuge ? *
Young is at Petersburg: we meet every
where, and with pleasure ; he is a type of the Frenchman of the present day, but truly well bred. He appears to be enchanted with every thing. This satisfaction is so natural that it becomes contagious,
* Some days after this was written, a little scene occurred at court which will give some idea of the manners of the most fashionable young people among the English in the present day: they have no right to reproach, nor yet any reason to envy, the least polite of our Parisian exquisites : — what a difference between this kind of blackguard elegance, and the politeness of the Buckinghams, the L·auzuns, and the Richelieus ! The empress wished to give a private ball as a mark of attention to this family before their leaving Petersburg. She began by inviting the father, who dances so well with an artificial leg.
" Madame," replied the old Marquis D, " I have been loaded
with kindnesses at Petersburg ; but so many pleasures surpass my powers : I hope that your majesty will permit me to take my leave this evening, that I may get on board my yacht tomorrow morning, in order to return to England ; otherwise I shall die of pleasure in Russia." " Well, theu, I must give you up," replied the empress, satisfied with this polite and manly answer, worthy of the times in which the old lord must have first entered the world ; then turning towards the sons of the marquis, whose stay in Petersburg was to be prolonged : " At least I may depend on you ?" she said to the eldest. " Madame," replied this individual, " we are engaged to hunt the rein-deer to-day." The empress, who is said to be proud, was not discouraged, and, addressing herself to the younger brother, said, " You, at least, will remain with me ? " The young man, at a loss for an excuse, and not knowing what to answer, in his vexation turned to his brother, murmuring, loudly enough to be overheard, "Am I then to be the victim?" This anecdote went the round of the whole court.
THE FKENCII AMBASSADOR.259
and I doubt not the young man pleases as much as he is pleased. He travels to advantage, is well informed, and collects numerous facts, which he can number better than he can class ; for at his age it is more easy to sum up than to arrange. But what a richly varied conversation is that of our ambassador ! and how much will literature regret the time which he gives to politics, unless the latter be only a study by which the former will profit hereafter ! Never was a man more perfectly adapted to his place, or one who played his part with greater ability, united with more apparent ease and freedom from any assumption of importance. It is this combination which appears to me to constitute, in the present day, the condition of success for every Frenchman occupied with public affairs. No one, since the revolution of July, has fulfilled, so well as M. de Barante, the difficult charge of French ambassador at Petersburg.
In connection with the marriage fetes c;iven in honour of the Grand Duchess Marie, a little incident occurred which will remind the reader of what often happened at the court of the Emperor Napoleon.
The grand chamberlain had died shortly before the marriage, and his office had been given to Count Golowkin, formerly Russian ambassador to China, to which country he could not obtain access. This nobleman, entering upon the functions of his office on the occasion of the marriage, had less experience than his predecessor. A young chamberlain, appointed by him, managed to incur the wrath of the emperor, and exposed his superior to a rather severe reprimand: it was at the ball of the Grand Duchess Helena.
The emperor was talking with the Austrian ambas-
260ТПЕ GRAND CHAMBERLAIN.
sador. The young chamberlain received from the Grand Duchess Marie an order to carry her invitation to this ambassador to dance with her. In his zeal the unfortunate debutant broke the circle of courtiers which I have before described as forming at a respectful distance around the emperor, and boldly approached his maj.esty's person, saying to the ambassador, " Monsieur le Comte, Madame la Duchesse de Leuchtenberg requests that you will dance with her the first polonaise."
The emperor, shocked with the ignorance of the new chamberlain, said to him, in an elevated tone of voice, " You have been appointed to a post, sir; learn, therefore, how to fulfil its duties: in the first place, my daughter is not the Duchess of Leuchtenberg — she is called the Grand Duchess Marie*; in the second place, you ought to know that no one interrupts me when I am conversing with any individual." †
The new chamberlain who received this harsh reprimand was, unfortunately, a poor Polish gentleman. The emperor, not content with what he had said, caused the grand chamberlain to be called, and recommended him to be, in future, more circumspect in his selection of deputies.
I left the ball of the Michael Palace at an early hour. I loitered on the staircase, and could have wished to remain there longer: it was a wood of
* This title had been secured to her at her marriage. † Did
I not truly say that, at this court, life is passed in general rehearsals ? An Emperor of Russia, from Peter the Great, downwards, never forgets that it is his office personally ío instruct his people.
CABINET OF MINERALS.261
orange trees in flower. Never have I seen any thing more magnificent or better directed than this fete ;
but there is nothing so fatiguing as admiration too
оо о
greatly prolonged, especially if it does not relate to the phenomena of nature, or the works of the higher arts.
I lay down my pen in order to dine with a Russian
officer, the young Count, who took me this morn
ing to the cabinet of mineralogy, the finest I believe in
Europe, for the Uralian mines are unequalled in the
variety of their mineral wealth. Nothing can be
seen here alone. A native of the country is always
with you to do the honours of the public establish
ments and institutions, and there are not many days
in the year favourable for seeing them. In summer
they are repairing the edifices damaged by the frosts,
in winter there is nothing but visiting: every one
dances who does not freeze. It will be thought I
am exaggerating when I say that Russia is scarcely
better seen in Petersburg than in France. Strip the
observation of its paradoxical form and it is strictly
true. Most assuredly it is not sufficient to visit this
Russia in 1839 -Empire of the Czar: A Journey Through Eternal Russia Page 25