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himself immortal honour, and verified his own saying, made many years before that ever memorable event, that his brother Charles, by defeating them so often, would teach the Russians to vanquish him.

In the extensive and regularly planned garden, which is surrounded on three sides by a deep canal and high rampart, and on the fourth by a stone wall, a marble obelisk is elevated to the Empress Catharine the Second. In this garden are found cedars bearing fruit, and in summer laurels, lemon-trees, orange-trees, &c. which are removed from the orangeries.

The embellishments of this garden are innumerable. Among them, are a square labyrinth; two theatres, one of them in the open air; a grotto adorned with beautiful and valuable shells; temples built after the Chinese, English, Dutch, and Italian styles; hermitages, a karousal, or kind of regular circus, and other edifices, constructed in an elegant manner, may be mentioned.

Here is also a park which contains many wild animals, and foreign races of wolves; ponds well stocked with fish, and a small lake, provided with a quay, on which a yacht rides, armed with cannon, besides various small sailing and rowing boats.

On Sundays and festivals, there is a gulanyé, or promenade, at which are generally present the most distinguished nobles, merchants, and common people. On these occasions, sometimes, splendid entertainments are given. Indeed Kuskóvo is surpassed by few pleasure-seats in Europe, in grandeur and magnificence.

Although I speak in the present tense, I may say, such had been the state of Kuskóvo for at least thirty years. After the death of the late Count Sheremétof, in the year 1809, the estate fell into some disorder; but as the young Count lately came of age, there is every probability that under his care it will regain its former splendour.

The reader will perhaps be astonished at my descriptions of such fine estates in the neighbourhood of Moscow, and in a country by many deemed not yet demi-civilized, but still barbarous. But the arts of architecture and gardening may have made greater progress here than other arts, or than the sciences. Besides, in a country like Russia, where every thing is of mushroom-growth, it no more follows that a fine house should contain a polished gentleman, than that a stable erected in the English style should contain English horses.

Vassilovskoye, the charming villa of Prince Nikolai Borissovitch Yusûpof, from its magnificent situation on the elevated banks of the Moskvá, is seen from many points of the ancient capital, and calls forth the curiosity of the traveller. It lies about a verst, or nearly a mile from the Kalúga barrier, or about half-way between it and the farfamed Sparrow-hill.

The house has nothing magnificent in its appearance; indeed, it is a very plain building. It is only two stories in height, but has something very majestic in its air from its situation, and being surmounted by a fine belvidere, from which a splendid view both of Moscow and of the surrounding country is obtained. It stands on the very brow of the acclivitous bank of the river, which is here of considerable breadth, and flows beautifully at the foot of the hill.

The views from every side of this estate are highly deserving of at

tention, and the visitor will not regret his labour; but as the scenery is the same which has been so often described, as seen from the Sparrow-hill, I shall not describe it.

When Prince Yusûpof himself resided here, there were some good paintings. They have all been removed; and indeed of late years, the house has been let as summer-quarters, and generally to rich merchants.

Vassílovskoyé formerly belonged to Prince Dóigorukii-Krimskii, who obtained the latter epithet in consequence of repeated victories over the Turks in the Krimea, and of the conquest of that peninsula. At the time Coxe visited Russia, nearly fifty years ago, he remarked in the gardens, models of several fortresses which had been besieged and taken by the prince, particularly those of Yenikalé, Kertch, and Pérekop. In passing through the apartments of the house, and especially on surveying the portrait of the princess Catharine Dolgorukii, so pathetically described by Mrs. Vigor, the various reverses which befel her family forcibly occurred to my recollection.* The princess's own fate affords one of the most affecting stories in the annals of history. After having been torn from the person she loved, she was betrothed, against her inclination, to the Emperor Peter II. On his decease she became a momentary sovereign, but she was almost as instantly hurried from the palace to a dungeon, where she languished during the whole reign of the empress Anne. She was released, however, at the accession of Elizabeth, married Count Bruce, and died without leaving any issue.†

The Pustinya, hermitage, or small convent, of Catharine, deserves the notice of the curious, because it illustrates the superstition of the Russians. It was built, after the testamentary disposition of the Tsar Alexei Michailovitch, about the middle of the 17th century, because when that sovereign was there for the enjoyment of the chase, “the great martyr Catharine appeared to him in a vision, while he was asleep, and in the same night God gave his Majesty a daughter, who was named Catharine."

The Russian history sufficiently evinces the riveted superstitions of the natives as to good and evil spirits, the protection of saints, the second sight, an evil eye, lucky and unlucky days, &c. and not only among the rude peasantry, but also among the merchants and the nobles; and perhaps these are all surpassed in credulity by the lower clergy.

Catharine's convent is in the Nikitskoi district, and is about forty versts, or twenty-seven miles, from Moscow.

Michálkovo Sélo is a village and country residence, which appertained to the late Count Peter Ivánovitch Panin, a Russian nobleman of the first distinction, who signalized himself in the war against the Turks, by the taking of Bender, and afterwards by the defeat and capture of the celebrated, and for a while successful rebel, Pugatchef, who caused extreme uneasiness to the Empress Catharine the Second. It afterwards came into possession of his son and heir Count Nikita Petróvitch Panin, one of the ablest statesmen and best-informed individuals Russia ever produced. It was reported by many that he acted an important part in the downfal of Paul, but whether true or false I

* Letters from Russia, by a Lady.

+ Vide Coxe's Travels.

am unable to determine. It is certain, after that event, that he, in some way, incurred the displeasure of the Einperor Alexander, and that for many years past, when the Dowager-Empress, a most striking example of conjugal attachment, comes to Moscow, this nobleman as regularly withdraws from the city. The Empress could never bear the sight, nor even to hear the name, of any of the persons who were concerned in the tragic deed to which I have just alluded.

Count Panin, of late years, has generally resided near Viasma, alternately occupied with rural sports, and the acquirement of general knowledge. The latest accounts of him reported that he had gone to Italy, having obtained his sovereign's permission, and after having sold Michálkovo to a Russian merchant.

This estate is situated in the district of Moscow, and is ten versts distant from the capital. Though not embellished by any magnificent stone buildings, yet it displays a great deal of taste in a number of neat wooden edifices, and in the arrangement of the gardens, lawns,

and woods.

What may be its fate in the hands of the Russian merchant I cannot pretend to know, but most likely he has a speculation in view, and has already calculated his profits.

Perérva deserves to be mentioned. During my rambles in the neighbourhood of Moscow, I had frequently remarked a fine golden dome rising from the middle of dark woods opposite to Kolómenskoyé, and on the bank of the Moskvá, about five miles south-west of Moscow; and at length I determined to visit it. Here I found a cathedral and a monastery: hence the place is sometimes called the Perérvinskoi Monastery, which was built by the patriarch Adrian, and is dedicated to St. Nicholas. There is nothing remarkable in its structure.

Here I also found a seminary, for the education of clerical students, which I believe is connected with the Zaikonospasskoi monastery at Moscow.

At Perérva, the late Platon, the metropolitan of Moscow, used at times to reside; and here it was that Dr. Clarke had an interesting interview with this divine.*

Lyublina, the country-seat of the deceased Mr. Durássof, is about eight versts, or five miles, from Moscow, and not far from Mélnitsa, already described in my Second Sketch.

During Mr. Durássof's life this villa was quite the temple of pleasure; balls, concerts, plays, masquerades, dinner-parties, cards, billiards, &c. &c. continually took place, and a vast sum of money was thus expended, which, I believe, ultimately caused numerous difficulties to the owner; an extremely common occurrence among the Russian nobles, many of whom are deeply involved in debt.

The house consists of a central building, with four wings or branches stretching out from it like a cross; and the whole is enclosed by a circular colonnade. The situation is agreeable: a number of surrounding buildings, among which is a theatre, attract notice. Here national plays were acted by the proprietor's servants: à la Russe, tailors, lackeys, musicians, &c. became the actors.

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THE CHARMED FOUNTAIN.

O'ER the stream a willow tree
Leant, as if foredoom'd to be
Sign of sorrow, meant to wave
O'er some love-lorn maiden's grave.
Yet bowed branch, and pallid leaf,
Here are not the sign of grief.
Underneath the bank is set
With the azure violet,

Each one bending like a bride,
Sweet and secret sigh to hide.
In a chestnut-tree's green rest
Has the nightingale a nest,

Whence his richest tones come sweeping,

Like a lute's delicious weeping,

What time the pale moon discloses

His seraglio of wild roses,

While the falling dewdrops gem
Each sultana's diadem.

But 'tis not for its fair flowers,

Though they breathe of June's first hours,
Not for its blue violet wreath,

For its gale's Arabian breath,
For its sunshine, for its shade,
Not for the sweet music made
By the song its tenants sing,

Would you seek that grove-hid spring.

But a curious sprite, whose dwelling
Is in the rich numbers swelling
From the bosom of some shell
Treasured in an ocean cell;
Or in the rich breathing sent
On the sunny element,
From the rose, as to complain
Of the April's sudden rain;
Or in the red lights that streak
Maiden's lip or burning cheek :—
Some such sprite has laid a spell
On the waters of this well.
Lover, if thy heart has known
One pure faith and one alone,
Part the boughs aside, nor fear
That thy step should enter here;
For the fond and for the true
Spreads the fount its mirror blue.
But if thy false heart has changed,
Or thy fickle eye has ranged,
Take thy falsehood hence and flee,
It will yield no wave for thee.

L. E. L.

ORIGINAL LETTERS OF BURKE.

XIV.

MY DEAR GARRET,-I do not mean to apologize for my long silence, I must trust it to your good nature. I am sure that all my actions, and all my omissions, cannot go before a more favourable tribunal. If there had been any thing very deserving of your attention either in the public affairs or in my own, you should have been the first to be acquainted with it. But things have, with regard to both, continued these five years nearly in the same situation. Since my brother came home he has not been negligent in the management of his contested purchase. How the matter may finally turn out, I know not. But hitherto he has

gone on so successfully as to obtain a report of the Board of Trade recommending to the Council the disallowance of the Act of Provincial Assembly, which had put him out of possession and declared his title void. Thus far he has succeeded. Of the quiet and unmolested possession I do not despair; but as it is an affair of magnitude, so it will be a work of time and patience.

I believe Wat Nagle is returned to you. Things have turned out for him much better than I had any sort of reason to expect. Else I should have found myself in a very unpleasant situation, and he would have been in a much worse. Sir George Colebroke will send him out supercargo in a ship to Mocha and Bombay. This is a considerable and reputable employment. With reasonable good fortune and good management he may form a good establishment from it, and in a few years; but he must have some pecuniary assistance to enable him to enjoy these advantages. I like what I have seen of him. He appears to be a very sensible and well-behaved man; and I flatter myself that he will conduct himself properly in his employment.

Ned Nagle is still at Portsmouth. He goes into the Mediterranean with Captain Wilkinson, in the Winchelsea. He will go well recommended to Sir Peter Dennis, who commands on that station; and he is, I believe, put very well with his new captain. It happened rather unlucky that Captain Stott was out of commission when I sent Ned to the Winchelsea; there was then no appearance of his being speedily employed, and it was very pernicious to the boy to continue long on shore, as it weaned him from that activity which is necessary in his profession. However, Stott is lately put into commission, and is on the Mediterranean station. I can remove Nagle, undoubtedly; but I rather think that a new scene may be useful to him, and this connexion brings him rather nearer to the admiral, whose protection may be useful in qualifying him earlier for passing as lieutenant.

I fear I have something to answer for in not sending you the newspapers. I am, however, but just settled in the country. In town my hours are so very uncertain, that I find it not easy to regulate that affair. As to Tom English, he lives very near three miles from me, and I sometimes do not see him for a fortnight together. I will take care to put this matter in a better train for the future.

Here we are burned up to a coal. I am persuaded that hay will be towards five pounds a load next winter. If this weather continues much longer we shall not have a turnip; which is our great resource for winter feeding for both our oxen and our sheep. Peas and beans VOL. X. No. 60.-1825.

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