The Empire of the Czar: or, Observations on the Social, Political, and Religious State and Prospects of Russia

ARRIVAL OF THK HEREDITARY GRAND DUKE OF RUSSIA AT EMS. — CHARACTER OF RUSSIAN COURTIERS. — THE PERSON OF THE GRAND DUKE. HIS FATHER AND UNCLE AT THE SAME AGE. HIS EQUIPAGES AND SUITE. SUPERIORITY OF THE ENGLISH IN ALL EXTERNAL APPURTENANCES. THE RHINE. THE RIVER MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN ITS BANKS. — FIRE-FLIES ON THE RHINE.

I DATE from yesterday the commencement of my Russian Travels. The Hereditary Grand Duke has arrived at Ems, preceded by ten or twelve carriages, and attended by a numerous court.

What has chiefly struck me in my first view of Russian courtiers is the extraordinary submissiveness with which, as grandees, they perform their devoirs. They seem, in fact, to be only a higher order of slaves; but the moment the Prince has retired, a free, unrestrained, and decided manner is reassmned, which contrasts unpleasantly with that complete abnegation of self, affected only the moment before. In a word, there appears to reign throughout the suite of the heir of the imperial throne, a habit of servile docility from wliich the nobles are not more exempt than the valets. It is not merely the etiquette that regulates other courts, where official respect, the imj)ortance of the office rather than that of the person, the compulsory part, in short, that has to be played, produces ennui, and sometimes ridicule: it is something more; it is a spontaneous and involuntary humility, which yet does not altogether exclude arrogance: it seems to me as though I could hear them say, “since it cannot be otherwise, we are glad to ha\e it so.” This mixture of pride and humiliation displeases me, and by no means prepossesses me in favour of the country I am about to survey.