plank walls of the inclosure. In recompense, the country produces plenty of grain, and has a rich pasture. Our author was not, however, allowed to stay at Tobolsk, but he had the choice of any other residence, and the governor recommended to him Kurgan, which he politely assured him, was the Italy of Siberia. To Kurgan, on the banks of the Tobol, he accordingly went. Here he found provisions plentiful and cheap, a tolerable house, the walls of which were adorned, amongst other prints, with Lady Hamilton's attitudes, and companions in misfortune, particularly an interesting Pole, to whom he cordially attached himself. The neighbourhood was full of lakes and marshes, and their chief amusement was shooting woodcocks and wild ducks: the weather was fine, and he describes the meadows as covered with flowers and sweet scented herbs: bathing and swimming were favourite amusements with both sexes. Thus the days passed on, till on the 7th of July, when, as if the emperor had only had a mind he should make a summer excursion into that part of his dominions, he received the unexpected and welcome news of his recal. This he attributes to Paul's having seen a translation of a little piece of his written in German some years before, the subject of which was a generous action of the emperor's. In his route back he met companies of miserable exiles.

"From Perm to Cäsan nothing particular occurred, and the good spirits I enjoyed were only damped by the sight of the exiles we continually met with on the road. Some of them, like myself, were in their own carriages, others in open kibicks, and a far greater number, chained together in couples, travelled on foot, and were escorted by parties of armed peasants, who were relieved from village to village. Some of them had forked pieces of wood fastened about their necks, the handle of which hung over their breasts, and fell down to their knees. In these handles were two holes, through which their hands had been thrust by force. The spectacle was truly shocking all those who walked on foot asked our charity, and with what pleasure did I relieve them! I, who was returning from my captivity! I, who was flying to the arms of my family.

I likewise met several companies of emigrants, destined to people the new city which was building, by the emperor's orders, on the confines of China. The men and women walked on foot; the children were perched upon the waggons, among bales and

He passed also some Tartar villages, and witnessed their peculiar manners. At Petersburg he rejoined his wife, and was fully restored to the emperor's favour, who gave him an estate, settled a pension on him, made him manager of the German theatre, and soon after shewed him a most extraordinary mark of confidence, in employing him to translate the famous challenge by which Paul had the satisfaction to quiz all Europe. Though our author thinks proper to speak in the gentlest terms of the court of Petersburg, the following account of his feelings, even when in high favour, must make every English. man thankful he does not live in a coun. try where the caprice of a sovereign is law.

Every night I went to bed full of the most gloomy apprehensions. I started from my rest in the wildest surprise at the least noise, or whenever a carriage stopped in the street. My first care every morning was to anticipate all the possible disasters of the When day, with a view of avoiding them. ing for the emperor, to be able to alight I went out, my eyes were constantly lookfrom my carriage in due time. I watched with ceaseless attention over the whole economy of my dress, the choice of the colours, the cut and fashion of the garment. I found myself under the necessity of paying my court to women of doubtful reputation, and men of shallow understanding. I had the insolence of an ignorant ballet-master (the husband of madame Chevalier) to combat with. On the representation of every new piece, I tremblingly expected that the police, ever on the watch, or the secret inquisition, would discover some passage to be either specious or offensive. Every time my wife took an airing with the children, and staid a few moments later than usual, I was fearful of hearing that she had not got out of the carriage quickly enough on meeting the emperor, and had been dragged to the common prison, as had lately happened to the wife of Demuth, the innkeeper. I could rarely disburden my heart of its vexations to a friend; for, as the proverb says,

walls had ears, and one brother could not trust another." Nor could I fill up these disastrous hours with reading, for every book was prohibited. I was even obliged to forego the use of the pen! for I could not venture to commit my thoughts to paper which might be seized and taken from me the next hour. Every time my business obliged me to walk near the palace, I risked injuring my health; because at every season

of the year, and in all kinds of weather, a man was compelled to keep his head uncovered on approaching or leaving that mass of stones. The most harmless walk became a torment, for one was almost sure to meet some unhappy wretch on his way to prison, and often to the knout."

In the midst of these alarms, Kotzebue was thrown into the utmost terror, on being sent for to count Pahlen. It was to draw up a challenge in the emperor's name, to all the kings of Europe and their ministers; he obeyed, but it was found not strong enough, on which he was ordered to attend the emperor himself. He received him very graciously, and bowing, said, "Mr. Kotzebue, I must, in the first place, be reconciled to you."

"Agreeably to etiquette, I was going to kneel and kiss his hand; he lifted me up, however, in the kindest manner, kissed ine on the forehead, and in very good German said:

&c. and that the emperor himself proposes being attended by generals count de Pahlen and Kutuscoff: we know not if this report be worthy of credit; however, the thing appears not to be destitute of some foundation, and bears strong marks of what he has been often taxed with."

"At the last period he laughed most heartily; and, courtier-like, I laughed too.

in one breath, and very rapidly, still conWhat do you laugh at?" said he, twice tinuing to laugh himself.

That your majesty is so well informed of things."

Here,' resumed he, putting the paper into my hands, translate this into German; keep the original, and bring me a copy.' "I took my leave, and set about my task. The last word taxed with, embarrassed me much. Had I chosen the German word, which signifies accused, the expression, I thought, might appear too strong, and give the emperor offence. After mature reflection I went indirectly to work, and I wrote, what he has been often judged capable of.

"At two o'clock I returned to the castle. Count Kutaissoff announced me; I was immediately introduced, and I found the emperor alone.

Sit down,' said he, in a very affable manner: not obeying him at first, from motives of mere respect, he added, in a severer tone, Sit down, I say.'-I took a chair, and sat opposite to him at his table.

"He then took me under the arm, in a confidential manner, and leading me to the window, read a paper to me, which was written with his own hand in French; it was as follows:

"We hear from Petersburg, that the emperor of Russia, finding that the powers of Europe cannot agree among themselves, and being desirous to put an end to a war which has desolated it for eleven years past, intends to point out a spot to which he will invite all the other sovereigns to repair and fight in single combat; bringing with them, as seconds and 'squires, their most enlightened ministers, and their most able generals, such as messrs. Thugut, Pitt, Bernstorff,

* His own expression.

"He took the original French, and said,

slowly, and eyed him occasionally over the paper as I proceeded. He laughed when I came to the words, single combat, and he gave a nod of approbation, from time to time, till I caine to the last word.

« On

and I changed the expression agreeably to his order. He thanked me very cordially for my trouble, and dismissed me, equally touched and delighted with the manner in which he had received me. All who have nearly approached him will hear witness, that he knew how to be extremely engaging, and that in such moments he was quite irresistible.

"I did not feel it incumbent on me to omit the smallest circumstance relative to a fact which has made so much noise in the world. The challenge appeared two days after in the court gazette, to the great astonishment of the whole town. The president of the academy of sciences, who had received the manuscript in order to have it inserted, could not believe his own eyes. He went in person to count de Pahlen, to be assured there was no foul play in the busiAt Moscow, the gazette in which it appeared was stopped by order of the police, as it could not be imagined there, that the monarch wished to make the article public. The same thing took place at Riga. "The emperor, on his part, could hardly

ness.

wait till the paragraph was printed; and such was his impatience, that he made en quiries about it several times in the interval. "The next day he made me a present of a stuff box set with brilliants, of the value of about two thousand rubles. I do not believe that a translation of twenty lines was ever better paid for."

The third volume is tedious and un interesting, and might have been well spared to the English reader by the translator. It contains a description of the palace of Michaeloff, which the emperor built and furnished at a prodigious expence, and which proved too damp to be inhabited; an account of squabbles between managers and actors, and a critique on the Secret Memoirs of the Court of Russia, the accuracy of which the author endeavours to invalidate. On the whole, a man of spirit may be well content to have had one such remarkable year in his life, as it fortunately proved to be only one.

FEW works have ever so completely disappointed us as this volume. The name of the author and the promises of the editor had raised our expectations very high.

"Whatever may be the merits of the travels of Anacharsis, we discover in them the genius only of Barthelemy and the powers of his pen. His personal character and feelings it was not possible he should describe under those of the Scythian traveller. To understand these we must surprise him as it were in his own travels, and see him freely communicating to his friends the etlusions of his heart, his thoughts, his inclinations and pursuits. Chance, or rather the nature of my employment, has procured me this ad

vantage.

The travels of Barthelemy in Italy cannot properly be regarded as a work of serious study and care. Though replete with historical details and illustrations, there is apparent in them no cold arrangement, and none of that forced and artificial dress, which only serve in common to impose fetters on human genius. They are the letters of a friend to a friend. The ease of style, the boldness of expression, the frankness of communication, the perfect unreserve they sometimes display, and the air of caution and mystery that occasionally appears, give them a degree of interest, that can never belong to works formed by the square and compass of study."

In these letters the Abbé Barthelemy

appears, not the scholar and the philosopher as we hoped to find him, not even the lively Frenchman who can at least sketch the present picture with a bold but rapid hand, he is degraded and dwindled to a hunter of medals and inscriptions, a lounger in cabinets, a mere dilettante, a character for which our language is as yet to its honour without a name.

One instance of the Abbé's antiquarian sagacity deserves to be noticed.

Upon the frieze and the architrave were formerly two inscriptions in letters of metal, know not in what age, have been torn off : fastened on by rails. But these plates, I

the marks of the nails are still visible. I request you to keep secret what I am going to say. In my opinion, it would be possible to read the inscriptions by the marks of the he was a better architect than antiquary. I nails. Serlis, I believe, attempted it; but can clearly perceive, that the inseription begun with an M: take notice of the nail marks In the same architrave, the marks these were two V V's? Such was my disco·.· ·.· are discernable. Is it not plain that very in the quarter of an hour that we gave to the maison carrée. I have reflected seriously upon it since; and it strikes me, that the incription on the frieze was in honour of the emperor, and that that on the architrave contained the name of the architect. The three letters above, I read very distinctly,.

and I conceive it probable, that the name of the architect was Marcus VITRVVIVS."

These posthumous publications are extremely injudicious: on their authors as they confer no honour, neither ought they to affix any discredit; the letters were written to count Caylus, designed

to gratify him and adapted to his parti cular pursuits: when the Abbé was writing for the world, he knew what subjects deserved to interest the world. There can be little excuse for editing such pages, still less for translating them.

THIS excursion was taken by Mr. Wolf in the year 1785: since which time the press has teemed with tours over the south of Europe. How, then, can it be expected that the public should be interested in sketches and observations taken almost twenty years ago? Mr. Wolff is aware of this disadvantage under which his work appears: nor does he presume to rank in the same class with a Wraxall, a Coxe, or a Moore." Indeed, much as we have been amused with this volume, it is impossible to say that the information to be derived from it is either very important or very extensive. The naturalist will find but little to enlarge his knowledge or gratify his taste; nor will the artist be much benefited by the rare and hasty remarks which are here offered on the objects of his favourite pursuit. In 250 pages Mr. Wolff travels over Portugal and Spain, France and Italy! The chief merit of the book consists in little interesting anecdotes illustrative of men and manners, told as occasion requires with humour and vivacity, or with tenderness and feeling.

The national character of the Spaniard has generally been esteemed vindictive and revengeful: Mr. Wolff is disposed to think more favourably of them; "the traits which struck me most forcibly are honour and probity."

The use of chimnies is almost unknown in Madrid; braziers are preferred, on which a kind of frankincense is occasionally strewn, which gives an excellent odour. "Some time since a very pretty actress complained to the duke of Alva, that she was very poor, lived in a cold apartment, and was frozen to death. The duke sent her a brazier full of piastres! These traits of gallantry or humanity are not uncommon in Spain---how, in fact, could one refuse a brazier, or any thing else, to a pretty actress, who had no money and was cold?-I had this anecdote from the marquis de Langle."

From Lisbon to Madrid, from Madrid to Saragossa, thence to Montpellier, to the ancient Nismes, and to Marseilles we were hurried in rapid succession. At this latter place "we witnessed a grand procession of 340 French and other mariners, who having been redeemed by les religieux from slavery in the galleys at Algiers, had lately landed, and were now to be marched to Paris. The procession commenced at noon, and lasted several hours. The redeemed personages were led two and two by boys, dressed as angels in light gowns, with moveable wings on their shoulders. Sacred music preceded and followed the procession. It was closed by a number of monks in the habit of their respective orders.”

Licentiousness reigned here in a high degree: not to be seduced, says Mr. W. by these syrens, (the filles de joie) requires all the forbearance of a Scipio, or stoicism of a Cato. Collected from all nations, they seem to understand most languages. That of the eyes they speak with won derful effect. A foreigner in a short time thinks himself in the island of Calypso; nor is it hardly in the power of a modern Mentor to withdraw him from scenes of such fascination.

The scene in the coffee-room of les Quatre Nations is admirably comic and characteristic: it is too long for transcription.

At Florence, Mr. Wolff dismisses the gallery of the grand duke in a single page: but the paintings, statues, and busts which form that noble collection, have been described again and again; and we are willing to forgive the omis sion for the valuable consideration' of the story of Julia. He who can read it without emotion is endowed with an apathy which excites no envy from us.

"During my short stay at Florence, I was somewhat surprised one morning, while at breakfast, by a visit from a young man, whom I immediately recognized to be Charles →→

Many years had elapsed since his abrupt departure from England. His history being peculiarly interesting, I shall take the liberty of here inserting it.-Engaged in commerce at an early age, and taken into the house of his uncle, an eminent merchant in London, his prospects in life were most flattering. From his abilities, his attention, and improvement, Charles became the favourite, and was at length considered as heir to his uncle's large possessions. A partner in the same house, who was a man of superior sense, but addicted to extravagant vices, blighted this fair prospect almost in the bud! He was married to a depraved but beautiful woman, with whom he had formerly lived on easier terms. Led on in defiance of frequent seri. ous remonstrances from one act of expensive dissipation to another, his debts accumulated in an alarming degree, which he still hoped to discharge by means of the gaming-table. Surrounded by titled black-legs, and wary sharpers, he engaged on unequal terms, and increased those debts, which, in honour, he became obliged to pay without delay, or even investigation. The wife either knew not, or heeded not, the private circumstances of her husband. She saw her house filled with the best company; gave expensive entertainments, and resorted with avidity to every public amusement which had the power of chasing away reflection and care. The husband, eager to alleviate the stings of conscience arising from the neglect of a young family, plunged still deeper into riot and profusion, and paid no longer any attention to the concerns of his mercantile affairs, which had hitherto been in a very flourishing situ ation. His partner, an easy old man of independent property, who never quitted his armchair, was not made acquainted with the excesses of Mr. till intelligence from the bankers' arrived, stating, that not only the funds of the house were exhausted, but that, from an unusual grant of credit, they had permitted themselves to be considerably overdrawn. The affairs of the house thus involved, the most prompt and speedy measures became necessary to save their falling credit. A consultation was held, and a proposition made, and adopted, to employ the talents of young Charles, who was a proficient in the art of drawing, in forging the names of some eminent mercantile houses on foreign bills, and thereby raise an immediate supply. Charles seduced into the practice of this expedient by the treacherous spendthrift, unknowingly committed an act, by which, agreeable to the laws of his country, his life became forfeited. He succeeded so well in the art of imitation, that a second attempt was shortly after made for raising a more considerable sum in negociating the bills how ever, a discovery took place, which instantly obliged the parties to seek safety in flight. Not a moment was now to be lost; Charles was made acquainted with the duplicity that

had been practised upon him, and being hur ried into a carriage, wherein a few valuabl had been hastily packed up, departed imn e diately with Mr. for Dover. They embarked in the packet, and arrived safe on the continent, Continuing their route they pro ceeded to the south of France, where they took up their residence, and remained concealed, unknowing and unknown.

"In the mean time the uncle, confined with the gout, was left to support all the horrors of his situation. Bankruptcy ensued, and a disposition manifested on the part of the persons who had been duped, and were the chief sufferers, to have the infirm old man arrested, operated as his death warrant. In a few hours he was found lifeless in his bed, not without strong suspicion of having taken poison. The sequel of these acts of depravity and guilt was no less fatal to the beautiful but frail Mrs. -, who being, in consequence of her husband's elopement, deprived of pecuniary resources, and not inclined to follow or share his fate in a foreign country, accepted an offer, that was shortly after made her, of living with a man of fashion. Supported by his liberality, her extravagance now became unbounded; but her reign of pleasure was short. Tired of her charms, he quitted his mistress in a few weeks, and left her wholly destitute of future support. One lover succeeded another, till her abandoned conduct soon reduced her to a state of poverty, misery, and contempt; her health had likewise been considerably impaired, and without making one commendable effort, to gain a livelihood by industrious means, she sunk from poverty to guilt, and at length attempted to retrieve her fortunes by a deed of unexampled wickedness and cruelty. She had a daughter!—a beautiful girl of sixteen, in whose countenance every sweet and gentle virtue was pourtrayed; the bloom of health was marked on her features, and sensibility evinced itself in her every action. But alas! how often are the chil dren of promise doomed, in the spring of life, to mourn their blossoms blasted in the bud!

"Upon this maiden flower, just expanding into bloom, fell the rude storm of adversity, And like the tyrrannous breathing of the north,

Shook all its buds from blowing

"Julia! it was mine to see thee but once! yet pity still cherishes a tender recollection of that interview. Thy modest grief! the dignified serenity that sat on thy brow on this trying occasion! could I witness these and not participate in thy sorrows?-Sincerely did I share them; and so lasting is the impression of injured excellence, that revolving years have not been able to efface thy image from my mind.

"

This artless, exemplary girl, had been placed in a seminary, far from her mother's