Of the devotion of such men as Popoff, Panitza, and
Veltscheff, the Court Chaplain has not a word to say. The Bulgarians are a rude, uncivilised set of boors and barbarians who need to be ridden with the curb,—this is evidently his view of the matter, and the misfortune is that he would have us believe that the Prince thought so too. The author shows a lack of the sense of proportion in the way in which he has constructed this book. Oat of 280 pages, 230 are devoted to the period previous to the revolution in Eastern Ronmelia, and the stirring events of the last two years are briefly and meagrely treated. The pleasantest chapter in the book is borrowed bodily from a volume by the Countess of Erbach, printed privately, describing her visit to Sandrovo, her brother's summer residence at Varna. This is really a charming sketch, and illustrates in the happiest way the strong affection prevailing between all the members of the family. The translation of Dr. Koch's reminiscences has been undertaken by no less than three hands, and is in parts very angular. We may conclude our notice with a passage which is really, though perhaps unintentionally, fanny. But it is the only instance of humour in Dr. Koch's sober pages. He was caught in a storm while on his way, in a sledge, to Sofia :—
"Not until the road descended towards Loftscha and wound along the River Osem did the storm subside : but my attention was with- drawn from „the prospect by a circumstance which made me very nervous. My horses were rushing madly along at full gallop, and yet the spot was not far off where the road had to tarn off at right angles to the neighbouring bridge. Acquainted by former and similar turnings of the road with the danger my tottering seat was exposed to at such spots, I foresaw an accident. Happily, I discovered at the point towards which my sledge had to glide, a tree with branches ready to help me. It happened as I anticipated. My sledge capsized; but I had, beforehand, seized a branch, from which I let myself down to the ground unhurt."
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