BOOKS.

LEE'S LAST DAYS OF ALEXANDER AND FIRST DAYS OF NICHOLAS.* IN 1824, Dr. Lee joined the establishment of Count now Prince Woronzow, who has lately withdrawn from the government of Georgia. He resided for two years in the Count's family as phy- sician both at Odessa and St. Petersburg. Part of his sojourn was rendered memorable by the death of Alexander, and the outbreak of the conspiracy whose object was to dethrone the house of Ro- manoff and revolutionize Russia ; part in a less degree by the treaty which was extorted from Turkey in 1826, by proceedings very like those of Menschikoff lately, but by which war was post- poned till 1828. From his position Dr. Lee had access to the high- est society. In general conversation, his character as an English- man inspired a confidence which it would appear was not considered prudent between Russians. Of his observations during his resi- dence Dr. Lee kept a journal, from which this volume is chiefly ex- tracted, the extracts being united by connecting passages, and occa- sionally accompanied by illustrative foot-notes.

The topics of the book are various. There are accounts of the beauties of the Crimea, and of its malaria, which induces severe and (if neglected) fatal fevers and congestions, of which indeed Alex- ander died; sketches of the peasantry, the country, and its pro- ductions, in passing ; visits to public institutions, chiefly hospitals, with remarks on Russian practice and practitioners thirty years ago. The predominant features of the book are its indications of Russian government, Russian society, and the Russian masses, as they were in 1824-1826. In this point of view Dr. Lee's little book is the most truthful and picturesque we remember to have read. His position and his residence of course gave him much better opportunities of acquiring knowledge than a common tour- ist; and he seems to have gone to the country without precon- ceived notions, certainly without any such opinions one way or another as of late years most men would have gone with. Opin- ions Dr. Lee expresses, but they are forced upon him by what he continually sees and hears. The incidents, indeed hardly inci- dents, are of so slight a character, but so terribly significant of the insecure and suspicious nature of Russian society, that they speak more forcibly than greater matters. This was one of his earliest experiences.

"Society at Odessa seemed as free and unrestrained as in London ; and

there was nothing apparent to a stranger from which it could at this time be suspected that a conspiracy existed to destroy the Emperor Alexander and subvert the government of the country. At a public ball, however, a circumstance occurred to use one night, which arrested my attention, and excited a suspicion that the affairs of the country were not in so quiet a state as the surface indicated. After conversing for a time with Count de Witt, Prince Serge Volhonsky whispered in my ear, Take care what you say : he is the Emperor's spy' ; which afterwards was actually proved to be the ease."

We shall meet the Prince Volhonsky again. To continue the subject of espionage, Dr. Lee's private journal was the matter of a friendly hint from the late Russian Ambassador in England.

" During the time we remained at Taganrog, I resided in the same apartments with Baron Brunnow, and was on very friendly terms with him. One day he related to me the following anecdote, in his most playful man- ner. An English nobleman and the celebrated M. de Montesquieu once met at Venice, and were comparing the English and French natious. M. Mantes- quien maintained that the French were much more intelligent and acute than the English. The Englishman did not contradict him, although he did not give his assent entirely, being prevented by politeness from contradicting him. Every night AL de Montesquieu committed to paper what had passed during the day. On the following morning after this conversation, an Italian entered the apartments of the Marquis, and said, You keep a jour- nal of what you observe, and it is disliked extremely by the Government. I advise you to burn your journal immediately, otherwise you will run the risk of being thrown into prison.' He immediately cast his journal into the fire, and it was consumed. The same evening, the English nobleman waited upon him, and M. de Montesquieu related the circumstance, and expressed himself very uneasy at the thought of being subjected to imprisonment. The Englishman observed, Now you see the difference between the English and French : had this happened to an Englishman, he would have considered the probability of this, or at least have endeavoured to avoid it ; he would certainly not have thrown his journal into the fire as you have done. I sent the Italian to see how you would act on this occasion, for the purpose of showing you the difference between the two nations.' "In spite of this kind and delicate hint, my journal or diary was continued, and it has not yet been cast into the fire and consumed."

What a state of things! And be it remembered, too, that these anecdotes belong to the regime of Alexander; though the Emperor was lying dead at Taganrog when the Baron spoke. The appre- hension about the character of Nicholas at his accession was very great among those who knew him best. After reaching St. Peters- burg, Dr. Lee chronicles—" There is no doubt, if I may credit what has been stated to me, that his Majesty is one of the most false characters that exists, and that he has a very unforgiving disposition." Recent events, if not his whole career, have shown that Dr. Lee's informant had judged Nicholas rightly. It is the

• The Last Days of Alexander. and the First Days of Nicholas, (Emperors of Russia). By Robert Lee, M.D., F.R.S. Published by Bentley. writer's opinion that Russia has very greatly retrograded in every point under the rule of Nicholas. Alexander was weak and vain: his highest liberality was of an autocratic cast, and in the lat- ter years of his reign this liberality had greatly- diminished. The assassination of Kotzebue, the conspiracies of German students and Italian Carbonari, as well as the revolt in Greece, had dis- posed him to acts of repression. Still, he was tolerant in reli-. gion to the last, a friend to a sort of education, a firm supporter of the Bible Society and the distribution of Bibles in Russia, both of which Nicholas soon put a stop to. Alexander's per- sonal character was mild, and he was very considerate to those about him. Dr. Lee saw- but little of him, and that only on his tour through the Southern provinces, which death intercepted at Taganrog. Here is the first interview. The unusual and conde- scending familiarity with strangers seems to recall Napoleon's " Greek of the Lower Empire."

"He arrived at Yoursouff about four o'clock in the afternoon, accompanied by General Diebitch, Sir James Wylie, and a few attendants. When he dismounted from his horse in front of the house at Yoursouff, Count Woron- zow, his aides-de-camp, secretaries, and myself, were standing in a line to receive him.

"Though apparently active, and in the prime and vigour of life, the Em- peror stooped a little in walking, and seemed rather inclined to corpulency. He was dressed in a blue military surtout, with epaulettes, and had nothing to distinguish him from any general officer. He shook Count Woronzow by the hand, and afterwards warmly saluted him, first on one cheek and then on the other. He afterwards shook hands with us all ; and then inquired of me particularly about the health of the Count's children at Biala Cerkiew, whom I had seen not long before. He then inquired if I had visited the South coast of the Crimea during the autumn ; and if so, how I was pleased with it. Looking up to the mountains above Yoursouff, and then to the calm sea, upon which the sun was shining, his Majesty exclaimed, Was there ever such magnificent scenery!' I replied, that the coast of Italy, between Genoa and Nice, presented the only scenery I had ever witnessed that could be compared to it; a part of Italy which his Majesty stated he had never visited."

The clemency of Nicholas towards the conspirators was con- sidered great in Russia : only two hundred were banished to Siberia, besides a few of the most guilty condemned to death. From the nature of the trials and their secrecy, the guilt or inno- cence of many of the banished is very problematical' their sen- tence autocratic at all events, and the exile as bad as death. This is the fate of Prince Volhonsky, perhaps aggravated by personal enmity.

"Prince Serge Volhonsky, who had married another daughter of General Rajewsky, the sister of Madame Orloff, and not less distinguished for her virtues and accomplishments, in a few months after had his sword broken over his head, was stripped of his rank and honours, reduced to the condi- tion of a common slave, and banished into the wilds of Siberia, where he has remained, if living, ever since. I had been introduced, the previous winter, to Prince Volhonsky, at Biala Cerkiew, the residence of the Countess Bran- icka, the mother of the Countess Woronzow, and at Odessa had professionally attended his family and become well acquainted with him. He was a most affectionate father and devoted husband : but I knew at the time that he was not in favour with the Emperor Alexander and had incurred by some frivolous act the deadly hatred of Count Araktcheieff I had before thie been informed that the following laughable circumstance, which had taken place four years before, during a visit of the Emperor to the military colonieg„ of which Count Araktcheieff was the founder, was the cause openly assigned for Prince Volhonsky'a disgrace.

"The following is the account of this affair, copied verbatim from my journal.

" The military colonies please one at first sight, from the order and cleanli- ness everywhere prevailing in them ; but their population is said to be wretched in the highest degree. When the Emperor Alexander was here, some years ago, be went round visiting every house ; and on every table he found a dinner prepared, one of the principal articles of which consisted of a young pig roasted. The Prince Volhonsky suspected there was some trick, and cut off the tail of the pig and put it in his pocket. On entering the next house, the pig was presented, but without the tail ; upon which Prince Volhonsky said to the Emperor, I think this is an old friend.' The Em- peror demanded his meaning ; when he took out the tail from his pocket and applied it to the part from which it had been removed. The Emperor did not relish the jest, and it was supposed this piece of pleasantry led to his disgrace. A more effectual, though bold and dangerous method of exposing to the Emperor the deceptions carried on throughout the military colonies un- der Count Araktcheieff could not have been adopted than that which Prince Volhonsky had recourse to on this occasion. From that time Count Arakt- cheieff became his bitter enemy."

Dr. Lee does not use the word serfs, but the less polite term of slaves. These he describes as being almost everywhere in the most wretched condition, ready to rise against their masters at every opportunity, and only kept down by soldiers quartered in strong positions, the slaves themselves being disarmed. Later writers, as Hill and Oliphant, have indicated that the safety of the lords, when the slave has an opportunity, is often doubtful, their ignorance rendering the vengeance more horrible in its form. It is probable, too, that frequent outbreaks take place in particular districts ; everything unpalatable in Russia being suppressed, and known only to Government or those on the spot, unless some foreigner happens to hear of it. This question of serfdom and seve- ral other matters characteristic of Russia into which Dr. Lee's vo- lume would enable us to enter, we shall not touch upon ; but his conclusion, written with deliberation after nearly thirty years' further observation, has been added to his first impressions of Nicholas.

"It does not appear from the reports of those who have visited Russia since the year 1826, that any attempt has been made to improve the wretched condition of the slaves throughout the Russian empire, nor to cor- rect the abuses which then prevailed in every department of the Govern- ment. Since the suppression of the Bible Society, which was carried into effect while I was in St. Petersburg, knowledge at every entrance has been ex- cluded from the people. It is said that astronomy has been encouraged at Dorpat, and mineralogy at Moscow, by two kisses imprinted upon the cheeks of an eminent English geologist.

"The consumption of human life during the reign of the Emperor Nicho- las has been enormous. He has carried on war with the Circassians unin- terruptedly for twenty-eight years, at an annual cost of 20,000 lives on the Russian side alone ; making a grand total of nearly 600,000 Russians who have perished in attempting to subdue the independence of Circassia.

" In the two campaigns against Persia, as in the Hungarian campaign and the two Polish campaigns of 1831-'32, there are not sufficient data to enable me to form a correct estimate of the Russian loss; which was, however, in the Persian and Polish wars enormous.

" In the two campaigns against Turkey, of 1828-'9, 300,000 fell ; of whom, however, 50,000 perished by the plague. " The loss of the Russians, in various ways, since the entry of the Da- nubian Principalities, is understated at 30,000.

" In these calculations, it should be borne in mind that no estimate is at- tempted to be made of the sacrifice of human life on the side of those who fought for their liberties against the aggressions of Russia. If this calcu- lation were attempted, it is probable that the result would prove that neither Julius Cesar nor Alexander, nor even Tamerlane, has been a greater scourge to the human race than the present Emperor Nicholas."

So much for the pet of the Peace people !