1

SELECT REVIEWS.

FOR NOVEMBER, 1809.

FROM THE EDINBURGH REVIEW.

Travelling Sketches in Russia and Sweden during the years 1805, 1806, 1807, 1808.

By Robert Ker Porter. 2 vols. 4to. pp. 611. London.-- Philadelphia, republishing by Hopkins & Earle.

WHEN a person of moderate defects; and this is pretty sure to be abilities and limited information is one of the most erroneous of all his betrayed, in an unlucky hour, into positions. Mr. Ker Porter points an act of ordinary authorship, we do out “ continual egotism, an appearnot conceive ourselves bound to take ance of ostentation, and perhaps a any notice of it.

The book most too unreserved disclosure of his own probably contains nothing which calls situation and feelings," as his most for publick censure ; and it is still “prominent imperfections." Wecerless likely to reward us with matter tainly cannot altogether acquit him fit for extract or abridgment. But it of these faults; but, that they bear is otherwise, when a person of this any proportion to the whole defects description travels, and tells his stony. of his work, or that, in a book of He can scarcely avoid setting down travels, they deserve to be seriously something worthy of our attention; considered, unless where other and and we have accordingly made it a greater failings are not discoverable, rule, to examine, with some pains, we must take the liberty of denying. almost every work of this class, noting We wish Mr. Ker Porter had looked the defects, and separating and pre. somewhat sharper after such failings. serving the useful parts, even though If he had corrected them, his book they should be as two grains of wheat would have been improved; but if he in a bushel of chaff. In pursuance had only noticed them in his preface, of this plan, we are now to make our a good deal of trouble might have readers acquainted with Mr. Ker been spared to us. Porter. He has been long known, Our author sailed from England we presume, to most of them, as a in August 1805, and had a favourable very ingenious artist. In this book, passage to the Sound. As he aphe does not increase, nor indeed sus- proached Elsineur, he was occupied tain, that reputation ; nor does he add with the most mild and interesting to it any considerable portion of li- meditations upon "a city immortal. terary fame, although he entitles ized by the pen of our matchless himself to the much higher praise Shakspeare.” He had been following of amiable feelings.

Hamlet every where; he had proThe preface to a book generally ceeded to “ measure the deep shạ. sontains the author's opinion of its dows on the platform ;" he had then

VOL. II.

a

оо

u encountered the gray ghost of the ing;” and somewhat prejudiced, no royal Dane;" and killed Polonius doubt, by his general indignation at in the queen's closet;" besides Elsineur. As soon as he leaves that “ drowning poor Ophelia in the wil- ill fated spot, his good humour re lowed stream.” Upon landing, how- turns; and during the rest of his ever, he gets angry at Elsineur for tour, we find him a perfectly civil falling so far short of his imagina- and well natured companion. tions; and abuses that respectable He only saw Copenhagen through town, at great length, and with con- a glass from the sea ; but he could siderable variety and force of invec- plainly distinguish its ramparts and tive. Sotwithstanding the existing batteries ; which leads him to relate hostilities, we scarcely think it would an anecdote of lord Nelson. This, be fair to extract the whole of this we have reason to believe, is well highly wrought passage. We may founded, and therefore we shall ex

, just, by way of specimen, mention, tract it, although not very well told ; that it seems “ Wapping possesses for it is exceedingly delightful to the splendour of ancient Rome. when dwell on any memorial of so illustricompared with the modern aspect of ous a man, now that we have unhapElsineur ;” and if Hercules, or, as pily lost him. our author calls him, “the immortal “ The circumstance took place during scavenger of Elis, had began [begun] the battie of the Sound. It at least proves there, he would be at his labour now.'

that no situation, however dangerous, can Disgusted with Elsineur, and, as it

disconcert the truly brave man, or render should seem, with life itself, he being watched by the enemy, betray qur

him inattentive to those minutiæ, whick rushes out of the town about a mile, weakness, or proclaim our power You and finds a place called “Hamlet's must well remember, from the gazettes garden." He straightway expects of that period, and private accounts, how “ venerable and magnificent ruins ;" tremendous was the engagement, and and, being disappointed, severely re

how dreadful the slaughter. In the midst

of these horrours, surrounded by the primands this villa. During his re

dying and the dead, the British admiral buke, he happens to see Elsineur ordered an officer, bearing a flag of truce, again, at some distance, whereupon to go on shore with a note to the crown a little more abusė is bestowed upon prince. It contained a proposal to his it; nor can he, by any means, be royal highness to acquiesce, without furappeased, until he perceives the cas

ther delay, in the propositions of the

British government; not only to put i tle of Cronberg, that “ fine and bold

stop to the present effusion of blood 011 feature," and four hundred sail of both sides, but to save from total destrucmerchant ships lying at anchor. Thus tion Copenhagen and its arsenals, which disappointed in all his hopes of finding he would otherwise level with the water, royal cities and ruins, and seeing, the calmness of a man in his study, he

Whilst his lordship was writing with all indeed, no remains of Hamlet what- desired colonel Stewart to send some one ever, he is forced to console himself below for a light, that he miglit seal his with Saxo-Grammaticus, from whom despatch. Colonel Stewart obeyed; but he translates some passages, to which none appearing with a candle ; when lord Shakspeare seems to have been in- Nelson had nearly completed his letter, debted. They are curious, though not

he inquired the reason of such neglect, very delicate. But one does not quite it was killed in his way by a cannon shot.

and found that the boy who had been sent for see why that author, as well as Shak- The order was repeated : upon which co; speare, could not have been perused lonel Stewart observed: “Why should in England. Mr. Ker Porter saw also your lordship be so particular to use wax! some Danish soldiers, of whom he why not a wafer?' The hurry of battle expresses an unfavourable opinion ;

will be a sufficient apology for the violabeing moved thereto, it rather seems, friend,' replied lord Nelson, that we

tion of etiquette. It is to prove, my by “ their coarse and ill made cloth

are ir no hurry; that this request is not

:

dictated by fear, or a wish on our part to richly gilt and burnished. Every other stop the carnage, from the least appre- ornament will be in corresponding taste.. hension of the fate of this day to us, that Niches are formed on the exteriour, for I am thus particular. Were I to seal my the reception of bronze statues of saints, letter with a wafer, it would still be wet fifteen feet high : and at some distance, when it reached the shore ; it would speak in front of the building, is to be erected of haste. Wax is not the act of an in- a single column of granite of two hundred stant, and it impresses the receiver ac- feet in length; a piece of that size, suffi.. cordingly.' The reasoning of the admiral cient to form it, having lately been diswas duly honoured by the result. The covered. Its magnitude will be so imDanes acceded to his proposal, and a mense as to exceed the height of Pompey's messation of hostilities was the conse- pillar by many feet. It is expected that quence.” I. 13, 14.

in the course of four or five years the From Zealand our author proceed- whole work will be completed. At that ed in his voyage to Cronstadt. On period the okl church is to be pulled

down; and thus an area will be left that landing there he “ was amazingly struck by the extraordinary appear- of the now.

must considerably improve the situation ance of almost every individual he “ The architect of this great design met." The beards, brown skins, was formerly a slave of count Strogonoff. saps, uniforms, pelisses, all bursting But that nobleman, out of respect to his upon his sight at the moment that he talents, gave him his liberty. heard a language quite new to him, these buildings come

“ Many of the labourers employed on

some thousand “ made so strange an impression on versts from the interiour: and when the his mind as is not to be described.” frost sets in, they retire thither again, Indeed, he says : “ Every sense was to await the more genial season which will called forth to wonder and exercise."

allow them to recommence their toil. The The town and arsenal of Cronstadt multitudes now engaged in forming the are described as very beautiful and interesting and curious. Åll difficulties

various parts of these large works, are magnificent at first glance; but a

connected with their business, are overnearer view, it seems, discovers come by human exertions alone. What

many a wart and wrinkle on this in England would easily be performed fair face.” With St. Petersburgh he by one horse, with a little mechanical aid, is more delighted. There, “

is here achieved by the united strength of every

numbers of men. Ilence there is much house seems a palace, and every pa- useless labour to regret. Frequently we lace a city.” The description of the

see a hundred men, with ropes and handnew metropolitan church is interest- spikes, busied in accomplishing no more ing, both on account of the work it- than one quarter of that number, with a self, and the example which it affords few of our assisting inventions, would of the waste of labour in a country easily finish in half the time.” 1. 20, 21. where the lower classes are in a state

In giving this extract, we have

left out a little rant about sacrilege of slavery or villanage. “ This edifice, as I before said, is de

and genius, which occurs about the dicated to the Mother of God, of Kazan.

middle of it. We cannot, however, Though fur from being completed, suffi- omit an exquisite passage touching cient is elevated of its plan to give a avarice, which catches the eye a few tolerably accurate idea of the sublime pages further on; and forms, we feature it will make in the face of this conceive, as pure a specimen of the city. The architect, who is a Russian, seems to have had the image of St. Peter

nonsensical in coin position, as has in his mind when he laid the foundations even of late years been produced. of this building; and if it be finished as After inveighing against the Russian it is begun, I have no doubt of its being shopkeepers for demanding from a very powerful rival to the two great strangers more than the value of cathedrals of Rome and London. The pillars intended for the inside of the church

their goods, although willing to take are to be each of one entire stone ; the

a fair price from those who know shaft, in length fifty-two feet, polished to

their ways, Mr. Porter breaks out as the utmost perfection, and surmounted follows. 11th a capital of the Corinthian order

racter.

“But alas ! I fear the passion for a hasty erfully excited by the collection of accumulation of riches is not peculiar to standards taken in battle, and of the our northern neighbours. In an ignorant keys of all the cities which have people, just emerging to civilisation, we

These see covetousness without a veil. Eager yielded to the Russian arms. to share in the good things which are are hung up in order, and named and opened to them on every side, they con. dated with great accuracy. Here are sider not, because they do not yet under the keys of Ishmael, Okzakow, Derstand, the superiour advantages of cha- bent, and innumerable other cities or But are the people who have

towns of lesser note in distant parts long enjoyed the privileges of education and polished society, are they exempt of the world. The standards of Pulfrom this degrading vice? I am afraid towa, we may presume, blacken the pot. With them it is only more modest. air. Noir, Alessandria, furnish troAware of its own infamy, it slinks from phies to swell the heap. But there is sight under various masks, while the ob

an accursed thing in this temple which jects of its contractorships, and the tenantry of the land, are groaning under pollutes it, and casts the triumphs neglect and oppression. Selfishness is here recorded into a deadly shade. the vice of human nature ; and very diffi. There are the keys of Warsaw, and cult it is to hold it in the medium between the bread and salt rendered up with savage avidity and luxurious desires.” them, as a token of the destruction I. 25.

of Poland. There is something awThere is not a line of this which ful, at the present moment, in this may be passed over ; but the last part of the picture. It teaches sentence is particularly remarkable,

us why Ishmael was in vain deluged because it consists of so many words with blood; why Derbent was thrice put together without one single idea. conquered to no purpose ; why the

The description of St. Petersburgh arms of Russia have swept over the is, upon the whole, good. Mr. Por- east and the south, without increasing ter's talents as an artist appear in it. her security ; why, after strangling Indeed, he who can delineate a city Sweden in her cradle, she has no on canvass, is pretty sure to give a strength in her riper years; why her picturesque account of it, if he will victories over France are forgotten, only be plain and natural ; and the and the country of Suworoff receives grandeur of the scene seems to have the law from Paris. Those symbols forced our author to set down many are, indeed, memorials of a triumph; of the things that struck him, as they they record a triumph over publick really did strike him, in spite of his virtue ; over the faith of treaties; tendency to ranting. Thus, notwith- over the rights of nations; a triumph standing the “ castellated rocks ;" which was never equalled, not even “ dank marshes ;” “tangled forest ;” in Switzerland, or at Copenhagen;

gay parterre ;" “ Arcadian scenes ;' until the invasion of Spain, surpass“ encolumred walls ;" “ Adriatick ing all former crimes, made us alIsles of Venice;" (as if he had said: most forget the partition of Poland. "the English parishes of Yorkshire')

We shall pass over a great mass which are crowded into the space of of description, mixed up with trifling a quarter of a page, we really think anecdotes, somewhat in the manner a person who has never been at St. of sir John Carr, to whose “ elegant Petersburgh, will rise, from Mr. works," indeed, Mr. Porter refers. Porter's description, with a much We say nothing of the account of more lively idea of the exteriour of the Greek church, 100', a subject very that magnificent capital, than if he little adapted to such superficial wriperused all the other accounts of it

ters as this author. And we quickly put together.

turn over two pages of rant, or rather On visiting the church at the fore downright raving, upon lord Nelson's tress, our author's attention was pow

death, sensible how painful it must his admiration ; and the emperour be to the feelings of our readers, Alexander is portrayed at length. even to notice this trash for the pur- We shall extract the passage ; bepose of reproving it. But we must cause it brings back the remem. follow Mr. Porter to court; for, brance of past times. The people among other boasts, we remember of this country have probably forto have seen in the newspaper adver- gotten, now, that they used all to tisements, mention made of “ his venerate the Russian

emperour. In. accredited reception at the respective deed, two years have not elapsed courts." This is obviously intended since such language as the following as a hint, that he was intrusted with would have been deemed cold and some mission, though he is much utterly inadequate to express the too prudent to let the secret out in feelings which every one was requihis book. We wonder what could red to entertain towards the saviour of be the nature of this embassage? Europe. Was he, perchance, sent to rouse the

“I know your eagerness to become ac. continental powers at the beginning I mean the truly great; the illustrious in

quainted with the great of all countries; of the third coalition? The dates cor

talents, and the illustrious in virtue: they respond very well with this idea; alone have ever been the great to you ; for he went abroad just before the and to them, while resembling them as war broke out. His talents, too,

a brother, have you not always bowed seem of the cast not unusually em

with the humility of a son! But to return

to the emp-rour: ployed by our cabinet on such services. His knowledge of languages, in his motions, and particularly graceful

“ He is mild in his demeanour, gentle of French particularly, points him in his address. The goodness of his heart out as very likely to have been pitch- shines forth in his eyes ; and the sweeted upon. (See vol. 1. p. 130.-" Les ness of his temper ever embellishes his chamberlains actuels.”] He further re- lip with a smile. So great is his benevosembles some of our most profound ing

forward some instance of his attention

lence, that not a day passes without bring. statesmen in an eloquent and happy to the welfare and comfort of his people; coinage of words, e.g. to olfac, for to and his lenity in punishing criminals is stink. When all these qualifications are so forbearing, that in all cases the most taken into the account, we shall pro

tender mercy waits upon his justice. His bably feel disposed to believe the in. figure is handsome and elegant; his air sinuation of the advertisement, al

affable and engaging; and his counte

nance ever expresses the benignity of his though Mr. Porter is sufficiently mind. His height is about five feet elediplomatick to keep his own secret; ven inches. He is fair, with blue eyes ; except, indeed, where he finds it quite and his complexion, though not florid, is impossible, as any equally happy beaming with health, and most interestman must have done, to suppress life.

ingly tinged with the hue of a military the information, that, “ to the fair hand of the dowager empress, he is

“ On our first presentation, according

to the etiquette of this court, the empeindebted for a diamond, which, in

rour passed forward, only bowing to the devotion to her virtues, he shall ever strangers. But after that formal ceremowear next his heart.” I. 149.

ny was once over, at every other levee It is needless to add, that this em

he converses with all the dignified free

dom which sits so gracefully upon persons press is among his chief favourites.

of his rank; and more particularly captiTo The dowager empress,” says he, vates in him, from the intelligence and

who is of a Pallas form and mein, amiable interest of his manners.” I. 148, is a most admirable woman." Again: Our readers may perhaps think, “ She is exquisitely accomplished, that Mr. Porter is somewhai romanand possesses a courtesy of address tick in his descriptions of royal per. that is undescribable.” The reigning sonages. But we can assure them, empress comes in for some share of he is a much greater enthusiast rea