her own. made fuch elegant improvements upon the original plan, that it is fo far become The hatchet was the Emperor's favourite inftrument; his work was ufeful, but unpolished. He feemed to be fenfible of this, and early cal. led in the affiftance of a female. A. nother Catherine is born to him: the fine arts go hand in hand with those of war, of agriculture, and commerce. From Old Petersburg, we proceed along a bridge of boats to Williams ifland. Upon the north fide, and fronting the old town, are the merchants wharfs, the exchange, the cuftom-houfe, and warehouses. In the river, between Old Peterburg and Williams ifland, lie all the veffels that take down to Cronfladt the produce of Ruffia, to the larger foreign hips, that cannot come to Peterburg, the channel being too narrow and fhallow at the mouth of the river. Thefe veffels likewife bring from Cronstadt all goods imported, landing them at the custom-houfe to fecure the duties. The fouth fide of Williams ifland fronts the new city of Petersburg; and here is built a fuperb line of houfes, a mong which are the Imperial Academies and the Museum. The Imperial Academy of Sciences is a grand ftructure, and is amply endowed for its fupport. The profeffors are eminent in the republic of letters, and are of different nations. Her Imperial Majefty, to adorn thefe eflablishments, feledts merit from every climate or country. The mufcum is fituated upon the higheft and eaft point of Williams Ifland, oppofite to the imperial palace upon the continent to the fouth; and the citadel to the north. The weft point of this ifland reaches to the mouth of the Neva. The Mufeum, I beg her Imperial Majefty's pardon, is a fmall warehouse, containing famples of the various productions of her empire. This world of dominion furnishes a mufeum of itself; yet no expence has been fpared to complete the collection with every curious production from other countries. Here the naturalift and merchant find equal pleafure; the one views with rapture the veins of gold, filver, and lead, in the native ore; the other confiders how much one hundred weight will produce of pure metal. The Cadet Corps, or Academy of War, formerly the palace of Prince Menzikoff, is fituated between the Academy of fciences and the Museum: is the nursery of young warriors, the fons. of the nobility and gentry; and from this feminary of Mars, are taken the officers for the army. The palace of the Prince Menzikoff was applied to its prefent ufe by Count Munich. There are a number of buildings adjoining, for the accomodation of the young gentlemen. The hiftory of Menzikoff is romantic. Raifed from the bumbleft slation to the rank of Prince, then racked upon the wheel of fortune, yet, in every fituation, the military art continued his favourite ftudy. During his banishment in Siberia,, the table of his cottage was always covered with maps and plans of the countries, the feats of former wars, and of battles in which he had been engaged; ftill delighting in what had occafioned his fall, and poring over his destruction! It muft appeafe his manes, that his house is fill the nursery of war. Except this line of building upon the banks of the Neva, and another street, the whole of this quarter of the city confifts of wooden houses. These are built very regularly in ftreets intersecting each other at right angles: canals run through the middle of the streets ; but, owing to the level furface of the ground, the water in them, in the heat of fummer, ftagnates, and is offenfive. They ferve no good purpose, and it would be proper to fill them up with earth. A bridge of boats croffes the Neva, oppofite the Cadet Corps, making a communication from Williams ifland to the grand quarter of the city upon the continent. As you walk along this bridge, you have a front view of the equeftrian ftatue of Peter I. which is erected JE 2 war building under the palace windows! From the Admiralty fpire, all the streets run out as radii from the centre of a circle. The principal street is that line, of buildings fronting the Neva, for an extent of between three and four Englith miles. The bank, for the fame extent, is lined with granite ftone, with baluftrades, and a footpath of the fame materials. Near the extremities of this fuperb street, called the Grand Million, and which, taking the course of the Neva, forms a vast obtufe angle, a canal is cut across the main land, making the bafe of this angle, and furrounding the city upon the continent to the fouth; fo that this quarter is entirely inclosed, with the Neva on one fide, and this ca erected upon the oppofite bank of the river: the horfe, upon the fummit of a rock, majestically rearing, and pawing the air-feems confcious of his rider" he smells the battle afar off; his neck is clothed with thunder." Around the ftatue are always feveral Rufhans, attended by fome biographer. You can trace, without any knowledge of the language, by the geftures of the orator and his audience, when he is recording the defeat at Narva, or the vic tory at Poltowa. They add, in these orations, that Peter stood upon the very rock which now fupports his effigy, while he beheld the Swedish army fly from the field of battle. I have taken a drawing of this celebrated work of M. Falconer. I was affifted by an engraving_nal upon the other, for an extent of afrom a drawing of Young, and have endeavoured to correct fome errors in that drawing; or perhaps his engraver has not done juftice to the drawing. "When an heroic monument," fays M. Falconer," is to be confecrated to the memory of a prince, and this prince has achieved great matters in various and even oppofite departments; he has gained victories in war; he has enacted wife laws, and founded establishments conducive to the happiness of his people in the time of peace-his academical eulogium may turn upon both thefe texts but in a statue, which can but reprefent one instance, we must confider and choose. If we give a preference to his civil qualities over his military virtues, this preference cannot juftly be condemned, till it fhall certainly be determined which of these two kinds of glory belongs more particularly to him, who has fo well deferved them both; but more efpecially, which of them was most useful to the happiness of mankind. The habit I have given the ftatue of Peter the Great, is the habit of all nations; of all men; of every age; in a word, it is an heroic habit." Upon the right hand of the ftatue, and to the east, is the Admiralty and dock-yards, and immediately beyond thefe the Imperial palace. At this inftant there are two first rate fhips of polture. The third is the Summer PaVOL. LVIII. E e bout eight miles; the whole bank lined There are in Petersburg three imperial palaces: the palace near the admiralty, in which her Imperial Majefty refides, is a magnificent edifice of brick ftuccoed, and adjoining is a long range of buildings fronting the Neva, including the private theatre of the court. The Marble Palace is built of the stone which gives it this name. The archi tect has made, what ought to have been the gavel, the front of this fuperb building, which feems itself to blush at its lace, will be filled with buildings; and the Grand Million will be one continued range of taste and splendor. The lace, built of timber, and yet the most regular and elegant. It is placed in the fummer gardens upon the banks of the river, and is truly a delightful refidence. I am at a lofs to guess what induced The Ruffian nobles, and even the the Emperor to pitch upon fo awkward middling ranks, exceed in the elegance a fpot for dock-yards; from which the of their houses. In the Afiatic ftyle, fhips must be tranfported to Cronstadt they are all built in squares; an open over fhoals, by means of wooden camels, court in the centre, to which is an en- when this trouble could have been fo try by a large gate-way. With this eafily avoided by building his navy at tafte is mixed the Grecian and Italian; the harbour where they lie, and where and the Corinthian, Ionic, and other there is a great depth of water and eveornaments are too much crowded upon ry accommodation. The machines calthe flight fabric of brick and plaifter. led camels are constructed of two pieces, It would be better to finish their houfes or a fort of half-veffels, built in the fame în a plainer style; and the easier ex- manner as other veffels, but of a fingupence would enable the poffeffors to far fhape. They are fquare at the botkeep them in better repair. Nothing tom, the ends, and one fide; the other looks fo tawdry as a Corinthian cornice fide is hollow and rounding. These of plaister in ruins. The new church half-veffels are funk to a proper depth, near the equeftrian statue is building of one at each side of the ship of war they the finest Siberian marble, and will be are intended to carry; and their holone of the most costly and superb struc- low fides, being drawn close to her, tures in the universe. The granite form a capacious womb which embraces banks of the Neva, the equeftrian fta- the fhip of war. They are ftrongly tue of Peter I. and this admirable build- wrapped together with cables. ing, will deliver down, to the latest pofterity, the name of Catherine II. But Catherine is imperial in every thing; and pofterity will overlook even thofe monuments, amid the continued difplay of great actions. The palace near the Admiralty is fituate at the point of the angle which the river makes; and here the Neva rolls his tide, embracing the lodging of his fovereign. From this fpot one has the grandeft profpect imaginable before you, upon the other fide of the river, is the old city, with its citadel and fpire; the houfes furrounded or intermixed with woods. Williams Ifland prefents another prof pect of a different nature: a wood of mafts, planted in front of the street. To the right and left is the Grand Million, every houfe in which is of elegant ftructure, and inhabited by the principal Ruffian nobility and gentlemen. The Admiralty dock-yards are foon to be removed to Cronstadt, a more convenient place, adapted to the fcite of the naval yards. The vacancy from the palace to the equeftrias ftatue and fenate house water is then pumped out of the camels; they rife, and with them the ship of war! Perhaps you will have a better idea of the camels, by fuppofing an oblong fhaped bafon cut lengthways from the top to the bottom: the hollow fides of each half bafon will exactly refemble thofe of the half camels. Again, join the two halves together, and they form the womb which receives the burden. The camels, with their loads, do not draw above eight to eleven feet of water. Peter, probably anxious to fhew his navy to the Ruffians, built his ships at Peterfburgh, where there was a greater number to look at them. He had experienced difficulty in prevailing upon his fubjects to come to the capital, and ftill more in making them embark for Cronstadt. The moment they beheld the Finland Gulph, and heard the roaring furge, they made a full stop, or fhrunk back with terror at the awful defigns of their prince! Many interesting particulars regarding the government and prefent fate of Ruffia, will be given in next number. SUBSTANCE OF A LETTER FROM THE RIGHT HON. EDMUND BURKE TO A NOBLE LORD. MY LORD, demns. What I have obtained was the I COULD hardly flatter myself with fruit of no bargain; the production of the hope, that fo very early in the fea- no intrigue; the refult of no comprofon I should have to acknowledge obli- mife; the effect of no folicitation. The gations to the Duke of Bedford, and to firft fuggeftion of it never came from the Earl of Lauderdale. Thefe noble me, mediately or immediately, to his perfons have loft no time in conferring Majefty or any of his minifters. It was upon me that fort of honour, which it long known that the inftant my engageis alone within their competence, and ments would permit it, and before the which it is certainly moft congenial to heaviest of all calamities had for ever their nature and their manners to bestow, condemned me to obfcurity and forrow, To be ill-fpoken of, in whatever I had refolved on a total retreat. I language they fpeak, by the zealots of had executed that defign: I was enthe new fect in philofophy and politics, tirely out of the way of ferving or of of which these noble perfons think fo hurting any ftatefman, or any party, charitably, and of which others think when the minifters fo generously and fo july, to me is no matter of uneafinefs fo nobly carried into effect the fpontaor furprife. To have incurred the dif- neous bounty of the crown. Both depleasure of the Duke of Orleans or the fcriptions have acted as became them. Duke of Bedford, to fall under the cen- When I could no longer ferve them, fure of Citizen Briffot, or of his friend the minifters have confidered my fituathe Earl of Lauderdale, I ought to tion: When I could no longer hurt confider as proofs, not the leaft fatis- them, the revolutionists have trampled factory, that I have produced fome part on my infirmity. My gratitude, I trust, of the effect I propofed by my endea is equal to the manner in which the bevours. I have laboured hard to earn nefit was conferred. It came to me, what the noble Lords are generous indeed, at a time of life, and in a state enough to pay. Perfonal offence I of mind and body, in which no circumhave given them none. The part they stance of fortune could afford me any take against me is from zeal to the cause. real pleasure. But this was no fault in It is perfectly well! I have to do ho- the royal donor, or in his ministers, mage to their juftice. I have to thank who were pleafed, in acknowledging the Bedfords and the Lauderdales, for the merits of an invalid fervant of the having fo faithfully and fo fully acquit- public, to affuage the forrows of a deted toward me whatever arrear of debt folate old man. was left undischarged by the Priestleys and the Paines. Why will they not let me remain in obfcurity and inaction? Are they apprehenfive, that if an atom of me remains, the fect has fomething to fear? Muft I be annihilated, left, like old John Zifca's, my skin might be made into a drum, to animate Europe to eternal battle against a tyranny that threat ens to overwhelm all Europe, and all the human race? In one thing I can excufe the Duke of Bedford for his attack upon me and my mortuary penfion. He cannot reaily comprehend the tranfaction he con 4 It would ill become me to boast of any thing. It would as ill become me, thus called upon, to depreciate the va lue of a long life, fpent with unexampled toil in the fervice of my country. Since the total body of my fervices, on account of the industry which was shewn in them, and the fairness of my intentions, have obtained the acceptance of my fovereign, it would be abfurd in me to range myself on the fide of the Duke of Bedford and the Correfponding Society; or, as far as in me lies, to permit a dispute on the rate at which the authority appointed by our conftitu E e 2 tion tion to estimate fuch things, has been pleafed to fet them. For whatever I have been (I am now no more) I put myself on my country. I ought to be allowed a reafonable freedom, because I stand upon my deliverance; and no culprit ought to plead in irons. Even in the utmost latitude of defenfive liberty, I wish to preferve all poffible decorum. Whatever it may be in the eyes of these noble perfons themfelves, to me their fituation calls for the most profound refpect. If I fhould happen to trefpafs a little, which I truft I fhall not, let it always be fuppofed, that a confufion of characters may produce mistakes; that in the mafquerades of the grand carnival of our age, whimsical adventures happen; odd things are faid and pafs off. If I fhould fail a fingle point in the high refpect I owe to thofe illuftrious perfons, I cannot be fuppofed to mean the Duke of Bedford and the Earl of Lauderdale of the House of Peers, but the Duke of Bedford and the Earl of Lauderdale of Palace-yard-the Dukes and Earls of Brentford. There they are on the pavement; there they feem to come nearer to my humble level; and, virtually at least, to have waved their high privilege." Mr Burke then continues to take a review of his own political life, and to defend the grants made to him. He fays, that his paft exertions were fuch as no hope of pecuniary compenfation could poffibly reward; that from his Majefty he claims no merit at all; every thing toward him has been favour and bounty. In fpeaking of the acts introduced by him into Parliament, Mr Burke fays they coft him infinite pains, from the oppofition he every where met with in his undertaking. The military pay-office was, however, methodized, and fo was the civil-lift establishment. But his reforms were far different from thofe of the prefent day; they were not the fuppreffion of a paltry penfion or emolument, more or less: he acted on state principles; the great diftemper was in the commonwealth, and he treated it according to the nature of the evil and the object. He knew the people were diffatisfied, and his object was to give them the subftance of what he knew they defired. He wifhed for reformation, and not for change. It was not his love, but his hatred to innovation that produced his plan of reform. It was to prevent that evil, that he propofed the measures which the Duke of Bedford is pleased to recall to his recollection. There was (what he hopes the noble Duke will remember in all his operations) a flate to preferve, as well as a ftate to reform. A people was to be gratified, not to be inflamed or mifled. He claims not half the credit for what he did, as for what he prevented from being done. His measures were intended to be healing and mediatorial. A complaint was made of too much influence in the Houfe of Commons; he reduced it in both houfes, and gave his reasons, article by article, for every reduction. He heav ed the lead every inch of the way he made. A difpofition to expence was complained of; to that he oppofed not mere retrenchment, but a system of economy. Mr Burke next enters into a short review of his political life; he did not go into Parliament to con his leffon; he did not fet his foot in St Stephen's chapel before he was prepared and difciplined. He was not, like his Grace of Bedford, fwaddled, and rocked, and dandled into a legiflator. He poffeffed none of thofe qualities, nor cultivated the arts that led men to the favour and protection of the great. He was neither a minion nor tool. At every step of his life he was traversed and opposed; and at every turnpike he met, he was obliged to fhow his paffport, and to prove his title to the honour of being ufeful to his country. He had no arts but manly arts: on them he has stood; and pleafe God, in fpite of the Duke of Bedford and the Earl of Lauderdale, to the laft gafp he will stand. Mr |