"the Kremle is one of the most original, beautiful, and magnificent objects I have ever beheld. Its commanding situation on the banks of the Moskva river, its high and venerable white walls, with numerous battlements, and variously coloured towers and steeples, the number and the magnitude of some of its fine edifices, with their differently painted roofs, the variety of its cathedrals, churches, monasteries, and belfries, with their almost innumerable domes, gilt, tin-plated, or green : indeed, the whole picture presents at the same time a varied unity, a consonance and incongruity of objects,—a contrast of ancient and modern works of art and taste,-a beauty, grandeur, and magnificence indescribable, and altogether unique." The walls of the Kremle are from 12 to 16 feet thick; externally their height varies at different places from 30 to 60 feet; they are furnished with battlements and embrasures, numerous towers and steeples, and a number of gates. There are no regular streets within the walls; all the edifices are built of stone, i. e. they have stone foundations, or foundations faced with white calcareous tufa, while the superstructures are formed of brick, stuccoed and painted white, orange, yellow, blue, green, &c. The interior of the Kremle presents a crowd of government-offices, churches, and monasteries. The jewel-chamber contains a number of gold and silver vases, goblets, and other vessels; and round the walls are ranged the thrones of different Tzars, and numerous crowns, including those of Kasan, Astrachan, Siberia, Georgia, and Poland, which bring to mind the gradual increase of this vast empire

The Exercise House.] The inconvenience, aud sometimes impossibility of training and exercising troops out of doors during winter, in the rigorous climate of the north of the Russian empire, renders Exercisehouses absolutely necessary. Their utility is equally evident at times during summer, when they protect the soldier, and afford him a cool retreat during his manœuvres from the oppressive heat and an almost scorching sun. The government therefore has furnished both the capitals, as well as some of the chief towns in Russia, with these excellent edifices. Adjoining to the Winter Palace at St Petersburg, there is a very handsome Exercise-house, which claims the stranger's attention, and was once unequalled in Russia. It is now, however, far surpassed in its size, its solidity, its architecture, and its elegance, by the new Exercise-house at Moscow, an enormous edifice, built in the year 1817.

Feet.

560

168

42 or 431

43

In summer, the interior of the Exercise-house is cool and pleasant for the troops. In winter it is warmed by means of a number of stoves. Churches.] In the Cathedral of St Michael, the sovereigns of Russia were formerly interred: their bodies are deposited in raised sepulchres,

"The dimensions of the Exercise-house, I believe," says Dr Lyall, from whom we have taken the above account. "are by far the greatest of any apartment in the world, whose roof is unsupported by columns. The number of troops that can be exercised in it, is two thousand infantry, or one thousand cavalry; but a battalion of the former, or a squadron of the latter, are all that are usually manoeuvred at a time. In order that the reader may have a standard to assist him in forming an idea of its enormous magnitude, I shall bere insert the dimensions of some celebrated editices. The length of Westminster Hall is 275 feet, its breadth 74 feet, and its height 90 feet. The long room of the Custom-house of London, is 190 feet in length, by 66 feet wide, and 55 feet high. The great saloon of the Palazzo della Giustizia at Padua, is 300 feet long, 100 feet broad, and 100 feet high."

mostly of brick, in the shape of a coffin, above the pavement. Each tomb has, at its lower extremity, a small silver plate, upon which is engraved the name of the deceased prince, and the time of his death. Upon great festivals, all these sepulchres are covered with rich palls of gold or silver brocade, studded with pearls and jewels. The cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary has been long appropriated to the coronation of the Russian sovereigns. In the year 1819, Moscow contained six cathedrals, 21 monasteries, and 267 Greek churches. "Every monastery and church has its festival on the day of the saint to whom it is dedicated. These festivals are days of great rejoicing, mirth, and folly. In the country, the whole peasantry of the village where the festival is to be celebrated, as well as the peasantry in the neighbouring villages, assemble and attend the celebration of divine worship, during which, they pay particular devotion before the image of the saint to whom the church is dedicated. The same ceremony takes place at all the churches in town. But on the festivals of the cathedrals and monasteries, there is a holy procession from the cathedral of the Assumption, of a greater or smaller number of the clergy, according to the importance of the festival. They walk on foot, with uncovered heads, in regular order, accompanied by the holy banners, crosses, books, &c. and are protected from the crowd by the police and gens d'armes on horseback. The image of the saint to whom the church is dedicated, is peculiarly distinguished, and numerous burning candles are placed before it." *

Festival of the Resurrection.] Dr Clarke says, that the ceremony of the Resurrection at Moscow exceeds every thing of the kind at Rome, not even excepting the papal benediction during the holy week. He thus describes the extraordinary scene: "At midnight, the great bell of the cathedral tolled; its vibrations seemed to be the rolling of distant thunder; and they were instantly accompanied by the noise of all the bells of Moscow.

"The churches," says Dr Lyall, "with few exceptions, are stuccoed and whitewashed, or painted of a yellow, green, red, pink, blue, or some other colour: a few are painted in imitation of marble, and variegated like Turkish paper. The churches are generally built so as to stand east and west. But this is not always exactly observed; for if I be not deceived, I have remarked considerable variations from these points of the compass; and the church of St Nicholas, certainly stands north and south. The sanctuary, or altar, always occupies the east end, and the trapeza the west end of the church. The attendants, of course, worshipping before the ikonostas and royal doors, have their faces to the rising sun. Coxe says, Over the door of each church is the portrait of the saint to whom it is dedicated, to which the common people pay their homage as they pass, by taking off their hats, crossing themselves, and occasionally touching the ground with their heads; a ceremony which I often saw them repeat nine or ten times in succession.' This observation, though pretty correct, is too general. It would have been more accurate had he attributed the homage paid, generally speaking, to the temple of God, as being sacred; since many of the churches are not dedicated to saints, but to the events of our Saviour's life,-his nativity, his baptism, his entry into Jerusalem, transfiguration, crucifixion, resurrection, &c. Besides, the peasants also cross and bow themselves on passing a church on any side, and on a country road, when visible. Coxe's remarks, however, are often accurate. He might have included the nobility as well as the common people, the more religious of whom sometimes stop their carriages and alight opposite the most distinguished churches and cathedrals. The females cross themselves, and bow repeatedly; not only ten, but twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, or even a hundred times, and sometimes kneel on the ground. The males take off their hats, cross and bow themselves in the same manner, and sometimes also kneel. Even prostration is performed by the more enthusiastic. The paintings on the exterior of the Russian churches are generally executed on the walls; and though a few of them are tolerable, yet the generality are coarse daubings, in which high colouring, gigantic size, and gay decorations, make up for the higher efforts of art. They consist of representations of the Trinity; of God Almighty; the All-seeing eye; the transfiguration, ascension, and other great events of the life of our Saviour; of the prophets, apostles, and saints; of angels and archangels; the Virgin Mary and her child; the miracle-workers of Russia; the last judgment, &c.

Every inhabitant was stirring, and the rattling of carriages in the streets was greater than at noon-day. The whole city was in a blaze; lights were seen in all the windows, and innumerable torches in the streets. The tower of the cathedral was illuminated from its foundation to its cross. The same ceremony takes place in all the churches; and what is truly surprising, considering their number, they are all equally crowded. We hastened to the cathedral: it was filled with a prodigious assembly, consisting of all ranks of both sexes, bearing lighted wax tapers, to be afterwards heaped in rows upon the different shrines. The walls, the ceiling, and every part of the building, are covered with the pictures of saints and martyrs. At the moment of our arrival the doors were shut, and on the outside appeared Plato, the archbishop, preceded by banners and torches, and followed by all his train of priests, with crucifixes and censers, who were making, three times in procession, the tour of the cathedral, chanting with loud voices, and glittering in sumptuous vestments, bespangled with gold, silver, and precious stones. The snow had not melted so equally within the Kremlin as in the streets of the city; this magnificent procession was therefore constrained to move upon planks over the deep mud which surrounded the cathedral. After completing the third circuit, they all halted opposite the great doors, which were still closed; the archbishop with a censer then scattered incense against the doors and over the priests. Suddenly these doors were opened, and the effect was magnificent beyond description. The immense throng of spectators within, bearing innumerable tapers, formed two lines, through which the archbishop entered, advancing with his train, to a throne near the centre. The profusion of lights in all parts of the cathedral, and, among others, those of the numerous chandeliers in the centre, the richness of the dresses, and the vastness of the assembly, filled us with astonishment. Having joined the suite of the archbishop, we accompanied the procession, and passed even to the throne; here the police-officers permitted us to stand among the priests, near an embroidered stool of satin placed for the archbishop. The loud chorus which burst forth at the entrance to the church, continued as the procession moved towards the throne, and after the archbishop had taken his seat; when my attention was for a moment called off, by seeing one of the Russians earnestly crossing himself with his right hand, while his left was employed in picking my companion's pocket of his handkerchief. Soon after, the archbishop descended, and went all round the cathedral; first offering incense to the priests, and then to the people, as he passed along. When he had returned to his seat, the priests, two by two, performed the same ceremony, beginning with the archbishop, who rose and made obeisance, with a lighted taper in his hand. From the moment the church doors were opened, the spectators had continued bowing their heads, and crossing themselves, insomuch that some of the people seemed really exhausted by the constant motion of the head and hands. We had no leisure to examine the dresses and figures of the priests, which were certainly the most striking we had ever seen. Their long, dark hair, without powder, fell down in ringlets, or straight and thick, far over their rich robes and shoulders; their dark, thick beards also entirely covered their breasts. Upon the heads of the archbishops and bishops were high caps, covered with gems, and adorned with miniature paintings, set in jewels, of the crucifixion, the virgin, and the saints. Their robes of various coloured satin, were of the most costly embroidery, and even upon these were miniature pictures set with precious

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