THE BRIDE.
205
upon the head of the husband of Paul the First's grandchild ! The strange coincidence most probably occurred to no one except myself. It appears that tact and propriety are here necessary only for those who possess no power. Had the recollection of the fact which occupied my mind occurred to that of the Emperor, he woidd have commissioned some other individual to hold the crown over the head of his son-in-law. But in a country where they neither read nor speak of public affairs, nothing has less to do with the events of to-day, than the history of yesterday ; power consequently sometimes aets inadvertently, and commits oversights which prove that it sleeps in a security not always well advised. Russian policy is not shackled in its march either by opinions or actions ; the favour of the sovereign is every thing. So long as it lasts it supplies the want of merit, of virtue, and even of innocence in the man on whom it is lavished; and, in the same manner, when it is withdrawn, it deprives him of every thing.
Every one contemplated with a species of anxious interest the immovableness of the arms which sustained the two crowns. The scene lasted for a considerable time, and must have been very fatiguing fur the performers. The young bride is extremely graceful ; her eyes are blue, and her fair complexion has all the delicate freshness of early youth : openness and intelligence united form the predominant expression of her face. This princess and her sister, the Grand Duchess Olga, appear to me the two most beautiful persons at the Russian court:—happy unison of the advantages of rank and the gifts of nature.
20GTHE DUKE OF LEUCIITENBERG.
`Vhen the officiating bishop presented the married pair to their august parents, the latter embraced them with a warmth that was aífecting. The moment afterwards the Empress threw herself into the arms of her husband — an effusion of tenderness which would have better suited a chamber than a chapel: but in Kussia the sovereigns are at home every where, not excepting the house of God. The tender emotion, however, of the Empress appeared altogether involuntary, and therefore did not shock the feelings. Woe to those who could find any thing to ridicule in the emotions produced by true and natural feeling ! Such exhibitions of sensibility are sympathetic. German kindheartedness is never lost; there must indeed be soul when feeling is allowed to betray itself even upon the throne.
Before the benediction, two doves were, according to custom, let loose in the chapel; they quickly settled on a gilded cornice which jutted out directly over the heads of the wedded pair; and there they never ceased billing and cooing during the whole mass. Pigeons are well off in Russia: they are revered as the sacred symbol of the Holy Ghost, and it is forbidden to kill them: fortunately the flavour of their flesh is not liked by the Russians.
The Duke de Leuchtenberg is a tall, well-made young man, but there is nothing distingue in his features. His eyes are handsome, but his mouth projects and is not well formed. His figure is good without being noble: a uniform becomes him, and supplies that want of grace that may be observed in his person. He looks more like a smart sub-lieutenant
IMPATIENCE OF THE DUKE.207
than a prince. Not one relation on his side had come to St. Petersburg to assist at the ceremony.
During the mass he appeared singularly impatient to be alone with his wife ; and the eyes of the whole assembly were directed, by a kind of spontaneous sympathy, towards the two pigeons perched above the altar.
I possess neither the cynicism nor the talent for description of St. Simon, nor yet the ingenious humour of the writers of the good old times; I must therefore here dispense with some details that might prove rather amusin¤; to the reader. In the аце of Louis XIV. they exercised a liberty of language, which was fostered by the certainty of there being no hearers, except those who all lived and spoke in the same manner: there was then plenty of society, but no public. In these times, there is a public, but no society. With our fathers, every narrator in his own circle could state facts without reference to consequences ; in the present day, all classes being mixed, there is a lack of benevolence, and therefore of security. Freedom of expression would appear mauvctis ton to people who have not all learnt their French from the same vocabulary. A certain degree of plebeian sensitiveness has insinuated itself into the language of the best society in France; the greater the number whom we address, the greater the necessity for assuming a grave and precise mode of speaking; a nation demands more respect than an intimate society, however refined that society may be. As regards decorum in language, a crowd is more precise than a court. Freedom of speech becomes in-
208AN INCIDENT.
convenient in proportion to the number of listeners. Such are the reasons which deter me from relating that which, this morning in the Imperial Chapel, brought a smile on the face of more than one grave personage, and, perhaps, more than one virtuous lady. But I could not pass over quite silently an incident which singularly contrasted with the majesty of the scene, and the necessity for gravity imposed upon the spectators.
At one part of the Greek marriage ceremony every one is obliged to kneel. Before prostrating himself with the others, the Emperor cast around the assembly a searching, and by no means pleasing glance. It appeared as though he woiúd assure himself that no one remained standing—a superfluous precaution : for though there were among the foreigners present both Catholics and Protestants, it never, I am certain, entered into the thoughts of one not to conform, externally, to all the ceremonies of the Greek church. *
* The fear of the emperor, is in some measure explained- by an account sent me from Rome, in the month of January, 1843, by one of the most veracious individuals whom I know.
" The last day in December I was at the Church del Gesu ; it was decorated in a magnificent manner, the organs were playing beautiful symphonies, and all the most distinguished people in Rome were present. Two chairs were placed on the left of the superb altar for the Grand Duchess Marie daughter of the Emperor of Russia, and her husband the Duke of Leuchten-berg. They arrived attended by their suite and the Swiss guards, who formed their escort, and seated themselves on their chairs without previously kneeling on the cushions opposite, or paying any attention to the holy sacrament exposed before their eyes-The ladies of honour sat behind, which obliged the prince and
MUSIC OF THE IMPERIAL CIÏAPEL.209
The possibility of a doubt oil such a point, justifies some of my previous observations, and authorises ni} repeating that a restless severity has become the habitual expression of the physiognomy of the Emperor.
In these times, when revolt pervades, as it were, the very air, perhaps autocracy itself begins to fear lest some insult should be offered to its power. This idea would clash disagreeably, and even terrifically, with the notions which it preserves of its rights. Absolute power is most to be feared when it is itself under the influence of fear. In noticing the nervous affection, the weakness, and the emaciated frame of the Empress, I called to mind what this interesting woman must have suffered during the revolt at the time of her accession to the throne. Heroism repays itself; it is by fortitude, but a fortitude that exhausts life.
I have already said that every body had fallen on their knees, and, last of all, the Emperor; the lovers were united; the imperial family and the crowd arose; the priests and choir chanted the Те Deumb and discharges of artillery, outside, announced the consecration of the marriage to the eity. The effect
princess to turn their heads in order to carry on the conversation, which they continued to do as though they were in a saloon. Two chamberlains remained standing, whereupon a saeristan, supposing they wanted seats and busying himself to provide them, excited much unsuitable laughter on the part of the prince and princess. The Pope remained during the whole ceremony, which was a rendering of thanks to God for the blessings of the past year, upon his knees. A cardinal gave the benediction, when the Prince of Leuchtenberg knelt also, but the Princess continued seated."
210MUSIC OF THE IMPERIAL CHAPEL.
of this exquisite music, mingled with t
he thunder of the cannon, the ringing of the bells, and the distant acclamations of the people, was inexpressibly grand. All musical instruments are banished from the Greek church, and the voices of human beings only there celebrate the praises of God. This rigour of the oriental ritual is favourable to the art of singing, preserving to it all its simplicity, and producing an effect in the chants which is absolutely celestial. I could fancy I heard the heart-beating of sixty millions of subjects—a living orchestre, following, without drowning, the triumphal hymn of the priests. I was deeply moved: music can make us forget for one moment even despotism itself.
I can only compare these choruses without accompaniment, to the Miserere as sung during the Passion Week in the Sixtine chapel at Rome; but the chapel of the Pope is but the shadow of what it formerly was. It is one ruin more amid the ruins of Pome. About the middle of the last century, when the Italian school shone in its brightest lustre, the old Greek chants were re-arranged, without being spoilt, by composers who were brought to Petersburg from Rome. The works of .these strangers arc chefs-d`œuvre, which is mainly owing to all their talent and science having been applied in subservience to the works of antiquity. Their classic compositions are executed with a power worthy of the conception. The soprano, or children's parts — for no woman sings in the imperial chapel— are perfectly correct: the basses have a strength, depth, and purity, that exceed any thing I recollect having heard elsewhere.
THE ARCHBISHOP.
211
To an amateur of the art, the music of the imperial chapel is alone worth a journey to Petersburg. The sweet, the powerful, and all the finest shades of expression, are observed with a depth of feeling and a skill which cannot be too much admired. The Russians are musical; this cannot be doubted by those who have heard the music in their churches. I listened without daring to breathe, and I longed for my learned friend Meyerbeer to explain to me the beauties which I so deeply felt, but which I was unable to comprehend. He would have understood them by the inspiration they would have communicated, for his admiration of models is expressed by his rivalling them.
During the Те Deum, at the moment when the two choirs were responding to each other, the tabernacle opened, and the priests were seen, their heads adorned with sparkling tiaras of jewels, and their bodies clothed in robes of gold, over which their silver beards fell majestically; some of these beards reach as far as the waist. The assistants make as dazzling an appearance as the priests. This court is certainly magnificent, and the military costume shines also in all its splendour. I saw with delight the people bringing to God the homage of their riches and their pomp. The sacred music was listened to by a profane auditory with a silence and attention, which would alone give an effect to chants less sublime than these. God was there, and his presence sanctifies even the court: the world and sense were nothing more than accessory objects — the reigning thought was heaven.
The officiating archbishop did not disgrace the
212THE EMPEROR KISSES HIS HAND.
majesty of the scene. If not handsome, he is venerable ; his small figure is like that of a weasel, but his head is white with age. He has a care-worn and sickly appearance ; a priest, old and feeble, cannot be an ignoble object. At the close of the ceremony, the Emperor came and bent before him, respectfully kissing his hand.
The autocrat never fails to give an example of submission, when there is a hope that this example may be of profit to himself. I was interested in the poor archbishop, who appeared dying in the midst of his glory. The majestic figure of the Emperor, and his noble countenance, bending before the representative of religious power — the youthful couple — the imperial family—the spectators—in short, the whole assemblage that filled and animated the chapel, formed a subject for a picture. Before the ceremony, I thought the archbishop would have fainted. The court kept him waiting a long time, unmindful of the saying of Louis XVIIL, that " Punctuality is the politeness of kings." Notwithstanding the cunning expression of his countenance, this old man inspired me with compassion. He was so feeble, and yet he sustained fatigue with so much patience, that I pitied, if I did not respect him ; for whether his patience was the result of piety, or of ambition, it was cruelly Tried.
As to the person of the young Duke of Leuchtcn-berg, it was in vain that I endeavoured to reconcile myself to it; it did not please me better at the close of the ceremony than at the beginning. This young man has a fine military bearing, and that is all. He reminded me of what I knew before, namely, that,
TALISMAN OF M. DE BEAUHARNAIS.213
in our days, princes are more common than gentlemen. I should have said that the Emperor's guard would have been a more suitable place for the young duke than the Emperor's family. His countenance manifested no emotion at any of the ceremonies which appeared so touching to me — an indifferent spectator. I was carried there by mere curiosity, and yet I felt very deeply affected, whilst the son-in-law of the emperor, the hero of the scene, seemed uninterested with regard to all that passed around him. He has a vacant countenance, and appeared more taken up with his person than with what he was doin<2 It can be seen that he reckons but little upon the good will of a court, where interested calculation prevails more completely than in any other, and where his unexpected fortune may procure him more enemies than friends. This young prince has, nevertheless, a slight resemblance to his father, whose countenance was intelligent and kind. Notwithstanding the tight Russian uniform, in which every one must feel fettered and confined, it appeared to me that his step was light, like that of a Frenchman. He little thought when passing before me, that there was one near him who carried on his breast a relic so precious to both, but more particularly so to the son of Eugene Beauharnais. I allude to the Arabic talisman, that M. de Beauharnais, the father of the viceroy of Italy, and the grandfather of the Duke of Leuchtenberg, gave to my mother as he passed the chamber which she inhabited in the Carmelite convent, on his way to the scaffold.
The religious ceremony in the Greek chapel was followed by a second nuptial benediction by a Ca-
214COLUMN OF ALEXANDER.
tholic priest, which took place in one of the halls of the palace, consecrated to tliis pious use for the day only. After these two marriages, the bride and bridegroom and their family met at table. I, not having permission to witness either the Catholic marriage or the banquet, followed the greater number of the courtly crowd, and went out to breathe a less stifling air, congratulating myself on the little effect that my dilapidated boot had produced. Some persons, however, spoke to me of it laughingly, and that was all. Both in good and in evil, nothing that merely regards ourselves is as important as we fancy it.
On departing from the palace I found my carriage again without any trouble. There is never, I repeat, a large concourse in Russia. The space is always too vast for what is done there. This is the advantage of a country where there is no nation. In a community thus ordered, a crowd would be equivalent to a revolution.
The void which is every where observable, causes the public structures to appear too small for the places in which they stand; they seem lost in space. The column of Alexander passes for being higher than that of the Place Vendôme, owing to the dimensions of its pedestal. The shaft consists of one single block of granite, the largest that has ever been shaped by the hand of man. Tliis immense column, raised between the winter palace and the crescent, which forms the other extremity of the square, when viewed from the palace, appears to the eye as nothing more than a pole, and the houses around might be taken for palisades. In the square a hundred thousand men
FALSE TASTE OF THE RUSSIANS.215
can perform their manoeuvres, without its appearing filled or thickly peopled. It is enclosed by the winter palace, the facades of which are rebuilt on the model of the old palace of the Empress Elizabeth. Here is at least a relief to the eyes, after the poor and frigid imitations of the monuments of Athens and Rome. The style is that of the Regency, or Louis XIV. degenerated, but the scale is very large. The op
posite side of the square is terminated by a semicircle or crescent of buildings, in which are established the bureaus of various ministers of state. These edifices are mostly constructed in the ancient Grecian style. Singular taste ! Temples erected to clerks! The buildings of the Admiralty are in the same square. Their small pillars and gilded turrets produce a picturesque effect. An avenue of trees ornaments the square opposite this spot, and renders it less monotonous. On the other side of the immense Russian Champ de Mars stands the church of Saint Isaac, with its colossal peristyle, and its brazen dome, still half concealed by the scaffolding of the architect. Further on is seen the palace of the senate, and other structures still in the form of pagan temples. Beyond, in an angle of this long square, at its extremity on the Neva, stands the statue of Peter the Great, which disappears in immensity like a pebble on the shore. These above-named edifices contain material enough
о
to build an entire city, and yet they do not complete the sides of the great square of Petersburg: it is a plain, not of wheat, but of pillars. The Russians may do their best to imitate all that art has produced of beautiful in other times and other lands; they forget that nature is stronger than man. They never
216 FALSE TASTE OF THE RUSSIANS IN THE ARTS.
sufficiently consult her, and therefore she is constantly revenging herself by doing them mischief. Masterpieces have only been produced by men who have listened to, and felt the power of, nature. Nature is the conception of God; art is the relation between the conceptions of man and those of the power which has created, and which perpetuates the world. The artist repeats on earth what he has heard in heaven; he is but the translator of the works of the Deity ; those who woiúd create by their own models produce only monsters.
Russia in 1839 -Empire of the Czar: A Journey Through Eternal Russia Page 21
