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ROMAN CATHOLIC SUPERSTITION.

value of their gifts. I know not if these bells undergo baptism; this, however, is common in France, where prayers are also offered, imploring the Almighty "to sanctify and pour upon them his Holy Spirit, that the devil may be afraid, and fly at the sound of them!" Thus is Christianity debased and unspiritualised, and so mixed up with gross and ridiculous superstition, that when such abuses are once seen they are apt to be confounded with the religion on which they have been engrafted, and to lead men to suspect that the whole forms a system of imposition and priestcraft, invented merely to enable one class to delude and tyrannise over the rest. In Catholic states Atheism is more prevalent than in those where freedom of opinion is tolerated; because in the former a man has no alternative between blind superstition or an utter rejection of the creed that imposes it.

It would be a task of no little labour and extent to describe the various buildings of the Kremlin. In one part we were conducted over a suite of rooms, where a throne is erected, in a hall of audience in front of the river; and we were shown the bed-chamber where Bonaparte slept, or rather, it might be said, meditated, during his restless ambitions and stratagems. It may be doubted, however, if this extraordinary character ever enjoyed the sound repose of the "sea-boy."

The display of jewellery and wealth in the Treasury of the Kremlin is such as almost to exceed belief, and absolutely to dazzle the be, holder, the place being actually piled to the very roof. One of the most interesting, if not most valuable relics, is the crown of Stanislaus of Poland, with the chain of the Order of the White Eagle. No one can look upon this diadem without giving a sigh to the fate of that unfor tunate prince, whose dominions were so unjustly wrested from him. When the struggles of Poland for its independence are called to mind, and the manner in which that country was overpowered by the forces of Russia and Prussia, well may we exclaim with the poet, that

"Freedom shriek'd when Kosciusko fell."

Never let it be forgotten, that this mild and inoffensive monarch was forced to lay down his crown, and become a state-prisoner, while his kingdom was cut up and partitioned. As a refinement, too, of tyranny and oppression, he was compelled to be present at Paul's coronation, and tamely to listen while it was proclaimed to the world that his kingdom had been incorporated with Russia. So great was his agitation of mind on this occasion, that he almost fell down on the spot. Stanislaus died in 1798, and it may, in truth, be said, of a broken heart. His royal robes, nay, his very clothes, were brought to the

hammer, and sold by auction; yet, shedding crocodile tears, and acting the part of a most accomplished hypocrite, Paul embraced his coffin, and attended the funeral. Every true patriot, whatever be his country, must reprobate the invasion and seizure of Poland, which was as base an act of injustice and spoliation as if a person were to invade his neighbour's estate, and forcibly make him a prisoner, dividing his property between himself and his abettors.

But to return to the description of the Treasury. Among the imperial crowns, which are kept beneath glass cases, is that worn by Paul when he was declared Emperor; there are also sceptres, gold and silver vessels set with precious stones, watches, insignia of different orders, medallions, cups, &c., and an embossed silver goblet, given in 1620 to the patriarch Philarete by James I. of England. We also observed the throne on which Peter was crowned, which has a curtain at the back of it. It is pretended that his sister Sophia stood behind, and prompted him what he should say on that occasion. Adjoining this room is an armoury, containing weapons of all nations- swords, sabres, colours, saddles, and splendid housings and caparisons for horses; one of the latter was a present from the Sultan, others from the Tzars and distinguished personages. We were shown a diamond aigrette, presented to Catherine II. at the conclusion of peace in 1775;

IMMENSE CANNON.

37

a chair, in which Charles XII. was carried from the field when wounded at the battle of Pultava; and some ancient military caps, lately dug up, having a circular ornament in silver of an archangel; also the model of an immense palace, designed by the architect Bazhanov, which Catherine intended to erect in the Kremlin. There is, in short, no collection of the kind that contains such a profusion of riches. After all, however, the mass of treasure deposited produces no effect, thus crowded together as in a warehouse; but that which would suffice to adorn half-a-dozen palaces, forms in appearance only a jeweller's shop; and except it be desirable to make strangers stare, the articles, in reality, might as well be buried at once in a cellar. Such a place is no doubt highly interesting in itself in the eyes of a goldsmith or Jew, who would prefer a stock of watches, trinkets, cups, &c. to the finest works of art; but an apartment may be so crammed with furniture, that, however costly the articles it contains may be, the room itself will resemble a broker's shop.

If the Russians are famous for casting bells of enormous weight, they may be considered equally so for gunnery; for in the arsenal is to be seen a cannon, that was cast, in 1556, on a scale of extraordinary magnitude, with a calibre of 120lb. The object of making it so large is said to have been to strike terror into the Tatars who had

38

CHURCH OF THE ASSUMPTION.

come to Moscow. It certainly has recently proved useful in one respect for a child was born within this machine of death; so that the young Russian may be said to have been shot into the world from a cannon's mouth.* There are deposited here 875 field-pieces †, and 43,000 muskets.

With regard to the churches, many of them commemorate either a distinguished military action, or some other remarkable event. The principal ones are those of the Nativity, Protec tion of the Virgin, Assumption of the Angel Gabriel, of the Trinity, and of the Transfiguration. The most splendid and magnificent one within the Kremlin is that of the Assumption, where the Russian monarchs are crowned. This was originally founded in 1325, but was almost rebuilt in 1771. The walls are painted in fresco; and it is crowded with pictures of traditionary saints. There is a figure of the Virgin here, on whose head a diamond was lately placed, of the value of 15,000 rubles. The dress of Christ is shown; but to believe that it is genuine requires a degree of faith far beyond what we were possessed of. Every thing is employed that can

* This enormous gun rivals the great piece of ordnance in the Tower, called by the Scots, to whom it originally belonged, "Mons Megg," and which was made when James IV. sat on the Scottish throne.

†The art of casting cannon was first introduced into Russia in 1482.