each class seems to be arranged in order of merit. Fortunatoff was the fourth of the Candidati when he went out. In the diocesan Seminaries and district spiritual schools the scholars are only partially provided for or assisted from public sources; but the students in the Academies are all wholly maintained by the Synod. And after the final examination all those who are classed as Masters and Candidati obtain a pension for life, the Masters of 350, the Candidates of 250 roubles a year.

One evening later there came to drink tea with us from the academy one of the best students who is to pass his final examination next June, and will probably be among the Magistri, that is, will take the highest honours. In giving me an account of the academy he said that there ought to be sixty students in each of its two sections, but in fact just now there are only forty-nine in the Upper section and fifty-seven in the Lower.

There are professors at the academy in Dogmatic Theology, Moral Theology, Polemics, Liturgical Science, Ecclesiastical History, Biblical Archæology, Homiletics, Hebrew, and Greek. These are in the Upper section; in the Lower there are lectures in Philosophy, Philology, Civil History, Mathematics, German, French, English (to only a few of the students), and Holy Scripture. Students are at liberty to choose between Mathematics

and Secular History, between German and French, though they may learn all, if they please.

The Curator of the academy is the Ober-Procuror, who is charged with the whole material administration, the course of study and the instruction being in the hands of the Synod.

Their food and accommodation are good. It is not uncommon for the students to damage their health by overwork. On Sundays and festivals they are allowed to go out after the Liturgy till nine or ten p.m. Thus they can visit their friends; but some of them find their way to the theatre.

A

CHAPTER LXII.

Visit to the Spiritual Academy.

NOTHER evening (Dec. 11 o. s.) I went with F. to

visit some of the students in the academy. The building and its court, though within the same precinct with the Lavra, is separated within, and one goes from the Lavra into the Court of the academy by a narrow archway, the door of which is closed and locked at a certain hour of the night. The building of the Academy is divided into two sides. One side is for the Rector and the Baccalaurei (or assistant-professors). The professors almost always live elsewhere, and come only to give their lectures. The baccalaurei are appointed from the best of the magistri, according as there are vacancies; the professors again appointed from the best baccalaurei of some standing, and from such as have worked hard. The professors are most of them married priests, or even laymen. None who are married can live within the academy itself. The church or chapel is over the entrance. The students

never go to the great church or Sobor in the Lavra except on the festival of the saint (St. Alexander Nefsky). They are divided into rooms, each room having two tables, and six students at each table. There are

also two small bookcases, one for each table at the two ends of the room. In one of the bookcases I noticed Innocentius' Church History, Bingham's Antiquitates Ecclesiastica, Hengstenberg's Christology, Hebrew Bibles, &c. The students wear no academical or ecclesiastical dress either within doors or abroad. Their refectory is not lofty; it has in it two long tables. They sup at 8 p. m.; and no strangers are allowed to stay within the gates after they go to supper. In one room the students showed us their books, and asked several questions; as for instance: "What authority do you allow in England to the Septuagint, to the Vulgate, and to the Hebrew texts of the Scriptures respectively? What versions do you value next after those? Was there not one Taylor, Archbishop of London, who wrote a book altogether subversive of Christianity? Whose disciple was Strauss? In what books is the doctrine of the Anglican Church to be found?" They had just been set to write a dissertation on the Anglican Church, and so were curious to know whether upon the whole it were nearer to Lutheranism or to Popery. They supposed, they said, that it was nearer to Lutheranism.

Many of the best compositions of the students are published from time to time, after having been revised by the superiors. A number of such dissertations were given me at different times, on the following subjects:On the relation of the Church to Jesus Christ, its Founder (20 pages); On guardian angels appointed over cities, kingdoms, provinces, monasteries, and churches (20 pages); On the XVIII. Articles of the Synod of Bethlehem of A. D. 1672; On the intermediate state of imperfect happiness and imperfect torment; and on the profitableness of prayers and oblations for the departed; especially for those who have died with faith and repentance, but with great sins, and without having had time for full amendment of life (100 pages); On the Duchoborts (a sect very similar to the Quakers). Besides these compositions of the students, the superiors. of the academy publish a monthly periodical entitled "Christian Reading," consisting partly of sermons and other documents ancient and modern, and partly of original dissertations. The spiritual censorship also of all publications bearing on religion or doctrine is chiefly in the hands of the superiors of the Spiritual Academy.

The Diocesan Seminary of the united dioceses of Novgorod and Petersburg is in a separate building at no great distance from the academy. It contains three hundred seminarists.