we must leave the Hermit, and our readers | service of man, are they worth one summer. know the entertainment that is to be found in cabbage?" his cell! As for his philosophy, generally speaking, although it may not always be so pleasantly worded, or so mercurial as that of Punch in his Letters to his Son - letters which have much of the delicious looseness of moral which marks those of Madame de Sévigné to her daughter, it is perhaps of a sounder quality. In these letters, Punch is not Polonius with a "bosse," he is more like Jerome Cardan, brimfull of the ale of wit with crab-apples, tart although they are toasted, swimming and bobbing against the lips of the imbiber. Here is a maxim in the very spirit of old Geronimo-"My son, it is well to drink from your own bottle; but it is still better to drink from another man's." It is & Pagan maxim:-and Homer's Greek was perhaps before the Philosopher when he said: Sweet is the dance and doubly sweet the lays, Surely you'll be your pint stoup, and surely I'll be mine. -If Punch junior turn out a shabby fellow, Is it a fault to be my father's son? This sort of philosophy is worthy to stand near the rich humor and flashing wit so plentiful in these "Letters." We wish that he especially had been a follower of such philosophy, whose mad ambition has made him the murderer of every man who has fallen in the bloody quarrel of which he, the Czar, is the sole provoker. On such philosophy it is good to dwell; and it is this teaching, together with pression, that gives to the "Sketches of the Engacuteness of observation and happiness of exfish" a more than passing value. There are truths here "not for a season, but for all time." We would that the "Young Lord" could be made a young lord's weekly lesson through the years when he is more disposed to cut his corn in the blade than to cultivate discretion. It cannot be said that the writer does not temper severity with fairness, justice being in both. a All classes come in for their share of what We have little space left us to speak of those two able works, the "Story of a Feather," and " A Man made of Money." The former is in the hands of more young people than any of Mr. Jerrold's works; and in the hearts of youthful England his popularity rests on this light, graceful, and instructive story. A gene The wisdom of one portion of the "Com-ral reader will, however, observe that light plete Letter Writer" is, to our thinking, of a as is the book, it carries a heavy freight of wis more valuable quality. If we were defied to dom, and that it is written in a vein for all the proof of this, we should be satisfied with perusers. We would not pause to censure simply quoting a passage which is doubly apt now when the echoes of thunder and the smile of blood, the shouts of the victors and the wail of the vanquished are borne to us from the heights of Alma and the towers of Sebastopol: light faults where beauty hangs upon the blade of every feather; and we are reminded to be merciful and tender by the author's own suggestive apologue, wherein he tells us that the sick man of Uz having detected a flaw in his wife's affection, "swore that on his recovery he would deal her a hundred stripes. Job got You talk glibly enough of the bed of glory. well, and his heart was touched, and taught by What is it? a battle-field with thousands the tenderness to keep his vow and still to blaspheming, in agony, about you. Your last chastise his helpmate, for he sinote her once moments sweetened, it may be, with the thought with a palm-branch having a hundred leaves." that, somewhere on the field lies a bleeding piece The "Man made of Money," reminds us, at of your handiwork-a poor wretch in the death- once, of Hoffman, Chamisso, and Balzac. Of grasp of torture! Truly, that is a bed of greater the first, in the mingling of the grotesque and glory which is surrounded by loving hearts, by the terrible; of Chamisso, in the simplicity hands uplifted in deep, yet cheerful ** prayer. You talk of the nation's tears: in what museum and air of truthfulness in the characters who does the nation keep her pocket-handkerchiefs? are outside the circle of terror; and of Balzac, ✦✦ And then you rave about laurels, an ac cursed plant of fire and blood. Count up all the crowns of Cæsar: and, for the honest, healthful because Jericho's skin is a more genuine "Peau de Chagrin" than that which forms the basis of the story so named, by the French writer. If Jericho proves, in his person, that cius, that he who esteems gold more than vir gold is the blood of the social body, he also tue, will lose both gold and virtue. If there proves that he who has too much is as diseased be any who have not read this story, they will a member as he who has too little; and he is thank us for not further describing it; and a further testimony to the truth of the maxim they who have, would take description as imwhich La Bruyère has borrowed from Confu- pertinence. THE GREAT SALT MINES IN THE MOUNTAINS OF VIRGINIA.-The State of Virginia is moving in the great work of internal improvement, and is making a railroad that will reach the great salt mines of their mountains, and in a few years that salt will be distributed over the whole of the Eastern States. Its superior quality will insure for it a ready sale everywhere; for it is better worth $1,00 per bushel for table use, than any other salt that ever came to our market is worth 25 cents. It is a pure chloride of sodium, and will remain as dry as flour in any latitude from the cquator to the pole. This great salt mine is in a trough between two mountains, at an elevation of 1,882 feet above the level of the sea, and near the waters of the north fork of Holsten River, a tribute of the river Tennessee; and is near the rivers of the States of Kentucky, Tennessee, and North Carolina, where these border on a south-western point of the State of Virginia. The fossil salt lies about 220 feet below the surface of the ground, and is encased in a vast deposit of gypsum. About ten years since, two boxes of geological specimens were sent to me from these mines and from the surrounding country. In re-packing these into other boxes, some pieces of the fossil were put in a box with specimens of iron ore from the great iron ore beds of Northern New York, and remained in that connection until the present year. On being opened, the specimens were all in good order,-the salt not having in the least corroded the iron, or produced any I have no doubt the table-salt of our market will, in three years, be supplied by the Virginia salt mines; and even now, our grocers cannot do better than to send to the salt mines of Virginia for pure table salt for the supply of their customers, who want a good article. E. MERIAM. CAPTAIN STANLEY AND WILLIAM IV.-It is with regret that we have read in the return of officers killed in the battle of Inkermann that Captain Stanley of the 57th Regiment, is amongst them. Captain Stanley was a native of Dublin, and was connected with the family of the late Sir Edward Stanley. When very young, being fond of a military life, he entered the service of the Queen of Portugal, and distinguished himself in action at Oporto in July, 1833, where he received a severe wound in the arm. He continued to serve in Portugal and Spain until 1835, when the order of the Tower and Sword (of Portugal) was conferred on him as a reward for his gallantry. The following anecdote connected with his appointment to the British army is authentic:-Prince William Henry, when a midshipman, was present at a ball at Halifax, Nova Scotia, and being struck with the charms of a young lady present, selected her for his partner in a country dance, at the conclusion of which he laughingly told her that if he should ever attain power, she need only send him a copy of the music of that dance, accompanied by a request, and that he would, if possible, attend to any demand so authenticated. Years rolled on: the lady married, became a widow, and a grandmother. Prince William Henry became King William IV.; and on the return of Mr. Stanley from Spain in 1835 he expressed a wish to enter the British army, on which his grandmother forwarded a copy of the music to his Majesty, accompanied by a letter reminding him of his promise, and concluding by asking for an ensigncy without purchase for her grandson. In a very few days she was honThe Kanhawha salines are among the wonders ored with an autograph letter from the King of the world. The salt water comes to the sur- stating his perfect remembrance of the dance face from a depth of 2,000 feet, and is as cold as and the promise referred to, and his intention to a northern blast in winter; thus exploding the accede to her wish with respect to the nominatheory that the heat increases in the earth every-tion of her grandson to an ensigncy, which aswhere, as progress is made downward. rust. I have no doubt that deposit of salt resulted from volcanic action. New River, the head of one of the tributaries of the Great Kanhawha River, is near this salt mine, and is undoubtedly the source of the saline supplies of the deep wells of Kanhawha; but in its course thither it undergoes a change, and when raised from the deep wells, is found there to contain bromine in great abundance. cordingly took place in May, 1835. Captain Stanley joined the 57th regimeut at Madras tho same year, and served with it ever since. Had he survived this battle, he would have succeeded The gas which issues from these deep wells is in abundance sufficient to illuminate the entire Northern Hemisphere, and rises with a force that is sufficient to throw a cannon-ball a considera-to a majority without purchase. A man of reble distance. In the excavations made in the neighborhood of the salt mines of Virginia, the bones of the Behemoth are found of a size indicating an animal as large as the hull of a ship-of-the-line. fined tastes and elevating pursuits, he became a member of the Kilkenny Archeological Society, whilst amongst us, and took a deep interest in that institution up to the period of his untimely death.-Kilkenny Moderator. From Chambers's Journal. excluded from fashionable life. In the time of Alexander, during the war with France, when so many Germans and French enRUSSIA AND THE CZAR.* tered the Russian service, from hatred of NapoRUSSIAN Society-that is to say, aristocratic leon, and in the hope of finding in Russia the society on the surface resembles the society of lever for raising European liberty and indepenother European countries, but on the whole it dence from under French oppression, the army differs from it. It has two centres.-St. Peters- was surrounded by a halo of universal respect, as burg and Moscow. In St. Petersburg it is the the refuge of European liberty. The officers court, or rather Nicholas himself, who fashions were the soul of Russian aristocratic society. society according to his desires. It bears en- They represented not only the gallantry, but tirely the official stamp; preponderance is given likewise all that was liberal in the empire. But to the officers, and to the high officials of the from the time of the accession of Nicholas to the State. Dance, feasts, music, and the ballet, throne, and of the military conspiracy of 1826, occupy the attention; politics and science are the army has been purged of all the elements of independence. The Czar gives a marked preferTimes have changed since the epoch of Cath-ence to the officers over the civilians; but he has erine, who liked to be praised by Voltaire and the French Encyclopædists as a protectress of literature. They differ also from the epoch of Alexander, who delighted in the mystical dreams and sentimental philanthropy of Madame KrudeBoth sovereigns allowed to science some liberty; and Dershavin the poet, and Karamsin the historian, could, with the full approbation of the court, publish such compositions as now might be visited by banishment to the Caucasus. It is true, towards the end of their reign, both Catherine and Alexander became more cautious, and drew the fetters of censorship tighter; yet Moscow presents in every respect a different their reign, as compared with that of Nicholas, picture. Functionarism could not get ascenwas a reign of liberty. In the eyes of the pres-dency in the society of the old heart of the ement Czar, science and literature are too danger- pire. The dress-coat prevails here over the regious tools for despotism,-a two-edged sword. mentals; still the civilian Government-officer is which he does not like to wield, though he often becomes furious that the attacks on Russia cannot be met by the official Russian authors in a readable shape. Jealous of his power, he hates and fears any of his subjects whose name becomes known without the previous permission of his government. The fame of his generals throws an additional splendor on the Czar, who has selected them for the command of his armies. He can unmake them, by putting them into some obscure corner of his empire. But an author may become popular without the Emperor's leave; and though he sends him to Siberia, as he did with Bestusheff, or to the Caucasus, as happened to Lérmontoff, their thoughts cannot be banished; their exile does but enhance the excitement of the public, and the desire to read their productions. The Czar, with all his unlimited power, cannot create talents, nor can he destroy their results. Still, Nicholas attempts to put down the spirit of independent Russian authors, by withholding from literature the imperial approbation. It is not fashionable in St. Petersburg to become an author. Nicholas is surrounded by mediocrity; by generals whose greatest ambition is to be severe disciplinarians; by pliant German functionaries from the Baltic provinces: by servile conservative Russians,-enemies of all progress; himself cold, obstinate, distrustful, without compassion, without elevation of soul, as mediocre as the persons around him. This article, which cannot fail to be read with much interest at the present moment, has been contributed by a foreigner of historic celebrity.-ED. introduced a coarse tone into the army,-drilling seemed to be its only aim. Under Alexander, the troops were machines; but the officers felt themselves patriots, and were proud to be the most enlightened and progressive part of society. Now, they have become lifeless machines, servile ministers of the Czar, without any sentiment of their own dignity. During a reign of twentyseven years, the jealousy of Nicholas has, in St. Petersburg, killed every feeling of independence. His Government officials are his clerks, his offi cers of the army his drill-sergeants. only exceptionally admitted to society. Moscow is the seat of the old aristocracy of the empire, and society here consists principally of indepen dent, rich land-owners, who do not covet Government offices, but occupy themselves with the administration of their estates, and with science and literature, without requiring anything from the Czar, save to be left alone. It is entirely the reverse of the nobility of St. Petersburg, which is attached to the court and to public service, de voured by servile ambition, expecting all from Government only, and living upon it. Not to demand anything, to remain independent, and avoid public office, is in despotic countries a sign of opposition; and the Czar is angry with those idlers who spend their winter in Moscow, and remain for the remainder of the year on their estates, reading all that is published in Western Europe. To possess a library, belongs now to the necessities of the Russian country gentleman; and to have a secret cabinet filled with prohibited books, is the pitch of fashion. Thus St. Petersburg and Moscow are the two opposite poles of Russian society, representing the Court and the Opposition; yet in such a despotic country as Russia, the personal tastes and inclinations of the monarch have so great an influence, that even the life of Moscow is in a great degree controlled by his supreme will. The rich Moscovite prince may dare to despise Government offices, after he has in his youth served for a few years in the army or in the burcaux, -one or other of which is necessary to maintain his nobility; he may live far from the court, rotired upon his estates, enjoying in secret the for bidden books he gets by the smuggler; yet he cannot but be sometimes reminded, that he lives | racy, which, during the wars with Napoleon, had under the sway of the despotic Czar, who does seen more of Europe in fifteen years, than before not forget those silent opponents of his author in a century. Foreign literature proved to be ity. Not that he would banish them; such pun- fertilizing. It roused the native energies, and a ishment is reserved for those who talk of poli-national literature began to develop itself. At tics, not for those who look apathetically on the this time Russians began to read Russian books, doings of Government. But he sends them word and no longer only French and German. They that he expects them to do something for the began to wean themselves from foreign influprogress of the country; to build a cotton-mill, ences; they dared to think for themselves; they and to employ their scrfs in manufactories; or grew warm in their sympathy for struggling to raise wine on the hills of the Crimea, and on Greece. A crisis was impending, when Alexanthe banks of the Don; or to have mines in the der died. The spirit of the higher classes and Ural worked. of the army was in a state of fermentation; but The Czar does not expect that they should the outbreak of December 26, 1825, which was make money by such speculations; on the con- to destroy the omnipotence of the Czar, was trary, he is well aware that the mill and the quenched by the energy and personal courage of vineyard will remain heavy incumbrances on the Czar Nicholas. The conspirators and rioters income of the persons to whose patriotism he were shot down with grape, and the tottering im has appealed, and that the gold dug out in the perial throne was founded more firmly in the Ural may perhaps cost 25 shillings the sove- midst of a pool of blood. The flower of Russian reign. But the glory of the country is to be aristocracy, the most generous hearts in the raised in such ways; and the Manchester manu- army, were executed, or sent to the mines of facturer, who finds one wing of the baronial cas-Siberia. tle turned into a work-shop, is delighted to see The aspect of society suddenly changed. The the mighty aristocracy of Russia paying tribute French doctrinaire liberalism, and the visionary to industry. And, in fact, it is a tribute which the aristocracy residing around Moscow willingly pays to the whim of the Czar, in order to be allowed to remain undisturbed. However, the immense power of the Czar, which changes the aspect of society in every new reign, has largely affected the mind of the Russian. German mysticism of the time of Alexander, had to disappear; Nicholas is a matter-of-fact man, and despises speculation. Generons aspirations became dangerous,-materialism, pedantry, discipline, were the watch-words for the new reign. Czar Nicholas transforms the organization of Government into barracks and offices. Peter I gave the first coat of varnish to the He fears the influence of Western ideas, and original barbarism of Russian aristocracy; he throws difficulties into the easy intercommunicadrilled them into soldiers, shipwrights, sailors, tion with foreign countries. To get a passport courtiers, and chamberlains. They had to accept is now become a favor; whilst, formerly, travelGerman and French manners, but he did not ed-ling in Europe was encouraged. Nor are forucate them. Gluttony and luxury of every kind eigners any longer admitted into the empire, unremained the inherent vices of the people. Under less they are merchants, or above all suspicion. his successors-nearly all of them females, for But, on the other side, he endeavors to arouse a most of the males soon died the natural death of national exclusive spirit, which may in future Czars, the scandalous conduct of the court de- isolate Russia, and keep it back from the ways moralized society, though German and French of Western Europe. The ladies at court must forms were in turn adopted, and rigorously en-wear the Russian costume; moreover, the Rusforced. Russia was again, under Catherine II., ruled by an imperial mind; like, Peter, she aimed continually at the aggrandizement of the em pire. She was in correspondence with Voltaire, Peter I. worked for years to make the Rusand protected science and literature. She gave sians Europeans, and his successors followed his the second and more brilliant varnish to Rus- example for a whole century; Nicholas now sian society, which, by her licentious example, works to separate them from the West, and was encouraged in debauchery. The madness once more to arouse their nationality. He has of her son Paul, more fit for a drill-sergeant succeeded, perhaps, beyond his expectation. The than for an emperor, again aroused the original original Russian nature has been roused; and rudeness of the Russians. But soon after his the present crisis is but the necessary conse death, his successor, Alexander, did all he could quence of the revival of narrow-minded bigotry to assimilate his aristocracy to the western civil- and savage combativeness. Russia has been put ized nations. In opposition to Napoleonic in opposition to Europe,-Russia is "holy," and France, Russia became liberal; and the French Europe is wicked. A few epigrams of Lérmon. and German emigrants instructed the Russians toff describe this reaction and its consequences in good manners and the elegances of life. Still, very strikingly :all their efforts acted only upon the surface. Napoleon knew it, and remarked, therefore, justly: "Grattez le Russe, et vous verrez le Tartare." Western civilization is in Russia only the varnish of the original savage. Yet Alexander's mystical and half-liberal turn of mind had, in his long reign, a smoothing influence on the character of the Russian aristoc sian language, which since Peter I. has been excluded from society, becomes again fashionable by command of the Czar. No traitor to my native land, For that I blush their deeds to see, Nor glittering arms think beautiful; Since not of the ancient mould I am, Haply they're right; the devil appreciates it; Uses his mind, and wants his tongue for silence. Woronzoff, therefore, as a good strategist, retir ed with it to Woznosensk, which, according to the czar's opinion, was not defended. When, therefore, in the evening, Nicholas, at the head of his staff, galloped, triumphantly into the city, to receive the submission of the enemy, he saw himself suddenly surrounded by a force which he did not expect, and Prince Woronzoff approached him with the words: Your Majesty is my prisoner.' Nicholas smiled, and handed his sword to the prince, who, not accepting it, delivered his own sword to his master. But instead of making a compliment to the prince for his clever generalship, the czar, on the same evening, sent orders to Prince Woronzoff to take care of his health, and to visit the spas of Germany. He was banished, in this form, for having been a better general than his imperial master and friend, and for several years he reLermontoff had sufficient reason for his epi-mained in disgrace. It was only when Schamyl's grains. When the untimely death of the great mountaineers had repeatedly defeated the Ruspoet Pushkin, by the pistol of Dantès d'Heeck-sian army, that the czar remembered Woronzoff, eren, suddenly aroused the poetical genius of the and intrusted the civil and military command young man who up to that time had lived a of Transcaucasia to the accomplished prince. I life of pleasure in St. Petersburg, and his indig-have this anecdote from one the Austrian offination dictated to him some beautiful stanzas cers, who were present at the camp of Woznoaddressed to the czar, claiming justice and re-sensk; and I do not doubt its authenticity, as it venge-he, in three days had become a celebrated is entirely in the character of the czar. and reputed man. His stanzas were spread, in Two foreigners only, both of them having had manuscript, all over the capital; they had, in- the opportunity of seeing Nicholas at his court deed, reached the czar; but in the same hour,Custine, the Frenchman, and Henningsen, the the imperial order reached the young poet, which Englishman-give us a description of his charbanished him to the Caucasus, on account of acter and of his measures. his boldness and sudden popularity. The czar does not allow any one to censure his conduct, even in the form of loyalty, or of hope for the future. His person is sacred; and, like the idols of old, not to be approached but behind a cloud of incense. Nicholas is, in this respect, just as exacting as his father was, who, when the French ambassador mentioned a Russian scholar, calling him eminent in science, Czar Paul seem ed offended, and replied, that in Russia no man is eminent unless the emperor allows it. Castine says: 'It is easy to see that the cmperor cannot forget who he is, nor the constant attention of which he is the object; il posse incessament (he attitudinizes unceasingly,) from whence results that he is never natural, even when he is sincere. His features have three dif ferent expressions, not one of which is that of simple benevolence. The most habitual seems to me that of constant severity. Another expression, though more rare, better befits that fine countenance-it is that of solemnity. The third The jealousy of Nicholas is not less striking; is politeness; and into this glide a few shades of not even his favorites can dare to express the graciousness, which temper the cold astonishment slightest doubt of his infallibility. Prince Woron caused by the other two. But notwithstanding zoff, whom the czar honored with personal this graciousness, there is one thing that destroys friendship, had to experience the disgrace of his the moral influence of the man; it is, that each master, in consequence of a curious incident at of these physiognomies, which arbitrarily replace the camp at Woznosensk. An army of 60,000 each other on his fuce, is taken up or cast aside men was assembled there, and the sham-fights completely, without leaving any trace of the had, indeed, the dimensions of actual war. The preceding to modify the expression of the new. czar, who believes himself to be a first-rate strat-It is a change of scene with upraised curtain, egist and a great general, made all the plans for which no transition prepares us for. It appears the general action, which was to close the per- a mask taken off and put on at pleasure. Do formances. He took the command of half the not misunderstand the sense I here attach to the army, and gave the other half to Prince Woron-word mask; I use it according to its etymology. zoff, so as to represent the enemy. The battle In Greek, hypocrite means actor-the hypocrito had begun in the morning; and after a series of was the man who masked himself to perform a most skilful manœuvres, the czar was to out-part. I mean, that the emperor is always mindgeneral the enemy on all the points, and in the ful of his part, and plays it like a great actor.' evening to capture Woznosensk, supposed to be Henningsen says of his character: "The Emthe centre and stronghold of the enemy. All the exercises were execated in the most masterly way, according to the plan of the czar; but on the paper he had forgotten one brigade of the adverse army, which at the end of the action was neither defeated nor cut off; and Prince peror Nicholas has not the brutal instincts of the Czar Peter I., any more than his talents; ho has not the disordered passions of Catherine, his grandmother, any more than her brilliant intellect and her innate liberality; he has not the fitful ferocity of Paul, his murdered sire, any more |