pired, the porter informed Laharpe that a young man of the name of Alexander had been waiting some time, and wanted to see him. "Shew him in." But what was Laharpe's surprise to see his pupil! He wished to apologize; but Alexander, placing his finger on his lips, said, "My dear tutor, do not mention it; an hour to you is worth a day to me; and besides, I have had a hearty breakfast with your servants, which I should have lost, had I been admitted when I came." The poor porter's feelings may be better imagined than described; but Alexander, laughing, said, "I like you the better for it, you are an honest servant, and there are a hundred rubles to convince you that I think so."

When he was at Paris in 1814, he paid a visit to the wife of M. Laharpe. As she remained standing, he said to her, "You are much altered, madam." "Sire," she replied, "I, like others, have suffered from circumstances."- "You mistake me; I mean that you do not sit down, as you used to do, by your husband's pupil, and chat familiarly with him." pp. xv-xix.

Mr. Lloyd justly remarks, that a relish for the simple beauties of nature' is a highly favourable testimony to character; and he states that Alexander had much of this feeling. The instance, however, which he gives, can hardly be considered as in point. The view from Richmond Hill,' which the Emperor considered as the most lovely that he had ever beheld,' betrays in its peculiar richness too much of the presence of man, to exemplify the simple, the soothing, and the ' amiable scenes of nature.' Of the Tsar's active humanity, too much cannot be said. The well-known event which obtained for him the gold medal of our Royal Humane Society, is of too common notoriety to justify its insertion here; but in these duties Alexander was never deficient. The police-officer who saved, at the hazard of his own life, the rash individual who was sinking in the half-frozen Neva, was applauded, rewarded, and promoted on the spot, by his benevolent sovereign. The sufferers from the dreadful inundations in Germany, were relieved by his abundant contributions; and when a similar disaster befel St. Petersburg, in November 1824, he visited, in person, the scenes of misery, and while his open hand distributed the necessary relief, his presence and his language were yet more grateful to the feelings of the afflicted, than his liberal alms.

It once happened, at the very moment when the emperor had given the word of command, and the guard on the parade was just on the point of paying him the usual military honours, that a fellow approached him in ragged garments, with his hair in disorder, and a look of wildness, and gave him a slap on the shoulder. The monarch, who was standing at the time with his face to the military front, turned round instantly, and beholding the wretched object

before him, started back at the sight; and then enquired, with a look of astonishment, what he wanted? "I have something to say to you, Alexander Pawlowitsch," said the stranger, in the Russian language.

Say on then," said the emperor, with a smile of encouragement, clapping him on the shoulder. A long solemn pause followed; the military guard stood still; and none ventured, either by word or motion, to disturb the emperor in this singular interview. The Grand Duke Constantine alone, whose attention had been excited by this unusual interruption, advanced somewhat nearer to his brother. The stranger then related, that he had been a captain in the Russian service, and had been present at the campaigns, both in Italy and Switzerland; but that he had been persecuted by his commanding officer, and so misrepresented to Suwarrow, that the latter had turned him out of the army, without money and without friends, in a foreign country. He had afterwards served as a private soldier in the Russian army; and being severely wounded at Zurich, (and here he pulled his rags asunder, and shewed several gun-shot wounds,) he had closed his campaign in a French prison. He had now begged all the way to Petersburg, to apply to the emperor himself for justice, and to entreat an enquiry into the reason why he had been degraded from his rank in the army. The Emperor listened with great patience, and then asked, in a significant tone, "If there was no exaggeration in the story he had told?" "Let me die under the knout," said the officer, "if I shall be found to have uttered one word of falsehood." The Emperor then beckoned to his brother, and charged him to conduct the stranger to the palace, while he turned round to the expecting crowd. The commanding officer who had behaved so harshly, though of a good family, and a prince in rank, was very severely reprimanded; while the brave warrior, whom he had unjustly persecuted, was reinstated in his former post, and besides, had a considerable present from the Emperor.'

pp. xxvi—xxix.

Alexander seems to have possessed the rare talent of conferring favours with a grace which enhanced their value. When he sent a valuable jewel to Kutusoff, after the campaign of 1812, it was taken from the imperial crown, and the vacancy thus occasioned, was supplied by a small gold plate, on which the name of that officer was inscribed. After the attack on Montmartre, in which Count Langeron distinguished himself, dining with a party of which that general made one, he addressed him as follows:- I have paid a second visit to Montmartre, where I found a parcel directed to you.' the count's replying, that he had lost nothing,- O! I am not 'mistaken; see here!' The contents were the valuable insignia of a Russian order.

On

The hackney-coachmen in St. Petersburgh do not much like to drive officers, and seldom let them get out without their having paid them before-hand, or leaving something in pledge. They do not

object to letting other persons get out whenever they choose, and will even wait hours for them. Alexander, who was generally dressed in a very plain uniform and a grey mantle, was walking one day on the English quay, when suddenly it began to rain very fast, and he would not step into a house. He accordingly seated himself in the first droschke he found, and ordered the coachman to drive to the Winter Palace. As he passed by the Senate House, the guard was called under arms, and the drums beat. The coachman looked, and said he supposed the Emperor was riding by the Guard House. "You will see him very soon," replied Alexander.

They at last arrived at the Winter Palace, and Alexander, who had no money about him, ordered him to stop till he sent his fare down. "No," replied he, "you must leave me something in pledge; the officers have so many times deceived me. So you must leave me your mantle." Alexander acquiesced, and left it with him. He directly sent down one of his footmen with five and twenty rubles, to give them to the coachman, to say that he had driven the Emperor, and to bring him the mantle. The footman did so ; when, instead of the coachman's being glad at the honour and the present, he laughed, and said: "Do you think that I am so stupid; the mantle is worth more than twenty-five rubles; who knows what you mean? perhaps you want to steal it; no that w'ont do, and unless the gentleman whom I have driven, comes himself, I shall not part with it." Alexander had almost been obliged to go down himself, had not his chief coachman happened to come by, who confirmed what the footman had said. The poor coachman was now almost out of his wits for joy.' pp. xxxi-xxxiii.

One more of these anecdotes, and we must desist.

The High Chamberlain N** received of the Emperor Alexander a most beautiful star of the order of St. Andrew, set round with diamonds, which was valued at 30,000 rubles. Being in pecuniary distress, he pawned it; soon after this, there was a grand entertainment at court, where N** could not appear without this star. What embarrasment! Money was wanted, and the pawnbroker, an inexorable man, would not part with the star for a quarter of an hour, unless it were properly redeemed. Now there was nobody that could help him out of this dilemma, but the emperor's groom of the bedchamber, who had in his possession two beautiful diamond stars, belonging to the emperor, one of which was but lately finished, and had cost 60,000 rubles. The high chamberlain accordingly had recourse to him, and after many protestations, the gentleman was persuaded by incessant entreaty, and promises of returning it safe to him again after the entertainment, to entrust it to him. N** accordingly made his appearance at court with this star. Alexander soon perceived in the four large diamonds at the corners of the star, a great likeness with his own new star. He fixed his eyes several times on N**, and at last said, "I am very much astonished to find you have a star which has a great likeness with one I have just received from the jeweller." N**, quite embarrassed, replied only by

unmeaning compliments and bows. The emperor, more and more struck with the great resemblance, at last said to him, "I do not know what to say, but I must tell you plainly, that I almost believe that it is my star, the likeness is so very remarkable." N** at last humbly confessed how it happened, and offered to undergo any punishment, but only begged that he would have mercy upon the poor gentleman of the bed-chamber, who had suffered himself to be persuaded. "Never mind,” replied the generous Alexander; "the crime is not so great that I cannot forgive it. But I cannot myself wear it any more. I must therefore make you a present of it, on condition that I shall in future be safe from such appropriations." pp. xxxii-xxxv.

We scarcely know whether to consider his knowledge of the conspiracy against his father as a blot upon the fame of Alexander. The capricious dispositions of Paul amounted nearly to insanity, and were throwing every thing into a state of confusion and danger. It was believed, at least it was affirmed, that he had determined on the imprisonment of his wife and his sons Alexander and Constantine; and a determination was formed, with the privity of the elder, to anticipate this purpose by putting him under restraint. When Alexander found that, instead of that doubtful measure, the conspirators had made all sure, by going the length of assassination, his grief and horror are said to have been extreme. The particular circumstances of this event are, however, imperfectly known, and Mr. Lloyd has given two different statements; one exceedingly and interestingly minute, and consequently the less likely to be true. It is singular enough, that these narrations should contradict each other on one of the leading points. The common story ascribes the fatal deed to Bennigsen, who, when the others were relenting at the prayers and tears of the miserable victim, aware that to recede was to sign their own death-warrant, animated them to resolution, and used his own sash as the instrument of destruction. The other version describes Bennigsen as leaving the room to obtain a light, and on his return finding the emperor dead.

We do not deem ourselves authorised to enter into a detailed examination of the history of so recent a reign. Mr. Lloyd has collected, with praise-worthy diligence, all, probably, that is to be known at the present moment; and his volume will be found valuable as a spirited sketch of one important section in the annals of Europe; but there is much still to be known, before a decided opinion can be formed on many particulars connected with the reign of Alexander. It is difficult, perhaps without further evidence impossible, to account for the discrepancy between the liberal feelings which

adorned its commencement, and the narrow policy which clouded its closing scenes. Was he driven from his better impulses by the murmurs of his nobles, or cajoled into compliance with the mean and Machiavelian system of Metternich? We cannot answer this; but we are quite disposed to adopt the solution which shall be most favourable to a character which had many excellencies, counterbalanced, we fear, by some weaknesses.

Alexander's reign was characterised by events which exhibited him advantageously, though he had little share in their successful termination. Napoleon was conquered, not by arms, but by stress of weather, and by his own unusual hesitation. Had he left Moscow a week earlier, or, better still, had he halted at Smolensko, Russia was at his feet, and her Tsar his vassal. In the subsequent scenes, the bravery of Alexander, his courteous manners, his prepossessing person, his mental accomplishments, gave him advantages which went further, perhaps, for the moment, than military skill or political sagacity.

To his own country, his reign has been productive of many benefits. The advancement of learning, the abolition of personal slavery, the improved internal administration, the encouragement of manufactures, which have distinguished the government during his sovereignty, are measures which may be fairly ascribed to him as their enlightened originator and promoter; and we trust that, notwithstanding the unfavourable aspect of actual circumstances, a calm and deliberate view of the real interests of Russia may prompt his successor to urge on with increased energy the liberal plans which distinguished the earlier years of his brother's government.

After what we have already said, it can scarcely be necessary for us to add our recommendation of Mr. Lloyd's acceptable memoirs. A well-executed lithographic portrait is prefixed, and a plan of Taganrog occurs in the course of the volume.

Art. II. An Essay on the Nature and Design of Scripture Sacrifices: in which the Theory of Archbishop Magee is controverted. By the late Rev. James Nicol. 8vo. pp. 408.

THE

HE Author of this posthumous volume was a minister of the Church of Scotland, and had charge of the parish of Traquair, a retired situation on the south side of the Tweed. His opinions on some of the most important questions of divinity, were opposed to the doctrines of the Church to which he