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DESCRIPTION OF MOSCOW.

[From the Panorama, for October 1812.J

The possession of Moscow being at this moment the great object of Buonaparte, as affording the only security for winter quarters for his army, the following correct description of that important and beautiful city cannot prove uninteresting to our readers:

Moscow, the ancient capital of the Russian Empire, and the residence of the Czars, is situated in the circle of its own name, in the fifty-fifth degree forty-five minutes latitude, and thirtyeighth degree East longitude, fourteen hundred and fourteen miles North-east of London. It stands in a pleasant plain, on the banks of the River Moskwa, from which it derives its name. Mr. Hanway says that river runs through it, and, making many windings, adds a very striking beauty to the city; but in summer it is in many places shallow and unnavigable. Several eminences, interspersed with groves, gardens and lawns, form the most delightful prospects. It is built somewhat after the Eastern manner, having but few regular streets, and a great number of houses with gardens. The number of churches in the city is computed at sixteen hundred, among which are eleven cathedrals, and two hundred and seventy-one parish churches; the rest either belong to convents, or may be considered as private chapels. Near the churches are hung up several large bells, which are kept continually chiming. The famous bell is of a stupendous size, and, our author observes, affords a surprising proof of the folly of those who caused it to be made. This bell is four hundred and forty three thousand seven hundred and twenty-two pounds weight, and was cast in the reign of the Empress Anne; but the beam on which it hung being burnt, it fell, and a large piece is broke out of it. Many of the churches. have gilt steeples, and are magnificently decorated within with painting. The number of public edifices and squares at Moscow amounts to forty-three: only a part of the streets is paved; they are in general very dirty. The city is divided into four circles, one within another. The interior circle, or the Kremelin, which signifies a fortress, contains the following remarkable buildings: the old imperial palace, pleasure houses, and stables, a victualling-house, the palace which formerly belonged to the patriarch, nine cathedrals, five convents, four parish churches, the arsenal, with the public colleges and other offices. All the churches in the Kremelin have beautiful spires, most of them gilt, or covered with silver. The architecture is in the Gothic taste, but the inside of the churches is richly ornamented; and the pictures of the saints are decorated with gold, silver, and precious stones. In the cathedral called Sobor, which has no

less than nine towers, covered with copper and double gilt, is a silver branch with forty-eight lights, said to weigh two thousand eight hundred pounds. Here are deposited, in silver shrines, the remains of three archbishops, and in a box of gold is a robe brought from Persia, which is here looked upon as the identical garment worn by our Saviour. The remains of the Sovereigns of the Russian Empire and their male descendants are interred in St. Michael's church, and those of their consorts and the princesses are deposited in the convent of Tschudow; all these structures are lofty, spacious and built with stone. This circle is three hundred fathoms in diameter, and surrounded with very high and thick walls, flanked with six towers, planted with cannon, and also defended by deep moats and ramparts. From the above circle you pass over a handsome stone bridge, which is called Kitagorod, to the Chinese Town. There are here five streets, two cathedrals, eighteen parish churches, four convents, thirteen noblemen's houses, and nine public edifices: these are the chief dispensary, in which the medicines are kept, of china porcelain, decorated with the imperial arms, and from this place the whole empire is supplied with medicinesthe Mint, which is a superb structure, a magazine or warehouse, to which all goods are brought before they have paid duty-the Custom-house-the Ambassador's palace, which is converted into a silk manufactory-a Printing house-a Court of Judicature-the Physic Garden-and the Exchange, in which there are about a thousand handsome shops; here all commercial affairs are transacted, particularly what relates to the trade with China, whence this circle contains many merchants. This part of the city is fortified by a pretty high wall, strengthened with twelve towers and strong bulwarks. The third circle surrounds the former, and is named Bielorogod, or the White Town, from a white wall with which it is encompassed; it is also called Czars l'Town. The Neglina runs through this part of the city, from north to south: but though there are in this circle several kneses, boyars, merchants, and tradesmen, it is in many parts very dirty, and most of the houses are very mean; it includes seventy six parish churches, seven abbeys, eleven convents, and nine public edifices. There are two palaces, a cannon foundery, two markets, a brewhouse, a magazine of provisions, the salt-fish harbour, and the Bazil garden. At the timber market are sold new wooden houses, which may be taken to pieces and put together again where the purchaser pleases. The fourth circle is called Semlanoigorod, that is a town surrounded with ramparts of earth; it incloses the three preceding parts, and its ramparts include an area of great extent. The entrance was formerly by thirty-four gates of timber, and two of stone, but at

present only the two last are standing. Over one of these gates is a mathematical school and an observatory. This circle contains a hundred and three parish churches, two convents, an imperial stable, an arsenal for artillery, a mint, a magazine for provisions, and a cloth manufactory;-round these principal parts of the city lie the suburbs which are of a great extent, and contain sixty parish churches and ten convents. These suburbs resemble villages in other parts of the country, except the German quarter, which is the largest and handsomest, and contains two Lutheran churches, a grammar school, a Calvinist church, and a Romish church. This suburb is situated towards the East, on the river Yansa; to the West of it lies the palace of Annenhof, which has a good garden, and towards the North is a large and stately hospital. A little farther to the West stands the palace of the Empress Elizabeth. The number of inhabitants is supposed to amount to about a hundred and fifty thousand; these consist of statesmen, noble families and their servants, merchants, priests, monks, and servants belonging to the churches; mechanics, labourers, carriers, sledge drivers, &c. &c.

ACCOUNT OF MADEMOISELLE DE CLAIRON,

Communicated by herself, in a Letter to M. Meister, and never before published, either in the original or in English.*

[From the Panorama, for October 1812.]

[Mademoiselle de Clairon, the celebrated French actress, died in January 1803, at the age of eighty-three. The uncommon noises, which are the subject of this letter, are mentioned in the Memoirs of that actress, a translation of which was published in London a few years since. We have little faith in the marvellous, but the narrative is curious, and, as an interesting trait of human nature, deserves to be preserved. The letter was addressed to M. Henry Meister, a native of Zurich, who resided much at Paris in the character of literary agent to the Empress of Russia and several of the northern potentates. M. Meister printed many works, none of which have been translated into our language, excepting his Letters on England, which include an elegant French letter written by the Margravine of Anspach, with whom he was long in correspondence, and from whose husband, the Tate Margrave, he received a pension.]

Paris, 12th January, 1787. MY youth, and the reception I met with on the stage at the Opera-Theatre, and that of the Comedie-Françoise, in the year 1743, procured me much attention from a number of young fops and old voluptuaries.

I was honoured likewise with the notice of some gentlemen of good sense and politeness. Of this number was M. de S

* Communicated by the Rev. W. Dupre..

a gentleman, who was greatly struck by my figure and attractions. He was the son of a merchant in Brittany; was about thirty years of age, of a good shape, and handsome person. He composed in verse with great elegance. His air and manner discovered that he had received the most finished education, and had been accustomed to keep the best company. The reserve and timidity of his address were such, that his passion for me was only to be discovered in his eyes and the respectfulness of his behaviour. After he had attended me a considerable time behind the scenes, I admitted of his visits at my own house, and gave him reason to believe he had inspired me with a mutual attachment. Perceiving this, he waited with patience till time produced more tender sentiments in his favor; and who can tell what might have followed had not my prudence and curiosity suggested a number of questions, his candor in replying to which entirely defeated his hopes. I discovered, that, being ashamed of inheriting a fortune acquired by trade, he had imprudently sold the estate bequeathed him by his father, in order to purchase one which should intitle him to rank at Paris as a marquis.

When a man is ashamed of his own condition in life he has no cause in my opinion to be offended with any one who shall happen to despise him. His temper was melancholic, and he was much given to conceive aversions and hatred. In his own opinion he knew so much of the world that he thought himself obliged to shun and despise all mankind, so that he wished to lead a recluse life, and had hopes that he could prevail on me to see no one but himself. This was a plan of life by no means agreeable to me. I was to be held by a wreath of flowers, but could not submit to be bound in an iron chain. From this time, our interviews, which were daily, became less and less frequent, and were in a little time reduced to visits of ceremony. I saw the necessity, and I broke off our connection and destroyed his hopes.

This indifference on my part brought on him a fit of sickness. During his illness I shewed him every mark of attention; but my constant refusal to fall into his scheme of living prevented his recovery. This poor young man had unfortunately given his brother-in-law a general power to act in his affairs, and he had received money for him, which he detained as part of his wife's fortune. This proceeding reduced M. de S to very great distress, and he was under the necessity of accepting my offer of the little money I could assist him with to provide the necessary comforts during his illness. When I think of the abject condition he was brought under by this cruel treatment on the part of his sister's husband, I am distressed beyond measure, VOL. I. New Series.

K

and you must yourself, my dear Henry, feel the necessity of keeping it a secret from all the world. I revere his memory, and would on no account abandon it to the cruel compassion of mankind. It is the first time I ever revealed this circumstance to any living creature, and it is from the great esteem I bear you that I now do it; at the same time that I beg you to observe the most religious silence on the subject. After some delay, he was put in possession of his just right, but his health was never restored to him. As I supposed my absence might be of benefit and tend to a recovery, I forebore to visit him; and, from my ceasing to do so, I refused to receive any letter that came from him.

Two years and a half had elapsed from the commencement of our acquaintance to the time of his death. In his last moments he had entreated me to see him once more, but my friends persuaded me from it. He died, and had nobody with him when he drew his last breath but his servants, and an elderly lady who had lived with him for some little time before. He had apartments at that time on the Boulevards, near the Chaussée Dantin, in one of the houses then lately built on the spot.

I lived at that time with my mother in the Ruë de Bussi, near the Rue de Seine and St. Germain's Abbey. I was accustomed to give frequent suppers to my friends. My constant visitors were, the Keeper of the Privy Purse, some of the actors, that worthy friend Pipelet, whom you recollect with so much regard, and Rosely, belonging to the same theatre as I did, a young man of good family, very promising, and of an excellent understanding. Forty years ago these little suppers were more gay than the entertainments, magnificent as they are, of the present day. At one of my suppers, just as I had finished singing an air which had given great satisfaction to my guests, and which they expressed with rapturous applause, the clock striking eleven at the same time, we heard the most doleful cry, continued for a length of time, and with so mournful an emphasis, that the whole company sat looking at each other with astonishment. For my part, I fainted away, and it was a full quarter of an hour before I could be brought to life.

When I recovered my senses, the keeper of the Privy Purse, who was fond of me, and rather of a jealous disposition, observed, with a malicious sneer, that, when I made my assignations, I should be careful that my signals were less dismal and alarming. I was nettled by this sarcasm, and I replied, that,' as I was quite mistress of my own conduct, there was little necessity for signals, and that what he was pleased to style such had little the appearance of being a prelude to those delicious moments which lovers expect on an assignation.' The agitation and tremor I