on various occasions showed himself a brave soldier; and with him entered the city of Paris. He then went to Russia, and afterwards to the Congress of Vienna. After the second deposition of Bonaparte he was made Generalissimo of the Russian army, and soon afterwards he assumed the title of Military Governor of Poland.

Thus we see that Constantine was intrusted with highly important commands; but he is not Viceroy of Poland. That office, by the laws of the kingdom, must be conferred upon a Pole, or a naturalized foreigner; and accordingly it is held by a white-haired, infirm old man, General Joseph Zayontchék, who served Napoleon during the French invasion of Russia in 1812. But, as has been remarked with great truth by a correspondent of the Scotsman," the vice-regal dignity, like that of the late Polish kings, was a mere shadow." Constantine, with the name of Military Governor of Poland, or Generalissimo of the army, is the real depositary of all power-unless opposed by his only superior, the King of Poland. At the same time it ought to be mentioned, that Constantine never interferes with civil, affairs, except for the most particular reasons that he has always rendered all due honour to the real viceroy; and that, on almost every occasion, he has shown him great deference. General Zayontchék is a man of spirit, of considerable talents, and is highly esteemed by the Poles. It has been widely reported that one of the last acts of Alexander was to nominate Constantine Viceroy of Poland; but this seems a fabulous story. Without General Zayontchék's resignation, such a deed would cause a general rebellion.

During the period the Grand Duke served with Suvarof, he was distinguished for his military conduct in the camp, and for his courage in the day of battle; and he received great praise from the old field-marshal. Indeed Suvarof wrote the following flattering account to Count Razumovskii:-" His Imperial Highness Constantine, notwithstanding his youth, acts in the service like a veteran; always accompanying the soldiers, he lives in the camp, and in the tent, and with wonderful firmress he supports the excessive heat of the climate. Such an example, in so distinguished a personage, excites the admiration both of the Russian and the Austrian armies."

For his bravery, exemplary conduct, and success, during the whole of the Italian campaign, by a special order of the Emperor Paul, Constantine received the title of Tsesarévitch. The same military taste has characterized him through life; and though he be a severe disciplinarian, yet he is greatly beloved by the army, and is justly looked up to as an experienced, courageous, martial, and daring commander.

It has been quite an amusing task, of late, to peruse the periodicals; and to remark the different terms in which the prominent traits of the character of Constantine are depicted. By one it is said that this prince is of a rough and ruthless character, and that he is devoured by ambition, and a deep-rooted propensity for war;-by a second, that he is a daring, warlike, and ambitious prince ;-by a third, that he is martial in his character, even to rashness;-by a fourth, that he is by no means of an agreeable aspect, and is of a passionate disposition, being very apt to knock people down, and to inflict cruel punishment in his rage ;+-by a fifth, that he has neither the mild exterior, nor * Vide Glinkii's History of Russia, in the Russian language, vol. viii. p. 298. "An officer on the parade, being struck by Constantine, took out his pistol, and shot himself dead on the spot."-Vide No. 395, p. 296, Monthly Magazine.

the patient duplicity of the departed Emperor, Alexander ;-by a sixth that he is fierce, impetuous, daring, and that his passions have never been much under the control of reflection, nor his vices disguised by hypocrisy-by a seventh, that he is a Kozák in feeling, and a genuine Kalmuck in features ;-by an eighth, that he is a demi-savage-by a ninth, that he is a barbarous tyrant; by a tenth, that he is an unfeeling Scythian slave-master ;-and, lastly, in the 61st number of this Magazine, after an allusion to his short, round face, pug nose, knitted eyebrows, and sunk eyes, we ourselves have said, that he is the very representative of impatience, fury, and severity: we have also added that his deeds have not belied his natural features; and that he indeed has proved himself the true heir to his father's likeness, passions, folly, and illiberality, without a great share of his redeeming virtues-goodness of heart, and paroxysms of remorse, which led to compensation for insults and injuries; but we forgot to notice his reformation.

These and such like descriptions only exhibit the dark shades of the picture, and may be reckoned far from impartial. The good, as well as the bad, should never be concealed; and it must be confessed that some few of our publications have had the candour to state that Constantine is by no means such a monster as he has been described;—that he has some good qualities;-that he is popular in Poland;-and that he is excessively beloved by the whole Russian army. Nay more, some of the French journalists begin to discover, that, under a disagreeable exterior, the Tsesarévitch conceals the mild disposition and the virtues of his late august brother.t

Ungoverned by these contradictions, we shall endeavour to delineate the great outlines of Constantine's real picture, at various periods of his

"On the subject of an attack upon Turkey, I have merely to state, that no other measure would be so popular among the military, the nobles, and the peasantry of Russia. It is well known that Constantine, the Great Duke of Russia, and almost the Viceroy of Poland-so frequently accused of illiberality, cruelty, and barbarism-was thus named, because it was expected that he would reign at Constantinople.§ God forbid it! Those who have lately been in Poland, or who know the history of that prince, will hold him in detestation."-" What a contrast between Abbas Mirza, the heir-presumptive of Persia, and Constantine, the apparent successor to the throne of Russia! How different is their conduct, when partly under restraint, and partly as independent sovereigns! Should they come to the thrones of their countries, Persia may be blessed beyond anticipation, while Russia may see Paul II., under the fine-sounding and classic name of Constantine, but assuredly not in sheep's clothing."-" It is said that he has begun a reformation; and it is to be sincerely hoped, for the sake of those he rules, or may rule, that it may be completed, and especially before he ascends the throne of his country."||

"The editors of the French papers, a class of men who, from some cause or other, are totally regardless of truth, and possess as much morality as opera-dancers, begin already to talk of the virtues of the Emperor Constantine,' and of his high and honourable feeling towards his brother kings. We have only to add, that we have never heard this character of Constantine except from a Frenchman. According to public report in Russia, he is any thing but a highly civilized prince.”– Bell's Weekly Messenger, Jan. 1, 1825.

§ This capital is better known in Russia by the appellation of Tsar-Grad, or city of the Tsars. As the Russians received their religion from them, we cannot be surprised that they hold Constantinople as a holy city; that all ranks, even the meanest peasants, have heard of its altars polluted by the Turks, and that they would all be ready to join in a crusade for its capture from the infidels.

Vide Lyall's Travels in Russia, vol. ii. pp. 72, 113, and 426.

life, and by this means to arrive at some accurate information with regard to his past and present character.

Constantine is of the middle stature, robust, and well proportioned: his air is martial, and his deportment gentle or severe, according to circumstances: his manners are polished, and though sometimes rude, he can, at pleasure, conduct himself with the highest decorum. Notwithstanding the peculiarities of his features, his visage, upon the whole, presents a well-defined, bold, and severe outline, which well accords with his military taste; while a considerable developement of his forehead indicates the possession of natural talents-talents which have been greatly improved by study, diligence, and experience. It may be said that he is a well-informed prince, and perhaps his general knowledge of the affairs of state is not surpassed by that of many of his compeers of Europe. Therefore to call Constantine an ignoramus is quite preposterous, and to reckon him a savage or a barbarian betrays a total ignorance of the Tsesarévitch's character. If he is a barbarian,-though it may seem a paradox,-he is at least a civilized barbarian; in other words, if some of his past actions bear the stamp of barbarism, they were the actions of a civilized prince,-of a prince who, as we have seen, received a liberal education under the distinguished La Harpe and the talented Greek general, Kouruta, and of a prince who, at times, can conduct himself in the most polished manner, and with as much propriety as any of his equals in the world. The devotion of too much time to military occupations, the acquisition of a knowledge of the immense territories and the various nations of the Russian empire, and long protracted studies in the art of government, naturally prevented Constantine from giving much attention to the sciences, or to general literature; on which subjects he may be said to be behind his brother princes.

Constantine's rapidity of judgment and action, his caprice, his want of self-command, his impetuosity, and indeed his fury, in former days were quite proverbial. Like his father Paul, he was not only a terror to evil-doers, but also to the most devoted and the best subjects of the state. His attaches well knew the temper of their master, and, like Paul's favourites, they turned his alternate paroxysms of displeasure and rage, of good humour and liberality, to their advantage. We are not aware, however, that in his moments of contrition and remorse Constantine was so liberal of his favours as Paul; but the difference may have arisen from the deficiency of the same means of indulging his whims. We have never heard this prince accused of ingratitude or neglect of his friends; on the contrary, some histories are related which show that he is possessed, at least at times, of kindness and generosity, and that his zeal has been equal to his professions. His vivacity, shrewdness, and penetration, his activity and vigilance, have been well remarked by his friends and by his court; and it cannot be questioned that he is endowed with energy of mind, an extensive capacity, decision of character, and firmness of resolution-qualities of incalculable value to the ruler of a great nation. He is very cunning, he well knows the arts of dissimulation, and his wonderful powers of imitation and mimicry have astonished both natives and foreigners. Strangers might imagine that, as the Emperor must be conscious of his naturally forbidding features, he would be backward to show his grimaces; but this is not the case; and probably the Tsesarévitch is of opinion that his visage is more pleasant under certain distortions than in a state of complete quiessence.

There cannot be a shadow of doubt respecting his sincere and tender fraternal love towards the late Autocrat, nor of his affection to the other members of the Imperial family; and his complete devotion to the Empress Mother is well known, and has often been the theme of admiration. Though of so violent and imperious a character, yet he is capable of affection and friendship; and that his heart is not unsusceptible to the pleasures of matrimonial felicity, is completely proved by the facts already recorded regarding his last marriage.

Constantine is said to be very jovial, pleasant, and social at table, and, in general, he is now abstemious as to diet, and moderate in his cups. Like Alexander, he knows little of music: his ear is not acute, nor was he permitted to devote much time to the cultivation of this accomplishment in his youth. Martial music, however, delights him; and he is one of the best and liveliest dancers we have ever seen. He likes all kinds of active employment and athletic amusements, which, no doubt, have contributed to the vigour of his constitution, and to the hardihood with which he bears exertion and privation, heat and cold, hunger and thirst. He rises at four o'clock in the morning, devotes much time to the arrangement of the affairs of the army, and daily occupies himself many hours in training, and manoeuvring, and reviewing his troops. He gives up the evening to his consort or a domestic circle, and generally retires to bed at an early hour.

In speaking of Constantine's failings and vices, excesses and cruelties, in his youthful days, we must not forget the disadvantageous circumstances under which he was reared at the corrupt and debased court of Catharine the Second, to which particular allusion has already been made in our sketch of the life of Alexander. Many of his faults may have sprung from his naturally impetuous constitution, his ignorance of the practice of good principles, and the inconsideration and inexperience of youth. Such a view is justified, in a considerable degree, by the great change which has taken place in his mode of life since his last marriage. Yet it must not be forgotten that he received instructions from a strictly virtuous and sincerely religious parent, the Empress Mother, whose conduct was worthy the imitation of her sex ;* nor must it be concealed, that though the late Emperor Alexander was placed in the same unfortunate circumstances with Constantine, yet that he, comparatively speaking, evinced but few of the vices of monarchs, or even of men in general. The excesses and infamous deeds of which Constantine stands accused, while they may be in some degree palliated by a consideration of the evil example of the court in which he moved in his youthful days, assume a still more reprehensible aspect when we class him among polished princes. It ought to be added that though he has given many proofs of his total want of self-command, yet that he has been often deceived and irritated by the false reports of courtiers and favourites; and a Pole has assured us, that, on occasions, when the truth was discovered, he has shown great compunction, has rewarded the injured, and that he has severely punished persons guilty of defamation and falsehood.

some

* The reserved manner and chaste conduct of the Empress Mother and of the Dowager Empress can never be sufficiently praised, and must have had much influence on the court ladies during the last thirty years.

BRAMBLETYE HOUSE.*

A FEW years only have passed since an historical novel was held to be an inexcusable anomaly in all the established tribunals of criticism. It was argued, with irresistible gravity and according to the forms of demonstration, that all who attempted this species of composition must either accord with, or depart from history: if the first, they only wearied their readers with an old story, which had been better told before; if the last, they disturbed all previous associations, and took unwarrantable liberties with truth. A better reason for the public distaste than this logic might be found in the practice of the authors, or, more generally, authoresses, who made free with the great of old, " to point a moral or adorn a tale ;" for they either exaggerated and distorted the characters which they selected for their purpose, or glossed them over with a sentimental varnish, in which all the finer shades of distinction were lost, and the actual was rendered unreal. But it is the prerogative of genius to make laws and to break them-to establish the essential harmonies of its own nature as the rules of inferior spirits or to select for its sphere the ground considered as the least favourable to its purposes, and turn difficulties into materials. This has been done by the Author of Waverley, in reference to historical romance; he has demonstrated its practicability by his success; and has shown that the objections of cavillers have not been sustained by exhibitions of the true, but of the false; and that no style of writing is capable of more potent charms, than that which introduces us into the society of the celebrated persons of former times by the pleasant path of an individual story; which enables us to live along some lines of personal existence, in the very midst of those stirring scenes, with the general aspect of which we have always been familiar; and to contemplate the characters and the events which stand out from the mist of years, at the hearty meal or the jovial fireside. As yet the bold enchanter has possessed almost solely the magic circle which he has cleared, and within which he has called forth so many august forms, and exhibited so many high and festal pageants. But we have now to greet a new adventurer in the same field; one who is supported in his bold attempt by reputation as a wit and a poet; who, almost avowedly following the course of the Scottish novelist, will "not steal, but emulate" his excellencies; and whose work will be read by none with more pleasure than by him who has inspired it by his example. The time which our author has chosen, including the latter days of the Protectorate and the beginning of the restored Monarchy, is peculiarly adapted to the style in which he aspires to succeed. Such a period is, of necessity, full of striking contrasts: the fervid energy of democratic and religious zeal is seen in its most steady and decided exertions; and the profligacy of the court is exhibited, on the other hand, in its full-swollen pride, and joyous recklessness of the future. Both parties, disgusting or mischievous in reality, are peculiarly entertaining in fiction. Kings that gracefully play the devil, and turn the miseries they cause into merry jests, are delightful when they can neither tax nor imprison; witty libertines are harmless Merry-Andrews in classical

Brambletye House, or Cavaliers and Roundheads. By one of the authors of Rejected Addresses.