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with so much considerateness , that liia obliging words gave almost as much satisfaction as if he had granted a favour . " His indefatigable activity of mind and body astonished all his court ; but the Muscovites , accustomed to the solemn etiquette of their Tsars , thought that he was sometimes wanting in dignity . For example , instead of going to church in a carriage , according to custom , he repaired thither on horseback , and frequently on a restive steed which he took delight in managing . When Ivan , Feodor , or Boris mounted on horseback ( and that happened very rarely ) , a well-trained hackney was
brought to them ; one dignitary of the empire placed a stool , another held the stirrup ; the Tsar was lifted into his saddle , and the whole affair was managed gravely and deliberately . Matters had now thoroughly changed . With the agility of a child of the steppes , Demetrius loved to ride a restive stallion ; with one hand he seized the inane of his horse , and leaped into his seat before his officers had time to discharge their respective duties . In former times , the Tsars never passed from one room into another without being supported under the arms by several of their courtiers . They were guided and led about like children in leading-strings . All these tiresome ceremonies were now set aside . The new Tsar went out of his palace
without informing any one , almost always without a g uard , executing on the spur of the moment any thought that occurred to his mind . He walked on foot through the town , sometimes inspecting the works of a canuon-foundry which he had just established at Moscow , sometimes entering into the shops , chatting with the merchants , especially with foreigners , and displaying great curiosity to examine everything and become acquainted with the instruments and products of their industry . His chamberlains and bodyguards frequently had to look for him in street after street , and found it extremely difficult to find him again . Whenever he heard of any new branch of industry , he immediately became desirous to introduce it into Eussia , and made the most advantageous offers to skilful artisans and enlightened merchants in order to induce them to settle in his dominions . He was fond of the
arts , and particularly of music . It is said that he was the first Tsar who took vocal and instrumental performers into his service . During his meals , symphonies were executed—a Polish fashion , then newly introduced , and regarded almost as scandalous by the llussians . Many persons would have preferred that he should have got drunk with his buffoons , like Ivan the Terrible , rather than that he should listen to German or Polish musicians . Contrary to the usage which was then general in Russia , he never indulged in the siesta after his meals ; he was always in motion . Even his diversions bore witness to his craving after activity . The most violent exercises were those which he preferred . Falconry and horse-racing were his means of relaxation after his labours in the cabinet . A bold and
accomplished horseman , , he took delight in breaking in the most unruly horses . One day at Toininsk , it was resolved that a bear-fight , the favourite amusement of the nobility at that period , should be got up in his honour . A bear was caught in the woods , and let loose again in a kind of arena , in which hunt smen armed with pikes put him to death , or were themselves torn to pieces by the infuriated animal . The pacific Feodor Ivanovitch used to take great pleasure in these cruel spectacles . But Demetrius was not a man to look at such conflicts from the top of a balcony . Disregarding the entreaties of his courtiors , he went down alone into the arena , ordered an enormous bear to be let loose upon him , and killed him with a thrust of his boar-spear . jgt " His skill in all warlike cxotoasqs , and his dnsliing intrepidity , gnined him tho admiration of his soldiers , and especially of tho Cossacks ; but the mass of the nation found it difficult to rfeeoncilo this restlessness and taste for useless dangers with the
idea which they had formed to themselves of a Tsar of all the llussias . Scrupulous persons , in particular , found much to complain of in his conduct , in all that regarded religious practices . He was inattentive at divine service , he frequently forgot to salute the holy images before taking his meals , and he sometimes rose abruptly from table , without washing his hands . This was then considered the height of impiety . Another crime imputed to him was that lie did not go regularly to the bath on Saturdays . On the day of his coronation , one of the Polish Jesuits who hud accompanied him paid him a compliment in Latin , which no one understood , and tho Tsar , perhaps , as little as any one ; but the devotees had no doubt that the speech contained horrid blasphemies against the national religion , for all knew that Latin was the language of the Papists . Sometimes , when speaking to Kussinn ecclesiastics , he used the expression , ' Your religion , your worship . ' Ifc was inferred from this that he had his own particular religion , which could he nothing
else than tho Latin heresy . At ono of the sittings of the Iinpcrisil Council , ifc wad represented to him that a proposition which he had just brought forward was condemned by tho seventh oecumenical council , tin * last whoso authority is recognised by the Greek Church . ' Well / ho replied , ' what of that ? The ; eighth council may , very likely , come to a contrary decision on tho matter . ' What could have been his idea in uttering these imprudent words ? It may be that he was ignorant of this point in ecclesiastical history ; but , at all events , his words were regarded as an abominable blfcsphciny and an involuntary confession of Catholicism . It began to be whispered that this Tsar , so petulant , so full of contempt for ancient customs , might possibly not be a Russian , and that his orthodoxy wan assuredly of a most suspicious character . As ho loved magnificence , and affected to encourage the arts , he had caused to be placed at the door of a palace- which he had just had built , a Cerberus in bronze , whose throat , says an annalist , gave forth u terrible noise whenever it was touched . This invention , tho workmanship of some German
mechanic , and which does small credit to the tasto of Demetrius , appeared to the eyes of the people a piece of devilry , and u lit ensign for a wizard ' s laboratory . Tho pious annalist , from whom I borrow this anecdote , echoing , probably , the remarks of the " Muscovite monks , regards it , a » presaging the abode which awaited tho Tsar
in eternity— ' hell and darkness . Ho whs not , strong enough to be ho strong with impunity . I lad ho l > een servile to tho prejudices and interests of tho powerful , he might have reigned long ; but he " wanted tho low otummg of Louis . Napoleon , whoso power is gained by tho ineniiH indicated in tho energetic lines ol Churchill : — With that low cunning which in fools- supplies , And amply , too , tho place of being wise , Which Nature , kind , indulgent parent , gave To qualify the blockhead for tho knave . Ho married against etiquette , but ho bad not tho unblushing art to
declare ( after having failed to gel , a princess ) that he want about to inaugurate a new era , and marry according to ftio dictates of his heart : " Tho distrust and diucontont of the zealot * continued to increase , and vrao furnished with a tttill more plausible motive when it Lccunto known thut Demetrius
intended to espouse Marina Mniszek , and that the Secretary of the Council , A&-nassi Vlassief , was about to proceed to Poland with magnificent presents for the bride . A Latin woman on tho throne of Russia ! an unbaptised Polish girl for Tsarina ! This was-more than enough to revolt all orthodox consciences . The priests and monks surpassed all others in their active efforts to diffuse among the people all the calumnious or exaggerated rumours which might cast doubt either upon the faith of the Tsar or upon his rights to the throne of Ivan . In their discourses they compared him to Julian the Apostate , and all the truly royal qualities which they were compelled to recognise in Demetrius only became new features of resemblance to the persecutor of the Christians . "
This was bad enough ; but he went from bad to worse . He determined to make himself exactly acquainted with the revenues of the numerous monasteries in his empire , and loudly declared »» e saw no reaaon why lazy monks should live in abundance , whilst part of Christendom still remained subject to the Mussulman yoke . -Reform began The imprudent ! Why did he not play into the hands of the priests ? why did he not " save society , " and prove himself the devoutest servant of the Church ? He wanted . that low cunning , and he fell . His story is told in this volume , and we advise our readers to master it , if they have any feeling for history . The book is carefully translated by Mr . bcoble . It is ornamented with quaint portraits of Demetrius and his wite .
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THE RELIGION FOB OUR AGE . Ten Sermons on R eligion . By Theodore Parker . John Chapman . [ second abticle . ] The second and third sermons are on Trutliand the Intellect , and Justice and the Conscience , or , to speak more explicitly , on llehgion as viewed intellectually and morally . God contemplated from the intellect is Truth , contemplated from the conscience , Justice . % " Search after truth" is the great law of the mind , the great piety ol the mind , its impulse and its blessing . We all profess to love truth ; we all do love it , only our faint-heartedness makes us occasionally shrink back from it , fearing lest , after all , it " may be dangerous . " " According to his nature man loves truth with a pure and disinterested love , the strongest intellectual affection . The healthy eye does not more naturally turn to the light than the honest mind turns towards the truth . See how vve _ seek after it in nature . ' All the National Academies , Institutes , and Koyal Societies are hut so many companies organized for the pursuit of truth—of truth chiefly in some outward form , materialized in the visible world . These societies propose no corporeal benefit to themselves , none to the human race . They love each truth of nature for its own fair sake . What is the pecuniary value of the satellites oi
Neptune to us ? See how lahorious naturalists ransack the globe to learn the truths writ in its element . One goes to Florida to look after some bones of a mastodon , hid in a hog some thousands of years ago ,- another curiously collects chips of stone from all the ledges of the world , lives and moves and has his being m the infra-carboniferous sandstones and shales , a companion of fossil plants and fossil shells . This crosses land and ocean to study the herbage of the earth ; that , careloaa of case and homefelt joys , devotes his life to mosses and lichens , which grow unheeded on the rocks ; lie 1 < jvc « tlumi us if they were his own children , yet they
return no corresponding smile , nor can he eat and drink of them . How the astronomer loves to learn the truth of the stars , which will not light his fire nor fill his children ' s hungry mouths ! No Inquisition can stop Galileo in his starry quest . I have known a miser who loved money above all things ; for this , would sacrifice " reason , conscience , and religion , and break affection ' s bond ; but it was the use of money that was loved , with a mean and most ignoble selfish lust , vulgarizing and depraving the man . The true disciple of science loves truth far more , with a disinterested love ; will endure toil , privation , and self-denial , and encounter suileriugfor that . This love of truth will bless the lover all his days ; yet , when he brings her home , his fair-faced bride , she conies empty-handed to his door , herself her only dower . " In proportion as men rise above the condition of savages they givo themselves eagerly to the pursuit of truth .
" We value wisdom chiefly for its practical use , as tho convenience of a weapon , not the function of a limb ; and truth as a servant , not 11 bride . The reason of this seeming falseness to the intellectual instinct is found partly in tho low development of man—the external precedes the spiritual in order of unfolding—nud partly in thin , that tho lmimm race is still too poor to indulge in merely intellect mil dolights , while material wants are not yet satisfied . Mankind rejoices in rough aprons of camel ' s hair , and feeds on locusts and wild honey , before thero is purple and fine linen for all , with sumptuous faring every day . Even now n fourth part of the huinun family is an good as naked . It is too soon to ask men to rejoice exclusively in tho beauty of wisdom , when they need its convenience so inue . h . Let uk not be too severe in ' our demands of num . God ' suffereth long , and is kind . '
" Then , sour theologies confront us , calling wisdom ' foolish , ' reason * carutil , scoffing at science with a priestly sneer , as if knowledge of God , of ( Jod ' s world , and of its laws , could disturb the natural service of God . We are , warned against tho ' arrogance of the philosopher , 'but by . tho arrogance of the priest . Wo are told to shun ' the pride of wisdom ; ' alas ! it is sometimes } the pride of folly which gives the caution . " Hero begins fuintheartodneRH . Wo say that we love truth , need it , call / or it ; Iwt if it scon to contradict our opinions , it cornea as an enomy . " Even now , with us , amongst men desiring to be religious , there is an inherited fern- of reason and of common aunso . Science is thought a bad companion for Keli ion . Men are cautioned airainst ' free thinking' in religion , and , : w all thinking must be free , against all thinking in that quarter . Even common muuho ih thought dangerous . Men in pews nm u I 1 I . LI 0 nfniid , when u strong man goes into tho pulpit , lest ho should shake tho ill-bottomed fabric to the ground ; men in pulpits me Htill more fearful . It is a at range fear , that the mind should dnvo tho noul out of us , and our knowledge of ( iod annihilate our love of God . "
Yet bow unvviHe thin terror of S < : ien « o ! In studying tho facts of nature we study tho thoughts of ( . iod , for in tho world of reahtioH a iact ih tho direct speech of ( Iod . If , in looking " 1 > »¦ ' < tho shy , wo read thero how , — to use tho mugnilicent l ; ingun # o of Alexander Smith" God ' s mime is writ in worlda ;" —if in looking into the crusts of tho earth , and deciphering tho pages of
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February 5 , 1853 . ] THE LEADER . 139
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Leader (1850-1860), Feb. 5, 1853, page 139, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1972/page/19/
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