At a subsequent period, I saw the house and grave of one of Russia's most distinguished and certainly noblest originals, Count E , who had lived a considerable time in, some said voluntary, and others forced, exile. He had formerly played a distinguished part in St. Petersburg, but latterly avoided it. The poor, whose best friend he was, said that he did so because he detested the way of hfe there of the rich and great ; but some people asserted that it was because he had committed some crime in company with his brother, which was not more plainly pointed out, as it would hardly have found credence of a man at whose interment all the poor cried out unanimously " Nashe otez umer, nashe otez umer' (Alas, our father is dead). It is enough to say that the count and his brother were imprisoned for three years, and that the one left his place of confinement a madman, and the other a confirmed humorist. In the place he had chosen for his retreat, he built a large house in the worst part of the town, among the poorest part of the population, and surrounded it with buildings of various kinds, and fine gardens. He might well be called the " King of the Poor," as all, but especially poor artists and artisans, found the friendliest reception from him. About persons of higher rank he troubled himself but little, and kept up no kind of intercourse with them. His passions for building, mechanics and projects of all kinds, joined to his kindness of heart and great wealth, naturally drew about him numbers of schemers and adventurers of various kinds. He was surrounded by a crowd of busy people of all nations, and his usual table companions were a Russian of Tartar descent, a German domestic physician, an Italian advocate, and a man of business, Greek and Polish stewards and commissaries, and a French architect. With the assistance of these people, he bought lands, built houses, made machines, dug canals, &c. ; the centre of all this manifold activity being still his house in the poorest quarter of Odessa. Plere all that was to be put in action elsewhere, was planned and tested. Besides all the artisans employed without the house, he kept a hundred workmen in his courtyards, constantly emploj'-ed in his service. He had three smithies, a large carpenter's shop with its numerous workmen, and masons, gardeners, and cabinet-makers, without number. To all their workshops the count had subterraneous passages from his owai cabinet, and liked to come upon his people by surprise. For his own and their misfortune, he understood a little of every thing himself, liked to have a hand in their work, and to have his own inventions executed. One of these inventions was some curious travelling carriage, furnished with every possible convenience, which employed his coachniaker thi'ee years. It was admitted to be the most perfect thing of the kind possible, and was then put into a coachhouse and never once made use of.
The outside of his house was distinguished by a monstrous tower-like chimney, painted and carved like an obelisk with the strangest hieroglyphics, which gave rise to a belief among the superstitious that he had intercourse with evil spirits.