From booksellers we came to booknuJvci-s. He put me in mind of tlie historlau Polevoi, whe lives in Moscow, and related his history to me. Polevoi was born nearer the Mongul hordes and Pekin, than to Paris and our other European Athens ! — that is in Irkutzk. His father was a native of Kursk, and had settled as a merchant in the Siberian capital. His son, who obtained then nothing further than the ordinary information of a Russian merchant, returned to Europe, and came as a juvenile trader to Moscow. Here he began to profit by the great increase of booksellers' shops since 1812, reading most probably as the merchants of Gostinnoi Dvor are accustomed to do, sitting before the doors of their shops and reading aloud by tm-ns. Among other books, Karamsin's History of Russia was thus perused. The more interested he became in the history of his native land, the less satisfied was he with the insipid, uncritical representations of that author. He read in the mean time many other books, and studied in his shop, during the intervals of business, French, German, Italian, Greek, and Latin, devouring the literature of those languages, making extracts, annotations, criticisms, and proceeding in the usual course of an active mind on which so many new impressions are streaming. As some of his essays on these subjects met with applause in the journals in which they appeared, the wish arose in him to establish a journal of his own, and after the year 1822, his periodical, called The Telegraph, came into the world. In its pages he spoke pretty freely, and sometimes with warmth, on points relating to the history of his country. FiUed with disgust at the every where bepraised old wife's fables of Karamsin, he could not help, in his journal, which moreover displayed for Russia a very unusually critical spirit, he could not help, I say, attacking this idol of the day, and exposed some of his countless blunders. Karamsin was at that time at the height of his renown, favoured by the emperor, and admitted into the first coteries of the nobles. His daughters bloomed among the most distinguished flowers of the capital, and his family was courted by many who aspired to high places. It may be imagined therefore what was thought of a Moscow trader, who dared to take exceptions at a man of such acknowledged learning and political influence. At first it only excited laughter, then, as a small party ventured to declare in his favour, murmiu-s ; and when at last he brought about a considerable reaction, when the eyes of other persons began to open, and some to doubt Karamsin's infallibility, bitterness and hatred succeeded. This was the posture of affairs when the Polish revolution broke out. The government kept a watchful eye on all that could be supposed to have a dangerous tendency. Several schools were broken up after that event, strict measures were adopted with respect to domestic tutors, and the free and plain spoken Polevoi, among others, was invited by some of his patrons who wished liim advancement (to the gallows) to repair to St. Petersburg, which he accordingly did in a well guarded kibitke, travelling night and day, with relays waiting for him all along the road.
Under certain circumstances a journey to pleasure-loving St. Petersburg may be pleasant enough, but Polevoi's might possibly be somewhat spoiled by the recollection of certain articles on Russian history. Arrived at the capital he underwent a severe questioning as an " unquiet head," but to every interrogatory he replied in the open and unembarrassed manner of one conscious of no \^1'ong, and of an ardent attachment to his country. At length the powerful voice of a just man was heard through all the clamour of his accusers, and the sentence ran thus : " Let the author be set free, but his journal must be suppressed." He was at liberty then to return to Moscow, but found it expedient to attend henceforth more to the sale of his plums, than to that of his writings. As original production was now impossible to him, he found a solace in translating the productions of others. One of his translations was Hamlet ; it is said to be pretty good, and has been played more than once.
His forced journey to St. Petersburg had however a very disadvantageous influence on his position in society. The greater part of his former friends forsook him ; all seemed to dread intercourse with a man who was out of favour with those in high places. It was a melancholy period for Polevoi.