256 THE CURSING OF THE HERETICS.
everywhere sought for and liberally remunerated. They are not exactly for the choir, but for certain half recitative solos, occasionally required in the service, and which must always be delivered — such is the law or the custom of the church — by amazingly strong and deep bass voices. To such solo parts belong the prayers for the emperor, the warning to the unbelievers to depart, the cursing of the heretics, the opening of divine service, and so forth. In the ordinary churches, the harmony of the voices is less considered than their strength, and in such places voices may be heard, fit only to frighten children in our part of the world. The Russians have in general very deep and rough voices, somewhat refined, indeed, and modified among the upper classes. It may, therefore, be imagined what gigantic organs are sometimes brought forward, where the priests give themselves all possible trouble to strengthen and cultivate the depth and roughness of their singers.
A short time ago the Russian journals gave a sketch of the most distinguished bass voices in the empire. The compass of each was mentioned. The Kasan church had the finest bass, the church of the archangel Michael the second, Nishney Novgorod the third, and KharkofF the fourth in excellence. The above-mentioned distinguished bass of St. Petersburg was formerly a merchant in Tobolsk, where he remained till the stories told of the power of his voice procured him a call to the Kasan church, which, allured by the large salary, he accepted. When having received some musical instruction, he officiated for the first time in the church, and thundered out the anathema against heretics, several ladies were carried fainting out of the church. They say that if he meets a friend in the street to whom he has something to say, he need only utter a stifled " He Ivan," to bring his friend trembling to a stand. To open the doors through which he has to pass, he never uses his hands, he hems only, and the doors spring open of themselves. It is seriously asserted that his voice once saved his Hfe, and put a party of robbers to flight. He was travelling from Tobolsk to Orenburg, when, having hngered behind his companions, he was attacked by a party of marauding Kirguises, and thrown to the ground. They were about to murder him, when he uttered so tremendous a sound in calling for the cossacks who had rode on before him, that the Kirguises, never doubting they had something more than a man under their knives, gallopped off" with as much speed as if a whole infernal legion liad been in pursuit of them. Thus the voice preserved itself for the musical world ; and now, the better to cherish it, the owner feeds it half the year upon eggs.
THE CURSING OF THE HERETICS.
The most extraordinary, incomprehensible, and terrible service of the Eastern Church, is the cursing of heretics, political as well as religious, which I had an opportunity of hearing in St. Petersburg in tlie winter of the year 1837.
I had before heard that such a thing would take place, and on the /th of March there appeared an extraordinary throng of orthodox believers, besieging the entrances of the Kasan church. A piquet of gendarmes had enough to do to keep order, and admit only the decently cliul part of the public into the building. It was nevertheless full to suff"ocation. The anathematizing began with a long service, with singing, reading, opening and shutting of doors ; lighting of tapers, and burning of incense ;
coming and going, 8cc. The venerable metropolitan officiated in person, A priest then appeared, and gave an explanation of the peculiar object of the day's service.