one of the islands of the Archipelago; and is accurately described by Monsieur le Chevalier sur le Troad. The basso relievos on its sides, and on each end, certainly refer to the events celebrated in the Iliad; and particularly to the exploits of Achilles. The sarcophagus is of white marble; but the sculpture, though possessing taste and beauty, is not so fine as other specimens we have in England. I forget from whom the Count purchased it; but I believe the ingenious French author informs his readers. It is so long since I turned over the book, that most of the contents have escaped me. All I recollect is, that at the time of reading it I was much pleased; and I recommend you, for the sake of better information respecting Homer's tomb, to seek for le Chevalier to supply my deficiency.

I must confess, as I stood over this reputed tomb of the first of poets, that I felt none of those enthusiasms which I believe would have affected me on the spot where his remains were laid. I cannot reconcile to myself, devotion to genius with the sacrilege of disturbing the repository of its ashes. Removing Homer's tomb from its original situation, seems to have arisen from no more respect to him, than the thieves intended to shew reverence to Petrarch, when they stole away his bones to sell separately as classic relics. It having been brought to sale, I am not surprised at the fine taste of the Count wishing to purchase so extraordinary a piece of antiquity; but certainly the place to feel Homer's tomb, should have been over Homer's grave. It was so Homer's example taught. He did not send mariners to steal away the monument of Achilles from the promontory of Sigeum: but he travelled thither himself. He stood by his hero's grave; and while invoking the spirit within, his own mighty genius burst the confines of the tomb, and the

hero appeared! The vision passed before the poet, clad in arms and in glory, and he beheld the light no more. Insufferable brightness drank his visual ray; but lit up all within, with Heaven's immortal fires. And Alexander too, that powerful monarch, might not he who uprooted empires, have easily raised from the ground a block of marble; and ordered the monument of his often-boasted model, the great Achilles, to have been brought to Macedon? But no; he also went to Sigeum to pay his vows to the illustrious shade, and placing a crown upon the tomb, exclaimed: " Achilles, thou wert thrice happy! Happy in thy valiant life, happy in such a friend as Patroclus, and happy in such a poet as Homer to immortalize thy memory!"

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After this beautiful apostrophe, it will not be very mal-apropos to repeat my claim to one of these happinesses, by subscribing myself your faithful friend.

LETTER XXVIII.

St. Petersburgh, September, 1806. I AM going to describe a scene that harrowed my heart. I have been to witness the execution of the KNOUT, to a height of torture which very seldom is now inflicted. The lenity of the Emperor Alexander's disposition will not allow death, or the severer degrees of punishment to be adjudged to any of his subjects, but on the most decided proofs of terrible crimes. In the present instance, the guilt of the culprit was unquestionable, and he was regularly tried and sentenced.

The instruments and manner of performing this horrible execution, I have already described in my account of visiting the prison at Mosco. The unhappy wretch whom his crimes destined to be an example to mankind, was an Istvostchick (or coachman) to Count Ablenoffsky, a Polish nobleman, whom he inhumanly murdered one night, in bringing him from a party in the country. He effected his death by means of the key used for screwing the bolts of the carriage. The vehicle being a droshky, there was no other servant but the coachman.

At a conveniently dark and sequestered spot, the villain turned suddenly on his master, and striking him a stunning blow with the iron instrument, seized him, and finished the murder by strangling him with the reins. Having rifled the dead Count of every valuable about his

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person, he left the body and the carriage, and made his escape. Morning discovered the horrid scene. Suspicion did not hesitate to point to the real perpetrator, and a pursuit was immediately ordered. Officers of justice went in every direction; and by their unwearied activity found him, after a search of several days, some versts from the Ladoga Lake.

The place generally alloted for public executions, is near the Neva; being an open and muddy plain. When I arrived, a few companies of grenadiers were drawn up in line; and the natives were pouring upon the ground in multitudes. The gravity of their rough visages, mingling with the fierce visage of the Cossacs, and the severe gloom of the police, gave an expression of horror to the crowding groupes more consonant with the expected scene, than the noisy mobs beneath the gallows at the Old Bailey.

Ten o'clock in the morning was the appointed hour; but more than another hour elapsed before the criminal was brought to the place of punishment. He was a robust and fine-looking man, with light hair and beard; possessing not one trait in his face to announce him capable of murder, or of even less terrible crimes. Had I been called upon to declare my opinion of that man's disposition from his face, I should have pronounced him every thing that was meek and harmless. I am no physiognomist; and must leave this apparent contradiction of their science to be settled by those who are.

The poor wretch, attended by part of the police, had been walked through the streets; in order to shew him to the populace, and to strike them with horror at his guilt. As soon as the procession arrived in front

of the troops, a circle was formed, and preparations made for the instant commencement of the execution. A paper being read aloud in the Russ language, which, most probably, was an account of his crime and sentence; he was speedily stripped of his cloaths, leaving on his person only a pair of loose trowsers. In the midst of this silent groupe (and awful indeed was their silence) stood, firm and well secured, a block of wood, about three feet high, having three cavities in the top, to receive the neck and arms. Being fully prepared for his dreadful punishment, the unhappy man crossed himself, repeating his Gosperdian Pomelea with the greatest devotion. The executioner then placed him with his breast to the board, strongly binding him to it by the neck and the upper part of his arms, passing the rope close under the bend of both knees. Thus bowed forward, the awful moment approached. The first stroke was struck, and each repeated lash tore the flesh from the bone. A few seconds elapsed between each; and for the first ten or twelve, the poor sufferer roared most terribly; but soon becoming faint and sick, the cry died away into groans; and in a few minutes after, nothing was heard except the bloody splash of the knout on the senseless body of the wretched man. Oh! if God punished so, who could stand before his judgment seat? Had the compassionate Alexander beheld it, I believe that this would have been the last infliction of this tremendous punishment.

After full an hour had been occupied in striking these dreadful blows (and more than two hundred were given him), a signal was made from the head officer of the police, and the criminal was raised a little from the block. Not the smallest sign of life seemed to remain: indeed, so long did it appear to have fled, that during the half of the lashing, he