An establishment for the deaf and dumb, and another for the blind, are equally under the inspection of the empress.  The emperor, on his side, pays great attention to the school of cadets, directed by a man of very superior understanding, General Klinger.  All these establishments are truly useful, but they might be reproached with being too splendid.  At least it would be desirable to found in different parts of the empire, not schools so superior, but establishments which would communicate elementary instruction to the people.  Every thing has commenced in Russia by luxury, and the building has, it may be said, preceded the foundation.  There are only two great cities in Russia, Petersburg and Moscow; the others scarcely deserve to be mentioned; they are besides separated at very great distances:  even the chateaux of the nobility are at such distances from each other, that it is with difficulty the proprietors can communicate with each other.  Finally, the inhabitants are so dispersed in this empire, that the knowledge of some can hardly be of use to others.  The peasants can only reckon by means of a calculating machine, and the clerks of the post themselves follow the same method.  The Greek popes have much less knowledge than the Catholic curates, or the Protestant ministers; so that the clergy in Russia are really not fit to instruct the people, as in the other countries of Europe.  The great bond of the nation is in religion and patriotism; but there is in it no focus of knowledge, the rays of which might spread over all parts of the empire, and the two capitals have not yet learned to communicate to the provinces what they have collected in literature and the fine arts.  If this country could have remained at peace, it would have experienced all sorts of improvement under the beneficent reign of Alexander.  But who knows if the virtues which this war has developed, may not be exactly those which are likely to regenerate nations?

The Russians have not yet had, up to the present time, men of genius but for the military career; in all other arts they are only imitators; printing, however, has not been introduced among them more than one hundred and twenty years.  The other nations of Europe have become civilized almost simultaneously, and have been able to mingle their natural genius with acquired knowledge; with the Russians this mixture has not yet operated.  In the same manner as we see two rivers after their junction, flow in the same channel without confounding their waters, in the same manner nature and civilization are united among the Russians without identifying the one with the other:  and according to circumstances the same man at one time presents himself to you as a European who seems only to exist in social forms, and at another time as a Sclavonian who only listens to the most furious passions.  Genius will come to them in the fine arts, and particularly in literature, when they shall have found out the means of infusing their real disposition into language, as they show it in action.