Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1861-06-12
Peter the Great m England.

ours respectively, "A. W AID.
Peter the Great nm England.
Our English ancestors we're not little sur
prised to learn that young barbarian, who had
at seventeen years of age become the autocrat of
the immense region stretching from the confines
of Sweden to those of China, and whose educa-
ton had been inferior to that of an English
| farmer shopman, had planned gigantic i'm
provements, had learned enough OF some Ian
guages Of Western Europe to enable him to COM
municate with civilized men, had begun to sur
round himself with able adventures from various
parts of the world, and sent many of his young
subjects to study languages, arts and sciences in
foreign cities, and finally had determined to
travel as private man, and to discover by per-
sonal observation the secret of the immense
prosperity and power enjoyed by some commun-
ties whose whole territory was far less than the
hundredth part of his dominions.
1t might have been expected that France would
have been the first object of his curiosity. For
the grace and dignity of the French King, the
splendor of the French Court. the discipline of
the French armies, and the genius and learning
-of the French writers, were then renowned all
over the world. But the Cars mind had early
taken a strange play, which it retained 10 the last
His empire was, of all empires, the least capable
of being made great naval power. The Swedish
Provinces lay between his Straits and the Baltic.
Inc DOSp0OrOus anu Ine Daruanelle5 lay DcINetn
his States and the Mediterranean.
He had access to the ocean only in a latitude
in which navigation is, during great part of ev-
cry year, perilous and difficult. On the ocean he
had only single port, Archangel; and the whole
shipping of Archangel was foreign. There did
not exist Russian vessel larger than fishing
boat. Yet, from some cause which can not now
be traced, he had a taste for maritime pursuits
which amounted to a passion, indeed, almost to a
/ f,,ll of eailc
yards arms and rndders That large mind, equal
to the highest duties of the general and the
statesman, contracted itself to the most minute
details of naval architecture and naval discipline.
The chief ambition of the great conqueror and
/ legislator was to be a good boatswan and good
ships carpenter. Holland and England, there
fore, had for him an attraction that was wanting
to the galleries and terraces of Versailles He
repaired to Amsterdam, took lodging in the
dockyard, assumed the garb of pilot, put down
his name on the list of workmen, welded with his
own hand the caulking- iron and the mallet, fixed
the pumps and twisted the ropes. Ambassadors
who came to pay their respects to him, were
forced, much against their will, to Chamber up
/ the rigging of a man ofwar, and found him en-
throned on the cross-trees.
| Such was the prince whom the populace OF
London nov crowded to behold. His stately form,
his intellectual forehead his piercing black eyes,
his frown, black with all the stormy hate and
rage of barbarian tyrant, and above all, a
strange nervous convulson which sometimes
| transformed his countenance during few mo-
ments into an object on which it was impossible
to look without terror, the immense quantities
of meat which he devoured, the pints of brandy
which he swallowed, and which it was said he
had carefully distilled with his own hand, the
| fool who jabbered at his feet, the monkey which
grinned at the back of his chair, were, during
some weeks, popular topics of conversation. He
meanwhile Stunned the public gaze with haugh-
! ty shyness which inlamed curiosity. He went
to play, but as soon as he perceived that pit
boxes and galleries were staring not at the stage
but at him, he retired to back bench, where Inc
was screened from observation by his attendants
He was desirous to see a sitting of the House o.
Lords, but as he was determined not to be seen
he was forced to climb up to the leads and to
peep through the small window He heard with
great interest the royal assent given to bill fo
raising fifteen hundred thousand pounds by lant
tax, and learned with amazement that this sum
, though larger by one-half than the whole reyenu
which he could wiring from the population of the
immense empire of which he was absolute mas
ter, was but a small part of what the Common
of England voluntarily granted every year Il
; their constitutional king.
William judiously humored the whim of hi
illustrious guest, and stole to Norfolk street s.
quietly that nobody in the neighborhood recog
nized his majesty in the thin gentleman who GO
out Of the modest looking coach at the Car
lodgings. The Gar returned the visit with tn
, same precaution, and was admitted into kensing
ton House by a back door. 1t was afterward
known that he took no notice of the fine picture
with which the palace was adorned. But owe
the chimney of the royal sitting room was plat
, which, by an ingenious machinery, indicated tn
direction of the wind; and with this plate he wa
, in raptures.
He soon became weary of his residence. II
found that he was too far from the object Of hi
, curiosity, and too near to the crowds to which h
|, was himself an object of curiosity. He accord
: ingly removed to Deptford, and was there lodge
in the house of John Evelyn, house whic
had long been favorite resort of men of letters
men of taste and men of science. Here Pete
: gave himself up to his favorite pursuits H
navigated yacht every day up and down tn
river. His apartment was crowded with model
of deckers and two-deckers, frigates sloop:
v and fire ships The only Englishman of rank i
: whose society he seemed to take much pleasur
. was the eccentric Caermarthen, whose passion fo
: the sea bore some resemblance to his own, an
n who was very competent to give an opinion abou
: : every part of ship, from stem to stern. Caer
7 marthen, indeed, became so great favorite tina
a he prevailed on the Gar to consent to the adm.
q sion of a limited quantity of tobacco into Ru:
e sia. There was reason to apprehend that til
y Russian clergy would cry out against relaxatio
. of the ancient rule and would strenuously mair
tain that the practice of smoking was condemne
: by that text which declares that man is defileC
. not by those things which enter in at the moutl
but by those which proceed out of it. This al
: prehension was expressed by deputation of me
!. chants who were admitted to audience of tf
! Gar; but they were reassured by the air wit
: which he told them that he knew how to kee
; | priests in order.
II With all the high qualities which were peculi;
q to himself he had all the filthy habits which wei
then common among his countrymen. To tt
A end of his life, whilst disciplining armies, fount
= ing schools. framing codes, organizing tribunal
- building cities in the desert, joining distant sc;
by artificial rivers, he lived in his palace like
to hog in stye, and, when he was entertained /
other sovereigns, he never failed to leave the
IL tapestried walls and velvet state beds unequiv
lv cal proof that a savage had been there. Evelyn
- house was left in such state that the treasui
L queted his complaints with considerable su
:, of money.
h Towards the close Of March the Gar visit,
:. Portsmouth, saw a sham sea fight at Spithea
~ watched every movement of the contending flee
with intense interest, and expressed in warm teri
: his gratitude to the hospitable government whi'
had provided delightful a spectacle for b
a. amusement and instruction. After passing mo
' than three months in England, he departed
IN high good humor.
I'd
s Judge Hughes.
On last SATURDAY. "A public meeting was call