LIFE OF WILLIAM ALLEN.

(Continued from page 196.)

S. Grellet and W. Allen spent nearly three months at or near the Russian capital, before they found an opportunity to visit the Emperor. Yet during this time they were busily employed, allowing themselves but little space for relaxation or repose. They visited the mansions of the great, and the abodes of the poor; those, particularly, which were provided by charitable individuals for the support of the destitute. An object which they kept steadily in view, in their intercourse with the wealthy and powerful, was to inculcate the importance of extending the benefits of education to the poorer classes, and to encourage the efforts which they frequently witnessed, for the accomplishment of this object. And William Allen had the satisfaction to behold the beneficial results of his labour with the Emperor, at the time of his visit to London, between four and five years before,

No. 14.

tion. The interview which we are about to relate, was, however, prior to the completion of this work.

When our friends arrived at Petersburg, the Emperor was absent, and after his return, his attention was engrossed by various objects, including the decease of a beloved sister; so that an interview with him was not obtained until the 10th of 2d month (1819.) Of this visit we have the subsequent notice:

"Here was not the least pomp. The servants had no sword, nor any livery or uniform. The Emperor was in a small apartment; the whole very neat and plain. He received us very kindly, and we were soon sensible of the renewal of those feelings which we had experienced when with him before.* He conversed with us in the openness of friendship, inquired respecting what we had seen since our arrival, &c., and seemed to retain a lively impression of our interview in London, and of the meeting for worship, which he attended when Count Lieven took me off so unexpectedly to show them the way. We had a most satisfactory opportunity together, in which we were renewedly convinced that the Emperor was favoured with clear views respecting the only sure foundation, and that he was sensible of something of that divine fellowship which the sincere in heart are often permitted to experience. He loves vital religion. With regard to the works on which Daniel Wheeler is employed, he told us that it was not In his visits to the seminaries in the neigh-alone for the sake of having his land drained and bourhood of Petersburg, William Allen observed, cultivated that he formed that establishment, but with much solicitude, that some of the lessons in order to bring over some persons of our princithen in use, were extracted from the works of ples to settle there. We told him of our further infidel writers of the French school; and anxious prospects, and he said we should be pleased to advance the religious, as well as literary im- with some of the people in the South, but he provement of the rising generation, he formed expressed a tender concern and sympathy for us, the design of furnishing reading books, composed on hearing that we thought we might go to Conof selections from the Holy Scriptures. With stantinople. On dear Stephen telling him of the his characteristic energy, he soon began, in con- way in which he had been led in this journey, cert with his travelling companion, and a few and that although in other countries he had felt pious coadjutors, to make the proper extracts, it his duty to have public meetings, at some of beginning with the four Evangelists. By perse- which a large number of persons were present, vering industry, literally working at it night and yet now he felt that the service lay more in conday, in a little more than two weeks they com-versation and private religious intercourse with pleted their selections, which being presented to individuals, the Emperor beautifully remarked, the Emperor, he was so much pleased with it, that if we attended to the impulse of the Holy that he immediately ordered eight thousand rou

bles to be paid, to defray the expense of an edi

In 1814. See page 114.

Soon after this we took our leave, and he shook hands with us most affectionately. As we were retiring, he turned to me and particularly requested that, in the course of our journey, I would send him, freely, any remarks that might occur upon what we saw, which I promised to do. We were, in the whole, about two hours with him, and left him at eight o'clock. We heard, afterwards, that he drove off immediately to the Princess Mestchersky, we having told him that she had a copy of the Scripture Lessons, used in our schools in England.”

Spiri He would keep us out of every thing, mental retirement and inward prayer, and we which might be improper or hurtful in its conse- had a short but solemn time of silence. Dear quences, and would support us in the perform- Stephen, at length, kneeled down, and was ance of our duty, whatever that might be. We sweetly engaged in supplication; the Emperor mentioned the state of the poor, and the pleasure also knelt, and I thought divine goodness was we had felt in visiting the two schools for the near us. soldiers upon our plan, but we urged the necessity of an immediate attention to the reading lessons, forcibly stating the excellent opportunity which the school plan afforded for the introduction of lessons from the Holy Scriptures. At this he was quite animated, and said that was the very wish of his heart, and that he was taking steps to get the Scriptures read, instead of sermons and other things of mere human invention. We told him that we had already been at work upon a selection of gospel lessons for schools, to consist solely of extracts from the Holy Scriptures. With this he seemed much pleased, and wished to have them; but we begged leave to be permitted to transmit them to him through our friends, Papof and the Prince Alexander Galitzin, to which he assented, expressing the comfort and satisfaction he felt in having some persons about him who had vital religion at heart.

"He inquired of us about prisons, and we could but express our sentiments fully upon the present system here, and in our own country. I said that the general state of prisons was too much alike in all countries; that mankind had, for ages, been going on upon a system, which seemed to have vengeance for its object, rather than reform-they went upon the principle of retaliation. Society had suffered an injury from the criminal, and therefore it seemed to be thought right to make the criminal suffer, and that, by taking signal vengeance on him, others might be deterred. Now, as it was pretty generally acknowledged that this plan had universally failed, it was high time to try another, more consonant with the spirit of the Christian religion, more rational, and better adapted to human nature. We then described E. J. Fry's exertions at Newgate, and the success which appeared to have attended them; we adverted to what Walter Venning had been doing upon that subject here, but forebore to press any thing, as the Emperor already had the statement: the matter seemed to be near his heart. I expressed my firm conviction that what the Emperor did in his dominions, would react powerfully upon England, and facilitate that reform in our prisons, which the friends of humanity were so anxious to promote. We told him that we had visited all the prisons, schools, &c., in our way from Abo, and he was very desirous to have our remarks. I accordingly promised him extracts from my notes, which he said I might send immediately to him; but here, as before, we begged to be permitted to send them through Papof and the Prince.

"Afer some farther conversation, the Emperor desired that we might have a little pause for

About a month after this time, a second visit was paid to the Emperor, at which several important subjects were brought under discussion. The lessons already mentioned had by that time been completed and presented to the Emperor, who expressed his thankfulness that the Divine Spirit had sent them there at that critical time, to make this system of instruction the medium for imprinting the truths of revealed religion on the minds of millions. Upon the neglected condition of the poorest class of females being noticed, he informed them that he had been told by his mother, the remarks which they had made to her on that subject; that he would certainly attend to their case, and that he had, on the preceding day, given orders for the establishment of six schools for the education of girls. The subject of peace coming under discussion, they were given to understand, that the Emperor's reason for keeping so large an army was, that the peasants, who were slaves, after serving as soldiers and receiving their discharge, became free. He was discharging great numbers, and filling their places with new recruits; and was endeavouring to support schools among the soldiers, to prepare them for freedom.

In speaking upon religious subjects, he informed them that his mind had been visited, at an early age, with the touches of Divine love, though he did not then know from whence they came; but that these tender impressions had been much dissipated by the tutor to whom he was committed, whose principles were poisoned by the infidel philosophy of the French school. It was not till the year 1812,* that he read the Bible; but having read a little, he was eager to read more; for he found it bore witness to what he had previously felt of the operations of the Holy Spirit in his own mind. When they were about to depart, the Emperor expressed a desire that they might sit a while in silence, observing that the Great Master had promised to be with the two or three. After a season of solemn silence, Stephen made an acceptable and impres

He was then about thirty-five years of age.

sive communication, subsequent to which William | founded and endowed by a single individual, Allen kneeled down, and poured out his petition Count Schérémetoff, one of the richest noblemen to the throne of grace, Alexander kneeling by in Russia, who gave two millions, five hundred his side. The separation which ensued, after a thousand roubles for this object, and the revenues solemn pause, was particularly pathetic. Thus arising for ever from eight thousand four hundred we find that in the palace of Catharine, and and fourty-four peasants,* who each pay a ceramidst the turmoil of her profligate court, the tain sum annually. The regulations and sancday spring from on high was visiting some of its tion bear date 1803; the Count died in 1809, inmates. and the house, which took some years in building, was opened in 1810. It is destined to lodge, board, and maintain entirely, one hundred indigent persons, of both sexes, of free condition, and good morals and character; one half of them to consist of persons of a very advanced age, who are destitute, and the other half, those who are maimed or afflicted with incurable diseases. The second part consists of a hospital, into which fifty poor persons, of both sexes and all conditions, with diseases not deemed incurable, are to be received and taken care of, gratis. The third part of the charity consists of an annual distribution of twenty thousand roubles to poor families out of the house, who may be judged worthy of it; and all this endowed in perpetuity by one individual. Every thing about the house is in a princely style, and it seems impossible that the neatness and cleanliness of the establishment throughout could be exceeded. The charity is not restricted to country or religion, for we saw natives of Sweden and other countries settled in this comfortable asylum. All are at free liberty to exercise their own religion, and though there is a large magnificent chapel for the Greek church in the house, none but the members of that church are required to attend. This liberality might put the high church of England to the blush."

When our friends were ready to leave the Russian capital, they were furnished by Prince Galitzin, with letters to all the governors of the provinces through which they expected to pass. Thus," observes William Allen, "our gracious Master is fulfilling his promise to us, when, in a degree of faith, we leaned upon his arm to enter upon an untrodden path; it is all his doing, for we feel that without him we have no strength." The time having arrived when our friends believed it right to leave Petersburg, they set out on a species of sledge used in that country; visiting a few places, and endeavouring to engage those persons of influence and wealth whom they found in their way, to unite in méliorating the condition of the poor, of whose suffering situation some affecting instances came into their view; and they arrived, near the end of Third month, at Moscow, the ancient capital of Russia. By the time they reached that city, they found the snow so far reduced, as to show that they had left Petersburg just at the right time, not having a day to spare.

From this place William Allen transmitted to the Princess Sophia Mestchersky, mentioned in our last number, a plan for improving the condition and morals of the poor at Tver, a town through which they had passed, and where she was then residing. In this he gave such advice as his extensive acquaintance with benevolent engagements in his own country, and in those through which he had travelled, qualified him to impart. The education of poor girls, finding employment for destitute females, and visiting the prisons in which women were the inmates, appear to have constituted the leading features of the plan.

A prominent portion of their service, while at Moscow, was to visit the prisons. Of these there were no less than twenty of the inferior sort. The principal prison owed some of its improvements to the benevolent John Howard. In the hospital attached to this prison, our friends had the satisfaction to find a number of copies of the New Testament, and several tracts which the Princess Mestchersky had translated. These copies of the New Testament were probably the production of the Imperial presses which they saw at Petersburg; and the tracts appear to have been furnished to the Princess by William Allen.

Of a magnificent establishment at Moscow, the subjoined account is given. "Its name signifies a house for the poor and strangers; it was

Of a hospital at Moscow for the reception of children, we have the following account.

"There were one thousand one hundred and forty-six children in the house; and seven thousand seven hundred and forty-nine were taken care of out of the house. After the age of infancy, they are divided into six classes, and they appear to receive their education here. Great cleanliness and order prevailed, and the children generally appeared healthy. The excellent arrangements of this institution are a striking evidence of what may be effected, when talent and good feeling, united with the influence of exalted rank, are devoted to the best interests of humanity. The director stated, that during four years, corporeal punishment had never been inflicted but twice; when anything is wrong in the conduct of the children, he said, he uniformly succeeded by remonstrance and advice. One

*Many of the peasants in Russia are in a condition nearly similar to those formerly styled villeins regardant, in England, who were slaves attached to the soil. But other peasants occupy and cultivate the land, paying to the owner a fixed sum, and retaining the rest of the produce themselves. The peasants alluded to in the text, were probably of the latter description.