It was from
La Harpe's teaching that Alexander imbibed his liberal ideas.
La Harpe's teaching that Alexander imbibed his liberal ideas.
Byron
Byron's special grudge against
him at this time was due to his vacillation with regard to the cause of
Greek Independence. But he is too contemptuous. There were points in
common between the "Coxcomb Czar" and his satirist; and it is far from
certain that if the twain had changed places Byron might not have proved
just "such an Alexander. " In one respect their destiny was alike. The
greatest sorrow of their lives was the death of a natural daughter. ]
[317] [For Alexander's waltzing, see _Personal Reminiscences_, by
Cornelia Knight and Thomas Raikes, 1875, p. 286. See, too, Moore's
_Fables for the Holy Alliance_, Fable I. , "A Dream. "]
[em] _Now half inclining_----. --[MS. ]
[318] {564} ["Pulk" is Polish for "regiment. " The allusion must be to
the military colonies planted by "the corporal of Gatchina," Araktcheef,
in the governments of Novgorod, Kharkof, and elsewhere. ]
[319] [Frederic Cesar La Harpe (1754-1838) was appointed by Catherine
II. Governor to the Grand-Dukes Alexander and Constantine.
It was from
La Harpe's teaching that Alexander imbibed his liberal ideas. In 1816,
when Byron passed the summer in Switzerland, La Harpe was domiciled at
Lausanne, and it is possible that a meeting took place. ]
[320] [Alexander's platonic attachment to the Baronne de Krudener (Barbe
Julie de Wietenhoff), beauty, novelist, _illuminee_, was the source of
amusement rather than scandal. The Baronne, then in her fiftieth year,
was the channel through which Franz Bader's theory or doctrine of the
"Holy Alliance" was conveyed to the enthusiastic and receptive Czar. It
was only a passing whim. Alexander's mysticism was for ornament, not for
use, and, before very long, Egeria and her Muscovite Numa parted
company. ]
[321] The dexterity of Catherine extricated Peter (called the Great by
courtesy), when surrounded by the Mussulmans on the banks of the river
Pruth. [Catherine, who had long been Peter's mistress, had at length
been acknowledged as his wife. Her "dexterity" took the form of a bribe
of money and jewels, conveyed to the Turkish grand-vizier
Baltazhi-Mahomet, who was induced to accede to the Treaty of Pruth, July
20, 1711. ]
[322] {565}
["Eight thousand men had to Asturias march'd
Beneath Count Julian's banner. . . . To revenge
His quarrel, twice that number left their bones,
Slain in unnatural battle, on the field
Of Xeres, where the sceptre from the Goths
By righteous Heaven was reft. "
Southey's _Roderick_, Canto XXV. lines 1, 2, 7-11.
him at this time was due to his vacillation with regard to the cause of
Greek Independence. But he is too contemptuous. There were points in
common between the "Coxcomb Czar" and his satirist; and it is far from
certain that if the twain had changed places Byron might not have proved
just "such an Alexander. " In one respect their destiny was alike. The
greatest sorrow of their lives was the death of a natural daughter. ]
[317] [For Alexander's waltzing, see _Personal Reminiscences_, by
Cornelia Knight and Thomas Raikes, 1875, p. 286. See, too, Moore's
_Fables for the Holy Alliance_, Fable I. , "A Dream. "]
[em] _Now half inclining_----. --[MS. ]
[318] {564} ["Pulk" is Polish for "regiment. " The allusion must be to
the military colonies planted by "the corporal of Gatchina," Araktcheef,
in the governments of Novgorod, Kharkof, and elsewhere. ]
[319] [Frederic Cesar La Harpe (1754-1838) was appointed by Catherine
II. Governor to the Grand-Dukes Alexander and Constantine.
It was from
La Harpe's teaching that Alexander imbibed his liberal ideas. In 1816,
when Byron passed the summer in Switzerland, La Harpe was domiciled at
Lausanne, and it is possible that a meeting took place. ]
[320] [Alexander's platonic attachment to the Baronne de Krudener (Barbe
Julie de Wietenhoff), beauty, novelist, _illuminee_, was the source of
amusement rather than scandal. The Baronne, then in her fiftieth year,
was the channel through which Franz Bader's theory or doctrine of the
"Holy Alliance" was conveyed to the enthusiastic and receptive Czar. It
was only a passing whim. Alexander's mysticism was for ornament, not for
use, and, before very long, Egeria and her Muscovite Numa parted
company. ]
[321] The dexterity of Catherine extricated Peter (called the Great by
courtesy), when surrounded by the Mussulmans on the banks of the river
Pruth. [Catherine, who had long been Peter's mistress, had at length
been acknowledged as his wife. Her "dexterity" took the form of a bribe
of money and jewels, conveyed to the Turkish grand-vizier
Baltazhi-Mahomet, who was induced to accede to the Treaty of Pruth, July
20, 1711. ]
[322] {565}
["Eight thousand men had to Asturias march'd
Beneath Count Julian's banner. . . . To revenge
His quarrel, twice that number left their bones,
Slain in unnatural battle, on the field
Of Xeres, where the sceptre from the Goths
By righteous Heaven was reft. "
Southey's _Roderick_, Canto XXV. lines 1, 2, 7-11.
