No More Learning

Pushkin was restored to
his position in the Foreign Office and received the appointment of
Court Historian. In 1828 he published one of his finest poems,
_Poltava_, which is founded on incidents familiar to English
readers in Byron's _Mazeppa_. In 1829 the hardy poet accompanied
the Russian army which under Paskevitch captured Erzeroum. In 1831
he married a beautiful lady of the Gontchareff family and settled
in the neighbourhood of St. Petersburg, where he remained for the
remainder of his life, only occasionally visiting Moscow and
Mikhailovskoe. During this period his chief occupation consisted
in collecting and investigating materials for a projected history
of Peter the Great, which was undertaken at the express desire of
the Emperor. He likewise completed a history of the revolt of
Pougatchoff, which occurred in the reign of Catherine II. [Note:
this individual having personated Peter III, the deceased husband
of the Empress, raised the Orenburg Cossacks in revolt. This revolt
was not suppressed without extensive destruction of life and
property. ] In 1833 the poet visited Orenburg, the scene of the
dreadful excesses he recorded; the fruit of his journey being one
of the most charming tales ever written, _The Captain's Daughter_.
[Note: Translated in _Russian Romance_, by Mrs. Telfer, 1875. ]

The remaining years of Pushkin's life, spent in the midst of
domestic bliss and grateful literary occupation, were what
lookers-on style "years of unclouded happiness. " They were,
however, drawing rapidly to a close. Unrivalled distinction rarely
fails to arouse bitter animosity amongst the envious, and Pushkin's
existence had latterly been embittered by groundless insinuations
against his wife's reputation in the shape of anonymous letters
addressed to himself and couched in very insulting language.
He
fancied he had traced them to one Georges d'Anthes, a Frenchman
in the Cavalier Guard, who had been adopted by the Dutch envoy
Heeckeren. D'Anthes, though he had espoused Madame Pushkin's
sister, had conducted himself with impropriety towards the former
lady. The poet displayed in this affair a fierce hostility quite
characteristic of his African origin but which drove him to his
destruction. D'Anthes, it was subsequently admitted, was not the
author of the anonymous letters; but as usual when a duel is
proposed, an appeal to reason was thought to smack of cowardice.
The encounter took place in February 1837 on one of the islands of
the Neva. The weapons used were pistols, and the combat was of a
determined, nay ferocious character. Pushkin was shot before he
had time to fire, and, in his fall, the barrel of his pistol
became clogged with snow which lay deep upon the ground at the
time. Raising himself on his elbow, the wounded man called for
another pistol, crying, "I've strength left to fire my shot! " He
fired, and slightly wounded his opponent, shouting "Bravo! " when
he heard him exclaim that he was hit. D'Anthes was, however, but
slightly contused whilst Pushkin was shot through the abdomen. He
was transported to his residence and expired after several days
passed in extreme agony. Thus perished in the thirty-eighth year of
his age this distinguished poet, in a manner and amid surroundings
which make the duel scene in the sixth canto of this poem seem
almost prophetic. His reflections on the premature death of Lenski
appear indeed strangely applicable to his own fate, as generally
to the premature extinction of genius.

Pushkin was endowed with a powerful physical organisation. He was
fond of long walks, unlike the generality of his countrymen, and
at one time of his career used daily to foot it into St.