- cumstances: his messenger wan- observed a flame breaking out in dered about for an hour or two in the Twerskaia, a part of the city vain, at last he lighted on a poor situated on the north; a short time schoolmistress who was reported to after a bright flame was seen in the be well versed in the French lan- Taoutsa quarter, and several buildguage; she was instantly taken from ings of the Exchange in the Kitaiher house, mounted on a droshka, gorod were reported to be on fire. and sent in haste to a conference These phenomena, however, were with the mighty Napoleon. Her disregarded at the time; they were story was such as might be expect- looked upon as occurrences of aced; and this ambitious despot felt cident, orders given to extinguish the first shock of the great cata-them, and little further notice was strophe that awaited his fatal ex- taken. pedition. By Tuesday evening the fires before observed had assumed a very serious aspect; the detachment employed to stop their progress reported their labours to be in vain; the blaze arose in a thousand places at once, and encircled them while plying their ineffectual labours. A south-west wind, which prevailed the whole day, increased its de the parts of the town lying in that direction. Of the real origin of this mischief a suspicion was as yet scarcely entertained, though some persons charged as incendiaries had been apprehended, and one daring hand that feared not to advertise the hated invaders of what was going on, had thrown a rocket within the walls of the Kremlin. Meanwhile the secret preparations to burn the town, and to deprive the French army of the resources they hoped to secure, had been partially carried into effect. Under pretence of constructing the balloon before mentioned, a large apparatus of fire-works and combustibles were made ready by the direction of M. Smith, at Vo-structive fury, involving in ruin all ronzovo. In the course of this day, they were conveyed and distributed, by the hands of various emissaries, throughout every quarter of the town, and applied with the greatest assiduity. The confusion that ensued upon the occupation of so large a place aided the secrecy of their operations, and in a few instances some of the inhabitants, on the eve of departure, were found to lend their assistance to the scheme. Fraught as they were with the zeal of the moment, they set fire with their own hands to their empty habitations; even women women were seen kneeling, crossing themselves for an instant before their own doors, and then flinging in the fatal brand, and hurrying away half dismayed at what they had done. On this very night the French The imperial palace, where Bonaparte had taken up his abode after the first night spent at the barrier, was situated within the holy citadel; and whether from this circumstance, or from general alarm at the fire that threatened to surround him every way, I know not, but it is certain that he was induced for one night to shift his quarters to the Petrovski Palace. Hither he was followed by between three and four hundred miserable objects -hungry, houseless citizens, plun-face-the lawlessness of confusion dered and insulted by the soldiery, reigned throughout-and the eterwho crowded around the doors, and nal distrust that is engendered by with dumb show and pale faces of calamity, added distraction to their despair, implored the protection | sufferings. of him that was the cause of all. But what could be done? To stop the flames was impossible; for the rest, leave to pillage had already been granted; and numerous bands of marauders infested every place that the fire permitted to their rapacity. The licentiousness of the army was uncontrollable. On Thursday, the wind, which had veered round by the south, set in violently from the east, as if it were determined that the destruction should on all sides be complete. On Friday it became still more boisterous; and the fiery current quickening along the wooden alleys, instead of spreading from house to house, at once wrapt whole streets in conflagration. Throughout this vast place nothing was heard but the crash of timbers and walls, with the hollow murmur of the fire, while to the sight was exhibited a circle of dismal and smothered ruins; the whole one varying scene. In some distant parts the breeze occasionally fanned out a momentary flame; but even this in a few seconds died away, sinking into the black and vaporous deluge that inundated the atmosphere. Such were the features of horror that shewed themselves within the gates; without, a wretched crew of fugitives, nobles and peasants, all alike fatigued with their march, and destitute of food, lay on the roads, and watched through the long night, "afar, afar off," the flames of the burning city. Murder and rapine stared them in the Vol. II. No. IX. But to return. On Saturday morning the wind fell, and as the smoke gradually cleared off, exposed to view the field of desolation that no words can attempt to describe. To the feelings of a native it was a heart-rending prospect indeed; no one is more alive to the pride of his country than a Russian. But setting aside the sense of disgrace, it was a sight involving so many feelings inseparable from human nature, that few ever ventured even to reflect upon the measures which had been adopted; and noble as their sacrifice appeared - greatly as it had been admired throughout Europe-there is no Russian at this day that will avow from what means the conflagration arose; but it is invariably ascribed by people at Petersburg, as well as here, to the malice of the French army. History, however, will do justice to the nation, and blazon in its true colours this signal triumph of Russian magnanimity. It was from the road as it passed under the turrets of the Petrovski Palace, that we first beheld the myriads of domes and steeples that yet glittered among the relics of Moscow, and a short hour brought us to the barriers. At our first entrance few symptoms were seen of a nature to correspond with the gloomy appearance which we had been led to expect; but as we advanced, the quarters of the Slabode, or fauxbourg, where wood had chiefly been used in building, exhibited A A destruction in its fullest extent, for the most part a campagne rase: now and then the shell of a house was seen standing in a blank space, or here and there a few brick stoves yet remaining, pointed out the spot where a dwelling once had been. Moving onwards, we crossed the avenues of the boulevards; the trees were in full leaf and beauty, seeming to vary the view only to heighten its melancholy aspect. hither to contemplate the wreck of their fortunes and their homes! They were not, nevertheless, so much to be pitied as those who were constrained to remain in the town during the reign of the French; witnessing the daily progress of their misfortunes, as well as experiencing in their own persons the bitterest, sufferings which waut and oppression could inflict. The numLeavingber was not large; only about 20,000, out of a population of more than 300,000, having been detained by poverty or other causes. Some people will regard the proportion as greater than common expectation would have calculated upon: but it should be recollected, that the danger of their situation was for a long time concealed from the citizens; and flashing upon them as it did, on a sudden, it augmented in a marvellous degree the difficulties of providing the necessary means for flight. The demands for horses, mules, carriages, were exorbitant beyond measure; on the last day, four and even five hundred rubles were offercd for horses to the first stage out of Moscow, and repeatedly refused. this, we passed to the central parts of the town, that were constructed with more durable materials, exhibiting occasionally a richness and elegance of exterior, that must have equalled, if not surpassed, the architectural magnificence of the most beautiful towns of Europe. All was now in the same forlorn condition; street after street greeted the eye with perpetual ruin; disjointed columns, mutilated porticos, broken cupolas, walls of rugged stucco, black, discoloured with the stains of fire, and open on every side to the sky, formed a hideous contrast with the glowing pictures which travellers had drawn of the grand and sumptuous palaces of Moscow. Many also, helpless through bodily infirmity, were constrained, under the circumstances of aggra The cross lanes looked even at this interval as if unused to hear the sound of human tread: the grass sprung up amidst the mouldering fragments that scattered the pave-vation, to abide the fury of the ments; while a low smoke, issuing perhaps from some obscure cellar corner, gave the only indication of human habitation, and seemed to make desolation "visible." If such were the impressions on stranger's mind at the present day, how poignant must have been the feelings of citizens, who, on the evacuation by the enemy, returned а storm; and when in this account we include between 7 and 8000 wounded soldiers of the Russian army, who perished either through want of surgical assistance, or were involved in the general conflagration, is it possible for the most inventive genius to imagine a tale of greater borror? Another class again was compos tempt to depart, unless under protection, would have been at the imminent peril of their lives. The prejudices, ignorance, and rage of the multitude were equally ungovernable: every stranger was with them a Frenchman and a spy; and several were cruelly butchered by the peasants on the road, no farther ground of suspicion appearing than their ignorance of the Russian language. ed of foreigners, to whom an at- || conveyance for the sick man, his daughter and son-in-law drawing it by turns; on their route, they were attacked by a second body of plunderers, who stripped them of the greater part of their clothes, and robbed even the child of its swathings: feeling thankful that no farther violence was offered, they pursued their journey till they arrived at a house near the barrier Twerskaia; but from hence were again driven on the following day by the flames. They now sallied forth for the third time in quest of an habitation, and having the good fortune to be accompanied by two French officers, were preserved from insult by their polite attendance. Threy journeyed near five versts through the smoking ruins of the town, and finding a bathing-house which was entirely deserted, halted, and fixed upon it for their abode. Scarcely had they been settled a fortnight, when they were assailed by a new sense of danger: the Cossacks, in the course of their inroads to Moscow, paid them a visit, and imagining them, from some circumstance or other, to be a French family, were preparing to put them to death. Some of the party had fortunately concealed themselves, and only the sick man, with his wife and child, appeared: she, having a competent knowledge of the Russian language, endeavoured to persuade them of their error; while he, whose imperfect accents would have increased their suspicion, answered their interrogations only by sighs and groans, feigning, though perhaps it was scarcelya counterfeit, that he laboured under pangs of the acutest suffering; the intruders were at last, with much difficulty, The hardships undergone by one of the German merchants were reJated to us as we passed the remains of his former dwelling; it was a small house situated at a short distance from the city: fearing he might here be exposed to the insults of the soldiery, he resolved to seek the shelter of the town, setting out for this purpose the very day on which the French entered. He was unable to undertake a journey, and scarce, indeed, could look to an easy accomplishment of this short trip, being himself afflicted with a severe dropsical complaint, his wife far advanced in pregnancy, and burdened moreover with an infant daughter nine months old. The party was joined by the son-in-law and the daughter, who were unwilling to quit their side, and they repaired to the habitation of a friend in Nikitskaia, where they remained during the entrance of the troops. On the 3d September they were assaulted and plundered of whatever articles the military robbers chose to lay hands upon: after which, seeing their house was threatened by the rapid advance of the flames, they were again forced out of doors. A droshka, that they lighted upon by chance, afforded a mode of appeased, but on their departure || fifth time. They now repaired to left our poor foreigners in such a state of agitation and alarm, that they dared not stay another night in this exposed part of the town, and set out on their travels for the one of the toll-bouses, where three, who alone survived the miseries of their situation, remained till the final evacuation of the city. (To be concluded in our next.) FASHIONS. LONDON PLATE 16.-HALF DRESS. A STRIPED sarsnet gown, very richly trimmed round the bottom with a flounce of deep work, finished with a heading: a second flounce is set on at some distance, which is much narrower; it is also finished with a heading. Bows of Pomona green ribbon ornament the skirt a little above the flounce. The body is cut very low; it is full. The sleeve is long, very loose, and fancifully trimmed with bows of Pomona green ribbon, to correspond with the trimming of the skirt: the sleeve is finished by a very novel and pretty cuff of pointed lace. Fichu à la Duchesse de Berri, composed of white lace, which comes very high; but though it shades the neck in the most delicate manner, it does not by any means give an idea of dishabille; on the contrary, it might be worn in full dress. Hair cropped, and dressed in very full curls in the neck, and very full on the forehead. Striped kid slippers to correspond with the dress. White kid gloves. Necklace white cornelian, with a small gold cross. Ear-rings white cornelian. PLATE 17.-EVENING DRESS. A white British net dress over a white sarsnet slip; the dress is trimmed round the bottom with a deep double flounce of lace, sur FASHIONS. mounted by a wreath of roses, immediately above which is a roilio of white satin. This trimming is uncommonly tasteful and striking. The body and sleeves are of the same material as the dress; the former is full, and cut in a very novel style: a quilling of blond lace goes round the bosom, which comes high at the sides, but is sloped very much just in front. A small bouquet of moss roses shades the bosom, and gives an elegant finish to the dress. The sleeve, short and extremely full, is divided into compartments by rollios of satin. Headdress a wreath of moss roses, fancifully intermixed with corn-flowers; the hair very becomingly dressed in light loose ringlets on the forehead, and moderately high behind. A superb white lace scarf, thrown round the shoulders, partially shades the back of the neck. Necklace, ear-rings, and bracelets, pearl. White satin slippers, and white kid gloves. We are indebted to the condescension of a lady of distinguished rank for both our dresses this month. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON FASHION AND DRESS. The unfavourable state of the weather since the publication of our last number, has prevented any |