On leaving Odessa, (in 1824,) Pushkin, who appears to have loved the sea with all the fervour of Shelley himself, bade farewell to the waves with which he had communed so earnestly, and whose deep voices his verse so nobly echoed, in some grand stanzas "To the Sea," of which a translation will be given in a subsequent part. It is to this epoch that we must ascribe the first outline of the historical tragedy to which we have alluded; but which did not appear till a much later period. We shall recur to this work when we reach the date of its completion. As the composition of "Evgenii Oniegin" extended over a considerable space of time, our readers may not be displeased at our reverting occasionally to the progress of this work and to the character of its merits. This production must be considered as the fullest and most complete embodiment that exists in Russian literature, of the nationality of the country. It will be found to be the expression of those apparently discordant elements the union of which composes that hard riddle--the Russian character. A passage of Pushkin's dedication will not incorrectly exhibit the variety of its tone:-- "Accept this heap of motley traits, Half gay, half sad, half false, half real, Half every-day, yet half ideal, The careless fruit of idle days, Of sleepless nights; slight inspirations Of unripe years, of wasted art-- The reason's frigid observations, And sad conclusions of the heart." During the most tranquil and laborious portion of Pushkin's life, which passed principally at Mikhailovskoe, and which occupies the period from his leaving Odessa at the end of the year 1824 to 1826, he continued to labour upon his tragedy, and to produce the second and third cantos of "Evgenii Oniegin," in addition to which, our indefatigable poet found means to collect and publish a number of smaller poems, some of which will be found among the translations which we are about to offer; and to aid his friend and brother-poet Delvig in an annual volume of prose and verse (illustrated after the manner of our Keepsakes, &c.) entitled "Northern Flowers." This publication was commenced in 1826, and continued to appear, always enriched with something by Pushkin, till its existence closed at the early and lamented death of the projector and editor.