Harper's New Monthly Magazine: No. XVI.—September, 1851—Vol. III.Various
History
Harper's New Monthly Magazine: No. XVI.—September, 1851—Vol. III.
Various
American literature -- Periodicals; Civilization -- Periodicals; Culture -- Periodicals
The faults of Alexander are comprised in his infidelity to a beautiful,
accomplished, and affectionate wife. He respected her even while
wounding her delicate feelings by his criminal attachments to other
women. After many years of mental pain, the injured Elizabeth gave him
the choice of giving her up, or banishing an imperious mistress, by whom
the emperor had a numerous family.
Alexander could not resolve to separate forever from his amiable and
virtuous consort--he made the sacrifice she required of him.
His gallantry sometimes placed him in unprincely situations, and brought
him in contact with persons immeasurably beneath him. He once fell in
love with a tailor's wife at Warsaw, and not being well acquainted with
the character of the pretty grisette, construed her acceptance of the
visit he proposed making her, into approbation of his suit. The fair
Pole was too simple, and had been too virtuously brought up, to
comprehend his intentions. Her husband was absent, so she thought it
would not be proper to receive the imperial visit alone; she made,
therefore, a re-union of her own and her husband's relations--rich
people of the bourgeoise class--and when the emperor entered her saloon,
he found himself in company with thirty or forty persons, to whom he was
immediately introduced by his fair and innocent hostess. The astonished
sovereign was obliged to make himself agreeable to the party, none of
whom appear to have divined his criminal intentions. He made no further
attempt to corrupt the innocence of this beautiful woman, whose
simplicity formed the safeguard of her virtue.
A severe trial separated him forever from his last mistress, who had
borne him a daughter this child was the idol of his heart, and to form
her mind was the pleasure of his life. At eighteen the young lady
eclipsed every woman in his empire by her dazzing beauty and graceful
manners. Suddenly she was seized with an infectious fever, for which no
physician in St. Petersburgh could find a remedy. Her mother, selfish
and timid, deserted the sick chamber of the suffering girl, over whom
the bitter tears of a father were vainly shed, while he kept incessant
vigils over one whom he would have saved from the power of the grave at
the expense of his life and empire. The dying daughter asked incessantly
for her mother upon whose bosom she desired to breathe her last sigh,
but neither the passionate entreaties nor the commands of her imperial
lover could induce the unnatural parent to risk her health by granting
the interview for which her poor child craved, and she expired in the
arms of her father, without the consolation of bidding her mother a last
adieu.
Some days after the death of his natural daughter, the Emperor Alexander
entered the house of an English officer, to whom he was much attached.
He was in deep mourning, and appeared very unhappy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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