The Czar, foreseeing the revolutionary movements which would be
attempted in Western Europe, had for the moment ceased to favor the
Panslavic movement which he previously set on foot; but we saw that the
impulse had been given, and that ultimately he must return to it, go on
with it, or be swept away by it. This Panslavic movement to unite the
whole Slavic race, numbering upwards of seventy millions, and holding a
territory capable of supporting twice, if not three times that number of
inhabitants, under one Slavic government, imperial or republican, would
operate, we thought, altogether in our favor; for it would ruin Austria,
the chief support of the Papacy, and give a decided predominance to the
anti-Catholic powers throughout all Europe. We therefore favored it, and
took care to form various circles in support of it, as we traversed the
Empire from St. Petersburg to Moscow, Ninjï Novogorod, Little Russia, to
the Black Sea; and also, among the Serbs of Bulgaria, Servia, Bosnia, in
European Turkey; Transylvania, the Banat, Croatia, Slavonia, and
Bohemia, in the Austrian Empire.
We visited, on leaving Russia and Slavic Turkey, the kingdom of Hungary.
There we found Kossuth, and he answered our purpose. Priscilla formed a
circle among the Magyar ladies, but it was quite unnecessary. I
initiated Kossuth into my plan, and laid my hand on his head, and
breathed into his mouth, and left him to take care of the Magyar race.
Highly delighted, we passed from Presburg to Vienna, where we stayed
some weeks. The Imperial family and high aristocracy were proof against
our arts, but we found the burghers, the _employés_ of the government,
and especially the students of the University, quite impressible, and we
charged them for a revolution.
From Vienna we passed through Cracow to Warsaw, and from Warsaw we went
to Berlin. In all these places we found every thing favorable. We passed
through the capitals of several of the smaller German States and
principalities, stopped a few days in the Grand Duchy of Baden, and then
hastened to take up our residence at Geneva, in Switzerland. We did not
visit Munich, but sent Lola Montes there, whom Priscilla, at my order,
had prepared. She did very well, but not so well as I expected. She used
her extraordinary powers too much for her own aggrandizement. She should
never have suffered King Louis to have made her a countess. She was too
vain and ostentatious.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account