"The Epic of Despotism."

The History of Russia, by Nikolai Mikhailovitch Karamzin (1765-1826), has been styled the "Epic of Despotism." This first general History of Russia published in 1818, in eleven volumes, produced an immense sensation. The first edition of three thousand copies was sold within twenty-five days, and the fame of Karamzin was forever established. He was already a writer of some note, being the editor of the Moscow Journal during 1791-1792. He gained his first honors in that journal by his letters of a Russian Traveller. These letters were descriptive of his travels in 1789, through Germany, France, Switzerland and England. The description of scenery in the countries through which he passed gave evidence of the poetic vein, and, though partaking of the sentimental style of his age, were elegantly written, and were republished in six volumes (1797-1801). From this time Karamzin devoted himself entirely to journalism and literature, writing criticisms, poems, and tales, the best known of which are "Poor Lisa" and "Natilia." Judging from the number of cheap editions issued, these tales are still read in Russia. This was his sentimental period. In 1803 he was appointed historiographer of the Court of Russia, with a salary of 2000 roubles. He immediately began the great work of his life, the "History of the Russian Empire." To accomplish his task he secluded himself for several years from society, residing in the country, near Moscow. When the Czar Alexander learned the reason for the seclusion of Karamzin he invited him to return to St. Petersburg, where he read to the Emperor the first eight volumes of his history. The Emperor was so delighted with his work that he conferred upon him the Ribbon of St. Anne, with increased rank, and ordered 60,000 roubles to be set apart for the publication of Karamzin's "History of the Russian Empire." In 1816 he removed permanently to St. Petersburg, where he spent the happiest years of his life, enjoying the favors of Alexander, and reading to him the advance sheets of the later volumes of his work, in the gardens of the palace of Tzarskoe Selo. He only lived to complete the eleventh volume, carrying the history down to the accession of Michael Romanoff in 1613. In 1825 the health of Karamzin began to fail, and he died in the Taurida palace, near St. Petersburg, May 22 (old style), 1826. A monument was erected to his memory in 1845. In his history Karamzin appeared openly as the panegyrist of the Autocracy, hence it is called the "Epic of Despotism."

He does not hesitate to avow his admiration of Ivan the Terrible, and to assign to him and to his grandfather, Ivan III., the greatness of Russia, though in his earlier writings, under the influence of Western Ideas, he had attributed that glory to Peter the Great.

Though early translated into the German and French, no full translation has yet appeared in English. Alexander Puschkin (1799-1837), one of Russia's greatest poets, said of this history: "Karamzin appears to have discovered Old Russia, as Columbus discovered America. With Lomonosov, he was the creator of Russian prose."