. The boy travellers in the Russian empire: adventures of two youths in a journey in European and Asiatic Russia, with accounts of a tour across isoned and put to death in consequence. Thehand of St. Philip is exposed, and whenever the Emperor comes here henever fails to kiss the sacred relic. There are tombs and shrines in great number, and a large part of thereligious history of Russia belongs to this building. Every Czar of theEmpire, from John the Terrible to Alexander III., has been crowned here,and the most sacred pictures in the whole country are deposited along thealtar scre


. The boy travellers in the Russian empire: adventures of two youths in a journey in European and Asiatic Russia, with accounts of a tour across isoned and put to death in consequence. Thehand of St. Philip is exposed, and whenever the Emperor comes here henever fails to kiss the sacred relic. There are tombs and shrines in great number, and a large part of thereligious history of Russia belongs to this building. Every Czar of theEmpire, from John the Terrible to Alexander III., has been crowned here,and the most sacred pictures in the whole country are deposited along thealtar screen. Dean Stanley says of the Imperial coronation in the Church of theAssumption: The coronation, even at the present time, is not a mere ceremony,but an historical event and solemn consecration. It is preceded by fast-ing and seclusion, and takes place in the most sacred church in Russia,the Emperor, not as in the corresponding forms of European investiture,a passive recipient, but himself the j^rincipal figure in the whole scene;himself reciting aloud the confession of the orthodox faith ; himself alone INTERIOR OF THE CHURCH OF THE ASSUMPTION. 245. CORONATION OF ALEXANDER III. 246 THE BOY TRAVELLERS IN THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE. on bis knees, amid tlie assembled multitude, offering up tbe prayer of in-tercession for tbe Empire; bimself placing bis crown on bis own bead;bimself entering tbrougb tbe sacred door of tbe innermost sanctuary, andtaking from tbe altar tbe elements of tbe bread and tbe wine. Tliere are two otber catbedrals in tbe Kremlin, tbat of tbe ArcbangelMicbael and tbe Catbedral of tbe Annunciation. Tbe tbree catbedrals,witb tbe tower of Ivan Veliki, wbicb lias a cbapel in its lower story, form a square, wbicb is frequentlycalled tbe Grand Square oftbe Kremlin. We visited tbecatbedrals in tbe order named,and it was quite appropriatetbat wben we bad iinisbedwitb tbat of tbe Assumption,wbere tbe Czars are crowned,we sbould go to tbe MicbaelCatbedral, wbere, down to tbet


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Keywords: ., bookauthorknoxthomaswallace1835, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880