but he has a good heart and a capacious intellect, and his defects belong not to the man, but to the man’s education and circumstances.  Although placable in his resentments, he is without the usual baser counterpart of such pliant characters, and has never shown himself deficient in moral courage.  Most travellers trace in his countenance a resemblance to the busts and portraits of Fox.  His moral character bears a miniature resemblance to that which history has ascribed to Macchiavelli.

In the course of a very tortuous political career, he has kept the advancement and civilization of Servia steadily in view, and has always shown himself regardless of sordid gain.  He is one of the very few public men in Servia, in whom the Christian and Western love of community has triumphed over the Oriental allegiance to self, and this disinterestedness is, in spite of his defects, the secret of his popularity.

The commander of the military force is M. Wucics, who is also minister of the interior, a man of great personal courage; and although unacquainted with the tactics of European warfare, said to possess high capacity for the command of an irregular force.  He possesses great energy of character, and is free from the taint of venality; but he is at the same time somewhat proud and vindictive.  His predecessor in the ministry of the interior was M. Ilia Garashanin, the rising man in Servia.  Sound practical sense, and unimpeachable integrity, without a shade of intrigue, distinguish this senator.  May Servia have many Garashanins!

The standing army is a mere skeleton.  The reason of this is obvious.  Servia forms part of one great empire, and adjoins two others; therefore, the largest disciplined force that she might bring into the field, in the event of hostilities, could make no impression for offensive objects; while for defensive purposes, the countless riflemen, taking advantage of the difficult nature of the country, are amply sufficient.

Let the Servians thank their stars that their army is a skeleton.  Let all Europe rejoice that the pen is rapidly superseding the sword; that there now exists a council-board, to which strong and weak are equally amenable.  May this diplomarchy ultimately compass the ends of the earth, and every war be reckoned a civil war, an arch-high-treason against confederate hemispheres!

The portfolios of justice and finance are usually in the hands of men of business-habits, who mix little in politics.

The courts of law have something of the promptitude of oriental justice, without its flagrant venality.  The salaries of the judges are small:  for instance, the president of the appeal court at Belgrade has the miserable sum of L300 sterling per annum.  M. Hadschitch, who framed the code of laws, has L700 sterling per annum.