be, for everybody joined in it: there were voices
of all kinds, of men, of women, and of children—of
those who could sing and of those who could not—a
thousand voices all joined, and all joined heartily;
no voice of all the multitude was silent save mine.
The crowd consisted entirely of the lower classes,
labourers and mechanics, and their wives and children—dusty
people, unwashed people, people of no account whatever,
and yet they did not look a mob. And when that
hymn was over—and here let me observe that,
strange as it sounded, I have recalled that hymn to
mind, and it has seemed to tingle in my ears on occasions
when all that pomp and art could do to enhance religious
solemnity was being done—in the Sistine
Chapel, what time the papal band was in full play,
and the choicest choristers of Italy poured forth their
mellowest tones in presence of Batuschca and his cardinals—on
the ice of the Neva, what time the long train of stately
priests, with their noble beards and their flowing
robes of crimson and gold, with their ebony and ivory
staves, stalked along, chanting their Sclavonian litanies
in advance of the mighty Emperor of the North and
his Priberjensky guard of giants, towards the orifice
through which the river, running below in its swiftness,
is to receive the baptismal lymph:—when
the hymn was over, another man in the wagon proceeded
to address the people; he was a much younger man than
the last speaker; somewhat square built and about the
middle height; his face was rather broad, but expressive
of much intelligence, and with a peculiar calm and
serious look; the accent in which he spoke indicated
that he was not of these parts, but from some distant
district. The subject of his address was faith,
and how it could remove mountains. It was a
plain address, without any attempt at ornament, and
delivered in a tone which was neither loud nor vehement.
The speaker was evidently not a practised one—once
or twice he hesitated as if for words to express his
meaning, but still he held on, talking of faith, and
how it could remove mountains: ’It is the
only thing we want, brethren, in this world; if we
have that, we are indeed rich, as it will enable us
to do our duty under all circumstances, and to bear
our lot, however hard it may be—and the
lot of all mankind is hard—the lot of the
poor is hard, brethren—and who knows more
of the poor than I?—a poor man myself,
and the son of a poor man: but are the rich better
off? not so, brethren, for God is just. The
rich have their trials too: I am not rich myself,
but I have seen the rich with careworn countenances;
I have also seen them in madhouses; from which you
may learn, brethren, that the lot of all mankind is
hard; that is, till we lay hold of faith, which makes
us comfortable under all circumstances; whether we
ride in gilded chariots or walk barefooted in quest
of bread; whether we be ignorant, whether we be wise—for
riches and poverty, ignorance and wisdom, brethren,