he most gifted writers
of our land, a sparkling, witty, pathetic, and powerful journalist and
brilliant essayist, started in London his _Kolokol_, a revolutionary,
or rather radical paper, which had a great influence in Russia, Turgenev
became one of his most active contributors and advisers,--almost a
member of the editorial staff.

This fact has been revealed a few years ago by the publication, which
we owe to Professor Dragomanov, of the private correspondence between
Turgenev and Hertzen. This most interesting little volume throws quite a
new light upon Turgenev, showing that our great novelist was at the same
time one of the strongest--perhaps the strongest--and most clear-sighted
political thinkers of his time. However surprising such a versatility
may appear, it is proved to demonstration by a comparison of his views,
his attitude, and his forecasts, some of which have been verified only
lately, with those of the acknowledged leaders and spokesmen of the
various political parties of his day, including Alexander Hertzen
himself. Turgenev's are always the soundest, the most correct and
far-sighted judgments, as latter-day history has proved.

A man with so ardent a love of liberty, and such radical views, could
not possibly banish them from his literary works, no matter how great
his devotion to pure art. He would have been a poor artist had he
inflicted upon himself such a mutilation, because freedom from all
restraints, the frank, sincere expression of the artist's individuality,
is the life and soul of all true art.

Turgenev gave to his country the whole of himself, the best of his mind
and of his creative fancy. He appeared at the same time as a teacher, a
prophet of new ideas, and as a poet and artist. But his own countrymen
hailed him in the first capacity, remaining for a long time obtuse to
the latter and greater.

Thus, during one of the most important and interesting periods of our
national history, Turgenev was the standard-bearer and inspirer of
the Liberal, the thinking Russia. Although the two men stand at
diametrically opposite poles, Turgenev's position can be compared to
that of Count Tolstoi nowadays, with a difference, this time in favour
of the author of _Dmitri Rudin_. With Turgenev the thinker and the
artist are not at war, spoiling and sometimes contradicting each other's
efforts. They go hand in hand, because he never preaches any doctrine
whatever, but gives us, with an unimpeachable,