Russia is a country where the czars are nominally all-powerful, but where, in point of fact, they are as much bound as other sovereigns to follow the wishes of the country.

The conquest of Constantinople has long been the dream of every Russian, and now that the Czar has held out hopes that this dream is about to be realized, he will scarcely like to draw back." "But surely, father," Harry Archer said, "Russia cannot think herself a match for England and France united." "I don't know that, my boy.

Russia has an enormous population, far larger than that of England and France united.

Every man, from the highest to the lowest, is at the disposal of the Czar, and there is scarcely any limit to the force which he is capable of putting into the field.

Russia has not fought since the days of Napoleon, and in those days the Russian troops showed themselves to be as good as any in Europe.