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620 COXE’S TRAVELS IN RUSSIA.
judge whether they fpoke with propriety ; but was furprifed at the eafe with which they
trod the ftage, and pleafed with the gracefulnefs of their aétion. There were fome
agreeable voices in the opera. ‘The orcheftra was filled with a band by no means con-
temptible, which confifted entirely of foundlings, excepting the firft violin, who was
their mufic-mafter. On this occafion the play was not, as ufual, concluded with a bal-
let, becaufe the principal performer was indifpofed, which was no {mall difappointment,
as they dance ballets with great tafte and elegance. The Emprefs, I am told, is induced
to countenance theatrical reprefentations, which appear improper in a feminary of this
kind, from a defire of diffufing among her fubjects a tafte for that fpecies of entertain-
ment, which fhe confiders a means of civilization, and of enriching the Ruffian theatres
with a conftant fupply of performers.
Many and great are the advantages of this excellent charity. It diffufes a knowledge
of the arts among the people, increafes the number of free fubjects, and above all has
confiderably diminifhed the horrid practice of infanticide, fo prevalent before the infti-
tution of this hofpital.
We were unwilling to quit this part of the country without vifiting Troitfkoi Klofter,
or the monaftery of the Holy Trinity, which is diftinguifhed in the annals of this country
as the afylum for the Ruffian Sovereigns in cafes of infurrection; and is more particu-
larly known to foreigners for the refuge it afforded to Peter the Great when he put an
end to the adminiftration of his fifter Sophia *.
The diftance from Mofcow to the monaftery being forty miles, we ordered poft-horfes
to be ready at five in the morning, with an intention of viewing the convent, and return-
ing by night. We hoped to complete this excurfion in the time propofed; but ob-
ftacles continually occur in foreign countries, unforefeen by thofe who are not fufficiently
acquainted with the manners of the natives ; and an ignorance of the moft trivial cir-
cumftances, which better information might eafily have obviated, produces confiderable
embarraflfment. Some petty diftrefles of this nature lengthened our expedition from
dne to three days.
We rofe at five in the morning, but were detained by want of poft-horfes, which we
found great difficulty in procuring, although the order was figned both by the governor
of the province and of the city, and we importuned the poft-mafter with repeated mef-
fages. The cafe is, that the price for the hire of horfes being inconfiderable, the owners
can employ them in other fervices to greater advantage ; and on this account a {tranger,
unlefs accompanied with a Ruffian foldier to quicken the expedition of thofe who furnifh
the poft, mu{t meet with infinite delays. We were, indeed, ftrongly advifed by fome of
our acquaintance to ufe this precaution, but imprudently omitted it, to our great incon-
venience, as we foon experienced. :
After waiting nine hours, we at length thought ourfelves fortunate in feeing the poft-
horfes make their appearance about two in the afternoon ; and fet off with an expecta-
tion of proceeding without interruption to Bretoffhina, where a relay was waiting for
us. But the drivers {topping at a village only four miles from Mofcow, peremptorily
refufed to carry us any farther. In vain we produced the order for horfes; they con-
tended that it authorized us only to take them from village to village, and on the ftrength
of that conftruétion returned without further ceremony to Mofcow. Two hours more
were employed, and much broken Rufhan fpoken by our Bohemian interpreter, before
we were able to prevail on the inhabitants to fupply us with horfes, and were again de-
pofited in a village about the diftance of three miles; where all the old procefs of alter-
* See chap, viii.
cation,
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