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672 COXE’S TRAVELS IN RUSSIA.
mutton at three half-pence per pound; a goofe for ten-pence, and a pig for eigi.t pence,
and all other articles equally reafonable *.
To render this frozen food fit for drefling, it is firftthawed in cold water. Frozen
meat, however, lofes much of its flavour; and the tables of perfons of condition, and
thofe of the Englifh merchants, are fupplied with frefh killed meat, which is fold from
four-pence’to fix-pence a pound. A
Cuap. 1V.—Prefentation to the Empre/s.—Court.—Balls.—Ma/querades.—Public €n-
tertainments.—Orders of Knighthood.—Account of the Place called the Hermitage.—
Diftribution of the Emprefs’s Time.-—Ruffian Nobility—T heir Hofpitalityp—Politene/s.
Affemblies. — Englifh Merchants.— Club.
ON the firft of Oober, in the morning, between eleven and twelve, we attended
our minifter, Sir James Harris t, to the drawing-room, impatient to behold Catharine
II. It was fortunately the name-day, or, as we term it, the birth-day of the Great Duke,
in honour of!\whom a moft brilliant court was affembled. At the entrance into the
drawing-room f{tood two centinels of the guards ; their uniform was a green coat, with
ared cuff and cape, white waiftcoat and breeches; they had filver helmets faftened- un-
der the chin with filver clafps, and ornamented with an ample plume of red, yellow,
black, and white feathers. Within the drawing-room, at the doors of the paflage lead-
ing to the royal apartments were {tationed two foldiers of the knight’s body-guard; a
corps perhaps more fumptuoufly accoutred than any in Europe. ‘They wore cafques,
like the antients, with a rich plumage of black feathers, and chains and broad plates of
folid filver were braided over their uniforms, reprefenting a fplendid coat of mail.
In the drawing-room we found a numerous aflembly of foreign minifters, Ruffian
nobility, and officers waiting the arrival of the Emprefs, who was attending divine fer-
vice in the chapel of the palace, whither we alfo repaired. Amid a prodigious con-
courfe of nobles, I obferved Catharine ftanding fingly behind a railing; the only dif-
tin€tion by which her place was marked. Next to her ftood the Great Duke and
Duchefs, and behind an indifcriminate throng of courtiers. ‘The Emprefs repeatedly
bowed, and croffed herfelf, according to the forms ufed in the Greek church, with great
appearance of devotion. Before the conclufion of the fervice we returned to the draw- -
ing-room, and took our ftation near the door, in order to be prefented at Her Majefty’s
entrance.
About twelve, the chief officers of the houfehold, the miftrels of the robes, the maids
of honour, and other ladies of the bed-chamber, advancing two by two in a long train,
announced the approach of their Sovereign. Her Majefty came forward with a flow
and folemn pace, walking with great pomp, holding her head high, and perpetually
bowing to the right and left. She {topped near the entrance of the drawing-room, and
fpoke with great affability to the foreign minifters, while they kiffed her hand. She
then advanced a few fteps, and we were fingly prefented by the vice chancellor Count
Ofterman, and had the honour of kiffing Her Majefty’s hand. ‘The Emprefs wore, ac-
cording to her ufual cuftom, a Ruffian drefs, a robe, with a fhort train, and a veft with
fleeves reaching to the wrift, like a Polonaife; the velt-was of gold brocade, and the
robe of light green filk ; -her hair was dreffed low, and lightly {fprinkled with powder ;
her cap ornamented with a profufion of diamonds, and fhe wore much rouge. Her
* In 1778. + Now Earl of Malmefbury.
‘
perfon,
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