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COXE’s TRAVELS IN RUSSIA, 679
has a fmall party at cards. She feldom fups; generally retires at half paft ten, and is
ufually in bed before eleven *.
The Great Duke is extremely fond of the manage; and two or three times in the
week takes the diverfion of a tournament, which is thus defcribed in my friend Colonel
Floyd’s Journal: ‘* Count Orlof having obtained the Great Duke’s permiffion for me
to attend the manage of the court, I went this morning to feea tournament. His
Imperial Highnefs and eleven of his nobles, dreffed in uniforms of buff and gold, and
armed with lances, {words, and piftols, were aflembled by nine o’clock, although it was
yet dufk. The Great Duke drew them up by pairs; and on the found of the trumpet,
himfelf and the knights mounted their horfes, and retired in due order without the rails.
‘Two rings were fufpended on oppofite fides of the walls on each fide of the manage ;
at each corner was a moor’s head of pafte-board, or an apple fixed upon a pole, and
between them two heads with a fquib in the mouths. Thefe were all placed upon
{ftands almoft as high as a man on horfeback, and at fome paces from the wall ; at each
end was alfo an helmet of pafteboard raifed upon a ftand about a foot from the ground,
and about four from the wall. ‘The two judges, with Lord Herbert and myfelf, who
were the only fpectators, took our ftation on the outfide of the rail. Upon a fecond
fignal from the trumpet, two knights entered at oppofite ends of the manage. A band
of mufic played a quick air, while each knight, galloping his horfe to the right, and
making a volt faluted with their lances at the fame time, then continuing their courfe
round the manage, each ran with his lance, firft at the rings fufpended from the walls,
and next at the moor’s head ; after which they delivered their lances, as they went on,
to their fervants on foot, The knights then drew their piltols, and each making a fecond
volt round the other heads, difcharged them in order to fet fire to the fquib; then
purfuing their courfe round the manage, drew their {words, and making a third volt
round the apple, endeavoured to ftrike it to the ground. ‘They finifhed their career by
ftooping down, and as they galloped by, thrufting their fwords through the helmets ;
then poifing them in the air, they met in the middle, and riding towards the judge, fa-
luted him, related the attempts in which they had fucceeded, and demanded their prizes:
the prize was about four fhillings for each achievement, and an equal fine was paid for
every failure. ‘The whole was performed on a continued gallop, and always to the right.
In running at the ring, the head, or the helmet, it is efteemed honourable to put the
* Catharine was as fortunate in her death as fhe was in her life, having reached her fixty-ninth year, and
the thirty-fixth of her reign, without experiencing the infirmities of age. A few days before her demife
she complained flightly of an occafional giddinefs ; her phyfician recommended bleeding ; fhe replied, I will
referve that remedy for a ferious illnefs.
In the evening which preceded her death, fhe was unufually cheerful, flept well, rofe early as ufual, drank
coffee, wrote till half pait nine, and fent a note to Prince Zuboff, ordering him to bring at noon the fub-
fidiary treaty with Great Britain againft I’rance, for her fignature. ‘The meffenger on returning, did not
find the Emprefs either in her cabinet, or in any of the apartments.
After waiting fome time, he opened the door which led from her apartments to that of the bedchamber-
woman, and found the Emprefs half leaning with her head and back againit the wall, near the water clofet,
and quite fpeechlefs. She had not made the leaft exclamation, for the door of one of the apartments occu-
pied by her female attendants was open, and the lady who was warming herfelf by the fire, heard nothing.
The Emprefs was immediately blooded and bliftered, but continued fpeechlefs, though breathing, for
twenty-four hours, and expired the next morning.
Anexprefs being fent by the firft minifier Prince Befborodko, the Great Duke came from Gatchina about
nine in the evening, and fucceeded with great tranquility. In a few hours the imperial palace exhibited a
wonderful metamorphofis, and was transformed from an elegant magnificent place of refidence to the ap-
pearance of a garrifon ; numerous centinels were ftationed at all the avenues, and in all the paffages, and
the new Sovereign, with the officers of his houfehold and his fervants, appeared in jack-boots and keven-
huller hats.
horfe
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