BOj °K We next walked round the grounds, which are prettily
— |— * laid out in our tafte of gardening; the company then all adjourned
to aTurkifh tent of rich and curious workmanihip,
pitched in a beautiful retired field near the itables, which re-
prefent a ruined amphitheatre. This tent belonged to the
grand-vizier, and was taken during the late war between the
Ruffians and the Turks : under it was a fettee, and a carpet
fpread upon the ground. Here we ifaid converfing until it
was quite d u ik ; when the princefs propofed returning ; Ihe
led us through the houfe to a fmall fpot of rifing ground,
where we were fuddenly ftruck with a moil: beautiful illumination.
A ruftic bridge, confiding of a fingle arch over
a broad piece of water, was ftudded with feveral thoufand
lamps of different colours; while the reflection of this illuminated
bridge in the water was fo ftrong as to deceive the
eye, and gave the whole the appearance of a brilliant circle
fufpended in the air: the effect was fplendid beyond de-
fcription, and confiderably heightened by the gloom of
the foreft in the back-ground. While we continued admiring
this delightful fcene, a band of mufic ftruck up at a little
diftance, and amufed us with an excellent concert. We were
then led from this enchanting fpot, acrofs the illuminated
bridge, to a thatched pavilion, open at the fides and fup-
ported by pillars ornamented with garlands and twilled
feftoons of flowers : we found within a cold collation,
and fat down to a table covered with all kind of delicacies,
with the moil coflly wines, and every fpecies of fruit
which art or nature could furniih. The evening was delightful,
the fcenery pidlurefque, the fare delicious; the
company in good fpirits ; for who could be otherwife when
every ciicumltance, which the tafte and ingenuity of our fair
hoftefs could invent, confpired to heighten the entertain-
3 ment j
ment ? The collation being ended, we rofe from table; chap..
which I concluded to be the clofe of the entertainment, but - . ' j
was agreeably difappointed : the gardens were fuddenly illuminated
; we all ranged about as fancy dictated ; and
were gratified with the found of wind inftruments, played
by perfons difperfed in different parts of the grounds. We
repaffed the bridge, and returned into the cottage, when the
two eldeft daughters of the princefs, who were dreffed in-
Grecian dreffes of the moil elegant fimplicity, performed a
Polifh and a Coffac dance; the former ferious and graceful,
the latter comic and lively. The eldeft fon, a boy of about
eight years old, next performed an hornpipe with wonderful
agility, and afterwards a dance in the ftyle of the Polifh pea-
fants with much humour. It was now paft two in the
morning $ we feemed as if we could ftay for ever; but as
there mull: be an end of all fublunary joys, we took our
leave, expreifing our thanks and gratitude in language far
unequal to our feelings* I can fearce form to myfelf a fe te
cbampetre fo elegant: and I am fatisfied, that it will feldom
fall to the lot of the fame perfon to partake of fuch a pleafing
entertainment twice in his life.
The day before our departure from this town we dined
with the bifhop of Plotiko, the king’s brother, at his
palace of Jablonifka about eight miles from Warfaw.
The palace is an handfome building, conff ruited after a
defign, and at the- expence, of his majefty. One of the
apartments, called the Turkilh faloon, is remarkable for its ■
elegance and .Angularity :• it is in the Oriental tafte, of an
oblong ill ape, very high, with a fountain in the middle,
fur founded with a parterre o f flowers. Between the parterre
and fides of the room are ranges of Turkifh fophas. T h e
v-ariegated