,Bhi reiPe^- After defiring all the company to fit, he diftin-
>— 'guifhed us by particular attention, and obierved, with much
politenefs, that our company gave him greater pleafure, as
he had never, fince his refidence at Smoieniko, received a
vifit from any Engliihman, for whofe nation he had the
higheft refpeff. During this converfation a fervant fpread
a cloth upon a ifnall table, and placed upon it a plate of
bread, fome fait, and fome flow e r s : another followed with
a falver o f fmall glafles full o f a tranfparent liquor ; the
bifhop blefled the bread and the falver with great folemnity,
and then took a glafs : we thought it. at firft a religious ceremony
; but were undeceived by the fervants offering the
bread and falver to us as well as the other perfons prefent.
Every one being ferved, the bifhop drank all our healths, a
compliment which the company returned with a bow, and
jnftantly .emptied their glafles; we followed this example,
and found the draught to be a dram o f cherry-water. This
preliminary being fettled, we refumed our converfation with
the'bifhop, and .a-fked him feveral queftions relative to the
ancient ftate o f Smoieniko. He anfwered every enquiry with
great readinefs; gave us a .concife account o f the ftate of
th e town under its antient dukes, and informed us that their
palace was fituated on the fpot now occupied b y the cathedral,
which was built by Feodor Michaelovitch brother of
Peter the Great, and had been lately repaired and beautified.
After about h a lf an hour’s agreeable converfation, we rofe
■up and took our leave* greatly pleafed with the politenefs and
affability o f the bifhop.
Our interpreter, who was one o f the ftudents, conduced
us to the feminary, which is appropriated for the education
o f the clergy, ,in which the Latin* Greek, German, and Poll
®*
l i f h l a n g u a g e s a r e t a u g h t : t h e p r i e f t w h o i h e w e d u s t h e c h a p .
library talked L a tin ; he introduced us into his chamber, and, >__[__1
according to the hofpitable cuftom o f this country, offered
us fome refrefhment, which confifted o f cakes and mead.
In the afternoon the Ruffian gentleman, who fo obligingly
relieved us from our embarrafsment before the governor,
kindly paid us a vifit, and invited us to dine with
him the following day. W e accepted his invitation, and
waited upon him at two, the ufual hour o f dining : he was
a judge, and lived in a wooden houfe provided by the co u r t;
the rooms were fmall, but neatly furnifhed. T h e company confifted
o f that gentleman, his wife and fifter, all o f whom talked
French : the ladies were dreffed in the French fafhion, and
had on a good deal o f rouge : they do not curtfy ; but their
mode o f falute is to bow their heads very low. Before
dinner liqueurs were handed a b o u t; the ladies each took a
fmall glafs, and recommended the fame to us as favourable
to digeftion. T h e table was neatly fet out,.the dinner excellent,
and ferved up in Englifh cream-coloured ware : be-
fide plain roaft and boiled meats, feveral Ruffian diffies were
introduced; one o f thefe was a kind o f fallad compofed o f
mufhrooms and onions ; and another the grain o f green
corn, baked and moiftened with fweet oil. Before we rofe
from table our hoft called for a large glafs ; he filled a bumper
o f champagne, drank it o ff to our health, and then handed
the glafs round. “ T h is is an old cuftom,” faid the judge,
“ and was meant as an expreffion o f regard ; the age is now
“ grown delicate, and the free effufions o f hofpitality muft
“ be fupprefled in ceremony: but I am an old-faihioned man,
“ and cannot eafily relinquiih the habits o f my youth.”
After dinner we adjourned to another room, and played two
or three rubbers o f whift. Coffee and tea were brought in,
V ol. I. K k and