b o o k f t Cp S leafling to the fhrine, at the top of which the Mihop
— ritood whenever he came forth to addrefs the congregation.
The confufion ariiing from the croud, and the rapid fuccef-
fion of various ceremonies, fo diftrafted our attention, as to
render us incapable o f difcriminating the different parts of
the fervice. We could only obferve in general a great dif-
play of pomp and fplendour, and many ceremonies iimilar to
thofe defcribed on a former occaiion *, with the addition of
feveral others appropriated to the greater feftivals of the
Ruffian church.
A t the eoncluiion of the fervice, which lafted two hours,
we returned to prince Volkoniki’s, where about ninety per-
fons were aflembled at an entertainment given in honour
of the day: when the archbiffiop of Roftof entered the
room, the prince rofe to meet him at the door, and kiffed his
hand after the archbiffiop had made the fign of the crofs; he
paid the fame mark of refpedt to two other bifhops; and the
greateft part of the company fucceffively followed the
prince’s example. Being prefen ted to the archbiffiop, I had
the honour of holding a long converfation with him in the
Latin tongue, which he fpoke with great fluency. He appeared
to .be a feniible well-informed man, and well verfed
in various branches of literature : he had perufed the works
-of feveral of our beft divines, either originally written, or
-tranflated into Latin, and mentioned their compofitions with
great applaufe. I troubled him with feveral queffions relative
to the fervice of the Ruffian church, which he an-
fwered with great readinefs and condefcenfion. He told me
that the Bible is tranflated into Sclavonian, and that the li-
¡turgy.is written in that language, which is the mother-tongue
E. 246.
of the Ruffian; and that therefore the ftyle of the facred chap.
writings, though fomewhat antient and obfelete, is yet <__,_<
underftood without much difficulty even by the common
people. He informed me, that the clergy are divided
into fecular and regular priefts : that the latter, from whom
are chofen the dignitaries of the church, are not permitted
to marry ; that the feculars are the pariffi-priefts, and from
a literal obfervation of St. Paul’s precept, “ the huiband of
“ one wife,” are required as a qualification for orders to
marry ; and that, on the fpirit of the fame tenet, are after
the death o f their wives deemed unfit for the facred function.
The incapacitation ariiing from widowhood may, indeed, be
healed by the biffiop’s difpenfation * ; but the operation of
afecond marriage is final, and irrevocably divorces from the
altar. The archbiffiop was politely continuing to acquaint
me with many other circumftances peculiar to their eccleii-
aftical eflabliffiment, when the converfation was interrupted
by a fummons to dinner. Before dinner a fmall table in the
corner of the withdrawing-room, as is the ufual cuftom in
this country, had been covered with plates of caviare, red-
herring, bread, butter, and cheefe, and different forts of
liqueurs, to which the company helped themfelves before
they adjourned to dinner.
About ninety perfons fat down to table. The entertainment
was fplendid and profufe. During the fecond courfe,
a large glafs with a cover was brought to prince Volkonfki,
who, ftanding up, delivered the cover to the archbiffiop,
who fat next him, filled the glafs with champagne, and
drank theempreffes health, which was accompanied with a
difcharge of cannon. The archbiffiop followed his exam-
* In general the fecular prieft, when a widower, is received into a monaftery..
6 ple>