poo:k At the age.of fourteen the, foundlings enter into the fir ft
i / ■ clafs; when they have the liberty of chufing any particular
branch of trade; and for this: purpofe there are different
fpecies of roanufadfures eftablilhed in the hofpital, of which
¡the principal are embroidery, filk. {lockings, ribbands, lace,
gloves, buttons,-: and cabinet-work. A feparate.roam is appropriated
to- each trade. [ ¡¡>
Some boys and girls .are inftrudled in the French and
.German languages, and a few boys in the Latin tongue ;
Others learn-mufic, dra-wmg, andfianeirig..,.
About the age of twenty,, the- foundling?: cecqivea fum of
-money, and feveral other advantages, which fenable them to
follow their trade in any part of the empire; a very epnfider-
able privilege in Ruffia, where the peafants are .-flaxes, and cannot
leave their village without the permiffion of their mailer.
In another vifit which I paid to this hofpital I faw the
foundlings at dinner : the girls and boys dine ieparately.
The-dining rooms, which are upon the ground-fioor, are
large and vaulted, and diftinit-from their workrooms. The
firft clafs fit at table; the reft ftand : the little children are
attended by fervants; but thofe of the. firft and fecond clafs
alternately wait upon each other. The dinner confifted of
beef and mutton boiled in broth, with rice; I tailed both,
and they were remarkably good ; the bread was very fweet,
and was baked in the houfe, chiefly by the foundlings.
Each foundling has a napkin, pevvter-plate, a knife, fork,
and fpoon : the napkin and table-cloth are clean three times
in the week. They rife at fix,-dine at eleven, and fup at
fix. The little children have bread at feven, and at four.
When they are not employed in their necelfary occupation's,
the utmoft freedom is allowed, and they are encouraged to
be as much in the air as pollible. The whole was a lovely
fight;
fight; and the countenances of the children expreffed the CHAP-
utmoft content and happinefs. . VL ,
In the hofpital there is a theatre in which all the decorations
are the work of the foundlings; they conftru£led the
ilage,. painted the fcenes, and made the dreiies. I was pre-
fent at the reprefentation of the Honnete Criminel, and the
comic opera, Le Devin du Village, both tranflated into the
Ruffian tongue. Not underftanding the language, I could
be no judge whether they fpoke with propriety ; but I was
furprized at the eafe with which they trod the ilage, and was
pleafed with the gracefulnefs of their adlion. There were
fome agreeable voices in the opera. The orcheftra was filled
with a band by no means contemptible, which confifted entirely
of foundlings, excepting the firft violin, Who was their
mufick-mafter. On this occafion the play was not, as ufual,
concluded with a ballet, becaufe the principal performer was
indifpofed, which was no fmall difappointment, as we were
informed that they dance ballets with great tafte and elegance.
The emprefs, I am told, is induced to countenance theatrical
reprefentations in a feminary of this kind, from a defire
of diffufing among her fubjecls that fpecies of entertainment,
which ihe confiders a means of civilization, and of enriching
the Ruffian theatres with a conftant fupply of performers.
Many and great are the advantages of this excellent charity.
It diffufes a knowlege of the arts among the people ; en-
creafes the number of free fubjecls; and above all has con-
fiderably diminifhed the horrid pradlife of deftroying infants,
fo prevalent in thefe parts before the inilitution of the hofpital. .
We were unwilling to quit this part of the country without
paying a vifit to Troitikoi Klofter, or the monaftery of
the Holy Trinity, which is diftinguiihed in the annals of this
^0L’ w Z z country