t e t -e r s b u r g h.
■thick with diamonds, and had a great deal of rouge. Her c h a p .
, perfon, though rather below the middle fize, is majeftick,
and her countenance, particularly when Ihe {peaks, exprefles
both dignity and fvveetnefs. She walked flowly through
the drawing room to her apartment, and entered alone. The
'great-duke and duchefs followed the emprefs to the door
and then retired to their own drawing room, where they
had a levee ; but, as we had not yet been prefented to them
at a private audience, we could not, according to the etiquette
of the Ruffian court, follow them. The great-duchefs
•leaned upon the arm of his imperial highnefs ; and they
both inclined their heads on either fide to the company as
•they paffed along the line which was formed for them.
In the afternoon, about fix o’clock, we repaired to a ball
at court. The private apartments of the emprefs, as well
-as thofe in which ihe holds her court, are on the third ftory,
/and the whole fuite is remarkably grand and fplendid. We
found the company affembled in the anti-chamber, who, as
foon as the great-duke and duchefs made their appearance-,
all entered a fpacions ball-room.
The great-duke opened the ball by walking.a minuet
with his confort; at the end of which his imperial highnefs
handed out a lady, and the great-duchefs a gentleman, with
whom they each performed a fecond minuet at the iame
time. They afterwards fucceffively conferred this honour
in the fame manner upon many of the principal nobility,
while feveral other-couples were dancing minuets in different
parts of the circle: the minuets were fucceeded by Poliffi
dances; and thefe were followed by Englilh country-dances.
-In the nudit of the latter the emprefs entered the room : ihe
V(or. I. R r r
. was