book o n a fubfequent occafion vve attended another entertain-
. 1V‘ , ment, given by the emprefs to the knights of the order of St.
Andrew. Hermajefty had on a robe o f green velvet, lined and
faced with ermine, and a diamond collar of the order. The
drefs of the knights wasfplendid, but exceedingly gaudy and
inelegant. They wore a green velvet robe, lined with filver
brocade, a coat alfo of filver brocade, waiftcoat and breeches
of gold Huff, red filk ftockings, a hat a la Henry IK. ornamented
with a plume o f feathers, and interfperfed with diamonds.
As the order of St. Andrew is the moil honourable
in this country, it is confined to a few perfons of the
firit rank and confequence; and there were only twelve of
them .at Peteriburgh who fat down to dinner with the em-
prefs; thefe were Prince Potemkin, Prince Orlof, Marfhal
Galitzin, Counts Alexey Orlof, Panin, Rofomoufki, Ivan
Tchexnichef, Voronzof, Alexander and Leon Narillcin, Munich,
and Mr. de Betikoi. The emprefs before dinner, as
on the former occafion, prefented each knight with a glafs
o f wine : at the table ihe was diftinguifhed by a chair ornamented
with the arms of Ruffia, and prefided with her ufual
dignity and condefcenfion. The foreign minifter-s and a
fplendid train of courtiers flood fpedlators of the entertainment,
and many of them were occafionally noticed by the
emprefs.
The order of St. Andrew, or the Blue Ribband, the firit
ever known in this country, was militated by Peter I. in the
y.ear 1 698, ibon after his’ return from his firit expedition
into foreign countries *.
That of St. Alexander Nevilci, or the Red Ribband, was
created by the fame lovereign, bat never conferred Until the
?eign of Catharine I. in 1725 t.
* Weber’s Vc r . RulC Fart III. p. i6 r , . t Ibid, p, 38.
The
The order of St. Anne of Holilein was inilituted, in 1 7 3 5,. Cj^lP’
by Charles Frederick duke of Holilein, in memory of his >•— ;— .
wife Anne daughter of Peter the Great, and introduced into
Ruffia by her ion Peter III. It is in the difpofal of the
great-duke as fovereign, of Holilein. The knights wear a red:
ribband bordered with yellow.
The military order of St. George, called alio the ordfer of
Merit,, and which has the precedence over that of St. Anne;
was created by the prefent emprefs in 1769. It- is appropriated
to-perfons ferving by land or by fea, and is- never
bellowed, in time of peace. The knights- wear a ribband^
with black and orange flripes.
This order is- divided into four claffes 7
The knights of the firit clafs, called the Great Crofs, wear-
the ribband: over the right fhoulder, and the flar upon the-
left fide; Each receives an annual falary o f 7-00-roubles-
= jCi 4 ° -
T h e knights of the fecond clafs wear the flar upon their
left breaft,. the ribband with the crofs pendent round their
neck.. Each receives 400 roubles = £80 per ann.
The knights of the third clafs wear the fmall crofs pendent
round their neck. Each receives 200 roubles, or¿40
per ann. This clafs admits 30.
The knights of the fourth clafs wear the fmall crofs fastened
by a ribband to the button-hole like the French Croix-,
de St. Louis. Each receives 10-0 roubles, or ¿■i&per ann..
The fund, of this order, affigned by- the emprefs for the-
payment of their falaries and other expences, is 40,000
roubles = £8,000 per ann. Of this 1680 is deltined for
the firft clafs ; and 2000 for each of the remaining three..
The nupnber of knights is unlimited. In 17 7 8 the firft:
clafs,, which, is confined to commanders in chief, contained.
only