book tliii fele'it band were moft fumptuoufly apparelled In Greek
. / j Vinl>irs ; and ‘the -gentlemen were accoutred in the Roman
military garb, their helmets richly ftudded with diamonds :
among the ladies I particularly diftinguiihed the Duchefs of
Courland, Princefs Rep in, and Countefs Bruce. Among
the gentlemen, Prince Potemkin, Marihal ’Rofomouiki, and
Count Ivan Tchernichef. The emprefs led the way, leaning
upon the arm of Marihal'Rofomouiki, and, paffing in
great Rate through the deverai apartments, walked two- or
three times round the'hall of Apollo, and then fat'down to
•cards in one of the adjoining rooms ; the company flocked
thither in crouds without dittintftion, and arranged them-
felves as they could find admittance round the table at a re-
fpedtful diftance. The emprefs withdrew as ufual before
eleven.
A few days before our departure from Peterfburgh, Baron
Nolken, miniiter from the court of Stockholm, gave a
mafquerade. and ball on the birth of a fob to the preferrt
king o f Sweden, whichthe emprefs, great- duke and dutch els,,
honoured with their prefence. Five hundred perfons of the
nobility were invited, together with the embaffadors, and
other foreigners who had been préfented : at court. Thè
ball began at feven : the great-duke and dutchefs firft made,
their appearance with a final! fuite, and foon afterwards her
imperial majefty arrived at-the head óf a ‘ quadrille, confifting
of nearly the fame perfons as at that lately deferì bed at
court. Madame Nolken conduced her majefty and her
party through the ball-room to -an‘inner apartment, where
a rich canopy was erèiSed for the oecafion, under which ihe
fat down to Macao. At nine u‘final 1 table was fpread, with
little ceremony, for the emprefs and her quadrille, in the
fame room where they were engaged at cards Her majefty,,
5 who
who never fups, took nothing but a piece of bread and a chap.
..gjafs of wine. At the fame time a moft fplendid -entertain- ■
.ment was ferved in. a large faloon to the great-duke and
.dutchefs and the reft of the company. Their imperial high-
neffes were feated at a-central table, , with a party of about
thirty perfons ; and the remaining, gentlemen and ladies
were diftributed at different tables, which ran round the
fid.es of the room, The cheerfulnefs and complacency of
the great-duke and dutchefs, the attention and politenefs of
-Baron Nolken and his lady, diffufed an univerfel gaiety
throughout the affembly, and rendered the entertainment
as agreeable as it was fplendid.
A feparate edifice of brick ftuccoed white', called the Hermitage,
communicates with the palace by means of a covered
galLery. It takes its- appellation from its being-the feene of
imperial retirement, hut bears no other refemblance to an
hermitage except in its name, the apartments being extremely
ipaciops, and decorated in a fuperb fi.yle of regal
magnificence. To this favourite fpot, the emprefs ufually
repairs for an hour or two every day.; and on a Thurfdav
evening fire gives a private hall and fupper to the principal
perfons who form her court; foreign minifters and foreign
noblemen being feldom invited. At this entertainment all
ceremony is laid to be baniihed, as far as' is confident with
that refpeñ which is involuntarily paid to a great fovereign.
The attendance of fervants is excluded, while the fupper and
■various refrefhments are prefented on fmall tables, which
emerge through trap doors. Many directions for the re-
gnla-ion of, this fel.eét fociety are difpofed in the various
apartments : the meaning of thofe written in the Ruffian
“ ,s s 2 • tongue