b o o k t o n g u e w a s e x p l a in e d t o m e b y a g e n t l e m a n o f t h e c o m p a n y ,
. IV' , and their general tendency was to encourage freedom from
etiquette, and to inculcate the moft unreftrained eafe of behaviour,
One written in the French language I comprehended
and retained. “ JJfeyez vous ou vous voulez, et
“ quand il vous plaira,Jans qu'on le repete mille fois
This hermitage contains a numerous affemblage of pictures,
chiefly purchafed by her prefent majefty. Its principal ornament
was the celebrated colledtion of Croflat, which devolved
by heritage to the Baron de Thieres, upon whofe
death the emprefs purchafed it from his heirs. The
Houghton colledtion, the lofs of which every lover of the
arts in England muft fincerely regret, will form a moft valuable
acceflion.
A winter and fummer garden, comprifed within the fite
of the building, are Angular curioAties, and fuch as do not,
perhaps, occur in any other palace in Europe. The fummer
garden, in the true AAatick ftyle, occupies the whole level
top of the edifice : at this feafon of the year it was entirely
buried under the fnow, which prevented our viewing it.
The winter-garden is entirely roofed and furrounded with
glafs frames: it is an high and fpacious hot-houfe, laid out
in gravel walks, ornamented with parterres of flowers, orange
trees and other ihrubs, and peopled with feveral birds of
lundry forts and various climates, which flitted from tree to
tree. The whole exhibited a pleaftng effe£t, and was the
more delightful as being contrafted with the difmal and
dreary feafon of the year.
The ordinary diftribution of the emprefles time at Peterf-
burgh, as far as I could colleft from inquiries which I had
* Sit down where you chufe and when you pleafe, without its being repeated to you
a tboufand times.
m a n y
many opportunities o f making, a» it concerns fb great a c ^ p-
princefs, cannot be unacceptable to the reader. <—
Her majefty ufually rifes about Ax, and is engaged till
eight or nine in publick buAnefs with her fecretary. At ten
fhe generally begins her toilet; and while her hair is
drefling, the minifters of ftate, and her aid-de-camps in
waiting, pay their refpeits and receive their orders. Being
drefled about eleven, Are fends for her grand-children the
young princes Alexander and Conftantine, or viAts them in
their own apartment. Before dinner fhe receives a viAt
from the great-duke and dutchefs : and Ats down to table
rather before one. • She has always company at dinner,
ufually about nine perfons, conAfting of the generals and
lords in waiting, a lady of the bed chamber, a maid of honour,
and two or three of the Ruffian nobility, whom fhe
invites. Their imperial highnefles dine with her three times
in the week, on which days the party is encreafed to
eighteen perfons. The lord of the bed chamber in waiting,
who always Ats oppoAte to the emprefs, carves one difli and
prefents it to her; an attention, which, after having once
politely accepted, fhe afterwards difpenfes with, Her majefty
is remarkably temperate, and is feldom at table more
than an hour. From thence Are retires to her own apartment
; and about three frequently repairs to her library in
the Hermitage. At ftve fhe goes to the theatre *, or to a
private concert; and, when there is no court in the evening,
has a private party at cards. She feldom fups, generally,
retires at half paft ten, and is ufually in bed before eleven.
The great-duke is extremely fond of the manage; and,
two or three times in the week, takes the diverfton of a tour-
* An Italian opera, a fet o f Ruffian and another o f French players were, in 1778,
maintained at her majefty’s expence, at which the fpe&ators were admitted gratis.