b o o k t io n i s p a id to c le a n l in e f s ; a n d , in c o n f e q u e n c e o f th i s c a r e ,
i ' . t h e b o y s a r e r e m a r k a b l y h e a l t h y .
Once or twice in the winter the cadets are permitted to
give a mafquerade and ball to the principal nobility. On
this occafion, fome o f the young ladies from the female fe-
minary are generally invited as partners for the upper boys.
One o f thefe entertainments, at which we were prefent, was
conducted with great elegance and propriety.
The feminary for the education o f the female nobility,
ufually called Le Couvent des Demoifelles Nobles, is iituated at
the extremity o f the fuburbs o f Alexander Neviki. The edifice,
which is a large quadrangular building, was conftrutfted
by Elizabeth, and intended for a nunnery ; but was wifely
converted to its prefent ufe by Catharine II. Her majefty has
endowed it with a falary o f .£16,000 per annum. It was
firft opened for the reception o f children in 1 7 6 4 : the
foundation is for 200 nobles, and 240 bourgeoifes, as they
are called, or children o f lower rank. To thefe the emprefs
has added 50 fupernumerary nobles, calledpenjionaires; and
Mr. Betikoi, the humane diredtor of all thefe ufeful focieties
for education, fupports 40 bourgeoifes at his own private expence.
The girls are admitted between the age o f five and
fix, and quit the feminary about eighteen. Formerly the
young ladies and the bourgeoifes were brought up in the fame
manner, without the leaft attention to their difference o f rank
and fortune ; but’this plan is wifely amended, and they now
receive educations more adapted to their refpedlive fituations
in life. They are both divided into four claffes. The firft
clafs is habited in white, the fecond in light brown, the third
in green, and the loweft in chocolate. The drefs o f the
bourgeoifes is coarfer than that o f the young ladies : the firft
clafs o f the latter wear alfo black handkerchiefs and green
a aprons,
aprons, while the others are clothed entirely in white. The c h a p .
whole fociety learn reading, writing, accounts, and all kind ■ ■
of needle-work. The young ladies are leparately inftrufted
in hiftory and geography ; they obtain, befide a grammatical
knowledge o f their native tongue, the French, German,
and Italian languages; and receive leffons in dancing, mu-
fick, and drawing, according to the bent o f their genius. In
the room o f thefe accompliihments the bourgeoifes are employed
in the management o f houfehold affairs ; they prepare
and waih their own linen; are taught to make bread ;
and are trained to the art o f cookery.
One o f the apartments was hung with the defigns, paintings,
charts, genealogical tables, and other trophies o f the
ingenuity o f the young ladies. Prizes are annually diftri-
buted among thofe who diftinguiih themfel ves ; they confift
chiefly o f ribbands, which are worn in bows at their fides.
On the day in which we vifited this noble foundation, a
hundred poor women dined in the hall, and were attended
by the oldeft members o f the feminary. The young ladies
diftributed to each perfon a lmall filver coin, and a few yards'
of linen. This ceremony was inftituted to inculcate in their
tender minds an attention to the poor, and a readinefs to
relieve human diftrefs.
1 he quadrangular building contains an elegant theatre,
in which the young ladies.occafionally a<ft plays. We were
prefent at a reprefentation, and were greatly entertained with
■the performance. The theatre is an elegant circular room,
neatly painted with trees in the form o f a landfcape, and
feemed capable o f containing about 400 fpeclators. The
pieces were- La Servante Maitreffe and L'Oracle ; both performed
in the French tongue : the firft by young ladies o f
about fixteen or fevchteen years of age ; and the laft by thofe
o f