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table were placed two china vafes containing cherry-trees in full leaf, and fruit hanging,on the boughs, which was gathered by the company. We obferved all'o in the deferta curious fpecies of apple, which is not uncommon in the neighbourhood of Mofcow :it is fomewhat larger than a golden-pippen, of the colour and tranfparency'of pale am-ber, and has an exquifite flavour; the Ruffians call it Navlnich . The tree thrives inthe open air without particular attention to culture, but degenerates in other countries;the flips and feed, planted in a foreign foil, have hitherto produced only a common fortof apple, but never the tranfparent fpecies.
In returning from Mikaulka we paffed clofe to the villa of Count Razomoufki Het-man of the Ukraine , which bad more the refemblance of a little town than a countryhoufe. It confifted of forty or fifty buildings of different fizes ; fome of brick, othersof wood ; fome painted, and others plain. The Count maintains his guard, a numeroustrain of retainers, and a large band of mufieians. The Ruffian nobles difplay a greatdegree of grandeur and magnificence in their houfes, domeftics, and way of living.Their palaces at and near Molcow are tlupendous piles of building, and I am informedthat their manfions, at a diftance frcm Mofcow and Peterfburg, are upon a Hill granderfcale; where they refide as independent princes, like the feudal barons in early times,have their feparate courts of juftice, and govern their vaffals with almofl; unlimitedfway.
I did not expedl to find in this northern climate a kind of Vauxhall. It is fituated atthe furtheft extremity of the fuburbs in a fequeftered fpot, which has more the appear-ance of the country than of a town. We entered by a covered way into the gardens,which were fplendidly illuminated. There was an elegant rotunda for a promenade,either in cold or rainy weather, and feveral apartments for tea or fupper. The entrancemoney was four fhillings. The proprietor is an Englifhman, whole name is Mattocks.The encouragement he met with from the natives on this occafion enabled him to en-gage in confiru&ing at a great expence, a brick theatre, and, as an indemnification, heobtained from the Emprefs an exclufive patent for all plays and public mafquerades,during ten years from the time of its completion.
The finefl: view of Mofcow is from an eminence about four or five miles from thetown, of which I have forgotten the Ruffian name, but its fignification in Englifh isSparrow hill: upon this eminence were the ruins of a large palace built by Alexey Mi-chaelovitch. Upon our return we flopped at Vafilioffki, the villa of Prince Dolgo-jrucki, which Hands upon the brow of the fame hill. Beneath the Mofkva, which ishere broader than ufual, expands into a femici-rcle, at fome diftance ; and the vaft cityof Mofcow makes a iupcrb and magnificent appearance : the houfe is a large woodenbuilding, to which we afcended by three terraffes. The prefent poffeffor is prince Dol-gorucki Crimfki, who diftinguifhed himfelf by his victories over the Turks in the Cri-mea , and by the conqueft of .that peninfula. The models of feveral fortreffes which hebefieged and took, are placed in the gardens, among which I particularly remarkedthofe of Yenikale, Kerfch, and Precop.
In traverfing the apartments, the various reverfes of fortune which befell the familyof Dolgorucki, occurred forcibly to my recolle&ion ; efpecially when I furveyed theportrait of the Princefs Catharine Dolgorucki, whofe adventures, fo pathetically defcribedby Mrs. Vigor *, afforded one of the moft affedling flories in the annals of hiltory.That unfortunate Princefs, torn from the perfon fhe loved, was betrothed againft herinclination to.the Emperor Peter II . On his deceafe fhe became a momentary fove-
* Lttttrs from Ruffia by a Lady.
reign;