5 96 coxe’s TRAVELS IN RUSSIA.

of attention. She firll concluded us (o the principal chapel, which contains the tombsof feveral Tzarinas and Princeffes of the Imperial family. The tombs referable Honecoffins laid on the floor, and ranged in rows; fome were inclofed with brafs, and otherswith iron balluftrades, but the greater number had no diflintlion of this fort. Each fe-pulchre was covered with a pall of crimfon or black velvet, ornamented with an em-broidered crofs, and edged with a border of gold and filver lace; over thefe, on greatfellivals, are laid other coverings of gold and filver tiffue, richly ftudded with pearls andprecious ftones. The abbefs obligingly prefented me with a MS. Ruffian account ofthe Princeffes interred in the church. Having examined the repofitories of the dead,and furveyed the rich veftments of the priefts, and the figures of various faints paintedon the walls, the abbefs invited us to her apartment. She led the way, and at the topof the flairs, as we entered the anti-chamber, (truck the floor two or three blows withher ivory-handled cane ; when a chorus of twenty nuns received us with hymns, whichthey continued finging as long as we (laid ; the melody was not unpleafing. In an ad-joining room tea was ferved to the company, and a table was plentifully fpread withpickled herrings, flices of fait fifh, cheefe, bread, butter, and cakes ; champagne andliqueurs were prefented by the abbefs herfelf. After partaking of thefe refrefhments,.we attended the abbefs through the apartments of the nuns, many of whom were em-ployed in embroidering facerdotal habits for the Archbifhop of Mofcow, and then tookour leave.

The nuns wore a long robe of black fluff, black veils, black forehead-cloth, andblack wrappers under the chin ; the abbefs was diftinguifhed by a robe of black filk.Meat is prohibited, and the nuns live chiefly upon fifh, eggs, and vegetables. In otherrefpefts the order is not rigid, and they are allowed to pay occafional vifits in the town.

I have already had occafion to mention the great number of churches contained inthis city. The Kremlin is not without its (hare; in a fmall compafs I counted eightahnofl contiguous to each other. Two of thefe churches, St. Michael’s, and the Af-fumptipn of the Virgin Mary , are remarkable; the one being the place where the fove-reigns were formerly interred, and the other where they are crowned. Thefe edificesare both in the fame flyle of architecture; and were probably conflrufted by Solario ofMilan, who built the walls of the Kremlin . Though the architect was obliged to con-form his plan to the flyle of ecclefiaflical buildings which prevailed in Ruffia; yet theirexterior form is not inelegant, although it is an oblong fquare, and too high in propor-tion to the breadth.

In the cathedral of St. Michael I viewed the tombs of the Ruffian foyereigns. Thebodies are not, as with us, depofited in vaults, or beneath the pavement, but are en-tombed in raffed fepulchres, moflly of brick, in the fhape of a coffin, and about two feetin height. When I vifited the cathedral, the molt antient were covered with palls of redcloth, others of red velvet, and that of Peter II . with gold tiffue *, bordered with filverfringe and ermine. Each tomb has at its lower extremity a fmall filver plate, bearingthe name of the deceafed fovereign, with the sera of his death.

From the time that Mofcow became the Imperial refidence to the clofe of the fif-teenth century, all the Tzars have been interred in this cathedral; except Boris Godu-nof, whole remains are depofited in the convent of the Holy Trinityf; the Tzar , underthe name of Demetrius who was deftroyed in a tumult, and Vaflili Shuifki, who diedin captivity at Warfaw.

* On great fellivals all the fepulchres are covered with rich palls of gold or filver brocade, ftudded withpearls and jewels.

•f See Chap. 6 . J See Chap. 7 .

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