Gia
judge w hether they fpoke with propriety; but was furprifed at the eafe with which theytrod the ftage, and pleafed with the gracefulnefs of their action. There were fomeagreeable voices in the opera. The orcheftra was filled with' a band by no means con-temptible, which confilfed entirely of foundlings, excepting the firft violin, who wastheir mufic-mafter. On this occafion the play was not, as ufual, concluded with a bal-let, becaufe the principal performer was indifpofed, which was no final! difappointment,as they dance ballets with great tafte and elegance. The Emprefs, I am told, is inducedto countenance theatrical reprefentations, which appear improper in a feminary of thiskind, from a defire of difl’ufing among her fubje&s a tafte for that fpecies of entertain-ment, which Ihe confiders a means of civilization, and of enriching the Ruffian theatreswith a conftant fupply of performers.
Many and great are the advantages of this excellent charity. It diffufes a knowledgeof the arts among the people, increafes the number of free fubje&s, and above all haseonfiderably diminilhed the horrid pradice of infanticide, fo prevalent before the infti-tution of this hofpital.
We were unwilling to quit this part of the country without vifiting Troitlkoi Klofter,or the monaftery of the Holy Trinity , which is diftinguiffied in the annals of this countryas the afylum for the Ruffian Sovereigns in cafes of infurrection; and is more particu-larly known to foreigners for the refuge it afforded to Peter the Great when he put anend to the adminiftration of his filler Sophia *.
The dillance from Mofcow to the monaftery being forty miles, we ordered poft-horfesto be ready at five in the morning, with an intention of viewing the convent, and return-ing by night. We hoped to complete this excurfion in the time propofed ; but ob-ftacles continually occur in foreign countries, unforefeen by thofe who are not fufficientlyacquainted with the manners of the natives ; and an ignorance of the mod trivial cir-cumftances, which better information might eafily have obviated, produces confiderableembarraffment. Some petty diftreffes of this nature lengthened our expedition fromone to three days.
We rofe at five in the morning, but were detained by want of poll holies, which wefound great difficulty in procuring, although the order was figned both by the governorof the province and of the city, and we importuned the poft-mafter with repeated mef-fages. The cafe is, that the price for the hire of horfes being inconfiderable, the ownerscan employ them in other fervices to greater advantage j and on this account a ftranger,unlefs accompanied with a Ruffian foldier to quicken the expedition of thofe who furnilhthe poll, mull meet with infinite delays. We were, indeed, ftrongly advifed.by fome ofour acquaintance to ufe this precaution, but imprudently omitted it, to our great incon-venience, as we foon experienced.
After waiting nine hours, we at length thought ourfelves fortunate in feeing the poft-horfes make their appearance about two in the afternoon ; and let off with an expecta-tion of proceeding without interruption to Bretoflhina, where a relay was waiting forus. But the drivers Hopping at a village only four miles from Mofcow, peremptorilyrefufed to carry us any farther. In vain we produced the order for horfes; they con-tended that it authorized us only to take them from village to village', and on the ftrengthof that conftruction returned without further ceremony to Mofcow. Two hours morewere employed, and much broken Ruffian fpoken by our Bohemian interpreter, beforewe were able to prevail on the inhabitants to fupply us with horfes,.and were again de-pofitedin a village'about the diftance of three miles j where all the old procefs of alter-
* See chap. viii.
cation?