6y 2
mutton at three half-pence per pound; a goofe for ten-pence, and a pig for eight pence,and all other articles equally reafonable # .
To render this frozen food fit for dreffing, it is firft thawed in cold water. Frozenmeat, however, lofes much of its flavour; and the tables of perfons of condition, andthofe of the Englifli merchants, are fupplied with frefti killed meat, which is fold fromfour-pence to fix-pence a pound.
Chap. IV.— Prefentation to the Emprefs. — Court. — Balls. — Mafquerades.—Public En-tertainments.—Orders of Knighthood.—Account of the Place called the Hermitage.—Difirlbution of the Emprefs’s Time. — Rujfia?i Nobility.—Their Hofpitality. — Politenefs.AJfembiies. — Engljh Merchants .— Club.
ON- the firft of O&ober, in the morning, between eleven and twelve, we attendedour minifter, Sir James Harris f, to the drawing-room, impatient to behold CatharineII. It was fortunately the name-day, or, as we term it, the birth-day of the Great Duke,in honour of whom a mod brilliant court was affembled. At the entrance into thedrawing-room flood two centinels of the guards ; their uniform was a green coat, witha red culf and cape, white waiftcoat and breeches; they had filver helmets faftened un-der the chin with filver clafps, and ornamented with an ample plume of red, yellow,black, and white feathers. Within the drawing-room, at the doors of the paffage lead-ing to the royal apartments were ftationed two foldiers of the knight’s body-guard ; acorps perhaps more fumptuoqfly accoutred than any in Europe . They wore cafques,like the antients, with a rich plumage of black feathers, and chains and broad plates offolid filver were braided over their uniforms, reprefenting a fplendid coat of mail.
In the drawing-room we found a numerous affembly of foreign minifters, Ruffiannobility, and officers waiting the arrival of the Emprefs, who was attending divine Ser-vice in the chapel of the palace, whither we alfo repaired. Amid a prodigious con-courfe of nobles, I obferved Catharine Handing fingly behind a railing; the only dif-tindlion by which her place was marked. Next to her flood the Great Duke andDuchefs, and behind an indiferiminate throng of courtiers. The Emprefs repeatedlybowed, andcroffed herfelf, according to the forms ufed in the Greek church, with greatappearance of devotion. Before the conclufion of the fervice we returned to the draw-ing-room, and took our ftation near the door, in order to be prefented at Her Majefty’sentrance.
About twelve, the chief officers of the houfehold, the miflrefs of the robes, the maidsof honour, and other ladies of the bed-chamber, advancing two by two in a long train,announced the approach of their Sovereign. Her Majefty came forward with a flowand folemn pace, walking with great pomp, holding her head high, and perpetuallybowing to the right and left. She flopped near the entrance of the drawing-room, andfpoke with great affability to the foreign minifters, while they killed her hand. Shethen advanced a few fteps, and we were fingly prefented by the vice chancellor CountOfterman, and had the honour of killing Her Majefty’s hand. The Emprefs wore, ac-cording to her ufual cuftom, a Ruffian drefs, a robe with a Ihort train, and a veil withfleeves reaching to the wrift, like a Polonaife ; the veft was of gold brocade, and therobe of light green filk ; her hair was dreffed low, and lightly fprinkled with powder;her cap ornamented with a profufion of diamonds, and fhe wore much rouge. Her
* In 1778.
f Now Earl of Malmefbary.
perfon,