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perfon, though rather below the middle fize, is majeftic, and her countenance, particu-larly when (he fpeaks, expreffes both dignity and fweetnefs. She walked (lowly throughthe drawing-room, to her apartment, and entered alone. The Great Duke and Duchefsfollowed the Emprefs to the door, and then retired to their own drawing-room, .wherethey had a levee ; but as we had not yet been prefented to them at a private audience,we could not, according to the etiquette of the Ruffian court, follow them. 1 he GreatDuchefs leaned upon the arm of His Imperial Highnefs, and they both inclined theirheads on either fide to the company, as they paffed along.
, In the afternoon, at fix, we repaired to a ball at court. The private as well as theflate apartments of the Emprefs are on the third (lory, and the whole iuite is remarkablygrand and fplendid. We found the company affembled in the anti-chamber, who, asfoon as the Great Duke and Duchefs made their appearance, all entered a fpaciousball-room.
The Great Duke opened the ball by walking a minuet with his confort, at the end ofwhich he handed out a lady, and the Great Duchefs a gentleman, with whom they eachperformed a fecond minuet at the fame time. They afterwards fuccefiively conferredthis honour in the fame manner upon many of the principal nobility, while feveral othercouples were dancing minuets in different parts of the circle : the minuets were fuc-ceeded by Poliffi dances, and followed by Engliffi country-dances. When the Emprefsentered, fhe was more richly appareled than in the morning, and wore a fmall crown ofdiamonds.
On her appearance the ball was fufpended ; while the Great Duke and Duchefs andthe mod confiderable perfons haftened to pay their refpefts to their Sovereign. Catha-rine having addreffed a few words to fome of the principal nobility, afcended an ele-vated feat, and the dancing being again refumed, (he, after a (hort time, withdrew intoan inner apartment. We, in company with feveral courtiers, threw ourfelves into thefuite, and formed a circle round a table, at which (he had fat down to cards. Her partyconfided of the Duchefs of Courland, Countefs Bruce, Sir James Harris, Prince Po-temkin, Marffial Razomoffki, Count Panin, Prince Repnin , and Count Ivan Tcherni-chef. The game was Macao , the pieces in circulation were imperials *, and a playermight win or lofe two or three hundred pounds.
In the courfe of the evening the Great Duke and Duchefs prefented themfelves, andflood by the table about a quarter of an hour, during which time Her Majefty occafion-ally entered into converfation with them. The Emprefs paid little attention- to thecards; converfed familiarly and frequently with great vivacity, as well with the partyat play as with the perfons of rank (landing near her. About ten fhe retired, and foonafter the ball concluded.
On the 6th we had the honour of being prefented at a private audience to the GreatDuke and Duchefs; both of whom converfed with us in the mod affable and conde-fcending manner; according to the etiquette of this court, we kiffed Her ImperialHighnfefs’s hand.
There is a drawing room at court every Sunday morning at twelve, and on otherparticular feftivals, at which the Ambaffadors are ufually prefent, and which all foreign-ers who have been prefented, are permitted to attend. The ceremony of killing theEmprefs’s hand is repeated every court day by foreigners in the prefence chamber, andby the Ruffians in another apartment, who bend their knee on this occafion $ an ex-
VOL. VI.
An Imperial = 2I.,4 R,
predion