COXE’s TRAVELS IN RUSSIA , 679

has a fmalI party at cards. She feldom fups ; generally retires at half part ten, and isufually in bed before eleven *. ;

'idle Great Duke is. extremely fond of-the manage ;,and two or three times in theweek takes the diverfion of a tournament, which is thus defcribed in my friend ColonelFloyd’s Journal: “ Count Orlof having obtained the Great Duke’s permiffion for meto attend the manage of the court,-' I went this morning to fee a tournament. HisImperial Highnefs and eleven of his nobles, drefled in uniforms of buff and gold, andarmed with lances, fwords, and piftols, were affembied by nine o’clock, although'it wasyet dufe, The Great Duke drew them up by pairs ; and on the found of the trumpet,himfelf and the knights mounted their horfes, and retired in due order without the rails.Two rings were fufpended on oppofite fides of the walls on each fide of the manage;at each corner was a moor’s head of pafte-board, or an apple fixed upon a pole, andbetween them two heads with a fquib in the mouths. Thefe were all placed uponftands almoff as high as a man on horfeback, and at fome paces from the wall ; at eachend was alfo an helmet of pafteboard railed upon a- ftand about a foot from the ground,and about' four from the wall. The two judges, with Lord Herbert and myfelf, whowere the only fpeftators, took our ftation on the outfide of the rail. Upon a fecondfignal from the trumpet, two knights entered at oppofite ends of the manage.' A bandof mafic played a quick air, while each knight, galloping, his horfe to the right, andmaking a volt faluted with their lances at the fame time, then continuing their courferound the manage, each ran with his lance, firft at the rings fufpended from the walls,and -next at the moor’s head ; after which they delivered their lances, as they went on,to their fervants on foot, The knights then drew their piftols, and each-making a fecondvolt round the other heads, difcharged them in order to let fire to the fquib; thenpurfuing their courfe round the manage, drew their fwords, and making a third voltround the apple, endeavoured to ftrike it to the ground. They finifhed their career by{looping down, and as they galloped by, thrufting their fwords through the helmets ;then poifing them in the air, they met in the middle, and riding towards the judge, fa-luted him, related the attempts in which they had fucceeded, and demanded their prizes:the prize was about four {hillings for each achievement, and an equal fine was paid forevery failure. The whole was performed on a continued gallop, and always to the right.In running at the ring, the head, or the helmet, it is efteemed honourable to put the

* Catharine was as fortunate in her death as the was in her life, having reached her fixty-ninth year, andthe thirty-fixth of her reign, wjthout experiencing the infirmities of age. A few days before her demife(he complained (lightly of an occasional giddinefs ; her phyiician recommended bleeding ; flic replied, I willreferve that remedy for a ferious illnefs.

In the evening which preceded her death, fne was unufually cheerful, flept well, rofe early as ufual, drankcofFce, wrote till half pa ft nine, and fent a note to Prince Znboff, ordering him to btirtg at noon the fub-fidiary treaty with Great Britain againtt France , for her lignature. The meflenger on returning, did notfind the Emprefs either in her cabinet, or in any of the apartments.

After waking fome time, he opened the door which led from her apartments to that of the bedchamber-woman, and found the Emprefs half leaning with her head and back againft the wall, near tire water clofet,and quite fpeechlefs. She had not made the lead exclamation, for tl>e door of one of the apartments occu-pied by her female attendants was open, and the lady who was warming herfelf by the fire, heatd nothing.

The Emprefs was immediately blooded and bliftered, but continued fpeechk-ls, though breathing, fortwenty-four hours, and expired the next morning.

Anexprefs being fent by the firft minillcr Prince Befborodko, the Great Duke came from Gatchina aboutnine in the evening, and fucceeded with great tranquility. In a few hours the imperial palace exhibited awonderful metamorpholis, and was transformed from an elegant magnificent place of refidence to the ap?pearance of a gnrrifon ; numerous centinels were Stationed at all the avenues, and in all the paflage?, andthe ne.w Sovereign, with the officers of. his houfehold and his fervants, appeared in jack-boots and keven-irulkr hats.

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