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horfe into full career, which increafes the difficulty. The judge having bellowed therewards, ol’ taken the forfeits, ordered the, two knights to retire. The trumpets againfounding, two others made their appearance, and performed the fame manoeuvres. Thisexercife was repeated twice by each pain of knights. The whole troop then entered atthe fame time, marched, charged, formed, drew and returned their fwords, and de-mounted by word of command from the Great Duke. At the conclufion they adjournedto the lire; chocolate was brought in, and after a (hort converfation, the Great Dukebowed and retired.”
The nobles of Peterfburgh are no lefs than thofe of Mofcow diflinguilhed for hofpi--tality to foreigners. We were no fooner prefented to a perfon of rank and fortune,than we were regarded as domeltic vifxtants. Many of the nobility keep an open table,to which the firft invitation was cortfidered as a handing paffport of ad million. Theonly form neceffary on this occafion, was to make inquiry in the morning if the mailerof the houfe dined at home ; and if he did, we prefented ourfelves at his table withoutfurther ceremony. The oftner we appeared at thefe hofpitable boards, the moreacceptable guefts we were efteemed, and we always feemed to confer inltead of receiv-ing a favour. .
The tables are ferved with great profufion and tafle. Though the Ruffians haveadopted the delicacies of French cookery, yet they neither affedl to defpife their nativedilhes, nor fqueamiffily rejedl the folid joints which characterize an Englilh repall. Theplaineft, as well as the choicell viands, are collefted from the moll dillant quarters: Ihave frequently feen at the fame table llerlet from the Volga, veal from Archangel ,mutton from Aflrachan, beef from the Ukraine, and pheafants from Hungary and Bo-hemia. The common wines are claret, Burgundy, and Champagne ; and I never tailedEnglilh beer and porter in greater perfection and abundance. • Before dinner, even inthe houfes of perfons of the firll diilinCtion, a fmall table is fpread in the corner of thedrawing room, covered with plates of caviare, dried and pickled herrings, fmoked hamor tongue, bread, butter, and cheefe, together with bottles of different liqueurs; andfew of the company of either fex omitted a prelude of this kind to the main enter-tainment.
This pra&ice has induced many travellers to relate, that the Ruffians fwallow bowlsof brandy before dinner. What are the ufages of the vulgar in this particular I cannotdetermine; but among the nobility I never obferved the lead violation of extreme fo-briety ; and this cultom of taking liquor before dinner, confidering the extreme fmall-nefs of the glaffes, is an innocent refrelhment, and will not convey the faintelt idea ofexcefs. Indeed, the Ruffians in nowife differ from the French in this inffance, than intailing a glafs of liqueur before their repall, which the French defer till after dinner.The ufual hour of dining is at three; and the entertainments are inoltly regulated ac-cording to the French ceremonial.; the wine is circulated during meals, and the dilhesare no fooner removed than the company retire into another room, and are ferved withcoffee. Nor do the gentlemen, asi n England, continue wedded to the bottle while theladies withdraw into a feparate apartment.
Several of the nobility alfo receive company every evening in the moll eafy manlier :the parties ufually meet at feven, fome lit down to whiff, macao, loo, and other games,fome converfe, others dance. Amid the refrelhments tea is handed round no lefs fre-quently than in England. At ten fupper is brought in, and the party generally breakup between eleven and twelve. It is no exaggeration to fay, that during our continu-ance in this city, not one evening paffed but we had it in our power to attend an alfeffl-bly of this fort; and had we always frequented the fame, we Ihould always have found
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