coke’s TRAVELS IK RUSSIA.

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the greateft cordiality of reception. From thefe circumftances, perhaps no metropolisin Europe, excepting Vienna , is rendered more agreeable to foreigners than Peterf-burgh.

The houfes of the nobility are furnilhed with great elegance ; and the fuite of apart'ments in which they receive company is uncommonly fplendid. They are fitted up inthe ftyle of London and Paris , and the new fafhions make their appearance as foon as inthofe two capitals.

Having, on a former occafion, defcribed the modes of falutation praftifed by thepea-fants and common people; I lhall here mention thofe which I obferved in ufe amongperfons of higher rank. The gentlemen bow very low, and the ladies incline theirheads inftead of curtfying. Sometimes the gentlemen kifs the ladies’ hands as a markof refped, which is ufual in many countries: if the parties are well acquainted, or ofequal condition, or if the lady means to pay a compliment, Ihe falutes his cheek whilehe is killing her hand. Frequently, while fhe Hoops to touch his cheek, he takes thatopportunity of faluting her. I have often obferved this ceremony performed and re-peated, as well in the drawing-room at court, as at the different affemblies. If the gen-tleman is-a perfon of high rank, the lady offers firft to kifs his hand, which he pre-vents by faluting her cheek. The men, and particularly relations, exchange falutesin this manner, each luffing the other’s hand at the fame inftant, and afterwards theircheeks.

The Ruffians, in the ufual mode of addrefs, never prefix any title or appellation ofrefpett to their names; but perfons of all ranks, even thofe of the firft diftinftion, calleach other by their chriftian names, to which they add a patronymic. Thefe patrony-mics are formed in fome cafes by adding Vitch * to the chriftian name of the father, inothers by Of or Ef; the former applied only to perfons of condition, the latter to thofeof inferior rank. Thus,

Ivan Ivanof j is Ivan the fon of Ivan.

Peter Alexievitch J „ ■ , r . ., „ <

Peter Alexeof \ Peter the fon of Alexey.

The female patronymic is Efna or Ofna, as Sophia Alexefna, or Sophia the daughter ofAlexey ; Maria Ivanofna, or Maria the daughter of Ivan.

Great families are alfo in general diftinguilhed by a furname, as thofe of Romanof,Galitzin, and Sheremetof.

Travellers who have experienced the great politenefs and tafte, which diftinguilh theRuffian nobility, both in their entertainments and affemblies, muft be furprized to find,that fcarceiy fixty years ago Peter the Great f thought it neceffary to eftablilh the follow-ing regulations by authority:

Regulations for Affemblies at Peterfburg in 1719.

ct Affembly is a French term, which cannot be rendered in Ruffian in one word : Itfignifies a number of perfons meeting together, either for diverfion, or to talk abouttheir own affairs. Friends may fee each other on that occafion to confer together onbufinefs or other fubjects, to enquire after domeftic and foreign news, and fo to pafs

* Vitch is the fame as our Fitz, as Fitzherbert, or the fon of Herbert,f Perry’s State of Ruffia, vpl. i. p. 186.

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