coxe’s TRAVELS IN RUSSIA.

697

Chap. VII.— -Palace and Gardens of Tzarjboe-Aelo.—Oranienbaum.—Hijlory of Prince

Mentchikof. — Fortrefs.—Apartments of Peter III.—Palace and Gardens of Peterhof. —

Dutch Hovfe built by Peter the Great . — Schluffelburgh. — Origin , Hi/lory, and Defcrip-

tion of the Fortrefs.

THE feafon of the year being far advanced on our arrival at Peterfburgh, we had notime or opportunity to vifit many places in the neighbourhood of that capital, yet wecontrived, before the approach of winter, to make excurfions to Tzarfkoe-Zelo, Orani-enbaum, Peterhof , and Schluffelburgh.

Tzarlkoe-Zelo, an imperial palace, fifteen miles from Peterfburgh, is the favouritefummer refidence of the Emprefs, where fhe lives in a more retired manner than atPeterhof . This palace, built by Elizabeth, is a brick edifice ftuccoed white, of difpro-portionate length, and in a heavy ftyle of architefture. The capitals of the outfide pil-lars, as alfo many of the other exterior ornaments, together with the wooden ftatuteswhich fupport the cornice and adorn the roof, are all gilded, and exhibit a tawdryappearance. The apartments are large and magnificent: fome fitted up in the old ftyleof gaudy profufion; others in a lefs fplendid but more elegant tafte, by the prefentEmprefs. One room is much admired, being richly incrufted with amber, a prefent fromthe King of Pruflia.

Having viewed the palace, we walked round the gardens, which are laid out in theEnglifh tafte, and agreeably diverfified with lawn, wood, and water. Among feveralbridges, we were particularly ftruck with one, built after the model of Lord Pembroke’sPalladian bridge at Wilton. It is exactly of the fame fize, but more magnificent, thelower part being of granite, and the colonade of marble. The marble was hewn andworked in Siberia by an Italian artift, who employed nine years in completing it: fromSiberia it was tranfpofted by water to Peterfburgh, and from the capital to Tzarlkoe-Zelo by land. It was a pleafing fatisfaftion to obferve our works of tafte introducedinto thefe diftant and formerly inhofpitable regions. Several buildings were fcatteredabout the gardens, raffed in honour of thofe perfons who diftinguilhed themfelves in theimperial fervice. Among thefe I remarked a triumphal arch to Prince Orlof , for check-ing the progrefs of the plague at Mofcow; a building to Count Alexey Orlof, in me-mory of the naval victory at Tchefme; and an obelifk to Marfhal Romantzof, for hisfucceffes again!! the Turks.

Our next excurfion was to Peterhof , Oranienbaum, and Cronftadt *.

The road lay at a fmall diftance from the Gulf of Finland , at firft through a flat dif-trift, chiefly marfliy, producing pafture and little corn. On our left extended a ridgeof low hills, which once formed the boundary of the Gulf , when it fpread over a largerfpace than it covers at prefent. Weafcended this ridge ; obferved on our left the con-vent of St. Sergius, and on our right the palace of Strelna , begun by Elizabeth, butnever finifhed. About four miles further we paffed by Peterhof ; and proceeded toOranienbaum, through a country covered with foreft.

The palace of Oranienbaum, near the Gulf of Finland , at the diftance of twenty-fevenmiles from Peterfburgh, was erected by Prince Mentchikof, in the meridian of a powerto which fcarcely any fubjeft but himfelf has ever arrived. The rife of this extraordi -nary man is varioufly related by different authors. Some affert that he was apprentice

* Cronftadt will be defcribed in the chapter which treats of the Ruffian navy

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VOL. VI.

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