sleeping always after eating, and going early to his bed. The principal articles of diet are the same every where--grease and brandy. The horrors of a Russian kitchen are inconceivable; aud there is not a bed in the whole empire that an English traveller would venture to approach, if he were aware of its condition. 'I have already mentioned the swarms of servants in their palaces. A foreigner wonders how this is supported. The fact is, if a nobleman have fifty or 500, they do not cost him a shilling. Their clothes, food, every article of their subsistence, are derived from the poor oppressed peasants. Their wages, if wages they can be called, scarce exceed an English halfpenny a day. In the whole year, the total of daily pittance equals about five roubles, forty-seven copecks and a half; this, according to the state of exchange at the time we were there, may be estimated at twelve shillings and nine-pence. Small as the sum is, it might have been omitted, for it is never paid. There are few of the nobles who deem it any disgrace to owe their servants so trivial a debt. There is, in fact, no degree of meanness too low for the condescension of a Russian nobleman. To enumerate the things of which we were eye-witnesses, would only weary and disgust the reader. I will end with one. 'A hat had been stolen from our apartments. The servants positively asserted, that some young noblemen, who had been more lavish of their friendship and company than we desired, had gained access to the chambers, in our absence, and had carried off the hat, with some other moveables, even of less value. The fact was inconceivable, and we gave no credit to it. A few days after, being upon an excursion to the convent of the New Jerusalem, forty-five versts north of Moscow, some noblemen, to whom our intention was made known the preceding evening at the Societe de Noblesse, overtook us on horseback. One of the party, mounted on an English racer, and habited like a Newmarket jockey, rode up to the side of the carriage; but his horse being somewhat unruly, he lost his seat, and a gust of wind carried off his cap. My companion immediately descended, and ran to recover it for its owner; |
