Russia in 1839 -Empire of the Czar: A Journey Through Eternal Russia

magnificence costs. But here, I am the only one who reflects. Yesterday, superstitious minds were presented with more than one gloomy prognostic. The weather, which had been fine for three weeks, changed upon the birthday of the empress. The image of that princess would not light up. The man charged with superintending this essential part of the illumination, ascended to the summit of the pyramid, but the wind extinguished his lamps as quickly as he lighted them. He reascended several times ; at length his foot slipped, and he fell from a height of seventy feet, and was killed on the spot.

The shocking thinness of the empress, her air of languor, the diminished lustre of her eye, rendered these presages more ominous. Her life, like n disease, may be said to be mortal: fetes and balls every evening ! There is no choice here but that of dying of amusement, or of ennui.

For the empress as well as the zealous courtiers, the spectacle of parades and reviews commences early in the morning. These are always followed by some receptions ; the empress then retires for a quarter of an hour, after which she rides out in her carriage for two hours. She next takes a bath before again going out on horseback. Returned a second time, she has some more visiters to receive : this over, she proceeds to inspect certain useful institutions superintended by herself, or by some of those honoured with her intimacy. From thence she follows the emperor to the camp : there being always one somewhere near. They return to dance; and thus her days, her years, and her life arc consumed.

Those who have not the courage or the strength С 4