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THE FAMILY LIBRARY MEMOIR OE PETER THE GREAT.

THIS is an excellent compendium of the life of that most extra- ordinary character PETER the Great—the founder not.of a dynasty but an empire. It is well drawn up : every source of information has been consulted: the style is easy and unpretending : in short, the author is master of his subject. 'We shall make two quotations, the first of which will put our readers in full possession of the bibliography of the subject, and the second of the manner and style of the author.

sOURCES OPEN TO TIIE COMPILER OF A LIFE OF THE FOUNDER or THE UMPIRE OF ALL THE RUSSIAS.

The author or compiler of the following Biographical Memoir has done little more than bring together and arrange the scattered fragments of Histories, Lives, Anecdotes, and Notices, in manuscript or in print, of one of the most extraordinary characters that ever appeared on the great theatre of the world, in any age or country ; a being full of contradictions, yet consistent in all that he did; a promoter of literature, arts, and sciences, yet without education himself; the civilizer of his people, "he gave a polish," says Voltaire, "to his nation, and was himself a savage ;" he taught his people the art of war, of which he was himself ignorant ; from the first glance of a small cock-boat, at the distance of five hundred miles from the nearest sea, he became an expert ship-builder, created a powerful fleet, partly constructed with his own hands, made himself an active and expert sailor, a skilful pilot, a great captain; in short, he changed the manners, the habits, the laws of time people, and the very face of the country. A modern French writer has given a catalogue of no less than ninety-five authors who have treated of Peter the Great, and concludes it with three et cmteras. About one-fourth of that number may have been consulted on the present occasion, of which the principal ones are the following— Journal de Pierre le Grand, depuis Pauli& 1693, jusgu'a la Conclusion de In .Paix de Neustadt. Ecrit par Lui-mi:me.--This remarkable work was intended to have been published, after the death of Peter, by his surviving spouse the Empress Catlutrine, but it is supposed her short reign put a stop to it. Her namesake, Catharine the Second, however, caused it to be published at Petersburg in the year.1770, and it was translated and published at .Berlin in 1773. It contains a Journal of all his military movements, battles, sieges, distribution of his forces, triumphs, promotions,—and, in short, all the principal transactions in which lie was engaged during the period mentioned in the title-page. The simplicity of the narrative, the frank avowal of the mistakes he committed, the gratitude he constantly expresses to the Supreme Disposer of events, in his reverses as well as in his successes—all prove the perfect sincerity as well as the truth of the narrative. To the historian of his military progress and conquests, this journal of the Emperor must always be invaluable. The History- of Peter the Great, Emperor of Russia. By 'Alexander Gordon of Achintoul, several years a Major-General in the Tzar's service. --General Gordon • was personally acquainted with many of the exploits of the Tzar Peter narrated in his history. He received a commission from him as Ns* about the year 1693 or 1694, was speedily promoted to the rank of Lieu- tenant-colonel, and was present at the taking of Asoph in 1698. He was taken prisoner at the battle of Nam, and sent into Sweden, where he was detained for several years. On his return, be was advanced to the rank of Major-general, and sent into Poland; but on hearing of his father's death, he obtained per- mission in 1711 to quit the Russian service and return to his native country, Scotland. • That portion only of his work, therefore, which relates to the period When lie was actually in service can be considered as valliable; the rest' 'la founded on authorities already published at the dme of his writing. Travels from St. Petersburg in Russia to varibus. partk of Asia. By John Bell of Anterniony.—Ilonest John Bell is almost proverbially known as the most faithful of travellers. In the year 1719 he was attached, in a medical capacity, to an embassy sent by Peter the Great to Icanplieei Emperor of China; and published a very interesting account of the journey and the -transactions of the mission in Pekin. In the year 1721 he accompanied the army of Russia under the immediate command of the Tzar Peter, to the-shores-of the Caspian; of which journey he published a " Succinct Relation,'"containing some curious and interesting incidents, relating to that campaign, connected With the matmers and character of Peter and Catharine who accompanied him. Memoirs of Peter Henry Bruce, :Esq., a military offieerin.the-services of Prussia, Russia, and Great Britain ; containing an Account of Hs Travels, ; as also several very interesting private anecdotes of-the Titer Peter the First of Russia.—Mr. Bruce tells us his Journal was originally written in German, his native language ; and that in the year 1755, on his retirement, he translated itinto English. In 1782 it was published for the benefitpfihis widow: Captain Bruce had many opportunities of seeing and knowing- a great deal of the Tzar and h Iris family. Ile served as military instructor to:the somof them. fortunate Tzarovitz Alexis, was aid-de-camp to General Weyde, and accom= panted the Tzar on his expedition to the shores of the Caspian, which sea lit circumnavigated, and surveyed its coasts. His narrative is.written with great simplicity, if not with scrupulous accuracy,--the language being somewhat loose, and the dates not always correct. There are several passages in his book which must have been transcribed, either by himself or his publisher, from pre= cedine, authors • but those portions which describe what he witnessed in his own person are highly interesting, and worthy of all credit.

Memoires die Regne de Pierre he Grand, .Empereur de Russie, Pare de hr

Pat rie, &c. Par le Boyar Iwan Nestesuranoi. 4 vols. Anisterdam,1726. —Though this work bears a fictitious name, it is, notwithstanding, perfectly genuine and authentic ; and being published in the year after the death of Peter the Great, and while Catharine and Menzikoff were still living, it may be con- sidered the very first history of Peter the Great, with the exception of knee brief notices by Webber. Nestesuranoi is meant as the anagram of Jean Rousset, his real name. This gentleman fled from France to Amsterdam, OR the revocation of the Edict of Nantz. • He was a most indefatigable compiler, journalist, historian, politician, and controversialist. For his History of-the Life of Peter, he was made by the court of Russia a councillor of the imperial chan- cery-; and for taking up the cause of the Prince of Orange, was created councillor extraordinary and historiographer to the Stadtholder. •

The J1istos'yf the Life of Peter the First, Emperor of Russia. B John Mottley,Esq.—John Mottley was the son of Colonel Mottley, who fol- lowed the fortunes of King, James the Second into France; and who, from writing miscellaneous and dramatic pieces for his amusement, was, in conse- quence of his father's misfortunes, compelled to use his pen for a maintenance; and his productions met with the patronage of Queen Caroline and the court. His Life of Peter the Great is, in many parts of it, a translation of the work Of Nestesuranoi, with the addition of several incidents and anecdotes, and also of many official and other documents, compiled from the journals of the day. It went through two editions,—the first, a folio in one volume ; the second, 'a small octavo, in three volumes. History of the Russian Empire under Peter the Great. By 211. de Vol-

ta i re. —This celebrated writer would appear to have been unjustly- censured with regard to this history : it has been called a romance, a tissue of idle stories and anecdotes not founded in fact, and a systematic suppression of the truth. In the perusal of a multitude of authors, the compiler can safely assert that, as far as conceNs the facts stated by Voltaire, he has authority for all of them; his opinions are, of course, his own. But he is accused by the Russians of not having made use of half the manuscripts he received by order of the Empresa Catharine. The chamberlain, Schowalof, demauded of him by letter,--lst. Why he had only made use of so small a portion of the rich materials sent to Imini ? 21. Why he had mutilated the facts stated in the manuscripts; and why he had not made use of the anecdotes (Stzehliu's) in his possession? Arid 3d. Why he had omitted the names of several great persons, and so disfigured those he had been pleased to name, that they were scarcely to be distinguished as the persons intended To the first question Voltaire answered, that it was not his custom to copy implicitly any manuscripts that might be sent to him. To the second, that he must be governed by the best information he could procure ;that the private i

life of Peter did not come within the limits of h plan, and consequently the anecdotes were not available ; and, as to the third reproach, he sarcastically ph- serves, "as far as relates to the disfiguring of the proper names, I suppose it is a German who reproaches me with it. I wish him more wit and, fewer con- sonants." The Journal of Peter the Great was sent to Voltaire in manuscript; and

whenever he has made use of it, he has done so faithfully and accurately. But he is highly blameable in casting a stigma on what he calls " pretended his- tories of Peter the Great, most of which have been compiled from gazettes; and Lis designating "that which was printed at Amsterdam, in four volumes, under the name of the Boyar Ncstesurauoi," as "one of -those impositions too frequently practised by booksellers." The name is certainly an imposition, as we have noticed ; but all the documents it contains, and the history connected with and drawn from those documents, are authentic. But that which renders Voltaire the more blameable in his censure is, that the foundation of his own history, the arrangement, and in many places the language, are drawn from this said work of Nestesuranoi, and his copyist Colonel John-Mottley. This is dis• ingenuous, and unworthy Cie high character of Voltaire.

Rusland en de Nederlanden Beschoud in derselver Wederkeerige Betrek- kingen door Mr. Jacobus Scheltenia. 4 yds.—These volumes contain chiefly an historical account of the commercial intercourse between Holland and Russia, from its commencement to the death of Peter the Great. This work is chiefly interesting from the details given of the conduct and proceedings of this extra- ordinary man during his residence in Holland, taken from authentic documents, and particularly from Noonien's Diary of the Residence of the Tzar Peter at

Zaandam. It does not appear to have of translated either into French er English.

Original Anecdotes of Peter the Great, collected from the Conversation of

several Persons of Distinction at Petersburg and Moscow. By 111: Staklin, Member of the Imperial Academy at Petersburg.—About ten years after the death of Peter the Great, that is in the year 1735, M. Stmldin was invited to fill a seat in the Academy of Sciences at Petersburg. He listed at the house of de Count of Lynar, envoy-extraordinary from King Augustasof Poland to the court of Russia ; where he tells us he became acquainted with many persons of distinc-

tion, as well foreigners as Russians, several of whom had-not only

fleet and army, or held civil employments under Peter the. Great, but bad also been much about his person. He was likewise honoured with the appointment of tutor, and afterwards librarian, to the Great Duke Peter Feodorovitz. These situations afforded him opportunities of collecting anecdotes concerning thee

served in the

manners, character, and actions, both as regarded the public and private life, the Tzar Peter ; they amount in number to more than one hundred, manlb which are highly interesting, and well vouched for by most respectable limo- rides. In addition to-these, were .consulted, the Travels of Mr. Coxe ; the History ofRessia by. Tooke ; . La Biographie Universelle, the works of Le General Volute de Segur, La Combe, Pontenelle, Levesque, Rm., from which such passages only were selected as tended to confirm the statements made by other authorities. It will be obvious that, out of such a mass of materials, and in so small a volume, the great leading points only of the life and transactions of such apersonage as Peter the Great could be comprehended; and of these, few, it is hoped, will be found to have been omitted.

From the most amusing account of the Czar's visit to England, we extract some only of the anecdotes.

Two ships' of war and a yacht, under the orders of Admiral Mitchell, were &patched to Helvoetsluys to bring over the Tzar ; who, with his suite, con- sistme of Menzikoff and some others, whose names are not mentioned, embarked at that port on the 18th of January 1698, and on the 21st reached London. Nem no secret was attempted to be made of his rank, but he requested to be treated only as a private gentleman ; and it is remarkable enough, that though L e paid frequent visits to the King, and attended his court, his name never once appears in the only official paper which then, as indeed now, was and is in existence, the London Gazette. Lord Shrewsbury, at this time, was Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs; but as the Tzar came not in any public character, he appears to have been placed under the especial charge of the Marquis Carmar- then, who was made Lord President of the Council in the following year. Be- tween this nobleman and Peter a very considerable intimacy took Place, which was uninterrupted luring the Tzar's abode in England. A large house was

Jibed for him and his sin% at the bottom of York Buildings, where, it is stated in a private letter, the Marquis and he used to spend their evenings together frequently in thinking hot pepper and brandy.' The great failing of Peter, indeed, was his love of strong liquors. We find in one of the papers of the day, that he took a particular fancy to the nectar ambrosia, the new cordial socalled, which the author or compounder of it presented him with, and that his Majesty sent for more of it.'

Of the. proceedings of the Tzar, during the four months he remained in England, very little is recorded in the few Journals or other publications of that day; the former consisting chiefly of the Postmaster, the .Postman, and the Poky. The Postman opens the subject of the Tzar's arrival to his country- men with the following just and judicious remarks :—" The Tzar of Muscovy, desiring to raise the glory of his nation, and avenge the Christians of all the in- juke they have received from the Turks, has abrogated the wild manners of his prolccassors ; and having concluded from the behaviour of his engineers and officers, who were sent him by the Elector of Brandenburg, that the western nations of Europe understood the art of war better than others, he resolved to take ajourne.y thither, and not wholly to rely upon the relations that his ambassa- dors might give him ; and, at the same time, to send a great smother of his no- bility into these parts through which he did not intend to travel, that he might

have a complete idea of the affairs of Europe, and enrich his subjects with ihe arts of all other Christian nations.; and as navigation is the most useful inven- tion thatever was yet found out, he seems to have chosen it as his own part, in

the general inquiry be is about. His design is certainly very noble, and dis- covers the greatness of his genius; but the model he has proposed to himself to

imitate, is a convincing proof of his extraordinary judgment ; for what other prince in the world was a fit pattern for the great Emperor of Muscovy, than 'William the Third, King of Great Britain ?"

In the Postboy it is stated that, on the day after his arrival, the Tzar of Mus- covy was at Kensington, to see his Majesty at dinner, as also the court ; but he seas all the while ince:pato. And on the Saturday following he was at the playhouse, to see the opera ; that on Friday night the revels ended at the Temple, the same being concluded by a flue masquerade, at which the Tzar of Muscovy was present ; that on the following Sunday be went in a hackney- coach to Kensingtom and returned at night to his lodgings in Norfolk Street, where he was attended by several of the king's servants.

his movements, during the rest of the month, were a journey to Woolwich and Deptford, to see the docks and yards ; then to the theatre, to see the Rival Queens, or Alexander the Great; to St. James's, to be present at a tine ; and it is further stated, that he was about to remove from Norfolk Street (York Buildings) to Redriff, where a ship was building for him ; and that he was about to go to Chatham, to see a man-of-war launched, which lie was to name; and that on the lath of February, accompanied by the Marquis of Car- marthen, he went to Deptford, and having spent some time on board the " Royal Transport," they were afterwards splendidly treated by Admiral Mitchell. These are the principal notices concerning the Tzar Peter contained in the Postboy. It is evident that London could not be very agreeable to him, on two ac- Counts; first, because his great object in coining here was to see our dock-yard establishments, and to profit also by observing our mode of making draughts of

ships, and laying them off in the mould-loft ; imd to acquire some knowledgein the theory of-naval architecture and navigation, which -he had heard, when in

Holland, was superior to what he had seen or could obtain in that country, though it was assumed that the mechanical part of finishing and putting to- gether a ship was there fully equal, if not superior, to ours.

lathe next place, he was equally annoyed by the crowds he was continually Meeting in the streets of London, as he had been in Amsterdam, and which he

could not bear with becoming patience. It is said that, as he was one day stalking along the Strand, with his friend the Marquis of Carmarthen, a por- ter, with a hod on his shoulder, rudely rushed against him and drove him into the kennel. He was extremely indignant, and ready to knock him down ; but the Marquis interfering, asked the noun what he meant, and if he knew whom he bads° rudely run against, and" that it was the Tzar." The porter turning round With a grin, replied, " Tzar ! we are all Tzars here." But that which annoyed him most of all, was the intrusion of our countrymen into his lodgings, and into the room even where he was eating, to which they gained access through the King's servants. Disgusted at their impertinent curiosity, he would some- times thefrom table, and leave the room in a rage. To prevent this intrusion, lie strictly charged his domestics not to admit any persons whatever, let their tank he what it might. A kind of forced interview, however, was obtained by two Quakers, the account of which, as given by one of them, is singular and interesting "Anno 1697. At this time Peter the Great, Tzar of Muscovy, being in London, incog., and Gilbert Mollyson (RobertBarchiy's wife's brother) having heard that a kinsman of his was in the Tzar's service, and being desirous to in-

crease the knowledge of the truth, requested me to go with him in quest of his kinsman, to the Tzar's residence, a large house at the bottom Of York Build-

ings, in order to present him with some of Robert Barclay's Apologies, in Latin ; hoping that, by that means, they might fall under the Tzar's notice, and be subservient to the end proposed. And accordingly we went one morning; and When we came to the place, Gilbert inquired of the porter after his cousin but could not hear any thing of him in the lower apartments, but was desired to Stay till further inquiry was made in the house ; and a servant went up stairs to

that end, and when returned invited us up. The head- of the staircase, on the first fluor, brought us to the entrance of a Ion" passage, which went through the middle of the house, and there stood a single man at a large window, at the ftether end, next the river Thames, to whom we were directed for intelligence ; and-as we passed along, we observed two tall men walking in &large room on the right hand', but we did-- not 'stop -to look • at them, only transiently as wer moved ; for supposing one of them to-be the Tzar, of whom had, heard that hoe was not willing to be-looked Up011, and careful not to offend him, we-behaveda with caution and went directly to the 'person standing. at the window, of whoma Gilbert Mollyson inquired after his kinsman ; and he told- us that such a person.. had been in the Tzar's service, but was dead.

'In the mean time came the, Tzar and the other to us ; the-ether, / suppose- was Prince Menzikoff, his General Our backs were towards them, and our hats on ; and when they approached, the person with whom we had coriverseti looked down upon the floor with profound respect and silence; bet we stood hitt our first posture, with our faces towards the window, as if we had not takenta any notice of them. The person we load conversed with was aniSiglishoram.w.' Muscovy merchant, known to the Tzar in. his own country, whounderstood hiss language, and Was his interpreter. Then the Tzar spoke something to • him,' which we did not understand ; upon which he asked us, Why -do you not pax respect to great persons, when you are in their presence ?' I answered, SG0 we do, when we are fully sensible of it, especially to kings and princes. Fora though we have laid aside and decline all vain and empty shows of respect and duty, and flattering titles, whereby theyare generally deceived, by insincere andii designing men, who seem to admire them-for their own ends, yet we yield alitdue and sincere respect and duty to such, and all-in authority under them, -by, giving ready obedience to all their lawful commands: but when at any time anye of them, either through tyranny or ignorance, or ill counsel, happens to cow- mound any thing contrary to our duty to the Almighty or his Son Christ our • Lord, then we offer our prayers and tears to God, and humble addresses unto such rulers, that their understandings may be opened and- their minds changed towards us.'

" The Tzar gave no reply to this, but talked with his interpreter again, who.'

then asked, Of what use can vou be in any kingdom or government, seeing you will not bear arms and fight?" To this I replied, That many of us had - borne arms in times past, and been in many battles, and fought with courage and magnanimity, and thought it lawful and a duty then, in days of ignorance; and I myself have worn a sword and other arms, and know how to use them : but when it pleased God to reveal in our hearts the life and power of Jesus), Christ, his Son, our Lord, who is the Princeof Righteousness and Peace, whose commandment is love, we were then reconciled unto God, one untoanother, unto our enemies, and unto all mankind.' "

Thomas Storey goes on at great length, and actually preaches a sermon-on this text, the Tzar patiently listening to what he could not understand:

" Upon this," he continues, " the Tzar took several turns'in the gallery, or passage, and then came and looked steadfastly upon us, though we did- not seem to mind him, or know that it was he. Then I said to the interpreter, a That we understood that there was a person of great dignity. and distinction - in that place,—a stranger, very inspectious into the state of affairs and things boa general; and, no doubt, might be also inquisitive into the state of religion ; anct we (beiug a people differing in some points from all others, and so much mis- understood and misrepresented in our own country, that even our neighbours themselves did not know us), lest that great Prince should be misinformed, and ' imposed upon concerning us and our religion, had brought him some books, de- (Heated to the Sovereign of our native country, by which he might please to see a full account of our principles.' We then produced two of the Apologies ' in Latin.

" Then the Tzar talked again with his interpreter, who asked us, Were not these books writ by a Jesuit? It is said there are Jesuits among you.' t To which Gilbert Mollyson replied, "That is a calumny, and proves the ne- cessity of our endeavours in that respect at this time. We have no Jesuits among us. Our religion and theirs differ very widely. This book was writ by a near relation of mine, who was not a Jesuit, but sincerely of those principles asserted and maintained in the book, as our whole community is.'

"

And then the Tzar and interpreter talked together; after which the latter took some gold out of his pocket, and offered us for the books. But I told them, We were no such men as to want any thing for the books, or other- wise. They were a present to that great Prince, and given freely ; and all that we desired was, that they might be acceptable; and that in case any of our friends should at any time hereafter come into his country, and preach those principles contained in the books, and if they should meet with opposition, and • be persecuted by any officers or persons in power under him, for the same, he would please to afford them protection and relief.' Then they talked together - again, and the interpreter kept the books ; and the Tzar and Prince Menzike retired into the room from whence they came. " They being gone, we asked the interpreter If that was the Tsar?' He said he was. Then we asked him if he had told the Tzar the substance of what • we had said? And he said be bad. Then we desired that if he asked him any, more questions about us and our religion, not to mention to him any of those rude calumnies thrown upon us by ignorant and malicious persons, but the. truth, to the best of his observation and information ; and he promised he would.' Then he told us that the Tzar did not understand the Latin tongue ; - but only his own language, and Dutch. Then Gilbert Mollyson gave one of the 'Apologies' to the interpreter (for he had several with him), and so We departed in peace and satisfaction.

This was about the beginning of the week ; and the next first day, the Tzar, • the Prince, and a great company of his other attendants, came in the morning. to our meetino in Gracechurch Street, all in English habits like English_ gentlemen, and the same interpreter with him. I happened to be there in the gallery, and the first I knew was Menzikoff: Robert Haddock had begun to preach a little before they came in, upon the subject of Nauman, the Captain • General of the host of the Assyrians, going to the prophet for cure of Ins be. prosy,' &m" [Here follows the substance of Robert Ha.drtock's sermon.]

"And the Tzar and the interpreter were often whispering together in the time, though Robert Haddock knew nothing of his being in the meeting; and thus he stayed very sociably, till observing the people crowd up before him to gaze (which he could not endure), he retired on a sudden, along with his come- pany, before the meeting was quite over • for some people in the streets had seen• him as he came, and, by some means, had discovered who he was, and crowded after him to see him more perfectly. "After this, he went incognito to Deptford, to improve himself in the art of shipbuilding, and there wrought at it with his own hands: and Gilbert Molly- son and I acquainting some friends how we happened to see him, and had given him some books, and that he understood the Dutch, William Penn, George Whitehead, and some other friends, went to Deptford, and waited on him pri.e vately, and presented him with more of the same books in that language, whack he received very graciously. A conversation ensued between them on the same language, which William Penn spoke fluently. The Tzar appeared to be muck interested by it, so that the visit was satisfactory to both parties. Indeed, he was so much impressed by it, that afterwards, while he was at Deptford, he oe...

• It is whimsical enough to see how different minds jump to different conclusions:- When it was told that those amiable creatures of Loo-Chooluul no arms and no money- " What !" exclaims Bonaparte, "no arms I how do they conquer other countries, or defend their own ?" " No money I" says a kind-hearted Chancellor of the Exchequer " how do they carry on the government?" And "Of what use," says Peter to the, Quakers," can you be in any kingdom, since you will not bear arms and fight?" 1- It was not without reason that Peter put this question. Just at this time, a cone* spondence was passing between Bishop Tillotson and Williara Penn, the former having charged the latter with keeping up ii.eommuuication with the Jesuits at Rome.

a

easionidly attended the meeting of the Quakera there, where he conducted him- self with great decorum and condescension, changing seats, and sitting down, and standing up, as he could best accommodate others. Nor was this nnpres- sion of short duration ; fords' the year 1712,—that is, sixteen years afterwards— when he was at Frederickstadt, in Holstein, with five thousand men to assist the Danes against the Swedes, one of his first inquirie.s was, whether there were any Quakers in the place ? and being told there were, he signified his intention of attending one of their meetings. A meeting was accordingly appointed, to which he went, accompanied by Prince Menzikoff and General"Dolgorucky, and several dukes and great men. Soon after they were seated, the worship began Philip Defair, a Quaker, rose up and preached. The Muscovite lords showed their respect by their silence, but they understood nothing of what was said. To remedy this, the Tzar himself occasionally interpreted as the words were spoken ; and when the discourse was over, he commended it by saying, that who- ever could live according to such doctrines would be happy. Storey further states that the "Friends" of Frederickstadt related many things of a goad tendency concerning the Tzar, one of which was this—" That he used quite another way with his officers, and others, than had been reported of him, when in his own country : for he was so familiar, that he would have them call him sometimes by his name, and seemed better pleased with that way than his former distance: only in times of their worship, which they sometimes held in the market-place, he would then, as is usual at home, resume great dignity on him ; and one time, being rainy weather when they were at it, he wearing his own hair, pulled off the great wig from one of his dukes and put it on himself, to ewer him from the rain, making the owner stand bare-headed the while ; for it seems he is so absolute, that there must be no grumbling at what he does, life and estate being wholly at his discretion." The practice here mentioned would seem to have been not unusual with the Tsar. One. Sunday, being at Dantzick, on his second journey to Holland, he attended divine service, and was conducted by the Burgomaster to his seat. Peter made the Burgomaster sit down by him. He listened to the preacher with the greatest attention, keeping his eyes constantly turned towards the pul- pit, while those of the whole congregation were fixed upon himself. Feeling his head grow cold, Peter, apparently unconscious of what he was doing, took the large wig, which flowed over the shoulders of the Burgomaster, off his head, and put it on his own, to the astonishment of the good people of Dint- ;sick. When the sermon was ended, Peter restored the wig and thanked the Burgomaster by an inclination of the head. One of his nobles told the Burgo- master that the Tsar was unmindful of such matters ; and that it was a com- mon custom with him when at church, as often as he felt his head cold, to take Menzikoff's wig, or that of any other who happened to be within his reach.

One month's residence having satisfied Peter as to what was to be seen in London, and having expressed a strong desire to be near some of the King's dock-yards, it was arranged that a suitable residence should be found near one of the river establishments ; and the house of the celebrated Mr. Evelyn, close to Deptford dock-yard, being about to become vacant, by the removal of Ad- unral Benbow, who was then its tenant, it was immediately taken for the re- sidence of the Tzar and his suite; and a doorway was broken through the boundary-wall of the dock-yard, to afford a direct communication between it and the dwelling-house. This place had then the name of Saye's Court. It was the delight of Evelyn, and the wonder and 'admiration of all men of taste at that time. The grounds are described, in the Life of the Lord Keeper Guildford, as "meet boscaresque, being, as it were, an exemplary of his (Evelyn's) book of forest trees." Admiral Benbow had given great dissatis- faction to the proprietor as a tenant ; for he observes, in his " Diary,"—" I have the mortification of seeing, every day, much of my labour and expense there impairing from want of a more polite tenant." It appears, however, that the princely occupier was not a more "polite tenant" than the rough sailor had been; for Mr. Evelyn's servant thus writes to him,—" There is a house full of people right ;tasty. The Tzar lies next your library, and dines in the parlour next your study. He dines at ten o'clock and six at night; is very seldom at home a whole day ; very often in the King's yard, or by water, dressed in several dresses. The King is expected there this day. The best parlour is pretty clean for him to be entertained in. The King pays for all he has." But this was not all; Mr. Evelyn had a favourite holly hedge, through which, it is said, the Tzar, by way of exercise, used to be in the habit, every morning, of trundling a wheel-barrow. Mr. Evelyn probably alludes to this in the follow- ing passage, wherein he asks—" Is there, under the heavens, a more glorious and refreshing object, of the kind, than an impregnable hedge of about four hundred feet in length, nine feet high, and five in diameter, which I can still show in any ruined garden at Saye's Court (thanks to the Tzar of Muscovy), at any time of the year, glittering with its armed and variegated leaves ; the taller standards, at orderly distances, blushing with their natural coral ? It mocks the rudest assaults of the weather, beasts, or hedge-breakers,—' et ilium nemo impune lacessit.' " Alas for the glory of the glittering billies, trimmed hedges, and long ave- nues of Saye's Court ! Time, that great innovator, has demolished them all ; and Evelyn's favourite haunts and enchanting grounds have been transformed into cabbage gardens. That portion of the Victualling-yard where oxen and hogs are slaughtered and salted for the use of the navy, now occupies the place of the shady walks and the trimmed hedges which the good old Evelyn so much delighted in; and on the site of the ancient mansion now stands the common parish workhouse of Deptford Stroud.

We have little evidence that the Tzar, during his residence here, ever worked as a shipwright. It would seem he was employed rather in acquiring informa- tion on matters connected with naval architecture, from that intelligent Com- missioner of the Navy and Surveyor, Sir Anthony Deane,—who, after the Marquis of Carmarthen, was his most intimate English acquaintance. His

fondness for sailing and managing boats, however, was as eager here as in Hol-

land; and these gentlemen were almost daily with him on the Thames, some- times in a sailing yacht, and at others rowing in boats,—an exercise in which

both the Tzar and the Marquis are said to have excelled. The Navy Board re- ceived directions from the Admiralty to hire two vessels, to be at the command of the Tzar, whenever he should think proper to sail on the Thames to improve

himself in seamanship. In addition to these, the King made him a present of the " Royal Transport," with orders to have such alterations and accommoda- tions made in her as his Tzarish Majesty might desire; and also to change her masts, rigging, sails, &c., in any such way as he might think proper for im- proving her sailing qualities. But his great delight was to get into a small decked boat, belonging to the dock-yard, and taking only Menzikoff, and three or four others of his suite to work the vessel with them, he being the helmsman. By this practice he said he should be able to teach them how to command ships when they got home. Having finished their day's work, they used to resort to a public-house in Great Tower Street, close to Tower Hill, to smoke thbir pipes and drink beer and brandy. The landlord had the Tzar of Muscovy's head painted and put up for his sign; which continued till the year 1808, when a person of the name of Waxel took a fancy to the old sign, and offered the then occupier of the house to paint him a new one for it. A copy was accord- ingly made from the original, which maintains its station to the present day, as the sign of the " Tzar of Muscovy," looking like a true Tartar.

His attention was forcibly attracted to the magnificent building of Greenwich Hospital, which, until he had visited it, and seen the old pensioners, he had some difficulty in believing to be any thing but a royal palace. King William

having one day asked him how he liked his Hospital for Decayed seamen, the Tzar answered, "If I were the adviser of your Majesty, I should counitel you to remove your court to Greenwich, and convert St. James's into a hospital."

It being term time while the Tzar was in London, he was taken into West_ minster Hall. He inquired who all those busy people in black gowns and flowing wigs were, and what they were about ? Being answered—" They are lawyers, Sir ;, ' " Lawyers !" said he, with marks of astonishment, " why, I have but two in my whole dominions, and I believe I shall hang one of them the moment I get home."

We are very glad to learn that Mr. MURRAY has been induced to continue his Family Library smne little while longer.