She was, for some time, as inconsolable for him as Elizabeth of England was for Essex. It is said, that he was the handsomest man that could be seen; but naturally of so weak a constitution, that he was unable to support the life of a courtier. Potemkin made the quickest of all possible journeys from the Crimea, in order to console her. He came in a kibicki, or common cart, the whole way. Rushing into her apartment, he said, "What is the matter with my Empress ?” and when she answered, that she was weeping for the death of Landskoi, he replied, "Why, he was a fool." "Ah !" said the Empress, " but he had an honest heart."

To her ministers she was very liberal, and in general followed their advice, except when she chose to let them feel, that there were times when she preferred being both her own, and their mistress. When left entirely to herself, and compelled to determine on matters of importance, it is said that she was apt to betray some versatility and weakness.

When I visited her court, she was puffed up, beyond all bounds, by the success of her reign, and the consideration in which she was held by every power in Europe. She certainly in her heart preferred the English to the French, and the Danes to the Swedes. In regard to the Germans, it was more from personal attachment to the Emperor, and their joint views upon Turkey, than from a full conviction of the policy of the measure, that she preferred the Austrian to the Prussian alliance.

III.

THE EMPEROR PAUL.

Letter from his Imperial Highness the Grand Duke of Russia, afterwards the Emperor Paul, to Sir John Sinclair, respecting the Statistical Account of Scotland, and the Improvement of Wool.

J'ai reçu, Monsieur, avec votre lettre du 15. Mai, l'Etat Politique de l'Ecosse, et les questions sur les differentes

éspeces de brebis, dont je vous fais mes remerciemens; et en applaudissant aux vues d'utilité que ces pièces renferment, je suis, Monsieur, avec une très parfaite éstime,

Account of a Visit paid by Sir John Sinclair to the Emperor Paul, when Grand Duke of Russia, at his Palace of Pauloski, on the 31st of August 1786.

I arrived at Pauloski, (25 versts + from Petersburgh), at twelve A. M. About one I had the honour to be introduced to the Grand Duke and Duchess, and met with a most gratifying reception. An hour after we sat down to dinner. I was placed opposite the Grand Duke and Duchess, that we might converse more freely; and as the table, for the sake of greater sociality, was remarkably narrow, (with only one row of dishes in the centre), there was peculiar facility in carrying on conversation. During dinner, the Grand Duke said, that he greatly preferred the Scotch breed of horses, and wished me to procure for him a horse from that country. I begged to mention, that there were various breeds in Scotland, and

SIR,

• Translation.

I have received, with your letter of the 15th of May, your account of the Political State of Scotland, and your remarks on the various species of sheep, for which I return you my thanks; and applauding your attention to the useful objects to which these papers relate, I am, with the most perfect esteem, Your affectionate,

Zarscocelo, 17th July 1792,

Old Style.

To M. John Sinclair, Whitehall, London,

About 19 English miles.

PAUL.

that it was impossible for me to judge which sort his Imperial Highness meant, unless I saw the one he preferred. He was thence induced, when dinner was over, to order his favourite charger to be brought to the court-yard, where he mounted him, and, with evident satisfaction, shewed all his paces *.

In the afternoon, I had the honour of attending the Grand Duke and Duchess over their grounds, which were laid out according to the improved English system. We passed a field of barley, of the sort called in Scotland bear or big, which was then ripening, and the Grand Duchess, pulling one of the ripest ears, said, "Sir, take this ear, and try if such grain will grow in your country." Unfortunately the ear was lost before I arrived in Scotland. They pressed me with much earnestness to stay supper, and all night. Previous engagements, which I could not dispense with, prevented my accepting this flattering invitation ; but I shall always recollect, with peculiar pleasure, my visit to Pauloski.

The figure of the Grand Duke was not much in his favour. He was rather diminutive in size, and his nose and face were flatter than is usual in the more southern parts of Europe. He had indeed a good deal of the Tartar in his physiognomy. The expression of his countenance, however, was not then so unpleasing as it afterwards became, when his furious passions, which had been kept under complete subjection by maternal authority, burst forth. In consequence of some unguarded speeches he had made, the Empress behaved to him with great coolness at that time, and would hardly permit his name to be mentioned in her presence. His two eldest sons, Alexander and Constantine, (the little Grand Dukes, as they were called), were educated entirely by the Empress, and were constantly with her, being in a manner retained as hostages for their father's fidelity.

* I afterwards found that the horse was thorough bred, and had been purchased from Mr Angelo, the riding-master at Edinburgh. I endeavoured, when I returned to Scotland, to get such another horse, but unsuccessfully.

The Grand Duke had, with much prudence, decidedly discouraged some hints artfully insinuated, that it was full time for him to demand possession of the Crown from his mother, who had evidently usurped it. "I will never furnish my son," (he said), “with any apology for conspiring to dethrone me." This wise determination was in a great measure owing to his preceptor, Count Panin, who had public spirit enough, when on his deathbed, to send for the Grand Duke, and conjure him, by every thing he held dear and sacred, never to attempt dethroning his mother. "Russia," he said, "had already suffered sufficiently by past revolutions; and were they not now put a stop to, they might never cease."

The Grand Duchess, (Maria, daughter of Eugene, Duke of Wirtemberg), was, when I saw her, beautiful in the extreme, and remarkable for the superior elegance and fascinating affability of her manners. The Empress Catherine was very jealous of her superior beauty, and could not bear that the Grand Duke and Duchess should rival their Sovereign, in the decorations of their palaces,-the disposition of their grounds, the ornaments of their gardens, or any splendid display of taste.

It is highly gratifying to me to recollect, that I never met any where with a more gracious reception than at Pauloski. The master and mistress of a private gentleman's family could not have been more attentive. It was a pleasing spectacle to see the future possessors of so great an empire, living at their country residence, in the unostentatious style of any noble family; and as fond of showing their crops, temples, cascades, grottoes, &c. to an entire stranger, as if they had nothing else to boast of.

IV.

AUDIENCE OF THE EMPEROR ALEXANDER.

Letter from the Count Lieven, the Russian Ambassador at the British Court.

Count Lieven presents his compliments to Sir John Sinclair, and begs to inform him, that the Emperor will receive him to-morrow, (Tuesday), at three o'clock P. M. at the Pulteney Hotel.

Harley Street, Monday, 20th June.

The Emperor was alone in his cabinet, when I was presented, (June 21. 1814), dressed in a green uniform, with an open, pleasant, and good-humoured countenance, and with an appearance manly and interesting. He did not seem in the least affected by all the fatigues he had undergone, though I saw him in the morning after the grand ball at White's. He understood English when addressed to him, and spoke it without hesitation, but preferred conversing in French.

He said, on my entrance, "That he was happy to make the acquaintance of one who had paid so much attention to agriculture." On my mentioning, "That I had once had the honour of seeing his Imperial Majesty at St Petersburgh ;" he asked, "If I should have known him now?" To which I answered, "That it was in the year 1786, twenty-eight years ago, when he was only about nine years of age, and that the change since was very great." He then said, "That the culture of hemp was the great object of Russian agriculture, and that he wished much to know, whether any improvements had been made in regard to that article, or flax ?" I answered, "That very great discoveries had recently been made, in the culture and preparation, both of hemp and flax. It was ascertained, that after the flax seed was sown, if double the quantity of common salt, in proportion to the seed