empire has been lately divided. Many of the abufes, as well thofe above enumerated as others of no lefs moment, have been removed by these new inftitutions; and many of them ftill exifting will be abolished, if the empress has time to complete the fyftem.

Aan ample detail of thefe regulations falls not within the compafs of the prefent work, nor within the capacity of the author, it is to be hoped that the curiofity of the public will be in fome measure gratified by the enumeration of the moft firiking peculiarities in this extensive plan; which has changed and modified the whole fyftem of

government.

The empire, which had been di. vided by Peter the Great into nine extenfive governments, is now diftributed into a larger number*, each upon an average containing only from 3 to 400,000 fouls. One or more of thefe governments is fuper-intended by a namestnick, or Jord-lieutenant, and each of them has a vice-governor, a council, civil and criminal courts of judicature, fome of whofe members are appointed by the fovereign, and the others

are chofen by the nobles. By this inftitution Catharine has, in fome inftances, fet bounds to her absolute prerogative, by diminishing the power of thofe tribunals which were only dependent upon the crown, by transferring it to the nobles, and invefting them with many additional privileges with respect to the adminiftration of juftice. As the has introduced likewife into each government fuperior tribunals, whofe decfion is final, fhe has prevented, by thefe means, frequent appeals to the imperial college at Petersburgh and Mofcow, which were attended with confiderable expence and delay. By establishing or feparating the different board of finance, police, &c. from the courts of law, which before impeded each other by meeting in the fame place, the has facilitated the dispatch of business, and rendered the adminiftration of juftice more fpeedy. She has increafed the falaries of the judges, who before, from the narrowness of their income, were neceffarily expofed to almost irresistible temptations from bribery; or, to use her own expreffions to the judges, in her celebrated edict, "Formerly your

1. Moscow.

32.

Saratof.

neceffities

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"neceffities might have induced you "to be too attentive to your own "interefts; your country now pays your labours; and what before might admit of fome excufe, from "this moment becomes a crime." She has confiderably increased the expences of the crown in each go. vernment*, without increafing the taxes, which he has been enabled to perform by introducing a more regular order into the finances.

To thefe regulations must be added the abolition of torture; the fettling the proper boundaries between the feveral governments, which has prevented many diffentions and law fuits; the appointment of regular phyficians and furgeons, ftationed in various districts, at the Brown's expence; the foundation of fchools for the education of the nobility, others for children of persons of inferior rank; the establishment or augmentation of new feminaries for thofe intended for holy orders; the erection of new bodies corporate, with additional immunities; the grant of freedom to numberless vaffals of the crown; and facilitating the means of giving liberty to the pea fants."

Anecdote of the Duchefs of Queenfberry; extracted from the Life of Mrs. Bellamy, written by herself. I HAD likewife, about this perod+, the happiness to acquire the approbation and patronage of two ladies of the firft diftinction: the late duchess of Montague, then lady Cardigan, and her grace of Queenf

berry. Both the fe ladies favoured me with their fupport, fo far as to grace the theatre whenever I performed. An attention which was the more flattering, as the latter had not honoured a play-house fince the death of her favourite Gay.

"As Mr. Rich could not afford, from the receipts of the theatre, to allow me a falary equal to the fuccefs I met with, and the capital parts I performed, he gave me a benefit free of all expences, upon one of his own nights, in order to prevent difcord in the company.Though the public appeared to be much interested in my favour, yet as I had but few friends, except thofe who out of civility to Mr. Quin espoused my intereft, I had very little reafon to expect that it would prove lucrative.

"Some days before that fixed for my benefit, I received a meffage whilft I was at the theatre, to be at Queenfberry-houfe the next day by twelve o'clock. As I thought it likewife incumbent on me to wait on the countess of Cardigan, who had honoured me with equal marks of approbation, I dreffed myself early, and taking a chair, went first to Privy-Garden. I had there every reafon to be pleased with the reception her ladyship gave me, who joined politenefs to every virtue.

"But at Queenfberry-houfe my reception was far otherwise. Her Grace was determined to mortify my vanity, before fhe promoted my intereft. Quite elated with lady Cardigan's flattering behaviour, I ordered the chairmen to proceed to Queensberry-houfe. Soon after the

rat-tat

rat-tat had been given, and my name announced to the porter, the groom of the chambers appeared. I defired him to acquaint her Grace, that I was come to wait upon her. But how was I furprized, when he returned and informed me, that her Grace knew no fuch perfon! my aftonishment at this meffage was greatly augmented, by the certainty I entertained of a ready admittance. I affured the domeftic, that it was by the duchess's own directions I had taken the liberty to wait on her. To which he replied, that there must have been some mistake in the delivery of it. In this mortifying fituation, I had nothing to do but to return home. Ludicrous and humiliating as the foregoing scene muft be, I cannot avoid relating it, as it may ferve as a leffon to many, who too readily give way to the impulfes of vanity. Young minds are naturally prone to it; mine confequently was. And this well-timed rebuke, however grating, was the greateft piece of regard her Grace could have given me.

"I went home with no very pleafing fenfations, as I expected to receive the taunts of a female relation upon the occation, who had lately arrived from Ireland, and on whom my mother doated. As this perfon will be frequently mentioned in the course of my narrative, and was the cause of many of the inconveniencies I afterwards fuffered, it may not be amifs to acquaint you, that her deformed body was a fit receptacle for her depraved mind.

66

According to Hogarth's rules, indeed, her perfon may be said to abound in all the graces annexed, to the idea of beauty, as he had not a ftraight line about her. And her mind was no lefs crooked than

her body. She had taken a diflike to me on her firft coming over, but for what reason I cannot account; and her averfion feemed to increase with my fuccefs on the stage. To fuch a height was it now rifen, that it was the caufe of much unhappiness to me; fo that, I was at length obliged to complain to Mrs Jackfon,who requested my mother to provide for her elsewhere, but without effect.

"According to my expectations, I had no fooner returned from Queenfberry-house, and informed my mother of the reception I met with there, than this relation perfuaded her that the invitation was merely a chimera of my own brain, generated by my infupportable vanity. So virulent was her behaviour, that in order to avoid her farcafms, I pretended business at the theatre in the evening, and went there.

66

Upon my entering the greenroom, I was accofted by Prince Lob. kowitz, who was then here in a public character, requefting a box at my benefit, for the corps diplomatique. After thanking his highnefs for the honour intended me, I informed him. they might be accommodated with a ftage box, and fending for the houfe keeper,de fired he wouldmake an entry in his book to this purpose. But how great was my furprize, when he acquainted me I had not a box to difpofe of; every one, except thofe of the countefs of Cardigan, the duchefs dowager of Leeds, and lady Shaftesbury, being retained for her grace the duchefs of Queensberry? I could not help thinking but the man was joking, as he himself brought me the meffage from her grace the night before, and that I had found to be a deception. He however ftill perfitted in what he faid; and further added,

that

that the duchefs had likewife fent for two hundred and fifty tickets. This made me more at a lofs to account for the cavalier treatment I had received in the morning. "His highness prince Lobkowitz condefcended to put up with a bal. cony for himfelf and friends; and I haftened home, at once to make known to my mother my good fortune, and to retaliate on my inimical relation. To add to my fatis faction, when I got home, I found a note from her grace, defiring I would wait upon her the next morning. This being fuch an evident proof of my veracity, which it had given me inexpreffible uneafiness to have doubted, I experienced proportionable pleasure from it.

"I was, notwithstanding, fo apprehenfive of meeting with a fecond mortification, that I determined to walk to Queen1berry-house, to prevent any perfon's being a witness to it, hould it happen. I accordingly fet out on foot, and was not totally free from perturbation when I knocked at the gate. I was, however, immediately ufhered into her grace's apartment, where my reception was as fingular as my treatment had been the day before; her grace thus accofting me: "Well, young "woman! What bufinefs had you "in a chair yesterday? It was a "fine morning, and you might "have walked. You look as you ought to do now," (obferving my linen gown.) Nothing is fo vuigar as wearing filk in a morning. Simplicity beft becomes "youth; and you don't ftand in "need of ornaments. Therefore drefs always plain, except when

"

you are upon the stage."

"Whilt her grace was talking in this manner to me, the was

cleaning a picture, which I officioufly requefting her permiffion to do, the haftily replied," Don't you "think I have domeftics enough, if "I did not chufe to do it myself?" I apologized for my prefumption, by informing her grace that I had been for fome time at Jones's,, where I had been flattered that I had acquired a tolerable proficiency. in that art. The duchefs on this exclaimed," are you the girl I "have heard Chefterfield fpeak of?" Upon my answering, I had the honour of being known to his lordfhip, the ordered a canvas bag to be taken out of her cabinet, faying, "Queensberry can give no perfon "lefs than gold. There are a hun"dred and fifty guineas, and twen

ty for the duke's tickets and mine; "but I muft give you fomething for "Tyrawley's fake." She then took a bill from her pocket-book, which having put into my hands, fhe told me her coach was ordered to carry me home, left any accident thould happen to me, now I had fuch a charge about me.

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Though the conclufion of her grace's whim, as it might be juftly termed, was more pleafing than the beginning of it, and her munificence much greater than that of the countefs of Cardigan, yet I muft acknowledge I was much better pleafed with the reception I met with from her ladyship; who honoured me with her protection whilft I continued on the stage."

1

Koo, a Son of Shah Jehan, Em peror of Hindoftan. From the Inftitutes of the Great Timour, improperly called Tamerlane, publifhed by Jof. White, B. D. . &c.

RUDER, I reverence thee in thy majefty and in thy difpleasure. I reverence thy arrows, which convey deftruction; and thy bow, thy quiver, and thy arms, which are the givers of victory.Look toward me with that countenance of benignity, mild like the face of the moon, by which thou beftoweft joy, and doeft away all fins.

and

O thou, who art the Lord of mighty mountains, difpel the pains of all mankind; make them joyful, and defend them from harm grant that I may remain fecure un. der thy guardianship and protection. Thou art the great phyfician of physicians heal thou my infirmities; disperse my vicious and malevolent inclinations, which lead me into the road of evil.

I reverence thee in the fun, which is thy image, whilft it featters a hundred thoufand vivifying ray's over the univerfe; whilft in meridian brightness it diffufes gladnefs; nor lets when at morn or eve its flaming countenance denotes thy anger. Turn away that anger from me. I reverence Him who is the fource of joy to living creatures, whofe nature is exempt from decay, and knows not the increase of age. To Him, and all that springs from Him, I owe reverence and honour.

O Ruder, ftring thy bow to defend me from all my open or fecret enemies. Shoot the arrows of thy quiver to deftroy them.. When

thou haft destroyed my enemies, and unftrung thy bow, and taken off the points of thy arrows, and art rejoiced; then grant that I likewise may rejoice. But thy bow is not liko other bows, nor thy arrows like other arrows. Thou needest not to ftring the bow, nor to sharpen the points of arrows. Thou needeft not the fword like other fwords, to accomplish thy purposes. Othou who canft fulfil defites, whofe defign no enemy can baffle; guard and protect me on every fide, and drive my enemies far from me.

O Ruder, thy arm is like fhining gold. Thou art the Lord of all armies. All causes of things have their origin in thee. Thou art the caufe of caufes. Thou art space. The verdure of the fields is thine. Thou art Lord of all the beasts, and the birds, and other living creatures. Thou art the guide Every light that thines is thy light. Thou entereft into all thou filtainett all.

O punither of those who go aftray, O Lord of life, O purest of beings! terrify not thy creatures, firike them not, deftroy them not : nor let even one of them fuffer pain from thee. O thou, who giveft ftrength to the feeble, and medicines to the fick; grant me thy support, that I may enjoy health and live. O Ruder, turn my understanding toward thee, for thou art the Lord of power. I befeech thee to keep all creatures which belong to me, whether man or beaft, in quiet and fecurityPreferve all the inhabitants of this city. Afflict them not with ficknefs; do thou, Ruder, give them health, and drive diseases far from them. We all come before thee in fupplication. Grant unto us all which our fathers

thofe bleflings,

alked