of a sister maid, whom the empress always presents with her picture set in diamonds.  The three first of them are called Ladies of the Key, and wear gold keys by their sides; but what I find most pleasant, is the custom which obliges them, as long as they live, after they have left the empress’s service, to make her some present every year on the day of her feast.  Her majesty is served by no married women but the grande maitresse, who is generally a widow of the first quality, always very old, and is at the same time groom of the stole, and mother of the maids.  The dresses are not at all in the figure they pretend to in England, being looked upon no otherwise than as downright chambermaids.

I had audience next day of the empress mother, a princess of great virtue and goodness, but who piques herself so much on a violent devotion; she is perpetually performing extraordinary acts of penance, without having ever done anything to deserve them.  She has the same number of maids of honour, whom she suffers to go in colours; but she herself never quits her mourning; and sure nothing can be more dismal than the mourning here, even for a brother.  There is not the least bit of linen to be seen; all black crape instead of it.  The neck, ears, and side of the face covered with a plaited piece of the same stuff, and the face that peeps out in the midst of it, looks as if it were pilloried.  The widows wear, over and above, a crape forehead cloth; and in this solemn weed go to all the public places of diversion without scruple.  The next day I was to wait on the empress Amelia, who is now at her palace of retirement half a mile from the town.  I had there the pleasure of seeing a diversion wholly new to me, but which is the common amusement of this court.  The empress herself was seated on a little throne at the end of a fine alley in the garden, and on each side of her were ranged two parties of her ladies of honour with other young ladies of quality, headed by the two young archduchesses, all dressed in their hair full of jewels, with fine light guns in their hands; and at proper distances were placed three oval pictures, which were the marks to be shot at.  The first was that of a CUPID, filling a bumper of Burgundy, and this motto, ’Tis easy to be valiant here.  The second a FORTUNE, holding a garland in her hand, the motto, For her whom Fortune favours.  The third was a SWORD, with a laurel wreath on the point, the motto, Here is no shame to the vanquished.  Near the empress was a gilded trophy wreathed with flowers, and made of little crooks, on which were hung rich Turkish handkerchiefs, tippets, ribbons, laces, etc., for the small prizes.  The empress gave the first with her own hand, which was a fine ruby ring set round with diamonds, in a gold snuff-box.  There was for the second, a little Cupid set with brilliants; and besides these, a set of fine china for a tea-table enchased in gold, japan trunks, fans,