forgave her maid of honour.  This forgiveness was attributed to the young lady’s skill in dancing.  I knew the brother of this lady, a fine and intelligent young officer.  I had the good fortune to be admitted to the Court, and there I had the pleasure of seeing Mdlle.  Chitroff dancing, and also Mdlle.  Sievers, now Princesss, whom I saw again at Dresden four years ago with her daughter, an extremely genteel young princess.  I was enchanted with Mdlle.  Sievers, and felt quite in love with her; but as we were never introduced I had no opportunity of declaring my passion.  Putini, the castrato, was high in her favour, as indeed he deserved to be, both for his talents and the beauties of his person.

The worthy Papanelopulo introduced me to Alsuwieff, one of the ministers, a man of wit and letters, and only one of the kind whom I met in Russia.  He had been an industrious student at the University of Upsala, and loved wine, women, and good cheer.  He asked me to dine with Locatelli at Catherinhoff, one of the imperial mansions, which the empress had assigned to the old theatrical manager for the remainder of his days.  He was astonished to see me, and I was more astonished still to find that he had turned taverner, for he gave an excellent dinner every day to all who cared to pay a rouble, exclusive of wine.  M. d’Alsuwieff introduced me to his colleague in the ministry, Teploff, whose vice was that he loved boys, and his virtue that he had strangled Peter iii.

Madame Mecour, the dancer, introduced me to her lover, Ghelaghin, also a minister.  He had spent twenty years of his life in Siberia.

A letter from Da Loglio got me a warm welcome from the castrato Luini, a delightful man, who kept a splendid table.  He was the lover of Colonna, the singer, but their affection seemed to me a torment, for they could scarce live together in peace for a single day.  At Luini’s house I met another castrato, Millico, a great friend of the chief huntsman, Narischkin, who also became one of my friends.  This Narischkin, a pleasant and a well-informed man, was the husband of the famous Maria Paulovna.  It was at the chief huntsman’s splendid table that I met Calogeso Plato, now archbishop of Novgorod, and then chaplain to the empress.  This monk was a Russian, and a master of ruses, understood Greek, and spoke Latin and French, and was what would be called a fine man.  It was no wonder that he rose to such a height, as in Russia the nobility never lower themselves by accepting church dignities.

Da Loglio had given me a letter for the Princess Daschkoff, and I took it to her country house, at the distance of three versts from St. Petersburg.  She had been exiled from the capital, because, having assisted Catherine to ascend the throne, she claimed to share it with her.