mber 27th, 1829 {p.259}

At Panshanger since the 24th; Lievens, J. Russell, Montrond, M.
de la Rochefoucauld, F. Lamb. On Christmas Day the Princess
[Lieven] got up a little _fete_ such as is customary all over
Germany. Three trees in great pots were put upon a long table
covered with pink linen; each tree was illuminated with three
circular tiers of coloured wax candles--blue, green, red, and
white. Before each tree was displayed a quantity of toys, gloves,
pocket-handkerchiefs, workboxes, books, and various articles--
presents made to the owner of the tree. It was very pretty. Here
it was only for the children; in Germany the custom extends to
persons of all ages. The Princess told us to-day about the
Emperor of Russia's relapse and the cause of it. He had had a
cold which he had neglected, but at length the physicians had
given him some medicine to produce perspiration, and he was in
bed in that state, the Empress sitting by him reading to him,
when on a sudden a dreadful noise was heard in the next (the
children's) room, followed by loud shrieks. The Empress rushed
into the room, and the Emperor jumped out of bed in his shirt and
followed her. There the children, the governess, and the nurses
were screaming out that Constantine (the second boy, of two years
old) was destroyed; a huge vase of porphyry had been thrown down
and had fallen over the child, who was not to be seen. So great
was the weight and size of the vase that it was several minutes
before it could be raised, though assistance was immediately
fetched, and all that time the Emperor and Empress stood there in
ignorance of the fate of the child, and expecting to see the
removal of the vase discover his mangled body, when to their
delight it was found that the vase had fallen exactly over him,
without doing him the least injury, but the agitation and the
cold brought on a violent fever, which for some time put the
Emperor in great danger. The Princess said she was surprised that
it did not kill the Empress, for she is the most nervous woman in
the world, ever since the conspiracy at the time of his
accession, when her nerves were _ebranles_ by all she went
through. That scene (of the revolt of the Guards) took place
under the window of the Palace. The whole Imperial Family was
assembled there and saw it all, the Emperor being in the middle
of men by whom they expected him to be assassinated every moment.
During all that time--many hours--the young Empre