d to have got much real
work out of either of these Governing Bodies; the former, the Senate, or
SECULAR one, which had fallen very torpid latterly, was, not long after
this, suffered to die out altogether. Peter himself was a violently
pushing man, and never shrank from labor; always in a plunge of hurries,
and of irregular hours. In his final time, people whispered, "The
Czar is killing himself; sits smoking, tippling, talking till 2 in the
morning; and is overhead in business again by 7!"

CZARINA ELIZABETH'S FUNERAL, AS SEEN BY HORDT (much abridged). "At 10
in the morning all the bells in Petersburg broke out; and tolled
incessantly [day or month not hinted at,--nor worth seeking; grim
darkness of universal frost perceptible enough; clangor of bells;
and procession seemingly of miles long,--on this extremely high
errand!]--Minute-guns were fired from the moment the procession set
out from the Castle till it arrived at the Citadel, a distance of two
English miles and a half. Planks were laid all the way; forming a sort
of bridge through the streets, and over the ice of the Neva. All the
soldiers of the Garrison were ranked in espalier on each side. Three
hundred grenadiers opened the march; after them, three hundred priests,
in sacerdotal costume; walking two-and-two, singing hymns. All
the Crowns and Orders, above mentioned by me, were carried by high
Dignitaries of the Court, walking in single file, each a chamberlain
behind him. Hearse was followed by the Czar, skirt of his black cloak
held up by Twelve Chamberlains, each a lighted taper in the OTHER hand.
Prince George of Holstein [Czar's Uncle] came next, then Holstein-Beck
[Czar's Cousin]. Czarina Catharine followed, also on foot, with
a lighted taper; her cloak borne by all her Ladies. Three hundred
grenadiers closed the procession. Bells tolling, minute-guns firing,
seas of people crowding."--Thus the Russians buried their Czarina. Day
and its dusky frost-curtains sank; and Bootes, looking down from the
starry deeps, found one Telluric Anomaly forever hidden from him. She
had left of unworn Dresses, the richest procurable in Nature (five a day
her usual allowance, and never or seldom worn twice), "15,000 and some
hundreds." [Hermann, v. 176.]

HORDT IS OF THE NEW CZARINA CATHARINE'S EVENING PARTIES. "The Czarina
received company every morning. She received everybody with great
affability and grace. But notwithstanding her efforts to appear gay, one
could pe