centre of six several rooms, like a stove; the funnel to carry the smoke
went up one way, the door to come at the fire went in another, and all
the rooms were kept equally warm, but no fire seen, just as they heat
baths in England. By this means we had always the same climate in all
the rooms, and an equal heat was preserved, and yet we saw no fire, nor
were ever incommoded with smoke.

The most wonderful thing of all was, that it should be possible to meet
with good company here, in a country so barbarous as this--one of the
most northerly parts of Europe. But this being the country where the
state criminals of Muscovy, as I observed before, are all banished, the
city was full of Russian noblemen, gentlemen, soldiers, and courtiers.
Here was the famous Prince Galitzin, the old German Robostiski, and
several other persons of note, and some ladies. By means of my Scotch
merchant, whom, nevertheless, I parted with here, I made an acquaintance
with several of these gentlemen; and from these, in the long winter
nights in which I stayed here, I received several very agreeable visits.

CHAPTER XVI--SAFE ARRIVAL IN ENGLAND

It was talking one night with a certain prince, one of the banished
ministers of state belonging to the Czar, that the discourse of my
particular case began. He had been telling me abundance of fine things
of the greatness, the magnificence, the dominions, and the absolute power
of the Emperor of the Russians: I interrupted him, and told him I was a
greater and more powerful prince than ever the Czar was, though my
dominion were not so large, or my people so many. The Russian grandee
looked a little surprised, and, fixing his eyes steadily upon me, began
to wonder what I meant. I said his wonder would cease when I had
explained myself, and told him the story at large of my living in the
island; and then how I managed both myself and the people that were under
me, just as I have since minuted it down. They were exceedingly taken
with the story, and especially the prince, who told me, with a sigh, that
the true greatness of life was to be masters of ourselves; that he would
not have exchanged such a state of life as mine to be Czar of Muscovy;
and that he found more felicity in the retirement he seemed to be
banished to there, than ever he found in the highest authority he enjoyed
in the court of his master the Czar; that the height of human wisdom was
to bring our tempers down to our circumst