xamples by famous masters.

Here are also preserved the private libraries that once belonged to
Zimmermann, Voltaire, and Diderot, besides those of several other
remarkable men of letters. There is a royal theatre under the same roof,
where plays used to be performed by amateurs from the court circles for
the gratification of the empress, the text of the plays being sometimes
written by herself. This royal lady indulged her fancy to the fullest
extent. On the roof of the Hermitage was created a marvellous garden
planted with choicest flowers, shrubs, and even trees of considerable
size, all together forming a grand floral conservatory which was heated
by subterranean fires in winter, and sheltered by a complete covering of
glass.

CHAPTER XIX.

The Palace of Peterhoff is situated about sixteen miles from St.
Petersburg, on the shore of the Neva where the river expands to a width
of eight or ten miles. This place has always been celebrated for the
magnificent entertainments given here since the days when it was first
built by Peter the Great. The main structure has no special merit in
point of architecture, but the location and the surroundings are
extremely beautiful. From the terrace of the great yellow palace built
upon a natural elevation, one gets a fine though distant view of the
coast of Finland,--a portion of the Tzar's dominion which alone exceeds
in size Great Britain and Ireland, a wide-spread barren land of lakes
and granite rocks, but peopled by over two millions of souls. The parks,
gardens, fountains, hot-houses, groves, and embowered paths of Peterhoff
are kept in the most perfect order by a small army of household
attendants. The artificial water-works are after the style of those at
St. Cloud, and are nearly equal to those of Versailles.

Here the famous Peter used to retire and stroll about the gardens with
his humble favorite, a Polish girl, forgetting the cares of state. This
lowly companion, besides great personal beauty, possessed much force of
character, and exercised great influence over her melancholic and morose
master. Long before her final elevation to the throne, many instances
are related of her interference in behalf of mercy, which showed a kind
and loving nature. Peterhoff is the favorite summer resort of the royal
family.

The Tzar's dominion embraces every phase of religion and of
civilization. Portions of the empire are as barbaric as Central Africa,
others are semi-civi