w with her own eyes:--

"Next day," that is, Wednesday, 22d "the Czar and his Spouse came
to return the Queen's visit; and I saw the Court myself." Palace
Grand-Apartments; Queen advancing a due length, even to the outer
guard-room; giving the Czarina her right hand, and leading her into her
audience-chamber in that distinguished manner: King and Czar followed
close;--and here it was that Wilhelmina's personal experiences began.
"The Czar at once recognized me, having seen me before, five years ago
[March, 1713]. He caught me in his arms; fell to kissing me, like to
flay the skin off my face. I boxed his ears, sprawled, and struggled
with all my strength; saying I would not allow such familiarities, and
that he was dishonoring me. He laughed greatly at this idea; made peace,
and talked a long time with me. I had got my lesson: I spoke of his
fleet and his conquests;--which charmed him so much, that he said more
than once to the Czarina, 'If he could have a child like me, he would
willingly give one of his Provinces in exchange.' The Czarina also
caressed me a good deal. The Queen [Mamma] and she placed themselves
under the dais, each in an arm-chair" of proper dignity; "I was at the
Queen's side, and the Princesses of the Blood," Margravines above spoken
of, "were opposite to her,"--all in a standing posture, as is proper.

"The Czarina was a little stumpy body, very brown, and had neither air
nor grace: you needed only look at her, to guess her low extraction."
It is no secret, she had been a kitchen-wench in her Lithuanian native
country; afterwards a female of the kind called unfortunate, under
several figures: however, she saved the Czar once, by her ready-wit and
courage, from a devouring Turkish Difficulty, and he made her fortunate
and a Czarina, to sit under the dais as now. "With her huddle of
clothes, she looked for all the world like a German Play-actress; her
dress, you would have said, had been bought at a second-hand shop; all
was out of fashion, all was loaded with silver and greasy dirt. The
front of her bodice she had ornamented with jewels in a very singular
pattern: A double-eagle in embroidery, and the plumes of it set with
poor little diamonds, of the smallest possible carat, and very ill
mounted. All along the facing of her gown were Orders and little things
of metal; a dozen Orders, and as many Portraits of saints, of relics
and the like; so that when she walked, it was with a jingling, as if you