the Czar to Barclay's brother-in-law. "Of
what use can you be in any kingdom or
government, seeing you will not bear arms and
fight?" The Czar was inclined to look upon
them as Jesuits, but altered his opinion, and
with his attendants in the English costume of
the time, attended a Quaker meeting in
White Hart Court, in Gracechurch Street: in
that court where, only a few years before, Fox
the founder of the sect had died. His presence
was recognised, and, to avoid the gaze which
he could not endure, he left before the meeting
was over.

When Peter was in England the see of
Canterbury was filled by Tenison— the same
Tenison who, as vicar of St. Martin's, had
preached a sermon of forgiveness at the
funeral of Eleanor Gwyn. Peter paid a visit
to the prelate at Lambeth, and, having
expressed a wish to be informed as to our
religion and constitution, the Archbishop, with
the approbation of the king, selected the
Bishop of Salisbury. No better man could
have been chosen. The Bishop of Salisbury
of that time was Gilbert Burnet, who had
written the History of our Reformed Religion,
the same divine who administered consolation
to the death-bed of Rochester, and contributed
religious comfort to Russell in the cell
and on the scaffold.

Burnet had good interpreters, and had
much free discourse witli him. He found
that he was subject to convulsive motions
over his body, and that his head seemed to be
affected by them; that he was not wanting
in capacity, and had a larger measure of
knowledge than his education had led him to
expect. He found him a man of a very hot
temper, soon influenced, and very brutal in
his passion, raising his natural heat by
frequent recourse to brandy, which he rectified
himself. His turn was for mechanics;
and nature— so thought the bishop— seemed
to have designed him rather to be a ship-
carpenter than a great prince. He wrought
much with his own hands, and made all about
him work at the models of ships. He was
resolved to encourage learning, and to polish
his people by sending some of them to travel
in other countries, and to draw strangers to
come and live with them. He was desirous
to understand the doctrine of the Church of
England, but did not seem disposed to mend
matters in Muscovy. The bishop adds and
this, perhaps, is the most important portion
of what he has related about Peter " He
told me he designed a great fleet at Azoff,
and with it to attack the Turkish empire."

Here we have, explained, the policy which
Russia has been pursuing secretly, but sometimes
openly (now openly enough), since
Peter learned to build ships at Deptford.
Little, perhaps, did the Czar imagine that this
policy was, in the year eighteen hundred and
fifty-four, to cost the country in which he
was learning the arts of aggression, a fleet in
the Baltic, a fleet in the Black Sea, and an
expedition into the Sea of Azoff. Nay, that
to repel his attack on the Turkish empire,
France and England should join their forces
for the first time; and that the existence of
Turkey as an empire would be fought for, as it
now is (a world-wide fact), before the greatest
stronghold of Russia or of any nation, ancient
or modern.

The Czar liked brandy and Ambrosia, and
he liked a strong mixture called "pepper and
brandy." The Marquis of Caermarthen often
joined him in his orgies. But what told on
the Czar Peter— perhaps from its frequency—
is not known to have been injurious to the
English marquis. Peter was at this time subject
to convulsive motions of the body, that
seemed, as I have already related, to affect his
head. But the English were deep drinkers,
especially our sailors, and tie marquis was
an English admiral so, indeed, was Benbow,
another of Peter's companions during his three
months' visit to England. Peter should have
known (we fear he did not) the most distinguished
admiral then alive — Admiral Russell,
who defeated the French off La Hogue, for
which he was created Earl of Orford, and
who is said to have mixed the largest bowls
of punch ever made. One was dug in his
garden at Chippenham in Cambridgeshire,
the other he made at Lisbon.

There is still to be seen in Little Tower
Street, in the City of London, a public-house
(recently refronted) bearing the sign of the
Czar's Head. This was the favourite resort
of Peter when in London. Hither he would
come from Deptford after his labours in the
dockyard, and his watching the changes
which the artificers of the yard were making
in a yacht called the Royal Transport, which
King William had presented to him, with
permission to make such alterations in her as
he considered necessary. He came from
Deptford to London in a small decked boat,
which he assisted in working to Tower Stairs.
After the orgies he delighted in, he was not,
I fear, very well fitted to pilot the boat on
their return down the river to Deptford; but
the Thames was not then lashed and troubled
by large and small steamers and boats of
every description, which now crowd her waters
from London Bridge to Blackwall. He may
have concluded his nights at the Czar's Head.

King William was not inattentive to the
Czar. He made him a second visit, at which
an odd incident occurred. The Czar had a
favourite monkey, which usually sat upon the
back of the Czar's chair. As soon as the king
was seated, the monkey jumped somewhat
angrily upon him. The " great Nassau" was
disconcerted, the whole ceremonial discomposed,
and most of the time— Lord Dartmouth,
who tells the story, assures us— was spent in
apologies for the monkey's behaviour.

The Czar is said to have enjoyed his visit
to England, but it was high time for him to
return. He had been apprehensive of his
sister's intrigues, and a confirmation of his