and that the embassy was not accredited to the Swedish court. Dalberg kept himself within the bounds of strict propriety, but did not err on the side of politeness. He knew perfectly well that the Tsar was in the embassy, but he respected his incognito. As the embassadors did not pay him a visit in person, he did not pay a personal visit to the embassadors. Nothing was done in the way of amusement or diversion for the Tsar, besides the first reception. The embassadors were left to pay for their lodgings and their provisions, and to get on as best they might. They paid high prices for everything, but times were hard, and the people naturally tried to make the most they could out of the distinguished strangers. As there was nothing to be seen, either in a military or naval way, as there were no feasts nor amusements of any kind prepared for him, Peter became bored, especially as he was anxious to continue his journey. He left the rest, and ventured across the river in a small boat, and remained two days on the other side, waiting for the embassy. In a letter to Vinius, of the 18th of April, he says: "Here we lived in a slavish way, and were tired with the mere sight of things." Nevertheless, the embassy took its leave with all form and ceremony, and crossed the river on a vessel carrying

the royal flag of Sweden, and with a salute. When it was necessary to find a pretext for a war with Sweden, the reception at Riga was made one of the reasons, and even in 1709, when the siege of Riga was undertaken, Peter, after throwing the first three bomb-shells into the town, wrote to Menshikóf: "Thus the Lord God has enabled us to see the beginning of our revenge on this accursed place." We should add here that Peter's feelings about his reception at Riga probably increased with time. In other countries where he went, there was a sovereign with a court, and although, in a certain way, the Tsar was incognito, yet he was privately and familiarly received and entertained. tained. It was unfortunate for him that his first venture was in an outlying province, the tenure of which was not too secure, and in a commercial rather than in an aristocratic town.

Mitau is now a dull provincial town, and the Hebrew signs on the street corners show the great Jewish population. Its greatest object of interest to travelers is the old Ducal Castle, almost entirely rebuilt in the last century, with its reminiscences of the residence and sudden departure of the exiled Louis XVIII., and the mummified body of the Duke John Ernest Biren (the lover of the Empress Anne, and the ances

tor of the Sagan family), which lies in the coffin attired in velvet and ruffles, but by some malice lacking the tip of the nose. In 1697 Mitau was the capital of the little Duchy of Curland, which maintained a semi-independence by becoming a fief of the Polish crown. The reigning Duke, Frederic Casimir, was an old friend of Lefort. It was with him that Lefort had served in Holland. Although he was poor, he did everything that he could to make the time pass pleasantly for Peter and for the embassy. Here the Tsar consented to give up in part his incognito, made visits to the Duke, and received them in return. A week was quickly passed in amusement and pleasure, but even with this Peter found time to exercise himself in a carpenter's shop.

From Mitau Peter proceeded to Libau, where he was detained by bad weather for a week, when he finally took passage on a small ship going to Pillau, the port of Königsberg. During his stay at Libau, he passed for the skipper of a Russian privateer, though he was able to give no satisfactory explanation to an acquaintance who frequently met and drank with him in a small beer-shop as to why it was a privateer, and not a merchant vessel, that he commanded. Besides the beer-house, Peter often visited an apothecary's shop, and wrote to Vinius that he had seen there "a wonder which was ordinarily considered untrue, a real salamander preserved in spirits in a bottle," which he had taken out and held in his hand. The embassy proceeded by land. The Tsar went by sea, to avoid passing through Polish territory.

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Blomberg, whom I have already cited about the election of Patriarch, met the embassy in Curland, and says of their entertainment: 'Open tables were kept everywhere, with trumpets and music, attended with feasting and excessive drinking all along, as if his Tsarish Majesty had been another Bacchus. I have not seen such hard drinkers; it is not possible to express it, and they boast of it as a mighty qualification." Of Lefort's drinking he remarks: "It never overcomes him, but he always continues master of his reason." Leibnitz, writing from private information received from Königsberg, says much the same thing: "Lefort drinks like a hero; no one can rival him. It is feared that he will be the death of some of the Elector's courtiers. Beginning in the evening, he does not leave his pipe and glass till three hours after sunrise, and yet he is a man of great parts."

Frederick III., Elector of Brandenburg, then on the eve of transforming himself into the first King of Prussia, was greatly interested to know whether the Tsar was really among the embassy, and beside sending a secret agent into Curland to find out, he gave directions about the treatment of the embassy, in case it were simply intending to pass through his dominions, or in case it were directed also to him. Peter was therefore met at Pillau by an officer who proffered the hospitality of the Elector, but an answer was returned that there was no person of distinction on board, except the Prince of Imeritia, and that no visits could be received. A similar occurrence took place at the mouth of the Pregel, and it was not until Peter arrived at Königsberg itself that he was willing to allow himself to be known to the Elector. After taking small lodgings in a street on the Kneiphof, he went out in a close carriage, late at night, and paid a visit to the Elector, entering the palace by a private staircase. The interview lasted for an hour and a half, and the sovereigns were mutually pleased. Although, in order to keep his incognito, Peter refused to receive a return visit, yet he saw the Elector several times again, and was entertained by him at his country house, witnessed a bear fight, and appeared at a hunting party. His curiosity and vivacity, his readiness to be pleased, and his appreciation of the manners and habits of the country, made a favorable impression. He astonished by his natural capacity and his dexterity, even in playing the trumpet and the drum.

The embassy arrived eleven days after Peter, and was splendidly received. Great advantages were expected to Brandenburg from an intimacy with Russia, and the economical Elector, on this occasion, spared no money.

Peter's visit is said to have cost him 150,000 thalers. Under the skillful guidance of Lefort and Von Besser, all ceremonial observances were strictly complied with, and, for the first time in the history of Russian missions abroad, there was no unseemly wrangling over points of precedence and etiquette. The members of the embassy appeared officially in Russian costume, though they wore foreign dress in private. The Elector told the Tsar afterward that he had hard work to keep from laughing, when, according to custom, he had to ask the embassadors how the Tsar was, and whether they had left him in good health. Peter had just before been standing at the window to see the entry of the

An unfortunate incident, arising from Peter's hasty temper, marked the conclusion of his stay. He had remained a day longer to celebrate his name's-day, and had expected the Elector to visit him. He had even made some fire-works for the occasion. Frederick had been obliged to go to Memel, to meet the Duke of Curland, and therefore sent Count von Kreyzen to the Landvogt von Schacken to present his compliments and his regrets. Peter was childishly vexed, and in his disappointment at not being able to show his fire-works, vented his

Instead of going by sea from Pillau to Holland, Peter went no further than Colberg, as he was fearful of falling in with the French squadron, which was said to be escorting the Prince de Conti to Poland. From that place he traveled by land as speedily as possible, stopping only to look at the famous iron-works near Ilsenburg, and to ascend the Brocken for the view.

The journey of the Tsar produced as much commotion and excitement in the minds of curious people of that time as did those of the Sultan and the Shah in our own day.

rage on the envoys. He took it amiss that they had left the room after dinner to "refresh themselves" after their journey, and had them brought back. Looking "sourly" at Count von Kreyzen, he remarked in Dutch to Lefort, that "The Elector was very good, but his counsellors were the devil." Then, imagining he saw a smile steal over the face of Kreyzen, who was about to retire, he rushed at him, cried, "Go! go!" and twice pushed him backward. His anger did not cool until he had written to his "dearest friend," the Elector, a letter, half of complaint and half of apology.

Among those most anxious to form a personal acquaintance with the Tsar were the philosopher Leibnitz, who had long been interested in Russia, chiefly for philological reasons, and his friends, Sophia, the widowed Electress of Hanover, granddaughter of James I. of England, and her daughter Sophia Charlotte, wife of the Elector of Brandenburg. Sophia Charlotte was on a visit to her mother, and had therefore missed the visit of Peter to Königsberg, though she had had full accounts of it from a constant correspondent. Leibnitz was unable at this time to see the Tsar, but the