Empress Maria Feodorovna entered her audience-chamber, accompanied by Prince Dolgorouky, and one or two "Dames d'honneur à Portrait," and, in the most affable manner imaginable, addressed first `Mr. T―, and then myself, each upon our favourite topics of personal information. In her observations, acuteness of remark, and that concise and aphoristical style of speaking which is so striking in persons who are masters of the French language, her Majesty reminded me of Madame de Stael, with whom I had been well acquainted, and had frequently visited at Paris. She seemed, indeed, to possess all the erudition of that celebrated lady, with principles far different from hers, and a knowledge fully as extensive as had been noticed by Madame de Campan in the "Comtesse du Nord,” thirtyfive years before. Her Majesty had been informed, that I had visited with great assiduity all the public establishments in St. Petersburgh, and particularly her own, and said she trusted that I saw reason to be satisfied with them. She had been made acquainted with the several remarks I had made; and, with a smile, alluded to the curiosity which, in my character of physician, I had evinced at the College of the "Demoiselles Nobles," to see one of their dresses, in consequence of having been struck with what I certainly considered, at the time, to be the effect of excessive lacing, a uniformly very small waist in all the pupils, which contrasted in a striking manner with the expansion of their bust; and which had it been produced by busks and laces, I should certainly have taken the liberty of condemning, as highly injurious to the present and future health of the young ladies. "Je suis bien aise qu'on vous ait montré une de leur robes, où vous devez avoir remarqué qu'il n'y avait que des très petites baleines-et on ne permet aucun corset dessous." It was thus, indeed, that I found matters on inquiry, and I could not help, on that occasion, feeling some degree of surprise at the general appearance and figure of the pupils, which was

what the French call svelte et bien cambrée. But I had afterwards sufficient opportunities of observing that such is the almost natural conformation of all the fair sex among the upper classes of society. Her Majesty, like the Emperor, alluded, but in a more particular manner, to my "travail sur les Momies d'Egypte," and even on this subject she evinced great information by her remarks on what I had publicly advanced respecting the conformation, age, disease, and mode of preparing the mummy I had examined, as well as on the inferences to be derived from those facts. "Pour moi," said her Majesty, "je trouve dans ce sujet quelque chose de touchant, par la considération du quel on se croit, pour ainsi dire, transporté à l'époque de ce peuple singulier et célébre, de manière, non seulement à pouvoir consulter les grands monumens qui ont transmis jusqu'à nous leur gloire et leur connoissances; mais à étudier et toucher avec révérence les mains mêmes qui les ont érigés." She then withdrew with the usual marks of courtesy, which were acknowledged on our part by a profound bow when we quitted the room. In a few minutes after, however, the Prince Dolgorouky having signified to the Grand Master of the Ceremonies that it was her Majesty's pleasure to confer with me in private, I followed her physician, Dr. Ruhl, into her boudoir, where she was standing by a table, on which lay a book and the implements for embroidery. Her Majesty having apologized for detaining me, as she was pleased to observe, and for requesting to see me in her own apartments, proceeded to ask more particularly what impression I had received on visiting her establishments-what was my opinion of their respective utility—and if I thought that any thing more could be devised for the relief of suffering humanity. This address was delivered in that tone of kindness and affability which, while it gave me encouragement, tended also to increase my respect for that amiable and benevolent Princess. I need not repeat to my readers what I stated

on the subject of her Majesty's numerous charitable and other institutions. My sentiments on that point have been sufficiently expressed in many of the preceding chapters. I observed, among other things, that I thought an hospital for the specific treatment and alleviation of the diseases of children, was a monument well worthy of the consideration of a Princess, who had almost exhausted every other channel of philanthropy in favour of the capital and the nation. Such an establishment appeared as necessary in St. Petersburgh as it was found to be in Paris, Vienna, and London; since there existed no provision, or very scanty if any, for that important object in St. Petersburgh, except in behalf of the foundlings. Her Majesty seemed struck with the truth of the observation, and immediately adopting the idea, turned to her physician, and said, "Il faut faire cela," and begged me to develope a little farther the idea, with the details and prospective benefit of which, her Majesty appeared highly delighted. She requested that, on my return to London, I would send her a plan for such an institution; and that whenever any new discovery in favour of humanity, or important fact bearing on the several objects of her attention, came to light in England, I would not fail to acquaint her with it. "Car," added she, “nôtre sejour sur la terre est si court qu'on doit regretter le tems perdu sans faire du bien." Her Majesty next discoursed on the system of female education pursued at the two colleges of St. Catherine and the Demoiselles Nobles. It was impossible, without being guilty of injustice, not to admit that the system, as one of public education, was one of which the most polished nation might well be proud; but having, throughout my professional career, had in view the importance of physical as well as moral education, I ventured to remark, that a constant residence of nine years, without a total change of air and scene, or in the relations of life and mode of living, were it only for once during that period;

or without passing a certain time at home in the bosom of their families, was calculated to weaken the constitution of the pupils, impede the full development of their persons, and not improve their general appearance. Her Majesty was pleased to admit, in answer, that the observation was both plausible and natural; but that experience had taught them differently, since it was but seldom that any of the inconveniences I had enumerated, had been observed in either of those institutions. The pupils were allowed a great deal of exercise in the large gardens of the establishment, as well as within doors, and were sent out to the country in carriages, once or twice during the summer months. On the other hand, it would be next to impossible in Russia to follow the plan of sending the young ladies to their homes at stated periods of the year, considering the immense distances which many of them would have to travel in so vast an Empire, and the means of conveyance in the most distant Governments as yet so imperfect. Besides, the very limited education of some of the parents, and the difficulty of keeping an eye over the moral conduct of many of the pupils, while spending their holidays at the distance of two and three thousand versts, presented insurmountable obstacles to the plan of vacations followed in great seminaries. How could we answer for the character of a young lady, observed the Empress, placed beyond our notice for a month or six weeks in every year, even though she were living with relations during that time?-relations probably either too indulgent or indifferent, and among whom our pupil might come in contact with strangers, boorish servants, or inconsiderate female acquaintance, and bring back notions which might contaminate the whole flock, or which might give rise to unpleasant observations. "Non, Monsieur le Docteur, nos jeunes demoiselles doivent être comme la femme de César. On ne doit ni les soupçonner-ni parler d'elles." This apt classical allusion showed the sources of read

ing of her Majesty. The next topic was the Enfans Trouvés, and the merit of that system. Her Majesty agreed that it was, at most, a system of questionable utility, that it failed to produce many of the moral results expected from it, and that it was probably an encouragement to vice. "Mais," added she, "c'est un établissement que m'a legué feu mon mari, (visibly affected); il l'a commis à mes soins, et je me charge de faire scrupuleusement le plus de bien possible pour ces malheureux qui sont déjà assez misérables de n'appartenir à aucune caste dans la société." She hoped, however, that whatever degrees of vice it might have encouraged, it would be found fully compensated by the number of lives which the system. was calculated to save and protect. In reply, I admitted that if any consideration was calculated to serve as a defence to a system which moral writers concurred in regarding as pernicious, it was doubtless the manner in which that system was made to work under her Majesty's directions; and in making this reply, I spoke the genuine sentiments of my conviction on that subject. The Empress asked whether the "Foundling" in London was like the "Enfans Trouvés" at St. Petersburgh; and upon my replying in the negative, she expressed a wish to know if no endeavours had ever been made to introduce the Continental system of foundling hospitals into England. "An attempt," I answered, " was indeed made in the year 1757, to obtain a grant of 40,000l. towards establishing and supporting a foundling hospital, on the plan of that adopted in several parts of the Continent, and also in the capital of Ireland, by introducing a bill to that effect into Parlia ment, of which bill the celebrated Mr. Wilkes was the reporter. But, independently of the glaring deformity of a system which professed to take care of the fruits of illicit passion, no matter how numerous; the mode in which the framers of that bill proposed to support such an establishment was too unjust, and appeared too much in the shape