_Weathervane._ What! you are of a very noble origin, and you are piqued? _Indolent_ (_beside himself_). Who told you so? I am of burgher origin, but of a good family. _Weathervane._ You, monsieur, have been a nobleman these thousand years. _Indolent._ Believe me, I am a new-baked dumpling; but I am more juicy than those that have grown tough. _Mrs. Indolent._ Stop that.... _Indolent._ That we may understand each other, I shall tell you plainly: my father, all remember that, was an honest smith. _Weathervane._ Qu’entends-je! (_He walks away, singing a French song._) _Indolent._ Good-bye! _Mrs. Indolent_ (_fainting away_). I am undone! Oh, I am sick! _Indolent._ What nonsense! To feel sick because I cannot speak French, and because my father is a smith! You ought not to have treated me that way, by lying about me. No, my Úlinka shall not marry him. Princess Ekaterína Románovna Dáshkov. (1743-1810.) Princess Dáshkov was educated in the house of her uncle, Vice-Chancellor Vorontsóv. She knew a number of foreign languages and took an interest in politics, rummaging through the documents in her uncle’s archives. She travelled much abroad, where she cultivated the acquaintance of Diderot and Voltaire; during a visit in England, when her son was graduating from the Edinburgh University, she met also Robertson and Adam Smith. Upon her return to Russia, Catherine II., partly from a sincere respect for her talents, and partly to reward her for her efforts in obtaining the throne for the Empress, made her the President of the Russian Academy which Princess Dáshkov had herself founded. Her labours for the Academy were both thorough and far-reaching. She encouraged young writers, sent men abroad to be educated, published the first dictionary of the Russian language, caused others to translate from foreign tongues, and herself translated, especially from English; she established several periodicals and did much for the advancement of science. In 1795, Princess Dáshkov incurred the Empress’s disfavour for permitting Knyazhnín’s drama, _Vadím of Nóvgorod_, to be published in the _Russian Theatre_ (see p. 308). Paul, who ascended the throne the next year, removed her from her post, but at the accession of Alexander I., the Academy unanimously voted to reinstate her as its President, but she declined the offer. Her _Memoirs_ were originally written in French, but they first saw the light in English, under the title: _Memoirs of Princess Dashkaw, Written by Herself_, edited by Mrs. W. Bradford, London, 1840, 2 vols. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A RUSSIAN ACADEMY One day, whilst I was walking with the Empress in the gardens of Tsárskoe Seló, our conversation turned on the beauty and richness of the Russian language, which led me to express a sort of surprise that her Majesty, who could well appreciate its value, and was herself an author, had never thought of establishing a Russian Academy.