Charles Philip Yorke, Fourth Earl of Hardwicke, Vice-Admiral R.N. — a MemoirBiddulph, Elizabeth Philippa, Baroness
History
Charles Philip Yorke, Fourth Earl of Hardwicke, Vice-Admiral R.N. — a Memoir
Biddulph, Elizabeth Philippa, Baroness
Hardwicke, Charles Philip Yorke, Earl of, 1799-1873
'Since I despatched my letter from Dantzig I have made progress thus
far towards my ultimate and extreme point, and to-morrow evening I
expect to be safe under the roof of the Emperor of all the Russias. I
closed my letter to you on the 27th, and I shall resume the thread of
my story from that time. At nine o'clock on the 28th the King reviewed
the Garrison of Dantzig, a small army of about 2000 men, consisting of
two regiments of infantry, one of cavalry, and eight guns. I
accompanied him on horseback; the turn-out was very good indeed, the
men small but healthy and active, and moved very well, in all points
extremely well equipped. Afterwards His Majesty drove about the town
and visited everything, not only the public buildings that I have
described to you, but also wherever a bit of old carving, or old
wardrobe, or the façade of a house that was curious was to be found,
there he paid a visit. He gave a great dinner at two o'clock to 100 of
his chief people and officers. During the repast a regiment of infantry
sang national songs in parts most beautifully, the choruses, with 800
or 1000 voices, very fine. We embarked at seven in a small steam boat
which took us down the Vistula and aboard the frigate. Throughout the
day I have been struck with the position of this Monarch and his people.
'No guards, no escorts, not even a guard of honour or police, all
affection and order. He walked about amongst thousands of his people,
like a father among his loving children. He was remarkably well
received everywhere and it made him very happy. He is very familiar
with his officers, and talks to his servants with kindness and good
humour, frequently making them laugh and laughing in return. In short,
I am much struck with the difference of forms in the constitutional and
despotic country, and with the pomp of the former and familiarity and
freedom of the latter. In parting with his officers he pressed many of
them with warmth and affection to his heart.
'The two Russian steam ships that convey us to St. Petersburg are very
fine vessels, the one we are on board of is the smallest of the two,
being about 1000 tons and 200 horse power, the other 1800 tons with 600
horse power. This vessel, the _Bogatir_, is superbly fitted and quite
equal in all points to any I have seen in England.
'July 1 (Friday, 5 P.M.).--I was obliged to leave this scrawl of mine
yesterday, for really what with the engine, the eating and the talking,
I could do little in the way of writing; moreover, I have had no bed,
though a very good cabin, but have slept three nights in my clothes on
the sofa. Well here I am well lodged with a suite of apartments in the
Palace of Peterhoff with the Emperor and the Court. It has been a day
of great interest, and ought to have been one of excitement, but I find
that nothing of this sort excites me; so much the better, I can profit
more, though I do not enjoy so much.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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