A Gallic Maecenas -- Anecdote Concerning Beaumarchais -- The Duke de Nivernais -- Mme. Du Barry Sketched in Words -- And Painted in Oils -- Rumblings of the Revolution -- Mme. Lebrun's Fearsome Journey to Italy -- Renewed Artistic Activity at Rome -- Easter Sunday at St. Peter's -- Fascination of the Eternal City -- Vanities and Violences of Its People 47 CHAPTER V. NEAPOLITAN DAYS. Naples -- A Sleepy Ambassadress -- The Remarkable Life of Lady Hamilton -- Being the Story of a Frivolous Flirt Fond of Beer -- More Royal Models -- Excursions to Posilippo -- Mlle. Lebrun Writes a Novel at the Age of Nine -- The Queen of Naples Sits to the Authoress -- The Wedding of the Doge of Venice with the Sea 63 CHAPTER VI. TURIN AND VIENNA. A Queen Who Refused to Be Painted -- A Four-Course Dinner of Frogs, Frogs, Frogs and Frogs -- Villeggiatura -- French Refugees at Turin -- Their Heartrending Plight -- Vienna -- News of the "Awful Murder" of Louis XVI. and Marie Antoinette -- Barefoot Princess Lichtenstein -- Inducements to Visit Russia -- Journey Thither via Dresden -- The Sistine Madonna 74 CHAPTER VII. SAINT PETERSBURG. Arrival at St. Petersburg -- The Beautiful Grandduchess Elisabeth -- Catherine II. Receives Mme. Lebrun -- And Is Most Gracious -- Petty Court Intrigues -- A Visit to Count Strogonoff -- Hospitality of the Russians -- An Ambassador as Gardener -- Princess Dolgoruki and Her Hideous Admirer -- The Extravagances of Potemkin -- His End 83 CHAPTER VIII. LIFE IN RUSSIA. Painting Russian Royalties -- Festivities at Court -- The Pangs of Waiting for Dinner -- "To Keep Warm, Spend the Winter in Russia" -- The Hardiness of Its Common People -- Who Are Well Suited with Serfdom -- And Remarkably Honest -- The Quaint Ceremonial of Blessing the Neva -- Various Social Customs 96 CHAPTER IX. CATHERINE II. Surroundings of St. Petersburg -- Patriarchal Unconventionalities -- An Artillery Repast -- The Greatness of the Second Catherine -- Who Lit Her Own Fire and Made Her Own Coffee -- And Was Sworn at by a Chimney Sweeper -- Other Domestic Amenities in the Career of an Empress -- The Suit of Gustavus IV. -- Catherine's Death -- Humiliating Funeral Incidents 109 CHAPTER X. THE EMPEROR PAUL.