This hermitage contains a numerous affemblage of pictures, chiefly purchafed by her prefent majefty. Its principal ornament was the celebrated collection of Crozat, which devolved by heritage to the Baron de Thieres, upon whofe death the emprefs purchafed it from his heirs. The Houghton collection, the lofs of which every lover of the arts in England must fincerely regret, will form a moft valuable acceflion. being contrasted with the difinal and dreary season of the year. The ordinary diftribution of the emprefs's time at Petersburgh, as far as I could collect from inquiries which I had many opportunities of making, as it concerns fo great a princefs, cannot be unacceptable to the reader. Her majefty ufually rifes abcut fix, and is engaged till eight er nine in public bufinefs with her fecretary. At ten the generally begins her toilet; and while her hair is dreffing, the minitters of ftate, and her aid-de-camps in waiting, pay their respects, and receive their orders. Being dreffed about eleven, the fends for her grandchildren, the young princes Alexander and Conftantine, or vifits them in their own apartment. Before dinner the receives a vifit from the great-duke and duchefs; and fits down to table rather before one. She has always company at dinner, ufually about nine perfons, con fifting of the generals and lords in waiting, a lady of the bed chamber, a maid of honour, and two or three of the Ruffian nobility, whom the invites. Their Imperial highnefes dine with her three times in the week, on which days the party is encreased to eighteen perfons. The lord of the bed.chamber in waiting, who always fits oppofite to the emprefs, carves one difh and prefents it to her; an attention which, after having once politely accepted, the afterwards difpenfes with. Her majefty is remarkably temperate, and is feldom at table more than an hour. From thence the retires to her own apartment; and about three fre A winter and fummer garden, comprifed within the fite of the building, are fingular curiofities, and fuch as do not perhaps, occur in any other palace in Europe. The fummer garden, in the true Afatic fiyle occupies the whole level top of the edifice: at this feason of the year it was entirely buried under the fnow, which prevented our viewing it. The winter garden is entirely roofed and furrounded with glafs frames; it is an high and fpacious hot-houfe, laid out in gravel walks, ornamented with parterres of flowers, crange trees, and other fhrubs; and peopled with teveral birds of fandry forts and various climates, which flitted from tree to tree. The whole exhibited a pleting effe&t, and was the more delightful as Sit down where you chufe, and when you please, without its being repeated to you a thousand times. quently quently repairs to her library in the Hermitage. At five the goes to the theatre*, or to a private concert; and, when there is no court in the evening, has a private party at cards. She feldom fups, generally retires at half paft ten, and is ufually in bed before eleven." Curious Account of the Diftreffes and Ffcape of the Pretender, Prince Charles Edward, after the Battle of Culloden, in the Fear 1745. From the Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides with Dr. Johnson, by James Bofwell, Efq. Mr. Bofwell introduces the following Account, with these words. F ROM what thet told us, and from what I was told by others perfonally concerned, and from a paper of information which Rafay was fo good as to fend me, at my defire, I have compiled the following abftract, which, as it contains fome curiousanecdotes, will, I imagine, not be uninterefting to my readers, and even, perhaps, be of fome ufe to future hiftorians. "Prince Charles Edward, after the battle of Culloden, was convey. ed to what is called the Long Island, where he lay for fome time concealed. But intelligence having been obtained where he was, and a number of troops having come in queft of him, it became abfolutely neceffary for him to quit that country without delay. Mifs Flora Macdonald, then a young lady, animated by what the thought the facred princi ple of loyalty, offered, with the magnanimity of a heroine, to accompany him in an open boat to Sky, though the coaft they were to quit was guarded by thips. He dreffed himself in women's clothes, and paffed as her fuppofed maid, by the name of Betty Bourke, an Irith girl. They got off undiscovered, though feveral fhots were fired to bring them to, and landed at Mugfot, the feat of Sir Alexander Macdonald. Sir Alexander was then at Fort Auguftus, with the duke of Cumberland; but his lady was at home. Prince Charles took his poft upon a hill near the house. Flora Macdonald waited on lady Margaret, and acquainted her of the enterprize in which he was en. gaged. Her ladyfhip, whofe active benevolence was ever feconded by fuperior talents, thewed a perfect prefence of mind, and readiness of invention, and at once fettled that Prince Charles fhould be conductedto old Rafay, who was himself concealed with fome felect friends.-The plan was inftantly communicated to Kingsburgh, who was difpatched to the hill to inform the Wanderer, and carry him refrethments. When Kingburgh approached, he ftarted up, and advanced, holding a large knotted ftick, and in appearance ready to knock him down, till he faid, "I am Macdonald of King (burgh, come to ferve your highnels" The Wanderer anfwered, "It is well," and was fatisfied with the plan. Flora Macdonald dined with lady Margaret, at whofe table there fat an officer of the army, ftationed * An Italian opera, a fet of Ruffian, and another of French players, were, in 1778, maintained at her majefty's expence, at which the spectators were almitted gratis. + Flora Macdonald. here here with a party of foldiers, to watch for prince Charles, in cafe of his flying to the ifle of Sky. She afterwards often laughed in good humour with this gentleman, on her having fo well deceived him. After dinner, Flora Macdonald on horseback, and her fuppofed maid and Kingsburgh, with a fervant carrying fome linen, all on foot, proceeded towards that gentleman's houfe. Upon the road was a fmall rivulet, which they were obliged to cross. The Wanderer, forgetting his affumed fex, that his clothes might not be wet, held them up a great deal too high. Kingfburgh mentioned this to him, obferving it might make a discovery. He faid, he would be more careful for the future. He was as good as his word; for the next brook they croffed, he did not hold up his clothes at all, but let them float upon the water. He was very aukward in his female drefs. His fize was fo large, and his ftrides fo great, that fome women whom they met reported that they had seen a very big woman, who looked like a man in woman's clothes, and that perhaps it was (as they expreffed themfelves) the Prince, after whom fo much fearch was making. At Kingtburgh he met with a molt cordial reception; feemed gay at fupper, and after it indulged himfelf in a cheerful glafs with his worthy hoft. As he had not had his clothes off for a long time, the comfort of a good bed was highly relished by him, and he slept foundly till next day at one o'clock. The mistress of Corrichatachin told me, that in the forenoon the went into her father's room, who was alfo in bed, and fuggefted to him her apprehenfions that a party of the military might come up, and that his guest and he had better not remain here too long. Her father faid, "Let the poor man repofe himself after his fatigues; and as for me, I care not, though they take off this old grey head ten or eleven years fooner than I thould die in the courfe of nature." He then wrapped himself in the bed-clothes, and again fell faft asleep. On the afternoon of that day, the Wanderer, ftill in the fame drefs, fet out for Portree with Flora Macdonald and a man fervant. His fhoes being very bad, Kingsburgh provided him with a new pair, and taking up the old ones, faid, "I will faithfully keep them till you are fafely fettled at St. James's.I will then introduce myfelf, by thaking them at you, to put you in mind of your night's entertainment and protection under my roof."He fmiled, and faid, "Be as good as your word!"-Kingsburgh kept the fhoes as long as he lived. After his death, a zealous Jacobite gentleman gave twenty guineas for them. Old Mrs. Macdonald, after her gueft had left the houfe, took the theets in which he had lain, folded them carefully, and charged her daughter that they thould be kept unwathed, and that, when fhe died, her body fhould be wrapped in them as a winding-fheet. Her will was religiously observed. Upon the road to Portree, Prince Charles changed his drefs, and put on man's clothes again; a tartan fhort coat and waistcoat, with philibeg and fhort hofe, a plaid, and a wig and bonnet. Mr. Donald McDonald, called Donald Roy, had been fent exprefs to the prefent Rafay, then the young laird, who was at that time at his fifter's house, about three miles from Portree, attending his brother, Dr. Macleod, who was recovering of a wound he had received at the battle of Culloden. Mr. McDonald communicated to young Rafay the plan of conveying the Wanderer to where old Rafay was; but was told that old Rafay had filed to Knoidart, a part of Glengary's eftate. There was then a dilemma what fhould be done. Donald Roy proposed that he should conduct the Wanderer to the main land; but young Rafay thought it too dangerous at that time, and faid it would be better to conceal him in the ifland of Rafay, till old Rafay could be informed where he was, and give his advice what was beft. But the difficulty was how to get him to Rafay. They could not truit a Portree crew, and all the Rafay boats had been deftroyed, or carried off by the military, except two belonging to Malcolm M Leod, which he had concealed fomewhere. Dr. M'Leod being informed of this difficulty, faid he would rifk his life once more for Prince Charles; and it having occurred that there was a little boat upon a fresh-water lake in the neighbourhood, young Rafay and Dr. M'Leod, with the help of fome women, brought it to the fea, by extraordinary exertion, across a Highland mile of land, one half of which was bog, and the other a ftcep precipice. Thefe gallant brothers, with the affiftance of one little boy, rowed the small boat to Rafay, where they were to endeavour to find captain M'Leod, as Malcolm was then called, and get one of his good boats, with which they might return to Pertree, and receive the Wanderer; or, in cafe of not finding him, they were to make the fmall boat ferve, tho' the danger was confiderable. Fortunately, on their firft landing, they found their coufin Malcolm, who with the utmost alacrity got ready one of his boats, with two ftrong men, John M'Kenzie, and Donald M'Friar. Malcolm, being the oldeft man, and most can'ious, faid, that as young Rafay had not hitherto appeared in the unfortunate bufineis, he ought not to run any rifk; but that Dr. Macleod and himfelf, who were already publicly engaged, fhould go on this expedition. Young Rafay answered, with an oath, that he would go, at the ritk of his life and fortune.-" In GoD's name then (faid Malcolm) let us proceed." The two boatmen, however, now ftopped fhort, till they fhould be informed of their deftination; and M'Kenzie declared he would not move an oar till he knew where they were going. Upon which they were both fworn to fecrecy; and the bufinefs being imparted to them, they were eager to put off to fea without lofs of time. The boat foon landed about half a mile from the inn at Portree. All this was negotiated before the Wanderer got forward to Portree. Malcolm M'Leod, and M'Friar, were difpatched to look for him. In a fhort time he appeared, and went into the public houfe. Here Donald Roy, whom he had feen at Mugftot, received him, and informed him of what had been concerted. He wanted filver for a guinea, but the landlord had only hirteen fhil. lings; he was going to accept of this for his guinea, but Donald Roy very judiciously obferved, that it would discover him to be some great man; man; fo he defifted. He flipped out of the house, leaving his fair protectrefs, whom he never again faw; and Malcolm Macleod was prefented to him by Daniel Roy, as a captain in his army. Young RaYoung Ra. fay and Dr. Macleod had waited, in impatient anxiety, in the boat. When he came, their names were announced to him. He would not permit the ufual ceremonies of respect, but faluted them as his equals. Donald Roy flaid in Sky, to be in readiness to get intelligence, and give an alarm in cafe the troops fhould difcover the retreat to Rafay; and Prince Charles was then conveyed in a boat to that ifland, in the night. He flept a little upon the patfage, and they landed about day break. There was fome difficulty in accommodating him with a lodging, as almost all the houfes in the ifland had been burnt by the foldiery. They repaired to a little hut, which fome thepherds had lately built, and having prepared it as well as they could, and made a bed of heath for the stranger, they kindled a fire, and partook of fome provifions which had been fent with him from Kingburgh. It was obferved, that he would not tafte wheat-bread, or brandy, while oatbread and whifky lafted; "for thefe (faid he) are my own country bread and drink." This was very engaging to the Highlanders. Young Rafay being the only perfon of the company that durft appear with fafety, he went in queft of fomething fresh for them to cat; but though he was amidft his own rows, theep, and goats, he could not venture to take any of them for fear of a difcovery, but was obliged to fupply himfelf by fealth. He therefore caught a kid, and brought it to the hut in his plaid, and it was killed and dreft, and furnished them a meal which they relished much. The diftreffed Wanderer, whose health was now a good deal impaired by hunger, fatigue, and watching, lept a long time, but feemed to be frequently disturbed. Malcolm told me he would ftart from broken lumbers, and speak to himself in different languages, French, Italian, and English. I muft, however, acknowledge, that it is highly probable that my wor thy friend Malcolm did not know precifely the difference between French and Italian. One of his expreffions in English was, "O GOD! poor Scotland!" While they were in the hut, M'Kenzie and M'Friar, the two boatmen, were placed as centinels upon different eminences; and one day an incident happened, which muft not be omitted. There was a man wandering about the island felling tobacco. Nobody knew him, and he was fufpected to be a spy.M'Kenzie came running to the but, and told that this fufpected perfon was approaching. Upon which the three gentlemen, young Rafay, Dr. Macleod, and Malcolm, held a council of war upon him, and were unanimoufly of opinion that he fhould inftantly be put to death.Prince Charles, at once affuming a grave and even fevere countenance, faid, "GOD forbid that we fhould take away a man's life, who may be innocent, while we can preferve our own." The gentlemen however peraftedintheir refolution, while he as frenuoufly continued to take the merciful fide John McKenzie, who fat watching at the door of the hut, and overheard the de bate, 2 |