We hurried to the corner room of our house; threw open the window, which looks to the Church of St.Mary of Casan [where an Act of Thanksgiving has just been consummated, of a very peculiar kind!]--and we then saw, near this Church, an innumerable crowd of people; dressed and half-dressed soldiers of the foot-regiments of the Guards mixed with the populace.

We perceived that the crowd pressed round a common two-seated Hackney Coach drawn by two horses; in which, after a few minutes, a Lady dressed in black, and wearing the Order of St.Catharine, coming out of the church, took a seat.

Whereupon the church-bells began ringing, and the priests, with their assistants carrying crosses, got into procession, and walked before the Coach.

We now recognized that it was the Czarina Catharine saluting the multitude to right and left, as she fared along." [_Beitrage,_ vi.

465: compare RULHIERE, p.