sooner, however, was it observed by Peter than it fixed his attention; he made inquiries of some of the foreigners by whom he was surrounded, as to the use of the mast and sails, even the general purposes of which he did not know; and the explanations which he received made him look on the old hulk with new interest. It immediately became, in his imagination, the germ of a magnificent national marine; and he could take no rest till he had made arrangements for having it repaired and set afloat. With some difficulty the Dutch pilot was found out whom Alexis had procured at the same time with the sloop to teach his subjects the method of managing it; the man, like the vessel, of which he was to have the charge, had long been forgotten by all the world. Once more, however, brought out of his obscurity, he soon refitted the sloop; and the Czar was gratified beyond measure by at length beholding it, with its mast replaced and its sails in order, moving on its proper element. Delighted as he was he went himself on board, and was not long before he became a sufficiently expert seaman to take the place of his Dutch pilot. For several years after this his chief attention was given to maritime affairs; although his first ships were all of foreign construction, and it was a considerable time before any issued from his own docks. From so small a beginning as has been described, Russia has since become, after England, one of the greatest naval powers in the world*.

The most detailed account we have met with of the story told in the text is one preserved among the MSS of Sir Hans Sloane, in the British Museum (No. 3,168). It appears to have been written shortly after the death of Peter the Great, and by a person who was either a native of Russia or had resided in that country. According to this authority the incident took place in the flax-yard at Ishmaeloff, an old seat of the royal family near Moscow. The writer gives us also an account of a great naval show, at which he was himself present, in honour of this celebrated

But the most extraordinary of the plans which Peter adopted in order to obtain an acquaintance with the arts of civilized life, was that which he put in execution in 1697, when he set out in the suite of his own ambassador to visit the other countries of Europe. On this occasion, passing through Prussia, he directed his course to Holland, and at last arrived in the city of Amsterdam. His embassy was here received by the government of the United Provinces with all manner of honour and distinction; but he himself refused to be recognized in any other character than as a private individual. The first days of his visit were spent in perambulating the different streets of the city, the various wonders of which were probably never viewed by any eye with more astonishment and gratification than they excited in this illustrious stranger. The whole scene was nearly as new to him, and as much beyond anything by which he had ever before been surrounded, as if he had come from another world. The different arts and trades which he saw exercised, and the productions of which met him, wherever he turned, in such surprising profusion, were all attentively examined. But what especially attracted his attention was the great East India dock-yard in the village of Saardam (situated a few miles from Amsterdam), which was then the principal establishment of this description in Hol

vessel, which took place by the emperor's command at St. Petersburg, on the 12th of August, 1723. On this occasion the sloop, or ship's boat, as it is here called, having been repaired and beautified, was received by about 200 yachts, and, having advanced to the harbour attended by that numerous convoy, was then saluted by a general volley from the twenty-two men-of-war, which might be considered as forming its progeny. The emperor, of course, was present, and the day was altogether one of the greatest festivals that had been known in Petersburg. "A few days after," it is added, "the boat was brought to Petersburg, and laid up in the castle, where she is to be taken the greatest care of."

VOL. II.

D

land. Here he actually took the singular resolution of entering himself as a working carpenter; and accordingly, giving in to the superintendent the simple name of Peter Michaelof*, he took his place among the other workmen, and became in all respects one of them, even wearing the same dress, eating the same sort of food, and inhabiting equally humble lodgings. The hut in which he lived is still shewn at Saardam. When he first made his appearance in the dockyard nobody knew who he was, and he of course attracted no notice; but, even after his true quality was discovered, he would suffer none of the observances usual to persons of his rank to be paid to him, repelling every attempt of the kind with evident displeasure. And in this way of life he passed several months, during which time he bore a considerable part in the building of a vessel, which, when completed, was named the St. Peter, and was purchased by the royal person whose hands had thus helped to put its timbers together. While thus employed, however, the Czar did not neglect his duties and appropriate occupations as a sovereign. After the labours of the day were over, his evenings were generally employed either in writing dispatches to the ministers whom he had left in charge of affairs at home; or in holding consultations with his ambassador regarding the negociation pending with the Dutch government, in which he took the most anxious interest, as having for its object the procuring of a supply of vessels and seamen from that power to aid his favourite scheme

*That is, Peter, the grandson of Michael, according to the manner of forming the surname in Russia among the lower orders. His majesty's proper designation was Peter Alexovitch, or the son of Alexis. Of, or ow, as it is pronounced, and often written, seems to be the same with the Celtic O, still used as a prefix to proper names in Ireland, and the Scottish oe or oy, which generally signifies a grandchild, but, in some districts, a nephew, having been applied originally, in all probability, to any near descendant, direct or collateral. Vitch, again, is the Norman, or old French Fitz, now Fils, a son.

of forming a navy for Russia. In this application, however, he was unsuccessful.

On leaving Holland, Peter proceeded to England in a vessel sent to convey him by the government; but on his arrival in London he insisted upon still being treated only as a private individual. Here he spent his time at first as he had done in Holland, examining the many interesting objects that everywhere met his view. Among other places he went to see the Tower, where he was much delighted with the armoury, and the coining of money in the Mint. He was taken also to see the two houses of Parliament when sitting; and he appeared twice or thrice at the play, but did not seem to have much relish for that species of amusement. He was very fond, however, of visiting the churches; and was so anxious to learn the mode of worship observed by the different denominations of dissenters, that he attended several of their chapels. On one occasion he was present at a Quaker's meeting. He paid one visit to Oxford, to see the University; and another to Portsmouth, where he was greatly entertained by a mock sea fight that was exhibited to him.

On this occasion he declared that he considered an English admiral a happier man than a Czar of Muscovy *. He also applied himself with zeal and diligence to learn whatever he deemed useful, without regarding the humble nature of any of the handicrafts in which he wished to become a proficient. With these views he did not scruple to work as a common labourer in paper-mills, saw-mills, ropeyards, and other establishments of a similar kind. Voltaire mentions (Histoire de Russie, i. 159), that he studied with particular attention the art of watchmaking. His first residence was a house appointed for his reception by government below York-buildings, in the neighbourhood of Westminster-bridge; * Mottley's Life of Peter the Great.

66

but he found this both a very noisy place of abode and not conveniently situated for the object on account of which principally he had come to England,-his improvement in the art of ship-building. After a short time, therefore, he removed to Deptford; and here he spent several months in the dockyard, employing himself in the same manner as he had done in that of Saardam. He was so much pleased, it is said, with the superior method of working which he found pursued here, that he used to declare he never should have known his trade had he not come to England. While at Deptford he lodged in the house of the celebrated John Evelyn, author of the Sylva," which stood on the site now occupied by the Workhouse of the parish of St. Nicholas. We find the circumstance noticed in Evelyn's Diary under the date of 30th January, 1698: " The Czar of Muscovy being come to England, and having a mind to see the building of ships, hir'd my house at Say's court, and made it his court and palace, new furnished for him by the king." He remained here, it appears, till the 21st of April. Some notion of his manner of living may be obtained from a letter written during this time to Evelyn by his servant: “There is a house full of people, and right nasty. The Czar lies next your library, and dines in the parlour next your study. He dines at 10 o'clock and 6 at night, is very seldom at home a whole day, very often in the king's yard or by water, dressed in several dresses. The king is expected there this day, the best parlour is pretty clean for him to be entertained in. The king pays for all he has *"

While the dockyard, however, was the place in which the Czar spent the greater part of the day, he employed many of his leisure hours in taking lessons in mathematics, navigation, and even anatomy, which *Bray's Memoirs of Evelyn, ii. 60.