612 LIME IN RUSSIA,

to the wrists, and all these lined with furs to make them sutliciently
warm,

As to a warm house, T must confess T greatly disliked our way
in Kngland, of making fires in every room in the house, in open
chimneys, which, when the fire was out, always kept the air in the
room cold as the climate. But taking an apartment ina good
house in the town, T ordered a chimney to be built like a furnace,
in the centre of six several rooms, like a stove; the funnel to carry
the smoke went up one way, the door to come at the fire went in
another, and all the rooms were kept equally warm, but no fire
seen; justas they heat the bagnios in Mneland.

By this means we had always the same climate in all the rooms,
and an equal heat was preserved; and how cold soever it was
without, it was always warm within, and yet we saw no fire, nor
were incommoded with any smoke,

The most wonderful thing of all was, that it should be possible
to meet with good company here, ina country so barbarous as that
of the most northerly parts of Hurope, near the Frozen Ocean, and
within but a very few degrees of Nova Zembla,

But this being the country where the State criminals of Muscovy,
as L observed before, are all banished, this city was full of noble-
mon, princes, gentlemen, colonels; and, in short, all degrees of the
nobility, gentry, soldiery, and courtiers of Muscovy. Here was
the famous Prince QGallitzin, the old) General Robostiski, and
several other persons of note, and some ladies.

By means of my Scots merchant, whom, nevertheless, 1 parted
with here, To made an acquaintance here with several of these
gentlemen, and some of them of the first rank ; and from these, in
the long winter nights in which T stayed here, T received several
very agreeable visits. Tt was talking one night with Prince -———,
one of the banished ministers of State, belonging to the Ozar of
Muscovy, that my talk of my particular case began. He had been
telling me abundance of fine things, of the greatness, the magnifi-
cence, the dominions, and the absolute power of the Emperor of
the Russians. I interrupted him, and told him, I was a greater
and more powerful prince than ever the QOzar of Muscovy was,
though my dominions were not. so large, or my people so many