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Petersburg March 13th O. S. 24th N.S.
If I have some bad news to tell you, you must
not make yourself the least uneasy about if
for the good news which I could tell you gives
me more pleasure than the bad gives pain.
It is however the bad news of which I shall give
you more of the particulars than of the good,
because the latter depends upon circumstances
which I cannot communicate at least at
present.
I arrived at Moscow the
my first business was to enquire find out Mr
Menskin Pushkin himself or the letter which
I had beg'd him to send to his mother's. I spent
the greatest part of 3 days in this fruitless pursuit.
Some people who know him very well
assured me he had no Mother, others with
as much assurance told me she was too
anxious to see her son to be able to stay for
his arrival at Moscow and was therefore gone
to Petersburg to meet him. I was conducted
to 2 or 3 different houses at 7 or 8 Versts
distance from each other (though all in the
City) belonging to different parts of his family
before I could find out where his Mother lived,
when I found her house I found nobody in it,
and therefore could hear nothing about any
letter. However I soon got introduced
Prince Welkanski the Governor who gave
me after I had dined with him the first day
gave me a passing invitation to his table
for and to spend the evening whenever I was
disengaged. He told me he would send his
Adjutant to shew me the Cathedral the Old Imperial
palace and all the riches it contains
&c &c. There was a Polish General a Stranger
who was to be shewn the lions also we
went together the next morning. Count
Romansow eldest son of the great
Romansow was dined there and was one of the party
the next morning. He is a very agreable as well
as personable man. He told me one of his brothers
was gone to England to stay a couple of years
and to learn the language. All the brothers are
very intimate at Sir James Harris's and the one
in England moves to spend a some time at
Sr James's country house. In the first 2 or 3
days after my arrival I made acquaintance with
a Mr Pleschijeff who had been 3 years in the
English sea service as well as in the Archipelago
against the Turks, in and now has the command of
a 64 Gunship. He is about 28 or 29 years of age
has travelled and seen a great deal all over
Europe and has now just returned from a tour
to the South. I wonder I had not heard f of him
among my Naval acquaintance, or that I should have
forgot it if I have heard of him. He is related to
the Governor of Moscow, his one of his Uncles is
Governor of Siberia another was General of
the Police here at Petersburg but has given up
his office. his father lives as a Private Gentleman
at Moscow. He has two beautiful & charming Sisters
one of whom is married. He is the only son living
he had 2 brothers one of them at least was in the
English sea service also. they were under the care
of Mr Foster while they were in England.
With respect to his abilities I believe him to be Master of the
practical part of his profession, and to be very well informed and
capable of judging of every thing relating to the Marine department
in general. If he has not studied the sciences
prefered by
his judgment appears without unprejudiced on all subjects.
Besides his native language he speaks french, italian,
german & english: the latter language he seems
a perfect master of and pronounces it as well as
if he knew no other. His disposition is mild, even
and compassionate, but gay; and his heart is warm.
In a Concert he takes up the Violin Bass Viol or
Flute and seems to play equally well on each, and is
in all personal accomplishments just what I should
wish to be. From the first day we were acquainted
though he was but a few days arrived after a long
absence his chief attention seemed towards me.
He went every where with me and I was very well
satisfied that he should have the disposal of my time.
Mr Savibanski left a message for me with a friend of his
beging that if possible I would stay till his return to
Moscow that we might go together to Petersburg.
He was gone to Belgarod for 14 days; this I should
have done had not my new friend Pleschijeff
pressed me to go with him, and I wished too much
to cultivate his acquaintance to refuse it:
I must be very short you shall have more
next post. We came then together and he
promised if it were possible that we should lodge
here together for that after the first week he would absolutely refuse to be at
any of his relations houses. However he has just
this instant told me that Count Curnichef will
have him take up his abode at his home and so
I have released him from his promise.
All this while I have not told you the bad news,
it is then that I am confined to my bed
though my illness is not all dangerous.
I have been overturned in my journey, bruised
myself and caught a monstorous cold.
I lost at the same time a number of letters
some money and a few other things, but never
mind it I grieve at nothing but the money.
I am and shall probably be for some
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Identifier: | JB/539/019/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 539.
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1780-03-24 |
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539 |
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019 |
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001 |
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Correspondence |
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Samuel Bentham |
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