•179^' memoirs of l?rigadler Resen. 203 



sible, a venerable hoary officer, in the ancient naval 

 uniform, was seen to break through the circle of 

 troops that surrounded it, and to fall on his knees, 

 with uplifted hands, before the effigy of the Rufsian 

 hero. This uncommon and unexpected apparition 

 much heightened the effect of the moment, amidst 

 the thunder of artillery, and the sound of drums, 

 trumpets, and all the instruments of war, and not 

 a little excited the curiosity of the numerous spec- 

 tators to know the name of the veteran, who seemed 

 a man of other times, with his silver hair and an- 

 tique drefs. 



When led up to her imperial majesty, who was 

 present in the midst of her court, and attended by 

 her nobility and general officers, the honest tar in- 

 formed her that he was brigadier Resen, who had 

 served under, and accompanied Peter the Great, in 

 most of his maritime expeditions on the Baltic and 

 Caspian ; but, about twenty-five years ago he was put 

 upon the superannuated list, and a small pension, 

 according to the rules of the navy ; and as the gene- 

 ration with which he served was all gone, and his 

 fortune did not permit an equipage, modern clothes, 

 'ijc. to cultivate the new, who seemed too fine gentle- 

 men for a seaman of the last century, he had lived 

 retired, and mostly at home, but that the sight of his 

 old master had roused him so much, that he was 

 ready to fight a few more battles for the illustrious 

 lady who had so nobly commemorated the hero of 

 his age. On her majesty demanding his age, he af- 

 suved her he was but very little turned of a ceirtury, 

 Tr-hich was nothing for a Norwegian, and begged t» 



