1.04 
MOSCOW. 
chap. a joyful deliverance, in the death of their hus- 
j bands. Every one acquainted with the real 
history of the Empress Catherine, and with her 
manner of bursting the connubial bonds, will 
find in it a picture of the state of female 
society throughout the empire. The wives of 
the nobles, it is true, do not assassinate their 
husbands; but the ties of wedlock are alto- 
gether disregarded. This representation, of 
course, regards the general state of the commu- 
nity. The Reader shall not be offended, nor 
the feelings of individuals wounded, by any 
detail of private anecdotes for public purposes ; 
neither is it necessary to relate the few ex- 
ceptions which may be found to the preceding 
statement: whatsoever credit is given to it in 
England,, it will not be contradicted in Russia. 
A Russian nobleman will sell any thing he 
possesses, from his wife to his lap-dog ; from 
the decorations of his palace, to the ornaments 
of his person ; any thing to obtain money ; any 
thing for the pleasure of squandering it away. 
Visiting a trading mineralogist, we were sur- 
prised to see glass-cases filled with court- 
dresses ; and still more so on being told that 
these were dresses of the nobility ; sent to be 
exposed for sale, as often as any of them 
wanted money. Their plan is, to order goods 
