200 
RUSSIANS. 
turning* to the east, and beodii?g his body almost double, he pro- 
nounces a short prayer ; then he proceeds to the church of Jerusalem, 
where he renews his devotion. This exercise being performed, he 
returns to his palace, the bridle of the patriarch’s horse resting upon 
his arm. The horse’s head being covered with white linen, is held 
by some noblemen, while the patriarch, sitting sidewise, and holding 
a cross in his hand, distributes benedictions as he moves along : on 
his head he wears a cap edged with ermine, adorned with loops and 
buttons of gold, and precious stones ; before him are displayed banners 
of consecrated stuff, in a variety of colours. Above 500 priests walk 
in the procession; those who are near the patriarch, bearing pictures 
of the Virgin Mary, richly ornamented with gold, jewels, and pearls, 
with crosses, relics, and religious books, including a copy of the Gos- 
pels, which they reckon of inestimable value. In the midst of this 
procession is born a triumphal arch, and on the top an apple-tree 
covered with fruit, which several little boys enclosed in the machine 
endeavour to gather. The lords and laity carry branches of willow ; 
the guards and the spectators throw themselves on the ground, while the 
procession halts, and after the ceremony, the patriarch presents a 
purse of 100 rubles to the czar, who perhaps invites him to dine at 
his table during the season of Easter; the wdiole empire is filled with 
myrth and rejoicing, which, however, never fails to degenerate into 
heat and debauchery ; even the ladies may indulge themselves with 
strong liquors to intoxication without scandal. During these carnivals, 
a great number of people, in reeling home drunk, fall down and 
perish among the snow\ It is even dangerous to relieve a person thus 
overtaken, for should he die, the person who endeavoured to assist 
him is called before the judge, and generally pays dear for his cha- 
rity. The Muscovite priests use exorcisms at the administration of 
baptism. They plunge the child three times over head and ears iu 
water, and give it the sacrament of the Lord’s supper in one kind, 
until it hath attained the age of seven, after which the child is indulged 
with it in both kinds. They likewise administer the sacrament to 
dying persons, together w'ith extreme unction ; and if this be neglected, 
the body is denied Christian burial. Soon as the person expires, the 
body is deposited in a coffin, with a lunchion of bread, a pair of shoes, 
some few pieces of money, and a certificate signed by the parish 
priest, and directed to St. Nicholas, who is one of their great patrons. 
They likewise hold St. Andrew in great veneration, and pretend they 
w'ere converted by him to Christianity. But next to St. Nicholas, 
they adore St. Anthony of Padna, who is supposed to have sailed 
upon a mill-stone through the Mediterranean and Atlantic, and over 
the lakes Ladoga, and Onega, as far as Novogorod. Every house is 
furnished with an image of St. Nicholas, carved in the most rude and 
fantastic manner; and when it becomes old and w'orm-eaten, the 
owner either throws it into a river with a few pieces of coin, saying. 
Adieu, brother, or returns it to the maker, who accommodates him 
with a new image. 
The women are very careful in adorning their private St. Nicho- 
lases with rich clothes and jewels ; but on emergency, these are 
resumed, and the saint left as naked as he came from the hand of 
