The Press.
London, England, 1856-10-11 00:00:00

RUSSIAN CORONATION FETES.

THE two balls at the English and French Embassies
have proved the great and closing attractions of the
coronation fetes. Everybody of note in Moscow at-
tended, and the Emperor and Empress of Russia
were also present on each occasion. At Lord Gran-
ville's the decorations were of course superb, and the
display of plate, &c., everything that could be desired
on such an occasion. The Czar arrived early :
It was about 9.30 when the Emperor and Empress ar-
rived. They were received by Lord and Lady Granville at
the stairs, and the attaches and suite of the embassy were
also in attendance. The Grand Dukes and Duchesses and
the ladies of the Court followed, and the party proceeded
t ) the ball-room. On entering, the orchestra struck up a
polonaise. The ambassador was honoured by the hand of
the Czarina, the Emperor led forth Lady Granville, and
the ball was opened by a stately promenade in this order,
from one end of the room to the other, to the strains of
the band, in a kind of measured step, the flnelydressel
and glittering crowd opening right and left and forming
walls which flashed with diamonds, gold, orders, satins,
and precious stones, between which the Emperor and Em-
press and their partners advanced.—Times cor.

After the dancing had gone on for some time, the
Emperor, who enjoyed it to all appearances as much
as any one, did a thing which gave sensible satisfac-
tion, and was remarked very generally:—

His Majesty had been dancing in one particular set in
the upper part of the room, but suddenly, when the next
quadrille was about to form, he left the upper set, and
leading Lady Emily Peel as his partner, be took his place
in the second set, and began to dance among the dii
minnres, leaving those of the majores genti-dm perhaps
somewhat astonished. TIP bore his share, and perhaps
more than his share, of bumping with great complacence,
and once, when a long Englishman, in all the vigour of
the Britannic waltz, " ran slap right into him," and ac-
tually disturbed the Imperial equilibrium considerably, the
Cur with the utmost readiness and true politeness relieved
the culprit from all embarrassment by apologising to him
for the accident, and saying " he (the Czar) really could
not get out of the way, the crowd was so great !" All the
Imperial family seemed in good spirits, and were evidently
much pleased with the

Neither were the Grand Dukes behind their Im-
perial brother in enjoying themselves :
The Grand Duke Constantine and his wife the Grand
Duchess Alexandra Jo'epowna, the Grand Duchess Marie,
the Grand Dukes Nicholas and Michael, and the Prince
of Hesse, were also at the ball. It is curious to observe
the contrast which is presented with the manners of onr
Court in the absence of stiffness and formality in the
intercourse of the Royal family with society. The Em-
peror several times in the course of the evening quietly
took a chair and sat down among the rest of the people,
and no one thought it necessary to stand up or move out
of the way. The Grand Dukes are very simple and un-
affected, and dance away as if they enjoyed it. Lord
Granville baring expressed a hope that the Grand Duke
Constantine had enjoyed himself, the Grand Duke said,
" Look at my face and you will see whether I have or not."
—D. News cot.

The display of pearls, diamonds, and jewellery, was
of course very fine :
The Russian ladies were blazing with them. The Em-
press, the Grand Duchesses, Lady Granville, the Princess
de Ligne, and many others, bore whole fortunes on their
heads. A little sprig, the feeblest-stemmed, shakiest
thing in the world of botanical orfevrerie, trembled with
drops of dew, each worth thousands of pounds, on one
head ; a grand circlet of diamonds surrounded another
with a million of charms ; a third wore Venus's own
cestus of emeralds and rubies; and so on, till one was
tired of these sparkling carbonates, and longed for a sim-
ple wreath of flowers by way of contrast. It was odd
enough to see stalking among this fine society some
gigantic Tcherkf.sses in their national dresses, or wild
Asiatic depnties looking with the astonishment and admi-
ration of Mahomedans at the daughters of Ere. One
Oriental gentleman, who carried on his breast a large
silver•bound bandolier full of blue paper cartridges, was
an object of the liveliest apprehension, and he was sedn•
lonely avoided by many persons all night, for it was
generally believed that he would blow up with a great
crash if a spark from a candle fell on him. He did not go
off, however, except in his carriage early in the morning,
but a more dangerous person I never saw in a drawing-
room ; he had at least three quarters of a round of powder
about him in silver shells.—Times cor.

The supper was a crush for the guests generally.
The Imperial party retired w a separate room :

It was after midnight when the Emperor and Empress
retired to supper. Their example was followed by the rest
of the guests, or by as many as could get into the room,
and then commenced that reign of terror, during which an
iron•hearted valetaille refuse the mercies of cold water to
parched and crushed young ladies, and will not yield to
the entreaties of the most pathetic of dowagers fur more
iced coffee. The pressure was tremendous, and was quite
worthy of the best English society or of her Majesty's
drawing-rooms. The tables were squeezed in upon the
footmen, who forced them out again, and were in a rickety,
condition all night, so +hat every speech was interlarded
with " Frenez garde, Madame ! la table va crouler ;"
"By jove, it will be down ;" "Do not push, I beg you,
sir,' &c. &c: However, the supper was most bountiful and
unexceptionable, and the dishes were renewed over and
over again Considering the excited thrusts of knives and
tuts made over the shoulders of the first rank by the
outsiders, it is wonderful more people were not wounded.