The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-04-12

SAINT PAUL, fri
good ships carpenter. Holland and Eng
land therefore had for him an attraction
which was wanting to the galleries and ter
racies of Versailles. He repaired to Am
sterdam, took lodging in the dock yard, as
sumed the garb OF pilot, put down his
name on the list of workmen, welded with
his own hand the calking iron and the NAL.
let, fixed the pumps, and twisted the ropes.
ambassadors who came to pay their respects
to him were forced, much against their will,
to Chamber up the rigging of man of war,
and found him enthroned an the cross trees.
Such was the prince whom the populace
of London now crowded to behold. His
stately form, his intellectual forehead, his
piercing black eyes. bis Tartar nose and
mouth, his gracious smile, his frown black
with all the stormy rage and hate of bar
barian tyrant, and, above all, strange
nervous convulsion which sometimes trans
formed his countenance, during few mo-
ments, into an object on which it was i'm
possible to look without terror, the immense
quantities of meat which he devoured, the
pints of brandy which he swallowed, and
which, it was said, he had carefully distilled
with his own hands, the fool who jabbered
at his feet, the monkey which grinned at
the back of his chair, were, during some
weeks, popular topics Of conversation. He
meanwhile stunned the public gaze with
naughty shyness which infamed curiosity.
He went to play; but, as soon as he per-
ceived that pit, boxes and galleries were
staring, not at the stage, but at him, he
retired to back bench, where he was
screened from observation by his attendants.
He was desrOus to see sitting of the
House of Lords; but, as be was determined
not to be seen, be was forced to climb up to
the leads, and to peep through small win
dow. He heard with great interest the
royal assent given to bill for raising fifteen
hundred thousand pounds by land tax, and
learned with amazement that this SUN,
though larger by one half than the whole
revenue which he. could wiring from the pop
ulation of the immense empire of which he
was absolute master, was bat small part
of what the Commons of England volun
tarily granted every year to their constitu.
tional king.
William judiciously humored the whims
of his illustrious guest, and stole to Nor
folk street so quietly that nobody in the
neighborhood recognized his majesty in the
thin gentleman who got out of the modest
looking coach at the Cars lodging. The
Gar returned the visit with the same pre-
cautions, and was admitted into Kensing-
ton house by back door. 1t was after
ward known that he took no notice of the
fine pictures with which the palace was
adorned. But over the chimney of the royal
sitting room was plate which, by an in
genious machinery, indicated the direction
Of the wind, and with this plate he was in
raptures.
He soon became weary Of his residence.
He found that he was too far from the OBJ
jects of his curiosity, and too near to the
crowds to which he was himself an object of
curiosity. He accordingly removed to
Deptford, and was there lodged in the house
of John Evelyn, house which had long
been favorite resort of men of letters, men
OF taste, and men of science. Here Peter
gave himself up to his favorite pursuits.
He navigated yacht every day up and
down the river. His apartment was crowd.
ed with models of three deckers and two
deckers, frigates, sloops, and fre-ships. The
only Englishman of rank in whose society
he seemed to take much pleasure was the
eccentric Caermarthen, whose passion for
the sea bore some resemblance to his own,
and who was very competent to give an
opinion about every part of ship, from the
or to fho or ,ovtbo ind
became 80 great favorite that he prevailed
on the Gar to consent to the admission
of limited quantity of tobacco into Rus
sia. There was reason to apprehend that
the Russian clergy would cry out aginst
any relaxation of the ancient rule, and
would strenuously maintain that the prac-
tice Of smoking was condemned by that text
that declares that man is defled, not by
those things which enter in at the mouth,
but by those which proceed out of it. This
apprehension was expressed by deputation
of merchants who were admitted to an au,
dience of the Gar, but they were reassured
by the air with which he told them that he
knew how to keep priests in order.
He was, indeed, so far from any bigoted
attachment to the religion in which be had
been brought up, that both Papists and
Protestants hoped at different times to make
him a proselyte. Burnet, commissioned by
his brethren, and impelled, no doubt, by his
own restless curiosity and love of meddling,
repaired to Deptford and was honored with
several audiences. The Gar could not be
persuaded to exhibit himself at st. Paul's,
but he was induced to visit Lambeth pal
ace. There he saw the ceremony of ordi.
nation performed, and expressed warm
appreciation Of the Anglical ritual. Moth
ing in England astonished him so much as
the archiepiscopal library. 1t was the first
good collection Of books that he had seen,
and be declared that he had never imagined
that there were so many printed volumes in
the world.
The impression which be made on Bur-
net was not favorable. The good bishop
could not understand that mind which