Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1889-09-13
oPLEnooR uNRIvALEo.
Tho Gold Dining Hall In the Imporiu
Palace Mt Moscow.

TdHtte ut NoscOWs
Here after his coronation. tho En-
peror wears for the first time all tho
imperial insignia, dimes amidst his
mobiles. and receives tho congratuln-
tions OF his foreign ambassadors.
This hail. built by Italian architects
In l491, has been restored during tho
present reign In simple and archno-
logically exact manner. and primitive
mural paintings having been repro
duced with tho aid OF ancient descrip-
tions thereof In archaic style by peas
ant image-paintors. Around the pill
lar in lie center OF this, hall is o series
OF shelves forming buffet, on which
the imperial plate is displayed on
grand days during the visits OF the
Tsar. We aro sorry to add that the
inestimable precious treasures OF
ancient gold and silver plate which
wo marvel at in the glass cases
OF the treasury figure on the buffet,
and arc polished up for the occasion
by tho careless hands or laclSeys. In
vain the curators have beon warned
that this repeated rubbing diminishes
the value OF the objects. and will In tho
end materially damage them; the only
answer that they give Is: Our father
the Tsar is coming; the plate must
shine brightly on the bullet"
Tho display OF this collection OF
plate has always struck travellers who
have witnessed the magnificence OF the
court cf the Tsars. Margaret, u Bur-
gundian Captain OF the time OF Boris
Godunov. IN his Esfat de FEDpire dc
Rnssfe tl6i9). gives n glowing picture
OF the rich collection OF plate which
was used In the daily service OF the
Tsar The treasury, he says, is full OF
all kinds OF jewels In great number.
particularly OF pearls; for in Russia
more pearls are worn than In all the
rest OF Europe. There arc
great numbers Of gold plates. large
aud small, and drinking cups; be-
sides this an infinite quantity
OF silver plate, gilt aud not gilt,
MS may be judged from the fuct
that uftor tho election OF Boris Fedor-
wits, when he gathered his army at
Serpo. during six weeks he feasted al
most daily ten thousand men each
time, and all were served In silver
plate" Margaret mentions six silver
barrels. u number of big bowls and
basins OF silver which required four
men TO carry them. each provided
with drinklng-cups. the whole of Rus
sian work. "Also great number OF
silver pieces from Germany. England.
Poland, which are either presents OF
princes sent by their ambassadors, or
which have been bought for the rarity
OF the workmanship"
Olearius. who visited Russia In 1858,
the narrator OF Lord Carlyle's embassy
10 1868 Richard Chancellor, Sir
Jerome liorsey. DIR. Giles Fletcher,
Sir Henry Willoughby, and other
carly travellers. all testify TO the mar
yelous wealth OF the Tsar. and to the
quantity OF plate displayed on
the ''great cupboard" as they
called the buffet around the central
pillar OF the banqueting- room. Rich
ard Chancellor says: "In the midst oi'l
the chamber stood table or cupboard
TO set plato upon which stood full OF
cups OF gold, and amongst all the rest
there stood four marvellous grea.
pottes, or crudences. as they call them. |
Of gold and silver. ! think they were
n good yard and half high. The
number that dlned there that day
was two hundred persons. and all were
served In golden vessels. /,
Sir Henry Willoughby. speaking OF |
\ dinner given by the Tsar. says: "In
Ihe middle OF the dining-room was u
able covered with cups OF gold. The
number OF persons that dined was
about two hundred. all served in ves-
'els OF gold, and the gentlemen that
waited were all in cloth OF gold."-
rheodor, Child, in Harper's Magazl