Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1889-12-06
spLEnpon uNRlvALgp.
The Gold Dining Hall In tho Imporlai
Palace at MOSCOW.

The Gold Dining Hail In tho Imporiai
Palace at Moscow.
Hero, after his coronation; tho EN-
peror wears for the first time NIL tho
Imperial insignia, dimes amidst his
mobiles, and receives the congratula-
tions of his foreign ambassadors.
This hall, built by Italian architects
in 149l, has been restored during tho
present reign In simple and archmo-
logically exact manner. and primitive
mural paintings having been repro
duced with the aid of ancient doscrip-
tions thereof in archaic style by peas
ant image-painters Around the pill
lar in The center of this hall is q series
of shelves forming buffet, on which
the imperial plato is displayed on
grand days during the visits OF tho
Tsar We are sorry to add that the
inestimable precious treasures OF
ancient gold and silver plate which
we marvel at In the glass cases
OF the treasury figure on the buffet,
and are polished up for the occasion
by the careless hands or lackeys In
vain the clrators have been warned
that this repeated rubbing dimlnishos
the value OF the objects, and will in the
end materially damage them; the only
answer that they give Is: "0ur father
the Tsar Is coming; the plato must
shine brightly on the buffet"
The display OF this collection OF
plate has always struck travellers who
have Witnessed the magniiicence OF the
court OF the Tsars. Margaret, Bur-
gundian Captain OF tho time OF Boris
Godunov, In his Estat de FEmpire de
Russie (l6i9), gives glowing picture
of the rich collection OF plate which
was, used in the daily service OF tho
Tsar The treasury, he says, is full OF
all kinds OF jewels In great number.
particularly OF pearls; for in Russia
more pearls arc worn than in all the
rest of Europe There arc
great numbers OF gold plates, large
and small, and drinking-cups; DO.
sides this an infinite quantity
OF silver plate, gilt and not gilt.
as may DO judged from the fac.
that after tho election OF Boris Feder-
wits, when he gathered his army at
Serpo during six weeks he fesstod al
most daily ten thousand mon each
time, and all were served in silver
plate.n Margaret mentions six silver
barrels, number OF big bowls and
basins OF silver which required four
men to carry them, each provided
with Advantageous, 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 1888,
the narrator OF Lord Carlylc's embassy
in 1868. Richard Chancellor, Sir
jerome Horsey, DIR. Giles Fletcher.
Sir Henry WillouGhby, add other
early travellers, all testify to the mar
velous wealth OF the Tsar, and to tho
uuuublty VI pltto ulbpluSc ca Ou
the great cupboard" rs they
called the buffet around the central
pillar OF the banqueting-room. Rich
ard Chancellor saysi in the midst Of
the chamber stood tabls or cupboard
to set plate upon which stood full OF
cups OF gold, and amongst all tho rest
there stood four marvellous great
pottes, or crudences, as they call them.
OF gold and silver. think they were
good yard and n half high. Tho
humber that dined 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: "ln
the middle Of the dlning-room was
table covered with cups OF gold. The
number of persons that dined was
about two hundred, all served in ves-
sells Of gold, and the gentlemen that
waited were all in cloth OF gold. ~
Theodor, Child, in Harper's Magazine,