1.
te
PETEK TISE GREAT ;
OK, THE AUDIENCE IN THE MAIN
TOP.
The'following, as tlie writer of
it quietly observes, has “ never
been recorded in the naval an
nals of Great Britain.” We com
mend it to the next historian.
In common with almost e.very
traveler who visits Amsterdam, I
have seen the village of Saardam,
and the humble workshop and
lodging-house of ‘Peterthe Great,’
which are still pointed out with
manifestations of pride and exul
tation by the worthy and hospit
able inhabitants. But the village
is not now as flourishing as it was
in the days of the Czar. Hol
land, which at that time was
equal to any nation as a maritime
power, has wofully degenerated
in this respect. England, France,
Spain, Russia, as well as our own
country, are greatly her super
iors, and Saardam has declined in
population and the enterprise of
the inhabitants, in proportion as
Holland lias declined as a naval
power. But still an interest is'
attached to the place, which
makes it an important object in
the eyes of traveleis, and there
without being a “melancholy
Jaques,” one could sit and mor
alize for hours.
But to mj' story. Peter, while
working as a carpenter or black
smith at Saardam, did not en
deavor to preserve his incognito.
It was soon known to every court
in Europe that the Czar of Rus
sia was residing in Holland ; and
althougli the difl'ereiit European
monarchs were at that time una
ble to appreciate his character, as
manifested by liis voluntary la
bors, and sacrifices of pomp and
pci'sonal comforts, they respected
him a.s the jiowerful and energetic
head of a mighty empire, and
most of the European monarchs
sent to him, with much display
and ceremony, ambassadors, ren
dering him their respects, and in
viting him to visit their respec
tive courts.
William of England, however,
was dilatory in thus evincing his
respect for the Czar, much to the
dissatisfaction of the Russian
monarch, who was particulary de
sirous of being on the most
friendly terms with the English
King. At length, after waiting
impatiently for several months,
lie learned with much gratifica
tion that King William was about
to send three ambassadors, se
lected from among the most dis
tinguished noblemen, and attend
ed by a brilliant cortege, to do
honor to Peter of Russia. The
Czar, with a spirit of eccentricity
which he not unfrequently ex
hibited, resolved to teach these
envoys a lesson which they would
not soon forget, and punish them
in a wliimsical manner for their
tardiness.
When the ambassadors reached
Amsterdam, they were astonished
to learn that Peter was at Saar
dam, busily engaged in building
a ship, which was nearly finished,
and that he would be delighted
to see them at that place. The
English noblemen, who expected
to be received at Amsterdam with
the pomp and ceremony corres
ponding to the cliaracter of their
mission, were not a little embar-
lasssed by tliis information, but
set off, post haste, for Saardam, to
find the carpenter-monarch, and
sent an avant courier, with des
patches, announcing their inten
tion. They reached Saardam at
the appointed hour, hut to their
great surprise were informed that
the Czar was then on hoard his
ship, where he waited their ar
rival, and was impatient to give
them an audience. They were
also informed that a boat was in
waiting at the shipyard to put
them alongside.
The English dignitaries liardly
knew what to think of this aft'air.
There were no precedents by
■udiich to frame their line of con
duct. They were desirous, for
many reasons, to have an inter
view with the Czar, and were
great sticklers for etiquette, jmt
after a hurried consultatipn, they
determined to flatter the whims
of the barbarian monarch, and
visit him on board his ship. A
couple of burly Dutchmen, in a
large and clumsy boat, pulled off
the ambassadors and a portion of
their suite.- They were received
at tlie gangway, by a man dress
ed in the costume of a sailor, who
in a rough manner welcomed
them on board. Wondering at
their singular reception, but sup
posing it a. specimen of Russian
manners, they inquired for tlie
Czar, and their consternation was
actually ludicrous when the sai
lor, with a knowing grin, pointed
(.0 the main-top, and assured the
grave and stalely representatives
of Albion that Peterbas was aloft,
where ho expected the pleasure
of receiving the ambassadors of
his friend and brother, the King
of England !
The ambassadorsp'ere stujietied
at this arrangement and gazed at
each other with despairing looks,
when told that the IrSll of audi
ence of the Russian monarch was
the main-top of a sloop of war !
They could not conceal their per
plexity, and indeed entertained
some suspicions that they were
the victims of a hoax—Mit when
they were assured that the Czar
was actually in the maiiV-top, and
vifished and expected tljeni to
climb the rigging and inja-oduoe
themselves to his preserfee, tl^ir
hearts failed, their limbs lii'em-
bled, and they hardly knetV.wfiat
course to adopt.
“What!” said the proud and
veuerablo Earl of Tewksbury,
“does the Czar of Russia expect
me to climb up those rope-lad
ders, and play the part of a
harlequin at this period of my
life ! To ascend that crow’s nest,
in such a way, would not only
he highly undignified in a person
of my rank, hut actually impos
sible.”
“Ko,” said Sir Nicholas Gran
ger, with a spice of iudiguatioiv
as well as sorrow in his tone,
“this is a most unreasonable ex
action on the part of the Czar.
Eor my part,” continued the
knight, taking a survey of his
portly proportions, and then
glancing at the shroud, “I should
as soon think of flying, as of go
ing alott to the main-top by
means of the rigging. No—if I
get there they must hoist me up
by pulleys.”
Upon father inquirjy they sat
isfied themselves that they must
visit the bear in Ids den, elevated
as it was, or return to England
wilhdut accomplisliing the object
of their mission. They hosifated
a few moments, uncertain which
horn of the dilemma to seize—■
but Lord Gower, lho youngest of
the party, who had once been a.s
far as Constantinople in a .ship of
war, and who therefore boasted
of his nautical experience, sug
gested that there was nothing so
very alarming or dangerous in the
Czar’s request—but it was neither
a frolic nor a hoax—^but a mark of
respect to a great marifinie gov
ernment, to receive her envoys
in a noble ship ; a.nd that if fhev
should refuse his invitation to go
aloft and hold a personal inter
view, after having proceeded thus
far, the Czar would coiislruo it
into ail insult, take umbrage, and
a war between tlie two powers of
England and Russia must be the
inevitable result.
These arguments had doe
weight', and the other ambassa
dors, with sour looks and an un
gracious gTunt, at length signi
fied their reluctant assent to .lie
arrangement, and prepared to “go
up the rigging”—a feat which is
somewhat awkwai'd and difficult
even to a young and activ'e lands
man, and was truly ajipalling to
tliose venerable and heavy-
moulded noblemen. It was an
act of devotion to their coi\n1j'y
and their King, of which we can
hardly find a parallel in the pages
of the history.
They heroically mounted the
gunwale, Loi'd Gower leading
the way ; and they were also as
sisted by the rough personage
who received them at the gang
way, and who subsequently
proved to be the celebrated Le
I'oi't, one ol the most faithful and
able among the connclllors and
fia’euds of tbe Russian monarch.
The}' got up the ratlins, and
slou'ly ascended, panting for
breatli—and pausing in their
career, every few moments.
They were gazed at witli admira
tion by the crew and officers on
the deck of the ship, who could
hardly help cheering them in their
arduous undertaking—and after
a rather unreasonable time, they
reached, breathless with fatigue,
the cat-harp jugs. Hero, ding-
ling convulsively to the^ futtock
shrouds, thci' tarried awhile to
recover breatp, and consult upon
what w'^as next ^ be done. To
climb the futtow shrouds, and
pass over the rim, outside,
tliey with one voice decided was
impossible—-when Loid Gower,
with a trium^iant shout, pointecl
out the liibicr's hole, of which lie
had often heard, and—the pen is
reluctant to record it—-these
proud representatives of a great
kingdom—of a power which
aimed to become sovereign of the
seas, were actually so lost to
sliame and a sense of true dignity,
as to crawl into the main-top through
the luhher’s hole ! This fact lias
never, been recorded in the naval
annals of Great Britain.
Peter was quietly seated on an
armchest,-.as, one tollowing an
other, ambassadors entered
the presence, atually creeping on
their hands and knees ! He re
ceived them width much grace and
dignity—with a grave demeanor,
as if nothing extraordinary had
taken place—and bv the aifabilif y
of his manners, and the charms
of his conversation he soon made
them forget lho perjilexities whicli
i:iie\’ luui so recenily experTuced,
and ihe dangers through whicli
they had passed.
Ailer passing half au Iiour
very ploa.sanlly in the top, tiie
meeting-, at the suggestion of
Peter, was adjourned lO tiie cabin
—and uie descent from ihe “bad
eminence,’ which ihey had ai-
lahiod with so much toil and
peril, was accompliBlied under
the dii'ection of ihe Czar himself,
with much less difficully than
they had auticljiated.—Church
Union.
HOW TO EIVE.
A wealthy gentleman, of Bos
ton, several years ago, gave the
editor ofthe 'Woraestei FallcuUum a
short narrative of his own expe
rience. He had an income of
0,000 a year, (a large sum
llien, but not considered so now,)
a house in town, and country-seat
a few miles out. He liad several
children—a coacli, fine liorses
and driver ; and took pleasure in
riding every day with his chil
dren.
One day when riding, the
thought struck him that eacli one
of his children would expect to
have a fine liouse, and coach, and
horses and driver, as their father
had before them, and to live as
he- lived ; and if they did not,
they would be unhappy. He
did not think that all of them
could have things as he had them,
or live as lie was living; and ho
rode homo ; sent his coach and
horses to markei, and sold thorn ;
bought a clieap carry-all, and be
came his own driver.
With emphasis he declared
that no araomit of wealth could
induce him to return to his former
mode of living, for if any of his
children should chance to bo
poor, as in all probability some
of them would be, they slioiild
not suffer in their feeling by the
reflection tliat their father rode in
Ills coach while they had to rough
it on foot. The example he gave
them afforded him satisfaction
greater than liis wealth had to be
stow.—N. C. Preshylerian.
CAK’VTAG. '
Until within a few years ago
the ceremony of carving was al
ways performed by the mistress of
the house. In the last century this
task must have required no small
share of bodily strength, for tlie
lady was not only to invite—that
is, urge and tease her guests to
eat more tlian human throats con
veniently could swallow—but to
carve every dish, when chosen,
with her own hands. The greater
the lady, the more indispensable
was the duty ; each joint was car
ried up to be operated on in its
ttmi by her and her alone. The
peers and knights on eitlior hand
were so far from being bound to
offer their assistance that the verv
master of the house liimsef, posted
opposite her, might not offer his
assistance. His dejiartment was
to push the bottle after dinner.
As for the crowd of guests, the
most inconsiderable among them
—the curate, a subaltern, or
squire’s young brother—if suf
fered, through her negk et, to help
himsef to a slice of mutton placed
before him, would liave chewed
it in bitterness and gone liome an.
affronted man, half inclined to give
a wrong vote at tlie ne.xt election,
There were then professional car
ving masters, who taught young
ladies scientifically. In the let
ters of Lady Mary Montague, she
meiii'ions having taken lessons
three times a week, that she might
bo perfect when called upon to
nresido at her father’s table. In
order to perform her funotiou
williout interruption, she was for
ced to cat her dinner alone an
hour or tv/o beforehand.
©lilGIRT OE PAl'EK MOWEY.
1’he Count de Tendilla, whilst
beseiged by the Moors in the for
tress of Alhambra, was destitute
of gold and silver wherewith to
pay his soldiers, who began to
murmur, as they had not the
means of purcluising the necessa
ries of life fj'om the people of the
town. “ In this dilemma,” says
the historian, “ what does this
most sagacious commander ? He
takes a number of little morsels
of paper, on which he inscribes
various sums, large and sm.-ill,
and signs tliem with his own
hand and name. Those did he
give to the soldiery in earnest of
their pay. “How,” you will say,
“are soldiers to be paid witli lit
tle scraps of p.Tpei"?” Even so;
and weU paid, too, as I will pres
ently make manifest, for the good
Count issued a proclamation or
dering the inhabitants to take
these morsels of paper for the full
amount therein iiisoribod, prom
ising to redeem at a future day
with gold and silver. Thus, by
subtle and almost miraculous al
chemy, did this cavalier turn
worthless p.nper into precious gold
and silver, and his late impover
ished army again had plenty.”
The historian add.s, “The Count
de Tendilla redeemed his prom
ise like a royal knight; and this
miracle, as it appeared in the
eyes of the Agapida, is the first
instance on record of paper raonev
which h.as since S2')read through
out the civilized world the most
unbounded opulence.”—■ Exchange
A SiaiUiug;' Fact.
A casual remark in the Raleigh
paper catches our eye. It is that
Col. S. D. Pool, Superintendent
of.Public Instruction, says “there
are two hundred and thirty thous
and white children in North Car
olina, and only fifteen thousand
ol these are attending the sub-'
scription schools. And outsidei
the schools centres in tlie State
there is not an average of a lir.n-
dred children to every COnnty
going to school.” Well may the.
amazed reporter excl.aim ! “Think,
of that! Shall old North Car
olina twenty years from to-day
be jieojilecl with numskulls ?
We all are to blame. Let us take
hold and do better.”
Indeed we must do better Uian-
tliat. Rouse up, North Carolin
ians all! Send your children to
school as long as you have a crust
of bread and a wliole garment to-
feed and clothe them with. Give
your children clothing for the
mind, which stands the wear and
tear of the wasting years.-—Wilr-
mington Star.