[2] Postman, No. 441.

    [3] Postmaster, No. 449.

    [4] Nestesuranoi.  Mottley.

On returning from Portsmouth, Peter and his party stopped at Godalming for the night, where, it would appear, from the bill of fare, they feasted lustily.  Among the papers of Ballard’s Collection, in the Bodleian Library, is one from Mr. Humphrey Wanley[5] to Dr. Charlett,[6] which contains the following passage:—­“I cannot vouch for the following bill of fare, which the Tzar and his company, thirteen at table, and twenty-one in all, ate up at Godalming (or Godliming), in Surrey, in their way home, but it is averred for truth by an eye-witness, who saw them eating, and had this bill from the landlord.  At breakfast—­half a sheep, a quarter of lamb, ten pullets, twelve chickens, three quarts of brandy, six quarts of mulled wine, seven dozen of eggs, with salad in proportion.  At dinner:—­five ribs of beef, weight three stone; one sheep, fifty-six pounds; three quarters of lamb, a shoulder and loin of veal boiled, eight pullets, eight rabbits, two dozen and a half of sack, one dozen of claret."[7]

    [5] Author of “Wonders of the little World.”

    [6] Master of University College.

    [7] There are among our countrymen those who are scarcely
        outdone by the Tzar of Russia and his companions.  At the
        same place, and probably at the same house, long known as
        Moon’s, two noble dukes, the one dead, the other yet
        living, stopped, as they intended, for a moment, while
        sitting in their carriages, to eat a mutton chop, which
        they found so good that they each of them devoured
        eighteen, and drank five bottles of claret.

It would appear, indeed, from all accounts, that the Tzar was a prodigiously hard drinker, in his younger days.  In a letter from Mr. A. Bertie to Dr. Charlett, and in the same collection, he says, “The Tzar lay the other night at Mr. James Herbert’s, being come from Deptford to see the Redoubt,[8] which the justices have suppressed, by placing six constables at the door.  Upon that disappointment he fell to drinking hard at one Mr. Morley’s; and the Marquess of Carmarthen, it being late, resolved to lodge him at his brother-in-law’s, where he dined the next day; drank a pint of brandy and a bottle of sherry for his morning draught; and after that about eight more bottles of sack and so went to the playhouse."[9]

    [8] It is presumed some notorious place of ill fame.

    [9] Ballard’s Collection.  Bodleian.

The King having given a grand ball at St. James’s, in honour of the Princess’s birthday, Peter was invited; but instead of mixing with the company, he was put into a small room, from whence he could see all that passed without being himself seen.  This extraordinary aversion for a crowd kept him away from all great assemblies.  Once, indeed, he attempted to subdue it, from a desire to hear the debates in the House of Commons, but even then the Marquess of Carmarthen could not prevail on him to go into the body of the house.