JB_540_007_001.xml

Title: [Petersburgh Jan y 20 th 1784 O.S.]

Description: Petersburgh Jan y 20 th 1784 O.S.

No time was as yet fixed for the departure of the English Courier who

has been here some months and by whom I have given you to expect

news from me, but as another is just arrived with the news of the change

in the ministry M r Fitzherbert dispatches one of them as soon as

possible. A small part only of what I had written in readiness for the

opportunity will be to be sent now as my circumstances of late

are entirely changed.

First I have to tell you that my love

affair is entirely put an end to. Gen: Landskoy [The Empress's favourite] immediately on

the death of the Uncle without any application on my part to him

had interested himself so much in the affair as to let the aunt

& mother know that the Empress thought they did wrong to oppose

the young Countess's inclinations and promised that her

Majesty would promote me and do anything to give them

satisfaction. This only irritated the Aunt the more. When the

Uncle & father came the girl was watched more closely than ever:

yet she found means to write to me frequently and every body

seemed to be in our interests. She was ill, kept her room, and

her bed, and allarmed her friends, but could not soften them.

she offered to make her escape with me, or take any steps which

I would point out, could She but escape the vigilance of her keepers.

She offered money & diamonds to one of her chambermaids,

but could not gain her assistance. When things were in this situation

the parents summoned all this force against her, and at length

after having her Mother at her feet foaming at the mouth

through despair, She, after half an hour's reflection sat down

and wrote to me a renounce. telling me that all had been tried

and that a sense of the unhappiness She caused in her family

JB_540_013_001.xml

Title: [Petersburgh Jan y 20 1784 O.S. No]

Description: Petersburgh Jan y 20 1784 O.S.

No time was as yet fixed for the departure of the English Courier, who

has been here some months, and by whom I have given you

to expect news from me; but as another is just arrived with

the News of the Change of the Ministry, M r Fitzherbert

dispatches one of them as soon as possible; a small part

only of what I had written in readiness for this opportunity

will be to be sent now as my Circumstances of late

are entirely Changed.

First, I have to tell you that my Love-Affair is entirely

put an end to. General Landskoy, immediately on the death

of the Uncle, without any application on my part to him

has interested himself so much in the Affair as to let

the Aunt and Mother know that the Empress thought

they did wrong to oppose the young Countess's Inclinations

and promised that her Majesty would promote me and

do any thing to give them satisfaction. This only irritated

the Aunt the more. When the Uncle and Father came

She was watched more closely than ever; yet She found

means to write to me frequently, and and every body seem'd

to be in our Interests. She was ill, kept her Room, &

her Bed, and alarmed her Friends, but could not soften

them. She offered to make her escape with me, or

take any Steps which I could point out, could She

but escape the vigilance of her keepers. She offered

Money and Diamonds to one of her Chambermaids

but could not gain her assistance. When things were

in this situation the Parents summoned all their force

against her, and at length, after having her Mother

at her feet "foaming at the mouth through despair,

She, after half an hour's reflection, sate down and

wrote me a Renounce, telling me that all had been tryed

JB_539_404_002.xml

Title: [as soon after my Receipt of Sam's Packet]

Description: as soon after my Receipt of Sam's Packet as possible, I will take care to

transmit it to P. Carew together with your Letter to him, & think with

you, it will be better for me not to appear in it, since I am not unaware

that both of us interfering with the same Person may lessen the weight of

Each of us — Since my last I have been in Company with a Lady a

few miles from home, that was several years with the Consul of

Petersburg, was acquainted with every body belonging to it and particularly

the Countess, as you call her. This Lady told

me, She was handsome, genteel, in her person, & very amicable &

agreeable in her behaviour & deportment & esteem'd

by everybody, & in a manner adored by her own family, that

she is one that cou d not but please here

in England; that when ever she went out it was in a carriage with a

set of six horses to attend her — and she gave me much the same

account of her family, as Sam's to me — speaking of the Father she

said he was look d upon to be rather

a weak man, & was made a dupe of by some designing persons, who,

to answer some views of their own put him upon behaving in a manner

slighting or offensive to the Grand Duke & Dutchess, on

w ch account, it was that he was

ordered out of the way, to Moscow, but that his wife the Countess's

mother was not thought the worse of on his account — you will

probably want to know by this time, who this same Lady is, that co d give me so partial an account

— It is a M rs Winder, who is daughter of

Lady Knowles by Admiral Sir Cha s

Knowles, who you know, was some time at Petersberg. This daughter is

married to a young gentleman an officer of the Guards, but he

& she live chiefly with Lady Knowles her Mother, at Thorpe. M rs Winder is a very pretty, agreable

young Lady, plays admirably well on the Harpsichord, & when

she M iss Knowles

at Petersburg she was, it seems, a great favourite of the

Empress, in so much , as to be a kind of maid of

honour, & I once saw her dressed in Town, when she appeared to have

some Jewels, in some form, on one side w ch if

I understood aright were a present from the Empress, expressive of some

order or other, but as to that circumstance, perhaps, I may be mistaken,

however she appeared to be perfectly well acquainted with the Names ,

Persons & Characters of every body at the Court of Petersburg —

you may imagine I co d not but be

pleas'd that a young Lady of such a description &

character, as the Countess, had avow'd such a for Sam,

tho' nothing may come of it — as it nevertheless

1783 ) Q.S.P. Datchet 10 ) to Sept. ) J.B. Brompton

Sophia known by Mrs Winder