which is expressed in one word, namely, "brill". When I answered in the affirmative, he said: "The same thing has occurred to ourselves;" which is as if he were to say, "We also have shaved." For when he married his second wife he shaved off the whole of his beard, which I was told had never been done by any other prince.
The sewers used to be dressed in dalmatics, similar to those worn by the Levites when performing their sacred functions; but they also wore girdles. Now, however, they wear a different kind of robe, called in their language "terlick", which is loaded with gems and pearls.
The grand-prince sometimes spends three or four hours over dinner. During my first embassy, our dinner was prolonged till one o'clock in the morning; for just in the same manner as they often spend the whole day in deliberating over matters involving doubt and difficulty, and do not leave it till it has been maturely discussed and decided upon, so also they will sometimes consume a whole day over their banquets and convivial meetings, and only retire when darkness overtakes them.
The prince often honours his guests by sending them dishes and drink. He never meddles with matters of serious moment during dinner; but when the dinner is over, it is his custom to say to the ambassadors, "Now you may depart." When thus dismissed, they are escorted back to their hotels by the same persons who had conducted them to the palace, who state that they have orders to remain with them in the hotel, to make merry with them. Silver goblets, and various other vessels containing liquor, are then produced, and all strive to make each other drunk; and very clever they are in finding excuses for inviting men to drink, and when they are at a loss for a toast to propose, they begin at last to drink to the health of the emperor and the prince his brother, and after that to the welfare of any others whom they believe to hold any position of dignity and honour.
