CIGARETTE PAPERS.

Southland Times, Issue 21771, 28 July 1932, Page 8

CIGARETTE PAPERS.

EVELYN AND PETER. Dear Criticus, On the subject of your chatty little paper on the diplomatic scuffle between Queen Anne and Peter the Great, are you so sure that the £5O would have been paid in any case? Perhaps the Russian Ambassador might have been a good payer, though his creditors evidently thought it unlikely since _ they thought fit to inspongerate him on this occasion, but Peter’s own paying qualities were not of the readiest. Readers of Evelyn’s diary will remember the diarist’s beautiful grounds at Sayes Court which were the main object of his existence. In the reign of William and Mary Sayes Court was let to a “rude tenant,” who in turn sublet to Peter the Great, Czar of Muscovy, then, in England incognito, to study shipbuilding and political economy. The result to the famous grounds of Evelyn was disastrous. Peter wantonly destroyed fruit trees and grass plots, and one of the Czar’s favourite morning exercises was to have himself wheeled furiously in a barrow through Evelyn’s five foot holly hedge, which had for many years been the crowning glory of Sayes Court. This royal humourist and vandal caused much damage of this kind, which was ultimately assessed by Evelyn at £162 7/—, say £l,OOO of our money, but the Czar was well above such commonplace morality as settling his debts. Evelyn has not yet been paid, nor is it at all likely that the Soviet Government would recognize the claim. Yours etc., F.K.T.