r^' p',! |i| EX LIBR3. I .;,( ;|/'^! i '§I£S-«.-.:253Ji| HISTORY OF RUSSIA. VOL. ir. \ HISTORY OF RUSSIA, FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE MONARCHY BY RURIK, TO THE ACCESSION OF CATHARINE THE SECOND. By W. TOOKE, F. R. S. MEMBER or TKE IMPERIAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES AND OF THE raE£ ECONOMICAL SOCIETV AT ST. PETERSBURG. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. II. LONDON: Printed ly A- Strahan, Printeri-Streety rOR T. N. LONGMAN AND O. REES, l'ATEKNOST£H-KOVr. iBoo. ' ' 1 , ■»> > J J 1 > > » J J i > t i i > . > « » • • ■ • • « • • • ••••' ••< IXPLANATION OF THE PLATES. Vll His fons were : Simeon, Ivan, and Andrew. His daughter was united in marriage to Conftantinc VafTillievitch, prince of Roftof. 37. Vel. kn. Semen Ivanoyitch Gordie, born In 1317, reigned in 1341, died of the plague in 1353, at the age of thirty- fix. During his fhort life he had three wives : I. Avgufta, named at her baptifm Anaftafia, princefs of Lithuania. 2. Paralkovia, daughter of Feodor Sviatoflavitch, prince of Smolenflc. 3. Mary daughter of Alexander, prince of Tver. His fons were Ivan and Semen, or Simeon. His daughter was joined In wedlock to Mikhaila VaflU- lievitch, prince of Tver. 38. Velik.ii kniaz Ioan ioANOviTCH, born In 1325, began to reign in 1353, and died In 1358. He had tv/o wives : l. Pheodofia, daughter of Dmitri, prince of Erianflc. 2. Alexandra, afterwards a religious under the name of Maria. By the fecond he had Dmitri and Ivan. 39. V. K. Dmitri Eonstantinovitch Suzdal, was in veiled with the fovereignty by the Tartars in 1360, and divefted of it in 1362. He had fons : Vaffilly, Simeon, and Ivan. . His daughter, Evdokhia, married the grand-prince Dmitri Donflcl. 40. Velikii kniaz Dimitrii Ioannovitch, born in. 1349, received from the Tartars the fovereignty in 1 362, built the Kreml at Mofco, of ftone ; died in 1389, at the age of forty. His wife was Evdokhia, daughter of Dmitri, prince of Suzdal, and fome time grand-prince of Mofco. A 3 His Vill EXPLANATION OF THE PLATES. His fons: Danila, Vassilly, Yury, Andrew, Peter, Ivan, and Condantlne. His daughter, named Sophia, was married to Feodor, prince of Riazan. .41. Velikii kniaz Vasilii Dimitrievitch, born In 1370, fuccecded his father in I3^'9; died in 1425, aged fifty-five years. He married Sophia, daughter of Vitolde, grand-prince of Litliuaiiia. His fons: Ivan and Vassilly. His daughters were : i . Anne, married to John Paleo* logus, emperor of Conllantinople. 2. The fecond efpoufed George fon of Patrick^ prince of Lithuania. 3. VafTillina, was firft married to Alexander Ivanovltch, prince of Suz- dal, and in fecond nuptials to Alexander Danilovitch, like- v'lfe prince of Suzdal. 42. Velikii kniaz Vasilii Vasilievitch, furnamed the BUnd> born in 1415, fucceeded h»s father in 1425 ; died in 1462 at the age of forty-feven. He married Maiy, daughter of a prince Yaroflaf, de- fccnded in the fourth generation from the grand-prince Ivan Danilovitch. His fons were: Yury, Ivan, Yury, Andrey, Boris, Andrcy. His daughter Marpha was married to the prince Ivan VaffiUievItch Belfki. 43. Velikii kniaz Ioasn Vasilievitch, born in 1438, fucceeded his father in 1462, and died in 1505, in his fixticth year, after a reign of forty-three years. He had two wives : i . Mary, daughter of Boris, prince of Tver. 2. Sophia, daughter of Thomas Paleologus, and niece of John and ConIlantine> emp>;rors of Conftantl- noplc. He E>5^LANATI0N OF THE PLATES. Ji He had, by his firft confort, Ivan ; and by the fecond i Vas SILLY, Yury, Dmitri, Simeon, and Andrew. His daughters were : i. Helena, confort of Alexander, king of Poland. 2. Evdokhia, married to Xudailuk, fon of Ibrahim, khan of Kazan, who was converted to chrif- tianity, and received at the font the name of Peter. 3. The Third, whofe name is unknown, gave her hand to Daniel, prince of Tver. 4. Sophia, the fpoufe of VaffiUy Danilovitch, prince of Kholra. 44. Velikh kniaz Vasilii Ioannovitch, born In 1458, fucceeded his father in 1505 ; died in 1533, aged ^^. He had two wives: i. Solomona, daughter of Yury Zaburof. 2. Helena, daughter of prince Vaffilly Glinflcy. By the fecond were born to him : Ivan and Yury. 4.5. Tzar 1 vel. kn. Ioann Vasilievitch, b. p. born in 1530, fucceeded his father in 1533 ; died in 1584, aged 54. Foreigners give him feven wives ; the ruffian hiftorians Colifent to no more than five, who were: I. Anaftafia, daughter of Romane Yurievitch Zakhariin. 2. Maria, daughter of Temruke, prince of the highland Circafllans. 3. Marpha, daughter of Vaffilly Sobakin, forced by her hufband to enter a convent. 4. Daria, daughter of Ivan Koltofflty, forced likewife to take the veil. 5. Maria, daughter of Feeder, of the race of the Nogays. He had by the firft : Dmitri, Ivan, and Feodor ; and by the fecond : Dmitri, who is thought to have been aflafllnated at Uglitch. He had likewife two daughters : Anne and Mary, wha 4ied ill their infancy. THE f^ and under both thefe names laid claim to the throne.- Happy it was for Alexey and Ruflia,. that neither the Poles nor the Swedes, whom the jmpoftor, in reahty the fon of a linen-draper, en- deavoured to induce to efpoufe his caufc, fhewed any great zeal in his lupport ; othervi'ife it 13- probable that the turbulent times of the former impollors under the name of Dmitri would have been renewed. On the contrary, however, the. * Concerning tliis rcmai-kable perfoiiage more will be feen in the fequcl. pretender HISTORY OF RUSSIA. ig pretender very foon fell Into the hands of the Ruffians ; and, inftead of being promoted to the throne, was raifed to the gallows. The empire therefore remained quiet withini It was, however, prefently difturbed on the frontiers towards Poland, with which kingdom a war broke out, originally occafioned by the Kozaks. This people, whofe name is probably of tartarian origin, and fignifies a light armed warrior, took its rife in the fourteenth centurv. when Kief the primitive ruffian realm, was con- joined with Lithuania *. A great part of the fubjefts of the kievian principality being diffatis- fied with the lithuanian government, deferted their,country, and fettled in diftrifts lying more to the fouthward, almofl deflitute of people, about the mouth of the Dniepr. For this emi- gration undoubtedly the catholic clergy were mod to blamej who left no means untried to unite the inhabitants of the kievian, now belong^- ing to the lithuanian empire, and who were not catholics, but firmly attached to the greek ritual, to the communion of the church of Rome* Their abhorrence to this union induced them to emigrate j and, as the new colonies formed on the Dniepr by thefe emigrations were always * See before, vol. ij p. 277. c 2 greatly 2-> HISTORY OF RUSSIA. greatly annoyed by the neighbouring Poles, Li" thuanians, and Tartars, a particular form of go- vernment gradually created irfelf among thefe colonifls, who afterwards obtained the name of Kozaks. It was a military democracy. Every man was a foldier, and- the chief (the ataman or hetmaii) was elecled by the voice of the people aflembled, which was alfo dccifive on every matter of public. concern. The Kozaks being at firft under tartarian protedion, on the diffo- lution of the tartarian empire, and their num- bers being inereafed by a multitude of tarirarian . families that took refuge among them, they ac- knowledged the king of Poland as their para- mount guardian. An attack upon their confti- tution, however, which the Poles thought proper to make, and the attempts which the polifh clergy never gave up, to incorporate thefe greek chrif- tians into the latin church, alienated the minds of the Kozaks from the polifli fupremacy, and induced them to apply for admiflion under the patronage of Ruflia, efpecially as the greek mode of chriftian faith, fo highly revered by them, was predominant in the ruffian empire. Alexey was much difpofed to comply with their wiflies to own him for their guardian fovereign, on their declaration to that effcd about the year 1654. Even Nikon, now elevated to the pa- triarchate,. HISTORY OF P-USSIA, £1 trlarchate, encouraged him not a little to adopt thefe perfecuted flieep of the orthodox church, and reduce them to the patriarchal fold. His fpiritual motives were convincing enough to Alexev, who v^^as defirous of the fame thinfr for political reafons, efpecially as the tzar might forefee that Poland would not regard this with complacency, but would ftrive to prevent it by force of arms. On this occafion he was in hopes not only to become the paramount lord of the kozaks, but even perhaps to recover from the Poles what his father had been obliged by a feries of difafters to evacuate to them. It was curious, however, that Alexey,\vhile he earneflly wiflied to form a conne6iion with the Poles, ihould begin by making complaints, that, in a Eumber of writings publiilied in Poland, the ho- nour of his father and of the empire was in- fiilted. Nay, in compenfation for the injuries thereby caft upon him, he direftly demanded the reftoration of the countries ceded by his father to Poland. The king of Poland rejected the demand, as might eafily be expefted. Thus then, on the fide of Rufha, there was already a pretence for war, which indeed as to its validity feemed flight enough, yet, however, might pafs for a pretence. Befides, the tzar offered to adl as mediator between the difcontented kozaks C 3 ^nd 21 HISTORY OF RUSSIA, and the polifii governmenf. But Poland woulcj not accept the mediation, and thus it came to an open rupture between them. In this war the Ruffians, afTifted by the kozuks, were fo fuc» cefsful againfl: Poland, that even the king of Sweden, jealous at Alexey's good fortune, was apprehenfive left the latter might hereafter em- ploy the force he was thus increafmg to the de- triment of Sweden, and by the vanquifhing of one neighbour, might be the more dangerous to him as the other. He, therefore, took precau- tionary means of defence in cafe of an attack. The Tartars, who came to the aHiftance of Po" land, in the meantime put a check to Alexey's conquers ; and Lithuania, that fhe miglit not fall into the hands of the tzar, implored the pro- tedion of the king of Sweden. By this ftep Alexey, who thought by conquering Poland to get polTefTion of Lithuania as an appanage to ir, felt himfelf affronted, and now alfo, in 1656, broke meafures with Sweden. If pillaging, ra- vaging, defolating, and feizing on towns and villages, and even maffacring unarmed enemies, • may be called a fuccefsful war, then jt mufl be faid, that Alexey*s arnis were likewife fuccefsful \n Sweden : but only in thofe refneds. The Ruffians would not dare to conrend with the fivedifh warriors face to face in the open field, even HISTORY OF RUSSIA, 23 s have been eafily excited, efpecially as a great part of the warlike nation of kozaks were im- plicated in the rebellion. ^ The turkifh emperor, in the meantime, had not looked on with complacency from the very- beginning, while Alexey was taking meafures for making himfelf proteftor of the kozaks, as Ruffia by this nation obtained a flrong rampart againfl the incur fions of the Tartars dependent on the turkifh empire, who were perpetually in- fefting the ruffian territory. He accordingly ftrove to prevent it j firft by farther humbling Poland, already weakened by Alexey 's forces, and then by attacking Ruffia. In 1671 the Turks made themfelves mailers of Kaminietz, a fortrefs on the frontiers belonging to Poland, and extended themfelves throughout the Uk- raine. At the treaty of Andruflbf the Ruffians and Poles having promifed mutual affiftance to each other againfl: their mohammedan neigh- bour, Alexey was obliged now, in purfuance of that agreement, again to take arms. In order to give employment to the Turks on all fides, and totally to reduce the inveterate foe to his empire. •2-8 lliSTORY or RUSSIA, empire, Alcxey lent ainbailadors to icvcial A'f the cliriftian potentates, exhortiiij^ them to take part in the war agninlt the implacable enemy of the chriRian name. But the chriftian potentates had fimilar bufmefs enough of their own, and were obliged to be perpetually on their guard againft the depredations of each oiher. ' Accords ingly, the general league of the chriftians againd the Turks was never brought to eifecl, and only remained a pious wiOi of the tzar. — The lurkilh army being for feme years fucceflively vicliorious, and making many conquefis hi Po- land, was confequently becoming every day jnore dangerous to the tzar. At length, how- ever, a flop was put to their conqueils by the great commander Sobieiky, who fmoothed his way to the throne by his viclorious arms againft theie enemies of his country. Indeed Alexey had formed the project for making one of his fons king of Poland, and fo to unite that king^ dom with his ov/n ; but the plan proved abor- tive. He did not live to fee the termination of the war with the Turks, in which Alexey had taken a very aftive part. His death hap- pened in 1676 ; and it is highly probable that heicil a victim to the empyrical remedies of an old poliOi woman, in whom he had more confi- :(;dcnce than in his phyficians. That HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 2^ That Alexey was fuccefsful in his wars wltl^ Poland ; that he procured a reflitution of thd countries torn from his empire, and laid the foundation of a fovereignty aver the kozaks^i were not his only merits in behalf of RulTia^ He was as provident for the improvement of the 'empire within, as for its aggrandizemer^t without. He, in a particiuiar manner attached to himfelf the gratitude of his fuhjecls, by a reformation of the laws, in which he confulted the nobility, the clergy, and th6.clafs of boirghers. He encouraged the trade of the country, and was attentive to advance the cultivation of the empire": whereas formerly the prifoners of way always belonged as ilaves to thofe who had taken them, he aded far more wifely, by fend- ing the captives from the enemy into uncul- tivated regions, that they might be peopled by their nieans. The mildnefs of his government iiUured Germans, Dutch, Italians, and about three thoufand Scotfmen into Ruffia. He had already fornred the defign, which his fon Peter afierwards put into execution, of making the Ruffians acquainted with the art of conllruding {hips and with maritime commerce, and refolved to keep merchant>fhips in the CaTpian ; but Rad- zin^s rebellion had fruftrated the attempts to that end which he had already made. RuHia had therefore yet much- to expecl from AlexeV,. ^O HISTORY OF RUSSIA, if death had not prematurely carried him off iti the forty-feventh year of his age. It may with the flricleft juflice be affirmed^ that under Alexey the ruflian empire made fome progrefs in civihzation, and that this prince, in many refpects, already trod the path ■which his fon Peter afterwards purfued with more firm and certain flaps. For the better underftanding of the tranf- adions that next enfued in the reigning family, which, as it could not be otherwife, had great influence on the empire itfelf, I fhall here mention the manner in which the tzars of RufTia were wont to felecl their conforts — a manner that indeed had a nearer refemblance with afiatic than with european cuftoms. When a tzar was refolved to marry, the mofl beautiful of the unmarried daughters of the country, par- ticularly of the principal families, were fum- moned to court. They appeared in their holiday cloaths, met with fumptuous entertainment 5 and the young lady who had the good fortune to be chofen by the tzar for his bride remained at court, while the reft were difmiffed with favours *. Indeed it is polfible that in moft: cafes * The account generally receivcl among foreigners is a«, follows : Solent autem mofchovitje quum de tixore ducenda ddibcranty HISTORY OF RUSSIA. ^l cafes it was determined prior to this exhibition on. which of the fair the eleftion would fidL — By this pradice, therefore, all that influence which foreign princefles as conforts [o often ex- ercife over the fovereign, and through them upon the interefts of the country, was pre- vented : this mode obferved by the tzars in con- trading marriage had a tendency likewife to what all of them prior to Peter the Great feemed mod; to defire, that this empire fhould have as little conneiStion with other countries as poflible *. But even this election of a tzaritza from Akiiberant, omnium toto regno puellariim virginum dekftum habere, ac forma virtuteque animi prEellantiores ad fe per- «iuci jubere, quas demum per idoneos homines, fidelefque inatronas infpiciunt, fta diligenter, ut fecretiora quoque ab^ lis contreftari explorarique fas fit. Ex iis vero magna atque folicita parentum e.xfpedlationc, q'lse ad principis animum refponderit regiis nuptiis digna prouunciatur. Caeterae Tei-o, quae deforms pudicitiaeque, & morum dignitate con- tenderant, facpe eadem die in gratiam principum, proceribus , atquc militibus nubunt, iic ut mediocri loco natas plerumque dtim prlncipes regise ftirpis clara ftemmata contemnunt, ad fummum regalis thori faftigium, uti & Turcas ottomannas foiitos efle videmus, pulchritudinis aufpiciis evehantur- Paulas jovius in Mofchovia, p. 32. * The following is delivered as the true flate of tae Dulinefs by that profound ruffian antiquarian M. Boltin ^ Inquiries- ji HIotORl' OF RUSSIA. from the daughters of the natives proved a? times the fruitful fource of the dlfafters to the empire, as the relations of the new tzaritza, by the affiflance of their aunts, now railed to be great ladies, ftrove to make themfclves of con- fequencc, and did not always purfue this aim by the direflefl means ; as, for example, in the cafe of Boris. Should it haippen that a tzat married more than once, then a door was imme- ' Inquiries were privately made after the moft beautifu! and fcnfible young women of tlie country ; but no ukafes were ever IfTued to that efTcfl, as has been pretended by fome foreign authors. Some of the principal lords and ladies re- ceived the commiflion to bring fuch as they deemed the worthiefl: to the hoiife of the monavch, where each of them found a decent chamber ready for her reception. They ate all at one table, and various kinds of pailime were provided for their amufement. The monarch obferved them pri- vately and liPcened to their couTcrfations. It is affirmed by feme that he even vilited them by night, in order to fee which of them flept quietly or unquietly. After reiterated vilitation and infpcclion of the undcrflandings, tempers, artd difpofitions, and having made up his mind in confequcncc. Ire came and fat down at tabic with them, where he pre- fented her on whom he had fixed his clioice for a bride with a handkerchief and a ring. On the fame day he difmifTcd the reft froni his houfe with prcfents confiding of the feveral articles of drei'L;. The name of the bride eleft was then publicly declared, alid the tide of grand-princcfs conferred upon her. diately vEnSTORY OF RUSSIA. 35 <21ately opened to the fpirit of faction : feveral families became related to the fovereign ; one exerting itfeif to circumvent the other ; the new- relations endeavouring by all means to fubvert the elder. The cafe here fuppofed, by no means advantageous to the empire, ailually happened with Alexey. He married twice ; and herein lay principally the foundation of the troubles which threatened to break out immediately on his death; and though at that time fupprefied, burft forth with greater violence and fury, fix years afterwards, when Feodor died. Two princes, named Feodor and Ivan, and fix piinceiTes, of whom Sophia afterwards made herfelf particularly famous, were the children of the firfl, Peter and Nataha the ofTsprlng of the fecond marriage, whom Alexey left behind hiin at his death. By his fird confort, born a Milo- flaffkoy, the family of Miloflaflkoy acquired great influence at court ; which, however, de- clined on Alexey's marrying a fecond time a Narilhkin, and this conibrt favoured her rela- tions. As now, moreover, the tvvo princes of the former marriage, Feodor and Ivan, were not only of a very feeble temperament, but alfo appeared to have no great intelletflual abili^ ties, (which was particularly the cafe with Ivan,) it was natural for the Naiiflikin family to ccn- \Qi^ II, i) ceive 34 HISTORY Ol' RUSSIA. ccive the defign of nominating, after Alexey's fleath, the young Peter, fourteen years of age, the only prince of the fecond marriage, as fuc- cefTor to his father, and to exclude the two elder princes, on account of their incapacity, from the fucceilion. But this projeft tailed : Feodor was appointed tzar ; and, though he was fickly and infirm of body, and this infirmity was even increafed by an illnefs fhortly after his acceflion to the throne, yet he proved, that the conclufion from the weaknefs of his body to an imbecility of mind was too hafly. On the con- trary, during his reign of fix years he difplayed many excellent talents for government ; and it was much to be lamented, that the tenement of his fpirit was fo frail. The war again ft the Turks which he inherited from his father he profecuted four years longer, and terminated it in 1680 by a truce for twenty years, by which the Turks not only reaped no advantage, but were compelled to acknowledge the fovereignty of the tzars over the Kozaks, whom the fukan was ■ greatly defirous to incorporate with his empire. The pains bellowed by Feodor in his adminir ftration related chiefly to the interior of the empire ; evincing in the whole of his conduct |hat the benefit of his people was his ruling pbjetto HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 35 •object. In a country like Ruffia, where even after all the trouble that Alexey had taken to form a code of laws, there were not ftatutes adapted to all cafes, too many opportunities offered where chicane or money could influence the decifion of the judge. The offices of the magiftrature were ahnoft exclufively filled by "the nobility ; and it was extremely difficult for any of the burghers or peafantry, and for the poor almoft impoffible, to gain a verdict, ,eveu though the law was on their fide, whenever the adverfary was a noble or a v/ealthy man, as the former was commonly favoured by the court on account of his rank, and the latter for the weighty arguments which he brought, Ifkleed under Alexey's government fome great men, as before related, received fad wages for their ini- quities ; but thefe examples prefently loft their warning virtue, and Feodor faw himfeif obliged to make it a primary objeft of his care that law and equity w^ere impartially adminiftered, and that even the poor and needy of his fubjeds fhould at leaft have juftice, — With equal dili- gence he provided that the neceffaries of life fhould not be kept at too high a price, nor the dealers in them opprefs the poor. For the en- couragement of perfons in llender circumflances, defirous to engage in ufefui undertakings that I? 2 exceeded 36 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. exceeded their means, he aflifled them with pe- cuniary advances for feveral years. Mofco was already indebted to his father for having a well ' conftituted poHce : he added to it many wife regulations, and at length crowned his reign by an ordinance, eminently important and bene- ficial to the empire, by which he gave a violent blow to the hurtful and ridiculous conceit of privileges of birth. Nothing cculd equal the care with which the noble families kept the books of their pedigrees, in which were fet down, not only every one of their anceflors, but alfo the polls and offices Tj-hich thefe their forefathers held at court, in the army, or in the civil department. Had thefe genealogies and regilters of defcent been confined to the purpofe of determining the an- ceftry and the relationfhip of families, no ob- jection could be alleged againfl them. But thefe books of record were carried to the mofl: abfurd abufe, attended with a hofi; of pernicious confequences. If a nobleman were appointed to a poll in the army or at court, or to fome civil ftation, and it appeared that the perfon to whom he was now fubordlnate numbered fewer anceftors than he, it was wiih the utmofl diffi- culty that he could be brought to accept of the office to which he was called. Nay, this folly wag HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 37 \^2.s carried ftill greater lengths : a man would even refufe to take upon him an employ, i£ thereby he would be fubordinate to one whofe i>nceftors formerly flood under the anceftors of him who was now offered the place. "It is eafy to imagine that a prejudice of this kind mufb have been produdive of the mofl difagreeable ^ffefts, and that difcontents, murmurs at flights and trifling negletls, difputes, quarrels, and dif- orders in the fervice, muft have been its natural attendants. It v^^as therefore become indifpen- fably neceffary that a particular office fliould be inftituted at court, in which exad: copies of the crenealogical tables and fervice-reduers of the noble families were depofited 5 and this oSce was inceffantly employed in fettling the number- lefs difputes that arofe from this inveterate pre„ judice. Feodor, obferving the pernicious effeds of this fond conceit that the father's capaeity muft necefiarily devolve on the fon, and that confequently he ought to inherit his poflsji wifhed to put a flop to it j and, with the advice of his fagacious minifter prince Vaffilly Galitzin, of Vv^hom we fhail frequently have occafion to fpeak, fell upon the following method for put^ ting an end to this ridiculous practice. He caufed it to be proclaimed, that all the fami« lies (hould deliver into court faithful copies of D "^ their 3^ HISTORY OF RUSSFA. their fervice-rolls, in order that they might be correclcd of a number of errors that had crept into them. This dehvery being made, he con- voked the great men and the fuperior clergy before him. In eloquent fpeeches it was repre- fented to them by him in arguments drawn from reafon, and by the patriarch in arguments drawn from religion, that the prejudice which had hitherto prevailed of forming pretenfions from the pofls that had been filled by their an- ceflors, was as irrational as it was contrary to the didates of chriftianity, which required humility and brotherly love. Thefe difcourfes being ended, the affembly were allied their opinion, when they unanimoufly affented ; the generality however not from full convidion to the judg- ment of the tzar and the patriarch. No fooner was this alTent declared, than the whole heap of thefe records of fervice was brought into the fquare before the pakce, and, in prefence of the clergy and a multitude of noblemen, — burnt to afhes. By way of conclufion to this fingular ceremony, the patriarch denounced an anathema againll every one who fhould prefume to con- travene this ordinance of the tzar ; and the iuftic^ of the fentence was ratified by the affem- bly in a general Ihout of Amen. It was by no means Feodor's intention to efface nobility ; Q* and HISTORY OF RUSSIA. ^9 and accordingly he ordered new books to be made in which the noble families were infcribed ; but thus was abolifhed that extremely pernicious cuftom which made it a difgrace to be under the orders of another if his anceftry did not reach fo high, or even — in cafe of equal pedigree — if a forefather of the commander had once been fubordinate in the fervice to the progenitor of him who was now to acknowledge him for his fuperior. Feodor, therefore, did much good in his gene- ration, combated many prejudices, and contri- buted what he could to roufe his people from that fluggifhnefs which generally prevailed among them ; by many of his aftions drove to cure them of the idle notion, that every thing is beft as it is, and therefore that nothing flioiild be altered. He deftroyed, as we have juft feen,' the extravagant pretenfions of the nobility, fo highly detrimental to the flate j in like manner he did away the prejudice that the tzaritza mud always be a native Ruffian, by marrying a lady of Poland, for whom he had conceived an affec- tion, and roundly told the patriarch, on his de- claring the marriage invalid, that he either never would marry at all, or only according to his private inclination : upon which the former retracted. He attempted to bring about an D 4 alteration 40 niSTORY OF RUSSIA. alteration in the national chefs of the Ruffians, which Iiad more of the afiatic than the eiiropean ; not by a decree, as Peter afterwards did,, but by appointing, occafionaliy, fcrftivities at court, and making it a condition on all who would partake in them, that they fiiould appear in a particuhw drefs fomcwhat altered by him, and bearing n refcmblance to the polifii. — Thus Feodor in many rcfpeds fet a pattern to his great fucceflbr Peter. It was much to be wiflied that the period of his life had been prolrafted * ; but the empire would more deeply flill have felt hh Ms, if he had not been fucceeded by Peter, who drove to complete the good which Alcxey and Feodor had begun, who brcfught to maturity what they had fown, who combined with the talents for government, which feemed hereditary in the houfe of Romanof, a more reftle.fs zeal, a more inde- fatigable aftivity than his predeceffors poflelfed ; and by his deeds as fovereign acquired that re- nown which has claffed him with the greateft monarehs. Feodor's death in i6Pv2 was in a manner the fignal for fanguinary fcenes, being the accafian * '' Feodor lived," fays the ruHian liiTton'an Sum^iro- kof, " the joy and delight of his people, and died amidft *' their fighs and tears. On the day he died Mofco was " in the fame ftate of diilrefs as Rome was on the dta»h " of TitHS." ^ 01 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 4 1 of a ftruggle for the fovereignty of the empire, between brother and fider, which laded fixteen years, and in 1698 '■' terminated in favour of Peter, the brother. Feodor had already been aware that Ivan, half-blind, and in general very infirm, was not adequate to the buhnefs of a tzar of Ruffia, 'and for that reafon had fliortly before his death ordained, that his ftep-brother Peter, then ten years old, who already difcovered uncommon abilities, fnould be his fuccefibr. Ivan himfelf avowed his incapacity for governing, and would willingly now have reHnquilhed the throne to Peter, as he afterwards adually did ; but to this Sophia, the own filler of Feodor and Ivan, and half-fider of Peter, would not aflent. This princefs was jud then in the full bloom of youth, of exquifite beauty, and of rare accom- pliflnnents. She had ambition enough to afpire to the throne, courage enough to make her way to it by any kind of means, and prudence enough to have maintained herfelf upon it f . * When Sophia's laft efFcrt, the rehellion of the Stre- lltzcs, raifed by her and her party in Peter's abfence, was defer>ted. f Peter himfelf afterwards frequently faid, that if his filler had bridled her ambition, he would have left to her the helm of government, and contentedly have ferved his country under her authority. That 42 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. That Tvan, a prince of the former marriage, was intended to be pafled by in the fucceflion to the throne, furniflied her with the fitteil pretence for making herfelf of confequence. She took upon her the tone of a patronefs of the claims of her full brother, demanding juftice appa- rently for him alone, regardlefs of herfelf. Ac- cordingly, in the fame proportion as the Na- riflikin party were endeavouring to promote Peter's fucceffion, Sophia was induftrious in contriving to oppofe it. In order to facilitate the accompliflmient of her defign, (he fecured to herfelf, by promifes and money, the concurrence of the flrelitzes, that band of foldiers who at Mofco were what the janifaries are at Conflan- tinople, a corps which, by its ftrength, confiit- ing of upwards of 14,000 men, were enabled to give powerful fupport to any plot. To get rid of the Narifhkins, as the friends and dependants of prince Peter, was the firft and grand aim of Sophia, as by that means fhe hoped to have a freer fcope for her ftratagems. To effect this the more readily, a rumour w-as fpread that the Narilhkins were guilty of Feodor's death ; that foreign phyficians, bribed by this family, had difpatched the tzar by poifon, and their relations only wanted to raife Peter to the throne, and to that end to exclude, nav even to murder Sophia's HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 43 Sophia's own brother Ivan, who hstd a prior right. The efforts of the Narifhkins to procure the fuc- ceffion for Peter,which w^ere not to be diffembled, gave to this report an air of probability, which every method was ufed to reduce to certainty. The beautiful Sophia, by her arts of perfuafion, in- geniouily gave impreffion to thefe allegations, par- ticularly among the chiefs of the ftrelitzes, while her creatures were inceffantly affiduous in gaining over the common people of that body by various artifices. Galitzin, Feodor's wife and active mini- fter *, was alfo Sophia's favourite and counfellor; and even the vulgar owned it to be reafonable that the crown iliould be given to prince Ivan, as the eldefl: fon. Sophia was therefore preparing to afcend the throne j for that was her real inten- tion, though llie concealed it under her fifterly love for Ivan, who in that cafe would never have had any thing more than the title of tzar, as was afterwards plainly feen. Hitherto, indeed, it feemed as if Sophia had no defign of making any attempts againft the life of Peter j but fome years * To this a foreigner, who at that time lived in Ruflia^ bears the following teftimony : He was polite, fertile in in- vention, and of greater fagacity than any of his countrymen; of an aftive mind, diligent ; was, in underflanding, far be- yond his times, and capable of working a great alteration in Rufiia, if his time and authority had been commenfurate with his inclination. after 44. HISTORY OF RUSSIA. after flie fliewed, by her anions, that flie \v6uld have made no fcruple of facriliciiig this half- brother to her ambition. Sophia would per- haps too have foimd ' arguments fuflicicnt for juftifying her conuucl, and for proving to her country and to the world that flie was neceffi- tated fo to act for the benefit of the empire. Had file then, fupported by Galitzin, a ihrewd and enterprifmg man, and 'whom, as has fince been believed, flie would have owned for her hufband* wifely and happily conduced her reign, it would fcarcely ever have been mentioned, perhaps it v«/ould even gradually have been forgotten, that ihe made her way to the throne over the corpfe of her brother. But fate would have it other- wife. Peter, the perfecuted prince, was to con- quer all plots and machinations againfl him, and at. length to become fole monarch ; while Sophia, for her often unfuccefstul, but always repeated attempts to place herfelf on the throne, was doomed at length to do penance by the lofs of her liberty. In perfect confidence with her plan, by which the (Irelirzes had been dextroufiy enticed, the whole crew of them conibrted together foon after Feodor's death, committed all manner of exceffes for three days in fucceliion, in which they met with no check whatever, facrificed to their HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 45 their fury feveral of the chief officers of flate, that were againfl: Sophia, forced their way even into the palace of the tzars, and demanded the death of the Nariflikins "*, who, as they pre- tended, were bent on depriving Ivan of the throne, and then of his life. At length they declared by acclamation prince Ivan to be tzar. He, however, having a fmcere affection for his half-brother Peter, wiflied him to be co-fovereign with him j which was granted : but Sophia was at the fame time declared co-fovereign with the two tzars. This was on the 6th of May 1681, and in June the coronation of Ivan and Peter was folemnized in due form. Sophia imme- diately married tzar Ivan, in order that if any children were born of this marriage, Peter might lofe for ever all hope of obtaining the crown- Thus, one flep of Sophia's fucceeded ; fhe had now the government .in her hands j for Ivan, * Two brothers of the widowed tzaritza Natah'a, Alexey^'s fecond confort, of the family of Narifiikin, v/ere murdered. This was the fatal lot in all of about fixty perfons, moftly of the firft diftinftion. The MiloflafUcys, Sophia's kinfmen, were particularly bufy in this fodition. The property of fuch as were executed was confifcated and divided among the ftrelitzcs. A public monument was likewife erefted, pn which the names of the deceafed were infcrlbed, as trai- torf to their country. frpm 46 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. from his imbecility, and Peter jFrom his youth, being only ten years of age, liad nothing more than the title of tzars. Their names flood at bottom of the decrees and ordinances that were iffued ; but Sophia and her favourite Galitzin were alone their authors. Afterwards, in the year 1687, Sophia began to add her name to thofe of the tzars, and to caufe her image to be (lamped on the coin. In the meantime, the ftrelitzes whom Sophia had chofen as her inllruments in the downfal which (lie had prepared for Peter, had nearly, after that firfl infurredion in her favour, been dangerous to herfelf. Prince Kovanfkoi, their commander, who was privy to the plans of Sophia, had probably too much ambition for fubmitting to be the pafiive inftrument by which fhe was to obtain the fovereign power, alfo might be defirous of having himfelf a fhare in the government, and was accordingly jealous of Galitzin. The propofal which he made to Sophia, that fhe would marry one of her fiflers to his fon, perhaps caufed fome alarm on account of the confequences by which it might polTibly be attended; and her refufal, which made Ko- vanfkoi the advcrfary of Sophia, wrought alfo fo powerfully on his ftrelitzes, that Sophia, the two tzars, and the whole court were reduced to the HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 47 the neceffity of making the (Irong monaflery of the Trinity, twelve leagues from Mofco, their fanduary. Ere, however, the enraged flrelitzes could follow them thither, the court colleded together a great body of armed foldiers, among whom were many foreigners. Kovanfkoi being taken prifoner, was beheaded ; and as the flre- litzes, ftill more exafperated by this ad, were advancing againft the monaftery, they learnt that they were likely tq meet with a (lout refift- ance there. This intelligence immediately con- verted their apparent courage into defpondency, and their fury into confternation. The court de- manded that the principal ringleaders fhould be delivered up, which was done ; and, moreover, the tenth man of every regiment was feled:ed as a vidim for the reft. Thefe wretches, thus de- cimated, being condemned to die at Mofco, where mofl of the flrelitzes were ftationary, took an affedionate leave of their wives and children, prepared themfelves for death by receiving the facrament, and went back to the monaftery in fuch order, that every two of them carried a block, and the third was the bearer of an axe. In this tremendous procefTion, attended by a great concourfe of people, particularly of their relations, they came to the placS before the mo- jiaftery, laid their heads on the blocks they had brought 4'3 WSTORY OF RUSSIA. brought with them, and in that fituation waited their doom, which at length amounted to this, that fome of the moft guilty were made an atone- ment for all. Sophia henceforward placed no more confidence in the flrelitzes. The ma- jority of them were draughted off into the other regiments on the frontiers, in order to remove them from the capital *. This infurredion being quelled, all now wore a tranquil appearance ; and the government, which Sophia had in her hands, proceeded in the ordinary courfe. Certain perfons, however, of both parties, that is, the friends of Sophia and of Peter, were in the meantime very bufy in private. The former to preferve the govern- ment in the hands of that princefs, and the latter to ravifli it from her in time, and to confer it upon Peter. A good opportunity foon offered for the party of this tzar to raife clamours againd Vaffdly Galitzin the favourite of Sophia, and the meafures they purfued ; and thus to take one flep in behalf of Peter. In 1686 the peace abovementioned t was concluded with Poland. * The beforementioned monument, a teflimony of re- warded infurreftion, difhonourable to the govtrnment, was removed, and anotlier v/ith a warning againU rebellion fet up in its placf. f See before, p. 28, But History of russIa* 45 But new hoflilities with Turkey foon broke out. The Turks were at the fame time involved in a war with Poland and with the german emperor. Both powers follicited the court of RufTia to take part in the conteft, in order to employ the common foe on the fide of the krimean Tartars. Sophia at firft would not hearken to this requefl. But among the few great men whofe counfel Was of any moment, were feveral fecret friends to Peter. Thefe fhewed by a multitude of arguments, that it behoved them, as tending to the good of the country, to cut out more work for the fnltan, already harafled on two fides, and thus by di- viding to weaken his forces. Doubtlefs thefe advifers cared lefs about weakening the Turks than of leffening the credit of the prefent admi- niftration. They forefaw that little glory would redound from this war, and were in hopes that the difpleafure, if it turned out badly, would fall upon Sophia. Befides, a war offered the belt means for getting rid of Galitzin, and in his ab- fence of being more aclive in favour of Peter, who now already [i686] fhewed himfelf worthy of fitting on the throne of his anceftors. They were therefore fo inceffant, and fo earned in their follicitations with Sophia and Galitzin, and af- ferted fo vehemently that Galitzin was the only man qualified for conducting this war with fuc VOL. II. E cefs, $0 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. cefs, that the latter, though fo ftrenuoufly againft it at the firfl:, at length complied, and put him- felf at the head of the army. He was thoroughly fenfiblc of what his enemies knew, and what the fequel proved, that he had no talents for a mili- tary commander. He confumed the whole campaign in marches and countermarches, with- out gaining, though with an army of 300,000 men, a fingle advantage over the enemy, and yet 40,000 of his people fell facrifices to this fruit- lefs campaign. Indeed the friends of Sophia and Galitzin were continually caufmg falfe ac- counts of victories gained by the Ruffians to be circulated in Mofco ; and, calling the blame of the failure of the campaign on the hetman of the kozaks, whom they ailHiually fent to Siberia, on difbandincr the foldiers at the end of the cam- o paign they even diflributed rewards among them — for nothing. But all this did not impofe upon the people ; and a general averfion enfued againft Sophia and Galitzin, which was greatly in- creafed by an equal want of fuccefs in the fol- lowing campaign of 1687. Undoubtedly one circumftance contributed in no fmall degree to diminifh the luftre of both thefe campaigns, that one part of the army wifhed well to Peter, and therefore was not dcfirous that Galitzin fhould be fuccefsful, and the influence of him and Sophia HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 51 Sophia be thereby augmented, but rather de- voutly hoped to fee the downfall of the prefent government and the elevation of Peter *. Peter's friends, during the abfence of Ga- litzin, were extremely induftrious in fupporting the claims of that prince to the abfolute mo- narchy. The following was one of the methods adopted for forming a party in his behalf. He repaired to a village not far from Mofco, where he admitted a number of young people to his company and into his fervice, many of whom were fons of the principal families of the em- pire. They were generally called the tzar's playmates f, and it even feemed at firft, that the object, of this connexion was nothing more than diverfion, entertainment, and pleafure. The real aim of it, however, was far greater and more extenfive ; for the youths who here daily aflbciated with Peter acquired fuch an attach- ment to his perfon as was never to be effaced, and became his moft faithful adherents. The probability that he would one day be fole tzar brought conftantly new acceffions of young men into this fociety ; and it grew up into a fmall [t* Such were the fentlments, for example, of Lefort and Gordon, both firm friends of Peter, who made the campaign with him, and certainly many of the officers andprivates in the army held the fame opinion. f Potefchniye. E 2 , company. (;2 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. company, at the head of which was Lefort *. The tzar himfelf began as a drummer, and ferved * It cannot be doubted that Lefort had great influence in the forming of Peter's character, and on his undertakings afterwards, thougli all that Peter did cannot properly be afcribed to him ; for,. without tlie thirfl. of knowledge, the perfeverance and the unabated emulation by which the latter was adliuated, all his intercourfe with Lefort would have operated nothing. On a different foil the fame feed would never have come to maturity, much lefs have borne the fruit it did with Peter. Lefort was born at Geneva In J 6^ 2, and defigned by his parents for commerce. But his active mind and lively imagination led him into a difTolutc way of life, in confequcnce of which he got deeply in debt, and in confequcnce of his debts left Geneva, went to Marfeilles, and became a cadet. After remaining there fome time, he travelled to Holland, enlifted under an officer who was railing foldiers for tzar Alexey, and fo came to Archangel. Alexey in the meantime dying, no farther concern was taken at Archangel about the new raifed foreign troops. Upon this Lefort proceeded to Mofco, "wUcre he as fpeedily m.tde himfelf mailer of the ruffian lan- guage, as he had before acquired the dutch and german, and became fecrctary to the danifli ambaffador. His ftriking iio-urc and engaging manners procured him accefs to the mod diftinguifhed families, and he foon married a young lady with a large fortune. In thefe circumftances he found an opportunity of making himfelf known to the tzar, who prefently felt an attachment for the foreigner who had en- tirely educated himfelf, and who, without any literary ac- quirements, poflcfled extenfive knowledge, and became his avowed patron and friend. Peter learnt dutch and german of HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 59 ferved progrefTively upwards through the feveral ranks, as every one was obliged to do who wa$ admitted into this corps. The novelty of the affair, the aiiability of Peter, and Lefort's exer- tions, co-operated in continually adding to its iiumbe! i ; fo that in a fhort time the village was too fmaii to contain it, and a part was obliged to remove into another. Sophia at firll forefaw none of the effeds which micrht, and indeed mull of him, and Lefort vvas his daily companion. The tzar, finding between him and Lefort fucli a conformity of incli* nations and ideas, made him the confident of all his pro- jefts, and conftantly applied to him for advice. He even authorized him to cheii.t him in his extravagances, and to foothe him in thofe burfts of paflion to which he was unfor- tunately fubjedl, and fometimes, mixing with the intoxication arifing from ftrong liquors, rendered him furious. At fuch times only Lefort could dare to fpeak to him ; and, in re- proving him for his intemperance and madnefs, he has even been known to ufe violence for checking his impetuous ca- reer. It was not, however, without danger that Lefort could venture on thefe bold offices of zeal. Peter was once on the point of ftabbing him ; but on regaining the equi- poife of his mind, he embraced Lefort and afked his pardon. Peter having given him a company, next made him general, then admiral, lived with him on the footing of a friend, and on his death interred him like a prince. Pity that Lefort, by his exceffes in the early part of life, brought on himfelf a premature death, l^eing only in his forty-fi$th year when he died. E3 naturally 54 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. naturally flow from fuch an inftitution ; or, per- haps, (he thought herfelf too fecure to allow any fuggeftion of alarm to enter her mind, and took no farther notice of it than as an infignificant youthful paftime. Befides, as feveral of this company, with whom the tzar was extremely familiar, Lefort, a certain Galitzin *, and others, lived rather diforderly, had frequent entertain- ments, carouzings, and the like jovial parties, and were therefore more likely to lead Peter into extravagancies, than to ufeful knowledge and to habits of a^livity, Sophia gave herfelf no concern about them, in the hopes that this licentious mode of life would prevent the tzar from turning his mind to the affairs of government, might even at length draw upon him the odium of the nation, and thereby confirm her authority the more. But fhe was miflaken. Amidlt the libertinifm and diffipation in which Peter was ap- parently pafling his days, his great mind was 'ever watchfril, his underftanding was unfolding itfelf from day to day, and his activity was con- ftantly increafmg. Lefort imparted to him much knowledge in their converfations, at their rcpafts, and even over their wine, called his at- tention to a variety of objects, rouzed his curio- * A coufin of die miniftcr. fity. HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 55 fity, explained to him fuch difficulties as he ftarted, and Peter now foon began to refled on himfelf, on his ftation, and on the nature of the country which he was called to govern. He then made it his bufmefs to gain fome know- ledge in the arts of policy and war. Lefort, who had been an attentive obferver of whatever had paffed within his view, had acquired a confiderable flora of various kinds of information, and was naturally of a thoughtful and penetrating difpo- fition, at the fame time ingenious in ufmg the fkill and experience he had acquired, took every occafion of inftilling into Peter's mind the im- provements and advantages of other kingdoms and dates, in regard to military difcipline, go- vernment, laws, commerce, arts, manufa<^ures, and trade. Peter prefently felt an ardent defire to procure thefe advantages to his empire. To this end it was abfolutely neceflary that he fhould have the government folely in his own hands. As throughout the v.'hole ruffian hiftory to that time there had not been one example of a female reign ; as Peter, who had now attained his feventeenth year, had a right to claim the government, the incapacity of Ivan being gene- rally allowed ; in fhort, encouraged by the una- nimous intreaty of his friends and adherents to fecuie to himfelf the fole fovereignty, the fpirit E 4 of 56 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. of Peter was rouzed. The very prince whom Sophia bad all along regarded as a frivolous youth, fit for no continued and regular courfe of aftion, and incompetent to the arduous afiairs of government, difplayed all at once fuch a ipirit of enterprife, with fuch energy and perfcverance in whatever he undertook, that Sophia and her party were alarmed, the friends and adherents of Peter were delighted and concurred zealoufly with him, while the nation at large admired and feared the courageous tzar. In July 1689 the difagreements between Peter and Sophia came to a formal rupture *, on occar fion of the meeting at a folemn office of reli- gion. Peter was prefent as tzar, and Sophia infilled on attending the folemnity as regent ; it is even affirmed that fhe demanded the principal place. This Peter refufed to allow ; Sophia was peremptory in her claim ; on which the tzar en- tirely withdrew in difpleafure. The theatre on which the fovereignty was to be contended for was now opened, the two parties had in a manner declared war, a war which muft end in the viftory of the one and the downfall of the other, * Sophia and Peter had had frequent altercations, when the latttr frequented the fittings of the national council where fhe prefided, and would not accommodate hlmfclf tq }icr inclination in everything. Peter, HISTORY OF RUSSIA, 57 Peter, with his court and his friends, repaired in the month of Auguft once more to the forti- fied monaftery of the holy trinity, whither he was followed by moft of the foreigners among •the troops, officers and privates, as his body- truard to fecure his perfon from an attack. Sophia now again threw herfelf into the arms of the ftrelitzes. Their leader, named Scheglo- vitoi, engaged to remove Peter out of the way, but — the projeft mifcarried. In the mean time, as a great number of defenders had re- forted to Peter, as even the public voice of the nation was on the fide of the enterprifmg tzar, and as particularly the black defign of Sophia to have him made away with had degraded her ilill lower in the eyes of the people ; and the ftrelitzes, as they had already fhewn, not being foldiers on whofe bravery any reliance could be made, the co-fovereign held it bed to aban- don the way of violence and to adopt the arts of gentlenefs. She offered her hand to an accom- modation, and fent mediators to that purpofe ; but Peter convinced them of Sophia's bafe de- figns, and they remained with him. Sophia at length fet out herfelf. On the road fhe was met by perfons fent from Peter, who informed her that he would not fpeak to her, and ordered, as tzar, the immediate iurren4er of the com- mander 58 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. mander of the ftrelltzes. He was beheaded, and the other confpirators punifhed. Galitzin paid forfeit by an exile to the borders of Arch- angel *, and the co-fovereign Sophia had her head fhaved and was obh'ged to retire to a nunnery under the name of fifter Sufanna. — Thus Peter now fat without a partner upon the throne to which his righc had been conteiled ; for Ivan, though he lived till 1696, was a mere non- entity. He was pafiive in all thefe tranfaclions, and both from reverence and aifeclion for Peter had never approved of the machinations of his fifter againft his brother. — On the eleventii of September a proclamation was made, that for the future in all public papers and records the name of the late regent Sophia would no longer be mentioned. No fooner had Peter the fole fovereignty in his hands than he gave the moft unequivocal proofs of his active mind, and fhewed that he was thoroughly acquainted with the defedts and infirmities of his empire. He plainly perceived that a dilclplined, well-trained valiant army, ac- cording to the prefent eftablifliment in other countries, was much wanted in his own ; and * Pic received for hinifclf and each ptrfou of his family die daily allowance of — three kopecks (about three half- pence) for their maintainance. accordingly HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 59 accordingly he made It one of his firft bufinefles, as monarch, to put the army on a better footing. Except a few regiments ftationed on the fron- tiers, the ftrelitzes at Mofco were the only (land- ing troops ; and that thefe poflefled lefs courage and difcipline than brutal ferocity, they had fur- nifhed feveral glaring proofs. On the brealdng out of a war, befides the ftrelitzes, the nobility- were fummoned to the field with their retainers ; but they appeared undifciplined, armed in vari- ous methods, fome well-cloathed but others in ragged array. Such a conftitution was attended by many difadvantages : Peter therefore refolved to form a great ftanding army, to be at once better difciplined and better exercifed ; and to this end he appointed Gordon, a Scotfman, and Lefort, the Genevan, to raife regiments *, which in their whole conftitution, drefs, and military exercifes fliould be formed entirely after the model of the european troops. * Lefort had a regiment of i2,coo men. The greater part, as in Gordon's regiments, confiiled of foreigners. In Lefort's regiments there were about 300 huguenots alone who had fled from France on account of the revoca- tion of the edift of Nantes in 16S5. Among Gordon's foldiers were great numbers of Scotfmen who had left their native country on account of the troubles with which it was then afflidted. While 6o HLtroRV or Russia. While Peter was thus induftiioufly employed m reforming his army, he conceived the flili more ardent dcfire of having a navy, and foon f€t himielf to work at its accorapllihnient. Wliat ftrfl prompted his zeal to this undertaking was the following circumftance, though it would certainly have arifen fooner or later in Peter's mind without that occafion. Being at a piea- fure-houfe of hi^ father's he faw^ an englifh boat lying negle<5led. This attracted his ever-ai^ive curiofity ; and, in the coiirfe of his inquiries about it, he learnt that the bulkier of this vellcl ■was Brandt, a Dutchman, who was flill living in Mofco. The boat-builder was immediately fent for and received orders from Peter to con- ftrud feveral veffels in which the monarch and his attendants might liiil about the rivers and lakes in the vicinity of Mofco. By this practice he got in a lliort time fuch a tafte for the art of fhip-building and the whole fydem of marine, that he took a journey to Archangel in order to infpeft the feveral fhips in that harbour, and to acquaint himfelf flill flirther with naval allairs. At Archangel he caufed a large vellcl to be built, was an attentive obferver of the whole work as it proceeded, employed himfelf in making draw- ings and models of fliips, occafionally put his hand to the labour, and very often ac1:ed the part HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 6 1 part of the (leerfman. It foon occurred to fuch a refleding mind as Peter's, that a marine miifl; be of fignal advantage to a country. He faw ih the port of Archangel the influence of a haven on the trade, the commerce, and the whole bufmefs of a nation ; and all this accelerated the completion of the wifti he had already formed to have a navy. To incite his people to com- merce, and thereby to diligence and activity by navigation, and by a fleet to increafe the refped and the power of his empire, were the two plans, in the execution whereof ht was now as feduloufly employed as in the better formation of his army. To the accom.plilhment of his defign, however, it was a great impedi- ment that RufTia had fo little water. The port of Archangel was adapted to the purpofes of commerce ; but it was not entirely fit for the ufes of a navy, as the White-fea is fcarcely navigable fix months in the year, and Archangel is fituate at a great diftance from the refi: of Europe. Peter was rather defirous to acquire vi'ater on the fide of the Euxine and the Cafpian, or in the parts of the Baltic, as more convenient for the fitting out of a fleet and offering greater op- portunities for commerce. Both of thefe views in the fequel fucceeded. The 62 HISTORY or Russia. The war between the Turks and the Poles was not yet brought to a termination. Peter refolved, notwithllanding the unfuccefsful cam- paign of Galitzin, to take once more a fliare in it, placing no fmall confidence at this time in the new regulations he had introduced into the arniv. Indeed he would have been able to ac- complifli more, if in the firil campaign he could jiave acled by fea ; but the veilels which he caufed to be built for that purpole were not yet [[1695] ready, and therefore all depended on this occafion on the land forces. To get pof- feflion of Azof, then belonging to the Turks, and, as that fortrefs ftands at the exit of the Don into the Euxine, to gain an intercourfe with that fea, was Peter's plan. In this campaign he gave a good leflbn to the nobility of the empire. The monarch declined to take upon him the chief command, chufmg rather to ferve as a volunteer ; though it would have been very eafy for him, even fuppofmg him to have underftood but very little of military orders, to have afted as commander in chief by the advice of a council : intending by this to teach his nobles that talents and fkill are not innate, but mufl be acquired ; and therefore he appointed Gordon, Lefort, Scheremetof, and Schein com- manders of his army, while he himfelf attended this HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 6;^ tins campaign as a pupil in the jnilitar)^ art. However, the fuccefs of the campaign was by no means brilliant ; only the capture of a couple of forts before Azof: the afl'ailants found it im- pofTible to take the citadel itfelf even by ftorm, and they were obliged to abandon the fiege. Peter, however, was not dilheartened by this 'failure, but applied himfelf to repair the mif- takes and neglefts to which the ill-fuccefs of the campaign was owing, that he might proceed with frefh vigour to the accomplifhment of his defign. That the whole army was divided into three corps independent on each other ; that there was a great deficiency in artillery, and efpecially in tranfport vefiels, for preventing the Turks from fupplying the fortrefs with provifions from the water-fide, were the caufes which rendered in- effediual the firft attack on Azof. Peter re- moved them all. He gave the chief command to Schein, obtained artillerifls and engineers from the emperor, from the eleftor of Bran- denburg, and from the Dutch*; and had like- wife the fatisfadion of being now fupported in the fecond campaign [1696] by feveral tranf- ports, with the affiftance whereof he beat the Turks at fea, and thereby at length became mafter of Azof. This firft vidory of his partly new-conftituted army, and of his newly-ac- quired 54 HISTORY OT RUSSIA. (juired little fleet, he refolved to difplay before his people, whofe affeftions he had captivated in the interim between the two campaigns, by his care in procuring a fiipply of corn in a feafon of great fcarcity, in order thereby torouze them from their inadivity, and ro infpire them with confidence in the tzar's innovations, which in either refpeft could not be better done than by fhevving them their fruits. He accordingly appointed a triumphal proceffion into Mofco, fimilar to the triumphal entries of the ancient Romans ; thus by publicly rev/arding the fol- diers for their bravery, he drove to quicken their fenfe of honour, and by this folemnity to raife in the breads of the fpeclators a veneration for courage and intrepidity. Lefort, as admiral, and Schein as commander in chief of the land forces, were the principal pcrfonages in this triumphal proceffion, while Peter was loft with- out diftin^rlion in the crowd of officers, thus publicly fhevving his own greatnefs of mind and teftifying to the whole nation, for their encou- ragement to excel, that he would only recom- -penfe merit. Immediately on his happy return from this fecond campaign, Peter employed his thoughts in forming plans for benefiting his empire by the vicinity of the Euxine thus forcibly ob- 14 tained. xilSTORY OF RUSSi'A. C)^ tazned. He refolved to conll:ru£t a fleet in that fea ; but, as his revenues alone were not fufficient for its equipment at once, he put cut a procla- mation commanding the patriarch and the other dignitaries of the church, the nobihty, and mer- chants, to fhew their patriotifm by a pecuniary contribution for fitting out a certain number of fiiips, while he himfelf engaged to get ready feveral others. Within three years the fleet was to be fit for fea, and therefore the work was im- mediately begun and continued with the utmod expedition, as any omiflion of compliance with the orders in the decree was rigoroufly attended with heavy penalties. As none other than foreign workmen, parti- cularly Dutchmen and Italians, could be em- ployed in the building and fitting out of thefe fhips, Peter fent feveral young Ruflians, to qualify themfelves for being their affiftants afterwards, to Venice, Leghorn and Holland, to fl:udy the art of fliip-building there, and others to Ger- many to learn the fcience of war, as the german artillerifts and engineers had been of very great fervice to him at Azof. But, not content with merely prefcribing to others the way for ac- quiring feveral branches of knowledge bene- ficial to the nation, he came to the refolisnon. to travel himfelf into foreign countries, to examine VOL. II, F with 66 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. with his own eyes their feveral advantages, to propagate them in his empire, to transfufe more aQivity, induftry, and diligence into the great mafs of his fubjcdls, and by that means to render his country more profperous and powerful. Shortly before this journey, however, Peter very narrowly efcaped being fent into another world, as a great number of his fubjefts were highly difl'atisfied with the various alterations that were going forward. Whatever he did was unlike to anything they had been accuftomed to in the former tzars ; nay, his behaviour in general was the very reverfe of theirs. The former tzars, for ir.ftance, fhewed themfelves very rarely to the people, appearing only on particular folcmnities in afiatic pomp and a cum- berfome parade, to excite the awful admiration of a wondering populace, who gazed at them with the fame religious veneration with which they beheld tjie relics of their faints ; and, having thus gratified their flavifli curiofity, returned in majeftic Hate to the Kremlin, the tzarian palace at Mofco. — But Peter was every day to be feen, one while exercifmg his troops, at another converf- ing in the public places, and then vifiting the workfhops and private perfons. His whole be- haviour therefore was extremely different from that HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 6j that of the ancient tzars, and confequently num- bers of RulTians iliook their heads at it. But likevvife the regulations he introduced naturallv excited difcontent, fince they were innovations ; and even In enlightened countries as they are called, every innovation, however rational and profitable, is loudly enough decried to prevent us from being furprifed at the Ruffians of Pe- ter's times for their not approving of his alter- ations. That Peter kept up a greater ftanding array — that he was conftantly limiting the power of the ftrelitzes — that he made no greater account of a nobleman than of a burgher — that he had many foreigners about him, whom he promoted and rewarded — that he himfelf ferved upwards in the army from the . lowed ranks — that he caufed a navy to be built, and compelled the clergy and others to open their coffers for the equipment of it — that he fent a number of young Ruffians into heretical countries, even to Italy, the feat of the pope, the abomination of the Ruffians, though it had always been prohibited to travel out of the country — that, in fhort, he, the tzar him- felf, was determined to travel abroad, and pro- bably at his return would pefler them with ftill more innovations : — all thefe circumflances feemed to a great part of the Ruffians fo en- F 2 tirely 68 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. tirely out of rule, and fo utterly hoflile to all their hereditary ufages, that murmurs began to be pretty plainly heard in feveral parts of the em- pire. Indeed they arofe merely from the igno- rant and vulgar j for the nsore fcnfible part of the nation very clearly perceived that the plans and regulations of the tzar were calculated for the lading advantage of the country. Some malignants, however, conceived the horrible de- fign of firll: murdering Peter, then maflfacring the foreigners who had gained his efteem, and lallly, of fetching Sophia out of the convent and proclaiming her fovereign. But this plot was like wife happily defeated *, and Peter refcued. The * The circumflaiices of this plot to murder Peter arc" related in a very credible narrative in the following manner. A number of flrchtzes, particularly exafperated at the re- form of the troops and the employment of foreigners, had agreed to make away with the tzar. They met therefore one day at noon at the houfe of a ftrelitr., named Sukanin, the chief of the confpiracy, intending to remain there till about midnight, then to fct fire to a houfe adjacent to the tzar's palace, and when the tzar, according to his cullom, fliould appear to give direftions about the means of Hop- ping its progrefs, to afTafllnate him in the crowd. But, two of thefe confpirators, being ftung with remorfe previous to the execution of their plot, opened themfelves to each other, and obtained leave of the reft to go home and pafs in fleep the hours till midnight that they might be the ^ more HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 69 The tzar now undertook his firfl journey, com- mitting the government for a time to fome of his trufty counfellors, for the fake of acquiring, by travel and converfe, more fkill in the art of government, and thus to qualify himfelf more worthily to difcharge the duiies of a ruler. more alert for their purpofe at that time. Inftead, how- ever, of doing as they propofcd, they repaired to Peter, and difclofed to him the whole of the horrid defign. Peter immediately wrote to the captain of one of the regiments of guards, ccnimaading him to inveft Sukanin's houfe in perfedl filence at ten o'clock. In his hurry he wrote eleven "inflead of ten. He himfelf proceeded, juft after ten, to the neighbourhood of the houfe, in the expeftation of find- ing all in readincfs ; but was much furprifed at not feeing the guard. Hearing a great noife in the houfe, he even ventured in, and fuddenly found himfelf in the midft of his fworn enemies. Inflead of being llruck with awe at his prefence, they thought this the luckicll opportunity for making fure of their purpofe. He defired that he might not interrupt them at their mirth, fat down and drank with them, and fhewed himfelf in high fpirits. The confpira- tors drank boldly to him, and were giving one another the wink to fall upon him, when the captain of the guard, who had furrounded the houfe in perfect filence, entered the room with fome of his people, refcued Peter, and arrefted the confpirators, \\\\o were afterwards cruelly put to death. Peter, in a paflion, gave the captain a box on the ear for coming too late. But he produced the tzar's order in which eleven o'clock was plainly written, Peter immecjiately kiffed Ju'm/on the forehead, and declared mm blainelefs. F a It 7© HISTORY OF RUaSIA. It wonid lead me too far from my purpofe were I to accompany Peter on his journey, and to defcribe everything remarkable in this extra-? ordinary man. That belongs rather to his bior grapher. My province extends only to thofc tranfadions which had an influence on his em- pire. Lefort and a few other perfons travelling under the name of a ruffian embafly to fcveral european courts, he went incognito in their train, through Riga and Kocnigfberg, tp Hol- land, England, thence back to Holland, and by Drefden to Vienna. His abfence awakened in the bread of Sophia — who had per- haps been imphcated in the plot juR related againft Peter's life — the dcfire of profecuting afrefti her old plan, to which indeed the journey of the tzar feemed to aiFord a convenient op- portunity. The ftrelitzes were now again to aflift Sophia in the accomplifhment of her projeft. In the double eledion that had been made [1697] of a king of Poland, one party having chofen the french prince de Conti, and the other the elector of Saxony, Frederic Auguftus, Peter declared him- felf on the fide of Augullus, and in Holland figned an edid, by which a body of his troops, chiefly ftrelitzes, were ordered to march to the polifli frontiers, to be ready in cafe of ncceflity to HISTORY or RUSSIA. 7 1 to fuppoi't Auguflus againft: the oppofite party. But this ve^y body fufFered itfelf to be inveigled into Sophia*s prefent attempt to feize upon the throne, though the horrid punifhments which had been inflicted on the late rebels were fo recent. Under pretence that Peter had died abroad, and that they mud go back to Mofco to deHver the throne to the young Alexey Pe- trovitch, thefe ftrelitzes quitted their camp, de- graded feveral of their officers, who would not turn about v^ith them, made choice of others from their own body, and took the road to the capital. Thofe troops, however, which were flationed in and about Mofco, and were moftly foreigners, marched by command of the regency againfl the rebellious flrelitzes. Gordon, who was at the head of thefe troops, firft had re- courfe to gentle methods. But thefe failing, and the flrelitzes finding great concurrence, numbers even of the clergy uniting with them, from their hatred to Peter as the friend of fo- reign heretics, Gordon attacked the rebels in form, beat them, and kept them in cuftody till Peter's return. On the arrival of the tzar he inflicted dreadful punifliments on the ringleaders, drafted the other Itrehtzes into different regi- ments, aboliflied that appellation, gave all his troops the name of foldiers, and took two par- F 4 ticular 72 HISTORY OF RUSSIA, dcular regiments for his body-guard. 'V\m:-> ended Sophia's lad enterprife to deprive Peter of the crown [1698]. Gibbets were erefted in front of her convent, and numbers of the ilrelitzes hung upon them. Even the tzar's confort was thought to have had a hand in this attempt. Peter banifhed her likevvife to the cloifter, and his affeclion for prince Alexey, whom fhe had borne to him, now evidently di- minifhed from day to day. On his journey homewards from Vienna, Peter had a conference in Rava with Auguftus king of Poland. Here they bound themfelves to a common participation in a war againft Sweden, which accordingly foon after broke out. A war, which proved of no fervice to iVuguftus and the republic of Poland, which rather de- prived the former of his crown for a time, cofl his Saxons much blood and treafure, ravaged and depopulated Poland, from which at lad Peter alone derived very confiderable advantages ; nay which gave to all Ruflia a very different form, connected it more Intimately v,?ith the reft of Europe, and procured it a greater influence on the other european powers. Charles XI. king of Sweden died in 1697, and his fon Charles XII. not yet fixteen years old, afcended the throne. The king of -Den- mark, HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 73 mark, Trederic IV. Auguflus king of Poland, and tzar Peter, were all three determined to take jidvantage of the youth and inexperience of Charles XII. Peter had views upon Ingria, Efthonia, and the Baltic, Auguflus on Livonia, and Frederic upon Holftein5which belonged to the brother-in-law of the young monarch. Charles, who in his earlier years had given frequent proofs of an uncomplying temper, on hearing of the fchemes of his enemies, difcovered the mod determined refolution to refill force by force, became now entirely a foldier, and was, for almoft nine years fuccelTively the moll fuc- cefsful hero of his time. In march 1700 Den- mark opened the war by an invafion of the ter- ritories of the duke of Holilein, and fo foon. after as the month of Auguft was obliged to make peace with Charles. This prince now turned his arms againft his fecond enemy, the king of Poland, and victory accompanied them every- where. Auguft us had hoDed to find adherents in Livonia, where he had made an incurfion, as the inhabitants were by no means fatisfied with the fwedifh government ; but the Livonians ilood in awe of the victorious Charles, retained their fealty to the fwedifh government, and Au- guflus was unable to maintain his ground in Livonia. In ^4 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. In the meantime Peter had no fooner con- cluded an arniiilice for thirty years with the Turks, 1699, than he alfo took part in the war againfl: Charles; and, in 1700, penetrating into Ingria, laid fiege to the citadel of Narva. The ruffian army was very numerous, and though it might not, as has been affirmed, confift: oi 80,000, yet it certainly amounted to at lead 40,000 men. But among them were only a few well-difciplined regiments, in the whole perhaps 1 2,000 men, the refl of the troops being nobility fummoned to attend with their retinue. Add to this the unfortunate jealoufy and difl'eit- tions among the commanders. ' Peter's prefence indeed kept them under fome reftrainc ; but, on his departure for the purpofe of raifmg more troops in the territories of Pfcove and Novgorod, all union was diffolved, and Charles, who ap- peared with 8000 men, moftly cavalry, on the 30th of November 1700, entirely routed the great ruffian army, which in numbers four or five times exceeded his own. Ere Peter could come with his reinforcements to Narva, he already received an account of the unfuccefsful event of the fiege by the total defeat of his army. Charles, moreover, had fuch a thorough con- tempt for the ruffian foldiers, that he would not even detain the privates he had taken prifojiers, but, HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 75 biit fent them home. If the fortunate hero had now followed up his conquefts ; had he purfued the flying Ruflians to the heart of the country, Peter would certainly have had enough to do to make an adequate refiflance to fuch an enemy ; and what Charles afterwards in vain propofed, namely to didate terms of peace to Peter in Mofco, he might now probably have efFecled, as the dread of him and his foldiers, who were held in RulTia for fupematural men or necro^ mancers, would have prepared the v^^ay for him. But the youthful conqueror at Narva refolved jfirft to humble Auguftus, to deprive him of his crown, and then to attack Peter, and as he confidently expected compel him to fubmit. If I remain fifty years in Poland, I will not quit it till I have driven the king from the *' throne." Such was his arrogant declaration, to which he inflexibly adhered ; for he was un- doubtedly the mofl: conceited man that ever fat upon a throne, and never would lifl;en to the advice of his counfellors : a conceitcdnefs which turned greatly to the advantage of Peter and of Ruflia. Charles, in the meantime, utterly regardlefs of Peter, and defpifing the Ruffians, marched againfi: Poland, in order to execute his favourite plan, the dethroning of Augufl;usj and thus gave Peter (C 7^ HISTORY OF RUSSIA, Peter time to recruit his urmies, to recover from the difiifler he had fuflaincd, and with new- forces to difirtfs Chcirles, who was penetrating into foreign countries, in the interior of his own. As all the artillery at Narva, about i f;o pieces of cannon, had fallen into the hands of the Swedes, Peter had now recourfe to the fame means for carting more, which in our time have been em- ployed by the French. He caufed the fuper- fiuous bells of the churches and monasteries to be melted : and to refute the fuperllitious notion that this was a profanation of the facred metal by an argument of a like nature, he declared that it was only this holy metal that could be of any fer\ice againft the fwedifh magicians. In order to augment his army he proclaimed all valfals to be free who fliould enlift. In a fhort time he had again cannon enough, and withal a very numerous army wliich he was^ ever fedu- loufly employed in improving in order and dif- cipline. He renewed his alliance with iiugullus at Brifen, in 1701. He exerted his endeavours to draw over the republic of Poland to him and his ally : but found it an extremely difiicult un- dertaking, as even at that time the fpirit of party prevailed generally in Poland, which in more re cent times has brought fuch misfortunes on that country. It was given out by the adverfaries of Auguflus, HISTORY OF RUSSIA. "JJ AuguRiis, who abounded In numbers, that by invading Livonia without the confent of the re- pubHc, and thereby declaring war againft die king of Sweden, by forming an alliance with the tzar, and by keeping faxon troops about him, he had violated the conflitution of the country, and they became very clamorous for a peace with Sweden. To this Auguflus and his party would not confent, attempted to block up ail t only ftrudures were rifmg in every quarter, but alfo navigation and commerce were increafing in vigour and extent. fn HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 83 In the meantime Peter continued to aflifl: his ally Auguflus with men and money ; and had not the latter been fo totally negleded by the polifh nation, had he on this occafion only met with fomewhat more fidelity, it is highly pro- bable that he would have been able to hold out againft Charles, and not been obliged to fubmit to fuch hard conditions at the peace of Altran- fladt in 1706. Ere this was concluded, with which Peter, however, was not fatisfied, the tzar's troops had penetrated into Lithuania ; but they could do nothing for Augufius, and it more- over ufually happened, that wherever Sweden and Ruflia fought in the open plain, the latter fubmitted, and were forced to leave the field to the former as victors. In Oclober 1706, the united Ruffians and Saxons on one fide, and the Swedes on the other, came indeed to an engage- ment, in which the latter were defeated ; but then the accommodation between Augudus and Charles was already in train, and the latter fought only as it were by compulfion againft the troops of a monarch, with whom he had even begun to negotiate. The vidory, therefore, was not followed up to any advantage. However, though Peter's troops and money were found inadequate to keep Auguflus on the throne, the G 2 ruffian ^4 HISTORY OF RUSSr.4. ruffian arms were more and more Tuccefsful on the fiiores of the Baltic, where Peter was making a rapid, and for Ruffia an advantageous progrefs. At length, when Charles in 1706 faw his wifli fulfilled, by having forced Auguflus to re- nounce the polifli crown, he thought it the mod important ftep he could take, to march with his army, now well recruited and provifioned, out of Saxony directly to Rufiia, for the purpofe of forcing [1707] Peter likewife in his turn to a peace, as he had afted before with Frederic and Augulliis. His nearefl: way for penetrating into the heart of RulTia, lay through Poland and Li- thuania. Peter, who was ftationed at Grodno in Lithuania, abandoned that city in hafle on the approach of Charles ; and it appeared as though the Ruflians were able to bid defiance to the troops of that prince, fo long as he himfelf was not at their head ; but, when fed on by their king in perfon, would give no proof of valour, and V^-ould be as eafily vanquiflicd by him as formerly before Narva. Peter indeed endear- voured to flop Charles from piercing farther into Lithuania, by which country his own was co- vered, and the ruffian troops difputcd all the ports with the fwedifli foldiers ; but Charles everywhere drove them back, forced them from all HISTORY OF RUSSIA, 85 all their entrenchments *, and opened to himfeif a way into Peter's provinces. Five hundred miles he had yet to Mofco. Certainly not too tirefome a march for him and his army, who had come the much longer road from Sweden to Saxony ; efpecially as, Smolenfk excepted, only few places of any confequence flood in their way. But the borders of Ruffia feemed at the fame time to be the boundary of that military fuccefs which had hitherto accompanied Charles ; and the failure of a plot concerted with that prince, not only refcued Peter, but procured him alfo a complete vidory over his anta- gonid. Mazeppa, hetman of the kozaks, was not well- difpofed to Peter. He owed his dignity to prince Galitzin who had been baniflied by the tzar ; and now entered into a negotiation with Charles. induced to this either by a fort of gratitude towards his old patron, or by the hope of rendering himfeif, under the aufpices of the fortunate Charles, fovereign of the kozaks and independent on Ruflia, or even from the appre- henfion that, amidfl fo many reformations, * Thus it was at the battle of Holovtzin, in July 1708, where the Ruffians, notwithftanding their advantageous pofition, and their brave rcfifliance, were obh'ged to fubmit to the Swedes. G 3 Peter 86: HI.'=;T0RY of RUSSIA. Peter might alio tbink of reforming the confti* tuticn of the kozaks ; he therefore might pro- bably refolve to prevent hitn, by contributing what he coukl to weaken this enterprifing tzar. Whatever was the caufe, thus much is certain, that Mazeppa invited Charles to pufh farther down to the fouth, where he would go over to him with his numerous kozaks, reprcfenting to Charles that he would afterwards have a much eafier march from the Ukraine to Mofco, as the kozaks would join him and fupply him with pro- vifions, which indeed were with great difficulty to be obtained in Poland, ravaged and defolated as that country was by Swedes and Ruffians, and the two parties of Auguflus and of Stani- flaus. Charles found this propofal i'o agreeable, that, in oppofition to the advice of his counfellor, count Piper, he turned out of the ftrait road to Ruffia, and proceeded to the Ukraine. At the river Defna, Mazeppa had engaged to meet him with his peopk". 'i'he Ruflians difputed with Charles the paflagc over this river j however, he furmounted even that obftacle. But, waiting here for Mazeppa's confiderable body of auxi- liaries, and their fupplies, which he was no lefs in want of, he found himfelf mifcrably deceived. Mazeppa had promiled far more than he was able jiow to perform ; not quite five thoufand kozaks went HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 87 went over with him to the Swedes, the reft re- tained their allegiance to Ruffia ; and to add to the difappoinnnent of Charles, a ruflian corps had attacked and carried off the greater part of the provifions deftlned for the Swedes *. Fortu- nately, as Peter had defeated Mazeppa's plan, and reduced him to a very infignifirant ally of Charles, he was foon after not lefs fuccefsful in depriving that prince of another needful allifl- ance, by entirely defeating the Swedifli general Loevenhaupt, who had been ordered to him by his king, not only to ftrengthen the army by his corps, but to convoy with him a great quantity of provifions and ammunition from Livonia ; fo that all the (lores fell into Peter's hands ; and of the 15,000 men of which Lcevenhaupt's army confifted, fcarcely 6000 came to Charles f. The fituation of that monarch now became every day more critical. His army was rapidly wafting away, numbers of his people were car- ried off by the froft, and the fcarcity of provi- fions admitted of no remedy : yet he obftinately * Mazeppa was aftervvards proclairried an outlaw, and hung in efBgy. f Three days fuccelTively was this corps fix times at- tacked by tlie Ruflians, far fuperior to it in numbers, and yet refufed to fubmit, but cut their way, fword in hand, to Charles. G 4 pernfted 88 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. perfiiled in his plan of fubjecling the Ukraine to him, and thence of proceeding to jMofco. The inclemency of the weather had ju(l fufficicntly fubfided 'for allowing him to aft when he broke up his camp to lay fiege to Pultava, a flrong 'place in the Ukraine, where the Ruflians had feveral magazines. Peter, who now commanded '"^in perfon, conducted himfelf like an able general, and likewife difplayed great intrepidity. He had not been idle ; had always accurately watched his enemy, placed the frontiers of his empire and the road to Mofco, in a good (late of de- fence, and arrived now with a numerous army likewife at Pultava, where he gained fo complete a viftory over Charles, that he was obliged to fave himfelf by flight. In this battle, the 8 th of July 1709, the whole fwediih army was either deltroyed or taken prifoners ; only a very fmall part of it efcaping with the king to Turkey. This battle was certainly one of the mod decifive that was ever fought. On it depended not only the fates of Peter, Charles, and Auguftus, but thofe of Ruflia, Sweden, and Poland entirely refled on the iflue of a battle between two armies, who both fought with bravery and ,true courage, and were fenfible to the high prize that awaited the victory on one fide or the other. Fortune declared for Peter. And in confcqiicnce of his being conqueror at Pultava, HISTORY OF RUSSIA. S9 Pultava, all farther dread of Charles was put to flight, which had indeed been lately fomewhat leflened by the latter's not proceeding diredly from Lithuania to Ruffia ; the Ukraine, of which Peter had greatly to apprehend the lofs, was again free; the affairs of AuguPtus began to revive; he and Peter might now hope to in- r.reafe their influence on the Poles, on having reduced Charles, whom they dreaded, to a fitu- ation in which he could do no harm ; Peter's new poffeffions on the Baltic, for the preferva- tion whereof he mufl hitherto have been under great apprehenfions, his darling Peterfburg, his conquered Ingria, feemed now entirely fecured ; he could now ad more unmolefled, and profe^ cute without impediment the reformations he had begun to make in his empire. Peter had been witnefs that his troops, in the eight years that had elapfed fince Charles beat them before Narva, had very much improved ; that they had fhewn themfelves uncommonly brave and well- difciplined, and highly merited the triumphal entry into Mofeo which he had now decreed. On no former occafion of triumph likewife had the Ruffians reafon for fo great rejoicings as on the prefent, as they had been in dread and danger left Charles might have made an hoftile entrance by that very gate through which their tzar i,0 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. V tzar now proceeded in triumph as victor of the warUke fwedifli kinj^, and conducted the van- quirtied Swedes as witneilbs of his glory *. Auguflus immediately profited by Clharles's defeat, appeared again in Poland, reconciled hinifelf at Thorn, in October 1709, with Peter, who, though he had not approved of the peace of Altranltadt, and, much as Charles had for- merly fupported his newly-elecled Stanifiaus, fo much was Peter labouring to maintain iVuguftus now once more as it were fcated on the throne. Denmark likewife again now publicly declared a^ainfl Charles, and even Prullia combined with Peter and Auguftus in oppofition to the hero who had been unfortunate at Pultava. In the meantime, as Peter had fuccefsfully enforced the claims of his predecefTors on Ingria, he now drove to fubjeft to him likewife Karelia, Livo- * On the day of the battle, about 9 jii the evening Peter wrote to admiral Apvaxin at Mofco : '* Very early this •* morning the furious enemy attacked our cavalry with •* alt his horfe and foot ; and, though they fought as " bravely as could be expected, yet they were foiced to *< retreat with great lofs. However, in one word, the *' whole hoftile army has come to an end like Phaeton. " But what is become of the king we are not able to dif- " cover, whether he be with us or v.ith the enemy. — *^ Now, by GofPs a/fi/lance, the foundation Jione for tht luiUitig *' of Pderfburg is indeed coniplctily lald.^' nia. HISTORY OF RUSSIA. ^l nia, and Efthonia, upon which countries the tzar had earlier exhibited his pretenfions ; and his meafures here alfo fucceeded. The fortifica- tions of Vyborg, Riga, and Reval, the capital cities and principal places of Karelia, Livonia, and Eithonia, together with Kexholm and the- ifle of CEfel, were already in Peter's poiTeffion before the termination of the year 1710, and he \yas therefore mafter of the principal ports of the Baltic. — Peter likewife took part in the enterprifes againft the polfeflions of Charles in Pomerania, and againfl the territory of the dukes of Holftein. But, however great the advantage which the vidory at Pnltava had procured to the whole ruffian empire, and however Peter had profited by it that fame year, as I have jufl: been relating, yet, fo foon after as 1 7 1 1 (therefore only tv.'o years from that fortunate event) he was in danger of lofmg all that he had gained, and of feeing the fruits of his undeniably great ex* -€rtions and his unwearied adlivity at once ra- vilhed from him. It was not very difficult for Charles to raife an intereft in his behalf in the divan of the fultan of Conftantinople. They had heard of his exploits, and ftill regarded him as a great J^ero. That this hero was now unfortunate could 92 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. could not lefTcn the veneration in which he was held ; befides, it was the tzar of Ruflla who had io totally defeated Charles, to whom the Turks, but a few years ago, had been forced to fur render Azof, a mortification which they knew not how to forgive. It did not indeed at firil appear that the porte intended to take an adive part in the conteft between the two fovereigns, as in 17 lo they renewed the arniiftice with Ruflia. But Charles was enabled by his difcreet and active friend Poniatofiky, (the father of the late king of Poland,) to increafe his influence in the divan, and even to procure the difgrace of two fuccefTive grand vizirs, who gave their advice againft the war with Ruflia, and at length at- tained his aim in the hoflile meafures now begun to be adopted by the porte againft Peter. Peter, who now faw hinifelf fuddenly menaced by an unexpe£led enemy, had recourfe to the means of defence ; but, by advancing againft the Turks, committed the fame faults which had proved fo difaflrous to Charles. As Charles had fliewn a contempt lor the RufTians for which he paid fo dearly at Pultava, fo Peter contemned the Turks. — Charles placing reliance on Mazeppa, and allured by his promifes, marched to his great misfortune into the Ukraine ; Peter, be- caufe Cantemir, the hofpodar of Moldavia, a vaflal HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 93 vaflal of the porte, promlfed him his fupport, marched alfo too far into the enemy's country, quite to YaiTy in Moldavia, where he foon ex- perienced a want of provifions, as Charles had done; nay, he faw himfelf at length fo fur- rounded by the Turks, on the river Pruth, not far from YalTy, that only three ways were open for his efcape, each more horrible than the other. — Either he and his people muft perilh with hunger, fmce on one fide he was encom- pafled by the turkifh camp, and on the other by the tartarian, fo that abfolutely no * provifions of any kind could be conveyed to him, or he muft furrender, or attempt to cut his way through the enemy, which in his circumflances indeed feemed an impoffibility, as he had at mod little more than twenty thoufand men, whereas the camp of his enemy contained up- wards of two hundred thoufand foldiers. Peter, reduced to defperation, fat in his tent, repre- feniing in his troubled mind all his labours at once deilroyed, all his hopes defeated, and thought himfelf at that moment more unfortu- nate than Charles was at Pultava. — In the * The Ruflians could not even provide tbemfelves v.'ith water from the adjacent river Pruth, as the Turks were enabled by their fituation to fire upon them whenever they approached the water-fide. midil <^4 HISTORY or RUSSIA. iiiidfl: of this dlfliefs, his confort Catharine fug- gefted to him that nothing prevented his afkiwg peace of the gtand vizir; and, in order to ob- tain a gracious reception of him, to accompany the meifage with confiderable prefents ; perhaps a vokmtary propofal of an accommodation might be preferable in the vizir*s mind to any hopes arifing from the uncertain ilTue of a battle. The project fucceedcd beyond expectation. All the valuables, all the money that could be fpared, were got together, propofals were made to the grand vizir, offers were made of fome facrifices, the diflrefling fituation was indeed as much as poflible concealed, much was faid of courage and intrepidity, of cutting a paflage through the Turks, and, in confideration of the abandonment of Azof, the razure of the new* built Taganrok, and the promife of quitting Poland, the tzar obtained a peace of the grand vizir, who refolved not to flake on the event of a battle the certain advantage which he had pro- cured for his country in the peace, as the Ruf- fians only the day before had given proofs of their valour, and he was not without apprehen- iions that a fmall army fighting defperately might even contend to advantage aguinfl fuperior number?. No. HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 95 No wonder that Poniatofflvy, Charles's friend^ who was with the vizir in his tent, endeavoured by the mofl inftant renionftrances to diffuade him from this peace ; no wonder that Charles, who came into the turkifli camp foon after it was figned, raved and flormed like a madman ; knowing as they did that it was in the vizir's power to have entirely ruined Peter, or at leafl to have dictated to him fuch terms of accommoda- 'tion as would have been of eflential advantage to Charles : whereas he had fcarcely done anything for him *. — However, as Peter was conftantly finding reafons for deferring his evacuation of Poland, and thereby feemed not inchned to fulfil the articles of the treaty, it was eafy for Charles again to inflame the refentment of the fultan. Accordingly twice did the Ruffians and Turks appear to be again on the point of coming to a rupture ; but Peter both times had the art of appeafing the porte, and to prevent it from far- * Upon this Charles did not reft till this vizir, who had been fo regardlefs of hi.s intcrefts, was depofed from his office and fent into banlfliment. All that appeared con- cerning Charles in the treaty was : *' as the king of Sweden *' has put himfelf under the proteftion of" the porte, his *« tzarian majefty promifes, out of friendfhip, to allow him " a free and fafe return 'to his country, and to conclude a " peace with him — if the terms can be agreed on." ther ^6 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. ther efpoufing the part of Charles. [[171 2, 17 13.3 The Porte and Ruliia therefore con- tinued to be friends, and Peter was every day carrying his arms farther into the country of the defeated monarch. Helfmgcers and Abo, and by them ahiiofl all Finland, as well as the ifle of Aland, fell, 17 13, into Peter's hands; and fears were entertained in the capital and re- fidence of Sweden, where the fovereign had not been for many years feen, of witnefTmg the vic- torious entry of the monarch of the neighbour- ing empire. But the great fuccefles of Peter, alarms arifing from the prodigious increafe of his territory, and jealoufy at the rapid progrefs it was making in arts as well as arms, indifpofed to him the powers confederated with him againll Charles, fo that, under the guidance of Goertz, a nego- tiation was even entered into between him and the fwedilli monarch, which however, was in- terrupted by the death of the latter after his return from Turkey ; who, though once more victorious in Norway, was flain before Frederich- Ihal in 1718. The new fwedifh government, to whom Peter applied for the termination of the negotiation that had been fet on foot, were encouraged to hope, by the aid of Great Britain, ta bring him to a compliance with their terms, and HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 97 and in two campaigns he employed the time afforded him by the tedioufnefs of the englifh fleet, in committing horrible devaftations on the" fwedifh coaft *. His intention was to extort a peace; but Sweden obftinately held out till 1 72 1, in which year on the loth of September at Nyftadt in Finland, a peace was brought to efFe^, by which the dreadful druggie for eighteen years between two fovereigns, and the war of one-and-twenty years between two neigh- bouring nations were happily brought to an end. The fwedifli government was on this occafion obliged to fubfcribe to the following hard con- dition : Sweden cedes to Ruffia, Livonia, Es- THONIA, InGRIA, A PART OF KaRELIA, WITH THE TERRITORY OF VYBORG, THE ISLE OF CEoEL, AND ALL OTHER ISLANDS IN THE SOUTHERN SEA AND THE BaLTIC, FROM KuR- * In one of the campaigns, according to Gordon's ac- count, who was an eye-witnefs, fix confiderable towns, eleven flone palaces, 109 noblemen's feats of timber, 826 farms, 3 mills, i o magazines, 2 copper and 5 iron forges weic demolished by admiral Apraxin. Major-general Lacy laid wafte 2 towns, 21 noblemen's feats, ^^^ farms, 40 mills, 16 magazines, and 9 iron-works, whereof one was of fo great value that the proprietors offered 500,000 dollars to prefervc it — but in vain. The Ruffians dellroyed not only what was upon the earth, but even what was under it; they ruined feveral iron and copper rrine* for ever. ■ " VOL. II. H LAND 08 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. LAND TO Vyborg * — receives back Finland, iind two millions of dollars, and has the liberty to i^xport duty-free, from Riga, Reval, and Arenfberg annually, corn to the amount of fifty thoufand rubles. — The tzar promiled to main- tain the provinces ceded to him in their liber- ties, laws, and religion. On occafion of this peace fo glorious to the empire, grand feflivities were appointed through- out all Ruflia, and the fciiate and the fynod offered Peter, the conqueror of the Baltic, in behalf of his nation, to excliange the title of tzar for that of emperor and autocrator OF ALL THE Rusi5hAS, and to permit himfelf in future to be fiyled, Father oi- the coun- try. To thefe appellations were adiied the honourable furname. The Giieat. But it was not merely on account of the con- quefts that Peter had made, that he obtained from his country the furname of The Great, and which poderity has confirmed ; he ac- quired that glorious epithet by more important * Peter did not expedl that fo much would have been conceded to him ; but his plenipotentiary, Oltermann, dcx- teroufly — by money — procured a light of the fwedifli ambafiador's inllruflions, and found that his court was dif- poftd to rehnquifh everything, and therefore made his de- mands accordingly. exploits. HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 99- exploits ; it was conferred upon him as due to his merits in regard to the numerous and various inftitutions, enterprifes, and reguhitions, which, even during this long war, amidft the din of arms, he planned and executed, with a diligence which has never been equalled by any fovereign in modern times, and which he intended, to the utmoft of his inclination and ability, to be bene- ficial to his empire, and to the civilization and improvement of hi^ people. But thefe his great and undeniable merits run fo like a tifTue through the war of tv/enty years, that I thought it moft advifable to confine myfelf here entirely to the uninterrupted hillory of that war, which was of fuch confequence to the empire at large *, and to reprefent the progrefs of the ruffian nation in improvements of every kind, for the fake of its cafier furvey, in a connedted reprefentation after- wards. I therefore now proceed in the narrative of what relates to the extenfion and aggran- dizement of the empire from without. Shortly after the peace concluded with Swe- den, which gave an entirely different afpedl not only to the ruffian empire, but to the whole north of Europe, and by which Ruffia was con- * Let us only confider, for infkince, the connedion thereby obtained with the Baltic. H 2 jTjderably SCO HIJ'TORY or RUSSIA. fitlerably augmented, Peter had an oj)portunlty for enlarging the borders of his empire Hkewife towards the foiith. Several difturbances had arifen in Perfia fo long fmce as 1709 j and among others, at the capture of the perfran town Schamachy in 1712, a number of ruffian mer- chants were partly killed, and partly defpoilcd of their property. Peter, in 17 15, entered into a new treaty of commerce with the fhah of Perfia, and promifed him at the fame time afliftance againft the rebels. He afterwards took fuch ad- vantage of favourable circuniftances as to make it eafy for him to gain the dominion of the Cafpian, by marching into Perfia in 1722, in order, as he declared in his manifefto, to pro- ted the fliah, who in fad was much reduced by tepeated exertions j but at the fame time to chaflife the rebels who had behaved fo injuri- oufly to the rufhan fubjecls. He arrived with his army at Derbenr, and made himfelf mafter of that city. Peter's new fuccefles foon rouzed the attention of the Porte ; and, alarmed at this progrefs in the adjoining country of Perfia, threatened him with a war. However, the two powers came to an agreement by a treaty fimilar to that which in our times was entered into by Ruffia, Auftria, and Pruflia on the partition of Poland 5 and in virtue whereof the porte appro- 7* priated HISTORY OF RUSSIA. ICI priated to itfelf a part of Perfia, Peter obtained feveral provinces, and the reft of the countr}'' remained to the fliah. It was naturally to be fuppofed that the laft did not heartily concur in this partition ; as the fequel indeed confirmed. Belides, the inhabitants of the provinces occupied by the Turks and Ruffians looked upon thefe pretended patrons as enemies ; and it coft Peter a great number of men, and, by reafon of the diftance of Ruffia, much money, to maintain himfelf in poffellion of the five diftricts that had been allotted to him. In the very year, however, when this partition was effefted, 1725, Peter died ; and his fecond confort Catharine afcended the throne. Peter, when no more than in his feventeenth year had married Eudokhia Lapukhin. But the chara6ler of that lady was too oppofite to his own to allow of any lafting union. Eudokhia was defcended from a very ancient ruffian fa-» mily ; and, imbued with the prejudices of her country and rank, could find no fatisfaO:ion in Peter's more liberal way of thinking in regard to religious ceremonies, his contempt for the clergy, his innovations, and his intercourfe with foreign-, ers, but made him frequent reproaches for his illicit amours, and created in him a dillike to , lier, which flie feenied rather difpofed to fofter « 3 th^U I02 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. than to remove. Add to this, that Pcter*s fa- vourites, who were often from the lowefl: orders, were flighted by her, and therefore took their re- venge by alienating the tzar's affedion from her ; and, at length, after he had repudiated her, even made her fufpcdled by him of keep- ing* a correfpondence with his enemies. This drew upon her the hard lot of being baniflied to a convent |_i698]. On the fubfequent con- demnation of her fon, in whofe criminal tranf- adions, it was pretended, but never proved, that file took part, Peter fent her to another con- vent, where fhe was doomed to live, like a pri- foncr, on hard diet, till flie was afterwards fet at liberty by her grandfon Peter II. Peter's early averfion to Eudokhia had a mofl pernicious influence on. Alexey, the fon (he bore him in 1690, and was the ground of the deplo- rable feries of forrows which befel that prince. The diflentions between the father and the mother fpeedily diminilhed the father's affection for Alexey. Peter's vaH; and comprehenfive plans, his campaigns, his concerns, entirely con- fined to the reformation and improvement of the empire, with his various journies to the re- mote parts of his dominions, prevented him from paying much attention to the education of his fon. Alexey at firll grew up under female tuition. HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 16 j tuition, and then fell into the hands of fome of the clergy ; who, with mod of the members of the fpiritual order in Rullia, were dilTatisfied with Peter's reforms, with his toleration, and his notion of ecclefiaftical authority, W'hich, though juflj was by no means agreeable to that body, and they therefore hoped to educate this fon as a future pillar of the church. Under their guidance the prince imbibed prejudices in abundance, and daily conceived a greater abhor- rence for his father. This beins^ obferved bv Peter, he put an end to the fpiritual education^ and appointed Mentchikof chief preceptor of the prince, a man who himfelf had never received the ilightefl education, but by his attachment to the tzar had acquired his favour. Mentchikof was not fond of Alexey, and the latter had been early infpired by the mother with contempt and averfion for the favourite of his father. The tutors, who were now placed about the prince, were not able to eradicate the prejudices im- prefled on his mind from his infancy, and now grow^n inveterate ; befides, he had an uncon^ querable diflike to them as foreigners. The future fovereign of fo vaft an empire, that was now reformed in all its parts, and by profperous wars ftill fiirther enlarged ;" the heir of a throne, whofe poffeiTor ruled over many millions of H 4 people, 104 HISTORY or RUSSIA. people, had been brought up from his birth as if defigned for a rufiiaii bKhop ; theology conti- nued to be his favourite ftudy : with a capacity for thofe fciences which are ufeful in government, he difcovered no inclination to them. Moreover he addided himfelf early in life to drunkennefs and other excefles. There were not wanting fuch as flattered his perverfe difpofitions, by repre- fenting to him that the ruflian nation was diflfatis- fied with his father, that it was impoflible for him to be fullered long in his career of innovation, that even his life was not likely to hold out againft fo many fatigues, with many other things of a like nature. Alexey's way of life, particularly his indolence and iloth, were highly difpleafmg to Peter. Mentchikof, from political motives, to preferve himfelf and Catharine, was conftantly employed in fanning the tzar's refentments, while Alexey's adherents, on the other hand, were embracing every opportunity for increafmg the averfion of the prince, who, from his very cradle, had never known what it was to love, and had only dreaded his father. Alexcy even at limes gave plain intimations, that he would hereafter undo all that his father was fo fedu- loully bringing about. Nay, when the kitrer, in 1711, went on an expedition againll the Turks, and appointed the prince regent during his ab- fencc. HISTORY OF RUSSIA. I05 fence, though under his fupremacy, the latter made it his firft bufmefs to aker many things in behalf of the clergy, fo as clearly to evince in what fchool he had been brought up. The tzar was in hopes to reform this intemperate conduct, by uniting him with a worthy confort ; but even this attempt proved fruitlefs. The princefs of Brunfwicj who was feleded for his bride, and with whom Alexey was married at Torgau, in 1711, notwithftanding all her eminent qualities of mind and heart, and her great beauty, could make little imprelTion on him, and funk under the load of grief, brought on by this unhappy connexion, foon after giving birth to a prince, who was called by the name of his grandfather, Peter. [1715O By a continuance in his diflblute mode of life, by his bad behaviour towards his fpoufe, by his intercourfe with perfons who were notorious for their hatred of Peter and his re- forms, Alexey feemed bent upon augmenting his father's difpleafure ; accordingly, now in 1 7 15, Peter wrote to him: " If you do not amend, I will exclude you from the fucceffion to the throne. If I fpare not my own hfe for " the good of my people, why fhould I fpare " you ?" And in another letter, Ihortly after, on Alexey 's declaring that he would renounce the fucceffion ; " If you were even at prefent " inclined 106 HISTORY OF RUSSIA, '' inclined to keep your promife, yet thofe long- *' beards * could at any time compel you to " break it. Do you ever aflift me in my ar- " duous undertakings ? Do you not always " cenfure and condemn whatever I am able to " do for the benefit of my people ? Have I not " reafon to believe that you will ruin all if you '' furvive me ? Strive, therefore, either to ren- " der yourfelf worthy of the throne, or make " choice of the monadic life.'* Alexey pre- ferred the latter. Peter confented, though not immediately : but, to give him time for confider- ation, took a journey in the following year, 1716, to Copenhagen, and fent for the prince to him, at the fame time endeavouring to polifii him by travel and fociety. Alexey fet out from Mofco, but, inftead of proceeding to his father at Co- penhagen, went to the emperor Charles VI. at Vienna, who was married to a filler of the de- ceafed confort of Alexey. From Vienna Charles fent him to a fortrefs in the Tyrol, and from thence to St. Elmo, a neapolitan fortrefs, in hopes that he could here remain undifcovered under a borrowed name. This flight, as might naturally have been expe«^ed, greatly increafed the indignation of the tzar. He caufed diligent inquiry to be made. The emperor made formal * The clergy. remon- ■HISTORY OF RUSSIA. Id/ "remonflrances againft delivenng him up, but Peter made ftill more earned remonftrances againd his upholding and affording proteftion to a fon, in oppofition to his parent : Alexey was accordingly given up, and returned to Mofco. Peter now in a public proclamation declared him to have forfeited the crown. A court, con- fiding of 1 80 perfons, among whom ^^ were of the clergy, was appointed to try him. Many of the ecclefiadical judges would doubtlefs have willingly faved him, as they vifited the tzar in pri- vate, addreffed themfelves to his feelings, confeffed that he was deferving of punifhment, but at the fame time reminded the tzar of the pattern pre- fented him by Chrid in the parable of the prodigal fon, but the temporal judges declared the prince to have incurred the penalty of death as guilty of crimes againd the date. Many perfons who were accomplices in his pretended plot, for the charge was never brought home to him, to get poiTeffion of the crown during his father's life«- time, or had affided him in his flight, or accom- panied him in it, were capitally executed. A manifedo was publidied, declaring, that the prince, on hearing the fentence of death, fell into violent convuliions, during which he ex- pired. [17 1 8.3 The loS HISTORY OF RUSSIA, The reports that were fpread concerning the real manner of his death, are extremely va- rious *. From Peter's great activity, from his indefatigable zeal to rouze his people out of that lluggiflmefs and ignorance in which he found them, and to new-model his empire in all its parts, it may reafonably enough be imagined, that, as Brutus the Roman formerly did, he might forget the father in the fovereign ; the prince being by no other means to be difpofed of, and as Peter mud have been perfectly convinced, that, as foon as he Ihould be no more, Alexey his fuccelfor, fupported by the clergy, by the dif- contented among the great, and by the hatred, not yet entirely eradicated, of a great part of the nation towards foreigners and innovations, would completely demolilh what he, with fo much ex- ertion, with fuch unwearied zeal for the welfare of the country had been flriving to found, to cftabliih, and to rectify. To free his mind from this fad profpedt, he could think of no better * Such as, that he was fecretly beheaded, and the head then fewn on to the body, that it might be expofed to the public, and that he died naturally be rendered probable. Other accounts fay, that a vein was opened, and that he was bled to death. Again, others talk of a death by the dreadful knoot. means /■ HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 209 pieans than by the death of a prince, who, though perhaps more weak than wicked, more mifled than of himfelf capable of forming pro- jedls detrimental to the empire ; yet, by his weak- nefs and condefcenfion in his future relations as fovereign of the ruffian empire, could not but be produftive of harm to the country. Moreover, during the whole of the prince's trial, Peter pro- ceeded openly, did not defpotically pronounce fen- tence upon him, but the court declared him guilty* In the room of the condemned Alexey, the tzar nom.inated a prince, named Peter, whom Catharine had borne to him, to be his fucceflbr; but he died in 1719. There was now re- maining only Alexey's fon, Peter's grandfon, as male heir to the throne, and he was extremely young, being then {^17193 only four years old. Peter, who felt that he was not likelv to attain to any great age, and that he fnould not fee his grandfon grown up to maturity for the throne, was now the more anxious to appoint a fit fuc- ceflbr. In order, however, to be quite at liberty to fix his choice upon whom he would, he pub- lilhed in February 1722 an extremely remarkable law*, regarding the fucceffion to the throne. He ,- *, Among other things it is therein faid, " that he pub- ** lifhcd tlii« law, that the childreir of future monarchs might " not, no HISTORY OF RUSSIA*- He abolinied the hereditary lucceflion, and or- dained, that every future monarch fliould be at liberty to conftitute as fucceffor to the throne, the perfon whom he ihould deem moft fit and worthy, but might revoke his choice if he faw that the per- fon nominated was rendering himfelf unworthy of it. Peter's intentions in framing this law might be very laudable, but it was manifeflly Hable to be a fource of difcord among the members of the reigning family, and thus become dangerous to the empire. The learned bifliop Theophanes was ordered by Peter to compofe a work under the title of, " The right of the monarch in the " arbitrary appointment of a fucceffor to the " empire." In the meantime Peter departed this life without having appointed a fucceffor ; and Catharine, taken prifoner by the Ruflians at Ma- rienburg in 1702, became emprefs of Ruffia. ** not, from the diflblute example of Alexey, fall into fimi- *' lar iniquities, but be reftraincd from imitating him, by *' knowing that it was in the breall of the reigning fove* *' reign to deprive them of the fucccflion.'* HISTORY OF RUSSIA. I la Having clofed the former part of this Hiflory of Ruilia with a few obfervations on the civili- zation and cukure of the ruffian nation, from the origin of the empire to the time of Mikhaila Romanof, I will now prefent the reader with an account of the progrefs which the Ruffians have made in a variety of refpecls to the death of Peter the Great, and principally by his means*" Accordingly, I fhall here attempt to give a com- preffed reprefentation of all which that great fovereign performed and regulated. — The ad- miniftration of government and laws, army and navy, ecclefiaflical affairs and fciences, arts, ma. nufaftures, trade, commerce, handicrafts and means of livelihood in general, fecial life and ordinary intercourfe, the cuftoms, and manners, nav, the whole turn of mind of the ruffian nation were within the fpace of little more than the twenty years which Peter reigned, either fo changed or fo entirely new created and formed, that it is v/ell worth while to defcribe his influence on thefe feveral objeds, for (hewing what, the Ruffians as a nation have actually gained 112 HISTORY OK RUSSIA* gained by him. Previoufly, however, fomc few things farther concerning his predccelfors. Mikhail A, the firfl tzar of the dynaily Ro- manof, acquired great merit by promoting the ruffian commerce with England and Perfia. France, likevvife, in order, like England, to reap advantage from a nearer conneclion with RulTia, fent an ambaflador to Mofco, and in 1629 a treaty of friendship and commerce was fettled between the two countries. Alexey was Hill more aclive in the extenfion of commerce, in the adoption of arts and trades, than his father had been ; and, as his reign immediately followed on turbulent times, could poflibly be. Under him Ruflia became much more ac- quainted with the reft of Europe. A ruflian embaffy travelled to Spain, France, and Hol- land. In the laft-mentioned country they were accofted with peculiar liberality and friendfliip ; hence they therefore took away with them feveral fhip-carpenters and failors, as Alexey had al- ready conceived the defign of caufing fliips to be built for falling by the Volga into the Cafpian. Defigning to carry on by means of that fea the trade with Pcrfia fo very important on account of its filk, which hitherto had been neceflarily pro- fecuted by land, and which, bcfidcs that it was more expenfive and troublefome, the roads thither HISTORY OF RUSSIA. II3 thither were now become extremely unfafe, by the depredations of the kozaks. He, therefore, alfo concluded a treaty of commerce' with Perfia in 1667; hut Radzin's rebellion, and his rob- beries in the vicinity of Afcrakhan, and the pi- racies committed by him on the Cafpian, de- feated this enterprife, ere it came into play. Of longer duration, of incomparably greater and more beneficial influence on the nation, was the law-book (called Ulolhenie, national-law,) which Alexey caufed to be compiled ; in which, though the code put together by Ivan *, as well as the later ordinances of the tzars, were the ground- work of it, yet a great number of the laws were altered and amended, adapted more to the then ft ate of the nation, and feveral new ones were added. This flatute-law affords abundant proof, that, from the time of Ivan, they had learned to decide more juflly concerning right and wrong, and to afcertain the punifhments on tranfgref- fions of the laws with more equity, difcretion, and m.oderation. Thus, for example, it enafts, that, " Intentional murder fnall be peremptorily " punifhed with death in the perpetrator, and " in thofe who have been afTifting to him. " Yet no vengeance for blood, and in general * SeexoL i.p. 356* • VOL. II. I that he diftributed every day money and bread among the neceffitous, founded four poor-houfes, vifitcd the prifoners, punilhed their vices, fet the innocent at liberty, and was the common proteftor of the poor againll their hard maf- ters. At Mofco, likewifc, Nicon made it his bufinefs to receive all petitions addrtffed to the tzar, and on a certaia day in the week to deliver them to him. VOL. II. 1^ from J30 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. from the patriarchate, and degraded to what he had originally been, a fiinple monk [1666]]. Nicon was the author of much good while arch- bifliop of Novgorod; and he afterwards attempted fome reforms in regard to devotional books, in- troduced the greek church-mufic, hitherto only ufed in Kief, into the reft of Ruflia, and thus, as chief religious teacher of the empire, fliewed himfelf adlive for the improvement of what is called divine fervice ; he even frequently deli- vered fermons, (at that time a pradice extremely rare,) and, as he was a very eloquent man, and highly reverenced by the people, effeded much good. But Nicon's hiftory throughout was a very important example to fovereigns of what an inordinate fpiritual power may lead to, and a convincing proof that the patriarchs might very eafily become rivals of the authority due only to the tzar *. Peter, therefore, from this ex- ample, deduced tlife maxim, tliat it would cer- * 'i'o what length the patriarchs had extended thtir power, may I)e judged of by this among other circum- llances, tliat, on Palm-funday, when a proceflion was held, the tzar not. only- went on foot, while tlie patjiarch rode, but was even obh'ged to lead the horfeof the fpiritual cavalier hy the bridle. — Can it be a qiiellion, whether, ■^t'leafl on tliat day, the" patriarch was not greater than the ■fovereign in'thc eyes "ofthe popiilace ? tainly HISTORY OF RUSSIA. i^^i tamly be better not to leave any longer the fupreme fpiritual power in the hands of a fingle perfon, left, by infenfible degrees, a pope might grow up in Ruflia, ftiaring the fovereignty with the monarch, or even fet him at defiance and dire(5lly oppofe him. It was neceflary for him, however, to proceed flowly and warily in the ex- ecution of his plan : fo, therefore, he did, and in that particular likewife fhewed himfelf, though an enterprifmg, yet a fagacious monarch, know- ing how to prepare his people for the regula- tions he was meditating to introduce. The patriarch Adrian had died in 1700 ; and, though Peter was even then already firmly refolved not to confer that dignity again, yet he did not proceed immediately to put his refolution in force. He excufed himfelf for the prefent, from the riiultiplicity of bufinefs brought on him by the war, as not being able to attend with proper earneflnefs to fo important a matter as the ap- pointment of a perfon to fill the patriarchal throne. — Having thus gained time, he now gradually brought on the intended alteration. He began by conftituting an adminiftrator of the patriarchal fundions, with power, however, of deciding in very indifferent matters alone, to confult on more important affairs with other bifhops, and ultimately to refer everything to K* the t^'i HISTORY OF RUSSIA. the determination of the tznr. Thus the nation was by little and little nccuftomed to live with- out a patriarch. And when at length he thought it now time to be able to go through with his alteration, he proclaimed, in January 1721, that the patriarchal dignity was abolifhed, and in its ftead, for the future, the government of the church was to be conducted by a fpiritual con- fiftory compofed of fcveral members. This con- fiftory, at the fittings whereof Peter himfelf fre- quently attended, obtained the title of the holy DIRECTING Synod, was immediately under the tzar, who appointed the members of it. In this manner Peter recovered to the fovereigns of Ruflia the fupremacy of the church, and made his people independent on the defpotifni of the fpiritual power ; and all this was effe^ed by Peter, who owed nothing to others for the forming of his mind, at a time when Lewis XIV. was entirely governed by his clergy, and fuf- fered a great part of his fubjeds to be hunted out of the country on account of religion, a proceeding not kis impolitic than unjufl:, and therefore contrary to religion. Peter alfo de- termined to reform the monaderics, to diminifh the number of monks and nuns, and fo render the religious houfes lefs hurtful to population, Ornd at the fame time to afiign ufeful employ- 7 ' ments HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 13^ ments to their inhabitants, of whom he exprefsly fays, in his decree, that the majority are lazy drones. All thofe monks who entered the con- vent not to ftudy there, and hereafter to become biihops (as in Ruffia the offices of the fuperior clergy are filled by regulars), were now to em- ploy themfelves in nurfmg and waiting on the poor as well as difbanded foldiers, who, for that purpofe were to be diftributed among the mo- nafteries. The nuns were to keep fchools for poor girls, to teach them female works, and likewife to admit and fuccour the poor of their own fex. — Unfortunately, however, thefe re- gulations of Peter, in regard to religious houfes of all denominations, produced but little efFe£t, as he died the fame year in which he decreed thfim. His TOLERATION had flill a greater influence on the intellectual improvement of his people, by which he allowed chriftians *, who were not of the greek perfuafion, to build churches in feveral parts of his empire, and Ruffians of either fex to marry with pevfons of other com- munions. This indeed excited the zealous fury of the major part of the clergy. Peter, however, * Only he would by no means tolerate the jefuits in his countr)'-. He was not pleafed while at the court of Vienna; becaufcj as he faid, he met jefuits everywhere. k' 3 would 134 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. would not be didurbed at it, but puilued hif? courfe, aflfociating with heretics, though for fo doing he had the name of Antichrifl beftowed on him, and biblical pail'ages concerning Anti- chrifl: direftly applied to him. He neverthelefs attained his aim, by habituating his nation gradu- ally to think more reafonably, and even to con- fort familiarly with the profeflbrs of *a different creed. In order, likewife, to make his people acquainted with what was contained in the bible, and confequently with the do»Slrines of religion and what has been in aftertimes added to them, he caufed the Bible to be tranflated and printed in the fclavonian language. This however went on fo tedioufly, from the continued oppofition of the clergy, that only the new teflament was finifhed before his death, of which he had the copies fetched from the prefs as fall: as they were ready, and difperfed among the people. — Even the clergy were benefited under Peter, as he held worthy perfons of that denomination in high efl:eem. Theophanes, a learned and elo- quent divine, who had fpent three years at Rome, and had improved himfelf by travel, at- tended him in his campaign againfl the Turks, gave him very aftive affiftance in his reforms of the clergy, and was appointed conjointly with the archbifhop of Novgorod, vice-prefident of the HISTORY OF RUSSIA. I35 the fynod. — Befides this meritorious prelate, Peter's reforms produced feveral rational and learned members among the clerical order. From all this it may be inferred, that Peter not only removed what was detrimental to the ftate in it, while the ecclefiaftical authority was diftincl: from the temporal, but that he likewife contributed much to eradicate the extravagant and pernicious opinion of the fandlity of an in- aflive monadic life, to accuflom his people to toleration for perfons of a difterent faith, and to open their eyes concerning what was religion and what had been grafted upon it. Arts and sciences in Ruflia were flill in their infancy previous to the reign of Peter. That prince in thefe likewife began to do fome- thing for his country, and to lay the foundation in this refpecl to farther improvement. He en- dowed at Peterfburg a feminary for future navi- gators, as well as a mathematical fchool at Mofco. He caufed fome public libraries to be fet up, inftituted a mufeum at St. Peterfturg, for which he colleded produdions of nature and art himfelf on his travels, fetched other col- ledions from abroad, and at the fame time made It a repofitory for all kinds of natural products found in the ruffian empire. This inflitution he devoted to the nation at largi^. Everyone K 4 had 136 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. had free entrance here, and by the contempla- tion of nature, or the works of human induflrv, might acquire jufter conceptions and an encou- ragement to activity. He provided a ruflian printing-office, caufed ufei'ul books * to be tranf- lated from foreign languages into rufs, and, by means of the prefs, difperfed them among his people. The academy of fciences at St. Pe- terfburg, founded by him, and which has always contributed in an uncommon degree to extend the knowledge of Ruffia among foreigners as well as natives, was enjoined by his plan to write learned books, afterwards to tranflate them into the vulgar tongue, that they might be put into the hands of the common people, particu- larly of the youth. The obfervatory wljich he had infpecled at Paris on his fecond journey through a part of Europe, raifed in him a wifh to have a like beneficial eftablifliment ; and pre- fently after his return an obfervatory was built at St. Peteriburg. He himfelf took great pains to acquaint himfelf with the courfe of the hea- venly bodies, and when he had acquired fome * Writings in the depaitments of hiftory, of fortification, of the engineer ; on meclianics and arts in general ; ca- lendars, almanacs, &c. were the firft works that were printed at this printing-office, modly at the inftancc and fekftion of the tzar. knowledge HISTORY OF RUSSIA. I37 knowledge of aftronomy, frequently converfed on it with the great men of his court, in order to expand their ideas a little ; telling them, for inftance, that an eclipfe of the fun or the moon was an appearance altogether as natural as rain or funfhine, of which it was then as difficult to perfuade the Ruffians, as it has, even more recently, been found to convince the natives in other countries. Peter, who was ever ready as much as poffible to combat and deftroy fuperflition, ordered it to be publicly announced, in 17 15, that an echpfe of the fun would happen on fuch a day, in order to make it apparent that this event was not ominous of any difafter, or an awful menace of divine judgments. As the obfervatory of St. Peterfburg was a fruit of his travels, he had iikewije, on his firfl and fecond journey, procured artifts and men of letters in England, Holland, Germany and France, whom he fent into his empire on ternis very agreeable to them, that they might contribute by their writings, or by the exercife of their arts, and by inflruclion imparted to the young Ruffians, to the improvement of the nation. For the fame reafon youths were feleded and fent to travel at his expence in foreign countries. And as, by means of his good natural underftanding, he very foon acquired a loiowledge of feveral arts and 13^*^ HISTORY OF RUSSIA. and fciences, he prefer ibcd to the young perfons whom he had icnt abroad, what they were par- ticularly to ftudy, exaniiiied them hiinfelf on their return, obferved whether they had pro- perly employed their opportunities of learning, or had pafled the time in idlenefs ; the expert he put into places that fuited their attainments, encouraged and promoted them, and jumifhed the unimproved bv taking no farther notice of them, or by aligning to them ports in which they could get neither honour nor profit. For the more general cultivation of the Rullians, it were indeed co be wiflied that their famous fove- reign Peter had beitowed greater care on the firft education, on the elementary inftitution of the youth in fchools. Though both his father- and his brother had already done fomethlng in this refpecl by erecling fome fchcols and infti- tutions for the information of youth ; yet it was but a very fniall beginning. On the whole, mod of the fchools in RufTia, even in the time of Peter, were upon a very miferable footing ; and Peter, who gave himfelf fo much concern on a variety of objects, did here far lt\'^ than could have been wiffied, and than he perhaps would have done if he had attained to a greater age. "Under him, indeed, it mud be owned, though without his concurrence, and only by accident, fomc HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 1 39 I feme fcattered rays of reafon and moral light pierced even to the inclement regions of Siberia : as the fvvedlih prifoners who were fent thither by Peter, and particularly the officers, ereded fchools in thofe frozen climes, and inftrucled the natives in many ufeful branches of knowledge *- Even thefe unfortunate perfons, who did not obtain permiflion to return to Sweden till the peace of Nyftadt, contributed, therefore, in fome meafure, to drive ignorance out of Ruflia. Manufactures, trades, mechanical arts, businesses, and objects of industry OF ALL KINDS, wcre the principal aim of Peter's active mind ; and doubtlefs in thefe refpeds he cultivated his nation greatly more, and advanced it higher than it had been before. His having himfelf acquired a knowledge of the generality of matters of that nature, his having always been, while on his travels, an inquifitive and attentive obferver of everything that related to them, not unfrequently himfelf putting a hand to the * As one inftance, among the reft, von Vreech, a fwedifii captain, in 1713 founded a fchool at Toboldc, where the fcholars were taught chriftianity, writing, reading, and 'arithmetic, the german, latin, and french languages, geo- graphy, geometry, and drawing. In this fcho©! ivere feen children from all parts of the empire. work. J-40 HISTORY 01' RUiiSIA. work *, and concerning hinifelf in general about the minutcft triflej'-, as well as about the greater parts and the whole, mufl: unqueftionably have had a vail influence on the progrefs of his people, among whom it was his endeavour to tranfplanc whatever was good and ui'eful among foreigners. And, while a traveller, he obferved, examined, and informed himfelf thoroughly of everything that fell under his notice, in order to employ and to apply what he had feen for the benefit of his empire t, he alfo lent young Ruflians into foreign- countries * It is well known tiiat both In Holland and In England Tie not only caufc d liimfclf to be fhewn what wis moll ma- itrrial in the dockyards, but even wor'^ed at the feveral bufi- nefles with his own hands. According to our countryman, captain Perry, whom Peter took with him from London to Ruffia as an engineer, there was no kind of work, from the cafting of cannons to tlie making of ropes, that furniflicd anything to fliip-building, in which Peter had not acquired the cler.reft notion of eviry particular, and had even fet his hand to work at. Even in Ruffia he executed fomcthing or other in every workfliop that he vifited ; onewhilc ham- mering iron as a fmith, at another employed as a carpenter ; be once eveii built a whole wall with bricks ; but his fa- vourite bufinefs was that of a fliipwright, f He f vcn fent a model of a coffin to Ruffia. In general, nothinif-- appeared to him fo infignificant as that he did not vouchfafe it lils attention, as foon ae he thought that any benctit might arife out of it to his country. Thus, fi,iortly before HISTORY OF RUSSIA. I41 countries to ftudy and follow the art of fliip- building, and other ufeful occupations, that at their return they might teach others ; and for the fame purpofe took into his pay many foreign- ers, emigrant Frenchmen, Scotfmen and Ger- mans, among whom v>'ere feverai very able men. He put the manufactory of fmall arms upon an excellent footing, fet up forges for anchors, and built a number of mills, inflituted manufadories for linen, failcloth, cordage, filk and woollen ftufFs, built in the neighbourhood of St. Peterf- burg a multitude of brick and tile kilns ; and acling differently from Charles XII. who con- quered Poland without deriving from it any benefit to Sweden, nay, which was indeed injured by it, caufed flieep and (l^epherds to come from that country, for the fake of improving the breed of ftieep in Ruffia. Healfo zealouily promoted before the concliifion of the fwedifh war,hc had brufh -makers, b'anvet-niakef6,even butter-women with butter-firklnr-, nay fat- catchers and dutch cats brought to Ruffia. He had heard that the dutch cats were famous for preventing the mifchief ■occafiohed by mice and rats in fliips and houfes. So at- tentive was he to the miauteft objedls, that, perceiving the rallian boors made better mat-fhoes than th-e finnifh peafants in the neighbourhood of St. Pcterfburg, he diftribute^ ruffian mat-fhoemakers in Finland, that they might commu- nicate their art to the Finns. inquiries 142 HISTORY OF RUSSI.'i. inquiries into the nranner of explorinfv and working mines, particularly in Siberia ; and, in order to render it more methodical and regular, conflituted a peculiar mineral-college, to which he gave the inlpeclion over the works to be car- ried on. He greatly improved the docks and yards at Archangel, and formed new ones at Petcrfburg and Voronetch. He took delight in afllding (uch pcrfons as were inclined to under- take manufactories and workfliops, by advancing them money, and granting them privileges. Thus induiiry and trade were continually gaining by him in an extraordinary degree ; and what 1 remarked above of the fwedifli prifoners in Siberia, that they flrewed the feeds of fome improvement even in that part of the ruffian empire, is applicable alfo in a particular manner, in regard to ufeful handicrafts. Even the fwedifli officers employ^jd themfelves here, partly for want of other means of fupport, in a variety of mechanical arts and iraies. In their didrcfsful fituation, being reduced to the neceffity of ap- plying themfelves to confider and to imitate what they had feen in Sweden and other coun- tries, they became the teachers of the inhabitants of the country, diffeminated their knowledge among them, and inflrut^ed them in feveral pro- fitable emplovmcnts. Not HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 143 Not lefs important was the progrefs which the Ruffians made under Peter in regard to com- MERCF. Inconfiderable and confmcd as it was, prior to his reign, fo much did he contribute to the advancement and extenfion of it, and thereby rouzed and formed his nation to greater aftirity, by procuring them more traffic, more connections with Europe and Afia than they formerly had. The trade with the bordering empire of China feemed to fecure many advantages to RulTia, as each of the two countries poflefled thole natural produds of which the other was in want. Peter foon turned his attention to this matter. A peace concluded between China and Ruflia. in 1689, by which the numerous difputes con- cerning the boundaries of the two empires were finally adjufled, had determined the chinefe go- ^'-ernment to adopt an amicable behaviour. Peter immediately took advantage of the opportunity to fettle the trade between the Ruffians and the Chinefe on a more firm and lading eftablifh- ment ; and afterwards, " when, on account of complaints that had arifen concerning fome diforders that had been committed by the Ruf- fians in China, fent a new embafiy to that coun- try to fettle all mifunderllandings, and to revive the trade. The acquifition of the peninfula of Kamtfhatka 144 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. Kamtfhatka and the Kurilly iflands, which hap- pened in the reign of Peter, contributed like- wife to the extenfion of the rulFian commerce. But the event of greatefl: confequence to the trade and commerce of the Ruflians in Europe, was undoubtedly the dominion of the Bahic, which Peter wreded from Sweden, and the con- qiiefl: of feveral maritime towns on the coails of that fea, a fovereignty which he endeavoured more folidly to eftabliih, and to render more advantageous to his empire, by the city of Pe- terfburg, through which the Ruffians obtained the mod favourable opportunity for trading with the Dutcl^kr*, the Englidi, the French arid the Germans. The efFecls of Peter's endeavours to facilitate' and' to extend the commerce of his empire, and by that means to raife his country to a higher tlegree of civilization, were the cutting oi CANALS, the inftitution of posts, provifion for making and repairing highways and roadis regulations for equal weights and measurhs, * Thtfc principally purfiiccfthe navigation to Petcrf- buro-, and die t/.ar's prcdilccliou for a people, among whom he had lived a long while, the reciprocal partiality of the Dutch for Peter, who had left his tluoiie to gain a knowledge of ufcful mechanical artr, in their workfliopo and on their quays, conncded the dutch and ruffian nations in a cloic and lading union. for HISTORY OF RUSSIA^ 145' for putting the mint on a better plan, and rec- tifyiag the coinage, and the ere^ion of a BOARD of COMMERCE. By the Ladoga canal he rendered the tranfport from the Volkhof into the Neva incomparably more fafe than it had hitherto been. The canal which he made at Vifhnei-Volotfliok *, with its fluices, conneds the Cafpian with the Baltic. Peter was heartily defirous likewife of bringing into conjundlion the Eiixine with the Cafpian, and, as the latter, by the juft mentioned canal, already joined the Baltic, by the fame channel alfo to unite the former with that fea : but the grand under- taking, on which he had already confumed a great deal of labour, was dropped, and ftill re- mains unexecuted f. In * At Tver the Tvertza falls Into the Volga, which diT- charges itfelf into the Cafpian ; the canal unites the Tvertza with the Schlina ; this flows into the Mila, and this into the Ilmen lake, from which the Volkhof takes its rife, and is in connedlion with the Baltic. -|- In the vicinity of Tzaritzin are the two great rivers, the Don, which ruflies into the Euxine, and the VoL^a. fcarcely 60 cngliOi miles afunder, and by means of two fmali livers, one flowing into the Don, and the other into the Volga, would, if thefe rivers could be made navigable, re- quire only a canal of about two englifh miles, to unite the Don with the Volga. This janftion, begun but not com- VOL, II. J. pleted 14^ HISTORY OF RUSSIA, In the reign of Alexey [1663] a german mer- chant at Mofco made fome attempts at the in- trodudion of a post-office. Till then all let- ters were obliged to be fent hy melTengers, or as opportunity ferved ; the former method being- as expenfive as the latter was unfafe. Travellers could proceed from one place to another only in their own carriages and fledges, for which they were forced to hire horfes of the boors. This was much altered by Peter. He inflitutedy what had been done in' France in the fifteenth, and in Germany at the beginning of the fixteenth cen- tury, regular pofts between the principal towns tof the empire, and a packet boat between St. Peterfburg and Lubeck. For the more effectual facilitation of commu- nication between the feveral parts of the country, Peter employed his care to the maintenance and reparation of the roads. He caufed them, to- be greatly improved, and, by a police, on a fimi- lar plan with that in France, cleared them from pleted by Peter the Great, was refumed in 1768, and pro- fecuted with great vigour till 1774, when the mathemati- cians appointed to conduft the work were murdered in the rebellion of Pugatfhef. Since which the whole bufinefs has fecen at a ftaud. beggar.5 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. I47 beggars and vagrants, and ere6led inns at various itations. The great advantage of like weights and MEASURES in all parts of the empire to trade, to buyers and fellers, Ruffia owes like wife to Peter the Great ; who alfo provided the country with a proper mint, by taking feveral french mint-mafters and afTayers into his fervice. The BOARD OF TRADE inftituted by Peter, the members whereof confided in one half of native Ruffians, and the other half of foreigners, undoubtedly contributed much to the encou- ragement of trade ; as formerly it often happened, that when foreigners had a procefs with natives in the ordinary courts, the ruffian judges fhewed great partiality to their countrymen. Tzar Alexey had indeed already attempted by feveral laws to put a flop to this injuftice * ; but Peter's provifion concerning the affefifors of the board of trade was certainly a more effeftual remedy to the evil, than any iav/s could be. The WAY OF LIFE, and in general the whole face of fociety, as welt as the manners and CUSTOMS of Ruffia, underwent a very great re- volution in the time of Peter, and were in va- rious refpeds new moulded. * See before j p. 1 14. h 2 In I4S HISTORY OF RUSSIA. In order to render the Ruflians more like the other civili/ced nations of Europe, Peter, at the commencement of the year 1700, aboliflied the old ruflian calendar and introduced the corredled flyle. The ancient Ruffians, fn common with all the llavonian nc.iions, began the year with the month of March. In the year 1343 the greek mode of computation of time was adopted in Ruffia, according to which the beginning of the year fell in the month of September. This , Peter now likewife altered, and decreed that, as in the re/l of Europe, in Ruffia the firft of Janu- ary fnould for the future be the Cud day of the year ; in this change however he did not adopt the gregorian *, but the old Julian calendar which is flill ufed in P^uffia. — The people indeed murmured not a little at this innovation ; but Peter, regardlefs of it, on the firfl of January 1700, appointed great folemnitics to be held, at * Pope Gregory XIII. reformed the Julian calendar for- merly ufed ; and from 1583 the gregorian calendar was ob- ferved in the catholic countries. In Gennany, Holland, Denmark, and Switzerland, this computJition was not iiv- . troduced till 1700, in England not till 1752, and in Sweden not before 1753. The ruflian calendar is eleven days behind ours ; fo that, e- gr. the full of January in Ruflia falls on our twelfth of the fame month. Hence the date is fometimes doubly exprcfTed, as; on the jjth of May Peter laid the foundation of Peterfburg. which HISTORY OF RUSSIA. I49 which the new regulation was proclaimed, which was alfo ordered to be notified from the pulpits in the courts of juftice and in the public places of the feveral towns of the empire. By thefe and other methods the Ruffians were brought gradually to ^ familiarity with this and the refK of his alterations. Nothing of acknowledged utility in other countries efcaped the notice of fo attentive an obferver as Peter: and accordingly he endowed, two HOSPITALS in St. Peteifburg on the plan of thofe at Amflerdam, for fuperannuated or infirm foldiers and failors, and an infirmary at Mofco. Orphan and foundling-houses w^re either new-built or enlarged and imprcved. The po. lice in France had, during his ftay in tha^ country, met with his entire approbation ; im- mediately, therefore, on his return [1718J he inftituted a police-office in Pcterfburg, to which he committed tlie care of the internal fecurity of the empire. To guard againll the ruin of families he pro- hibited all games of hazard, and at the fame time prefcribed bounds to extravagance in drefs. By a talle of precedence, which ex- tended to all perfons in office, whether military, civil, or at court, dividing them into fourteen ciafles, he endeavoured to check the frequently, M 3 ridiculous 15© HISTORY OF RUSSIA. ridiculous pretenfions and difputes in regard to rank and pre-eminence, and likewife abolifhecl the court of nobles *. In conformity to this table even the fons of ruffian princes, counts, barons, &c. have indeed, in refpeft of their de- fcent and the merits of their fathers, accefs to the affemblies at court, but not the lead degree of rank till they have done fervice to the coun- try in fome department. Married ladies enjoy the rank of their hulbands j but unmarried ladies mufl; go back four claffes f. Society was a thing almoft unknown to the manners then prevalent in the ruffian nation, Peter accomplifhed much likewife in this refpeci* convinced as he was that intercourfe and fociety could not be inefficient in the cultivation of a people, but muft contribute to a greater expan- fion of the faculties, to brihg truths, opinions, judgments, and ideas into more rapid circula- tion ; and that therefore a fociable people would be more fenfible than an unfociable. In order, therefore, to fet the faffiion, as he knew that the example of the higher orders invites the lower * See before, p. 1 19. ■j- By this regulation he intended to difcourage parents from giving their children, efpecially daughters, an educa- tion above tlieir rank, whereby many young women are rnade unhappy. ranks HISTORY OF RUSSIA. ' I5I Tanks to imitation, fet on foot [1716] focieties under tiie name of affemblies, and even gave" out a particular fet of rules for them. They were kept three times a week in the houfes.of the principal perfons of quality in rotation^ Peter and Catharine frequented them in perfon j- but all formality and conftraint were banifhed*^ All perfons of rank, noblemen, fuperior offi- cers, refpeclable merchants, fhip-builders, and other people of condition had free admilTion with their wives and children. That ladies too fliould take part in fuch companies was a thing as yet unheard of in Rufiia. Hitherto even married women, only on certain great holidays and in company with their hufbands, could ven- ture to vifit their neareft relations. They lived retired in the back part of the houfe, and were * «« The anemtUes," it is faid, in the orders that were publiOied concerning them, *' fhall not begin earlier •*' than four o'clock in the afternoon, and continue oply " till t£n in the evening. The holt is nst obliged to re- «< celvt or to w^it upon the guefts, or to give them his corti- " pany; but muft provide chairs, lights, liquors, and a <' variety of entertainments. The guefts may divide into -<' the apartments, in one of which may be dancing, in the «' other cards, chefs, or draughts may be played : jn a ^« third tobacco may be fmoaked, &c. Every one may '< come and go when he pkafes, may b?_. -^ fpeaator, ^^r ■" take part in the diveri'.ons," &c. 1- 4 '..-.IT' A^Y JS^ HISTORY OF RUSSIA. very much confined *. tTn married ladies were kept in flill greater conftraint. Thefe feverities Peter did his utmofl to remove, by declaring that womeri ought not to be excluded from the comforts of focial intercourfe ; and they teflified their gratitude to him for it. He wanted to alter the afiatic drefs of the Ruffians, and to introduce that generally worn in the other parts of Europe. He therefore made it one of the rules to be obferved in the forementioned afl'em- blies, that every one mud appear in the light modern drefs ; and the female fex,. who had obtained more hberty by Peter's means, care- fully and with chearfulnefs adhered to this rule. It was far more difficult to bring the men to an alteration in their drefs, which, however, in Pe- ter's opinion, might much contribute to leffien the hatred entertained by his countrymen againfl foreigners. — He commanded all his fubie (have their beards — An order to which violent oppofition v/as made. For enforcing this regulation he laid a tax on long beards, and great numbers fubmitted to pay it rather than piirt with their beard which was univerfally held tp be an ornament to the * See before, vol. i. p. 367. perfon. HISTORY OF RUSSIA. '^^53 p«rfon. Superftitious RuiTians even thought it an outward charadteriftic of the orthodox faith^ (for in what trifles has not orthodoxy been made to eonfift ? j and, if too poor, or too parfimo- nious, to pay the tax for retaining the beard, they reh'gioufly preferred the beard (horn 6fF, and had it depolited in the coffin with them on their deceafe, that they might prefent- it to St, Nicholas, on his refufmg to admit them^'as beardlefs chriltians, into the kingdom of heaven. — Peter wanted Hkewife to effeft an akeration in the dress of the men. Accordingly, who- ever was in his fervice muft appear in clothes of a foreign cut, and under all the gates of the town patterns of thefe clothes were even hung up *. Peter alfo refolved to give his people a tafte for the DRAMA. Before his time, at Kief and Mofco fpiritual plays w^ere performed occafion- ally in the monafteries. Under his patronage a national theatre was formed at Mofco, which, however, it muft be owned, was bad enough. * Whofe coat was not agreeable to this pattern muft pay a fine, or fubmit to have fo much of it cut ofF as exceeded the ftanJard. Many h'kewife had their beards cut off in the ftreets. In regard to drefs, the ckrgy, boors> &c. were slfo excepted. More «54 HISTORY OX- RUS5IA. jMore was done in this matter by his female fuccellbrs. In the times anterior to Peter it was ufual for parents to conclude marriages for their children ; and the young people never faw one another till they were to be betrothed. A cuflom which was certainly attended with many inconveniences. Peter made a law that every young couple fhould frequent one another for fix v/eeks at lead pre- vious to the betrothing. Ill order to difcredit in the eyes of his people the old ufagcSj many of wliich were indeed highly ridiculous, Peter had recourfe to various methods. At times he appointed an entertain- ment, at which every thing was to proceed on the old footing, in which his defign was to dif- play the difference between the ancient and mo- dern manners, and to lliew the fuperiority of the latter in a way irrefiftibly flriking. Thus, for example, he once celebrated the nuptials of one of his court-fools in a moil magnificent manner ; but entirely in the (lyle of the fixteenth century. The guefts were obliged to appear in the drefs after the fafhion of that time. No f.re was lighted, though the weather was intenfely cold; becaufe it was an old fuperflirious notion, that the kindling of a fire on the wedding day was unlucky. 6i ii HISTORY OF RUSSIA. I55 unlucky. The old Ruffians were fond of mead and brandy, but drank no wine — this parti- cular was therefore pun6tually obferved. The guefts fhewed themfelves highly difcontented at it. " This was exaftly the cuftoni with our *' forefathers,'* Peter anfwered them fmiling; and furely old cuftoms are preferable to new ones." Thus jeeringly giving them a good lefTon. It was then ufual to keep fools for the diverfion of the court ; and, indeed, till very lately the nobility always had one about the houfe : nor is the praftice yet entirely left off in the country. The court-fools ufed . frequently to make themfelves merry with the old fafliions, cuftoms, and manners, mimicking many of the ftiff obftinate fticklers for the antiquated ftyle ; and, on their complaining to Peter of the affront, he generally anfwered them : They are fools, what can be done with them ? From what has been faid, it plainly appears that Peter in many refpeds gave a new turn to the manner of thinkinp; and adingr of the ruffian nation. I Ihall only fubjoin a few obfervations. The extraordinary and indefatigable aftivity of this monarch : one while undertaking a fiege at a diftance from his empire, or fighting at the head of his army, then fuddenly appearing in €he refidence, and frequenting the fittings of the fenate, 156 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. fenate, or prefenting hinifelf in the courts of juilice, or confulting with the clergy on ec- clefiafLical reforms, or felecling ingenious per- fons to fend out on travels ; now undertaking a journey himfelf; working in foreign countries in the dockyards and workfhops ; becoming an at- tentive fcholar in the Rudies of literary men, at Amflerdam with the naturalifi; Ruyfch, or, as at Paris, vlfiting r.n academy of fciences ; then re-appearing in his empire, and there making difpofitions for eflablifliing a manufactory ; in one place caufmg a canal to be dug, in another ordering flnps to be built ; to-day publifhing an ordinance relating to procelTes in the courts, to-morrow iffuing a table of precedence ; one moment feverely puniPnlng a judge who had fuffered himfelf to be corrupted, the next re- wardine another for fervices performed to the country ; now holding a triumphal entry, then paffing the whole day in the mufeum of the works of nature and art of his own inftitution, in the contemplation of nature, and the great performances of human induflry and contrivance — in fhort, that in all his undertakings for the good of his country he was obliged to work and aft himfelf, as he was in want of able per- fons to whom he fliould need only to trace out a plan, and then could leave the execution to their HISTORY OF RUSSIA. I (J^ their care — fuch a vaft activity mufl furely have rouzed in feme degree the Ruffians, who were apt to let their faculties lie dormant, from their ina6lion, animate them to the employment of their abilities, and teach them to confider in- duftry as a good and ufeful property. Peter, by prizing and rewarding merit where- ever he found it, by fhewing that the man of the lowed ftation,if he were but expert and ufeful, was in higher ellimation with him than the dull and indolent, though of the firft family of the empire, mufl: have tended greatly to banifh the idle pretenfions to ancedry and hereditary confe- quence out of the heads of the ruffian nobility, to diffufe jufter notions of the true worth of man, and at the fame time to encourage and animate the talents of a number of young per- fons of the inferior ranks of fociety. Peter, by ferving upwards through the feveral flations in the army and navy, gave likewife a fit leffi^n to the nobles of the empire, as on the other hand it muil have flattered the commoa foldier and failor, to fee his humble ftation ho- noured fo far as that even the fovereign did not difdain to fill it, and thereby to confefs that it was ferviceable to the if ate. Peter, by working himfelf at the ordinary mechanical trades, muft have confiderably weak- ened l^S HISTORY OF RUSSIA. cned the prejudice, then very common in RufHa, thac they who pafled their days in a luxurious cafe were happier than they who were doomed to work, and helped to difleminate the maxima that induftry brings content. Peter habituated his Ruflians to adopt what was profitable in others, and not to defpife and negleft a foreigner, becaufe he was a foreigner ; confcquently altered in this refpecl the national way of thinking, as the people had hitherto al- ways entertained an averfionfor all foreigners. Such is the brief account of what the rufliaii nation gained by Peter the Great ^ who, though as a man, was not certainly free from fome of the vices of his nation, fuch as drunkennefs and cruelty, yet raifed himfelf fo far above his coun- trymen, that he was not improperly termed a wonder of his times, that pofterity has unani- moufly acknowledged him to be one of the greatefl: of mankind, as well as of monarchs, who for the moil part formed himfelf, that the rudian nation with gratitude proclaims his great merits both towards the empire and towards the people, and allows that this one fovereign advanced and improved them farther than the whole feries of former princes had done. Peter indeed has beeu blamed for bringing fo many ftrangers into his country, and for having 5 operated HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 1 59 operated upon it, and generally ruling It more by ftrangers and foreigners, than the improve- ment of the people by their own powers rendered necelfary. But it is to be fuppofed that he was fo well acquainted with his countrymen, as to know that their abilities were only to be called forth by the method he made choice of; a me- thod which had ever been adopted by the wlfeft of his anceftors, Ivan, Boris, and Alexey ; and if he had frequently recourfe to harfh or cruel meafures, we may imagine he thought them ne- ceflary in Ruffia. Nothing but the unalterable will of a fovereign could have executed here thofe arduous tafks. Peter had nothing but that to oppofe to fuperftition, prejudice, felfifhnefs^ and an utter abhorrence of all innovation, for effedlually carrying thofe alterations which to him appeared nee Tary. Of all the tzar*s innovations, that v/hich wa& attended with the greateft difficulty, and occa- lioned him to Ihed the mod blood, was the al* teration of the habit that had been for agea worn by his fubjeds. It was with extreme re- ludance that the Ruffians fubmitted to wear the german drefs, and to be fhaved ; and they feveral times rebelled for the fake of retaining their long garments and their beard. But Peter had ia l6o HISTORY OP RUSSIA, in view, by giving his people the falhions of tl>€ other nations of Europe, to introduce among them their manners, vvichcut forefecing, per- haps, that he was caHing up a tafte for luxury, of which he was not fond. That prince was al- ways very plain in his drefs, kept a very frugal houfe, was not more than a quarter of an hour at dinner, and would frequently laugh at his favourite Mentchikof, who, from nothing more than a pye-boy at the corner of a flreet, being now a prince, difplayed a pomp and magnifi- cence hitherto unequalled'; and never fat down to dinner without the mufic of trumpets and cymbals and various other inflruments. In regard to the fimplicity of his attire, the following is related in the manufcript memoirs of a diplomatic agent, who refided a long time at his court. " On all the fjlemn feftivals, he " only wore the uniform of his pre'obajenfkoi *' regiment of guards. I I^iw him in 1721 give *' a public audience to the ambaffadors of " Perfia. He entered the hall of audience in '* nothing more than a furtout of coarfe brown " cloth. When he was feated on the throne, *' the attendants brought him a coat of blue *' gros-de-Naples, embroidered with filver, " which he put on with great precipitation, be- *.' caufe HISTORY OF RUSSIA. l6l ** caufe the ambafladors were waiting for ad- *' mittance. During this he turned his eyes *' towards a window where the tzaritza had *' placed herfelf to obferve the ceremony. Ca- •* tharine was heard repeatedly to burfl out into *' fits of laughter, as the tzar feemed to her to " be aftonifhed at feeing himfelf fo finely ** drefted ; and the tzar laughed at it himfelf, as *' alfo did all the fpedlators. As foon as the *' ambaffadors were gone, Peter I. threw off ** his embroidered coar, and put on his « furtout*.** His violence can never be excufed, and his cruelties admit of no palliation. He not only chaftifed with his own hand the courtiers, his generals, his minifters, for any flight fault they had committed j but he himfelf was often the executioner of the wretches whom he had caufed to be fentenced to death. His rage, it is true, was not always fo fatal 5 but, whether this monarch was really not mafter of himfelfj or whether he intended to make his fubjedts believe that nothing in nature ought to refifl his will, he fometimes did things which in any other man would have paffed for a£ts of infanity. * The blue-filk embroidered coat is the identical one which is now on his wax efFigy in the academy of fciences, and it was itiade for his marriage with Cathariue, vol.. II. M After j62 history of RUSSIA. After being returned from his travels, de- figning one day to exhibit a proof of his fkill in navigation, he took the exercife of failing in a fmall veffel on the lake Ladoga, which is often very tempeftuous, and juft then was more agitated than ufual. Peter, being frightened, regained the fhore j but being angry that the waves had no more refpeft for him, he fent for the executioner of the town, and ordered him to give the knoot to the intradable lake. And what are we to think of that endlefs comedy in which Peter I. caufed himfelf to be reprefented by knsez Romodanof(ky, the mod vulgar and brutal of all the Ruffians, while he himfelf affeded to play a fubaltern part ? He conferred on Romodanoffky the title of tzar of Mofco ; made a public report to him of all his undertakings and his molt important fuccelfes j all petitions, memorials, and other documents, addrefled to the fovereign, were prefented to this phantom of a tzar, who privately difpatched them to the council j and when the perfons con- cerned, on not obtaining what they defired, complained to Peter, he aiifwered coldly : " It " is not my fault j all depends on the tzar of « Mofco." A refufal was not the only inconvenience they had to apprehend from the infenfible and capricious Romodanoffky. He kept in his palace HISTORY OF RUSSIA. l6^ palace a bear of enormous magnitude, and broke to a very curious triclc. The animal prefented to every one who wiflied to fpeak with his mafler a great glafs of brandy, in which there was a ftrong dofe of pepper. Whoever did not drink off this liquor was fure to have his cloaths torn to pieces by the bear, and to be feverely fcratched into the bargain. After having abolifhed the office of patriarch, Peter I. in confequence of his refolution to crown his confort Catharine, in 1725 applied for that purpofe to the archbifhop of Novgorod, primate of all Ruffia. The prelate, thinking this a favourable opportunity for getting the patriarchate re-eftablifhed in his favour, ob- ferved to the tzar, that fo auguft a ceremony would acquire far greater folemnity by the prefence of a patriarch. The tzar anfwered him no othei'wife than as he was wont to do fuch of his fubje£ls as he was difpleafed with, that is, by a fhower of ftrokes with his cane. The archbilhop afked pardon ; the tzar was pacified ; the coronation was performed, and nothing more was faid of a patriarch. Mentchikof was the fon of a pye-man, and pafled a part of his youth in felling little pies about the ftreets. One day, felling fome of his paltry in a houfe where feveral perfons had met M 2 to 164. HISTORY OF RUSSIA. to breakfaft, one of the party having drank pretty freely, let fome words efcape him, that intimated a plot againfl the tzar. Mentchikof ran in all fpeed to the palace, requefled to reveal a fecret to Peter, and informed him of what he had overheard. The tzar wrapped himfelf in a cloak, and haflened to the houfe pointed out to him by Mentchikof; here, leaning his ear to the door of the room where the people were breakfafling, he diflinclly heard what confirmed to him the report of his con- dudlor. He immediately entered and found himfelf in the midft of the confpirators. Whether they imagined that his guards were at the door, or whether they were intimidated at his prefence alone, all of them fell at his knees, and threw themfelves on his clemency. From that moment the tzar took Mentchikof to be about him , and the pye-boy (hortly after became a prince. The firfl infurrection occafioned by the general order to all Ruffians to leave off the cudom of wearing the beard, was followed by the execution of about eight thoufand perfons. For containing fuch a great number of vidtims, the tzar made choice of a fpacious fquare adjoining to his houfe of Preobrajhifko, three verfts from Mofco. The place was furrounded by palifades, through which it was eafy to fee what was paffing within 7 the HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 165 the Inclofure ; where, after placing a great number of balks and blocks, the wretches con- demned to lofe their lives were made to kneel at them. Several executioners were immediately em- ployed in cutting off heads. Peter himfelfj with an axe in his hand, fet the example to the executioners. Mofl of the tzar's courtiers were eager to imitate him ; and Mentchikof boafted afterwards that it was he who had cut off the greateft number of heads. A boy about twelve years old came and laid his neck on the tzar*s block. The prince, inflead of chopping his head off, took him by the arm and ihoyed him away. The boy, without faying a word, went and placed himfelf at another block. The tzar, perceiving this, advanced towards him, raifed him up and put him away again. Prefently after the boy returned to fubmit his neck to the axe. The tzar then angrily aiked him, v>hy he perfifted in wilhing to have his head cut off? " Thou haft cut off my father's head, my *' brother's, and the heads of all my relations, " who were no more guilty than I am,'* faid the boy ; " why fhouldll thou not cut off *' mine ?" — Peter made no anfwer, but or- dered the boy out of the inclofure, threw down his axe, and went away. M 3 That l66 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. That prince was not often fo quickly fenfible to his faults. Always athirft for vengeance, he fometimcs added treachery to the mod atrocious inhumanity. Of this the tragical end of his own fon is ' a melancholy proof. The only crime completely proved againft Alexius, was his attempt to efcape from the refentment of his father, by leaving Ruflia without the permiflion of that monarch, The tzar, being apprized that Alexius had abfconded to Naples, fent thither immediately Tolftoi, the bafeft of his minifters, who, by bribes and flatteries, having corrupted the miftrefs who had accompanied the prince in his flight, the unfortunate tzarevitch was induced to return to his father. The tzar at the fame time deceived both the emperor of Germany and the king of Naples, under whofe protection his fon had put himfelf, and who had interceded for him. Notwithftanding the fo- lemn promife he made them to grant him his pardon, he caufed him to be condemned as the greatefl: of criminals, and put him to death. This Tolfloi had fpent a part of his youth at Venice. He was the moft: eloquent and the leaft fcrupulous man in all Ruflia. Peter I. having fent him to Confl:ahtinople, and remitted to him two hundred thoufand ducats in gold to buy over the divan, Tolftoi embezzled a great part HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 167 joart of that fum ; and for fear that the fecre- tary of the embafTy whom he had with him fhould impeach him, he caufed him to be poi- foned. Peter I. who well knew the ability and the machiavelianifm of Tolftoi, faid more than once : " Peter Andfeyevitch Tolfto'i is in all " refpecls a very able man : but whoever has " anything to do with him fhould be fure to '* have a good large (tone in his pocket, to " knock out his teeth in cafe he fhould be " taken with a fit of biting/* In the reign of Peter II. Tolfloi was condemned to be decapi- tated J but the fentence was changed to banilh- ment into the government of Archangel, where he died. When M. Printz was at the court of Peter I. as ambafTador frorn Pruflia, that prince invited him to a grand entertainment ; and after having drank, as ufual, a great deal of wine and brandy, he fent to fetch from the prifons of Peterfburg twenty of the flrelitzes. Then, at each bumper, he flruck ofi the head of one of thefe wretches. He propofed to the prufTian ambafTador to exercife. his dexterity upon them 5 but the ambafTador declined the barbarous f offer. What a fpeclacle, to fee a tyrant, in the midfl of his cups, amufing hjmfelf with cutting off the heads of a fcore of his unhappy fubje6ls, M 4 while j68 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. while his bafe courtiers were getting drunk with him, and applauding the ferocity of fuch fan- guinary paftiine * ! Endowed with a fine figure and a fuperior underllanding, invefted with fovereign power, and though pafnonately for^d of women, Peter 1. was never beloved by one ; or at lead he was duped by all with whom he formed an attach- ment. While yet very young he married Evdokhia Lapukhin, who was mother of the unhappy Alexey. Not long after his marriage with Evdokhia, the tzar fell defperately in loye with Anna Aloens, a handfome Fleming, the daughter of a brewer fettled at Mofco. * This anecdote, though not mentioned by Voltaire in his hiftory, was well known to him, as the king of Piudia, Frederic II. then prince royal, fent it him, with other accu- rate memoirs concerning the life of the tzar, and to which Frederic fubjoined : *' The tzar had not the flighted tinc- *' ture of humanity, of magnanimity, or of virtue : he had *' been brought up in the groffell ignorance, and only afted f* by the impuHe of his unruly paflions." In another of his letters, Frederic writes to Voltaire : '* The tzar will ap- *' pear to you in this hiftory very different from the figure *' he makes in your imagination A concurrence of *' fortunate circumftances and favourable events, in con- *' jundlion with the ignorance of foreigners, have trans- <' formed the tzar into an heroic phantom, concerning the " grandeur whereof no pne has ever thought proper to " doubt." Evdokhia HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 169 Evdokhia at firll was apparently grieved at the defertlon of her hufband : but prefently after confoled herfelf in the fociety of a young boyar, named Glebof ; and, to the misfortune both of herfelf and her lover, neglecled to make a fuffi- cient fecret of her amour. The tzar, who thought he might be inconflant with impunity, would not allow another to be fo with him. He fhut up the tzaritza in a convent, and after- wards repudiated her in form. His vengeance towards Glebof was far more cruel : he impaled him alive ; and it is confidently alTerted, that the wretched vidim of his fury remained up- wards of four-and-twenty hours on the fpikc before he expired *. The tzar went in all eagernefs to enjoy this horrible fight. He did more ; he got upon the pediment of brickwork in which the pale was fixed, and exhorted the fufferer to confefs to him the fa£ls which he had hitherto refufed to avow. " Come nearer, that thou mayeft hear " me the better," anfwered Glebof; which the tzar having done, Glebof collected his re- * The diplomatic agent, already cited, affirms in his irianufcript memoirs that more than a hundred witnefles of this fa6t related it to him ; and that, oa his arrival at Mofco, he himfelf faw the head of Glebof ftill affixed on the pale. maining 170 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. maining forces for an inflant, and faid to him : *' Thou tvranl, the mod cruel that ever hell " produced, if what thou iniputeft to me were *' true, thinkcil thou, that, not havin;r con- " fefled it before my punifhment, while ,yet fome hope remained of obtaining mercy by the avowal ; canfl thou think, I fay, that I ** am fuch a fool or fuch a coward as to fatisfy " thee now that it is no longer in thy power *' to fave my life. Go, horrible monfter,*' added he, as he fpit in his face; *' begone I" The tzar had ferious thoughts of placing Anna Mocns on the throne. That young woman, who regarded it as the greatefl: of all jnisfor tunes that her fovereign was fond of her, and to whofe pafTion flie only fubmitted through . fear, dextroully eluded his offers of marriage. Peter, however, continued his vifits to her ; but, either difgufted at the coldnefs with which fhe repaid his ardour, or the natural fickle- nefs of his temper led him elfewhere, he foon left her to follow her inclinations in marrying a lefs illuflrious lover with whom fhe had long held an amorous correfpondence *. * Her fird hufband was Kayzerlinguen, mi'iiifler from PrulTia to the tzar ; after his death file was married to lieutenant-general Balk. Peter HISTORY OF RUSSIA. I7I Peter became enamoured of a young woman of Livonia, who, after having been married to a fwedi(h dragoon, is generally reported to have been fucceffively miftrefs to the generals Bauer, Scheremetof, and Mctitchikof, became emprefs of Ruffia under the name of Catha- rine I. * * A French author, who writes from goood authorities, gives the following account of Catharine. She bore the name of Martha till fhe quitted lutheranifm for the greek religion. She was born in a petty village of Livonia, of poor parents who laboured for their livelihood. While yet very young (he was taken by a lutheran clergyman, who lived at Maricnburg, named Gluck, to wait upon his daugh- ters. No fooner was flie marriageable than the beauty of her figure drew upon her the attention of feveral young men. She had even a fort of intrigue with a Livonian, named Tiezenhaufen, who taught latin at paftor Gluck's j and this latter, on perceiving the forward difpofition of Catharine, married her to a fwedifh dragoon, by whom (he was courted. The dragoon and his wife were fhortly after made prifoners by a party of Ruffians ; and, as at that time prifoners of war were treated as flaves, Catharine was con- duced to general Bauer, who very foon made a prefent of her to Scheremetof. Scheremetof refigned her to Ment- chikof; and, at the end of two years, the tzar having accidentally feen her, took her away from Mentchikof. It is affirmed by fome writers, that the hufband of Catharine had been fent to Siberia : others pretend that he lived many years at Riga upon a penfion that was fecretly conveyed to him. Though 172 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. Though Catharine owed every thing to the tzar, who had feated her on the throne, flie was not always fo faithful to him as he had a right to expect. Catharine had chofen for her chamberlain the young Moens de la Croix, whofe filler, madame Balk, was about her per- fon, and had, as we have juft now feen, rejected the hand of the tzar. Mocns being of a hand- fome figure, it was not long before he made a lively impreffion on the heart of the emprefs, and the intercourfe was foon perceived by coun: Yagujinikv, who was then in full confidence with the tzar, and had the cruelty to commu- nicate the difcovery he had made to his mafter. Peter's jealoufy took fire. He vowed vengeance ; but refolved firit to convince himfelf by ocular proof of Catharine's treachery. Accordingly, he pretended to leave Peterfburg in order to pafs a few days at one of his country-palaces, but repaired fecretly to the winter-palace ; then fent a page, on whom he could depend, with his compliments to the emprefs, and to tell her that he was at Strelna, a few leagues from the refidence. The page, who had orders to take notice of everything, haflened back with a flrong con- firmation of the tzar*s fufpicions. Peter went in all hafte to Catharine, and furprifed her in the HISTORY OF RUSSIA. I73 the arms of her lover. It was two o'clock in the morning, and madame Balk was watching at fome diftance from the apartment of her inajefty. Peter, in his fury, overfet a page M'ho flood in his way, and flruck Catharine with his cane ; but faid not a word to Moens, or to madame Balk, intending to punilli them in a manner more fevere than by fome ftrokes of his cane. On leaving Catharine, Peter, flill in a tranf- port of rage, ran abruptly into the chamber where prince Repnin was aileep *, who, flarting up, and feeing the tzar, thought himfelf undone. " Get up," faid the tzar, " and hear me. Thou " haft no need to drefs." Repnin rofe, trem- bling at every joint. Peter related to him what had happened, and added : " I am determined to cut off the emprefs*s head as foon as it is day-light.'* — " You have fuftained an in- jury, and you are abfolute mafter," anfwered Repnin ; " but permit me, with due refpeft, to *'' make one obfervation. Why divulge the fata! *' adventure at which you are fo much irritated ? " You have been forced to deftroy the flrelitzes. , * . Prince Repnin has often related thefe particulars. He %vas the grandfather of prince Nicholas Repnin who was fome years ago ambaffador at Warfaw arid governor of Livonia, " Almoft it it 6i ,74 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. *' Almofl every year of your reign has been (C «c cc ?ith the greateil benignity and gentlenefs, whereby (lie fecured to herfelf fHll more the love and veneration of the generality of her fubjefts. She reduced the annual capitation-tax by one eighth, ordered the gibbets to be cut down which had been credled by Peter in great numbers throughout the country, had the bodies of the numerous perfons he had executed, {fill lying unbuvied, interred ; recalled the greater part of thofe who had in the late reign been banillicd to Siberia*, paid the troops their arrears, reftored to the Kozaks feveral of their privileges and immunities w^hich had been wrefled from them by Peter, and made among the potefchnii, and Mcntchikof was artful enough to gcun fo complete a knowledge of his mafter's humours and temper, that though Peter often treated him very harfhly, by beating him, and feveral times impofing on him heavy penalties, yet Mcntchikof contrived to keep himfelf in the tzar's favour to the day of his death ; and this he did chiefly by admiring foreign cuHoms, and helping to render the ruffian ufages and manners ridiculous. * Excepting the relations and friends of Peter's former wife. no HISTORY OF RUSSIA. iS^ no changes among the officers of ftate. She thus attached to her the people, the army, and even nioft of the great famlHes of the nation *. The attempts of two impoftors, who feverally gave themfelves out for Peter's unfortunate fon Alexey, were fpeedily defeated, and the pre- tenders to the throne beheaded. The empire enjoyed during her reign the bleffing of peace, which it had fcarcely ever been able to do under Peter. But in the enjoyment of peace, neither the army nor the navy were neglected ; on the contrary, both were put in the bed condition f ; and it was fettled by treaty entered into by the government [1726] with the german emperor, that, in cafe of an attack, they fliould recipro- cally affift one another with an army of 30,000 * Catharine, however, who, during Peter's hTetime, had {hewn fo much courage, adlivity, and aidour, in the greateft enterprifes, foon difdained to trouble herfelf with pubh'c bufinefs, and gave herfelf up entirely to luxury and pleafure. She took on at once two new favourites, the young prince Sapieha, and a livonian gentleman named XiCEwenwolden. Thofe. two rivals equally ftrove to pleafe her, and alternately- received proofs of her tendernefs, without fufFering their happinefs to be interrupted by the interference of jcaloufy. -j- The former was augmented to nearly one hundred and eighty thoufand men, and the latter confifted of twenty-fix line of battle fliips, fifteen frigates, one hundred arid forty gallics, feveral fmall tranfport vefTcb, and fourteen thcufanJ failors. men 5 190 HISTORY OP RUSSIA. men, and each of them guarantee the territories of either. The particular motive to thefe- en- gagements was the defire that Catharine had of afliftin? her fon-in-law the duke of Holflein *^ who hved in Ruflia, abfent from his dominions, \vhirh Denmark had appropriated to itfelf, to the pofleffion of his duchy of Schlefvig, to which Peter had already fhown an inclination. Catha- rine, therefore, made the mdft urgent remon- llrances to the danilh court, ordered a fleet to be got ready f ; and on the failure of all her • He had married the princcfs Anne, Catharine's daugh- ter. Of this marriage between tlie duke of HoUlein and Anna Petrovna was born, February 21, 1728, the unfortu- nate Peter III. whom the duke's enemies for a long time called no otherwife than tfje Jbtt of the duchefs of Holflein. Colonel Brimimer was the firft tutor of this prince, and afc- corapanied him to Ruffia in the reign of Elizabeth. ■j- The tzaritza iiTued orders to equip a fgrmidable arraa!- ment, for the purpofe of forcing the king of Denmark to g-ive fatisfadion to the duke of Holftcin, in regard to Schlef- -iig. All ait once the ftore-houfes of the navy, ^nd a great number of gallies appointed to convey the troops that were ready to embark, were confnmcd by fire. It was faid, that Mentchikof, in concert with admiral Apraxin, had fet them in flames, to revenge themfelves on the duke of Holfteiii. It is true that the Danes were iikewife accufed of it. Shortly after, an englifh fleet and a danifh fquadron ap- peared, one before Reval, and the other before Cronftadt,' fpreading alarm even to Peterfburg. lemon- feLISTORY OF RUSSIA. igt remonftrances, feemed determined to fupport the demands of the duke of Holftein with all the power of a ruffian emprefs. The nation and the fenate, however, {hewed but little difpofition to engage in an expenfive war with Denmark^ and her allies, England and France, on account of the claims of a prince connected with the reigning family only by marriage, in fupport of a gcrmaii duke. The difpute was regarded as a private concern ; and Catharine died without a fhot being fired in favour of her fon-in-law. Uncertain as it is when and where Catharine came into the world, not lefs undecided is it whether (lie went out of it in a natural way. Some hlftorians affirm that {he was poifoned, which cccafioned her to linger fome time, and at length brought her to the grave. Others on good reafons deny this affertion, while they allow that {he injured herfelf by her manner of life, particularly by drunkennefs, to which {he might have been feduced by her hufband's ex- ample, and {rom complaifanc^ to him ; and thus, as v/ell as by tli£ fmgular cuftom of pafling whole nights in walking out and driving in fledges, undermined her health, and ruined her conftitution. She died the 17th of May, 1727. Previous to her death {he was perfuaded to make her will ; the main point of -which, con- cerning igi HISTORY OF RUSSfAi cerning the fuccefTion, was, that Peter Alexit> vitch * fhould be her fucceiTor, and, till he attained his fixteeuth year, to be under the tute- lage of the princelTes Anna and Elizabeth, the duke of IIoHtein, and the other members of the council t, making provifion alfo for the cafu- alty of the young emperor's dymg without heirs. A fecond article of the will was, that the regency fhould endeavour to bring about a mar- riage between the young emperor and a daughter of prince Mentchikof. I'hc will, moreover, even contained feveral proofs of Catharine's concern for her fon-in-law the duke of Holftein. The bounds of the empire were alfo enlarged under Catharine, by the homage paid her by the kubinfkian Tartars, and the fubmilTion of a georgian prince to Ruflia. That Catharine, notwithflanding {he could neither write nor read, had a great natural un- derflanding, a very high degree of prudence, and a perfectly found judgment, is manifeft from the whole tenor of her reign. Yet, perhaps, if flie had lived longer, that would have happened * Alexey's fon, and grandfon of Peter. f This council, or college of private advice, as it was called, was cllabliflied under Catharine, and confilled ori- ginally of fevcn members, whofc bufinefs it was to look after foreign affairs. whkh r HISTORY OF RUSSIA'. 19^ which has often been aflerted, namely, that fhe would have been detruded from the throne. At lead, there was never wanting a great number of malcontents all the while fhe reigned. The im- penetrable veil of obfcurity that concealed her origin, the hiftory of her earlier days, ere fhe was acknowledged by Peter as his wife, were a ftumbling-block to many ; and papers were fre- quently handed about, in which fhe was very irreverently mentioned. Already, in the fecond year of her reign, fhe felt herfelf under the ne- cefTity of threatening to punifli with death all fuch as fhould fpeak of her family in cifrefpectful terms *. The following judgment, therefore, pafTed upon her by a german author of that time, who was well informed of the circumftan- ces of Catharine's life, feems accurately to fuit her. " The gratitude and Idndnefs," fays he, * All at once arrived at Peteriburg a brother of Catha- rine, whom file ordered to take the name of count Skav- ronflcy. He brought with him his wife and three children. What made this circumftance the more aftonifhing was, that it had always been believed that the emprefs had no knowledge of any of her relations. His children were two boys and a girl. The emprefs married the latter to her favourite Sapieha. Several f.uthors have mentioned that the tzar knew the brother of Catharine ; but, according to the manufcript memoirs already often cited, this is a miftake. VOL. 11, o « which 194 KISTORY OF RUSSIA. " which this princefs difcovers towards all man- " kind, particularly towards her former acquaint- " ance, her refignation in adverfe affairs, her '* unabating follicitudes for the health of her " fpoufe, and her humanity in always advifing '* the tzar to geritle and temperate meafures *, " are fuch laudable qualities, as in fome degree " to efface the blemifli on her birth, and to " atone for other fatalities.^' The fucceffion and the marriage of Peter II. f with Mentchikof's daughter, were the two fole items of Catharine's will which Mentchikof was anxious to execute. Indeed, numbers of the great would have been glad to fee Peter deprived of" the fucceffion, partly becaufe it was highly- probable that Mentchikof would continue to acl the fame part under the new monarch which he had begun under the former, partly becaufe they were afraid that Peter II. would make his refcntment fall heavy on thofe who had affcnted to the fentence of death paffed on his father. Mentchikof, however, took his meafures with ■ * She wifhcd to pcrfuade Peter not to proceed tvllh I'uch -feverity even againft Alexey. She kept Alexey's Ion, thc young Peter, whom Ihe nomiiijited her fucceiFor, as her Own fon, and took care of his education like a mother. j- He was born in 17 15. ' lb HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 195 fo much prudence, that the imperial heir^ now twelve years old, immediately received homage as emperor. If, while Peter I. was alive, he flood clofe by the throne, and had a great influence in the government during the reign of Catharine, as his fphere of operation was only fomewhat bounded by the duke of Holflein, ftill greater opportunities now prefented them- felves to him of having the entire management of the adminiftration during the emperor^s minority, as the expelled marriage of his daughter with the young monarch would probably place him and his family for ever in clofe relationfliip with . the reigning houfe. The mofl fanguine wilhes could require no more. He even thought him- felf fo fure of his bufmefs, that he now threw off all reftraint, and in his whole behaviour fliewed himfelf as already the father-in-law of the em- peror. In order to have the prince conflantly about him, to conduft him abfolutcly by his will, and in the monarch of the empire to form to himfelf an obedient fon-in-law, he took him. home to his manfion. No one feemed able or bold enough to oppofe in the fmalleft degree what Mentchikof did and refolved to do. But he flood not long on this pinnacle of power, Juft when he thought himfelf mofl fecure, the o 2 . hour 196 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. hour of his fall arrived *. Several of the firfl families of the empire had ever viewed his prof- perity with envious eyes ; and as Mentchikof 's pride and arrogance conflantly kept pace with his advancement, as he exercifed his power with the moft abfolute defpotifm, the number and the hatred of his enemies increafed in an equal degree. * The duke of Holftein and his minlfter were not the fole enemies of Mentchikof: he had a great number of fuch as were implacable and fecrct, among whom was Ofter- mann, the moil affiduous of his flatterers. Oftermann, bom in Weftphalia, the fon of a lutheran paftor, had ac- quired the confidence of Peter 1. and arrived at the high poll of vice-chancellor ; but, although he had time enough to accuflom himfelf to the manners of the Ruffians, he could never forgive Mentchikof for addreffing him always in an arrogant and fupercilious tone, and often threatening him with the knoot, and with Siberia. Being refolved to have his revenge, he had feized the favourable moment far prompting the favourite to take the imprudent ftep that accelerated his downfall, that of declaring the young grand- duke heir of the empire, to prevent the duke of Holftein from acceding to the crown on the death of the tzaritza. Oftermann liad been fecretary to count Shafirof, the moft able minifter of Peter I. He had the ingratitude to cabal againft Shafirof, and to caufe his difmifiion ; as he likewife procured that of marflial Munich. In fliort, in 1741 Eli- zabeth baniihed Oftermann to the borders of the Frozen- ocean, and there he died in 1/47. His fon was vice- chancellor under Catharine H. Attempts HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 1 97 Attempts had often been made, but in vain, to work his downfall : they now fucceeded *. A youth of one of the mofl: refpedable families of the empire, Ivan Dolgoruki, the daily companion pf the young emperor, very foon found an opportunity to inftil prejudices againfl Mentchi- kof in the mind of Peter, by reprefenting to him that this man was allowed to aflume too much of the monarch, the latter having properly no will of his own, but was entirely ruled by that of * The chiefs of the party were Tolfto'i, Butturlin, and the count de Vier, a portugueze adventurer, made niinifter of police in Ruflia, and brother-in-law to Mentchikof, much againft his will. The count de Vier, more known in Ruflia under the name of Antone Manuelovitch, was midfhipman on board of a merchant-fhip when Peter I. took him into his fervice. That prince placed him afterwards at the head of the department of police, in which poft de Vier acquired great reputation. It was not fafe to travel in any part of Ruflia, except by caravans, the roads were fo infefted by robbers, often protected by the lords of the domain. De Vier found means of reprefling thefe diforders ; in reward for which fervice Peter I. gave him the title of count, and made him marry the filler of Mentchikof. The fecret. meetings of the party were held at the houfe of a Piemontefe, named count Santi. This count Santi had been involved in France in the confpiracy of the prince of Cellamare. Being thrown into the baftile, whence he had the dexterity to efcape, he went over to Ruflia, and there became mailer of the ceremonies at court. o 3 Mentchikof. 198 HISrORY OF RUSSIA. Mentchlkof. Dolgoruki's infinuatlons operated with the fpeedier effecl, as Peter felt no fondnefs for Maria Mentchikof, who was defigned to be his bride, and openly confefled that he wifhed to be rid of her. Mentchikof, who had happily out- flood even the boiflerous temper of Peter the Great, had been all-powerful under Catharine, notwithftanding the duke of Holftein's machina- tions againft him, and was afterwards the auftere and imperious father-in-law of Peter II. was now overthrown, and obliged with his whole family, of which even the betrothed wife of the youn^: emperor formed a part, to depart for Berefof in Siberia*, 1727. By this ftroke of fortune all his plans of greatnefs were at once defeated, and the treafures he had accumulated f poured into the imperial coffers, from which the greater part had been furreptitioufly taken. The * Tolfto'i was exiled to Siberia, where he died. De Vier had the fame lot, after having received above a hundred flrokes of the knoot. Butturlin and fome others were baiiilli^d to various places. Mentchikof died in his exile at Berefof in 1729. f Confifting of nine millions of rubles in bank notes and obligations, one million in caih, 105 lb. of gold utcnfils, 420 lb. of filver plate, and precious ftones to the value of about a million. If we reckon, befides,the confiderable eftates in land which he poffefTed, his palace and the furniture of it. HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 1 99 The family of Dolgoruki now took the place of the degraded favourite ; and fo completely, that even a young lady of that houfe was fe- lefted to be the young Peter's bride inftead of Maria Mentchikof, who was forced to fhare in her father's lamentable fate, and from the ex- pe6lation of afcending the greateft throne in the world, was plunged in the deepeft diftrefs. Catharine Dolgoruki made fo ftrong an im* prefTion on Peter the very firft time he faw her, that he alked her hand of her father, and Catharine was foon after publicly affianced to the emperor. The coronation was fixed for the beginning of the year 1728, and Peter travelled from Peteriburg to Mofco for that purpofe. Mofco and the adjacent country, which he frequently traverfed on the hunting parties, with which the Dolgorukies amufed him, pleafed him fo much, that he had an intention to transfer the refidence hither from Peterfburg : a defign by which he attached to him all the Ruffians of the it, we (hall be the more fuiprifcd at the treafure which Mentchikof was able to amafs, as Peter was very far from being h'beral to his favourites, and had often puniflied Mentchikof for his embezzlements by confifcating a part of his property. , ■ o 4 . old ';%r £OQ HISTORY OF RUSSIA. old flamp, who had an antipathy to the new city, the building whereof had been very bur- denfome to them, and by its becoming the refidence had detraded much from Mofco. Peter was much beloved by the nation in general ; and at firft: he greatly raifed their ex- pectations. His capacities were indeed far above the ordinary level ; Catharine I. had taken as much care of his education as if he had been her fon ; and Odermann drew up a plan for the condudit of it *, which, as is the cafe with all * It will be worth while to infert here feme particulars of this plan. Oftermann made it a main concern, and to be kept conftantly in view, that it was a reigning fovcreign to be inftrufted. National hiftories, politics, legiflation, func- tions of the magiftrate, the rights of nations in war and peace, as well as the military art itfelf, were the main ob- jects of this inftrutlion ; together with which, mathematics, natural knowledge, &c. were to be tauglvt : the leffons AVere to be rather in the didaftic method, that the emperor might be fpared much reading and writing. — For the religious part of his education Theophanes laid down the plan ; and it is indeed more excellent than could have been expefted of thofe times. ♦' Let the being of God," he fays, " be proved to the emperor from the exillence of the creatures, the foul, the confcience ; and the ncccflity of a life after death from the divine juftict, as the fortunes of men in this v.'orld cannot always be made fuitable to their aftions. Let at lead as much attention be paid to the du'ies of life as to the dogmas of faith." plans HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 20I lans and projefts of this nature, if in many refpefts it had been but half executed, Peter rauft have been modelled into one of the mod aftive, enlightened, and bed fovereigns that ever added luftre to a diadem. It mufl be freely confeffed, however, that it was not the intention of thofe who wanted to have a hand in the bufmefs, efpecially the Dolgorukies, to make of him a fovereign who faw with his own eyes and was guided by his own fentiments. Their aim was to draw off the young monarch from the ferious affairs of his ftation ; and they fucceeded in their endeavours, by infpiring him with an immoderate paffion for the fports of the field. Peter frequently fuffered many days to pafs fucceffively without ever being feen in Mofco, but was continually at one or the other of his hunting- feats ; and his eagernefs for this paftime was increafmg from day to day. It is eafily conceivable that this frequent and violent exercife was not propitious to the health of the young emperor, his bodily ftrength not being yet arrived at maturity, that it weakened him too much, and was the caufe that the difeafe by which he was attacked brought on the diflb- lution of his frame *. Peter II. departed this life * Oftermann, with tears in his eyes, obferved once to Munich : *♦ The courfe they purfue with the emperor *' might J02 HISTORY OF RUSSI.A, life m the niqht between the 29th and 30th or January 17,10, at Mofco, of the Itnall-pox, in the arms of Oftcrmann. With him was exMnfl the male race of the family Romanof, with him the faired hope of the nation, the hope of hereafter being governed by a wife and benign fovereign*, for which in reality he difcovered particular dif- pofitions, funk into the grave. — All RufTia fince has termed his reign its happiefl: period for a hundred years. No war with any neighbour- ing country, during his reign, wafted its men and money. Every one might quietly and fecurely enjoy what belonged to him. Mofco particularly had great expedations from this reign, as Peter feemed fo much difpofed to *' might tempt one to think they intended to kill him." A ukafe that appeared in 1739 in exprefs terras charges the Dolgoriikies with having undermined the young emperor's corjilitution hy the fatigues of hunting. ■* The day after his acceflion to the throne he wrote to his fifter : " It having pleafed God to call mc in my tender " youth to he emperor of all RufTia, my principal care fliall " be to acquire the reputation of a gocd fovereign, by *' governing my people in righteoufncfs and in the fear of «' God, by hearkening to the complaints of the poor aud •* innocent under oppr( {Tion that fly to me for refuge, by " granting them relief; and, after the laudable example *' of Vefpafian, letting no man go forrowful from me.'' What a happinefs for RufTia, if this emperor, always think, ing and acling in this manner, had attained to an extreme old age ! make HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 203 !tiake this refidence of the ancient tzars the place of his abode. But whether his predileQioii for Mofco and his iudifFerence to Peterlbarg might not perhaps have occafioned under his government lefs attention to have been had to the fleet and maritime affairs with which Peterfburg was fo clofely connefted, and whether the national confequence which Ruffia now maintained among the dates of Europe might not thus have been loft, was much to be dreaded, fmce both the army and navy are faid to have been fenfibly affeded by the emperor's abfence. It was likewife eafy to forefee that the influence and importance of foreigners, which had rifen very high in Ruffia from the time of Peter the Great, would have greatly diminiflied under Peter II. Peter himfelf was indeed by no means indifpofed towards foreign- ers J he promifed feveral advantages to fuch as were willing to come to Ruffia ; but the native Ruffians, in conjunction with the Dolgorukies, would, by infenfible degrees, have wrought an alteration in his mind, and have infpired him with a ftronger partiality for the ruffian nation, and for ruffian manners : for the great of the old ruffian families always regarded with jea- loufy the authority which fome of the foreign- ers had acquired in the country. 12 The 204 fllsrORV Oh RUSSIA. The Dolgoruki family would imdoubtedly hare entirely guided the hehn of ftate, if they had once fully efteftcd the proje«5led union with the reigning prince by the marriage of Catharine with Peter. But their hopes and fchemes were prefently defeated by the premature death of the monarch. Indeed, after that event the young Dolgoruki made one more attempt to enfure to himfelf and his family the influence on the affairs of the empire. He had forged a teilament, which he pretended to be the hfl will of Peter II., in which the Catharine Dol- goruka, betrothed to Peter, was declared fuc- ceflfor. With his fword drawn he left the im- perial chamber, proceeded to the hall, where the great men were aifembled, and exclaimed : Long live the emprefs Dolgoruka — but, find- ing that no one joined hirii, he flieathed hh fword, and — concealed the teflament. Even his father, on feeing that Ivan had fetched a party of the guards to him, in the hope of ef- fectuating his defign, called it a foolifh trick, and fent him home. This teflament, therefore, being declared in- valid, the fucceffion to the throne was to be 'decided "by that flill extant of Catharine I. and not annulled by Peter II. In this it was or- dained that, 'u\ cafe Peter fliould die without heirs, HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 205 heirs, Anne Duchefs of Holflein, and her pof- lerlty; on failure of them the princefs Eliza- beth * and her pofterlty fhould fucceed. Anne, indeed, had been dead ever fince 1728, but had left behind her. a prince. He therefore would be now, according to the purport of that will, the legitimate heir. But the duke of Holflein and his confort had fhortly after Catharine's death thought fit to take their leave of Rufiia, where Mentchikof rendered their abode ex- tremely irkfome, and return to their pcfTeffions of HoKtein-Gottorp in Germany ; and the coun- cil, which on Peter the fecond*s death directed the fuccelTion and was averfe to foreigners, would have paid no regard to the young prince of Holftein, even if his father had been dill in Rullia, much lefs was any notice taken of him now that he lived in Germany f. — Next to Anne * Second daughter of Peter I. and Catharine. The eldeft. was married to the duke of Mecklenburg. Anna tvanovna was a widow without cliildren. Oftermann was the means of bringing about her election ; becaufe, as he had formerly taught her to read^ he was in hopes of having confiderablc influence with her. ■f Indeed he was only mentioned for the fake of calling to mind that both he and the princefs Elizabeth were the offspring of a double adultery, and therefore both of them *' ought for ever to be excluded from the tlirone. It was ob- ferved lo6 HISTORY OF RQSSIA. Anne and her pofterity, by Catharine's lafl will, the princefs Elizabeth was to fucceed : but that princefs remahied entirely inactive on the va- cancy of the throne, though her phyfician Leflocq took all pofiible pains to perfuade her to put in her claim to the fuccefllon. It had hitherto been her fole defire to live at her eafe, exempt from all concern in the affairs of govern- ment, and only to purlue her pleafures. The council, the fenate, the general officers, and other perfons of diftinQion had aflembled immediately on the demlle of the emperor, in order to confult on the proper meafures to be taken in regard to the fuccellion. On this oc- cafion no notice at all was taken of Catharine's leflament. The council proceeded to appoint an eleftion. The male line of the Romanofs was extinct in the perfon of Peter II. ; yet, be- fides Elizabeth, Peter the firfl's daughter, three daughters of tzar Ivan, fteprbrother and part- ner in the government with Peter I. were flill aiive. The eldefl lived at Peterfburg in a flate of feparation from her troublcfome hulband, the uuke of Mecklenburg; the fecond, who ferved that when Peter I. married Catharine, the firft hiif- baud of that princefs and the cinprefs Evdokhla Lapukhia were ftill hvhig. had HISTORY OF RUSSIA. lOJ had been married to the duke of Courland, lived as a widow, from 17 ii, in MIttau ; the third was at Peterfburg, flill unmarried. Of thefe three princefles the council was to ele<5l one *. The eldefl fifter was not agreeable to them on account of her having a foreign and turbulent prince to her hufband ; and therefore the fecond, Anna Ivanovna, dowager duchefs of Courland, was nominated emprefs of Ruffia. In the meantime, though the hopes of the Dolgorukies of getting the government into their hands under Peter had proved abortive, they neverthelefs continued to form a powerful party in the council and in the fenate, as the chief counfellors of the empire, and were there- fore driving to procure themfelves an influence during the future reign. As now not only they but feveral other of the great nobles viewed with jealoufy the refpecl in which foreigners were held ; and apprehending, moreover, that they might retain their confequence likewife in Anna's * Peter's firft wife, Evdokhia, who had been banlHied by her hufband to a cloilter, out of which (he was liberated by- Peter II. her grandfon, feemed to have a right to tlic throne. But fhe difcovered not the fmalleft inch'nation to make it appear. The conventual life and her misfortune* had given a turn to her mind that rendered her altogether unfit for fvvaying a fceptrc. reign, ao8 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. reign, a plan was formed to tie up the hands of the future fovereign : by a capitulation, that all things now might proceed according to the in- clination of the council, and the fovereign be in a manner merely the executrix of its refolutions, the fitting was cloreil. " The general welfare,'* faid Galitzin in a fpeech delivered on the occafion to the aifembly, " requires that the fupreme au- " thorily^ and the unlimited power of the fove- " reign, by w'hich Ruilia has hitherto fuffered *' fo much, and which is fupported by the fo- " reigners that are brought in, fhould be a>- *' cu?nfcribcd, and that the crown fhould be " conferred upon the new fovereign Anna only " under certain conditions.'" His propofal was received with approbation ; and the following conditions were agreed to : The high privy council continues, and the new emprefs governs folely by its refolves ; " (he cannot of her ©wn motion either wage " war or make peace ; cannot of herfelf lay any " new tax on the people ; cannot alone difpofe *' of any important office; cannot inilicl capital " punilhraent on any nobleman or confifcate *' his eftates, unlefs he be convicted of the ** crime laid to his charge ; cainiot arbitrarily *' give away and alienate any lands pertaining " to the crown ; cannot marry or nominate au " heir. (C HISTORY OF RUSSIA. CCp '^ heir, witliout tirfi: obtaining the confcnt of the " council." — To thefe this fingular article was added, that Anne (hould brmg her favourite, the chamberlain von Biren, with her into RufTia. By this means, therefore, a great revolution in the form of government in Ruflia was in- tended. The authority of the ruffian fovereigns hitherto perfectly abfolute was to be exceedingly diminifhed and confined. Ruflia's ruler, fo far from being Aimoderjets or autocrator, was now to be reduced to a fimple executor of the refolu- tions of the council, and Ruflia's monarchy converted into an aridocracy. An embaffy compofed of three members of the council * was difpatched to Mittau to inform the duchefs of her election, and at the fame time of the capitulation annexed. Anne would probably have htiitated at fubfcribing to the capi- tulation, and would perhaps have abfolutely re- fufed to accept the crown upon fuch terms, had * Of whom one was prince VafTilly Lukovitch DolgoruI;y, who had been the fuccefsful lover of Anna Ivanovna, and was doubtlefs In hopes of becoming fo again. — On euter- ing the apartment of Anna Ivanovna, Dolgoruky found with her a man rather meanly drefled, to whom he made a fign to retire. As the man did not flir, Dolgoruky took him by the arm to enforce his hint. Anne (topped him^ This man was Ernell John Eiren, and thus it was that the ruin of the Dolgoruky fam.ily was occafioned. VOL. II. P Ihs 2 10 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. * Ihe not been already made acquainted wlrb^ them from the account fcnt her by heutenant- general Yagujinfl^:y. In this meflage he at the iame thne advifed her to ilgn the capitulation for the prefent, and when flie fliould once be emprefs to revol-^^ what Ihe had done, and that he would from that moment take meafures ac- cordingly. Tranquilized by this ktter, Anne put her fignature to the indrument, and was declared emprefs. In the mean time the rumour fpread concerning a capitulation propofed to the emprefs, excited no fmall fenfation in the public mind, which the oppofite party exerted them- felves to increafe and to employ to their pur- pofe. It was ' reported that the Dolgorukies wiOied to confirm, by this capitulation^ the influ- ence they had acquired under Peter II. to the detriment of the nation. llic other noble families, who had no relation in the council, were naturally afraid that the government, would' now pafs into the hands of fome families who would only take care to provide for their rela- tions, whereas it might reafonably be expected^ that an unlimited monarch would look chiefly to merit in his promotions, as Peter had all alonp- done. This argument operated particu-r larly on the guards, among whom were feveral of the country nobles. Tlic nation in general, hithertQ- HISTORY OF RTTSSIA. 211 liitherto accuftomed to be ruled by an abfolute Ibverelgn, foon made it plainly underitood, that they had rather obey one emperor than eight niaflers. At length a petition was prefented to the emprefs, figned by feveral hundred noble- men, in which fhe was prayed to accept of the government in fuch manner as her predeceflbrs on the ruflian throne had always poflelTed it, to unite the council with the fenate, by being abfolute and unlimited ruler. Anne was never fo much inclined to acquiefce to any petition as to this, which, in fuch complete conformity with her wifhes, promifed to free her from the controul of the council. She therefore ordered the coun- cil to be convened ; and, in the prefence of thofe who had prefented the petition, audibly and deliberately read the capitulation, afking at every feparate article : Is this the will of the nation ? — No, v/as unanimoufly anfwered Jjy all who were not members of the council. Upon which Anne tore the aft of capitulation to pieces in the face of the v;hole afiembly, faying : ^^ Then there is no farther need of this paper." A manifefto was immediately pubhlhed, de- claring, that the emprefs afcended the throne of her anceflors, ?2ct by eIedio?i but in inrtue of her hereditary right. It Irad formerly been the praftice to promife in the oath of fealty to be p 2 true 212 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. true to the emprefs and the country ; in the new oath * now framed, and required to be taken by the fabjeAs, not a word was faid of the country, but allegiance was fworn to Anne as wiUmitc3fofucrcig72, with full maintenance of all the rights appertaining to fovereignty that were already introduced or Jloould be iritroduced in future. Thus Anne in a fliort time freed herfelf from the ties in which fiie was intended tobe boundf. Biren * " On our arrival in Mofco," it is faid in the preamble to the fonn of the fecor.d oath of allegiance, " though all " our fubjtcls took the oath of fidelity to as and the em- " pire, yet, as afterwards thefe fame faithful fubjetls. all ** unaniincufly befought us to take upon us the fovereignty <* in our empire as oar forefathers from time immemorial ** had done, we, therefore, in compliance with this humble ♦* and loval reoueft, have ordered a new form of oath to " be prepared and printed, by which all our fubjefts are ta *' fvv'ear fealty to us as their fovercigu lady, and thereupon *' to kifs the crofs." j Olterniana had the greateil fiiare in annulling the i.:;])iiuIation. Under the pretext of indifpoiition he nc- glcilcd to attend the council affembled on Peter's death, refufed his aflent to the capitulation, complimenting at the famt: time -the -great men, by telling .them that they bcft .-.knew wliat. was for the benefit of the country, v.-hile he wiis •exerting evejy effort to counteraft the council, and thus acquired the favour of Anne to a fuperlative degree. It proved, likewife, of great nfliftancc to^Anne, that the HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 21 2, Kiren came to the ruffian court, and took pof- fcffion of" the place near her which Mentchikof had filled near Caihanne. The newly erefted council, diftiiift from the fenate, was now abolifhed, and again a directing fenate appointed, as under Peter the Great. Anne, however, afterwards eftablifhed a cabinet to fu- perintend the affairs of greateft importance, con- fifting of no more than three perlbns, and in which Oft^rmann's voice was of peculiar weight. The fenate had now only to decide upon lefs important m.atters, and had in faft very little to do. The eleiSlion of a kino: of Poland, a treaty to be concluded with Perfia, and a war with the Turks, were the affairs that occupied Anne in the firft years of her reign. Peter I. had fupported the eledion of Au- guftus II. to the crown of Poland ; and the Poles experienced already under Anne, that their ffie choice might henceforth be very much limited by the neighbouring courts, particularly by that -of Ruflia. Though the french miniflry [17333 made great exertions to reinffate on the tlie clergy were not drawn in to approve of tlie projeA of the capitulation ; and, as their opinion had not been con- fulted, they decHned to fupport it. p 3 polifh 2 14 HISTORY OF RUSSIA, polifa throne Stamfldus Lefchlnfky father-in- law. to Louis XV. and though Staniilaus alfo found a great number of friends and fupportcrs of his eleclion in Poland, yet Rufiia and Aullria fo powerfully affiricd the caufe of the other can- didate, Augufcus elector of Saxony *, that he at lad got the better of his rival, and became king of Poland, under the name of Auguftus III. The panizans of king Staniilaus, v;ho had re^ treated with him to Pantzik, were obliged to fubmit to the Ruflians ; Staniflaus himfeif was reduced to the neceflity of faving himfeif by flight, and Ruffia took a decided fupcriority ia conducting the eleclion of AuguftuS, France, who faw with great difpleafure a power arifing in the north of Europe that in time might render doubtful the confequence fhe had hitherto maintained in this quarter of the globe ; France, whofe plan to give Poland a king devoted to her "inter^fls was now entirely defeated, fought tq flir up a dangerous neighbour to Ruflla in Sweden, and that the influence of France was great at Stockholm has frequently fmce been feen. * In tin's view Anne fcnt troops to the Rhine againil France — but before they could difplay their courage tliere a peace was made. Peter -HISTORY OF RTTSSIA. 215 Peter the Great, as we have already obferved, had extended tlie confines of his empire on the •fide of Perfia." But it was very foon found that this enlarc;ement of the borders was no Cub- ftantial acquifition to the country. In the firfl place, in order to preferve them, it was in- volved in an e?:penfive and tedious war, and thefe fcenes of devaftation muft probably be often renewed; fecondly, the newly acquired provinces, even in peace, Tequired a very con- fi'iderable garrifon ; and, as the climate of thofe parts did not agree with the Ruffians, a multi- tude of foldiers v/ere conflantly fal-ling victims to difeafe *. Anne therefore opened a negotia- tion with the fhah of Perfia, promifing to re- llore to him the conquered countries, if in return he would accord to her fubjeds fome ad- vantages to their commerce. They at length came to terms; and Ruffia [1735] made a formal furrender of all her perfian pofTefTions, for which the ruflian merchants .obtained mer- cantile privileges to a confiderable •extent in the territories belonging to Perfia. — On this occafion the emprefs alfo concluded a defen- five treaty with the fhah againfi: the Turks, '* It is computed that, from the firft taking poffcffion of thefe perfian provinces, iu 1724, no lefs than 130,000 iiien had perilhed there. P 4. with 21 6 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. with whom Ruffia was defirous of formhig an alliance. The peace which Peter, when furrounded by- the Turks, had been obliged to fign on the borders of the Pruth, the evacuation of Azof, the demolition of the fortifications at Taganrok, by which Ruflia was excluded from all the benefits of trade on the Euxine, the refufal of the porte to grant the imperial tide to the monarch of Ruffia, the incurfions of the krimean and other Tartars, acknowledging the turkifh fupremacy, into the ruffian dominions, in which they ravaged large diftrids, and carried away many captives into bondage : all thefe circumflances together had already occafioned Peter to meditate a new war with the porte. In profecution of this defign, he ftrongly fortified the principal places of his smpire in the neighbourhood of Turkey, fur- nifhed them with provifion and military flores, and thus completely armed for war. But he died on the eve of It ; and under Catharine X. and Peter II. the execution of the plan was no farther attempted. Anne, however, revived the idea ; entertaining the greater hopes of fucceed- Jng in this enterprize, as fhe now could rely on 30,000 auxiharics from the emperor of Ger- many, and had, befides, drawn the Turks, novj at peace with Ruffia, into a war againfl Perfia, and HISTORY OF RUSSIA. Zl"/ aa\d therefore already employed them on that fiile. The Tartars, under the proteftion and fupre- -. macy of the porte, had recemly again given occa- f\on for frefli complaints on the part of Ruffia, by their predatory inroads upon the ruffian ter- ritory, in which they carried off men and cattle. The porte repHed with the ordinary excufes, '..-that it was utterly impoflible to keep a reftraint on thefe Tartars : an excufe which, indeed, could only be offered by the turkifli government ; and Ruffia, therefore, thought herfelf juflified in chaftifing herfelf this breach of good neighbour- hood. In 1735 a ruffian corps marched into the Kiim, and ravaging a part of the country, killed a good number of Tartars ; but, having ventured too far without a fufficient flock of pro- yifions, vvere obliged to retreat, and fuflained fo great a lofs in men, that what they had accom= plifhed bore no proportion to this misfortune- However, the almoft total failure of this firft attempt^ which had coft the Ruffians ten thoufand men, by no means deterred that court from ad- hering to the plan of fubduing the Turks and Tartars. Count Munich, afterwards fo famous in the modern hiftory of Ruffia, was appointed to alfert the honour of the ruffian arms againft ^he Turks, who, fmce the peace of the Pruth, had 21 3 HIiJTORY 01- RUSSIA. had no very favourable opinion of ruffian valour, and to chalHfe the Tartars. After he had con- quered Dantzik, in quality of field-marlhal, and thereby fecured the crown to Auguftus III. he was fent into the Ukraine with the comniiilioii to take meafures for challifnig the piratical Tartars for their ravages committed on the ruffian ter- .1.- ■ : ^ ritory. J'rom the Ukrani^ he proceeded [ i J^G'J into the pcninfula of the Krimea. The Tartars, lefs fitted for fighting in the opeii field than for predatory excurfions and fudden attacks, fufFered the ruffian troops to advance uamolelled, think- ing themfelves fafe behind their entrenchments, denominated the lines of theKrim*, from any * Tlicfc lines extend about fix engllfli miles in Icngtk $rom the fea of Azof to the Eirxine, and are intended to .protect the Krim from any attack on the land-Hde. Tljcre h but one paflage through them, and that is the road from. •Ferekop, whicli dty and forcrefs lie within the line. Along the line are towers furnifhed with cannon. The ditch is of •conilderable depth, the haght of the ramparts from tlie fjottom of the ditch to the top of the breaftwork is 70 feet, and the brcaftwork is of proportionable folidity. The'" Tartars held tlicfe ramparts, in the oonftru.cliou of ^'hich- fome thoufand men were employed for feveral years, to be impregnable. Peter had already intended to erect a fimilar line of forts in the Ukraine, againfl the frequent attacks of the Tartars; but t'ne defign was not completed tiiri7:J2. It terminates on one end at the Dniepr, and on the other at the Doneti. attack HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 219 attack of the Ruffians. But entrenchments of that kind were unable to refift the impetuofity of ruffian troops. They were furmounted ; the Tartars repulfed ; and a great part of the Krimea lay at the mercy of the conquerors. In the month of June they entered the krunean fortrefs of Perekop. That the ruffian troops now repaid the devaftations committed by the Tartars in the empire, by defolating and carrying off what- ever fell under their power, needs no particular mention. It was not, therefore, furprifing that they found it impoffiible to remain in a country where thofe that fled endeavoured to fpread defolation as they went, for the fake of difabling their purfuers to overtake them ; and where it is ufual for the conqueror himfelf, to make the whole of his warfare to confifl in plundering, devaluation, and fpoil. Accordingly, whatever the army was in want of, mud be fetched from the Ukraine, Vv'hich was attended with extreme difficulty ; for which reafon, Munich at length found himfelf under the neceffity, towards autumn, of withdrawing with his troops by the Ciorteft way to the Ukraine, in order there, where provifions at lead were to be had, to go into winter-quarters, in which, however, they were very frequently infefted by the Tartars. While Munich was in the Krim, endeavouring to 220 HJSTORY OF RUSSIA. to chaflife the Tartars for their depredatiom, Lafcy had proceeded with another army againft Azof for feizing the protecting fovereignty of the Tartars from the paramount Turks. The attack proved fuccefsful ; and on the firft of July the fort of Azof had already fubmitted to his arms. The grand vizir had himfelf courteoufly treated the ruffian ambaffadpr recalled from Conftantinople by his court, and the porte in general wifhcd to be able to avoid a war with Ruflia ; a^ Ruffia, however, would not liflen to any accommodation, the Turks began to arm, recruited the garrifons in the feveral forts, caufed a fleet to be equipped in the Euxine, and put th-e army in a proper condition. The porte continued, neverthelefs, to employ every means, even by having recourfe to the mediation of Auflria, for preferving peace with Ruflia ; but as fhe could not be brought to make voluntary facrifices, the mediation of Auflria proved of no avail, and Ruffia demanded of the latter 30,000 men, as auxiliaries in virtue of the treaty fub-^ l^.fling between the tvyo powers. Auftria, how- ever, at prefent thought it better to contend with her whole force againft the Ottomans, than merely to fend auxihary troops to tl>e Ruffians, and thereby ftrengthen their power. She expscled in the former cafe that it would be more HIS-TORY OF RUSSIA* 2^21;, more eafy for her to conquer fomethlng froRi the Turks, whereas In the latter it feemed only fiirnilhing Ruffia with the means of extending her conquefts. The porte, already apprehenfive that Auflila would fupply its inveterate enemy with auxiliaries, was now thrown into conflerna- tion on learning that the former power intended to become a principal in the war, by which fhe had to engage with another adverfary, whofe tbrces, under the condud of prince Eugene, had been fo formidable to her only « few years before. As, however, Ruffia and Auflria fpoke In a lofty tone to the porte, the latter thought it was at any rate better to flake on the fortune of war what her enemies wanted her to furrender to their ambition, than voluntarily make fuch facri- fices as were inconfiftent with her honour and fafety ; and as Ruffia, withal, fnewed fo little difpofitlon to peace, the porte began to arm for a campaign [1737] ; and the Ruffians and Auftrians, with combined forces, threatened to fhake the ottoman empire. The ruffian army, having now fupphed the lofs it had fullained in the former campaign by forty thoufand new recruits, undertook, in the courfe of this year, the conqueit of Otchakof^ under the orders of count Munich, while the 5 troops mi HISTORY OF RUSSIA. troops commanded by Lafcy entered the K^ri^ mea. Otchakof fubmitted, in which a garrifon was placed by the conqueror ; the Krim was defolated ; and this was all the advantage that accrued from the campaign, for wliich RulTia facrificed about fifty thoufand of her veteran troops ; and the army was obliged to return to take up its winter-quarters in the Ukraine. Wars that are attended with no alteration in the flate of nations fhould occupy but a fhort fpacc in hiftory. The Ruffians, on all fides victorious, conquerors of Moldavia, mafters of Azof on the Palus Mseotis, and of Otchakof on the Euxine, were glad to purchafe peace by the facrifice of their conquefts. The great expedlations that had been raifed from the united efforts of two fuch empires as Ruflia and Auflria were entirely difappointed. It feems to be ordained, that the ruffian and suftrian arms, in conjunction againfl one common foe, fhould perform no mighty deeds. This was confirmed in the turkifn war of ^hich we are fpeaking ; it often afterwards proved to be' the cafe in the feven years' war, as well as in that which Catharine II. and Jofeph II. carried on in alliance againfl the porte. It mufl be owned, however, that field-marflial Munich's hatred to Auftria contributed in no finall degree to HISTORY OF RUS5LV. -2!^^ Co the. little fAiceels- of the iiuilrian arms in tlii^ conflid, which hindered him from afting on the fame plan- with the auflrian generals. Indeed, excepting - in the capture of Otchakof, he remained -inadive during the whole campaign. Thus the Turks were enabled to prefs with- their entire force upon the Auftrians-, and even there to break their ranks with the greater eafe, as the commanders were at variance among thenifelves, and jealous of each other. The confequence of all this, therefore, was, that the two combined courts prefented mutual complaints, each of the generals of the other, and particularly from the cabinet of Vienna accufations v/ere conftantly coming forth againfl: Munich. But he as often eafily juflitied himfe'f to his fovereign, by making, it appear to her, that if the campaign had not been attended with any brilliant fuccefs, the blame was due to the auftrian generals. The- Turks took advantao;e of this difunion between the leaders on either fide, as well as of the inac- tivity thence arifing of the hollile armies, by gaining various advantages over the Auflrians. The turkifh foldiery afcribing thefe, which in truth had their fource in thofe diflentions, lo- their own bravery alone, were therefore rifmg in fpirits from day to day, and more zealous and adive far the coatinuation. of the war. The porte 25«4 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. porte recalled the ambaflador whom they hji-i fent to the congrefs which was to be held at Nemirof in Poland, thoun:h at the fame time giving to underfland, that they might hearken to terms of pacification with RufTia, if (he would agree, without the concurrence of the emperor, to put all things in their form.er ftate, by eva- cuating Azof, and Otchakof, the conqueils fhe had made. As Ruffia, however, was not inclined to accede to either the one or the other, the con- troverfy was again left io the decifion of arms. Munich, in the enfuing campaign [1738] was silliduous in his marches, convinced the Turks of the fuperiority of the ruffian troops over theirs ; but on the whole effected little. General Lafcy had again undertaken a hodile expedition into the Krimea. But here, likewife, no real advantage was gained ; men and cattle vi'ere harraifed by tedious marches in a ravaged, defo- lated country, in which numbers of them died by fatigue ; the people were even frequently in danger of perifliing with hunger ; and, after committing horrible depredations and havoc, were forced to retreat. The ruiuan arms did not feem aclually tending to fuccefs till the following campaign. [1739.] Marflial Municli, having drawn the whole army together at Kief, croffed the Bogue, completely routed the Turks in a pitched battle neav HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 2^5 near Stavutflian, took in Augufl: the fortrefs of Khotylm, paflfed over the Pruth, made himfelf mafter of Yaffy, the capital of Moldavia, and had the fatisfadion of compelling the whole of that territory to fubmit to the emprefs Anne. Leaving Moldavia, he repalTed the Pruth, and made preparations for the capture of Bender ; but, while he was fending difpatches to Peterf- burg, vi^ith accounts of one vidlory after anothef, and all his enterprifes feemed favoured by fortune, circumftances had fuddenly changed. Though Munich's campaign had this time been fo bril- liant, and the injury he had done to the Turks by the conqueft of the fertile Moldavia fo great, that even his foldiers thoucjht themfelves fufficientlv paid for the toils of the campaign by pillaging the country, yet little or nothing was atchieved by the auftrian allies. Reciprocal rivalfnips among the commanders, and envy at the fuccefs of the ruffian arms, fruftrated all their enterprifes. In -addition to this, contagious difeafes broke oi/ in ihe auftrian camp. Moreover, the emperor. Charles VI. lay dangerouily ill, fo that his re- covery was doubtful ; and his daughter Maria Therefa v/ifhed for nothing more earnefliy, than to fee an end to the turkilh war, that peace might be preferved on that fide, fmce it was extremely probable that fhe would (hcrtly have VOL. ^. CL feverai 226 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. feveral enemies to encounter. The auflrian chieftains, therefore, made overtures of peace to the Turks ; and, contrary to all expedation, the articles agreed on between the porte and Auftria were figned at Belgrade on the firfl: of September 1739. Every thing remained oa the former footing ; and the grand expedtations which Auftria had entertained from this war, were rendered entirely abortive. Inftead of having made ;iew conquefls, fhe was obliged to reftore Belgrade, her rampart of Hungary againfl; the Turks, together with almofl all the con- quefls of the former war, happily terminated under the aufpices of prince Eugene. With this partial peace, however, the cabinet of Peterfburg was by no means fatisfied ; and though Auflria had llipulated that fhe fhould be allow^ed to give to Ruilia the 30,000 auxiliary troops, as bound by treaty to do ; though at prefent there was every appearance that Ruilia might be victorious ; yet, as the vizir fhewed a difpofitlon to cnttr into a negotiation even with Ruffia, compliance was not refufed on the part of the emprefs ; and thus, fo early as the 18th of September, a peace was efFed:ed between the court of St. Peteriburg and the porte. Ruflia had facrificed in this war fo great a number of men, and been forced to expend fuch vafl: fums in HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 227 in the profecution of It, that nothing better could be done than to confent to terms of accommo- dation, efpecially as the Turks were enabled by the treaty with Auftria to diredl the whole of their fprce againft Ruffia. The conditions of peace were, that Azof fliould be evacuated, and, together with its territory, fliould lie wafte and uncultivated, as a boundary between the two empires. Neverthelefs, it fiiould be lawful for Rufiia to build a fortrefs on the Don, as like- wife for the porte to conftruft another in the Kuban. The greater and the lefs Kabardia were like wife to remain unoccupied, as a fron- tier ; both governments agreed, however, to take a certain number of hoftages from the in- habitants of the country, for their greater fecu- rity that this liberty might not be abufed. The Ruffians w^ere not permitted to keep a fleet either in the Palus Mseotis or in the Euxine, and ruffian merchants had licence only to carry on commerce in turkifh bottoms in the latter* Not only the Moldau, but likewife all the other conquefls that had been made by the Ruffians, were reftored to the Turks. Such were then the unimportant confequences of this war, which had coft Ruffia greatly above a hundred thoufand men, and prodigious funis of money ; fince the army was obliged to carry CL2 with 228 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. witli It all the provifions and ammunition necef- fary for the whole campaign : fo that at the commencement of an expediiion, about a hun- dred thou land waggons were requifite for this conveyance, as a fupply mufl alfo be taken of water and wood, on account of the waterlefs fteppes through which they mufl: march. In- deed the Krim was laid wafle in this war ; but the Tartars were not quite exterminated ; the Ruffians fulfercd much from their attacks while in winter-quarters : and, even after the peace, ihey were ilill powerful enough to infefl: the ruffian borders. On the other hand, the Turks no longer pofl'elTed the fortifications of Azof, but — neither did Ruffia retain them. Some few commercial advantages were all the gain that iiccrued from thefe fucceffivc years of defolating and murderous war. One of the reafons why Ruffia was fo ready to follow the example of the houfe of Auftria, in concluding a peace, was undoubtedly becaufe file was afraid left Sweden, encouraged by the porte and France, which latter power was now of almoft fovereign influence in the councils of Stockholm, might have recourfe to arms, and endeavour to make a divetfion in the north of Ruffia, in fovour of the porte, while it was en- gaged in the fouth by the ottoman troops. It is HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 229 is to be obferved, that RulTia and Sweden had in 1724 entered into an alliance for the term of twelve years, by which they mutually guaranteed their dominions ; and, in cafe of an attack, to affift each other with fliips and foldiers. At the expiration of thefe twelve years, this treaty was again renewed, [1736,] when Ruflia even made herfelf refponfible for the payment of a debt due from Sweden to Holland of 750^000 dutch guldens. But the amity of the two countries continued to ftand on a very tottering bafis. The generality of the Swedes could not bring themfelves abfolutely to forget the confiderable facrifices which they were reduced to make to Ruffia at the peace of Nyftadt ; and the french court, which was friendly to the Ottomans, and confequently hoflile to Ruflia, exerted herfelf, bv means of her ambailador, to hn the difcon- tents againft the latter, by reiterated efforrs. Under the form of government that then ob- tained in Sweden, by which the national council in fa£i: direfted everything, while the king was but the fhadow of a monarch, the french cabinet found no difficulty in forming to iifcU a ftrong party, by prefents properly beftowed. Sweden now was in hopes that, while Ruflia was occupied with the Turks, flie might venture fome enterpriies againil that empire, with little danger 0^3 of 230 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. of mifcarriage ; and, notwlthftanding that many true patriots remonflrated againfl: a war ^^ith Ruflia ; notwiihfbnding that the peace fo re- cently concluded between Rullia and the porte rendered it now more hazardous to attempt any thing againfi: that power, the warlike party at length triumphed in the diet ; and war againfi RufTia became not only the wifli of that body, but alfo of the whole fwediih nation and the majority of the eflates of the kingdom, when an event occurred by which every Swede thought himfelf infulted by the Ruilians. A fwedifli major, named Sinclair *, who had been made prifoner at the battle of Pultava, then fent into Siberia, and, with the other prifoners his countrymen, was not fet at liberty till the peace of Nyftadt, had been fent by the fwedifii government to Conflantinople, to negotiate con- cerning the debts which Charles XII. had con- traded there, but at the fame time to bring about a clofer connexion between Sweden and the Porte. Sinclair, a determined foe to the Ruffians, on his way home through Poland had at times fpoken not very advantageoufly of the emprefs Anne, and had fuffercd occafionally to efcape him fome intimations about an ap- * See Life of Cathan'ne IL vol. iii- p. 252. fourth edit- proachiiig HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 231 . proaching humiliation of the ruflian pride by the combined power of the Swedes and Turks. Munich, who was then ftationed at the poHfli frontiers, being informed of this, direfted a particular attention to the fwedifli officer, and laid a plan to entrap him on his journey back from Conftantinople. In order to this, his picture was engraved, and numerous impreflions of it were difperfed among the ruffian officers commanding on the frontiers. Sinclair fet out from Conftantinople in April 1739, travelled through Poland to Breflau, thence continued his journey ; but, not far from Naumberg in Silefia, was attacked by feveral perfons, among whom were fome ruffian officers, and cruelly mur- dered. His fellow-traveller, Couturier, was then conveyed to the ruffian fort of Sonnenfteln, but afterwards was fet at liberty, with a prefent of 500 ducats from the ruffian ambaifador, and ar- rived in September at Stockholm, v^here in the meantime Sinclair's difpatches had been received by the poll. This murder was generally re- puted to have been perpetrated by an order from the ruffian court. The emperor of Germany complained heavily of the tranfaction as a viola- tion of his territory ; but Anne caufed a decla- ration to be drawn up, alTerting her entire ignorance of the whole affair : and Mannflein, • 0^4 who 232 HISTORY OV RUSSIA. who was adjutant-general to ficlJ-marihal count Munich, affirms likewife in his memoirs, that Anne adually knew nothing of it ; adding, that this murder was folely the contrivance of her favourite Biren, count Oflcrmann, and marfhal IVIunich, in order to come at the contents of the papers which Sinclair had about him. In the meantime the horrid tranfaclion excited no fmall attention in Sweden ; the french party took advantage of it for inflaming the refentment of the nation againft the Ruffians ; the populace of Stockholm, in teflimony of their indignation, broke the windows of the ruffian ambaffiidor's houfe ; and the party in favour of war now found it more eafy to attain the accomplifhment of their wiffits, a declaration of war againft Ruffia. That government, quickly aware of the defigns of Sweden, had, however, in the meantime got her hands at liberty by the peace concluded with the Turks, bu< wifhed never- thelefs to avoid engaging in a new war, as the wounds inflidled by that lately terminated were ftill fenfibly felt, and accordingly entered into a negotiation with Sweden, in which, however, the year 1740 was entirely taken up. Prepara- tions were made not with ftanding on the part of Ruffia, by fecuring the frontiers of Finland, filling the magazines, providing the harbour of Cronftadt HISTORY OF RUSSIA. ^33 Cronftadt with a competent garrifon, caufing the fortifications to be repaired, and getting everything in readinefs for the commencement of hoflilities. Ere the (torm could burft from thefe threatening appearances, the emprefs Anne died at St. Peterfburg [1740] after a reign of ten years. Anne had not fat fo long on the ruffian throne v/ithout acquiring fome portion of fame, by ex- ecuting and completing many things that had been begun by her uncle Peter I. — Though • the turkifti war, in which fhe engaged, proved of very little benefit to the empire on account of the peace raihly concluded by Auflria ; yet the ruffian troops had ffiewn themfelves bold and intrepid in the courfe of it, and the Turks on the other hand had learnt to confider them as formidable adverfaries ; for it was mot the bra- very of the Turks, but the frequent direful want of provifions, the flrangenefs of the climate, and the fatiguing marches, that prevented the ruffian army from making farther progrefs. Thus Anne fuccelsfully executed Peter's proje<5l of again convincing the porte of the fuperiority of the ruffian arms. — Then, the canal along the Ladoga-lake, begun under Peter I. a work of extreme utility- to the eafier tranfport of pro- vifions to St. Ptterfburg, was completely finilhcd under -54 fIJSTORY OF RUSSJA. imder Anne iu 1738, after the navigation on it had been opened in the reigu of Peter II. Mu- nich had the principal merit in the confbuclion ot this ranal. — Peter, not long before his death, fent out feveral able perfons, to fail from Kamtlhatka towards the north, in order to learn whether North America was conneded with Siberia or not. But the enterprize terminated without gaining any clear information on the fubie(ft. Anne fet on foot a new voyage in the fame defign, and thereby advanced the more acGurare knowledge of thofe hitherto unexplored regions. — It had been one grand object with Peter I. from time to time to improve the (late of the rullian army : Anne here alfo followed his footfteps ; and Tvlunich was the man whofe advice and propofals Hie adopted in the reform of the military. IVIarfhal Munich introduced not only a better and ftrider difcipline, which was very much wanted among the Ruffians, wherein he was mightily allifted by the generals Lafcy and Keith, iikewife foreigners, but alfo projecled a completely new military exercife, and made in general a variety of uncommonly ufeful regulations in the army. Thus, for ex- ample, he conftituted a corps of engineers, un- known till then among the Ruffians ; and, as there was particularly a want of good officers, he moved HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 235 moved the emprels to eftablifh an inflitutlon for the forming of able commanders. Anne, there- fore, at his inftigation, endowed the noble land- cadet corps, for the education of young men of noble families in the feveral branches of know- ledge necefl'ary for an officer, of which Munich drew up the plan. An inilitute that flill fubfifts, continuing to be improved and perfecled from time to time, and ferving as a feminary of expert commanders. — As in the ruffian army the fmgular cuftom prevailed, that men who held the fame rank, had yet a difference in their fala- ries, as they vt^ere either foreigners or natives ; the former being far better paid than the latter, IMunich procured an order that the pay of the officers, having the fame rank, whether foreign- ers or home-born, fhould be perfe£tly alike ; on the whole, however, higher than had hitherto been the praclice. By this alteration all caufe of envy on the part of the native Ruffians againfl foreigners was in a great meafure done away. — For the fake of giving a fort of counterpoife to the two regiments of guards, which had already fhewn that their influence, even in de- termining the fucceffion to the imperial diadem, was bv no means fmall. Anne added to them a regiment of foot-guards, and another of horfe ; to the army was alfo given a few regiments of cuiiaffiers, 236 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. cuiraflkii, which it had never had before. — Munich had the fatisfaclion to fee his imperial mifcrefs teRify her concurrence with his plan by putting it in execution, and the honour of find- ing that it even met the approbation of that great commander prince Eugene of Savoy. Befide the changes by which Anne endea- voured to put the army in a better condition, ihe was particularly attentive to the benefits that might accrue to her empire from new or reno- vated treaties of commerce. In a view to the extenfion of trade, and thereby to better the con- dition of a great proportion of her fubjefls, Ihe was induced to relinquilTi the perfian pro- vinces. Her ambafTadors at foreign courts had her commiflion to look out for induftrious and able perfons in thofe kinds of trades and profef- lions in which RufTia was flill behind, and fent them into the empire : fhe particularly procured for the country a great number of manufacturers in woollen {lulls and fiik. She executed a new- treaty of commerce with Great Britain, and was in general no inadive ruler, taking upon herfetf the affairs of adminiftration, and governing with gentlenefs and equanimity, except in thofe cafes when flie thought it behoved her to punifli, and then flie was fevere. Her long refidence in Mittau, her intcrcourfe with the courifli no- bles. HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 237 bks, In general remarkable for their nrbanity imd fonknefs, had communicated to her cha- rader a certain fweetnefs and affability, which eafily gained her the afleftion of all that ap~ proached her. The manners of the peterfburg court, during her reign, took a fofter and politer turn. Drunken perfons, formerly fre- quent among the courtiers, made their difguft- ing appearance at court much feldomer, under her, as fhe detefted drunkennefs. Delighting in the more decent and tranquil pleafures of mufic and dancing, flie encouraged them by not only taking foreign fingers and performers into her fervice, but alfo provided that young Ruf- fians of both fexes fliould be inftruded in thofe arts. The number of the fubjecls received a great increafe under Anne, by the return of the zapo- rogian Kozaks to their obedience to the ruffian, fceptre, which happened fiiortly after the break- in«- out of the turkilh v/ar. Thefe Kozaks in the time of Peter I. adhered to Mazeppa ; and, on the latter being forced to flee wirh Charles XII. had put themfelves under the fupremacy of the khan of the Krimea The territory of the empire was alfo enlarged, on the fubmiffion of the Kirghifes, a very num.erous nomadizing nation otj the chinefe borders^ to the proteftion of 238 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. of the rufTian government, whence thefe advan- tages arofc to the empire, that the neighbouring ruilian tribes were put in fafety from thofe at- tacks to which they were continually expofed j and that the commerce between Ruflia and Cliina, which had hitherto been not unfrequently difturbed bv thefe hoftilities, could now be carried on more freely and unimpeded, and even be- tween the Kirghifes and the Ruffians a new trade might be opened. Her reign would have been flill more happy for Ruflia, her memory far more honoured, if her favourite John Ernefl von Biren had not fo flagrantly abufed the confidence fhe repofed In him, by rendering a multitude of perfons and families completely wretched *, and had not the teftamenc left by her unhappily been the occafion of a feries of revolutions in the throne, following one upon the other, every one of which was infallibly attended, mediately and immediatelv, with the misfortune and ruin of many thoufand people. John Erneft Biren was the fon of a gamekeeper hi Courland, ftudied at Kcenigfberg, came back to Mittau ; and, on being prefented to the duchefs Anne, pleafed her fo well that Ihe ap- * It is computed that during /\niu's reign 2o,oco per- fons were Tent ofT to Siberia. pointed HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 239 pointed him her fecretary. This was the firfl; ftep to that height of fortune to which this man gradually rofe. Anne fhortly after made him her chamberlain ; and it was now generally un« derftood that he was the duchefs's favourite. This gave occafion to the chief men of Ruflia, who drew up the capitulation to be agreed to by Anne, to infert the condition, dreading his in- fluence, that on her election Biren fhould not come with her to Mofco. Anne came indeed without him ; but he prefently followed, was made by his patronefs hrft lord of the bed- chamber, and created a rufiian count, and was inflated in the fame place with the emprefs which he had filled with the duchefs, continued to be Anne's all-povv'erful minion, though he did not attempt to turn out Oilermann and Munich, as he found them both ufeful men. Ferdinand, diike of Courland, dying in 1737 without leaving a male heir ; and, by that event, the Kcttler family becoming extincl, Biren art- fully took fuch meafures r.s to induce the courifh nobles, who had already conferred on him the patent of nobility in 1730, to ele£b him their duke, 2,nd to fettle that dignity on him and his heirs male in perpetuity. A choice in which neither the convidion of public merit in 240 HISTORY Of RUSSIA. the perfon elected, or free will In the electors, had certainly any fiiare ; but was as much influ- enced by the ruman troops, then "Rationed in Courland, as the prefence of the fame troops, in more recent times, operated on the election of Staniflaus king of Poland *. The courifli nobility, accordingly, had very foon caufe to lament that their choice had been obliged to fall upon Biren j, as the new duke commonly refided in St. PetcrfDurg, concerning himfelf not at all about his country, but even there dooming to puniiliment every one who by any means had * Afterwards, Staniilaus Lackland. See Life of Catha- rine II. vol, iii. p. 530, &c. •f He was cleded on the death of Ferdinand, lad prhicc of the lioufe of Ketller. Tlie Courlanders were forced to , accept for their fovertign him whom they knew to be grandfon of a groom to tlitir duke James III. and whom they had refiifed to aiTociate v.-ith their nobility. The em-, prefs had ah-eady made Biren marry a courifli lady of the family of Trcden. A brother of Biren's wife had the Info- Icnce one day to attempt fome familiarities with the priucefs Elizabeth, whom he met walking alone in the gardens of Peterhof. Elizabeth complained of it to the emprefs Anne, who only laughed at the brutality of Treden, and told Eiiwibeth that fnc might furely allow a couriih nobleman to take what ihe every day granted freely to a grenadier of the guards. This, grenadier, it is well known, was Alexius Razumoffky. drawn HISTORY OF RUSSlAi- ' 24:1* drawn upon him his chTpIcafure, ak^defpotically' as the confHtiition of Ruffia a!Iowe(J'*7^^ *^^ ■^^^•-' In the government - tJf- the ruffian' empire, imder Anne, Bfren had*'^ '^bfo^atd^lffluence ;^ and it is very poffibia 'fo conc-cu^e Ihat ' the turkifh war, which Oflermann and Munich were' at firft decidedly again(t, was profecuted by that monarch chiefly at the infligation of Biren, as by that means he had 'it in his power to keep marfhal Munich at a diftance froni Peterfburg. Munich had been fo fortunate as to gain the •confidence and efteem of his fovereign Tri^'an eminent degree ; and Biren was afraid of him as a dangerous rival, in knowledge arid expe- rience undoubtedly his fuperior. ^ •" •-'Ailrie, though a widdw, was ftilt young wheii fh'e'came to the imperial throne ; and, as it wis probable that fhe might marry again, the coun- cil had very wifely inferted a claufe'in the capi- :>f} At the very time when this barbarous favourite was fhedding torrents of blood, the ruffian courtiers, as well as the foreign minifters, were lavifhihg Upon him the Vileft adulations. It was no uncommon thing, eVen' at the pub- lic feftivities, to fee the minitters of Vienna, Berlin, and" Saxony, kiffing the hand of the favourite, and drtnkiiio- hi« health on their knees, after having given this toaft : *' Pet- •' dition to whoever- refufes to do the like, and is not the ". true, fuicere, and faithful friend of his highnefs moni " feigneur the duke de Eireo !" ^'^Lvii. A tuiatioD, :L42, ■ HFSTORY OF RUSSIA,^• tulation, that (he (hould not take a confort with- out the confent of that body. By nullifying the capitulation, Anne indeed became entirely free in this refpeft ; but Bircn, who generally took great care to remove whatever might in the lead degree have a tendency to limit his influence, cut off therefore every opportunity to a fecond marriage of his miilrefs. A prince of Portugal, who came to St. Peterfburg for the purpofe of. folliciting her hand, was obliged to go back, without his errand. For fimilar reafons Biren exerted all his talents to oppofe the marriage of the prlncefs Anne, daughter of the duke of Mecklenburg, and of Catharine Ivanovna, elder filler to the emprefs Anne. Her majefty, who had no intention to enter again into the flate of wedlock, was defirous at leafl that her niece fliould take a hulband *. Her dcfign was to confider the children proceeding from fuch mar- riage in all refpetis as her own j and, by fet- tling opon them the iucceffion, to prevent the * S?va-al princes had made offers to marry this prlncefs, \vj)p yi-as afterwards fo unfortunate. The king of Pruflia, Frederic: William I. was ambitious of having her fw his fon Frederic, ir» (»rdcr to fee hira heir of the crown of Ruflia, and- lit liberty to leave that of Pruflia to prince William li&ury. If that projcdt liad fucceeded wliat inimenfe. ad- viiatages w^uld not Frederic II. have drawn from the great means thus put at his difpofal ! diforders. HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 243 diforders and tumults, which were naturally lo be apprehended, if Ihe fhould leave the world without having nominated an heir. Count LcEvenvoIde, ma.fter of the horfe, was accord- ingly fent to the court of Vienna to make choice of a fpoufe for the princefs Anne. Charles, margrave of Brandenburg, and prince Anthony Ulric of Biunfwick, were the two princes whom Loevenvolde, on his return, declared worthy of follciting a marriage with Anne ; and Anthony Uhic, duke of Brunfwick, was at length the perfon pitched on for her fpoufe. The duke therefore came to Ruffia. Biren faw this with diflike, fearing, as he muft, that the father of the future fucceflbr might Hand in the way of his authority, and therefore endeavoured by every effort to break off, if poflible, the pro- jefted match. Perhaps, as he has been accufed, and indeed not without grounds, he might have had a plan of bringing about a union between his fon and the princefs. — However, in fpite of all his exertions, the marriage was confum- mated in the month of July 1739 ; and, on the lath of Auguft 1740, the princefs, to the great joy of the emprefs Anne, became the mother of a prince, whom the fovereign immie- ~ diately took under her tuition, and in the Odo- ber following declared him her fucceflbr to the throne. R 2 The X4-^ HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 'yiie emprcfs about this time felt that probably ilie had not long to live. — This apprehenruiii moved her to caule the oath of fealty to the new- born Ivan a^ luccelfor to be taken by all her fub- ]e6ls. At the fame time the prolpeifl of the fpeedy diiraUition of the cmprefs fet the heads of the ivdminiflration^ Bircn, Munich, and Oftermann, in motion. Ivan, the fuccelfor, was only a few iveeks old ; and mufl, therefore, if Anne ftiould prefently die, have a guardian. The choice of this guardiai>- was that in which Anne on her death-bed and the great men at court were not a little employed. Though his parents feemed to be the natural guardians of his infancy, and had the foremoft claim to that charge, yet BIren, Munich, and Oilermann had formed very different plans, and never refted till they had got a paper figned by Anne, appointing dyke Biren guardian of the young emperor Iv^n, and regent of the empire during his minority *. It * The artful Oftermann, who, in concert with the' fa- vourite, had fabricated the will of Anne, in whidh, '^t- clndfiig the duahefs of Brunfwick i'tom the fuGCtffion, ftc left the throne to Ivan and the regency to Biren, now framed a petition in the name of the feveral orders of the ilate, requeftiiig BIren to accept the place of regent, which his ambition had already anticipated ; and, what one would ftafcely hclic'i'c, nbtwith'landing all we have read, tlie prin- •"Crpal members of the clerical order, the prime nobles, the mi- nilU'r", and the fcnators were bafc enough to fign this requeft. H13T0RY OF RUSSIA, 24^ was certainly Biren's wifh that the bufmefs fhould ta!^e' tills' t*tirn;thotigh he direaly aftef pretended tt>- dent it, giving "out that he had only yielded ^o Munich's iniporturiitv. How- ever;Mt''is pofTible tha't^' he might not at firft have "ventured to propofe nimfelf 'as' guardiaA^ 'fearing too violent an oppofitioii _; and aifterwards, by an a'ffeaed 'reluctance;'' ^if hf ■\fee"d^if!l- culf for him to refolve, he 'tau-fiS*' himfelf td; be rriuch importuned ere 'he' would comply \vtlh t^e'feqiieft of Oflerniann and ]\^unich to take the regency upon him. Bat"t^hefe''t\vo politic lilinifters had concurred in bringing this matter iibout, 'in hopes 'thai *Siren would fhew his gra- titude to them, by Undertaking, as regent, nothing of importance without them, but confult them on all occafions, fo that they alfo would have been a part of the regency ; in which Oftern-ia'nii would have direifled the affairs of ftate, while Munich was at the head of the military depari- ment : whereas if duke Anthony Ulric Ihould have the regency and the guardianfhip, they were afraid that he might look upon it as a thing due to him of right, and therefore not think himfelf under any fort of obhgation to them, though they fhould procure it for him, and accordingly not leave them fo muCh fcope for acting as they pleafed. The project of 'con- IK 3 veying cc cc ^'46 HISTORY OF RirsSLA. veying theadminiftration of the empire into the hands of duke Biren of courfe fucceeded, parti- cularly fiiice the parents of the emperor happily obferved a perfed: filence in the bufinefs ; and, when the laft: will of Anne was opened in the prefence of the miniiler, the fenators, the chiefs of the army, as well as of duke Anthony Ulric and his lady, it was found to contain the follow- ing injunftion, already known to feveral, to others totally unexpeclcd : " Biren (hall be the adminiftrator of government till the emperor Ivan fhall have attained his feventeenth year, at which period he fhall be declared of age. " Should Ivan die before that time, then Biren " ihall continue guardian to Ivan's brethren " born after him who fhall fucceed him on the " throne. Should neither Ivan nor any one of " his brethren afterwards born remain alive, " then fhall Biren, with the concurrence of " the cabinet, the fenate, and the generals of " the army, eleft and confirm a new emperor, *' who fhall conduft all the affairs of the em- " pire, foreign and domeftic, as unlimited an4 " abfolute monarch of RufTia.'* Though nobody dared openly to oppugn this dying injunftion of the emprefs Anne, by which a foreigner was placed, for many years to come, ^t the head ^f the government ; as whoever had prefumed HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 247 prefumed to do fo would have infallibly brought upon himlelf either death or perpetual exile, yet the public was by no means latislied with this teftament. The parents of the emperor mud have felt themfelves moll hurt at feeing a man who had made his fortune chiefly by perfonal gratifications with the deceafed eraprefs, en- trufted with a guardianfhip which they naturally had reafon to expe6:, and to which tio perfon had a nearer claim than they. Anne thanked duke Biren for confenting to take upon him the weighty cares of government ; but probably thefe thanks did not proceed from the heart, only ferving as a delicate concealment of her mortification at the teftamentary injundion of her aunt. Biren was now mounted on the higheft pinnacle of grandeur to which his imagination could have ever prompted him to afpire : if he was not addreifed in the ftyle of emperor, he had how* ever the profped of being for feveral years the ruler of the ruffian empire. He took his re- fidence in the imperial fummer-palace, giving the parents of the emperor, who would by no. means be perfuaded to quit their fon, the winter-palace for their dwelling, with a yearly penfion of 200,000 rubles, while his. own, amounted to 5oa,oop. Inftead of being, called, as before, .,.—...-. R 4 illuHrious 248 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. iiluftrlous prince, he afl'umed the title *' of his highnefs, regent oi the ruflTian empire ;"a^ the fame time, however, granting to duke Ulric the title. of " his hig^hnefs." The difcontents excited- at the new regejicy very fuon ;ind plainly appeared. There were not wanting .perfons who thought it an afl of injuflice to the parents of the einperor, to whom both the guardianfliip of Ivan, and the regency of the empire, ought properly to have been commited ; while others were irritated at feeing Biren at the head of the government. The regent had his fpies, who 'iaformed him imme- diately of all tliat was faid ;' and he thought he provided in the bed way for his fafeiy, by feverely punilhing fuch as exprelled their dif- pleafure : fo that a great . number of perfons were plunged into irretrievable diflrefs for having imprudently delivered their fentiments on Biren's elevation ; and the natural confe- quence of it was, that the difcontents, inftead of being fupprefled, fpread more and more, aaad duke Ulric now perceived that it would be no difficult matter to feize the regency out of BIren's hands. He plainly told the regent that he would proteft againit the will of the late emprefs, as invalid, and that he even fhould not be dif- pleafed HISTORY OF RUSSIA. C49 pleafed if it brought about an alteration in the regency. Exppllulatioiis and quarrels fucceeded between him and the regent, which at length grew to fuch a height, that the duke threw up all jiis- employments. While this difunion lafted between duke Ulric and the regent, count Jrlunich was always the middle perfon, through ivhom the regent caufed the duk^ and hisfpoufe to be told many difagreeable things^. Munich employed this opportunity for gaining the -con- fitdence pf theie two neglected perfonages, hearkened to ■■ their complaints againft duke Biren, aflented to the reafonablenefs of many of them, and ia this manner the franknefs and inti- macy between them grew greater from day to day. At length the duke and his fpoufe let fall, in the prefence of Munich, fome words, inti- mating that they had a defign to force the guardianfiiip from the regent, and the marllial in the fame undifguifed manner gave them to underlland that they might rely on his aflift- ance in the execution of their plan. Munich, whofe ambition and vanity knew no bounds, recreated his mind with the profped: of lording ^t court, under the aufpices of duke Ulric and •Anne, if they by his alliftance fliould attain their 0nd ; and he might alfo hope that his projed 'iadepcre Eiren would be aftended with fuccefs, ■ ' ' particu- Z^O HISTORY or RUSSIA. particularly as the regent was far from being beloved, while Munich was much honoured, efpecially by the army ; and thus he who, but a few weeks before, had contributed fo much to Biren's appointment as regent, was now the moft aftive promoter of his difgrace, the moil zealous adherent to Biren's antafjonifts, the princefs and her fpoufe. The enterprife admit- ted of no delay ; and therefore they waited no longer than to the nineteenth of November for putting their plot in execution, by which the young emperor*s parents were to take upon themfelves the government of the empire, as guardians of the monarch. The regent Biren, his confort, his family, and his firmefl: partifans, being without trouble taken into cuflody in the night, all the great men then in town affembled before day-break at the palace, and the princefs Anne received homage on the fame day as grand- duchefs of Ruffia, and guardian of her fon, the infant emperor *. Only * Biien lodged in the fummer-palacc. During fupper he fecmed thoughtful; and all at once fai'd to Munich, rf*. M. le marechal, have you never gone upon any important JV enterprife in the night-time ?" The marflial immediately thought his fchemc was difcovered j he, however, maintained fufficient compofure to, anfwer : " 1 cannot call to mind " any extraordinary matters that I have undertaken during " the riT^VbRY OF RUSSIA. i^l Only two and twenty days had BIren poffefled §"'iR:upendous fortune; and from the raafty (fares and difquietudes that attended it, even that fhort fpace was without enjoyment. From the itUftle of SchluiTelburg, where he was confimed als a prifoner, he was brought to a trial, coi;- demned, and exiled in June to Pelim in Siberia *, where. C*H ijzj^ii^ri $^the night; but I make it a rule to feize all opportunities ♦.'-that feena favourable to my views." After fitting fome time longer, he took his leave, and went ftrait to the winter- palace, which was occupied by the young emperor and his parents j and, after having engaged the duchefs of Brunf- wick to admit of her party the officers and the hundred and forty foldiers on guard about the tzar, he returned to the regent, whom he arrefted by a detachment of twenty men, commanded by the aid-de-camp Mannflciii. *■ The charges that were brought againft him, and re- cited as the reafon and juflification of the fentence of banifh- ment pafled upon him, in the imperial manifefto that was publifhed in that behalf, were the following-: That the duke, during the lafl illnefs of the emprefs Anne, had thought of nothing but how to obtain the regency, to th« cxclufion of the emperor's parents ; that he had fquandered away extraordinary fums from the imperial treafury, and moflly employed it to his own emolument out of the em- pire ; that he and his family had fcornfuUy negkfted to fliew a proper refpeft to the parents of the emperor ; and, in order to deprive them of the public afFeftion, had fpread various forts of calumnies againft them j that he had chal- lenged 2^2 HISTORY OF RtJ'SSIA. '■ ^ - where, in addition to his misfortune, he was obliged, in banifliinent and miiery, to alTociate with the numerous wretches who owed their banifhment and mifery to hun *. Thus, Anne having obtained her aim, by procuring the guardianfhip of her fon and the regency of the empire, the ambitious Munich, who expected now to be all in all under the new adminiflration, gave no refpite to his efforts till the prefent regent had conferred on him the title of miniftcr, the poll enjoyed by Odermann, who flill remained at the head of affairs. But lenged the father of the emperor to fight a duel with him ( i ), and obliged him to give Up hi^ places ; that he aftcJ of hin own'-mere motion, contrary to ftatutes and ordinances, and conceived fuch plans as would have thrown the empire into the greatefl confufion. *' H(? hath, therefore," con- cludes the manifeflo, " by the lav/s of God, of nature, and ** of the empire, merited death." The emperor, however, freed him from capital punin:;mcnt, but condemned him with his farhily to perpetual imprifonment. • * Biren was fo dreaded, that v,'hen he rode on horlcback through the ftreets, people, on feeing him come at a dillancc, exclaimed, " It is Biren, let us run !" Perfons on foot made as fail as they cyuld for the firft gateway. Thofe ^vho were in carriages flopped, got out and proftrated ."themfelves before him. (i) At a jjurtlcular altercation, matters indetd did go fo fir, that Biren, in tiie heat of his paOion, put In-o hand to his fword. what HISTORY OF RUSSI.'U* ^"f what Munich in reality ffrove to cbtnin was the ftation of conlmaniltr ill chief of t'he atmy and navy ;;■- however jin this attempt it whs impofhble for him toluoce^d^ as thofe places were already poffefied by duke-' Ulric r : 'lie J- therefore con- ten ted- feimfeif with extorting'' th^'"- former title foom itjherr.reggnt/i <:i^t. -thisyi Hotvfev^r, -eoirrit Ofterniana did r^ot -fail td tak'e umbrage, and' accordingly attached Mm felf more clofely ta the d:ukt%' who aifo was' fenfible tbf'iiHe afiront pnt upon' him by Munich's a'pplicatibn for his pofts'*^. 'Thus arofe two parties'; one ^headed by Anne aild IMunich, and -the other by Oflermann and the duke. Ollermann, undoubtedly one of the mod able and acute politicians of his time, foon found opportunities of difplaying his extenfive views in politics, as well as his com- prehenfive knowledge of the ruffian empire, in fo ftriking a manner, that even Anne placed more confidence in him than (lie did in count Munich. * How could lie help being offended at the , following nkafe, in which the dllke is appointed genevalifTimo, and which was drawn up by Munich ? It runs thus: " Though " field-marfhal Munich, on account of the great fervices he " has rendered the empire, might claim the poft of gene- " raliiHrno, yet he has waved that riglit in favour of duke " Anthony Ulric, as the father of his imperial majefty, and V has teen contented to accept the place of prime ir.iiiifter." The 454 HISTORY OF RtrSSIA. The king of PrufTia, Frederic IF. had juft then begun his reign ; who, not pleafed at feeing the amity that fubfifted between the courts of Peterf- burg and Vienna, endeavoured to make Munich his friend ; and Frederic found it not very difficuh, by flattering letters, fo to work upon his vanity, that this miniiler, already not well difpofed to Aiiflria, now made it his principal bufmefs to bring about a more intimate con- nexion between the ruffian court and that of Berlin. By this means the clofe union that had hitherto fubfiiied between Aultria and Ruffia ■was dilTolved, and the whole political fyftem of Europe totally cl»anged. A defenfive treaty had before been concluded between the rufl~ian and prulfian courts. Munich effected the renewal of it ; and both parties mutu- ally bound themfelves to furnilh an aid of 12,000 men, in cafe of an attack. Anne, however, fecretly determined to adhere to the terms of this treaty only fo long as FruiTia fliould be at peace with xluftria, the remonftrances of Oder- mann having infpired her with a partiality for that houfeiiand Frederic having now adopted nieafures for taking pofiefhon of Silefia, as a part of the inheritance of Maria Therefa, th§ court of St. Peterfburg intimated to him that.it never would confent to that aft. Accordingly, at HI5T0R.Y OF RUSSIA. 255 at the commencement of the year 1741 a new alliance was formed with the imperial court, with an engagement to furnifli auxiliaries. Munich, extremely diflatislied at this procedure, ftrove to retard its execution, but in vain : he requefted his difmiflion ; hoping by that means to induce Anne to lend a more favourable ear to his reprefentations ; but this too had no effed : an honourable dilmiffion was granted him, under pretence that, from the (late of his health and his age, he could no longer be ufeful to the fer- vice. Munich, it is true, remained at St. Peterf- burg, in the hope of being employed again j but he was miftaken — the protracting his flay there foon after brought upon him an involun- ^vy journey to Siberia. One of the mod remarkable events that hap- pened during the regency of the duchefs of Brunf- wick was the arrival at Mofco of an embafly from Thamas Kouli khan. After having ufurped the throne of the fophis, and conquered the em- pire of the Mongoies, Thamas Kouli khan, who had heard much concerning the beauty of the princefs Elizabeth, fent to aflc her in marriage, at the fame time promiiing to introduce the greek religion into Perfia. His ambalTador was attended by fixteen thoufand men and twenty pieces of cannon. But thi^ formidable troop was^ 25^ HISTORY or RUSSIA. was invited to flop at Kitzli;ir on the borders of the Terek, and the ambaiTador made his entry into Mofco with a train of only three thoufand perfons on horfeback. ?Ie prefented to the regent, on the part of the fliah, fourteen ele- phants and a great quantity of -jewels, among which were very large diamonds *. The pre- fents were accepted, and the propofals of mat*- riage reje(5ted. RuiTia, however, took no aftive part in the war bet-'.veen Pruffia and Auftria, as the king of Poland 'and the cleftor of Saxony, who thdriii felves raifed pretenfions to Therefa*s pati-nnony protefted againft the march of the rufliian troops through Poland ; and Sweden at the fame time threatened to open the campaign' againft the Ruffians on the frontiers of Finland, in corife- quence of a formal declaration of war againft Ruffia, at Stockholm, in the 'month of Augufr. .T 'Jit * Thefe diamonds came from the Mongoley. Thamaa Kouli khan brought away frorp that empire to th? value of 146 millions of pounds flerling in precious Hones, in goldj^ filvcr, and otlier valuables. The throne, of the peacock alone, which he conveyed away from Dehli, was eflimatecf at 202.500,000 francs, or nine kiarures. The kiuruffe makes, a hundred iaks, each lak a hundred thoufand ru- pees. ,.The rupee varies in value, but may be generally ellimated at 2 s. 3 d. flerlintj. It HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 257 It was well known in Sweden, that the ruffian nation in general was by no means fatisfied with the prefent government, and that, therefore, fome alteration in it was fhortly to be expedlcd. The court of France too was at no fmall pains, by its ambaflador at Peterfburg, to efFecfl a revolution there, from which Sweden hoped to derive advantage. The latter reckoned fo cer- tainly that Hie fliould come off conqueror in the approaching war, and the Ruffians be vanquifhed, that in the diet of Stockholm, previous to the opening of the campaign, no lefs than three fets of articles were framed, on which fhe would hereafter make peace with the conquered Ruf- fians. Should the arms of Sweden be com- pletely fuccefsful, then Ruffia ffiould give back Karelia, Ingria, Ellhonia, and Livonia, and, in fhort, all that had been ceded to her at the peace; of Nyftadt ; were fhe no more than partially fuccefsful, it was expefted that at leaft Karelia, Kexholm, Vyborg, Peterfburg, Noeteburg, Kronftadt, Kronfchlot, the whole extent of the river Neva and Ellhonia fhould be reflored. In cafe, however, contrary to all probability^ Ruffia might not be fo far humbled as to fur- render all thefe territories, then fhe fhould be allowed to retain Efthonia ; but the reft of the countries jufl mentioned mufl be in any cafe VOL. II. s evacuated 258 HISTORY OF RUSSIA* evacuated by her, without permiflion to keep a fingle fhip on the livonlan and efthonian coafts, and with an obligation from her to grant the free exportation of corn. It has rarely hap- pened that any national council ever extended its plans of aggrandifement fo far, with fo great a deficiency in the neceflary means for carrying them into execution, as Sweden did on this occafion. She deliberately fettled the condi- tions of the future peace, though utterly uncon- cerned about a proper arrangement for the condufl of the war by v/hich thefe terms of accommodation were to be fecured. It is even faid by a fwedifh hiflorian, that " No man " knew of any generals, who by fkill and expe- *' rience had gained the public efteem.'* The two generals Levenhaupt and Buddembrock, who were the grcatefh advocates for the war, when hoftilities were begun conduced them but miferably. The fleet was not in a condition to put to fea. The army, though brave and zealous, was poorly fupplied with provifions ; and, for want of good plans for the campaign, and intelligent officers, could effeft very little. RufTia, refolving not to be behind band with the Swedes, fent Lafcy to march againft them in Augufl 1 74 1, before they had time pro- perly to collet their forces, and defeated them near HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 259 near Vilmanliflrand. The furrender of that fortrefs to Ruffia was the confequence of this vii^ory; and though the Swedes now rallied in fach manner that the Ruffians, who were greatly inferior in numbers, could proceed no farther, yet they did nothing more through the whole of that campaign. As the Swedes, in entering upon this war, had principally laid their account in* the fuppofition that things could not remain tranquil in Ruflia, they difperfed a manifefto, in the view of inciting the Ruffians to attempt a levolution; hoping at the fame time that it would not pafs over fo quietly as the former had done, that the troops then Wanted in the inte- rior muft be drawn away from the borders, and the Swedes would thus have free fcope to aft with efFecu againfl: Ruffia. " The fole intention *' on the part of Sweden," fays the maliifefto, *' is to defend herielf by arms againfl; the op' *' preffions exercifed againfl: her by the arrogant *^ foreigners *, the minifl:ers of the ruffian court, *' and at the fame time to deliver the ruffian *' nation from the yoke v»'hich thefe miniflers *' have inipofed on it, by affi fling the Ruffiians " to regain their right of eleding for themfelves '* a laivf 111 ruler.'' * By tUefe foreigners were meant Munich and Ofter- n>stnn. S a It 260 HISTORY OP RUSSIA. It was, therefore, not from a want of good will in the fvvedifh government, that no rebellion arofe againft: its prefent rulers, and that a civil war, with all its horrors, did not enfue; for it thus exprefsly declared the regency unlawful. Happy, however, it was for Ruflia, that the revolution which happened this very year, in November 1-741, and was not brought about by the fwedifli manifefto, but by very different motives, was effeded without bloodfhed, that the alter- ation of the perfon of the ruler produced no farther changes, excepting among the heads of the adminiftration, and that it was attended with no confufion or diflurbance in the empire. What facilitated, however, in an eminent de- gree, the revolution by which Elizabeth became cmprefs of Ruflia, was the behaviour both of Anne and her confort the duke. There was no harmony nor confidence between them. The regent fhut herfelf up entirely with a countefs Mengden, with whom fhe lived on the mod inti- mate footing, entirely eftranged from her huf- band, palTmg whole days and weeks in a total neglect of government affairs ; and thus, no lefs than by the influence which flie allowed that iadyto exert, created to herfelf many enemies. The envy and jealoufy of the native Ruflians were every day inereafed by the partiality uni* verfally HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 261 verfally fhewn to the german party : hence it proceeded, that no more concord fubfifted. between the miniflers Oftermann and Munich, than between the duke and the regent ; one party being conftantly employed in thwarting and counterading the other. Thus, though Anne abhorred feverity, and her government was extremely mild ; though flie was ever prompt to beflow favours and exercife her liberality : yet thus in fliort it was, that the enterprife of Leflocq, the phyfician to the princefs Elizabeth, for feating her on the throne of her father, was attended with fuccefs. For abating the influence of foreigners in the adminiflration of the empire, the plan of a con- , vention had been framed on the demife of Peter IL by which the fupreme authority was to be placed in the council, whereof the greater part were Ruffians. This was annulled by Anne ; and Biren a foreigner was all-powerful under that princefs : O Hermann being the foul of the adminiftration, and Munich the firft man in the army ; the foreigners therefore remained at the head of affairs. Anne died ; but the foreigners Hill continued in the chief offices of (late : Biren being little lefs than emperor and autocrator of all the Ruffias ; and, after his downfall, which followed on s 3 th^ 262 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. the heels of his fuccefs, the government remained, neverthelefs, in the hands of Oiler- mann and Munich. The emperor Ivan himfelf was but a very remote defcendant of the tzarian houfe of Romanof; his father was a german prince, his mother the daughter of a german prince, only his great-grandfather on the mother's fide, Ivan, brother to Peter I. was defcended. from the Romanofs : in appearance, therefore, it was rather a foreign tlian a ruffian family that was now in polTeflion of the throne ; and the more, as the various offices of the llate were given with increafmg partiality to foreigners, This was taken very much amifs by the .country at large, and the defire of an alteration on their part greatly facilitated that which prefently after happened. As the plot for the overthrow of Biren had fucceeded without refiflance, it was eafy to forefee that it might prove no lefs feafible to difplace Anne ; who, from her inconfiftent behaviour, by her contempt of the ruffian cuf- toms, by the exorbitant favours ffie lavifhed on her adherents, moftly foreigners, had but little hold on the hearts of the people, and efpe- cially as a candidate for the crown had flarted up, who mufl naturally be more agreeable to the nation, being a true-born Ruffian, than the, prefent emperor. I ; The HISTORY OF RUSSIA. - 263 The perfon thus afpirhig to the crown was no other than the princefs Elizabeth, daughter of Peter the Great, refidlng at St. Peterfburg, in the very bofoni of the court. On the death of Peter II. fhe might, perhaps, have preferred her pretenfions to the throne of her father not with- out fuccefs ; but at that time fire made not the fmalleft ftir in this defign. She even remained quiet during all the reign of Anne, though the Dolsforukies were accufed of an intention of advancing her to the imperial feat *, continuing to live with that emprefs on the moll amicable term's, exciting no furmifes of that nature, either * Towards the end of the year 1739, the Dolgorukles were arretted and put to the torture. They confelfed that they had concerted an iniarredlioa for carrynig off the emprefs, the princefs Anne and her confort, together with tlie duke of Courland, to drive all the Germans out of the country, to proclaim Eh'zabeth emprefs, and to marry her to one of the NariHikins. How much truth was at the bot»- torn of this confeffion, how much of it was to be imputed to the torture, by means of Vv'hich, whatever is wanted may be extorted, cannot now be afcertained. Biren hated tl.p Dolgorukies, as the principal authors of the capitulation, and the claufe that he fhould not be permitted to come to Ruflia. Add to this, that, as one of the firft families of the empire, they, were always dangerous ; accordingly, one of them was broke alive upon the wheel, three others were decapitated, and two thrown into a dungeon for life. This xnay ferve as an inilance of Biren'.s ufual manner of afting. b 4 in 264 hii;tory of rtjssia. in her or her partizans, and as, from her whole behaviour fhe feemed more difpofed to enjoy the pleafures of life in full meafure, timn to take upon her the weighty burden of fuch a government as that of Ruflia. Befides, Elizabeth had very few intimacies among the great men at court ; and there was not the flightefh appearance of any party at all devoted to her : flie attached herfelf more to the foldiery, particularly to the guards ; and there feldom pafi'tjd a week, in which fhe did not once or twice (land fponfor at the chriftening of the children of fome of thofe foldiers. If, therefore, it might occafionally occur to the emprefs Anne that it would be preferable to place Elizabeth in fuch a fituation as would render it impofTible for her to form any defign upon her father's throne, perhaps by fending her into a convent ; every anxiety was foon difpelled by the manner of life and the whole deportment of Elizabeth : indeed Biren himfelf was always againft the idea of attempting anything to the prejudice of that princefs. It is alfo probable that, under the emprefs Anne, Elizabeth laid no plan for afccnding the throne, and that the projed firfl entered her mind, on the demife of that monarch, at feeing an infant emperor, under the tutelage of a foreigner, accede to the fceptre ; and, fhortly after, the parents HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 265 parents of the emperor, who likewife were to be regarded rather as foreigners than as Ruf- fians, get polfelTion of the guardianship, and hearing it even reported tha;; the princefs Anne, Ivan's mother, had refolved, at the infligation of count Oilermann, to declare herfelf emprefs on her birthday in the enfuing'^December [17413* and to fettle the fucceffion in the line of her daughters. Now it was that the advice of Leftocq, Eliza- beth's phyfician and favourite, found ready ad- miffion ; and he exerted all his zeal and addrefs in colleding a body of partizans, by whofe afliftance he might put the reins of empire into the hands of his patronefs. Bringing toge- ther by degrees a nuniber of the foldiers of the guards who v/ere devoted to Elizabeth, they promifed to fupport her in the attempt to feat herfelf on the throne of her father, and likewife to perfuade their comrades to engage in the fame caufe *. The money necelfary for the enter- * A broken merchant, now corporal in the preobra- jcnflii guards, named Grunftein, and one Schwartz, a trumpeter, were the firft whom Leftocq prsvailed upon to iiilen to his propofal. The hopes of making their fortune Induced thefe people to enter into the fchem.e themfelves and to gain accomph'ces. After the enterprife had fuc- cetded they were both amply rewarded, prife 266 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. prife was furnifned partly by Elizabeth and partly obtained by Leilocq from M. de la Che- tardie, the french ambaffador at St. Peterfburg, who offered his afliftance in bringing about this revolution, in hopes that tlie new emprefs would, from gratitude to France, no longer take part with Aullriaj and as Sweden might, perhaps, hke- wife on this occafion be fouiewhat a gainer. In the meantime Elizabeth's courage drooped as the execution of her plot drew nigh, and flie put it off from day to day. The foldiers more- over, who had been induced to take up the bufmefs, were not people to be trufted with a fecret of that magnitude ; and there was already fomething of a rumour abroad concerning fome project of the princefs. It tven reached the ears of the regent ; and flie would not have been to blame if flic had employed the means flie had in her power of confining Elizabeth. But Anne, notwithfl:anding all flic had heard of the bufinefs, was unaccountably carelefs, taking no more fleps about it than if nothing was pafling to . alarm her fecurity : a condu«fl, for which, after- wtrds when it was too late to redify her miftake, flie was feverely reproached by her huflDand. But, inflead of coniuking him on the befl: meafures to be adopted on fuch a ferious occafion, flie concealed evervthintr from him. Count HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 26/ Count Oflermann warned her of her danger; the britifh minifter prophefied her certain ruin, unlefs fhe took the proper means to prevent it ; file received an anonymous letter, in which flic file was conjured to beware of an approaching fhock ; and indeed it was difficult to conceive how (he could entertain the lead doubts on the matter : yet, inflead of reforting to any methods of counteraftion, fuch as by the feizure of Lef- tocq, to deprive the prime mover and moft zealous promoter of the plot from all power of mifchief, as the duke propofed, (lie difclofed to Elizabeth, in full court *, the whole contents of the admonitory letter Ihe had received, and the reports that were fpread. Certainly this was not the way to come at the truth. Eliza- beth confefled nothing, protefted that fhe wa5 entirely innocent ; and, by difTimulation and even tears, effectually difpelied all ideas of fuf- picion in Anne. Leflocq had previoufly ap- pointed the day of the confecration of the waters f for Elizabeth to make her appearance publicly as claimant of the throne, to put her- felf at the head of her followers, to aifert her right to the fuccefTion by a public declaration, and to caufe herfelf to be proclaimed emprefso * On the 4th of December, f Thfc 6th of January 1742, But ^68 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. But no fooner did he learn from Elizabeth tha fubjecl of this converfation, than he would hear of no farther delays, redoubled his aclivity, got daily more partizans for Elizabeth, by means of french gold, and inculcated it more forcibly thz.n ever upon her that there was now no time for hefitation unlefs (he would give up all for loft. He told her that the guards were foon to march towards Sweden, and that flie would thus lofc thofe on whofe aftiftance (he reckoned moft ; Ridding, that this alone was reafon fufficicnt for accelerating the catafcrophe. Elizabeth, appear- ing to be ftill irrefolute, Leftocq the next morn- ing pulled out of his pocket-book a card, on one fide whereof he had drawn Elizabeth in a nun's habit, furrounded by a number of gibbets ; on the other, that princefs with the crown on her head attended by a circle of nobles : a contri- vance by which he meant tacitly to fuggeft to her the choice of one or the other of thefe fitu- ations for herfelf and her friends ; that all d»- pended on a moment, and if that moment were fuffered to efcape no choice would remain, but the former would inevitably be their portion. Upon this, Elizabeth feemed refolved to put all to the hazard for obtaining the crown ; and, as the revolution occafioned by the apprehending of Biren by night had been quietly effeded without HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 269 without bloodflied, the nodurnal filence it was thought would be favourable to the prefent attempt ; and the following night, between the fifth and fixth of December, was fixed upon for the execution of this important project, in which Leflocq undertook the principal part, in the expeftation, if all fucceeded, of honours and rewards, but in cafe of a mifcarriage, of certain death. He now prepared his accomplices and adherents, went in the evening and fetched fome thoufand ducats from the french ambaflador, in order to obviate or to conquer all oppofition and refiifance by that powerful application, money ; then repaired to the apartments of the princefj Elizabeth, and intreated her to follow him to take poffeffion of her father's throne. Even now Elizabeth betrayed her want of fortitude ; Leflocq, however, at length got the better of her fears. She threw herfelf proflrate before a crucifix, repeated a long prayer, got up perfeclly compofed, after having made a folemn vow that no blood fhould be fhed in this attempt, put on the riband of the order of St. Catharine, and placed herfelf in a fledge with a chamberlain by her fide, behind which two grenadiers ftepped up as guards. Leflocq and Schwartz followed in a fecond fledge. They drove diredly to the barracks of the preobrajenflci guards. At fome diflance iyo IIlSTOllY OF RUSSIA. di {lance from the gate-way the fledges flopped fliort, and Elizabeth proceeded on foot, attended by her fledge-party, that they might excite the lefs attention. Holding the crofs in her hand by which fuch great things had ah-eady fo often been performed — fhe made a fpeech to the foldiers, in jullification of her enterprize, to place herfelf on the throne. She had cer- tainly much to advance in her behalf; and it mud naturally have made great impreffion on the native Ruffians, when fhe mentioned, that, as the daughter of the immortal emperor Peter the Great, fhe had refolved to wield the fceptre of her father ; that though fhe had been un- juftly forced afide from the throne by a foreign child, and though there was even a defign on foot to bury her in a convent, yet the faithful guards were they by whofe alTiftance and fupport (he now cheriflied the hope of afcending the paternal throne. — A part of the guards were already made acquainted with the bufmefs, and had been gained over to efpoufe it by money, fair fpeeches, promifes and rewards on one fide, and on the other by denunciations of cruel punifliments in cafe of oppofition ; the force of furprife, which was increafed by the diftribution of inflammatory liquors and Elizabeth's afiablc and captivating demeanor, foon brought over mofl HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 27! of the remainder. A few of them, however, abfolutely would not be either bribed or per- fuaded to hearken to Elizabeth's pretenfion to the throne, as the young emperor was ftiil alive. But, being greatly overpowered by num- bers, they Vv'ere manacled, and the party pro- ceeded towards the palace inhabited by the emperor and his parents. The armed fuite by this time confided of feveral hundred men. All they met on the way were preffed to join the train that nothing might be betrayed, and in this manner they reached the palace ; where the fentinels were eafily brought to compliance, as the foldiers belonging to the confpiratjors threat- ened to ufe violence unlefs they voluntarily furrendered. Elizabeth, reiterated her remon- ftrances, and — (he was obeyed as monarch. The duke and his fpoufe were now rudely awaked from the profound fleep in which they lay, and dragged out of bed — the latter being fcarcely allowed tim.e to cover herfelf v/ith a gown, while the former, having had recourfe to weapons, was carried by the foldiers, wrapped in. the bed-clothes, put in the fledge, into which they then threw fome garments, and both were now conveyed away, as prifoners of Elizabeth, into the palace of that princefs, v/here they were flrongly guarded, Ivan, the innocent un- confeiouj i27 KISTORY OF RUSSIA. confcious boy, in whofe name already fo many manifeftos had appeared, of which he could neither underfland nor know anything ; who, with no ambition to flatter, had been raifed to the imperial purple, and was now without con- ilernation dethroned, was gently fleeping in his cradle, during this tranfaclion, which doomed him to a life of mifery. Elizabeth had given orders not to difturb his repofe, and fevera! foldiers afliduoufly flood watching his cradle ; but immediately on his awaking Elizabeth took him with her to her palace, that fhe might fhew him to his father and mother. — Not only the yoi^ng emperor and his parents, but alfo the two grand promoters of Ivan's fucceflion and the regency of Anne, Oflermann, and Munich *, were car- ried off without much noife that fame night, and on the marflial was literally retaliated what he had done to Bircn duke of Courland. The fame lot befel feveral other perfons, as, the brother of the duke, prince Lewis Erneft of Brunf- * Munich called to the prifoncrs, who wanted to take him prifoner : *' Put up your fwoids, you fcoundrels, or *' you (hall all fall viftims to your infolencc " Only the day before every foldier would have trembled at this me- nace of the field-marflial — at prefent ihey laughed at it ; and, on his {hewing a relu6lance to fnbmit, they pufluid him forward, and even repeatedly (truck him. wick. HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 2^3 Wick *, the firfl lord of the bed-chamber baron Munich t, the feldt-marfhars fon, and fome other adherents to the regency. Thus, under favour of the darknefs and filence ot the night, this great revolution was effeded at Peterfburg. The emperor Ivan and his parents were now in captivity to a princefs, whofe cle- mency was their only hope. The inhabitants of the refidence heard early in the morning of the important, though not altogether unex- pected, revolution ; and, as only one year before, * In the month of June, in this year, he had been elefted duke of Courland, and thereupon went to St. Pe- terfburg, there to wait for the ratification of his eleftion by the king and the republic of Poland. In the mean time the revolution happened, by which his brother and his family were reduced to mifery. Lewis too was treated at firil like a prifoner ; but this lafted not long. In February 1742 he quitted St. Peterfburg, and went back to Brunf- wick. J Marflial Munich was brought to his trial on a charge of having expended too much money on the army^ and of having been the death of a great number of foldiers in gain- ing his viiflories. This is exaftly fimilar to the procefs brought by cardinal Richelieu againft the marfhal de Ma- rillac. Munich, irritated at the interrogatories of his judges, faid to them : *' Draw up yourfelves the anfwcrs •' you would have me to make and I will fign them." — They took him at his word ; he figned the paper, and was condemned to be quartered. VOL. 11. T they 274 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. they had taken the oath of allegiance flrfl: to Ivan as fucceflbr, then to Biren as regent, and fhortly after to Anne in the fame quaHty, fo now they were called upon to fwear fealty to the new emprefs Elizabeth ; which was done this very day by all the troops flationed in and about St. Peterfburg *, after Elizabeth had pre- fented herfelf to the fenate and the great officers cf flate as emprefs, and had been acknowledged by them as fuch without contradidlion. In the manifefto publilhed on this occafion it is faid : The emprefs Anne having nominated the grand Ton of her filler, a child born into the world only a few weeks before the emprefs's death, as fucceflbr to the throne j and during the minority of whom various perfons had conduced the adminiftration of the empire *^ in a manner highly iniquitous, whence dif- " turbances had arifen both within the country " and out of it, and probably in time flill " greater might arife ; therefore all the faithiul " fubjecls of Elizabeth, both in fpiritual and " temporal ftations, particularly the regiments of * A s the foldicrs were fhouting hourrah before the palace of the emprefs, the h'ttle Ivan endeavoured to imitate the vociferation, on which Ehzabeth tenderly faid : " Poor *' babe, thou knoweft not that thou art joining the noifc " that is raiftd at thy undoing !'* ". tht a c< ce it (.i a (( HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 2/5 *^ the life-guards, had unanimoufly invited her, " for the prevention of all the mifchievous con- " fequences to be apprehended, to take pof- *' fefTion of the throne of her father as nearefl: by right of birth, and that fhe had accordingly refolved to yield to this unanimous requefl: of her faithful fubjeds, by taking pofleflion of '* her inheritance derived from her parents the " emperor Peter I. and the emprefs Catharine." Another manifeflo appeared fhortly after of greater length, in which the legitimacy of Eliza- beth's acceffion to the throne was chiefly grounded on the teftament of the emprefs Catharine I. her mother. In this it was faid, " that on the de" " mife of Peter II. when fhe ought to have <^' fucceeded *, by Oftermann's malice againft « her, * This, however, is not in ftrid conformity with truth. This teftament has been mentioned above, p. 204. Had Elizabeth now intended to acl in complete purfuance of it, fhe would have caufed tlie young duke of Holftein, Peter, to come to Ruffia and had him crowned emperor, and fhe might have remained his guardian and regent of the empire till his majority, he being now only thirteen. This, how- ever, fhe did not, but relerved the throne, which it would have been dangerous for her to have afcended ; though the ne.vt year [1742] fhe invited the fame duke, Peter of Hol- ilein, her filter's fon, to RuiTia, and appointed him her fuc- cefTor. — Belldes, Elizabeth's acceffion to the throne was T 2 even cc ii ^•jS HISTORY OF RUSSIA. " her, Anne was elecled ; and afterwards, when that fovereign was attaclvcd by a mortal dif- temper, the fame Ollermann appointed as fuccelTor the fon of prince Anthony Uh-ic of Brunfwick and the princefs of Mecklen- burg *, a child only two months old, who " had not the Jlighteji claim by inheritance to the rtijfian throne ; and, not content with this, he added, to the prejudice of Elizabeth, that " after Ivan's death, the princes afterwards born " of the faid prince of Brunfwick, and the " princefs of Mecklenburg, fhould fucceed to " the ruflian throne, whereas even the parents " ihemjches had not the fmallefl right to that even a proof that Peter the Great's law, by which the fovereign was at liberty to appoint a fucceffor, vi'ould be- come only a fource of alterations in the fucceffion and of re- volutions in the government. Elizabeth therefore appealed to Catharine's teftament. — The emprefs Anne had come to the crown contrary to the purport of this teftament, but as emprefs had alfo the right to nominate her fucceffor. It Is faid, indeed, in Ehzabeth's manifello, that Anne, from extreme weaknefs, fjgned a teftament forged by Oftermanu ; but Ivan was certainly appointed fucceffor by Anne, a few weeks before her death. * This muft, however, have founded very outlandlfla in the ears of a true born Ruffian, and (hewn the cafe of Ivan and his parents as ftrange, and thtir claim to the throne a» invalid. *' throne- HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 277 " throne. That Ivan was, therefore, by the " machinations of Oftermann and Munich, " confirmed emperor in Odober 1740; and " becaufe the feveral regiments of guards, as ^* well as the marching regiments, were under *' the command of Munich and the father of ** Ivan, and confequently the whole force of ** the empire was in the hands of thefe two per- ** fons, the fubjeds were compelled to take the ^' oath of allegiance to Ivan. That Anthony '* Ulric and his fpoufe had afterwards broke this ordinance, to which they themfelves had fworn, had forcibly feized upon the admini- ftration of the empire, and Anne had re- " folved, even in the life-time of her fon Ivan, ^' to place herfelf on the throne as emprefs. That in order then to prevent all dangerous confequences from thefe proceedings, Eliza- ^' beth had afcended the throne, and of her ** own imperial grace had ordered the princefs *' with her fon and daughter to Jet out for their ** native country, ^^ However this was not done j neither Anne, nor her hufband, nor her fon Ivan ever faw Germany again : and this appears to be the pro* perefl place briefly to relate the fubfequent for- tunes of this unhappy family. T 3 On 278 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. On the twelfth of December they were con- du6led from St. Peterfburg, and arrived at Riga the 6th of January 1742, from which place it was their mofl earnefl; wifh to proceed to Ger- many, preparations having already been made at Berlin for their reception *. Elizabeth, how- ever, had in the interim changed her mind, and detained them there in cuflody j in order by their means, as was reported, to obtain an elu- cidation of feveral matters which fhe wanted to have explained. The princely captives made two feveral attempts to efcape : but both were fruflrated ; and, as was reafonable to expeft, were followed by a clofer confinement in the citadel of Riga, where they now could only enjoy the open air in the garden, and were kept under the infpedion of a numerous command. Applications were made to no purpofe by the courts of Berlin, Vienna, and London for their enlargement : though Elizabeth would have yielded to their follicitations to fet the duke at liberty, but Anne and the children fhe was ab- folutely determined not to liberate ; and only on that condition would Anthony Ulric accept of a deliverance. Some attempts being afterwards * The king of Pruffia was brother-in-law to the duke. difcoveredj HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 279 difcoveredj even at St. Peterfburg, to dethrone Elizabeth, and to recall the former adminiftrators of the government, the emprefs was ftill more embittered againft the ejeded family. They were conveyed [1743] to Dunamund, where their imprifonment was flill clofer and more fevere : from this fortrefs they were removed to Kolmogory, an ifland at the mouth of the Dvina in the White-fea, about fifty miles from Archangel. Here Anne died in child-bed in 1746, a prey to grief and melancholy, prin- cipally owing to the privation of her eldeft fon Ivan, who had been taken from his parents and fhut up in a monaftery at Oranienburg. Her hufband furvived till 1775, when he finifhed his calamitous career in prifon. The death of Anne feemed for a moment to afluage the refentment of the implacable monarch : fhe caufed the corpfe to be brought to St. Peterfburg, where it was depofited with due rites in the imperial fepulchre, and flie herfelf attended the inter- ment. The dethroned Ivan continued to live from 1744, far from his parents in the monaftery at Oranienburg, where he was brought up in fuch feclufion that his mental powers were left totally unemployed. He was not allowed either to ^rite or to read. A monk of the convent T 4 thought; «8o HISTORY OF RUSSIA. f thought to make his fortune by carrying off the unfortunate prince ; but the attempt was attended by ruin to himfelf, and additional horror to the doleful fituation of Ivan. Being taken at Smo- lenfk, they were brought back, and poor Ivan was made dearly to expiate the project that had been undertaken without his knowledge or con- fent. A dungeon in the caftle of Schluflblburg was now afiigned him for his difmal abode ; and he was here fo clofeFj' immured, that he might be faid to be literally buried alive in a fubterranean vault into which no beam of the fun could ever ftray, paffing his time in total inadion, by the gloomy light of a lamp, which fo far from cheering his mind feemed calculated only to plunge it into deeper defpair, by (hewing him fomewhat more diftinclly the horrors of his fituation. He rarely knew whether it was day or night, any more than what was the hour ; feldom could the officers and foldiers that were on guard, for the fake of mitigating a little the cruelty of his fituation, tranfiently converfe with him on the moft indifferent topics : for all difcourfe with him was utterly forbidden. He could fcarcely ever obtain permiffion to behold for a few moments the bleffed light of heaven, and to breathe the free air in the in» clofed court of the fortrefs. How can the lead doubt Z1I5T0R.Y OF RUSSIA. 28 1 * doubt be entertained, that the mind of this prince, by fuch a courfe of . life, muft take a direction peculiar to itfeif, bordering on de- fpondency, fullennefs, mifanthropy, abfence, and confufion * ? He occurred frequently to the * Catharine II. llkewife converfed with him once v^i- known, and the following was the refult of this vifit, as publifhed in a manifefto of that time : •* After we had <* afcended the throne, and offered up to heaven our juft «' thankfgivings, the (irft objeft that employed our thoughts, " in confequence of that humanity which is natural to us, " was the unhappy fituatlon of that prince, who was de- '* throned by the divine providence, and had been unfortu- *' nate ever fince his birth ; and we formed the fefolution " of alleviating his misfortunes, as far as was pofTible. Wc '^ immediately made a vifit to him, in order to judge of his *' underftanding and talents ; and, in confequence thereof, *' to procure him an agreeable and quiet fituation, fuitable " to his charadler, and the education he had received. '*■ But how great was our furprife, when, befides a defeft ** in his utterance, that was uneafy to himfelf, and rendered " his difcourfe almoft unintelligible to others, we obferved '* in him a total privation of fenfe and reafon ! Thcfe who ♦' accompanied us, during this interview, Caw how much our *' heart fuffered at the contemplation of an objeft fo fitted to " excite compaffion ; they were alfo convinced, that the *' only meafure we could take to fuccour the unfortunate *' prince, was to leave him where we found him, and to •< procure him all the comforts and conveniencies that his *' fituation would admit of. We accordingly gave our ** srders for this purpofe, though the ftate he was in pre- ** Tented i82 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. the thoughts of Elizabeth, who caufed him twice to be brought fecretly to St. Peterfburg, where fhe talked with him, without letting him know who fhe was ; but, for his liberation, for the alleviation of his horrible — unmerited — doom, fhe did nothing. Peter III. who fliortly after his accefTion, went and made him a vifit likewife, without being known to Ivan, in the determination fomewhat to better his condition, by granting him the fmall boon he requeued, the enjoyment of the free air within the caftlc. Peter accordingly gave orders to build a fmall houfe, for the accommodation of the prince, in an angle of the fortrefs ; but his own death defeated this laudable purpofe. Two years afterwards, Ivan alio was cruelly affafTmated, and thus fuddenly delivered from a Hfe that had afforded him, from his very birth, fo few fatisfac- tions, being rather one continued tifllie of cala- mities and forrow. ** vented his perceiving the marks of our humanity, or *' being fenfible of our attention and care ; for he knew *' nobody, could not diilinguifli between good and evil, nor ** did he know the ufe that might be made of reading, to *' pafs the time with lefs wearinefs and difguft ; on the con- *' trary, he fought after pleafure in objects that difcovered, *' with fufficient evidence, the diforder of his imagination." See Life of Catharine II. vol. i. p. 504, fourth edit. A licu>» HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 283 A lieutenant, named MIrovitch, thinking himfelf neglefted as an officer, conceived a plan to revenge hiinfelf on th? empreis> Catharine IL by delivering the captive Ivan from his dungeon, and rephicing him on the throne. A plan, which, befides the extraordinary difficulties with which it mufl be attended, feemed utterly un- likely to fucceed ; as the manner of life to which that prince had all along been condemned, dif- qualified him for ever for the ftation of a ruler. Yet Mirovitch, capable of any attempt, however inconfiderate, to which he was prompted by his vindiftive fpirit, found means to gain over a few accomplices to his rafh delign. The emprefs being gone on a journey into Livonia in 1764, and he happening then to have a command at Schluflelburg, for ftrengthening the guard at that fortrefs, whereby he had frequent opportu- nities for making himfelf thoroughly acquainted with the place of Ivan's confinement, caufed the foldiers of his command to be rouzed in the night, and read to them a pretended order from the emprefs commiffioning him to fet the prince at liberty. The foldiers thus taken by furprife, were induced by threats, promifes, and intoxicating liquors, to believe, what however on the flighted: refleftion muft ^ave (truck them as the groffeft abfurdity. Headed 284 HISTORY OF RUSSIA, Headed by Mirovitch, they proceeded to the cell of Ivan. The commandant of the fortrefs, waked out of his fleep by the unexpefted alarm, immediately on his appearing, received a blow with the butt end of a mufkct, uhich ftruck him to the ground ; and the two officers that had the guard of the prifoner were ordered to fubmit. Here it is to be obferved, that the officers wKofe turn it was to have cuftody of him, had uni- formly, from the time of Elizabeth, fecret orders given them, that if any thing fhould be attempted in favour of the prince, rather to put him to death than fuffer him to be carried off. They now thought themfelves in that dreadful pre- dicament : and the prince, who when an infant of nine weeks, was taken from the calm repofe of the cradle to be placed on an imperial throne, was likewife fait locked in the arms of fleep when that throne was taken from him only one year afterwards, and now alfo enjoying a fliort refpite from mifery by the fame kind boon of nature, when he was awakened — by the thruft of a fword; and, notwithftanding the brave refiftance he made, clofed his eyes for ever by the frequent repetition of the ftroke. Such was the lamentable end of this unfortunate prince ! of this rufiian monarch ! The event excited great animadvcrfion throughout the refidence, every vmbiaiTed HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 28^ unbiaiTed perfon bewailed tke youth fo innocently put to death ; and inceflant crowds of people Hocked to fee his body in the church of the fortrefs of Schluffelburg. The government was at length obliged to (leal it away by night for inhumation in a monaftery at a confiderable diftance from town, Mirovitch paid the forfeit of his enter- prife with his hea'as not till the year 1776 that they were permitted by Catharine II. to go to Horfens In Yutland, to their aunt the dowager queen Juli- ana of Denmark, on which occafion the emprefs fettled on thcrn a pfinfion. chef 2S6 HISTORY OF RU'SSIA. chef vpas now. As the friend of Biren he had been exiled with him, but, on Munich's difgrace, was liberated and recalled by the regent Anne^ Elizabeth appointed him now vice-chancellor, and foon after promoted him to the high office of grand-chancellor ; in which flation he for many years fucceflively direfted the affairs of the ruffian government, almoft entirely at his own will. Elizabeth, defirous of making herfelf beloved throughout the nation, by reftoring all things as they had been under Peter T. reinftated the directing fenate eftabliflied by that monarch, but whofe province had been very much con- traded by the council eredled by Catharine I. and afterwards by the cabinet under Anne, in Its full privilege of conducing the afl'airs of the country, and fixed the number of its members at fourteen. The foreign concerns were modly managed by the chancellor Cherkafkoy and Beftuchef, afterwards by the latter alone: fhe alfo erefted a council of conference. [17 S^'"} It was expected that Elizabeth would proceed to fulfil her fecond promife, of keeping, as much as pofllble, all foreigners from holding offices mider government : but this had like to have been attended with very fad confequences, as a' more extenfive interpretation was given to it, than was intended by that princefs. The guards, 6 for HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 287 for the mofl part natives, were particularly in- cenfed at the foreign officers. Elizabeth, to (hew her gratitude to the preobrajenfki guards for the affiflance they had given her in mounting the throne, had honoured the troop of grena- diers with the name of the life-company, in- creafed them to 300 men, appointed herfelf their colonel, affigning at the fame time to every common man the rank of noblefle and of lieu- tenant, and to the petty officers and officers of this company an equality with thofe of higher rank in the army. Intoxicated with thefe marks of favour, they coiifidered them as the bare reward of their great fervices ; and fuppofmg themfelves now the favourites of the emprefs, they rioted in all kinds of exorbitances, extorting money from wealthy perfons, maltreating every- body who did not ad jufl as they would have him, and behaving with the greatefl rudenefs and infolence, particularly to the foreigners in the army. Nay, while the emprefs was at Mofco, they proceeded furh lengths that they even formed the mad refolution to murder all the foreigners j which, indeed, they began to put in execution, by attacking and wounding feveral. Elizabeth, therefore, was under the neceffity of ufmg harfh methods, and of making declaration, " that (he was fo far from tolerating « this iBS HISTORY OF RUSSIA. cc €i C£ il this fenfekfs conduct, that fhe never IhouM forget how much the foreigners had contri* buted to the beneficial changes that had taken place in the ruffian empire. That, though her fubjecls fliould at all times enjoy her graces in preference to foreigners, yet the foreigners who were in her fervice were as dear to her as her fubje£ls, and might rely '- on her protedtion." The hatred againft: foreigners manifefted itfelf even afterwards ftili more frequently in the army, but was as often fiappily fupprefled. The war with the king of Sweden, which had httxi begun under the late regency, was not yet terminated, and at prefent only interrupted by both armies retiring into quarters for the winter. The Swedes, indeed, entertained great hopes from the new emprefs, to whofe acceiTion they thought they had greatly co-operated by their manifefto. The french ambaflador at St. Peterf- burg, whom the emprefs very much efleemed. likewife employed every effort to work upon Elizabeth in their favour, and a ceifation of hoftilities was obtained at the opening of the year 1742, during which it was intended to negotiate a peace. But Elizabeth proved far more un- complying than Sweden had expeded. Sweden required the treaty of Nyftadt to be annulled, or at HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 289 at leafl have all Finland and Vyborg given back* Elizabeth, however, having but juft acceded to the throne of Peter the Great, her father, was not inclined to give up thofe countries, which he, after toilfome exertions, had ravifhed from Sweden. She eafily perceived that, in fo doing, fhe would have badly recommended herfelf to the nation, and would have afted juft as unwifely as Peter III. afterwards did, when, at the very commencement of his reign, he fhewed his magnanimity towards the king of Pruffia. But, as Sweden might pofTibly have been requefted by Leftocq to fup- port Elizabeth's pretenfions, in cafe of neceflity, with an armed force, and as it was, therefore^ now intended to gratify her in this matter, in return for her complaifance, though that necef- fity did not occur, yet Elizabeth offered to pay her a confiderable fum of money, if fhe would confent to make peace, without infifting on any reftitution of country. To this propofal Sweden would not comply ; thinking, though on what grounds it is impoflible to imagine, unlefs fhe was in expedatlon, perhaps, of a counter-revo» lutlon, that fhe had a right to demand more : and, therefore, hoftilities, which had been inter- rupted by the armiftice till the firft of March, on the expiration of that term were renewed. I'hough the Swedes had afted with fuch incon- voL. II. u ceivabia 390 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. ceivable ftupidity in the former campaign, they proceeded in the fame manner now ; and the total ignorance in the art of war, that had been fliewn by their commanders then, was no lefs flagrant on the prefent occafion. The fwediih troops were fo carelefsly difperfed in winter- quarters, at great diftances from each other, that they were not nearly all afiembled, when Lafcy had again made an incurfion into Finland ; and even after they had completed their junction, the Swedes behaved with fo little bravery, that they abandoned one fortified place after another, to the purfuing llullians, till they were at length furrounded by the enemy near Helfmgfors. They had even, according to cuflom in thefe campaigns, refolved to retreat from thence to Abo ; but a boor of Finland betrayed to the ruflian general another way to Abo, by which he might reach that place before the Swedes. The Ruflians took that road ; and the Swedes, now cut off from Abo, were obliged to turn back to the walls of Helfmgfors. Here they for fome time kept up a communication with Sweden^ but of this likewife they were foon deprived by the ruflian fleet. -During this campaign Elizabeth alfo made an attempt to draw off the Finns entirely from Sweden. In a manifefto which flis caufed to be difperfed. HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 29I difperfed, fhe accufed the fwedifh government of having begun an unjuft war ; and though the emprefs had confented to an armiftice, and " offered to come to terms of accommodation, ** yet the court of Sweden infifted on war. " Though certainly the whole kingdom was " not pacifically inclined, yet fhe was perfuaded " that the inhabitants of Finland, who fuffered " mod by the war, were heartily defirous of "peace. The emprefs, therefore, made them " the propofal, that they fhould remain quiet " during the war, neither afting inimically " againft the Ruffians, nor giving fuccour to " the Swedes — if they agreed to this, then *' Elizabeth would affifl: them in becoming a " free and independent natio?i, living in future *' under the protedion of Ruffia.*' Ruffia indeed might hope, and have reafon to expert, that if Finland were once under ruilian protec- tion, it might foon be converted into a ruffian province, and then its independence would not certainly be alarming to its neighbours, or its liberty dangerous to itfelf. In confequence of this, the king of Sweden publifhed a counter- manifefto, admonlfhing the Finns " not to " fuffer themfelves to be mifled by empty pro- *' mifes of future independence, but to continue " happy in the. enjoyment of their prefent con- u 2 " ftitution 292 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. ** ftitutlon under fwedlfli fupremacy," aiming thereby, and by the declaration, that Elizabeth herfelf had broken the truce, to efface the im- preiTion of the ruffian manifefto. In the pieantime, that manifefto had not been fo diligently difperfed, without making fome impreffion ; and, though the Finns took no meafures, yet Sweden could not be altogether fecure that they might not hearken to the offers of Ruffia. However, the ravages and devafta- ..tions committed by the ruffian troops in Finland, were by no means calculated to give the Finns a very pleafing idea of the ruffian fupremacy. Upwards of two hundred villages, befides fmgle houfes, were burnt by the ruffians. The fwedifh army being furrounded near Ilelfingfors, and deprived of all means of forcing a paffage through the ruffian troops, both by land and water, no hope of deliverance was left, but by negotiation. The two fwedifh generals, Levenhaupt and Buddembrok, who were reputed at Stockholm to be the authors of the unfa- vourable pofition of the army, were difmiffed by the government, and the command was given to another officer, who thought he could do nothing better than capitulate. Thus, the fwedifh troops, lately fo confident of vanquifliing the Ruffians, were now fatisfied with being allowed HISTORY OF RUSSIA. • 293 allowed to return with their arms to Sweden, under promife of taking no farther fhare in the war, fo long as it Ihould laft. This was cer- tainly an event, lead of all expeded by the fwe- difh government, though their whole conduct during the war rendered it mofl probable ; and Sweden was at prefent compelled to make peace whenever Ruffia Ihould be inclined to confent to it. Finland being in the hands of the Ruffians, the fwedifh army in part tied up from ferving, the Finns obliged to remain inactive, and the Dalecarlians refufmg to enlift, it was eafy for the JR-uffians to prefs forward into Sweden ; Eliza- beth, however, was more difpofed to a pacifica- tion than to continue the war, but, availing her- felf of the advantages gained by her foldiers, would hearken to no other terms, than the eva- cuation of a great part of Finland by the Swedes. The Swedes were now reduced to no fmall perplexity, as Ruffia had a right to infift on the hardeft conditions : they faw no means of eva- fion. Fortunately for them, juft at this junc- ture, an accidental circumilance arofe, which occafioned Ruffia to agree to an equitable accommodation ; and this was no other than a fudden refolution adopted in Sweden, as the king was entirely childlefs, to fettle the fucceffion during his lifetime. For the fake of gaining u 3 favour i^A HISTORY OF RUSSIA. favour with the emprefs Elizabeth, the diet made choice of the young duke of Holflein Gottorp, Anthony Peter Ulric, as heir to the fwedifh throne. Prior to this, however, Elizabeth had invited that prince into Ruffia, for the purpofe of making him her fuccefibr. Peter received a deputation from Sweden, with an offer to him of the throne of their country — but he had already undergone the ceremony of converfion to the orthodox greek church, and Elizabeth was not inclined to let him quit Ruflia : he, therefore, thanked the fwedifh nation for their kind intendons, and remained in Ruffia. Could he but have had a glimpfe into futurity, how different mufl have been his refolution ! In confequence of this refufal, Elizabeth recom- mended the Swedes to choofe her relation, the bifhop of Lubeck, uncle to Peter III. for their king ; and the Swedes had reafon to expeft a peace on moderate terms, if they complied with the wifli of Elizabeth. The majority of the Swedifh nation, however, had no inclination for this candidate propofed to them by RufTia. There was, on the contrary, every appearance that Denmark and Sweden would again be united, as mofi: of the Swedes were dcfirous of having the hereditary prince of Denmark on their throne ; and the Dalecarlians even broke out in opeA infurre^ion on that account. HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 295 account, rufhed into the capital, and furioufly infifted on the eledlion of the danifli prince. Denmark, who wiihed for a renewal of the treaty of Kalmar, made a number of apparently advantageous propofals ; and Ruflia, therefore, feeing the negotiation for peace was likely to be delayed, took up arms again in the year 1 743, in order to profecute the war with vigour. In this campaign it was refolved to attempt fome great exploit with the fleet ; but, as an arma- ment was alfo fitted out by Sweden, the Ruffians contented themfelves with making a few inconfi- derable defcents on the enemy's coafls. In July the election of the future king was to come on at Stockholm ; and a fvvedifh ambaflador, who was negotiating a peace with the ruffian commif- fioners at Abo, at length, by a ftratagem, took advantage of the approaching eledion, to de- termine the Ruffians for peace, by pretending that Denmark was ufing efforts to fruftrate the meafures of the prefent congrefs, in order to carry on her own defigns ; and, as the Ruffians were abfolutely bent on making no compliances, he broke up the meeting. This the ruffian dele- gates had not expeded ; but now, for the fake of gratifying the wiffies of their fovereign, .con- cluded a peace, by which Elizabeth reftored the greater part of Finland, occupied by her troops, ■ u 4 on 296 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. on condition, that the bifhop of Lubeck (hould be appointed fucceflbr. The news of the peace arrived at Stockholm juft before the eledlion ; the Dalecarlians were driven by the foldiers to Paaren ; on the 4th of July Adolphus Frederic, duke of Holflein and bifhop of Lubeck, was eleded king of Sweden, and the fuccefllon fettled in his poflerity ; and, in Augufl, the peace between Ruilia and Sweden was fully ratified. Though the conditions of peace were now, after the war was terminated, of a very different kind from thofe, which only two years before had been framed previous to the commencement of It ; yet the Swedes had reafon to think them- felves very fortunate that, by the pleafure which Elizabeth fhewed at the ele6lion of her kinfman to the fuccefllon, they were enabled to procure to themfelves better terms than they had other- wife reafon to expedl. The treaty of Nyitadt, which the Swedes were fo earned to have an- nulled, was now adopted as the bafis of the prefent, and they moreover agreed to give up the province of Kymmenegard in Finland, with Frederickfhamm and Vilmannftrand, befides feveral other places, and all the harbours at the exit of the Kymmene, together with the illands to the fouth and to the weft of that river. On the other hand, Sweden obtained the reftituiion of HISTORY OF RUSSIA. Jig oidM the places occupied by Ruffia during the war, and the boundaries of both territories were fettled anew. The inhabitantsof the part of Finland ceded to Ruffia, were fecured in their privileges and im- ' munities, as well as in the exercife of their reli- gion, and the Swedes were allowed to export, years of fhort harvefl excepted, to the value of 80,000 rubles of corn in the harbours of the gulf of Finland, to thofe of the Baltic, duty free^ Thus Elizabeth, immediately in the firfl: years of her reign, enlarged the borders of the empire ; and, as Anne had promoted the election of king Auguftus III. fo Elizabeth very clearly difplayed her influence in the choice of a fovereign for the | neighbouring kingdom of Sweden. Whatever pains the french ambaflador at St. Peterfburg had taken to draw off Ruffia from the auftrian party, and how furely foever this was to have been expe<5ted, as the auftrian ambaffa- , dor was implicated in the abovementioned con- nexion, which had for its objeft to replace Anne upon the throne, yet Beftuchef, who vi^as devoted to the houfe of Auftria, had the addrefs fo to guide the inclinations of the emprefs, that fhe continued in her adherence to its interefts ; and, in 1747, fent troops to Germany to the affiftancc , of Maria Therefa, by which means the peace of Aix-la-chapelle was brought on. The friend- (hip I 29S HfSTORY OF RUSSIA. fhip fubfifting between the two imperial courts, was now gradually becoming more firmly ce- mented from day to day : fo that, notwithftand- ing the efforts of the king of PrulTia to preferve a good underftanding with RufTia, yet the party devoted to Auftria at the ruffian court found means to defeat all his endeavours ; and the em- prefs of Germany, Maria Therefa, experienced in Elizabeth a friend and ally, no lefs faithful to her interefts than the emprefs Catharine I. and both the Annes had proved to her predeceffors. It is true that Elizabeth and Frederic formed an alliance in 1743, and harmony feemed to prevail between them ; it was, however, of very fhort duration, being continually undermined by Frederic's opponents at the court of Peterf- burg, till by their unwearied efforts it was at length totally annihilated, and averfion and hoPcility fucceeded to its place. No longer time after than 1745, when the king of Pruffia re- quefted the emprefs to guarantee the treaty of Drefden, flie rejetled his application, under the flimfy pretence, that fhe had already too many guarantees on her hands. If hence it was to be concluded, that Frederic was not on the befl: terms with Ruffia, he had reafon to think him- felf fHll more hurt by a treaty entered into between the courts of Peterfburg and Vienr^a in HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 299 in 1746, which though it was communicated to him as nothing more than an alliance for the purpofe of mutual affi (lance, and by no means relating to meafures of aggreffion or offence to a third ; from which, however, it was very foon eafy to infer what the king of Pruffia had to look for from Ruffia. — Rumours were now much abroad concerning an approaching rupture between Pruffia and Auftria. They were, however, publicly contradicted by both courts, who declared that no mif under ft andin|^ had arifen between them. It was undeniable neverthelefs, that Ruffia, the ally of Auftrja, was fecretly making difpofitions for war, and that both courts were ufmg their efforts to draw the king of Poland and eledor of Saxony into the confederacy, which might prefently, from a defenfive, be converted into an offenfive alliance, by means whereof Auftria indulged the hopes of regaining Silefia. Auguftus, how- ever, hefitated to accede, as the hazard to him was by far the greateft. Leftocq, who had been the moft forvvard of all that affifted Elizabeth in obtaining the crown, whom llie had appointed to be direftor-general of the medicine-department throughout the em- pire, with a falary of 7000 rubles, ufually in- terfered in matters of ilate j and thereby, but particularly 300 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. partlcularl)'" from his predileclion for PrufTia, drew upon him the hatred of Befluchef, wliich at length involved him in the fame cataflrophe by which fo many favourites in Ruflla had iinifhed their parts — a banifliment to Siberia *. All the time he was at court he had uniformly diffuaded the emprefs from breaking with Pruffia. No fooner was he difgraced but all poffible means were employed afrefh to excite difcord between Elizabeth and Frederic, r A paffage in the writings of the king of PrufTia, where he makes the mother of the em- prefs to have been the wife of a petty officer, a free remark on Elizabeth's manner of life Vv'hich once efcaped him while fitting at table with the ruffian ambaffiidor, and being, as ufual, magnified by report, made Elizabeth the per- * Under pretence that Lcllocq was in correfpondence with two foreign courts to the detriment of the empire, he was put in prifon ; he was even accufed of having formed the dcfign to dethrone Elizabeth, and to make the grand- duke Peter emperor. — Leflocq, as was cuftomary in thofe cafes, was tried before a commiflion, where the accu- fers and the judge were the perfonal enemies of the culprit, and — condemned to death. But Elizabeth abfolutely could not be moved to aflent to this fentence, but even de- ferred the execution of the punifhment of exile for four years and a half, for which it was commuted ; Leflocq teiiig arreded In J74B, and not fent to Siberia till 1753. 6 fonal HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 30I lonal enemy of Frederic j and, as he was gene^ rally fufpe^led of aiming to get poiTeflion of Courland and Polifh-Pruflia, it was certainly not furprifing that Elizabeth was ever drawing clofer the connexion with Auftria againft Pruflia, notwithftandincj the numerous endeavours of the pruffian party at St. Peterfburg, to main- tain the bond of amity between Frederic and the ruflian monarch. — In the year 1750 the emprefs recalled her ambaflador, without many apologies, from the court of Berlin, and Fre- deric followed her example with his minifter at Peterfburg. In 1753 it Was agreed betweea Rufiia and Auftria, not only to rejiji all farther aug'/nentaiion of the prufiian power, but alfo to ufe efforts to reduce it ; and in 1755 they refolved to put themfelves in fuch a condition as fhould enable them at all rimes to attack PrufTia, or In cafe of an attack from that quarter, to refifl it with energy. It is well known that Frederic, from whom this combination againft him could not long be kept fecret, thought it the beft courfe he could take to go refolutely to meet his foes and anti- cipate their attack; that In 1756 he gave the fignal of war by an incurfion into Saxony ; and Elizabeth, for five years, took a very active part in the wonderful conteft of feven years which was entered into in behalf of Maria Therefa, ^ti fllSTORY OF RUSSIA. Therefa, and would have been more fenfibly,! and perhaps fatally felt by Frederic, had not the grand-duke, appointed by Elizabeth as her fuc- ceflbr, been his friend, which had this confe- quence, that Elizabeth's orders, which tended to the ruin of Frederic, were not all fo pundually fulfilled as they otherwife would have been, that likewife many who were employed in military affairs were very tender of hurting that monarch, in order to gain the approbation of the future fovereign Peter III. and accordingly rather chofe to aft in conformity with the fecret in- flruftions of the grand- duke than to adhere to the commands of the emprefs. In the firfl year of that war [1756] the Ruf- fians had taken no fiiaie whatever in the contefl: between Frederic and Maria Therefa, begun by the former, and in which Saxony was fo unfor- tunately involved. They firfl began to march in the following year [1757] to J^^nible Frederic in the name and by the orders of their em- prefs ; and, which was thought to be highly poffible, to gain poffellion of the kingdom qf Pruffia. From a variety of impediments * it was not till the month of July that the ruffian * The army was extremely ill-provided, and many arti- cles were wanting for putting it in a proper condition, as Auftria, from whom the fums for that purpofe had been cxpeded, was unequal to the fiipply. troops HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 30J. troops appeared before Memel, and made them- felves maflers of that city. From the moment of their entering on the pruffian territory, this army not only betrayed a great want of difci- pline, but particularly their light corps, confid- ing of Kozaks, Kalmuks, and Tartars, behaved like real barbarians *. The cruelties which thev committed on the inhabitants of that king- dom, were fuch as had never been heard of in the military hiftory of Europe for upwards of a thoufand years. The ruffian commanders them- felves were fenfible that it was no honour to them to be at the head of an army which brought on them the guilt of fuch proceedings. Several of them ufed every means in their power to put a ftop to thefe enormities ; but it was not poffible to fucceed : and, as in confequence of thefe barbarities, all perfons fled at the approach of fo unprincipled an enemy, it was extremely difficult for the Ruffians to prolong their (lay in Pruffia from the total want of the neceflary means of fubfiftence in a country where the hufbandmen deferted the land before them. * The Httle town of Goldap on the frontiers was firlt plundered of everytliing and then burnt. The officers them- felves fet a very bad example. An adjutant wantonly fet a village in flames through which the troops were to march, thereby fubjedliug the lluihans themfelves to the utmoft danger in cafe the fparks had fallen on the powder- ^^ An 504 I^ISTORY Ot RUSSIA. An army of 24,000 men under the command of field-marflial Lehvald was all the force that Frederic had been able to leave behind him in PrufTia for oppofmg his new enemy, the Ruf- fians, whofe flrength confifted in upwards of 100, coo combatants ; and yet the marfhal had the boldnefs to quit his camp at Vehlau, where he was fo uncommonly well entrenched and fecure, that the enemy would not have ventured to attack him with all their fuperiority of num- bers, to go and give battle to the Ruffians on the 30th of Auguft: at a place called Norkitten, not far from Grofyasgerfdorf. Revenge for the inhuman devallations everywhere perpetrated by the Ruffians now infpired the pruffian foldiers with valour and intrepidity. The pruffian army, animated, not by the third of conquefl, but by a genuine patriotic zeal to defend their country, ruftied like angry lions on the favage hordes, who thought they had no reafon to fear that the little pruffian army would feek an oppor- tunity for coming to an engagement with them- Fortune feemed at firfl to declare in favour of the brave defenders of their country ; towards the end of the battle, however, the Ruffians gained the advantage, and the Pruffians were forced to leave them mafters of the field. The Ruffians were therefore conquerors ; but, as they negle<^ed to follow up their victory, chufing HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 305 chufmg rather to repofe upon their laurels, they left the Pruffians to retreat unmolefted. General Lehvald therefore retired in excellent order, without being purfued, having killed five times mere of the enemy than he had loft of his own men, and more formidable after hia defeat than the Ruflians after their vidory ; befides, it was impofTible for the latter to flay longer in a country which they themfdves had ravaged and laid wafte, they were alfo obliged to retreat in their turn, in order to efcape that mofl dreadful of all foes to ..i army, famine. Nay, by a ftrange concatenati'jn of circumftances, field-marfhal Apraxin, whofe rroopshad occu- pied a very great part of Pruflia, was at length induced entirely to abandon that kingdom, after leaving behind him a fingle garrifon in the fron- tier-fort of Memel. The fame barbarities and cruelties, as thofe with which the Ruffians had tarnifhed their honour on their entrance into FrufTia, they now exercifed at their departure ; and fmoking or burnt villages, mangled car- cafesj and crippled people marked the road they took. This extraordinary retreat, however, of fo great an army, fo lately victorious, and being ftill pofTeiTed of a good fea-port in the country, was an event fo totally unexpected that it afto- nifhed all Europe, and drew complaints not VOL. II. X only 306 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. only from Auftria but alfo from the other courts coalefced againft Frederic, fmce it was not forced on by the fuperiority of the pruflian troops, but voluntarily determined by the Ruffians, and fo quickly and haftily executed that they even left behind them in PrufTia a part of the baggage and a great number of cannon. The true mo- tives of this retreat having never been hitherto aflignea, they fhall here have a place. Count Befluchef, grand chancellor of Ruffia, who had for feveral years been Elizabeth's right hand, was no friend to the grand-duke, afterwards Peter III. but entirely devoted to Auflria, as Peter on the other hand always efpoufed the party of Fre- deric. Elizabeth, juft at this time, lay fo dan- geroufly ill, that her phyficians began to doubt of her recovery. Befluchef thereupon conceived the plan, in cafe Elizabeth fhould die, to ex- clude the grand-duke from the government, and to place upon the throne his fon the prefent emperor Paul Petrovitch, under the guardianfhip of his mother the late emprefs Catharine II. To this end, however, it was necelfary that he fhould have the troops at hand in order to ufe them in cafe of need, and the rather as their comm-ander Apraxin was entirely at his devotion, la the. meantime Elizabeth recovered ; and, on inquiring after her army in Pruffia, was not a little PIISTORY OF RUSSIA. S^f^ little exafperated on hearing that it was entirely withdrawn from that country. The auftrian and French ambalTadors preferred heavy^ com- plaints to the emprefs concerning the orders for retreating, which Beftuchef had tranfmitted un- known to her ; the grand-duke Peter llkewife did what he could to incenfe the emprefs againft Beftuchef: and thus the combined eflbrts of the two feveral parties, with the great delays at the opening of the campaign, and this unaccount- able retreat, gave the emprefs ground to fufpe£t that (he had been betrayed by her minifters or her generals. Marfhal Apraxin was therefore removed from the command and put under arreft. He juflified his condud by the exprefs orders of count Beftuchef. Beftuchef was re- moved from his office and put under arreft alfo* Count Vorontzof fucceeded Beftuchef in his employment, and the generals Brown and Ter- mor took the command of the army in the place of Apraxin, who was fent as a prifoner to Narva *. The emprefs alfo appointed a com- miffion * On being informed of the overthrow of his friend and patron Beftuchef, he was fo affected at the news that he fell down and expired. Beftuchef, in the manifefto that was iffued againll him, was charged with having, merely X 2 from 303 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. mlfTion to inquire at large into the condu£l of the field-marftial during the whole of the cam- paign, as the court of Vienna exprefsly de- clared that the ruffian commanders had not (hewn fuch a behaviour as ought to have been from ambition and the luft of dominion, meddled in matters that did not concern him ; with having at various times ne- glefted to obey the orders of her majefty when they were not agreeable to him ; with frequently iffuing decrees with- out previoufly confulting the emprcfs ; with having flandered the grand-duke and grand-duchefs to her, and endeavoured to iccenfe the empreid againft them. He was banifhed to a trillage belonging to him loz miles from Mofco, and thus became another linking example of the inftability and lubricity of fortune in courts. The modern hillory of Ruffia in general prefents a feries of difcarded favourites who were all repaid the meafure they had meted to others. All of them, as long as they ftood befide the throne, as long as their will and their fentence could honour or con- demn, made free ufe of that privilege, and all of them at laft met the fame condemnation. Here we cannot but re- coiled, that Mentfhikof was turned out by the Dolgo- rukis, and thefe in their turn experienced a more terrible fate at the inftigation of Bircn. But alfo exile awaited Bircn ; and Munich, who procured it for him, efcaped it not himfelf. Leftocq and Bcftuchef exulted in the fall of Munich ; Bcfluchef found means to bring about the down- fall of Leftocq, in fplte of Elizabeth's attachment to him ; but neither did he enjoy his triumph long, and fell at the very time when he thought himfelf moll fecure ! expelled HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 309 cxpe£led from faithful allies, and from an army which fought the glory of its monarch *. The * A. gentleman of Weymar, who at that time ferved as quarter-mafter general under marflial Apraxin, and likewife was fummoned to Peterfburg to give evidence concerning the fudden retreat, and on the behaviour in general of the Ruffians inPruffia in the year 1757, fays, In his juftincatory memorial, on the points prefented to him ; " It cannot be " denied that the PruITians had uniformly an account of all ** that was pafling among the Ruffians — that the barba- ** rities exercifed, particularly by the ruffian light troops, ♦* had exafpcratcd the inhabitants agaiuft the Ruffians to ♦• fuch a degree, that they never (hewed them the right " road, but on the contrary affifted the enemy by every " means in their power ~ that the foldiers, as ufual, even ** on the day of the battle near Grofyaegerfdorf, were much '* more intent upon pillaging and making booty, than on ** purfuing the enemy and profiting by the viftory ; and *' that in the ruffian army throughout very little fubordl- ** nation was obferved. Indeed, the field-marflial was very ** fevere and frequent in punifliing ; the knoot was liberally *' adminiftered, nofes were flit, and ears cut off in abun- •' dance; but forafmuch as all capital punlfhments werci *' abfolutely forbidden, every other punifliment was infuffi- *' cient to deter them. As all the countrymen had fled, *' they were reduced to the utmofl: diflrcfs for vi'ant of pro- <• vifions, and the inhabitants in general paid no regard to ** the orders for delivering their quota of contribution. <' The infubordination that prevailed among the troops " was fo great, as to oblige the ficld-marfhal, on his retreat, *< to caufe the villages before him to be burnt, for depriving X 3 *' th? 3IO HISTORY OF RUSSIA. The Ruflians having thus in the firft cam- paign burnt and deltroyed every place to which they came, and pillaged and ravaged wherever they went, carrying off numbers of the inhabit- ants of PrufTia, murdering and maiming others, and gained a battle without reaping any benefit fropi it, but rapidly retreated out of the hoflile country occupied by them, thereby furnifliing the enemy with an opportunity of employing the force oppofed to them elfewhere : the whole of this year's campaign, therefore, was in no refpeQ; to their honour as european warriors of the eighteenth century. Befluchef's fall, however, produced no alter- ation in the fentiments of Elizabeth in regard to the king of Pruffia ; fhe rather refolved to make up in the following year for what had ** the foldiers of the opportunity of running about in par- ** ties to rob and plunder, fo much to the feparation and *• weakening of the army, that it would have been eafy for *' the purfuing enemy, by encountering and defeating the ** detached corps, to do ihem great mifchief. It is not, " however, to be denied," continues Weymar, " that in *' this campaign a certain pufillanimity and fear was con- ** fpicuous among the Ruffians ; and, though the h'ght ** troops particulady, were very adventurous in pillaging, *' they did not behave gallantly in battle againll the *' enemy.'* been HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 3I-I been negleded In the hafty retreat of 1757; and, fo early as January [1758] the Ruffians marched again into Pi uffia under the command of general field-marfhal Fermor. Not only Kc3enigiberg, the capital, but the whole king* dom of Pruffia, had fubmittea to them before the end oi that month, and continued in their poffellion during the remainder of the war. In the conqueft of which, however, they found no difficulty, as Frederic had not been able to cover that part of his territory. The Ruffians now began to think that the kingdom of Pruffia would foon be incorporated into the dominions of the emprefs, and form a part of Ruffia. On this occafion, fo far from repeating the outrages and barbarities of the foregoing campaign, they, contrary to all expectation, behaved with the greated gentlenefs, now that they confidered it as already a part of their country, and regarded its inhabitants as their future countrymen *. The inhabitants, who were obliged to fwear fealty to the emprefs of Ruffia, were even in doubt themfelves, whether it would ever be pof- fible for their king, preffed as he was on all * It was even read from the pulpits, that whoever had any complaint againft a ruffian foldier fliould prefent it to the military-chancery at Kcenigfberg, where he would in- fallibly have redrefs. X 4 ■ fides, 312 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. fides, to replace hir^'V'f in the poneflion of the country ; anJaccoiii ^ly (trove by every means to render then^felvts agreeable to the Rulhans, in order to reRrain them from a renewal of thofe calamities under which they had fuft'ered the year before. — 1 his lenity, however, fiievvn by them to the kingdom of Pruflia, which they already looked upon as their own, they foun laid afide, and rtfumed the olii ruiTian deportment when once they were got into the other coiiniries of the king, Poinerania and the Mark. Fermor advanced through Poinerania, and made an af- fault on the fortrefs of Kuftrin in the Neumark, and bombarded the town, contrary to the ufages of war obferved by all civilized nations, before he had fent a fummons to the commandant, laying all the houfes and other buildings of the town, within the fpace of a few hours, by a dreadful conflagration, in one fmoking heap of ruins : then, not till two days after, attacked the citadel ; and, at length, on the fourth day, fummoned the commandant to furrender. This was rejeded with difdain by the governor ; and Fermor raifed the fiege on receiving intelli- gence that the king was advancing in perfon to the defence of his country. The Pruflians, rufliing from Silefia, under the conduft of their king, would doubtlefs have taken bloody re- venge HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 313 venge on an army of whofe inhuman devafla- tions and cruelties fo much had reached their ears, and of which they now, on their arrival in the territories of their king, beheld the me- lancholy proofs in the confumed villages and towns, the defolated fields, the maimed, ill- treated, or impoverifhed inhabitants prefenting themfelves at every ftep. The king himfelf was fo enraged at the veltiges he perceived on all fides of the barbarous ravages of the Ruffians, and at the accounts that were brought him of the terrible havoc they had committed, that he gave orders not to fpare the life of a fmgle Ruffian in the battle that was daily expected to come on ; an order which the ruffian general, on being informed of, threatened to retaliate. Marfnal Fermor was encamped at Zorndorf, fix miles from Kuftrin, where he was attacked by the king at the head of his army on the 25th of AuguH:. The ruffian ranks flood like walls, and iought valiantly : but the mihtary fkill of the Pruffians, the valour of a holl fighting for their country and for the martial glory they had hitherto maintained, and glowing to re- venge themfelves on a barbarous enemy, dif- played their amazing effects on the day of that bloody fight ; and the generals, Seidlitz and Ziethen in particular, performed miracles of prowefs 314 HKSTORY OF RUSSIA. prowefs with the cavalry. After the battle both armies claimed the victory, but the greatelt lofs was manifellly on the part of the Ruflians ; they therefore founded their claim on the circum- ftance of having kept the field * : however this be, the army-cheft, and mofl: of their artillery, fell into the hands of the enemy, who likewife took an extraordinary number of prifoners, amon-zft whom were feveral officers of the firfl rank ; and, in confequence of this, they foon retreated. PVederic was ftill able to fhevv him- felf the father and benefactor, as well as the pro- tedor of his people. In the midfl of the de- vouring wafle of fuch an expenfive war, from the funds of his oeconomy he was enabled to remit the taxes to thofe parts of his dominions which had fuffered from the ruflian barbarity : he even advanced money to thofe whofe dillrefles had been the greateft. It fhould be remembered too, that all this was done while the whole kingdom of Pruffia flill remained in the hands of the Ruffians. * It is highly probable that it was their intention to have withdrawn acrofs the Oder, had not the king previoufly caufcd all the bridges to be broken down, in the hopes of giving them an entire defeat, and by the demolition of the bridges depriving them of every means of making'good their retreat. The HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 315 The court of Peterfburg (1111 adhered to its old ryjftem, in fpite of the late ill fuccefs of her arms, and all the efforts of the britilh minifter to with- draw her from her alliance. If flie had fome lofs of men, it was the leail lofs fhe could feel : and {he thought that, while the war was carried on at the expence of others, the reduction of fo near, fo dreaded, and fo hated a rival as the king of Pruffia, and the opportunity of forming her troops to fervice, and perfecting her officers, were objefts of confequence enough to keep her clofely attached to her firft fentiments. Fermor now undertook the liege of Colberg, for the pur- pofe of obtaining a commodious depofit for provifions and ammunition ; but all in vain : feven hundred of the country militia bravely- defended that town againft a ruffian corps of feveral thoufand men, and the Ruffians retired, without making this conquefl:, to their winter- quarters in Pruffia and Poland : even there they were haraffed by the pruffian troops, who deflroyed feveral of their magazines. Poland was henceforth to be the country where the exploits of the next campaign were to be atchieved. Hither, therefore, the Ruffians marched, and hence they afterwards fpread themfelves over all the pruffian territory, [1759] under the command of count Soltikof, who had been 316 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. been appointed chief of the army, in the room of marftial Fermor *. Frcdtric's german domi- nions, and Silefia, becauie now the fcene of action. Fortified, in fome meafure, by the re- inforcements he had received, and in purfuance of his orders, general Wedel refolved to attack the Ruffians on their march. They had got to Zulichau towards the latter end of July, and directed their courfe to Kroflen in Silefia, to get before the pruffian army, and to make good the paOage of the Oder. The fituation of the Ruir;;.'is was very advanta;^eous ; pofted upon eminences, defended by a powerful auillery, and near fevcnty thoufand itrong. The pruffian army fell ffiort of thirty thoufand ; and they had greater difadvantages to get over than what arofe from the inferiority of numbers. They had a bridge to pafs,and ^uch a narrow defile to itruggle through, that fc.irce a third of a oattalion could march ia front. The ground was fuch, that the cavalry could not fupport their infantry. Yet with all thefe difficukies, the attack was long and refolute. But this refolution made their repullc, which all thefe diladvantages had rendered ine- vitable, far more bloody and diftrefsrul. Four thoufand feven hundred were killed or taken * Fermor now ferved under him. prifoners j HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 317 prifoners ; and the wounded .vere, at leaft, three thoufand. The Pruflians wer*^ obli'red to retire, but they were hot purfued : and they pafled the Oder without Tnoleftarion. The Ruihaiis feized upon the towns of KroiTen and Franioort on the Oder. Frederic now marched with ten thoufand of his beft troops to join the broken army of Wedel, in order to drive this formidable ?nd determined enemy from his country. Prince Henry commanded the remainder of his army, which was too well pofled to fear any infult during his ab fence. The eyes of all were fixed upon his march, and his foldiers who remem- bered Zorndorf, eagerly longed to try their (trength once more with the fame antagonifts, Marilial Daun, the auftrian general, was not unapprifed of the motion of the Ruffians, or the defigns of the king of PrufFia. He knew that the great defeft of the ruffian troops, was the want of a regular and hrm cavalry, which might be depended upon in the day of adion. This defect had been a principal caufe of their mis- fortune at Zorndorf the lafl year ; a misfortune which difconcerted all the operations of that campaign. As this was the only want which the Ruffians were under, fo i^ was that which Daun was beft able to fupply at a fhort warning. With 3l8 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. With this view he felecled about twelve thoufand of his horfe, and there is no better horfe than that of the Auftrians ; which, with about eight thoufand foot, he placed under the command of general Laudohn, one of the ableft officers in that fervice. This body was divided into two columns, one of which marched through Silefia, and the other through Lufatia. By extreme good fortune and conduft, with Httle lofs or oppofition, they both joined the ruffian army, and were received with tranfports of joy. In the meantime, the king of Pruffia, who was unable to prevent this ftroke, joined general Wedel at Muhlrofe, and took upon him the command of the united armies. But, ftill find- ing himfelf too weak for the decifive adion he was preparing to attempt, he recalled general Finck, whom he had fent fome time before into Saxony with nine thoufand men, in order to oppofe the Imperialifts in that country. With thefe reinforcements he was not able to raife his army to fifty thoufand complete. That of the Ruffians, fmce the junction of Laudohn, was upwards of ninety thoufand. They had befides taken a poft, which they had fo ftrongly en- trenched, and defended with fuch a prodigious number of cannon, that it was extremely difficult and hazardous to attempt them j yet, under thefe accumulated HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 319 accumulated difadvantages, it was abfolutely necelTary that he fhould fight. The detach- ments from count Daun*s army already menaced Berlin ; Saxony, which he w^as obliged to leave expofed, had become a prey to the Imperialifts ; and the Ruffians, united with the Auftrians, encamped before his eyes in Silefia, the beft and richeft part of his dominions. In fhort, his former reputation, his prefent difficulties, his future hopes, every motive of honour and of fafety, demanded an engagement ; the campaign, hafled to a decifion, and it was evident, that nothing farther could be done by marches and choice of polls. The fanguine temper of other generals has often obliged them to fight under difadvantages ; but the king of Pruffia's circum- ftances were fuch, that, from the multitude of his enem.ies, he was neither able to confult times nor fituations. Rafhnefs could hardly didate anything, which, in his condition, would not have been recommended by prudence. When the attack was refolved, the king"*; troops put themfelves in motion on the I2th of Auguft, at two in the morning ; and, having formed themfelves in a wood, advanced towards the enemy. It was near eleven before the action began. The principal effort of the king of Pruffia was againft the left wing of the ruffian army. 326 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. army. He began, according to his ufual methocf, with a fierce cannonade ; which, having had the efFe(5t he defired from it, he attacked that wing with feveral battalions difpofed in columns. The ruffian entrenchments were forced with great flaughter. Seventy-two pieces of cannon were taken. But flill there was a defile to be pafled, and feveral redoubts to be maftered, which covered the village of Kunnerfdorf. Thefe were attacked with the fame refoluiion, and taken one after another. The enemy again made a (land at the village, and endeavoured there to preferve their ground, by pufhing for- ward feveral battalions of horfe and foot : but their refiflance there proved not more effedual than it had done everywhere elfe j they were driven from poft to pod quite to the lad re- doubts. For upwards of fix hours fortune favoured the Prufiians, who everywhere broke the enemy with an unparalleled flaughter. They had driven them from almofl all the ground which they had occupied before the battle ; they had taken more than half their artillery : fcarcely anything feemed wanting to the mod complete decinou. The king in thofe circumflances wrote a billet to the queqn, to this effed ; " Madam, we have " beat the Ruflians from their entrenchments. 15 « in HISTORY OF RUSSIA. ^2t' *' In two hours expeft to hear cf a gloi-ious " vidory.'* This news arrived at Berlin jufl a^ the poft was going out, and the friends of the king of Pruflia throughout Europe, exulted in a certain and conclufive vidory. Meantime, for- . tune was preparing for him a terrible reverfe. The enemy, defeated in almoft every quarter^ found their left wing, fhattered as it was, to be more entire than any other part of the army. Count Soltikof therefore alTembled the remains of his right, and gathered as many as he could from the centre, reinforced that wing, and made a {land at a redoubt, which had been erected on a very advantageous eminence. No more was wanting to terminate matters in favour of the king, than to drive the Ruffians from this their laft: hope. But this enterprife was difficult. It was confidently faid, that the pruffian general? were unanimous in their opinion, that they fiiould not endeavour at that time to pufh any farther the advantages they had obtained. They repre- fented to the king, that the enemy was flill very numerous, their artillery very confiderable, and the poft which they occupied of great ftrength ; that his brave troops, who had been engaged fc long a time, in the fevereft adlion perhaps ever known, and in one of the hotteft days ever felt, were too much exhaufled for a new attempt 5 VOL. II. n an 322 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. an attempt of fuch extreme difficulty, as mitcht daunt even troops that were quite frefh. That the advantage he had gained would be as deci- five in its confequences, as that at Zorndorf ; and, whilft: the enemy filled the gazettes of their party with frivolous dllputes of the field of battle, he would be reaping, as he did then, all the effeds of an unqueftioned victory. That the enemy would be obliged to retire immediately into Poland, and to leave him at liberty to adb in other quarters, where his prefence was full as nerefiary. Thefe reafons w^ere very cogent, and for a few moments they feemed to have fome weight with the king. But his character foon determined him to a contrary refolution. He could not bear to be a conqueror by halves. One effort more was alone wanting to that vidlory, which would free him for ever from the adverfary which bad leaned heavieft on him during the whole of the war. Once more he pat all to the hazard. His infantry, flill refolute, and fupported by their late fuccefs, were readily brought to a<5l again. They drew on their bodies, fainting with heat and labour, to a new attack. But the enter- prize was beyond their llrength. The fituation of the enemy was impregnable ; and their artil- lery, which began to be fuperior to that of the PruffianSa HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 323 P'fuflians, on account of the difBculty of the ground, which made it impoffible for the latter to bring up any other than a few fmall pieces, re- pulfed thefe feeble battalions with a great llaughter* With an aftonifhing, perhaps with a blameable perfeverance, the pruffian infantry were brought to a fecond attack, and were a fecond time re- pulfed, and with a lofs greater than at firfl. Thefe efforts being unfuccefsful, the affair was put to the cavalry. They made redoubled, but ufelefs attacks ; the horfes were fpent, as well as thofe they carried. It was juft at that time, when the prufTian horfe was wafted by thefe fruitlefs exertions, that the greateft: part of the ruffian and the whole body of the auftrian cavalry, which had been hitherto entirely inactive, and was therefore quite frefh, rufhed down upon them, broke them to pieces, forced them back upon their foot, and threw the whole into irreparable diforder. The army was univerfally feized with a panic ; and in a few minutes thofe troops, fo lately victorious and irrefiftible, were totally difperfed and defeated. The king did everything to reftore the field, hazarding his perfon, even beyond his former daring, and prodigal of a life he feemed to think ought not to be feparated from conquefl. Thrice he led on his troops to the charge , two horfes Y 2 were 334 HISTORY or RUSSIA. were killed under him ; feveral balls were in his clothes. The utmofl efiorts of fklll, courage, and defpiiir were made, and proved ineffeclual : a fingle error outweighed them all. Scarcely a general, hardly an inferior officer in the army was without fome wound. That of general Seidlitz was particularly unfortunate ; for to that wound the failure of the horfe, which he commanded, was principally attributed. It was to the fpirit and condusfl of this able officer, that a great part of the fuccefs at Zorndorf had been owing, in the lafl campaign. It is known, that if it had not been for a feafonable movement of the horfc, the whole pruffian army had then been in great danger of a defeat. The night, and the prudent ufe of fome emi- nences, which were defended as vvell as circuni- ftances would admit, preferred the prufiian army from total defiruciion. However, their . Idfs was far greater than any which they had fuflained from the beginning of the war. All their cannon was taken. The killed, wounded, and prifoners, by the mod favourable accounts, were near twenty thoufand. General Putkam- mer was killed on the fpct. Thofe generals, whofe names were fo diflinguifiied in that war, Itzenplitz, Hulfen, Finck, Wedel, and Seidlitz, were among the wounded 5 as was the prince of . Wurtemberg, HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 325 Wurtemberg, and five major-generals. The enemy could not have fewer than ten thoufand killed on their fide. For hsn-dly ever was fought a more bloody battle. When the kins; of PrulTia found himfelf obliged to quit the fielii, he fent another difpatch to the queen, expreifed in this manner: *' Re- " move from Berlin with the royal family. Let " the archives be carried to Potfdam. Hie " town may make conditions with the enemy." It were vain to attempt to draw the pidure of the court and city, on the receipt of fuch news, in the midft of the joy which they indulged for the accounts they had received but a few hours before. The terror was increafed by the indidincl rela- tion that foon followed, which gave them only to underftand, that their army was totally routed ; that there v;as no account of the king, and that a ruffian army was advancing to take pofiefTion of their city. The day after the battle the king of Pruffia ^ repaired the Oder, and encamped at Retvin. Thence he moved to Furflenvalde, and placed himfelf in fuch a manner, that the Ruffians did not venture to make any attempt upon Berlin. He continually watched their army ; a part of which, inflead of turning towards Brandenburg, marched into Luf^\tia, where it joined that of the Y 3 Auftrians, 3^6 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. Auftrians. Here the viftorious Soltlkof, for the firft time, met marftial Daun, and amidfl re- joicings and gratularions, confulted about the meafures for improving their faccefs. The Ruffians profited no more by the advan- tages obtained at Kunnerfdorf, than they had done the preceding year by the victory at Yxgerf- dorf, but remained flationary in that diftrid, and demohfhed, according to cuflom, being ever intent on fpreading ruin and defolation around them, all the fluices of the Frederic- William canal, which conne£ls the Spree with the Oder. Marlhal Daun was for paffing the Oder : but he was over-ruled ; and thus furniflied another in- ftance, that the aullrian and ruffian generals do not readily ad in concert *. Soltikof excufed himfelf by alleging, that he had already done much : having in this year alone twice routed the Pruf- fians,and thereby extremely reduced his numbers, while the great auflrian army had remained totally inadive j and that therefore he ought not * This drflike totlie Auftrians might probably be in part afcribed to the complaints which, in the ftven year war, the court of Vienna was perpetually making againft the ruffian generals at that of Ptterfburg. This being at length per- ceived by the former, attempts were made, by flittcry and ' prefchts, to repair the union that hud been thus difl'olved — $00 hte. HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 327 to remove far from Poland, for fear of being didrefled by the want of provifions for his troops. Daun promlfed to fend him provifions : a pro- mife which, as the Ruffians kept advancing, he was unable to perform, efpecially fince prince Henry endeavoured everywhere to deflroy the auftrian magazines. Daun, who therefore had enough to do to provide for himfelf, now offered the Ruffians money : but Soltikof fent him word that his foldiers could not eat money ; and as, moreover, the king was doing his utmofl to prevent the junction of the Ruffians with the Auflrlans, Soltikof retired to winter-quarters ia Poland, without performing anything farther. His army alfo on this retreat committed incre- dible' outrages and cruelties, burning villages, the feats of noblemen, and feveral towns in Silefia and Brandenburg, fo that fmoaking ruins now likewife marked the way by which they abandoned the pruffian territory *. In the year 1760 the Ruffians marched into eaftern Pomerania, where they inverted Colberg * They were refolved, it was fald, to leave the pruffian fubjefts nothing but air and earth, and were aflually mak'ng preparations to put their iiihuman threats, imjuitifiable even in war, into execution. Frederic on this occalion faid, « We have to do with barbarians who arc digging tlie grave ** of humanity." Y 4 both 328 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. both by land and fea, and prefTed that city with a clofe and unremitted fiege j but again without ellecl. In the meantime another corps, under the orders of count Chernichef entered Berlin ; and the king of PruiTia at lad faw his capital taken by his mod cruel enemies, and put to ranfom ; his native coumry was wafted ; they took up their quarters in his palaces, ruined all the royal manufaflories, emptied the arfenal, and would have carried their wild outrages ftill farther againft the city and its inhabitants, had not general Tottleben, who had been formerly in the pruflian fervice, and lived fomctime in Berlin, a6led the part of a mediator between them and their enemies, and exerted himfelf to the utmoft to procure them a reprieve. The Ruf- fians, however, no fooner heard that the king was on his march to the fuccour of his diftrefled capital, than they turned about and withdrew to Poland, after the command had been given to count.Butturlin,in confequence of an opinion that prevailed even at St. Peterfbuig, and which had been corroborated by accounts from Vienna, that it was the fault of the rufftan commanders, that the combined forces of the two imperial courts had atchieved no more. Again in the following year [i2'6ij, the ■^uiTnns fuccced'jd in effe-'ling a junction with the HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 329 the Auftriam near Strigau. But the want of provifions fcparated rhe two armies ; when the Ruflians, having re-croffcd the Oder, now made themfelves mailers of the fortifications of Col- berg, which, though badly garrifoned, had been no lefs than ten times fummoned to furrender in vain, and took up their winter-quarters in Pome- rania, and the Neumaik. The affairs of the king of Pruffia were certainly at prefent in a far more calamitous fituation, than they had been at any period during the whole courfe of the war. The Auftrians had fpread themfelves over all Silefia, while the Mark and Pomerania were fubmitred to the ravages of the Ruffians : nothing remained to him but Saxony. Frederic too felt his diftreffes more heavily than ever ; he became fuddenly referved, fpeaking but little, even with his molt confidential officers ; and feemed now to appre- hend that it would be extrenwly difficult, if not utterly impoffible, for him any longer to make head againfl his enemies. But at the very mo- ment when his condition feemed the mofl: hope* lefs, the death of the emprefs Ehzabeth, which happened on the 25th of December 1 761, opened to him all at once a brighter profped, and refcued hiai from a labyrinth, out of which he could perceive no efcape, and from which it is hard ^;!,0 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. hard to conceive a pofTible means of being extri- cated by any human combination of events. So unfortunately circumflanced were the affairs of the king of Prufiia, that his wifefl fchemes and happieft fucceffes could hardly anfwer any other end, than to vary the fcene of his dhbefs ; when exactly in this critical conjundure, that unex-* pedted removal of his Inveterate foe took place ; and the very change thus effefted in the perfon of the ruffian fovereign, which fuddenly fnatched him from his lamentable condition, at the fame time laid the bafis of that honourable peace, which two years after crowned his toils, and completely annihilated the plans and machina- tions of his numerous enemies. Elizabeth, as emprefs, governed but little of herfelf; it being properly her minifters and favourites who dictated her regulations and decrees. Of this number, befides Beftuchef, was alfo Razumofdiy, to whom, as v\^as faid, the emprefs was even privately married. At the beginning of her reign, it is true, fhe went a few times to the fitrings of the fenate ; but the mat- ters tran faded there were by much too ferlous for her mind j and, accordingly, fhe very foon left off that practice altogether, contenting her- felf by confirming with her fignature the refolu- tions HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 33I tions of that alTembly, and the determinations of her minifler, or the conference, which fupplied the place of the council. Her character in general was mild, as v/as evident from the tears it cod her whenever fhe received accounts from Pruflia even of vi6lorie& gained by her own army, on, account of the human blood by which they mud neceflarily have been purchafed. Yet even this delicate fenfibility did not reftrain her from profecuting the war which fhe had entered into from a fpecies of revenge, and for the purpofe of hum- bling the king of Pruflia, and even on her death-bed from exhorting the perfons about to the mod vig^orous continuation of it. It alfo ' proceeded from this fenfibility, that immediately on her accefliou to the government Ihe made the vow never to put her fignature to a fentence of death. A refolurion which flie faithfully kept J though it cannot be averred to have been for the benefit of the empire : fmce in confe- quence of it the number of malefactors who deferved to die was every day increafmg, info- much that even the clergy requeued the empref;* to retract her vow, at the fame time urging proofs that ihey could releafe her from it. All the arguments they could ufe, however, w^erc of no avail to move the confcientious monarch ; file 332 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. Ihe would not give effed to any fentence of death *, although the commanders In the army particularly v/ould have been glad that her con- fclence had yielded a little on that point. They declared that the foldiers were not to be re- ftralned from their excefles by the feverefl cor- poral punifiiments they could employ; whereas fuch was their dread of a folemn execution, that a few examples of that nature would have effec- tually kept them in awe. Commerce and literature, arts, manufafturen, handicrafts, and the other means of livelihood, which had been foftered by the former fove- reigns, continued their courfe under Elizabeth with increafmig profperity. The country-pro- du^ls were obtained and wrought up in greater quantities, and feveral branches of profit were more zealoully carried on. The fum appointed for the fupport of the academy of fcienccs founded by Peter I. at St. Peterfburg, was con- * It ^s true, that, in lien of capital executions, puuffh- xnents were inflidted far nriore terrible than death, as for example, the tearing out the tongue by the roots. The commandant at Rogervyk had uuially ten thoufand male- factors under his care, all of thera ftiockingly mutihuc4» either by having the tongue torn out, or the fides ot the nodiils cm away by red-hot pi.icers, or their ears cut ofl, or their afjns twilled fcehitid thciu by dlflocation at the fiijiudcr?;, &c. fiderably HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 333. fiderably augmented by Ellzabefh, and ilie more- over efbdblifhed in 1758 the academy flill fubfifl- ing for the arts of painting and fculpture, in which a number of young perfons are brought up as painters, engravers, fiatuaries, archite<^ls, and the like. At Mofco fiie endowed an univer- fity and two gymnafiums. The emprefs Elizabeth herfelf having a good voice, mufic, which Anns had already much en- couraged, found under her adminiftration a per- petual acceffion of difciplcs and admirers ; fo that even numbers of perfons of didinclion at St. Peterfburg became excellent performers. The art of ading plays was now alfo more general among the RuUians. Formerly none but french or Italian pieces were performed on the flage of St. Peterfburg, whereas now Su- marokof obtained celebrity as a dramatic poet in his native language, and in 1756 Elizabeth laid the foundation of a ruffian theatre in her refidence. — Architecture, Ilkewife, found a great admirer and patronefs in her, Peterfburg and its .vicinity being indebted to her for great embellifhments and numerous ftruftures. The magnificence which had prevailed under Anne iit the court of St. Peterfburg was not diminifned during her reign, and. the court efla-. blifhment -34 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. bliihment therefore amounted to extrabrdin^ty fums. Elizabeth, indeed, in this refpefl did not imitate her great father; and accordingly in the feven-year war the want of a well-flored treafury was already very fenfibly felt. The population of the empire was confider- ably increafed under her ; and fo early as 1752, according to the ftatement in an account pub- lifhed by an official perfon it was augmented by one fifth. Elizabeth continued the praOice of her prede- ceflbrs in encouraging foreigners to come and fettle in her empire. Emigrant Serviaps culti- vated a confiderable trad of land, till then almoft entirely uninhabited, on the borders of Turkey, where they built the town of Elizabeth- gorod, and multiplied fo faft, that more recently [1764] a particular diftrict was formed of thefe improvements, under the name of New Servia. Only the jews Elizabeth was no lefs jefolute not to tolerate than her father had been ; info- much that fo early in her reign as 1743 they were ordered to quit the country on pain of death. The army was augmented under Elizabeth; improved, however, certainly not. There were now no longer at the head of it fuch men as the foreigners HISTORY 01' RUSSIA.. 3^5. foreigners Munich, Keith, or Loevendal * ; who, befides- their perfonal courage and hitrepidity, poiTelTed the founded principles of the art of war ; and, what is of no lefs confequence In a commander, kept up a flrict difcipline, and took care that the laws of fubordination were punc- tually obferved. The exceflive licence which the regiments of guards, particularly the life- company of the preobajenilioy guards, prefumed to exercife, under the very eyes of the emprefs in St. Peterfburg, afforded no good example to the reft of the army ; and Elizabeth, in appointing thofe foldiers of that life-company, who had been moft guilty of flagrant diforders and the bafeft conduct, to be officers in the marching regiments, gives us no very high idea of what was required in an officer, but rather ferves eafily to explain whence it arofe that fuch fre- quent complaints were made of infubordination. — - A great number of excellent regulations that had been introduced into the army, and * Munich was in Siberia ; Keith was gone into the pruffian, and LcEvendal into the French fervice. The em- prefs greatly regretted the lofs of the two latter j and un- queftionably they were the beft generals of her army, but they were often obliged to put up with affronts from the native Ruffians under Elizabeth, and had no friend in Beftuchef. always 33^ HISTORY OF RUSSIA. always enforced by foreigners, efpecially by Munich, were fuffered by the ruffian generals to fall into total difufe ; the bad effeds of which negligence were very foon perceived : and it was undoubtedly a circurnflance highly favourable to the ruffian troops, that for feveral years fuc- ceffively in the v/ar which we have had occafion fo often to mention, they had to engage with fuch a mailer in the military art as the king of Pruffia, and by their conflifts with him, as well as by their connection wiih the auftrian, and ia the fequel with the pruffian foldiery, they had an opportunity for learning fo many things and of forming themfelves into regular combatants *« As foldiers, the Ruffians, even in the feven-year war, difplayed great perfonal bravery, generally oppofing the enemy with the utmoft obftinacy. '' Thefe fellows may be killed, it is true," Frederic once obferved, " but they can never * Thus, for example, in an engagement with the Pruf- fians, they drew up in the fame order of battle as they ob- ferved in their wars with the Turks and Tartars, forming the whole army into a quadrangle, in the centre of which was the baggage. But the cannon balls made dreadful havoc with troops fo clofely compreffed ; one fnigle ihot is fald to have either killed or wounded 4.2 men of a regiment of grenadiers. — In fighting againft Tartars, who have in part no other arms than ajTOWS, this order of battle may perhaps be advantageous. c « be HTSTORY OF RUSSIA. . 337 ** be conquered ;'* for they flood like ramparts, defended themfelves valiantly at their pofts, and frequently would fuffer themfelves to be ciit in pieces rather than fall back an inch. But when once they were thrown into difor- der, it was out of the power of any officer to bring them to rally and fland their ground ; they then began to fall upon the brandy cafks among the baggage, with which they made themfelves fo beaftly drunk that they fired and cut at their oiEcers who were endeavouring to reflore order among them, or they difperfed themfelves over the fcene of aftion to ranfack the villages and rob the inhabitants, where they often met death as a reward for their impru- dence. Thus it was ufual for them, by their behaviour in the field of battle, in the camp, and in their quarters, to give a ftriking example of what a difcipHned army ought not to be. The art of engaging with heavy artillery was more- over that particular branch of military fcience, wherein the Ruffians had always been mofl ex- pert, and the fire of their cannon ftruck terror into the enemy. One of their generals, count Shuvalof, had, fliortly before the feven-year war broke out, invented a new kind of howitzer which produced the greateft effe6l, and in the feverai engagements with the Pruffia-ns, was VOL. II. z employed 33S HISTORY OF RUSSIA. employed greatly to the difadvantage of the latter. Elizabeth tarnifhed her reign * by the infli- tution of a political court of inquifition, under the name of a fecret (late- chancery, empowered to examine into and punifh all fuch charges brought before it as related to the expiefiion of any kind of difpleafure with the meafures of go- vernment. This, as is ufual in all fuch cafe?, opened a door to the vileft practices : the loweft and mo(i profligate of mankind were now em- ployed as fpies and informers, who were paid for their denunciations and calumnies, for bear- ing witnefs againft the mod virtuous characters, if they happened by a look, by a flirug of the fhoulders, by a few harmlefs words, to fignify their difapprobation of the proceedings of the fovereign, as was frequently the cafe, efpecially on the part which Elizabeth took in the war * The barbarities of the ruffian troops in the territories of the king of Piuffia were comnutted indeed during her reign ; but in this refpeft fhe may perhaps be thought in fome degree excu fable, as thefe horrors were perpetrated without her knowledge. It was at lead not her will that her troops fhould beliave in fuch a manner. She had given proper orders for a more honourable treatment of the inha- bitants of the hoftile countries — only thefe orders met with the fame fate that many thoufands, both before and iinee, have had, that of not being obeyed. againft HISTORY OF RUSSIA. , 339-^ agalnfl: Frederic II. Sons might impeach their fathers, debtors their creditors, and thus the prifons were frequently infufficient to contain the number of thofe who were accufed of a want of refpedt for the government, and of fome feditious fpeech, as every flight flridlure was immedi- ately called. — Elizabeth evinced, efpecially in the latter years of her life, great apprehenfions and alarms, as if afraid that fhe fhould meet a fimilar fate with that (he had brought upon Anne j and is faid therefore to have more than once curfed the memory of thofe who firft con- ceived the thought of chacing princes from their, thrones. — She is univerfally reported to have indulged, but more particularly for fome years before her death, in the mod unbounded intem- perance and fenfuality : however, fne continued in the undifturbed and tranquil enjoyment of her exalted ftation to the laft day of her life. At that period Charles Peter Ulric, or, as he is ftyled in his quality of emperor, Peter III. peaceably and legitimately acceded to the ruffian crown as her declared fucceffor. Peter III. was the only fon of Charles Fre- deric duke of Holftein, by the princefs Anne, elded daughter of Peter the Great and Catha- rine I. He was born at Kiel, in 1728; his parents having thought it prudent to quit Ruffia z 2 on 54^ HISTORY OF RUSSIA. on the death of Catharine T. their afleclionafe mother. Soon after Peter's birth his mother Anne departed this life. — His father on the demife of Charles XII. had every reafonable ex-* pedlation of being king of Sweden. Had the life of Cliarles been protrafled, and, as from his little propenfity to the female fex there was room to expeft, had not married, then probably the duke would have been his fucceffor ; but that monarch being fuddenly killed by a fhot before Fredcrikfliall, the views of Charles Fre- deric on the fwedifii throne immediately vanifhed,- though, as the fon of Charles's elder fifler, he had the nearell right. Ulrica, younger filler of C-harles, took the crown of Sweden, and the difappointed duke repaired to Ruffia. Peter I. would gladly have helped him in the recovery of his right j but his exertions were fruitlefs ; and that fovereign was even obliged, at the treaty of Nyftadt, to promife not to meddle cither diretlly or indireftly in the fucceflion of Sweden.' The duke was however hufband of the princefs Anne, and had fome hope to fee, on the death of Catharine L his wife, perhaps, Catharine's eldefl: daughter, emprefs of RufTia : but this hope alfo was defeated. Mentihikof, in order to keep up his confequence in the ad- miniitration, had fo contrived that the young Peter HISTORY OF RUSSIA. ^ 341 Peter was named as fucceffor in Catharine's will, to whom, only in cafe he Ihould die chlldlefs, Anne was to fucceed ; and, that this cafe might not eafdy happen, Mentihikof refolved to marry peter early. Neverthelefs, as Peter adtually died unmarried and without heirs, Anne might certainly have appealed to Catharine's teftament in fupport of her claims to the vacant throne. But file was now no longer alive, and her hufband the duke, u'ho lived in perfe(fi: retire- ment, feeing the pretenfions alfo of his fon Peter now totally fruflrated by the eledion of Anne dowager duchefs of Courland, brought him up in a manner befitting a prince of the petty do- mains of KoUtein-Gottorp, as fortune feemed to have cut him off from all hopes of acquiring a grander throne. Peter's education, therefore, at Kiel, firfl: under the care of his father, and then under that of his uncle, duke Adolphus Frederic, bidiop of Lubeck *, was fuch as pro- mifed to qualify him for an able and worthy ruler of his little patrimony ; when all at once in his fourteenth year, the mod brilliant pro- fpeft, that of being one day monarch of the vaft rufitan empire, opened upon him. Eliza- beth, the maternal aunt of Peter^ fent for the * Afterwards king of Sweden. ■ z'3 young 34-i HISTORY OF RUSSIA. young prince to St. Peterlburg ; and, on his arrival there, after he had publicly made pro- feirion of the greek communion, proclaimed him grand-duke of Ruflia, and her fuccelFor to the imperial diadem. The fame year, likewife, the Swedes had elefted him their king : an honour which he declined to accept ; and re- mained in Ruffia. Thus therefore the fon pre- fumcd to reject that crown for which the father had contended in vain ; and in lieu thereof obtained the reverfion of a ftill mightier realm, which the father had fuppofed to be loft to him for ever. Elizabeth then a£led fo far entirely as became a relation to her nephfew ; and flie really had a cordial affedion for the young prince. But certainly much more was incumbent on her than fmiply the calling of him to Ruflia, if fhe intended to form him for a fovereign, capable of being one day a bleffing to himfelf and to his people as her immediate fucceflbr. Here, however, flie was unpardonably negligent. In- ftead of giving Peter an opportunity for ftudying the train of ftate bufmefs in fo extenfive a monarchy as that of Ruflia, fhe kept him at a diftance from whatever related to the affairs of government. Diftruft and jealoufy which evil- minded perfons endeavoured to excite and to foment . HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 343 foment very foon begot a coolnefs between the aunt and the nephew j and Elizabeth more and more narrowed the fphere of Peter's adlivity^ inftead of guiding it, as (lie ought to have done, to objeds worthy of a future fovereign. She even fuftered him frequently to be in great want of money. No employment was therefore left for Peter, except the military. He was diligeat in exercifmg the guards ; but occupied himfelf principally with a fmall body of hoiflein troops that were quartered in Oranienbaum, and to whom he was more attached, as his country- men, than to the Ruffians, and they in return . (hewed greater fidelity and devotion to him. This reciprocal want of confidence between Elizabeth and Peter continued with increafmg efFeas, but more particularly in the hrft years of the w^ar of 1756. Peter, who had been perfon- ally acquainted with the king of Pruffia, enter- tained an unbounded reverence for that mo- narch : he could imagine nothing more valuable than his friendfliip ; of which Frederic alfo gave many teftimonies to Peter, and the grand-duke fulFered no opportunity to pafs, in which he could evince his veneration for his royal friend. Thefe fentiments, fo entirely oppofite to thofe of Elizabeth, neceffarily engendered parties in the court 5 and it could not be agreeable to the z 4 emprefs 344 HISTORY Of RUSSIA. emprefs, who wifhed from her heart to render all her fubjects the implacable enemies of the PruiTians, that even her fucceflbr fhould fet the example of difapproving her proceedings againil Frederic. When the ruffian army gained a vidlory over the Pruffians, and a tharikfgiv- ing was kept for it in Ruffia, Peter never appeared at the folemnity j but endeavoured, by publifhing more authentic accounts of the lolTes fuftained by the Ruffians, to abate the joy of the fubjecls : on the other hand, when the king of Pruffia defeated the Ruffians, he celebrated the day in feftivity with his foldiers and companions at Oranienbaum. This flriking partiaHty of the grand-duke for the pruffian hero may very eafily be fuppofed to have raifed apprehenfions in the mind of Elizabeth left Peter fhould, perhaps, by putting all to the flake, as fhe had done before, get poiTeffion of the throne ; to which (lie was inclined to fufpecl that Frederic might furnifh him with the bed advice. But Peter was not a man to bring fuch a defign to bear, if the plan of it had been fuggefted to him : he had neither courage nor refolution enough for it, as was afterwards feen at his detrufion from the throne. Thus much, however, may fafely be affirmed, that Elizabeth's diffolution caufed him no extreme regret, though certainly not fo much HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 345 much becaufe he was delivered by it from his very confined fituation, as becaufe he now ob- tained the opportunity of giving the king of Pruflia a more explicit and unequivocal proof of his friendfliip and efleem, by putting an end to the war carried on againfl him, than he had been hitherto able, by the important fervices he had rendered him during the war, and in en- deavouring in various ways, and as far as pof- fible, to alleviate the preflure of it. He fent to inform Frederic of his acceffion to the throne ; and the king, not content with barely felicitating him on the event, communi- cated to him his earned defire to enter on a negotiation for peace with hira. Though Peter inherited the crown from Elizabeth, he did not inherit with it her animofity againfl Pruffia, and therefore immediately fettled an armiftice with Frederic : he next addreffed himfelf to the allies of his empire to bring about a general peace with Pruffia ; and, on their refufmg tp hearken to his propofals *, he prefently after concluded a feparate peace between the courts of St. Peterfburg and Berlin, by the terms whereof Frederic had reflitution of all that the ruflian troops had captured in his dominions. * For the anfwers given by the feveral courts and other ftate papers during this reign, fee Life of Catharine II. vol. f. Appendix. Though ■546 HISTORY or RUSSIA. Though this was already much more than the pruflian monarch could have expeded, yet Peter {topped not here, but dire<^Uy proceeded even to declare hiinfelf the friend and ally of the king of Pruflia, and at the fame time fent orders to his troops to join the Pruflians, where they were to act under the immediate orders of the king. Thus the two powers, from the mofi: inveterate enemies, were now not only friends but even allies. A change which indeed excited univer- fal aftonilhmentjandat firft feemed incredible even to the contendhig armies, though it prefently impreffed itfelf on them as an undeniable fact. Frederic, however, did not make ufe of the Ruffians at this time : they once afforded him fignal fervice, though not till after Peter's death, and then not fo much by participation as by their inactivity, as may be feen from the hiftory of his fucceifor. By this peace the emperor did not acquii% many thanks from his country, as they coa- ceived he had afted too generoufly, and given away too much. The rejoicings were infinitely greater on account of the abolition of the fecret ftate-chancery, and the recall of all thofe who had been banilhed under the former * adminiftrations * Thus Bircn, Munich^ and Leilocq now obtained their freedom. HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 347 as the viclims of policy, or of the felfifli paffions of the rulers, and the intrigues of their minifters. The aftivity of Peter's mind feemed now to expand with his elevation ; and the ftate of inac- tion in which Elizabeth had kept her nephew, was fucceeded by a vigilance and energy highly honourable to the monarch. He enabled feveral new (latutes, and made many falutary regulations. Thus, in alleviation of the burdens of the people, he lowered the price of fait ; gave the ruffian nobility, whom he confidered as ftill in want of fome farther polifh, permiffion to enter into foreign fervice to improve themfelves in military exercifes, and to vifit foreign courts to correct and enlarge their notions ; for the encourage- ment of commerce he leflened the duties in the livonian ports, and inftituted a loan-bank to abate the preffure of exceffive ufury. He dili- gently vifited the feveral official departments of government, was induflrious in his application to ftate affairs, received petitions with his own hand — by all which he excited the general hope that the empire would be profperous during his reign. Yet, no^w-ithftanding his activity, through which a cerliafti hearty good- will to be ufelul to his country was manifeftly ap- parent, he (hewed, by his behaviour towards his wife, who greatly excelled him in intelleftual endowments, by his prominent partiality for the 34S HISTORY OF RUSSIA. the Germans, by the hafty regulations he in- troduced among the troops, particularly the guards, by his attempts to reform the . church and the clergy, by his perfeQ; indifference for popular opinions and prejudices, by his in- veterate hatred to Denmark, and by the war he projected for the pacification of it, that he had not the art of calculating the confe- quences of his actions as a fovereign, and of combining with his activity the necefl'ary quali- ties of wifdom and prudence. It was this want of prudence, which appeared on fo many occa- flons, though it was doubly neceffary to him as a german prince on the ruffian throne, that in- volved him in his fubfequent misfortunes, and finally brought on his ruin ; fo that he was de- throned without the lead oppcfition. Elizabeth had taken care early to provide a fit match for her nephew the grand-duke Peter. Her firft choice, as fhe was then in peace and amity with Frederic, was dire6led to the princefs Amelia of Pruffia, fifter to the king, as a con- fort, for her fuccelTor. Frederic, however, de- clined this honour ; and, in return for the con- fidence repofed in him, took the Hberty to fug- geft, that the princefs Augufla Sophia Frederica, of Anhalt-Zerbfl, a relation of the grand-duke would be a fuitable match : the connexion was accordingly brought about, Leftocq havmg a principal HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 349' principal fliare in the negotiation. This princefs, therefore, came to Ruflia in 1744, was baptized into the greek church, receiving at the cere- mony the name of Ekatarina Alexievna, and was married to Peter on the firft of September 1745. The new-married couple agreed toge- ther very well at firft ; but this marriage cer- tainly v/as not crowned with that complete and permanent union, which is founded on a fimilarity of fcntiment and charafler. Peter was rather unpleafmg and coarfe in his manners ; and had fallen into habits of intemperance : as thefe were highly difagreeable to Catharine, it was no diffi- cult matter for the court-cabal to weaken flill more the little afFe6lion that fubfifted between them, till at laft a mutual coldnefs and averlion enfued. Peter had ceafed to fliew any indulgence, efpecially fmce he became emperor, and indeed to obferve any decorum towards his fpoufe ; affronted and infulted her both in public * and in private, thereby continually more and more alienating her from him, and even talked openly of repudiating her, and of difmheriting her fon. His enemies, of whom he had a great many at court, failed not to reprefent his behaviour to * She was obliged, for inllance, to confer the order of St. Catharine on the couutcfa Elizabeth Vorontzof, witbt whom he carried on an intrioue. the 3^0 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. the emprefs in the moft odious light, to fan her diflike to him, to infpire her with a dread of him, and by thefe means to prepare her for adopting thofe meafures, which they reprefented to her as the only ones left to procure a deliver- ance. Peter was a German, and was fo little ac- quainted with the art of concealing his predilec- tion for his countrymen, fo plainly manifefted on all occafions his contempt for the Ruffians, that it was utterly impoffible for him ever to gain the attachment and affe6lion of the nation he governed. By his general conduft, and parti- cularly by his inordinate admiration of whatever was pruffian, he injured himfelf moft with the troops, and efpecially with the guards. The ruffian army had in the laft year feveral times defeated the Pruffians : and though thefe vido- ries were always more to be afcribed to the fupe- riority in numbers of the ruffian forces, than to their greater dexterity in the art of war, yet it was obvious to every man, that the Ruffians, confidering themfelves as conquerors ot the Pruffians, would naturally boaft of being better foldiers than the Pruffians. But Peter, notwith- ftanding, conducted himfelf as the difciple, as a general of the king of Pruffia, paraded frequently in the pruffian uniform, having already, while grand- HISTORY OF PRUSSIA. 35! grand-duke, exercifed his holftein troops ia the pruffian methods, and refolved now, on being emperor, to form the whole ruffian army on the model of the pruffian, made a beginning with the guards, gave his uncle, prince Lewis of HoU ftein, the chief command of them, intending through him and his holftein officers to effect a thorough reform in the military. The regi- ments of guards, finding their pride hurt by thefe proceedings, murmured not a httle. In addition to this, Peter dilbanded the life-com- pany of the preobragenilvoi guards, who had been fo highly favoured by Elizabeth, that his holftein foldiers might do the duty of a life-guard about his perfon ; ordered out the guards, (who were always kept in Peterlburg, as the gar- rifon of the refidence, and for guarding the im- perial palace,) to take the field againft the Danes. Was it then a matter of furprife, that the guards were not favourable to Peter 111. and that they did not (land by him at the revolution that followed ? The clergy likewlfe took umbrage at the con- duft of Peter,and became his enemies, pretending to difcerh, from the whole of his behaviour, that he was not a true greek chriftian. He had been brought up in the proteflant communion ; and, though in his fifteenth year he had conformed 7 to ^^i IirSTORY Off RUGSIA. to the orthodox greek church, yet the change had been not fo much from conviftion, as fof form, and from the neceffity of the cafe ; fc? that, notwithflanding he might have made him- felf mafter of the obfervances and rites of the greek church, yet in his heart he had probably retained his attachment to proteftantifm ; and was too little acquainted with the arts of hypo- cirify, to conceal his principles. But, alas, he Wanted to bring about a reformation, expreffed a defire to limit the worfiiip, and leffen the num- ber of the figures of faints, and required that the revenues of the facred order, particularly the chuvch-lands, fliould be better' managed. But how dangerous a thing it is for a ruler to fet about the extirpation of religious prejudices, and to give new limits or regulations to the authority' of the national clergy, all hiflory fhews. Peter the great, who made reforms in almofl every department, was obliged in this to give up fe- veral plans which he had adopted j and it vi^as- referved for Peter III. to feel the fatal effecls of haftily proceeding to fuch alterations. The archbifliop of Novgorod refifted him openly ; Peter deprived him of his dignity : but, this raifmg a clamour among the people, he, for the fake of preferving peace, reflored the prelate, and thus at once injured his own caufe^ fhev^ed the HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 353 the clergy the extent of their influence, and drew upon himfelf the hatred of that body, and with it the appellation of heretic : an oppro- brious epithet, which has never failed to deprive every prince who bore it of the love of his fub- jedis, by rendering them infenfible to his other merits, were they ever fo great. As Peter feemed but little inclined to accom- modate himfelf to the fentiments of the nation in ecclefiaftical affairs, which are apt to be con- founded with religion, he jfhewed no lefs con- tempt for the public opinion in other refpecls, particularly in regard to his coronation. He. delayed this ceremony from time to time, though, in the eyes of the people it was not till the coronation had been performed that he was ttie legitimate ruler of the empire. Even Fre- deric, his royal friend, advifed him to be crowned as foon as poffible : but Peter was deaf to all remonftrances, confidering it only as an indiffer- ent ceremony ; though, as being neceflary and important in the judgment of the nation, it' would have greatly added to his confequence and dignity. Another circumflance, by which Peter in-' curred the difpleafure of his people, was his pro- jeded campaign againft the Danes. He refolved to enforce the claims of his family to the terri-' VOL. II. A A torv ;^54 HISTORY OF RUSSIA. tory of Schlefvig which Denmark had entirely appropriated, as Catharine I. had formerly re- folved to do in favour of his father. But cer' tainly this was a rafli undertaking, unneceflarily involving Riiflia in a new and expenfive war ; and feeming to be not fo much the concern of the emperor of Ruflia, as of the duke of Hol- ftein, rather as a private controverfy than a ftate affair. Frederic difluaded him much from this war and offered his mediation : but Peter "was immovable. " I will get poffefllon of " the heritage of my fathers," faid he ; " it is " of more value to me than the half of the " rullian empire." This declaration, however, was not calculated to fatisfy the RulTians, who had already fhewn their difcontents in various ways *. They were angry that Peter had given up the con- * General Brown, to whom Peter had granted the patent of field-mar fhal, that he might carry on the war again ft the Danes in that character, told him bluntly, that this wai was contrary to the maxims of found policy, and the pob'tical cpnftitiition of Jlurope. Peter on this fnatched the patent out of his hand, and ordered him to quit RufHa ; three days after he fcnt for him back, took him again into favour, ant} difpenfed him from ftrving in a military capacity againft Denmark, faying, " I will fight alone for my rights." JJtfides, Denmark had long been afraid of a rupture with Ruflia, and fome of the ruflian nobles were even penfioned by that court for looking after its interefts at Peter/burg. quells HISTORY OF RUSSIA. 3^^ quefts made by their troops in Pruflia, without the flighteft coinpenfation, and for wanting to rufh into a new war ; that he had voluntarily fur- rendered what he had acquired there, and wifhed to put it to the fickle chance of war whether he fhould make any new acquifitions. It was no difficult matter for the party in oppofition to Peter to take advantage of thefe hoflilities, for which preparations were already begun, for-, reprefenting him as always ready to facri- fice the country's welfare, the blood and pro- perty of his fubje£ls, and the treafure of the empire, to his flubborn will and felfifh refent' ments. At the head of thofe who now united in ,af ^ confpiracy to dethrone Peter III. werp the bro^ " thers count Orlofs, count Razumoffky hetman of the kozaks, count Panin chief tutor (if the heir apparent, and the princefs Dafhkof.'* It afterwards appeared that the emprefs was likewife privy to the plot. This confpiracy was as little concealed from Peter, as formerly Eliza- beth's enterprife had been from Anne ; and Peter- • Ihewed the fame unaccountable carelefnefs as • Anne had difplayed. Both the englifh and prufTian minifters warned him frequently of it ' and Frederic gave him feveral hints in his .let^ ■ ters J but he flighted every caution of this nature. A A 2 as 356- HISTORY OF RUSSIA, as if pcrfedlly fatisfied that he was in no danger. It is true that fome of the perfons who were about him, particularly Razumoflky, contri" buted much to his carelefnefs at firft, in regard to the plot, and to the irrefolution he afterwards iliewed when it was put into execution, by pre- tending to be his friends, while they kept up an intelligence with the oppofite party, and there- fore dilVuaded him from embracing proper pre- cautions. It is probable that the foundation of the fcheme for removing him from the government was al-- ready laid while Elizabeth was yet living; and,aot being able to fuccecd in preventing him from the acceflion on the dcmife of that princefs, it was , — Prolpcft. — prefeiit appearance of the Kreml. — The ancient palace of the tzars. — The beautiful fleps>. — Churches. ' — Tombs of the tzars. — The great filver lullrc. — Portrait of the Virgin Mary by St. Luke. — Religious ceremonies and feftivals. — The monaftery Ci "ifchndof. — The convent of nuns of Vofnefenflcoy. — Tombs of the tzarcvnas. — The fynodal houfe. — The fynodal library. — The great Ivan. — The fenate lioufe. — The arfenal, — - The gates. Just in the centre of this great city ftands the Kreml on a confiderablc elevation on the bank of SKETCH OF MOSCO- 37I of the riyer Molkva. The profpedt hence on ihe fide of the river is not to be paralleled. Far beneath flows the Mofkva, the windings where- of may be purfued by the eye to a great dif- tance. To the right is the ftone-bridge, and to the left that of timber, on which the rattling of carts and carriages of all forts is inceflfant. Beyond this bridge the ftream is covered with barks, and from it may be furveyed a great part of the city. Here rife lofty palaces, worthy of adorning either Florence or Rome : there (land miferable huts that would be a difgrace to many a german village — a contrail which dif- tinguiihes Mofco from all other great cities in Europe. Gothic monafteries, with their gilded turrets on charming elevations, decorate both fides of the river ; and the beneficent foundling hofpital with its elegant modei^n buildings, in a lower fpot at the confluence of the Yaufa and the Mofliva, contribute not a little to diverfify and embellifli the grand pidure that prefents itfelf to the fpeciator. Of a quite difl^erent kind are the objedls rn the foreground^ but by no means lefs interefling to the view. Here (lands the ancient palace of the tzars, in which the brave Ivan, the magnanimous Mik- haila Romanof, the wife Alexey M;khailovitch, B B a the 372 SKETCH OF MOSCO. the gentle Feodor, and the great Peter formerly refided. It is built in the pure gothic flyle, but has nothing majeftic or impofmg in its appear- ance, as by reafon of its numerous angles and corners only a fmall part of it can be feen at once ; what it wants, however, In aftual mag- nificence is amply fupplied by the imagination and the recollection of the great perfonages who have here laboured at the growth and formation of RulTia. At prefent all here is filent and void : only Time with his ever-working fcythe feems to have made it his abode ; and in various parts the marks of his all-deflroying fway were already manifeft, when the emperor Paul gave orders to reflore this venerable feat of the ruffian monarchs, and to fit it up as a dwelling place for himfelf and his family. Some of the apartments of the tzarian palace ferve as a treafury, in which the filver and gold veffels, aiid other valuables of former times are preferved. Several others are made into armo- ries, containing arms, horfe-caparifons, and ac- coutrements of days of yore, and of various european and afiatic nations. The afcent to this palace is by the grand flight of Heps emi- nently called the red or beautiful Jlairs^ krafnoe kriltzo. In it is the great hall of audience, granovitaiya palata, and the potefhnii dvoretz. ('"^"^fure STRETCH OF MOSCO. , 2>7Z (pleafure houfe), which is now the kremllan pofl-office. The prefent view of the Kreml is ferene and folemn, to which the multitude of churches and monafteries undoubtedly contribute. The SoBORES, or cathedrals, are: Ufpen- Ikoi, to the afcenfion of Mary ; Blagovefcht- fchenflvoi, to the annunciation, with four cha- pels ; Archangehkoi, to the archangel Michael, with two ; Spalfl;:oi, to the faviour ; Streten- ikoi, to the purification : Spaikoi and Nikol- fkoi Galtunfkol : all richly provided with gold and filver church ornaments ; and in the third, befides the relics of the tzarevitch Dmitri, who was murdered at Uglitfh, and is worfliipped as a faint, are the tombs of feveral ruffian grand- princes and tzars. The tombs of thefe mo- narchs are of (lone, covered with red cloth, velvet, or fome coftly fluffs. At the foot of the tomb, in fliape like our table monuments, only rounded like a trunk inflead of being flat at top, is a filver tablet infcribed with the name of the prince who lies beneath, with the year of his birth and that of his deceafe. The curiofities of the cathedral dedicated to the afcenfion of Maria are : the monuments of the patriarchs, the great filver chandelier, and the portrait of the holy virgin, by the hand of B 3 3 tlie 374 SKETCH OP MOSCOo the artill and evangelift Luke. The chandelier, a prefent from the Venetians to Boris Godunof, weighs 2800 pounds, and is in fa6l a wonderful piece of workmanfliip. The portrait bears every appearance of very high antiquity. It hangs at the entrance to the facrifty in a filvcr (hrine, and is ornamented with a profufion of precious Hones. This church is in general one of the richelk in the empire in gold and filver decorations, and the facerdotal veftments that are here pre- ferved are of furprifmg magnificence. In this cathedral the ruffian fovereigns are crowned. Several other grand religious cere- monies are likewife here performed : as the foot- walhing on holy Thurfday, when the metropo- litan wafiies the feet of twelve priefts of the inferior order. Eafter eve is in no church fo folemnly attended as in this ; and extraordinary feflivals, fuch as the name-days of the imperial family, the celebration of fuccefsful events, vic- tories, kc. are kept with peculiar folemnity in this church. The other churches of the Kreml are either thofe belonging to monafteries or of the com- mon order, all lefs remarkable than the two already m.entioned. The whole number amounts to two-and-thirty. The SKETCH OF MDSCO. '375 The two monafteries of the Kreml are the Tfchudof for monks, in the wings of which the fpiritual confiflory meets, and the Vofne- fenfkoy nunnery, in which latter are the tombs of feveral tzaritfas and tzarevnas. The mother of tzar Mikhaiia Feodorovitch here terminated her hfe. The fynodal houfe, adjacent to the cathedral, in which formerly the patriarchs dwelt, contains the fynodal library, remarkable for having the greek manufcripts brought from mount Athos. All thefe churches and monafteries have a confiderable number of fteeples ftanding near them, with gilt or filver cupolas and crofles. Among thefe the belfry called the great Ivan, Ivan Veliki, accounted the higheft turret in Mofco, is mod confpicuous. It was built in the reign of tzar Boris Feodorovitch Godunof, has 22 bells of various fizes, and in a pit lies the largeft bell in the world, which was caft by order of the emprefs Anna ; it weighs 1 2,000 poods, and a piece was broke out of the rim by its fall occafioned by a fire in the year 1737. Adjacent to the Vofnefenfkoy nunnery ftands the palace of the Metropolitans, a modern edifice, built in the reign of Catharine. Two other handfome large ftru6lures adorn the Kreml. One the fenate-houfe built by Ca- B B 4 tharine 55" 6 SKETCH OF MOSCO. tharine II. a grand imperial work, in a noble modern flyle. Here the fenate and the facred college hold their fittings and keep their archives. A circular hall of this edifice, in which the aflemblies of the mofcovian nobilitv are held, is particularly remarkable for the excellent works in ftucco with which it is decorated. All round the hall are ftatues and groups in gypfum, that are certainly to be reckoned among the moft exquifite performances of the kind. They are allegorical reprefenrations in honour of the late emprefs, replete with beautiful and lofty fenti- ments, and executed in a mafterly manner. It is only to be lamented that this work is fo fra- gile, and fo little calculated to bid defiance to the deflrudive effedls of time. The roof of this hall terminates in a cupalo, likewife enriched with flucco decorations, completing the magni- ficence of the whole. The other grand building is the arfenal, Hand- ing oppofite to the former — a folid and com- pa6t edifice ; but fince it was damaged by a fire it remains in an imperfect Hate. However a beginning has lately been made towards its re- storation. The Kreml palace was oiiginally built of timber by prince Daniela Alexandrovitch in the year i^coj the grand-prince Dmitri Ivano- vitch SKETCH OF MOSCO. 377 vltch Doniiii re-conftruiSled it of flone In 1367, and Ivan Vaffillievitch, in 14S8, employed fome Italian architeds to enlarge the building, and give it the form in which it now appears. On the fouth fide it is watered by the Moflvva, and on the north by the Neglinnaiya. It is an irre- gular polygon with fuperb turrets in the gothic ftyle, being furrounded by a deep foiTe and lofty ramparts. It has a communication with the town by means of the Nikolfkoi and Spaflcoi gates on the eaft fide, the Troitzkoi and Boro- vitzkoi on the weft, and the Tainatzkoi on the fouth. On the Spafkoi and Troitzkoi gates are chime-clocks which Peter the Great caufed to be made in Holland. CHAP. III. The Kitaigorod. — Oilgin of this name. — Gates. — Cuftom houfe. — Exchange. — Number of fhops. — The government-houfe. — Pohce office. — The Zaiko- nofpaflcoi monaftery. — The academy for ilavonian, greek, and latin. — Sermons. — Merits of the metro- politan Plato in regard to the clergy. — Private houfes. — Streets. — Defcription of Bielgorod. — Origin of the appellation. — The allee. — Public edifices. — The pafkofikoi houfe. — Principal ftreets. — Bird market. From the bank of the Mofkva to the Neglin- naiya, the fecond divifion of Mofco, called KlTAl- 37^ SKETCH OP MObCO. KiTAiGOROD, runs in a fcraicirciilar forra round the Kreinl. The origin of this appellation is uncertain. The word Kitai (till fignifies in rufs China ; and as the commerce with that covmtry \vas formerly in a very fiouriihing ftate, it is probable that the name Kitaigorod attached to this quarter of the city, as there, among other commodities, chinefe goods were principally fold. Tzar Ivan Vaflillievitch caufed the buildings between the Neglinnaiya and the Molkva in 1538 to be furrounded with a rampart and an earth wall. This divifion is alfo in an eminent fenfe ufuaiiy ftyled gorod, the city. It is fur- rounded by a wall and a ditch, with four gates ; the Vofkrefenfkoi, the Nikolikoi, the Ilyinllioi, and the Varvarfkoi, by which it communicates with the other diftricls of the town. Kitaigorod is almoft: entirely filled with fhops or warehoufes, and the whole has the appear- ance of a perpetual fair. In the lower flory of the gigantic buildings the numerous fhops are huddled together ; the upper ftories ferving as lodging rooms, eating-houfes, taverns, and ware* houfes. They form the famous mart of Kitaigo- rod, which is too fmgular in its kind for not deferving a more accurate defcription. The outfide is furrounded by ar-cades, within which the principal tradefmen have their fliops. Beneath SKETCH OF MOSCO. 379 Beneath thefe, that is, under ground, are wine cellars, and here and there are gangways leading to the interior of this ftru£lure amidfl the intri- cate labyrinth of fmaller (hops of every fpecies. Here ftreets and rows interfeft one another without number, in which foreign commodities as well as inland produds and manufactures are expofed to fale. Each clafs of goods has its peculiar row. Here are the filver-fliops, fere- brennoye-riad ; the iron Ihops, jelefnoye riad ; the tin ihops, the leather fhops, the clothes fhops, &c. all that either luxury or neceflity can require is here to be had in abundance. The tradefmen lurk in thefe darkfome allies eagerly watching fuch as come to buy, and as foon as a paflenger enters them he is inflantly befet by a whole mob of them ; fome offering and recommending their goods to him, others forcing him into their (hops with poUte addrefs and importunity. In thefe obfcure rows caution and circumfpeclion are particularly neceflary if you are determined not to be cheated ; for in this place artifice and knavery have fixed their darling abode. Of thefe large nefts of fhops there are pro-» perly no more than two. Bcfides thefe, how- ever, are feveral prodigious buildings in Kitai- gorod — monftrous convolutions of Ihops, ware- 3S0 SivSTCH Or M.:SCO. ^varehou^cs, dwelling-houfes, and eating-houfes, Vii for example that of Grafnikof, that of Nikity Pavlof, that of Yublef and the excl^ange, which laft is an elegant modern fIruiSiure, lately re- built from the ground, and perfeclly correfponds with the magnitude of Mofco, and the opulence of its merchants. The number of all Hhe fliops and ware- houfes amounts to upwards of 6000. The other remarkables in the Kitaigorod are the government-buildings, the police-office at the Voikrefenikoi gate, in \vhich the feveral courts of judicature are held ; and the Zaiko- nofpafltoi mcnaflery in which is the academy for the ilavonian, the greek, and latin languages. This inllitution is dedined to the education of perfons for the church. The fpecimens deli- vered annually at public exercifes on appointed thefes, and in latin, greek, rufs, and german poetry, which are printed in honour of the name-feaft of its founder and patron the mc- tropolite Plato, difplay the fpirit of this efta- blifliment and the degree of excellence to which it has attained : yet while we acknowledge that both teachers and ftudents ftrive with great ap- plication and induflry to penetrate into the fanc- tuary of the fciences, we are obliged to confefs that they have chofen tlie path which is not exaclly SKT-TCH OF MOSCO. 581 .exadly the right. The fchohftic method of difputalion, the pra6lice of making infipid poeti- cal anagrams, epimonies, and acroflics anfwers no end but to cramp the genius, and which have long been rejected in other countries as idle amufements and the productions of a fah'e tafte. This feminary will never properly flourifii and prove a bleffing to Ruflia, till it fiiall flrenuoully adopt the more hberal and enlightened modes of indrudion which fo ulefully diflinguiflies its younger filler the univerfity of Mofco. One excellent regulation here, however, is confpi- cuous for its good effefts, and that is the ex- eicife of preaching. A fermon is delivered every Sunday in the church belonging to this mo- naftery. A practice very much wanted in Ruffia, as it is only at court, or in cathedrals, and thea but on very particular occafions that pulpit dif- courfes are given. The prefent infcitution owes its origin to the archbilhop and metropolitan Plato, who has acquired great i.ierit by his en- deavours at the general improvement of the ruf- fian clergy ; though a fchool was ere(5ted here in A. M. 7 1 68 by the patriarch Joachim Savelof at the command of tzar Feodor Alexievitch. , Eefidcs thefe public edifices the Kitaigorod contains a confiderable number of private houfes which are moftly inhabited by merchants and artificers, the palace of count Sheremetief ex- cepted. 3^^ SKETCH OF MOSCO* cepted. Here is alfo the cathedral Pokrof^ where the grand ceremony was anciently held of the entrance of the patriarch on palm Sunday *. The other cathedral is dedicated to the mother of God of Kazan. Other buildings are, the printing-office of the holy fynod, where church- books are printed, and where a coUeclion of very old ones is kept. From an infcription over the gate it appears that this houfe was built in 1645. ^^^° ^^^^ houfe appropriated to the cho- riflcrs of the fynod, the cuftonl-houfe, the corn magazines, and others. At the krafnaya plofcht- fchad, red place, 270 fhops of two (lories have been recently built. The whole number of fiiops in Kitaigorod is 4021 of brick, and 54 of wood* Oppofite the Spaflvoi gate is the place Lobnon, where on occafion of proceilions public prayers are performed. It has lately been new faced with granite. The principal ftreets of this quarter are the Nikolfkaia, the Ilinkaia, the Varvarka, and Mofkvaretzkaia, fo denominated from St. Ni- cholas, St. Elias, St. Barbara, and the river Moikva. BiELcoROD lies alfo on this fide the river Mofkva, and confifls moflly of brick, and fome of them elegant buildings. This quarter em- * Sec Life of Catharine IL appendix to vol. f. Noe I. braces SKETCH OF MOSCO. 383 braces the Kitaigorod in a femicircular form from the influx of the Yaufa into the Mofkva, to the bank of that river again. It was formerly called Tzaref, and probably obtained its prefent appellation Bielgorod or White-town, from the white wall or rampart which was built round it by order of tzar Feodor Ivanovitch in 1586, and at length pulled down on account of its ruinous condition. The vacant place is now furniflicd with an allee of trees and a canal which takes its rife at a fpring tv/o verfls beyond the parifli of Bolfchoi Muititfchtfch. This walk of birch and linden *trees is certainly better cal- culated for utility as affording an agreeable pro- menade, which is the more valuable as the ma- jority of the inhabitants of this enormous city live at the diftance of feveral verfts from any means of fo wholefome an exercife. The moft remarkable public buildings of this difi:ri6t are : the monafteries Vuifokopetrofflcy, the KreftovofdvifneRfkoy, the Slatoflenfkoy, and the Stretenlkoy. Nunneries : the Rofteftven- Ckoy, Ivanoffkoy, and Alexieffkoy ; the Nikit- fkoy, and the Yegorieffkoy. Seventy-two churches, and an armenian church built In, 1781. The univerfity of Mofco founded in 1755 by the emprefs Elizabeth, with two gym- nafiums, one for noble and the other for children of -584 SKETCH OF MOSCO. of various clafTes. Here are taught the ancient and modern languages, mathematics, philofo- phy, medicine, theoretical and pradical jurif- prudence, and theology. It has 1 1 flated and 5 extraordinary profeflbrs, 49 tutors, 64 (In- dents at the expence of the crown, and 18 at their own, 79 noble fcholars at the crown's expence, and 487 at their own ; 71 of various claflfes on the foundation, and 373 at their own expence. The laie emprefs Catharine II. de- voted 125,000 rubles to the enlargement of the buildings. The other flruflures are : the foundlirg- houfej the grammar-fchool, the pofl-office, the falt-magazine, the archives, the affignation-bank, the artillery-court, the printing-office of the fenate, the chief apotheke, the mint, Sec. The houfe of the noblemen's club has a mag- nificent hall able to hold about 2000 perfons. In the galleries and halls of the public theatre mafquerades are frequently given. A filk- manufactory of 24 looms and 65 mailer workmen, and 4 manufactories of play- ing cards. Among the private buildings PafchkoPs houfe, of which more will be faid prefently, is un- doubtedly the principal. The SKETCH OF MOSCO. 385 The largeft and finefl ftreets are: the Po- krofka, the Mafnigkaia, the Stretenka, the Pe- troffka, the Tverfkaia, the Nikitfkaia, the Mo- chovaia, and the Pretfchiftenka. The BIRD-MARKET, ochotnoi riad, deferves to be briefly mentioned. Here are fold finging- birds, dogs, rabbits, fquirrels, and all forts of domeftic animals. This trade is by no means inconfiderable, as in no place are there fuch numbers of fanciers of this kind as at Mofco* Nightingales, quails, doves, pigeons, and parti- cularly dogs, are frequently purchafed at incre- dible prices. Canary-birds are imported in great quantities by the Tyrolefe. The lowefl price for a common canary-bird is five rubles ; but when they are well taught, it is not unufual for them to coft from 50 to 100 rubles each. In this quarter are 378 (hops, 6 flone-bridges, and one of timber. CHAP. IV. The Zemlenoigorod. — Principal ftreets. — Slobodes. — Public edifices. — Infirmaries. — Surgical inftitution. — The hofpital for invalids. — The apothecary-garden. — The german flobode. — Its inhabitants. — Churches. — Schools. — The new lutheran church. — Dr. Jerb- zimfl g6 SKETCH or mosco. CHAP. V, Thf um'verfily. — ProfcfTors. — Curators. — Kheraflvof. — Gallltzin. — Turyenief. — Faculties. — Students. — Swor^ ftudents. — Half yearly examinations. — The gymnafium. — The academy ofniobles. — Tlic foundling-hofpital. — lucreafe of this inftitution. — Stru£lures. — Internal ellablilhment. — Dirctlioii. — Funds. — Diflribution into feveral ages. — • Number. — Facility of gaining admiffion for children. — Bene- fit of this inflitution. — Commercial fchool. — Bene- ficent care of her majefty the prefcnt emprcfs. — Exccflive mortality. — Caufes thereof. Young as the univerfity 'is, being founded in the year 1755 by the emprefs Eh'zabeth, it already evinces many marks of confirmed matu- rity, and the folidity of the fettled age ; and, furprifmg as it may feem at fo early a period, fhe rifes from year to year to greater excellence. While the univerfity reckons among its profeff- ors fuch men as Barfof, Matthasi, Schwartz, Schade, Rofl, Tfchubataref, Antonfky, Baufe, Heym, and curators of fuch liberal and enlight- ened minds as Schuvalof, Meliflino, Kherafkof, and Gallitzin, who have contributed greatly by their talents to bring it to its prefent refpedlable {late, no doubts can be entertained of its far- ther SKETCH OF MOSCO. 397 ther progrefs. Of thefe latter Kheraskof fliines foremoft as one of the moft diftlnguiflied authors in Ruflia, in the department of belies lettres. He is at prefent the fenior curator. In the fame rank with him (lands prince Gal- LiTziN, a kinfman of the actual founder of the univerfity, the firfl lord of the bedchamber, Schuvalof, He was educated abroad, chiefly in France. The dire<5lor Turyenief underftands fever al foreign languages, and is an active labo- rious man, who has the profperity of this feat of learning much at heart. The univerfity has only three faculties : phi- lofophy, jurifprudence, and medicine ; as for the ftudy of theology there are particular femina- ries, in Mofco, in the Troitzkoe monaftery, in Kolomna, Kief, kc. The number of young men who follow their fludies at the expence of the crown amounts to fifty : thefe ftudents, as well as mod of the profelTors, refide in the univerfity, which is a large elegant edifice fitu- ate on the Mochovaiya, occupying, with its col- lateral buildings, a very confiderable fpace. The ftudents are divided into two clafTes, one called fimply students, the other sword- STUDENTS, the fword, with which certain privileges are connefted, being diftributed as a reward to the more deferving. Nor has there hitherto 39^ SKETCH OP MOSCO. hitherto been an inftance of this mark of honour having been mifapplied, as frequently happens at the german academies, where every one wears it on being matriculated. The diflribution of the fvvords, as well as the gold and filver medals^ and the books, which are conferred as recom- pences for induftry and good conduct, is made at the great half-yearly examinations, when the ftudents are obliged to give various proofs of their proficiency ; a pradice indubitably produc- tive of beneficial effeds, and which might be ad-^ vantageoufly introduced into other univerfities. The GYMNASIUM, which is connefted with the univerfity, ferves ir as a feminary ; the mod advanced of the fuperior clafles being admitted therein as ftudents. The number of fcholars at the gymnafmm amounts to fome hundreds, of whom 150 are maintained by the crown; the reft have likewife their inftruftion free of ex- pence. The fons of decayed noblemen, eccle- fiallics, fcribes, ftewards, and petty merchants attend this fchool on account of its cheapnefs. But wealthy nobles and rich burghers fend their children to what is called the noble aca- demy : an inftitution originally not within the plan of the univerfity, but which was fet up by a few profeflbrs as a collateral employment, but is now united with the univerfity. It is in a very flourifli- ■SKETCH OF MOSCO. 399 Eourlflilng (late, and numbers about i5opupils4 The infpeclor of this inflitution is profeffor An- tonlky, in all refpecls a very diligent and fit perfon for that ftation. The FOUNDLING-HOUSE fomis an elegant counterpart to the univerfity. This beneficial foundation is continually increafing in {lability and extent : a circumftance partly owing to the wife and well-digefted plan on which it is framed, but partly likewife to the rare felicity of having had at its head, almofl without exception, pru- dent and upright governors. The habitations of the foundlings, their over- feers, teachers, and nurfes, the church, the ma- gazine, breweries, bake-houfes, kitchens, bath- ing-rooms, hofpital-wards, &c. compofe all to- gether a little town; as the circumference of all thefe buildings comprizes above three verfts. Thefe feveral buildings are fubftantial, commo- dious, and handfome. Only the diftrict in which they ftand, at the confluence of thd Yaufa and the Mofkva, is damp and marfliy. The internal-difpofition is excellent. The greateft cleanlinefs and order everywhere prevail ; due in{lru£lion in everything necelTary for a burgher to know ; the utmoft attention and care, in re- gard to the health of the children, are the ilriking characleriflics of this inflitution* The 40d SKETCH OF MOSCO. The emprefs takes upon her the chief infpec- tlon of the foundling hofpital, and under her count Sievers direds the whole ; an aftive and liberal nobleman, known in Europe chiefly by his embaiTy in Poland during the diet at Grodno. Under him is a council confiding of the chief director and three wardens. This council ex- pedites everything relative either morally or phyfically to the eftablifhment. In fubordina- tion to it are the cenfor, the ceconome, and the principal accountant. The cenfor is the chief infpe£lor over the education and inftrudion ; the bi Gnefs of the ceconome and the principal accountant, is fufficiently clear from the names of their office. The funds of this inflitution are a lombard, a tax upon all public entertainments, as plays, Vauxhalls, &;c. and upon cards, which are ftamped by the foundlinghoufe. Thefe two taxes are very produ6live. The houfe too has feveral manufaftories. In which the work is per- formed moflly by foundlings. Over the girls is a chief infpedrefs, under tvhom are the other infpeftrelTes and nurfes, as the girls and boys are kept carefully feparate. Both the one and the other fex are divided into different ages. Each of thefe ages has its pecu- liar employments, paftimes, and ledions. The in(lru6lion in fciences and languages is con- 7 ducted SKETCH OF MOSCO. 40f dliiSled by tutors both with the boys and the girls ; but always apart. The latter are taught the feminine arts by women, and every age has an infpeftrefs and a nurfe, as the divifions of the boys are provided with their overfeers and nurfes. The v/hole number of the foundlino-s o is upwards of 50C0. At every hour of the day and the night, children are admitted, without the leail objeftion or inquiry. Nothing but a ticket is required, intimating whether or not the child has been baptized ; and^ if it has, fignify- ing the name it received. Here are alfo wards properly fitted up for lying-in women, who are delivered by expert midwives free of all ex- pence. It is not to be defcribed how much this con- venient inftitution is frequented. Not only the fruits of forbidden interccurfe are here depofited by high and low, but alfo numbers of indigent married perfons, fearful that they may not be able to provide food and education for their children, commit them to the care of this cha- ritable eftablifliment, where they are not only maintained, but brought up to become ufeful members of fociety. Since the lirfl inllitution. of this hofpital, a period of more than forty years, not one indance of child-murder has been detected in the whole circuit of Pviofco. VOL. II, © D A SCHOOL 403 SKETCH OF MOliCO. A SCHOOL OF TRADE AND COMMERCE IJT connected with this ellablifliment, which owejr its foundation to the generofity of a wealthy proprietor of iron-mines, the late Prokopy Di- midof. A capital of two hundred and five thou- fand rubles was the fund which he prefented tO' its endowment. In this fchool, a hundred fons of poor merchants are maintained, and taught from their earlieft youth the bufinefs of the counting-houle, and the languages of FAirope. Several mercantile houfes in Mofco have already- been furnilhed with able clerks from this infti- tution. The foundling houfe has been principally be- nefited, fince her majelly the prefent emprefs- Maria Feodcrevna has beftowed fuch great care and attention in removing the abufes that had crept in, and for the refloration of order in its- feveral departments. She has particularly ex- erted her endeavours to put a (top to the caufes of that exceflive mortality, which indeed was a great reproach to this ufcful inditution. For, though no bills of mortality were ever pubhflied , of the foundling-houfe, v^hich, by the way, was a ftrange ncglecl, confidering the general regu- larity that prevails in this place, and the number of phyficians belonging to it, yet it is eafy to conclude, from a variety of circumdances, that ths SKETCH OF MOSCO. 403 ^he mortality in the foundling-houfe mufl: be ex- ceedingly great. The caufes of it, befides the damp and unwholefome fituation of the place, appear to be the following. Firfl:, a great part of the new-born children are configned to nurfes in the country till they are weaned. However rational and proper this practice may feem, it is attended with dreadful effedls ; as the poor chil- dren are entirely trufted to negligent, generally hard and infenfible women, and no farther con- cern is taken about them. Having once re- ceived their pay for nurfmg, their end is an- fwered, whether the child live or not. Perhaps fcarcely a third of the babes given to them ever came back. It is now ordered, that a furgeon fhall go round the villages where the children are kept. In the next place, it feems impoflible, that a wet nurfe fhould give proper fuck to feveral children at once ; and yet it often hap- pened that one wet nurfe had three or four children to nourifh. The emprefs has reformed this abufe iikewife. And laftly, the infpeftors and phyficians were perhaps in many important refpctils rather too carelefs. They feeraed to think that they had nothing to do with the poor children,^ except when they were ill in the fick wards ; whereas certainly a concern for the health of the children in fuch an infiitution ought to be inceifant and univerfal. D D 2 4C4 SKLTCH OF ISIC^CC. CHAP. VI. The tlicatTf. — Maddox. — Rooms for mafqucrades and concerts. — The Infidc of the theatre. — Boxes. — Pit. — Price. — Actors. — Comparrfon of the ruS- fian aAors with the german. — perional qualifications of the aftors. — Afchohin. — The Mdnik. — The Sbitenfchtrchik. — Pomeraiitzef. — Schufcherin. — Ponamaref. — AftrefTes. — Sinlcfflcy. — Naffova. — Kolagribova. — Plays. — Original. — Tranflations. Kotzebiie's pieces. — Ballet. — Decorum of the pit. — Clapping. — Noife at the reprefentation of unlnti- refling pieces. An Eriglilhman, named Maddox, is the pro- prietor and manager of the theatre. He came to Mofco about 0ve-and-twenty years ago, as a rope-dancer, poflure-m after, and performer of ileight of hand. Without money, without know- ing the language of the country, unacquainted with the manners and difpofitions of the Mof- covitcs, he ventured to open a theatre j and from his induflry, his vcrfatile genius, and per- haps hkevvifc by that fortune, which is faid al- ways to favour the bold, his undertaking was crowned with fuccefs. He foon obtained fo much credit as to enable him to ere6l a new theatre, from the ground j a flruclure which- for elegance SKETCH OF MOSCO. 405 elegance of architefture, as well as for dimen- fions and folidity, may vie with any in Mofco. Eefides the theatre it contains concert and af- fembly-rooms, in which the new mafquerade- room is particularly diftinguifliable for its mag- nificence. This hall, which is of uncommon magnitude, and conveniemly holds feveral thou- fand perfons, alone coft fifty thoufand rubles. The THE.4TRE is perhaps one of the larged in Europe. Befid-es four flories of boxes, it has two fpacious galleries. The pit has two feries of benches, extending to the main entrance down the middle, having at the fides inclofed feats ; and yet there is a confiderable vacant fpace remaining. The boxes are moflly deco- rated with fumptuous -damrafk hangings, and furnifhed with mirrors and pendant luflres. The generality of them have fxlk curtains, form- ing altogether a fuperb and brilliant view. They are annually let for a certain number of repre- fentations ; thev are however to be had at a ftated price on other days, for particular occa- fions, at the performance of a new play, or of one that is eminently admired. The annual rent of a box is from three hundred to a thoufand rubles and upwards. Admittance to the pit a ruble. — Prices which fufficiently , ihew the expenfivenefs of the amufements, I) D 3 as 406 SKUTCPI OF iMOSCO. as well as the luxury of Mofco. For It fcldon\ happens that a box is unltt ; and the pit is generally full. The a£lors and adlrefles here are not held in that high adeem which they enjoy in Germany, and other countries of Europe by the admirers of their art : on the other hand, however, no prejudice is entertained agalnfl them, fo as to exclude them from genteel company, or at leaft to bring them into contempt with certain clafles of fociety, as is (till the cafe in fome parts of Germany. The aclor, like any other artift, is efleemed by both the quality and the common- alty here, according to his merit ; though neither himfelf nor his art i^^ idolized to the dil'advantage of other talents. On the contrary, he is gene- rally clafled lower than tlie poet, the painter, and the elegant fcholar. However, he need nowhere be afhamed of his profeflion, and it is never made a matter of reproach to him. If he be otherwife a good and peaceable member of fociety, he enjoys all the advantages of it, and fiands as high in the public opinion as any other man. His profelTion is no obflacle in his way, J^o popular prejudice keeps him down. In all civil relations he finds credit and confidence if he be otherwife deferving of them. He can quit the theatre, and may expect every fuitable provifion •SKETCH OF WOSCO. 407 provilion to which his talents give a right to pretend. I know not which has the beil of it, the german aclor, who is on one fide extolled to the fkies, and on the other funk down to the bottomlefs pit, or the ruffian performer who quietly makes his way among his friends and countrymen like the rdt of mankind. The performers in Mofco are not fo nume- rous as they might be. The principal parts are but moderately filled, and fome that are not infignificant lie entirely fallow ; for inflance, the parts of the artful parafite. The mod eminent adors are Afchokin, Pomerantzef, Schufcherin, and Ponam.aref. AscHoKiN, a very good comic performer, is particularly great in the national-comic fcene, and his ufefulnefs is the more confiderable, as he fmgs. His capital parts are undoubtedly the miller in the Melnik (the Millerj, and the old guardian in the Sbitenschtschik *. Both pieces are national operettas. The chief part in the former is the Miller, from whom the piece has its name. Together with his proper * Sbiten is a liquor msde of honey, pepper, and water, which in winter is carried about the ftreets, as mead is in fummer. It is contained in a large glafs decanter, and ■ferved in tumblers to the cuftomers. The vender of this 4rlnk is called Sbiten fchtfchik. D D 4 trade 4o8 SKETCH Ol- MOSCO. trade he exercifes the art of fortune-telling and of go-between. Nothing can be more natural and true than Afchokin in this part. The guardian in the Sbitenfchtfchik is an old covetous mer- chant, who rcfolves to marry his young and rich ward ; but fiie, as ufual, is fnatched from his clutches by a poor but young and dcferving officer. This character is not unfrequently met with on the theatre of other countries, and in fome is well performed ; but here fo much of the national peculiarities is interwoven v.ith it, that it is in feme degree new. Afchokin plays it incomparably. Pgmerantzef's parts are generous fathers. He is in the higheft reputation of all the aclors, as to his profefTipnal talents he adds a profound knowledge of the dram?., and an excellent theory of his art. His triumphant part is the Painter in the german play of the Father of the Family. Pity that his organs of utterance are too weak fcT this large theatre. ScHuscHiiRi.v, a weil-fiiaped man, plays the principal lovers and heroes. Figure, powers c^f declamation, talents, all concur in rendering him an accomplifhed ador. His favourite part o/all js Wilhelm in the Kind der Liebe* by Kotzebue. * Acted in Loudon under the name of Lovers' Vows. He SKETCH OP MOSCO. 40!) He is rivc.iled by Plabilfchtfchikof, who plays alfo kings and heroes. PoNAMAREF, a comic a^tor. His parts are intriguing and diverting fervants, droll tutors, ridiculous pedants, &c. A fly and officious in- termeddler in the above-mentioned Sbitenfcht- ichik is one of his principal parts. He likewifc plays excellently Ghita in the opera Cofa Rara. Of the aftreflfes the mod diftinguifhed are madame Sineffl^y, Naflbva, and Kolagridova. Madame Sinefsky (now Zakharof) performs the parts of the principal female lover with tolerable fuccefs ; but (he is deficient in voice. In general fhe fhews more fcience than talent. B§fides, fhe is no longer in her prime. Ma- dajfne Nassova plays the parts of the romp and the fmiple country girl 5 and this depart- ment is cxaftly fuited to her. She is, perhaps, the bed female performer at this theatre; her excellence, however, arifes more from nature than from art. Laftly, madame Kolagridova excels in Mrs. Siddons's line of parts, and leaves all her filler performers far behind her, in what relates to art and acquired abilities. It is not neceflary to particularize the inferior Victors. It mult not be forgotten, however, that the number of excellent players has lately had an acceffion of two by the engagement of San- DUNoi- and his wife. Madame Sandunova is peculiarly 410 SKETCH OF MOSCO. pecuHaily ravifhing in her performance of Ghlta in the Cofa Rara. She fmgs to admiration, and is in general a complete actrefs. Among the pieces reprefented, the originals are but few : moft of them being trani]ations from the germans and englifli, particularly the former. The mod favourite, befides the Mel- NiK and the Sbitenschtschik, which have been already mentioned, are the Nedorosl *, and the Brigadier, both by Van Wifm, and Dmitri S-<^mc)^van£TCH, the Falfe Dmitri, by iCherafkof. This lafi: is a tragedy, of which the plot is taken from the ruffian hillory. The two pieces by Van VxTifm are comedies, and ad- mirably paint the national manners. The tranflationjs that have been attended with moft fuccefs at this theatre, are Emilia Galotti, Mifs Sarah Samibii, Minna von Barnhelm, Clavigo, Beverley, Mariana, and above all the dramatic produQions of Kotzebue : Menfchen- hafs und Reue f , the Papagoy, the Kind der Liebe, Armuth und Edelfmn, i. e. Poverty and Generofity, and Die Lafterfchule, or the School of Vice, which arc become the favourite pieces * Nedorof] figmfics a minor, a pupil, or a lad ; but throiigliout this play it fecms to be the Spoiled Child. f Performed on the Engllfii ftage under the title of the Strangei- of SKETCH OF MOSCO. 4II of the mofcovite public. Thefe have all had a great run, and are ftill performed to fuch crowded audiences, that numbers cannot gain admiffion when a play of Kotzebue*s has been announced. No dramatic poet, whether native or foreigner, has here ever attained fuch a height of celebrity as Kotzebue. His name is never mentioned in the politer circles without enthufiafm, and if that be the furefl tell of excellence, this writer mull be a paragon of perfedion. At any rate, it may fuffice as a fpecimen of the tafte of this capital in the department of the drama. The BALLET is defervlng of particular notice, as being by no means of an inferior quality. It has gained confiderably under the management of i-he ballet-mafter Pinucci, who has had it for fome time. Both the male and female dancers are admirable ; the fcenery and decorations are good, and fome by the famous fcene painter Gonzaga, are real mafter-piects. Occafionally, however, we are not entirely fatisfied with the wardrobe. The pit is here, perhaps, in many refpe^t:^. one of the moft polite that can be anywhere Teen. The ears are never rent with thofe noify marks of difapprobation, which do not correft bad aftors, and which diflrefs and overpower the inexperienced and timid. The bad or negligent 5 performer ^12 SKETCH OF MOSCO. performer is here never clapped ; \vhich Is furely puniihrr.ent enough for a finner not quite incor- rigible. He will doubtlefs take all polTible pains to improve himfelf, that he may obtain a (hare in the triumphs of his colleagues, unlefs he be lofl to all fenfe of honour and difgrace ; and in that cafe all the hooting and hifiing in the world will never amend him. He is either incapable or fhamelefs, and confequently unfit for the llage. Even the clappings of approbation do not fo fre- quently diHracl the attention as in m.any other theatres, and, v/hlch deferves to be noticed, are much cftener direded at the poet than at the per- former. A fnrewd remark, a v.'itty repartee, or an uffedling fentiment, is fure of being clapped, even though coming from the mouth of a very indifferent performer. There is one thing for which both boxes and pit are extremely cenfurable ; and that is, when the piece is not one of the moll admired, fo much talking is heard among the company, that nothing can be underftood of what is paffing on the ifacre. On fimilar occafions filence would be c .raanded in a peremptory tone at an englifli or a gcrman theatre ; but the Mofcovitcs are far too polite for that. SKETCH OF MOSCO. 4I'\ C H A P. VII. • Literature and bookfelling. -— Univerfity bookfhops. — Bookfhops in KItaigorod. — The fenate-printlng office; — • That of the fynod. — Ruffian original compolitions. — Kheralkof 's works. — GoHikoi 's life of Peter the Great. — Karam'in. — Literary periodical publications. — Political newfpapers. — Schirach's political journar* — Tranflations. — Hcym. — Baufe. Literature, in general, not being as yet arrived at that degree of eftimation, which it has attained in other cultivated nations of Europe, it is no wonder that authorHiip and bookfelling are in lefs confideration here than elfewhere. Befides the univerfity-fhop, which is the moft confiderable, there are indeed a number of book- ftalls in Kitaigorod, but the generality of th^m contain only fpiritual writings, colledions of popular ballads, and fome old romances, which have been long in poffeflion of the public admi- ration. The privileged printing-offices are three in number, namely, thofe of the univerfity, of the fenate, and the fynod ; of v/hich the fird is par- ticularly employed in works of literature, as the fenate -prefies print little elfe than ukafes, and thofe of the fynod are confined to books of devo- tion 414 SKETCH or RfOSCO. tion and fpiritual edification. Some privatcf printing-offices have been abollflied by the later uliafe of cenfure, in purfuance whereof only privileged printing-offices are tolerated. The chief original works in rufs, that have appeared within the lail ten years from the uni- verfity-prels, are the following : Kherashkof's works ; containing romances, poems, and plays. They compofe feveral volumes, and are juftly much efteemed. Gollikof's hfe of Peter the Great j a volu- minous work. The former parts of this piece of biography are far fuperlor to the latter, which are nothing more than a chaos of records, docu- ments, anecdotes, critiques on other authors who tiave handled the fame lubjed, Szc. which fcarcely any one will have the patience to read through. This work, however, is not without its value, as a (lore of archives relating^ to the reic:n of that o o hero, and may hereafter become a good fource to fome biographer o^ tafle : the author being a wealthy merchant, retired from bufmefs, who '-has applied his leifure, his abilities, and fortune, folely to this performance. With great pains, and at much expence, he procured a large col- Jedion of the tzar's original letters, which, though the major part of them are perfeftly 'infignificantj he revered as fticred relics, and has printed SKETCH OF MOSCO. 4f^ printed In his work with diplomatical exaclltude. Almofl the whole of what concerns the great monarch is taken from other writers j and, as he is entirely unacquainted with foreign languages, he has procured whole books to be tranflated for this purpofe. In Ihort, the biography of Peter the Great has been the buOnefs of his ■whole life, and there is reafon to fuppofe that fuppiemental volumes will continue to appear till grim death fliall fnatch the pen out of his hand. The writings of Karamsin, a young man who cultivated his talents abroad^ make a great noife. His firfl effays appeared in the Mofcovian Journal, a periodical work of which he was the editor. Light poetry is his department, and he has produced feveral pieces in that way, that have met with deferved approbation. Some of his little fentimental (lories, as Julia and Eliza^ have been tranflated both into french and german^ He feems to have formed himfelf chiefly on the german Anthony Wall, whom he perfeftly refembles, both in genius and purfuits. Like him he has written bagatelles, and adapted Mar. montel's moral tales to the manners of his coun- try. Of late an almanack of the mufes, under the title of Aonides, has been publiflied annually b)( him, which ferves as a repofitory for his own- lit tla 4i6 Sketch of Moscm little effufions, and the fanciful flights of a fe\t^ mofcovite youths of his acquaintance. There are no fuch things as ruffian Journals and literary periodical publications. The only attempt of this nature that has ever been made^ was the Mcfcovian Journal by Karamfin, which was afterwards continued under the name of Aglaia. But its tranfient duration has fhewn, that thefe excrefcencies of fuperior cultivation will not yet flourifli in the climate of Mofco. The political newfpapers that appear twice a- \veek, contain accounts of the new publications, occafionally accompanied with reviews of them by the feveral authors and tranllators themfelves, or encomisms by the bookfeller. With the newfpapers appears a periodical leaf, having for title : " Agreeable and profitable paftime," con- fiding moftly of tranflations. The editor of it is profelfor Zachatsky. The political journal of Schirach is alfo tranflated into rufs. As to the bufinefs of tranflathig, which in Germany is not upon the befl footing, it has not a very inviting appearance here. Karani- fm's accommodation of Marmontel's .tales ex- cepted, the reft are for the moft part executed by apprentices in the art, without having a competent knowledge of their mother-tongue, and flill Icfs of the language from which they t ran {late. Sketch of mosco. 417 tranflate. Add to this, that they are unac- quainted with foreign literature, and confe- quently make a miferable feleclion of the per- formances on which they lavifh their time and trouble, while the beft works that appear abroad remain untranflated. Three french bookfliops and one german may ferve to (hew what foreign literature is mofl in requefl:. Of the profelfors of the univerfity Heym is one of the moft *induftrious as an author. Be- fides feveral elementary books for the univerfity and the feminary for nobles, he has publifhed a Rufs Grammar for Germans, with proper felec- tions as exercifes. From his pen has likewife come out a Geographical and Topographical Encyclopaedia of the ruffian empire ; and not long fmce two Lexicons have proceeded from the prefs, one german and lufs in two volumes, the other a german-rufs-french dictionary, by a fociety of learned men, at the head of whom Is Heym. Of this diftionary two volumes have already appeared, containing the german alpha- bet ; probably, when the whole is completed, it may form fix volumes. ProfelTor Bause not long fince publifhed an occafional difcourfe in latin, wherein he treats of the progrefs of civilization in Rullia, which, on VOL. li. E E account 41 S SKETCH OF MO!^CO. account of feveral new particulars and illuflra^ tions, feems even deferving of being known abroad. A new edition of the poetical works of Der- scHAviN has alfo recently gone through the prefs ; feveral of which have made their appear- ance in Germany, tranflated by Kotzebue. The effufions of this bard are unqueftionably to be clafled among the moft exquifite airs that were ever fung to the lyre. GHAP. vm. The funimer. — Short duration of the fpring and autumn. — Inconveniencics of the fummer. — The firft of May, or the german tables. — Origin of this denomination. — Promenades. — Orlof's garden. — PafclikoPs houfe. — Sparrow-mount. — The three mountains. — The fpring-water. — Vauxhall. — Beall-baitiiig. — Defi- ciency of places of entertainment. — Imperial countrj'-- palaces. — Petroffiioy. — Tzaritzin. — Ifmailova. — Kuflcova. — Aftankina. — Petrofflvoy of count Razu- mofflcy. — Orangeries. — Culture of tlic ananas. — Blooming alee. — The mofcovite hoflefles. Mosco has, properly fpeaking, like the whole of northern Ruflla, only two feafons, the sum- med and the winter j fmce the fpring and autumn SKETCH OF MOSCO* 4I9 autumn are of fuch fhort duration, as to form no more than the imperceptible tranfition of the two chief feafons. We will firft view the plea- fures of the mofcovian fummer, and then pro* ceed to the delights of the winter here, whereof thofe who hve in warmer zones can abfolutely form no conception. The SUMMER of Mofco is, on the whole, not agreeable. The heats of the long days of June and July are oppreflive, and the nights are chill. The foot-walker is either fmothered in a cloud of duft, or mufl: wade through mud and dirt. The firfl: grand fummer holiday — for the fpring is entirely blotted out — is the firft of May. On this day all Mofco repairs to a dif- trid of the Falcon-wood, not far from the german flobode, in carriages, on drofchkas *, on horfeback, and on foot. The crowd in the Hreets, of people going to this place, is not to be defcribed, and is certainly unique. The moft elegant carriages, in three or four rows abreaft, roll forward j for on this day luxury dif- plays all her glories, and new liveries and coaches are ufually produced for the firft time. * Light one-horfe carriages, like a fettee without a back, on four wheels, fupplying the place of hackney- coaches, E K 2 Between 420 SKETCH OF MOSCO. between the carriages and the front of the houfes the light drofchkas run along. The offi- cers of police are diftributed about the ftreets to fee that no diforders arife, and that the trains of carriages and drofchkas keep their due dif- tance. The Red-gate (lands a few verfts from the edge of the Falcon-wood, at which the principal flreets leading to it converge, and henceforward the coaches are obliged to proceed in one fingle train. From the lines of carriages which meet at this point only a certain number of equipages are therefore let through ; and, as thefe come from one line behind another, collifions natu- rally arife, the repercuffions of which, in fuch a prodigious confluence of carriages, are frequently felt to a confiderable diflance ; though, to avoid this as much as pofiible, the rows often move in a ferpentine direction. This order, which the police fees very rigoroufly obferved, is probably the reafon that, amidft fuch an enormous crowd of coaches, chariots, chaifes, and drofchkas, no accident enfues. Yet it is impoflible to avoid trembling at every moment for the bold horfe- men prancing among the narrow fpaces between the carriages, or for the poor pedeflrians twifl- ing and writhing between them and the horfes. No vehicle ever leaves its line, not only for fear of the police-officers, who make the coachmen and SKETCH. OF MOSCO, 42j^ and outriders pay for the contumacy by fundry flrokes with a flick of no fmall fize acrofs their Ihoulders, but alfo from prudence, as in that cafe fuch an one mufl patiently wait till all the carriages are gone by and humbly creep behind the laft, as he will not be let through the Red- gate alone. It does fometimes happen that an afpiring genius of a coachman will ftrive to break into the line again ; but in that cafe he is almoft fure to get a broken head, and perhaps a broken carriage. Thus, after three hours of fhuddering and palpitation, but alfo amidfl: a perpetual diverfity of fcenes and profpecls, we reach the defired fpot. Here our eyes are immediately prefented with a view of numberlefs booths and tents con- taining all manner of refreftiments. On one hand, jugglers and rope-dancers are performing their tricks, and on another the ears are faluted with the fongs and vociferous mirth of a drunken crowd from a kabak *, decorated with green twigs and leafy boughs. The whole forefl is alive ; motley groups in their bcft apparel filling every part. Under every tree a company of jovial people. Equipages and drofchkas and * The common tippling-houfes In RufHa are called kabaks. E E 3 • gallant 422 SKETCH OF MOSCO. gallant horfemen parading through the vlftas. Great numbers of the coach company get out, and walk m parties through the wood. Others drive in a flow and (lately pace to feaft their eyes on the variegated fight. Every mortal is there, to fee and to be feen ; till at length the coming-on of night obliges them reluc- tantly to terminate the delightful holiday and quit the enchanting frene. Diverfions of this nature are called Prome- nades *. There are feveral of them during the courfe of the fumraer, but not one is fo brilliant as the fir ft of May. This promenade, or rather the fpot where it is held, is likewife called, the German Tables f. The origin of this denomination, if we may believe tradition, is this. At the time of Peter the Great, the Germans of the Slobodes had the cuftom to hail the return of the warmer feafon, after fo long a privation of the chearing fun-beams, at this extremity of the Falcon-wood, lying at no great diftance from their homes. They chofe for this purpofe the firft of May ; and Peter the Great feveral times condefcended to take part in this humble feftivity. A board nailed on two polls fixed in the ground for ^ Qul?enie. f Ncmet/ki Stoli. tables. SKETCH OF MOSCO. 423 tables at various diftances, with others in like manner as benches, were the only accommoda- tions they found ; and, at thefe tables every party ate and drank what they brought with them. Hence the vulgar appellation : " The " German Tables." The prefence of the mo- narch drew the great people to the place ; and thus by degrees this promenade came into vogue. The fine feafon (fometimes), and the difplay of wealth and luxury at length brought it to that pitch of fplendour with which it is now con- tinued ; and is certainly a curious and peculiar fpe6lacle. The other promenades to the Maiden-field, to the three mounts, to the donlkoi monaflery, &c. are of an inferior kind to that we have been defcribing, and appear to have arifen from reli- gious motives, as they are all on church fefli- vals, in honour of which thefe have unqueftion- ably been pilgrimages. Of the gardens, the mofl; frequented, after thofe belonging to the palace, are the gardens of count Oklof. They are in the diftridt of the donfkoi monaflery, and are laid out in the englifh ftyle ; not indeed completely finifhed, but forming a very fine plot of ground. Art here has only followed Nature. The bank of the river Molkva makes a charming eafy flope, E E 4 with 424 SKETCH OF MOSCO. with alternate gradations of heights and falls, adorned in various parts by a number of very ancient and flately trees. Hence the reader will be enabled to form fome judgment of the fuf- ceptibility of improvement in the grounds ; and, on learning that they were laid out by a fkilful englifh gardener, he may get a notion of what they are become. Elegant flruclures, as tem- ples, grottos, baths, obelifks, and columns are raifed with tafte in their appropriate places. The beautiful view of the river Moflvva and the city add greatly to the charms of this delightful fpot. Here all perfons of fafhion aflemble, efpecially on Sundays ; and the inferior claiTes flock for recreation on Sundays and holidays to Pasch- KOF*s houfe and gardens. In a populous quarter of the town, on the bank of the Mochovaia, on a confiderable eleva- tion (lands this enchanting palace. The entrance on the hinder fide in a crofs-flreet. Pafling through a fuperb portal, you come into a fpa- cious court, gradually expanding from the gate. On one fide are the ftables, and on the other the riding-houfe ; both elegant ftrudures. The houfe has two entrances, afcended by grand flights of fleps, which unite at the firfl ftory. Thence you may go to the upper apartments, ajid thence again to the fpacious belvedere in the cupola, SKETCH OF MOSCO. 425 cupola, where you have a glorious profpeft of all Mofco. The lioufe itfelf confifts of a main edifice, and two wings, conneded with the body by corridores. This has a proje6lion in the middle, with large bow-window-s, and the two principal ways into the garden. This projedion forms in the firfl: ftory a balcony, refting on tufcan columns. High over this balcony are placed the armorial enfigns of Pafchkof, borne on Corinthian pillars ; which, as well as the whole ftrudure, are models of harmony and propor- tion. On one fide of the balcony, which is furniflied between the columns with the mofl elegant iron lattice-work imaginable, ftands the goddefs Flora, and on the other Ceres. The fupporters to the arms are a couple of reclining figures. The top is vaulted by a cupola, ter- minating in a belvedere, furrounded by double columns. The wings are ornamented with colo- nades ; and the whole is a pattern of fymmetry and eurythmy. Two other coloflal ftatues ftand in front of the houfe, on the mofl: elevated fcite of the garden, a Mars and a Minerva, v.'hich, together with the other figures, may be ranked among the choicefl produdions of the chilTel. On ^26 SKETCH OF MOSCO. On pnfTing through the houfe we come to the romantic fituation on the forefide of the building to the road. Here, amidft fhrubberies, and over rocky fragments, through irregular mazes and Terpentine walks, we defcend the mount on which the houfe is built. Below are two marble bafons, from the centre of which fpring foun- tains ; and towards the ftreet an iron lattice of the fineft workmanfliip inclofcs the whole. The garden and the ponds fwarm with curious foreign fowls. Chinefe geefe, various kinds of papagays or parrots, white and variegated pea- cocks, &c. are here feen either roving about at large, or fufpended to branches of trees in mag- nificent cages. An mnumerable concourfe of people aflemble here on Sundays and holidays, to enjoy the fine profpeft, or furvey the beauties ■of nature and art which it contains. The gar- dens, the houfe, the court, the ftables, are full of people ; and even the iron-railing to the ftreet is thronged with the gazing crowd without. Every entrance is perpetually open, not a door is {hut ; and fervants Rationed in every part, with the moft civil officioufnefs, fly to fetch whatever is required. The owner and builder of this charming fabric is an old podradichik, or con- traftor, named Paschkof, who for feveral years pafl SS-ETCH OF MOSCO. 427 pafl: can only go about in a ralaih. The effed produced by this houfe when lighted up, is abfo- lutely not to be defcribed. This illumination, which is made on all the holidays of the imperial family, is certainly one of the grandeft in all Mofco, where they vie with one another on thefe occafions. Other places of entertainment, that are like- wife much frequented, are, the sparrow- mount, an elevated fituation on the banks of the Mofkva. The view of the town from this place is excellent, and the country round it extremely beautiful. The Three Hills, a very pleafant place in the neighbourhood of Mofco, obtains its name from three hills in thofe parts. An old garden, partly overgrown, on the banks of the Mofkva, with its fliady walks, are chiefly the fcene of this promenade. Here fprings that excellent water, known by the name of the three-hill-water, and fupplies a great part of Mofco, which does not abound in good fpring-water. Stationary amufements for the fummer are but few in this capital. The principal, and almofi: the only ones, are the Vauxhall and the Beafl. baiting. The Vauxhall owes its origin, as well as the theatre, to the genius and enterprize of Mr. Maddox, 428 SKTITCH OF MOSCO. J^Iadtlox. A neat pretty garden at the foutheru extremity of Mofco, is laid out for this purpofe. We firft enter a fet of apartments, that are fitted up as toilette-rooms for the ladies. From thefe a long gallery leads to a grand circular hall for dancing. Adjoining to this hall is a moderate fized theatre, where httle pieces, particularly operettas, are performed. From the dancing- hall w.e come into a large area, furrounded by a covered gallery, having in the middle an elevated ftation for the orcheflra. The gallery is chiefly ufed for walking to and fro in parties, as at other places of this nature. Beyond this is the hall allotted to refrefhments of all kinds. On the fides are billiard-rooms. The other avenues of the garden cannot well be vifited by elegant company. In the evening the galleries are illu- minated with coloured lamps, and on particular days a firework is played off. Though the place is extremely pleafant and inviting, it is however but little frequented, partly on account of its diftance, and partly becaufe in fummer few of the nobility are in town. The numerous affem- bly at the Vauxhali is on Peter and Paul-day. The BEAST-BAITING is the undertaking of fome people of Vienna and Italians. It is kept in a circular amphitheatre of timber in front of the tverfkoi Sadava, crefted by the proprietors for SKETCH OF MOSCO. 4'29 for this purpofe. In the ground-floor of this building are the dens of the wild beafts, and the kennels of the bull-dogs. Over thefe are three tier of boxes for the fpeftators, and in the open area, which forms the centre, the animals are baited. That diverfion, however, does not here meet with fuch approbation as at Vienna, and therefore this edifice is now more frequently ufed for the difplay of magnificent fireworks, than for beaft-baiting. Notwithflanding the large dimenfions of "Mofco, and though the numerous noblefle, and the middling ranks of merchants, have a great hankering after diiTipations, yet few places of accommodation for that puvpofe are met with. The fcenes of entertainment fo frequent in other cities as coffee-gardens, tea-houfes, bowling- greens, and the hke, where perfons may 'pafs their hours of leifure, according to their various humours, are here either entirely wanting, or are frequented only by the populace. It is the more mcomprehenfible how the induftry of the natives has miffed of this means of profit, as the enter- tainments above defcribed are fo Httle alluring-, and are attended with fo many inconvcniencies, that it would apparently be a very eafy matter t-o eradicate the tafle for them. The diftance to the Sparrow-mount, or .the three hills, is not 1 4 great 4^0 SKETCH OF MOSCO. great from feveral quarters of the town ; for inftance, not above ten or twelve verfts from the Slobodes, the Bofmann, the Pokrofcoe, and others. At prefent, to prevent fainting at the end of the journey, it is neceflary to take at lead liquors of fome kinds, which are rendered un- potable by the heat, and which people would cer- tainly rather pay for on the fpot. At fome dif- tance from the Slobode there is indeed a german tavern, at which parties from the Slobode fre- quently befpeak dinners : but it (lands in a bar- ren, unintereiling diltri£l on the road to Siberia, and, in regard to its accommodations, is chiefly adapted to the ufe of the german artificers and tradefmen ; and, therefore, is very little fre- quented by the diflinguifhed part of the public of Mofco. For want of fuch places of entertainment in the capital, people of all ranks form parties to the imperial country-palaces that lie in the vici- nity, and to the country feats of the nobility, whofe gardens and eftablifliments are open to the public enjoyment. This fpecies of amufe- ment is here called, going to the green. Among the former, the pleafure-houfes PetroffKoy, Tzar- itzin, and Ifmailova, are the principal. Petrofskoy is fituate about three verfls from the Saflava, on the Peterfburg-road, The palace was SKETCH OF MOSCO. 43I Was built, in the gothic ftyle, by Catharine II. Belonging to it is a pleafant park, which, in favourable weather, is feldom void of walking company. TzARiTziN is diftant twelve verfls from Mofco. The buildings are likewife in the gothic tafte, and partly unfinifhed. The englifli garden is fpacious, and full of delightful fitua- tions. Nature has done uncommonly much for this place. Water, hills, dales, and woods, in- terchangeably meet the eye in pleafmg combina- tions, affording a fcenery beautiful, and highly pidurefque. The orangeries are vafl rooms, with walks between the trees, which yield the moft fragrant odours. In the hot-houfes great numbers of the ananas are reared. IsMAiLovA, about eight verfts from Mofco, has a large park belonging to it, flocked with deer, roes, wild boars, &c. animals rarely feen in thefe countries. The park-keeper, a hearty old German, hofpitably receives all ftrangers who come hither to flroll about the green. Among the country-feats of the nobles, that are vifited by the Mofcovites, Kulkova, Aflanknia, and Petroflkoy, are the chief. KusKovA is an eftate belonging to count Scheremetof, feven verfts from Mofco. Nature has aded like a, mother-in-lavy by this diftrici, and 432 SKETCH OF MOSCO. and art has been obliged to do every thine-. The buildings, the gardens, and arrangements, are all in a princely Ityle. The manfion and the theatre, the hermitage and the dutch-houfe in the garden, are eminently confpicuous for their elegance and taile. Entertainments are occa- fionally given here by the owner, in which the public at large are invited to partake. Dra- matical reprefentations, fireworks, illuminations, and dancing, are the alternate amufements at thefe feftivities, and refrefliments of all kinds arc handed round to the company. Entertainments of a fimilar nature are like- wife given at Astanknia, which alfo belongs to count Scheremetof, and in magnificence and tafte may vie with Kufls-ova. It is, indeed, far fuperior to it in regard to iituation, which is extremely pleafant and romantic. PETRorsKOY likewife, a country-feat of count Razumoflky, not far from the imperial Petrofiky, is in a charming fpot. A fpacious and well-kept garden, contiguous to the park, tempts numbers of the inhabitants of Mofco hither. Here, as well as at Kulkova, are vad orangeries, in which not only the fuperior fruit-trees of every fpecies, but likewife pine apples in great abundance, are reared ; and as this fruit is very much cultivated in the forcing-houfes about Mofco, they may commonly SKETCH OF M03C0. 433 commonly be had very cheap in that capital, the fined ananas coding not more than a ruble. The head-gardeners both at Kufkova and Pe- troffky are Germans. The orangeries at Kufkova, even produce a fuperfluity of rare exotic plants, and twice within the lafl ten years aloes have been in full flower. On thefe expeditions into the green, it is cuf- tomary for the parties to take their kitchen and cellar with them. For, as all thefe places of refort lie at a confiderable diflance from town, and we mufl: proceed, perhaps, feveral verfts before we get into the open country, it is ufual to fet out eafly in the morning* And as abfo* lutely nothing is to be got at the place for love or money, it is necefTary to carry eatables and drinkables from home. On thefe Occafions the mofcovite landladies, who otherwife are not wont to take much notice of their guefts, appear in all their fplendour, and numerous parties of this kind of courfe beget a defire to difplay the talents of a good hoftefs before a large company. For mankind are apt to make the greatefl: boafl of thofe accomplifhments and virtues, to which they have the lead right to pretend. VOL. II. F F 434 SKETCH OF MOSeO, CHAP. IX. X he llay of the nobih'ty in ilie country- — Defciiptlon of a Podmofkovne. — Manner of hviiig, and amufemcnts . in the countiy. — Theatre. — Hunting. — New mode of hufbandr)-. — Its introdudion into Ruflla. — Pro- grefs of it. — The quay. — The allee. — The great merit of the police-mafter, Kaverin, in the embellifhitieat of Mofco. — Noxious and troublefome method of clean- fing the ftreets. — The fwings. — Podnabin/lcy. Most of the mofcovite nobility pafs the fum- mer in the country, where in truth they make their flay fo pleafant, that they find no lofs in their abfence from town. A fliort defcription of the Podmofkovrv^ ' will give fome idea of the pleafures of the country life in RufTia. As hof- pitality is a main feature of the national character of the Ruffians, a vifitor has nothing to appre- hend from being tirefome to the landlord. The gentry here never wifli their friends to be gone, but are heartily glad to detain them as long as poffible. At TscHASsovNA, onc of thefe podmofkov- ncs, the moil unconftrained fociability prevails. * Every country-feat is called a Podmoflcovne, that is fituate within a hundred verfts from Mofco ; from podj near, and the name of the capital. No SKETCH OF MOSCO. 435 No one ftands In the way of another In the em- ployment of his time. The hands and feet are entirely free from any conftraint of diverfion or etiquette. .The only law Impofed by the worthy' hoft on his guefts is, that no one fhall be a re- ftraint on another. The eftate lies about thirty verfls from Mofco, not far from the great troitiko'i road, on the banks of the Skalpa, a river of confiderable magnitude, which here winding its courfe between fliores covered with fhrubs and trees, through a fine romantic landfcape, adds much to the beauty of the fcene. The manfion of the owner ftands on a hill, inclining by a gentle flope to the Skalpa, The archltefture of the houfe is of a peculiar tafte. It confifts of a regular quadrangle of two flories, with a lofty turret in the middle of the roof, which at fome diftance gives it the look of a church. A fpacious balcony runs round the houfe on all the four fides, affording the mofl delightful profpe6ls. Exa6tly oppofite, on an eminence, on the other fide of the Skalpa, Is a village with its church, the cottages being difper- fed in the moft pidurefque manner imaginable, on the lofty bank of the river, which, to the right of this village is covered by a thick foreft : the uniformity of the foreft being interrupted by various roads, twifting their courfes through It, F F 2 and 43^ SKETCH OF MOSCO. and rendering the profped more diverfified and lively. On this fide of the nver the eye furveys, to a vafl dillance, fields and meadows, interfperfed with villages and detached houfes. To the left the elevation gradually declines, and lofes itfelf in cultivated plains, interfedled by roads, which in almoft every feafon of the year teem with ani- mation and activity. The interefting fcenes of mowing, reaping, ploughing, and fovving, being here reprefented before the fight in alternate viciffitudes. On the other fide of the houfe, the profpedl is more confined, but not lei's agreeable. The foreground is formed by a pleafant w^ood of birch trees, and trails of arable land, through which runs the road to Mofco, planted on each fide with trees. The background is a forefl; which opens on the right hand to admit a fpacious lake. The filent foreft, with the quiet lake in which the branches of the overhanging trees are feen to play, forms a real emblem of repofe, and at the fame time a ftriking contraft to the profped we before furveyed. At this charming refidence, the pradice is, with fuch as choofe it, to rife with the fun, and ramble about the fmiling region, either for the fake of enjoying a fine morning, or with the gun flung acrofs the fhoulders, to flioot fomething for dinner. SKETCH OF MOSCO. 437 dinner. At eight o'clock tea is ready in the balcony of the houfe : and, certainly, that refrefh- ing beverage never taftes fo pleafant as under the azure fky, amid the balmy fragrance of the ad- jacent woods, the fweet carols of the birds, with a glorious profpeft round, and in the open, frank, and friendly converfe of liberal and en- lightened men. After breakfaft the company difperfes, every one his own way. Some go to the library and read, others are for a walk, others order horfes and take a ride, while others again go and vifit the improvements of the landlord in his experiments in the new methods of agricul- ture, till one o'clock ; when all meet again and fit down to the fecial and mirthful board. This likewife is prepared in the balcony under the open fky. With the blue vault of heaven for the cieling, and the grand decorations of nature all around, a rural repaft taftes full as well as the coftly viands of the town, eaten in a large dining- hall, full of exhalations and vapours of every kind. The difhes being removed, for the cloth remains, the company talk and laugh till the burning heat of the midday fun is over ; when away go all on horfeback, or on drofhkas, about the adjacent country, either to fee fome beautiful 1. F 3 fpor. 438 SKETCH OF MOSCO. fpot, or to the theatricals of fomc friendly neigh- bour, or to the hunt. The theatre of a ruffian nobleman, as well as the chace with dogs, call for a brief defcription, as many of thefe theatres are met with in the country, and this mode of hunting is a iavourite diverfion of the ruflian nobles, during their rcfi- dence in the country. The aftors and adrefles are valfals ; felesfled, however, in their infancy from a multitude, and brought up to this purpofe. They are taught mufic, dancing, declamation, and foreign lan- guages by proper mafters, and now and then become excellent performers. The orchcflra is likewife compofed ofvaflals, but Is commonly under the dlredtlon of a foreign leader of a band. It is really furprifing to fee fuch good ading in the country ; and the pleafure received at fuch reprefentatlons is greatly enhanced by this cir- cumfl;ance,that the expectation is ufually deceived by being exceeded. This expenfivc fpccies of entertainment prefents an idea of the wealth ot the ruflian nobles, and tlie magnificent ftyle in which they live. The diverfion of hunting Is not lefs coflly. The nobleman, with his company, on horfeback, followed by upwards of a hundred dogs, with fifteen SKETCH OF MOSCO. 439 ^iffeen or twenty huntfmen on horfes, fome with horns, and others with couteaux de chaffe, begins the courfe. He leaps over every hedge, ditch, gate, or whatever elfe is in his way ; and thofe of the company follow him if they can : if nor, they ftand gaping after him till they find fome fafer paflage. At length he reaches the foreft, the poor inhabitants whereof are deftined to this day*s fport. Here the company divides. The principal perfons take their ftadons at certain intervals v/ithout the wood -, keeping with them the greyhounds * -, v/hile the huntfmen, with the terriers f, rufh into the wood. The horns found, the dogs fet up their barking. The feared and timid animals run out of the foreft, and are pur- fued by the greyhounds, followed in full cry by the company that were waiting without the wood, over ftock and block in a furious gallop, till they have got as many hares and foxes as were unable to effecl their efcape. In this manner they purfue their noify chace over a tract of twenty or thirty verfts, and in the evening return home in triumph with eight or ten hares. Ere we quit the country, however, we muft take fome notice of a more dignified and profit- able purfuit, in which feveral great land-owners * Barfii fabakl. f Kontfchii fabaki. F F 4 are 44° SKETCH OF MOSCO. are at prefent occupied, and is profecuted by fome with cnthufiafm. This is agriculture upon the principles of the modern englifh and german farmers, and efpecially the culture of clover. Mr. John Richter, a German, has the honour of being the firPi who fowed the hrll feeds of this improvement in rural oeconomy, which is now making fuch rapid progrefs in Ruflia. At the time of his leaving Germany, about twelve years ago, Schubart's improvements in agricul- ture were juit come into high vogue. Full of the advantages which they might produce, he praised them in an emphatical manner to major Nedderhof, in whofe family at Mofco he was, and who takes great pleafure in farming. He had fenfe enough quickly to perceive the btnsfits likely to arife from thefe innovations, and zea- loufly fet about ftudying Schubart's publication. Richter now wrote to Leipfick, at his requefl:, for a parcel of clover-feed ; and he began to make experiments in miniature, according to Schubart's diredions, at his eftate of Yellne. Thefe attempts fucceeded, and the whole farm at Yellne was foon conduclcd with great advantage on Schubart's principles. An acquaintance of the family, general Blankcnagel, was ftruck with the improvements, and introduced them with great fuccefs into his village : this excited in him the patriotic SKETCH OF MOSCO. 44I patriotic wifh to make his countrymen in general acquainted with the progrefs he had made in this fpecics of culture. He therefore, in con- junftion with Richter, adopted the plan of com- preffing Schubart's work, and tranflated it with the neceflary alterations for fuiting it to the lo- cality of Ruffia. But, juft as they were beginning to put their defign in execution, they were acci- dentally feparated : the general however profe- Guted and completed it alone. Rafnodoffky, at his inftance, ftood forward as teacher of the improved pradice, and began by pubhfhing a book, under the title of: New Agriculture * ; confiding chiefly of tranflations from the writings of Schubart, pointing out at the fame time the progrefs which the improved culture had made in feveral parts of Ruffia. This was in a manner the fignal for an almort: general revolt againft the old formal pra6lice, and clover met with the greater number of par- tizans, as the price of hay had been rifing for feveral years. The alterations likewife were more eafily brought about, as here are no com- binations and prefcriptive rights to contend with, but the lord of a village can manage his fields and grounds as he pleafes. * Novaya Zemlstaelic. In 44- • SKETCH OF MOSCO. In Tfcliaflbvna the new principles of agricul- ture prevail unconlined ; and the culture of clover is completely introduced. The propri-, etor annually cuts about ten thoufand pood of clover, which he (lacks under a moveable roof, according to Schubart*s plan, with ventilators. Tlie ruflian plough has given place to the eng- lilli. Sowing-machines, winnowing-machines, and other implements of hufi^andry of recent invention are found ufeful to the improvement and profit of agriculture. It is unreafonable, however, entirely to ne- gle6l the capital for the fake of the podmoikov- nies. We v/ill therefore return, and once riiore — fvvallow dufl. Between the river Mof^va and the walls of the Kvenil is an extremely pleafant walk which we have not yet vifited, the Quay. The firft pro- pofal of it came from kna^s Proforofflvy, about ten years fmce, while he was governor of Mofco. Alices, englifh walks, beds of flowers, and ver- dant lawns alternately intermingle, and give to the whole an animated and delightful appear- ance. This place was for' a long time the fiifliionable refort of the beau monde. The parts around were covered with coach,es that had brought the ladies and gentlemen to the walks from SKETCH OF MOSCO. 443 Irom all quarters of tlie tov/n, and the quay fwarmed with perfons of all ranks to fuch a det^rt^c that it was with difficulty one could rnove about. At prefent it is entirely deferted, partly from the caprice of all-powerful fafhion, who extends her fceptre as defpotically over promenades as over fliawls and head-drefles ; but iikewife in fome meafure from the place being furrounded with buildings. The margin of the river Molkva, which was formerly bordered with trees, is now provided with a granit quay, and the revolution in the buildings of the Krenil extends its effects even to this fpot. It is almoft entirely covered with blocks of ftone and mate- rials for building. The walks which occupy a confiderable pait of the Bielgorod are far more numeroufly fre- quented. The ruins of the ramparts, which encompaffed this quarter of the city, are re- moved, the place is levelled, and planted with a double row of trees — a beautiful plot of ground, which does honour to the aftivity and tafle of the prefent maitre-de-police Kaverin. Mofco is generally indebted for many benefits to the fpirit and induftry of this perfonage. The pavement was never kept in fo good a condition as for fome years pafl : impaffable and danger- ous ways are levelled, and may now be pafled with 444 SKETCH OF MOSCO. with the greatcfl convenience. Swampy difliids jire converted into pleafant fituations, and the muddy canals are cleanfcd. One thing, how- ever, is greatly to be wiflied for, that the flreets could be cleaned in a diifcrent manner from that now pradifed. They are indeed fwept once a- week ; but as they are never fprinkled, fuch a du(t is raifed by this mode of cleaning, that it is not only oirenfive to the fenfes but injurious to the health ; at lead the eyes and the lungs mud certainly fuffer by it. Confidering the number of people that are kept by every family, It would be very eafy to water the ftreets pro- perly, then to fweep them, and carry away the dirt. One popular diverfion ftill remains to be mentioned, and deferves notice, as it is the prin- cipal amufement of all, during the hot feafon, I mean the swings in the caller week. Thefe fwings are conllrucled in various parts of the town, having about them kabaks, booths for puppet-fhows, cook-fhops, and the like: Podna-r binfky, however, is the capital fcene of this diverfion. Here, in a fpacious fquare between Zemlenoigorod and the fuburbs, about thirty of thefe fwings, roundabouts, and ups-and-downs are erected. It is at this joyful feafon that here the national propenlity to frolicfome paflime is SKETCH OF MOSCO. 445 is difplayed by the populace to its full extent. Even the fuperior clafTes afTemble here as fpeda- tors, and form a fecond fpeftacle extremely interefling. The numerous concourfe of per- fons of all ranks, who in their elegant equipages drive flowly round the diverting fpot, the good- humoured gaiety of the populace, the hearty fatisfadion with which they enjoy thefe amufe- ments, the ftriking fmgularity of the paftimes themfelves, give thefe popular holidays fo pecu- liar a charafter, that any obferver, who would take the pains to ftudy the narion in this giddy fcene of their entertainment, might feize very ftrong lines for its delineation. He could not fail of catching the univerfal blithfomenefs, with which old and young, childhood and hoary age are animated, and which here is not quickened by a momentary impulfe, but is only elevated and placed in its mod agreeable light by a congenial opportunity. He will remark the fpirit of courtefy and gallantry, which exhibits itfelf in a thoufand little touches, as an etching in the national character by no means indifferent. Here a couple of beggars, whofe tattered garments fcarcely afford them a covering, greet one an- other in the moll complaifant and refpedful manner ; a long firing of queflions concerning their mutual welfare begins the dialogue, which likewife 446 SKETCH OF MOSCO. likevvifc concludes by a polite embrace. There a young fellow offers to hand his girl, glowing with paint and brandy, into the feat in which both of them are prefently mounted in the air. Even in thofe fuperior regions his tcndernefs does not forfake him. At every an:!^ious agita- tion of his lady he throws one arm about her vvaift, that with the other he may fhew his eafe and fecurity by exprefTive pantomimical gefticula- tions. — Only one ftep farther, and the eye iixes on very different fcenes. The fame people who were before employed in fuch friendly falutations, are now engaged in a difpute which exhaufts the prodigious treafures of ruffian fcur- rllities. All that is degrading and exafperating to human nature finds a denomination in this energetic language ; and yet the clamorous dif- putants never lofe their temper. Ufmg the mofl furious geftures, exerting their throats to the utmoit pitch of vociferation, amidff a pro- fufion of the mofl: abufive epithets, they fud- denly get fo clofe that their beards almofl touch — yet without ever coming to blows. The po- lice, well knowing that there is no danger of life or limb in thefe fierce debates, cools the heated parties by a fliower directed at their heads from a fire-engine, always kept in readinefs on thefe occafions, and found by long experience to be the 15. bcfl: SKETCH OF MOSCO. 447 befl indrunient for quelling a riot as well as for quenching a conflagration. The whole quarrel is terminated in an inftant, a general Ihout of hootings and laughter burfts from the by-ftand- ers ; and the difputants are now running arm in arm to the neareft public houfe to cement their renovated friendfliip with a glafs of brandy. In the neighbourhood of the fwings, &c. wooden booths are ufually erected, in which vulgar comedies are performed. Each repre- fentation lads about half an hour, and the price of admittance is five kopeeks. As the crowd is extremely great, and the acting goes on daring the whole day, the profits are very confiderable both to the proprietors and the performers, which they divide among themfelves. Thefe latter, as may eafily be fuppo:ed, are not artifls by profefTion, but mere dilettanti from the in- ferior clalTes of the people, who neverthelefs, under the maik. of the durak *, utter a number of fhrewd and witty conceits. Though thefe entertainments are calculated only for the lower orders of people, yet all the fine company of JMofco in a manner partake in them, as there is a continual rotation of elegant * D'arak is the common expreffion for/00/; but here it ■fcems fynonimous likewife with butfoon, harkquin, merry Andrew, Jack Pudding, 3cc. and 448 SKETCH OF MOSCOi and genteel carriages, enjoying the fight of thit amufing and divcrfified fcene. The Friday in the Eafter week is, however, the grand day for the quality and people of condition. On that day there is a promenade, as it is called, to Podnabinlky, which, in regard to pomp and parade, and the number of vehicles, ranks next to that upon the firfl of May. CHAP. X. The winter. — Livellnefs of the city in that feafon. — ^ Common length of its duration. — Praife of the winteh — Amufementsof the higher claflcs. — The noble aflem- bly. — Mafquerades. — Inconveniences of that fpecies of entertainment. — Concerts. — Tafte for mufic. — Sledge parties. — The Pokrofflcaia. — Trotters. — The racing-place.. — The ifvofcheiks. — The ice-hills. The difagreeable period of dull: and dirt is at length over. The want of pavement is amply compenfated by a bountiful fupply of fnow ; and the light fledges fly fwiftly through the ftreets. The atmofphere is pure, and the townf- man has no longer any reafon to envy the inha- bitant of the country. It is winter. What life and agility reign around! The nobility from all parts hafle to the metropolis, the abode of SKETCH or M03CO. 449 of their relations and friends, the refort of fuperior' enjoyments, the fchool of refined man- ners, the centre of commerce and bufinefs, dear, delightful Mo/co. The roads are covered with carnages and fledges. Loads of provifions are coming from the remoteft provinces : then the roads are excellent ; over rivers and morafle^ nature has thrown firm and folid bridges ; no- thing (lands in the way of diligence and in- duftry. The winter ufually fets in about the middle of November, often earlier, and kits till, the end of March, confequently for a period of about five months. January aiid February are undoubtedly the finefl: part of the winter. The ■days are then grown longer, the falls of fnow are not fo frequent as before, the air is pure, and the fky bright; and, from, the middle of January, the froft feldom exceeds ten degrees by Reaumur's thermometer, being generally not more than four or five degrees. What a plea- fure it is, properly clad againfl the cold, to move about and take exercife in the pure elaftic atmofphere of winter ! How the body is hard- ened againit diftemper, ahd how alert are all the animal organs ! In a good continued winter epidemical difeafes are extremely rare ; and if colds .and rheums appear on the coming on VOL. II. G G of j^^o SKETCH or mosco. of a thaw, they are immediately difperfed by the rcturm'ng frofl. Even the plague, which about thirty years fince raged at Mofco, was forced to yield to its falutary influence. The appearance of the city is likewife incomparably more agreeable than in the fummer. A brilliant white is reflefted from the palaces and houfes. The fight is nowhere fliocked by dirt or im- purity. The houfes, the ftreets and fquares are neat and clean. The mephitic vapours with which tlie atmofphere of large cities is always charged, no longer offend the olfaclory organs. The uncontaminated breath of nature is invigo- rating to the fpiriis and delightful to the fenfe. AflTemblies, mafqueiades, concerts, the drama, form the entertainment of the fuperior ranks at this feafon of the year. We will haftily run through them, and then mingle in the chearful throng that celebrate the maflanitza, or the butter-week. The prime grand inftitution for diflipation frequented by the nobility is the noble as- sembly*'. This aflembly is held once a-week, in a houfe fitted up and appropriated to that ufe. Here may be had all forts of provifions and refrefliments. In fome of the rooms are card SKETCH OF MOSCO. 45 I card-tables. From time to time balls and con- certs are given. This fociety has fubfifted for feveral years ; and almofl: the whole nobility of Mofco, of both fexes, are fubfcribers. It is ex- tremely well conduced, is pofTeffed of great funds, and is hkely to continue long. The MASr QiiERADES are under the diredlion of Mr. Mad- dox, and are given during the carnival or butter- week. They are particularly numerous and brilliant on the laft days of the maflanitza, the week immediately preceding paflion-week. The laft mafqaerade, on the funday of the firft week in Lent, lafts from the morning early till twelve at night. The grand mafquerade-hall at the play-houfe is a beautiful produdion of archi- tecture, and conveniently holds four thoufand perfons. Otherwife, this fpecies of entertain- ment is not particularly interefting, and in many refpeds is very troublefome. Mafks in cha- racter are but feldom feen ; dominos and cloaks are the ufual drefles, and many perfons are totally unmafked. There is little dancing, as the hall is filled by the company walking to and fro ; and it is often with great difficulty that one can move about. On account of the multitude of carriages, you mufl often wait upwards of an hour in the Itreet before there is a poffibility of getting out for admiffion. But it is flill worfe G G 2 at 452 SKETCH OF MOSCO. at endeavouring to go home. Befet by a hod of clamorous fervants in the antechambers, run- ning about to look for their mafters, or bawl- ing for their carriages, is already difagreeable enough ; but the turmoil and perplexity is greatly increafed in endeavouring to procure your own, which is frequently ftationed at the diflance of a verfl or more from the porch of the mafquerade-houfe. While waiting in the cold corridores we have plenty of time to bewail the folly of mafquerades, and to form good refo- lutions for the future. Concerts are given during Lent. The prin- cipal performers of Europe vifit Mofco at this time, and find it more profitable to them than any other city in the world, London and Pe- terfburg perhaps excepted. The violinifl Hem- pel, the female finger Zaporiti, the blind flute- player Delon, and, in fhort, the famous performer on the harpfichord Haefsler, who have frequented this town for feveral years, will vouch for the truth of what is here afferted. The tickets for the concerts coft from two to five rubles, and the hall is never thinly filled. Several admirers of mufic, in opulent circumfl:ances, take fifty or a hundred of thefe tickets, for the fake of en- couraging the talents of the performers ; who, befides, find another fource of gain, no lefs produdlive. SKETCH or MOSCO. 453 ^f6duclive, in giving leflbns in mufic during their Itay at Mofco. The pay for an hour is commonly five rubles to thefe capital artifts, but the ordinary mufic-maflers, though competent in their way, are by no means fo richly paid. They are likevvife engaged for private concerts, which yield them alfo a bountiful harveft. The palFion for mufic is very general in Mofco, and the harpfichord-players, Haefsler, Weydenham- mer, Scidler, Bouleuu, and others, who are em- ployed in giving lefTons, earn yearly feveral thoufand rubles. Large and magnificent sledge-parties, pe- culiarly formed for that purpofe, are here not often feen ; probably becaufe the long duration of the Hedge-ways deprives this diverfion of the charra of raritv, and fmks it to the level of ordinary and every-day things. In various flreets little fledges (land for hire, as hackney-coaches do in London, in readinefs to be taken for going from one place to another of this fpacious city, or merely for a drive. But, the whole winter through, efpecially on Sundays, there is a vaft concourfe of equipages and fledges in the Pokroffkaia, a long (trait flreet in the neigh- bourhood of the german flobode. The finefl and fleeteft horfes, as well as the moil elegant fledges, are here brought forth to captivate at^ G G 3 tention. 454 SKETCH or mosco. tentlon. The fledges, however, of this country are not made in thofe fanciful and allegorical forms, nor have that curious carved-work fo much ad- mired in the fledges of Germany ; they are of a fimple, light, and convenient conilruclion, whh- out any carvings or ornaments. Neither are the horfes loaded with heavy gear, and the little bells are here not known. The fledges are made of good durable fl-ufT, covered with fine cloth or plulh, and are provided with a bear-r (kin bag, in which thofe who fit in them put their feet. The horfe-trappings are neat and handfome without being cumbrous. The fleeted and mod admired geldings are thofe that con- ftantly go in a quick trot, without ever getting into a gallop. They are called trottlrs. If the fledge be drawn by two horfes, then, ac- cording to the rules of etiquette here obferved, one of them gallops while the other continually trots ; and if a man does not drive by this rule, he had better not make his appearance in the Pokroifl^aia, or at lead not on the racing- place. The RACiNG-n^cE is on the river Mofco, as at Peterd)urg it is on the Neva, not far from the done bridge. Here, on the ice of the river, a courfe of a verd in length is fet oflf by pods, with a line of pods down the middle to feparate thofe SKETCH OF MOSCO. 455 thofe who go one way from fuch as come the other. On the fides are (lands and fcaffolds for the fpe6lators. On this courfe every Sunday races are run, at which an extraordinaiv enthvi- fiafm is obfervable. , Wagers are feldom laid in money ; the whole conteft being for the fuper- lative honour of being known to poflefs the fleeted nag in Mofco. This kind of races arifes frequently in the flreets ; when two isvoscheiks * happen to come abreaft with one another, both proud of the ability of their horfes, neither will let the other get before him, and immediately the fliarp conteft begins. Even on fuch occafions parti- cipating fpeclators are not wanting, who en- courage the antagonids by acclamations, give the viclor their applaufe, and punifh the van- quiihed by laughing at his raflinefs. The ICE-HILLS in the butter- week are a fort of break-neck diverfion wherein the common people take great fatisfadion, and which fets the intre- pidity and dexterity of the natives in the cleared light. From a high deep fcaffold covered with blocks of ice, fmoothed every night by quan- tities of water throw'n from the fummit, the little fledges flioot down with the fwiftnefs of * The drivers of the fledges in winter and the drofchkas in fummer that are on the Hands for hire are fo called. G G 4 an 456 SKETCH OF MOSCO. an arrow. On either iide is a tremendous abyfs formed by the height of' the hill ; and the flighted unfkilfulnefs or imprudence of the per^ fon in the fledge may turn it from its direction and be attended with the moll dreadful confe- quence. But incomparably more dangerous is this fpot on fkaits. Till one is uled to this fight, it almoft makes the hair fland on end to fee the hundreds that follow one another in end- lefs fucceflion on flcaits and in fledges down [his amazing precipice. Yet accidents fcarcely ever happen. Indeed, if we confider that the ice is equally glib, it is impofllble that he who begins the defcent after another Ihould ever overtake him, and therefore it is not likely that any col- lifion can enfue. The impetus acquired by this fall carries the fledges and fl^aiters almoft half a verft on the level ice below ; bringing them to the oppofite ice-hill, up which they afcend by fteps behind, with a fledge at their back, and this returns them to the former. The higheft and moft frequented ice-hills are thofe erected on the Moflvva and the Neglinnaia, At thefe places are alfo fliow-booths and victuallers, much vifited and admired by that part of the public for whom thefe amufements are calculated. The crowd around, and the various fcenes, are the fame with thofe already defcribed in fpeaking of the SKETCH OF MOSCO. 457 the diverfions of the Eafter week. Women as well as men enjoy the diverfion of the ice-hills with the fame avidity ; and it is impoflible to avoid comparing the appearance they prefent to a vafl cataradl of human figures. CHAP. XT. Moral chara6i:er of the Mofcovites. — Hofpkallty. — Pleafures of tlie table. — Play. — Political difcufTions. — Toleration. — Influence thereof on friendfhip, edu- — cation, and marriage. — Companionable toleration. — Beneficence. — Liberal way of thinking In thf Mofcovites in rco^ard to wealth and ftation. Hospitality is a leading feature in the na- tional character of the Ruffians, which is fo much the more confpicuous, as that virtue is not nearly fo extenfive among the other nations of our quarter of the globe. It is certainly one of the moft amiable virtues that are com- prized under the name of humanity. Freely to welcome the ftranger under our roof, to give him food and drink, without refpedl of perfon or condition, whether he be Crcefus or Irus, Apollo or Vulcan — v/hat an amiable people, amongfl: whom this pure and difmterefted hof- pitality 4^^ SKETCH OF MOSCO. pitnlity is a native cuftom ! In thofe provinces of Rullia, which lie the mod remote from euro- pean refinements, that fair flower of the patri- archal a^es is ftill indigenous ; but in Mofco, Peterfburg, and the other enlightened parts of Rudia, hofpitality, though it has loft that elevated, godlike charafter, yet continues to be among the engaging virtues of their inhabitants. Every one, whether acquaintance or ftranger, who neither by condition nor manners is of the vulgar clafs, finds a hearty welcome in the houfe of a generous Mofcovite : and the longer he flays, the better he is liked ; efpecially in the country, where time is apt fometimes to hang heavy on hand. It is not to be denied, that in- tereft and covetoufnefs, or flattery and conve- nience, and one cannot fay what elfe, are now and then the porters at the gate ; that here and there, wealth, rank, beauty, certain accommo- dations or companionable talents, fuch as fkill in play, the powers of entertaining, efpecially the facility of retailing news, give greatefl preten- fions to a good reception : but this is likev.-ife the cafe everywhere ; and where is the country, at leaft in Europe, whofe inhabitants are not liable to this obfervation ? But, in general, a perfon may go into every houfe in Mofco, where he has once been prefented, without any cere- 15 mony, SKETCH OF MOSCO. 45-9 mony, uninvited, and, if he choofe, appear every day at table, without the lead apprehenfion of the mafter being denied to him, or of being looked upon with an evil eye. Neither has he any reafon to fear that his unexpected prefence may create confufion in the family ; as it is the praftice here to fet out the table every day, as if it were for an entertainment : for even in fami- lies of moderate fortunes, the table is ordinarily furnifhed with ten or twelve diflies, generally well-dreffed, and of exqulfite quality. A pretty defert is feldom wanting ; and, befides the ufual table-wine, feveral of the finer forts and liqueurs are ferved round. Hence it happens, that a man of a weak ftomach feldom rifes from table, with- out being fmitten by his confcience for having tranfgreffed his rules of diet; efpecially if he has indulged in the jocundity into which, in fuch circumflances, he may eafily be furprifed. A cuftomary ruffian meal confifts of one or more cold diflies by way of luncheon, hams, bacon, dried tongues, caviar, bread, cheefe, butter, &c. which are taken at a fide-board while the cloth is laying for dinner. This is compofed of a flrong- meat-foup, and fchtfchi *, fucceeded by three or four feafoned ragouts, roafts, paltry, and feveral kinds of grain prepared with milk, and in which * A ruffian foup made of beef and cabbage. no 460 SKETCH OF MOSCO. no nation comes up to the Ruffians. The de- fert, as everywhere elfe, is made up of comfits and fruus. The ordinary table-wines are Medoc and Chateau-Margot j befides, porter and englifli ale, quas and mead *, ,which are always placed on the table, that the guefls may help themfelves when they pleafe, without fpeaking to a fervant. The wines that at mofl tables are handed round, art- Hungary, Malaga, Champagne, Burgundy, Ma- deira, Cyprus, Mofler, Rhenifh, called in ILng- iand Old Hock, &:c. The nalif ki, or liqueurs, are cherries, cranberries, goofeberries, currants, &c. in brandy, noyaux, and the like. In the forenoon a relifli is taken of pickled herring, caviar, or fmoked meats, with a glafs of aqua-vitse, which is here called a fchelken. In the fchelken the ladies as well as gentlemen ail take part. The ufual time for fitting down to dinner is at one or two o'clock at lateft, and the fupper is ferved at nine or ten ; fometlmes, how- ever, later, when the company is numerous, and the rubbers of whift are not over. In general the pleafures of the table are here in high eftimation, and the fame of the man who * Quas and mead are two ruflian drinks, whereof the former is ufed inftead of fmall beer ; and is brewed from meal, balm, mint and water. The other is compofed of Uouey and water. Both are extremely refreflling. keeps ' SKETCH OF MOSCO. 46I keeps a good kitchen, flies from mouth to mouth- Acquaintances are ufually not formed till this matter is properly explained ; and an excellent table gives a claim to the moft brilliant companies, *' There is glorious eating and drinking at then* houfe,'^ is no fmall praife to any family ; and the man who has a fine tafte, and knows how to give favoury difhes, or is a good judge in wines, plays no inferior part in fociety. Even at dinner and at the tea-table, play is generally the fubjecl of converfation. Perfons of the greateft gravity hold it not beneath their dignity to analyze the games of whift, and to make profound difquifitions on them. With a face of the utmoft importance, and with a power of recolledion that indeed is allonifhing, they relate the moft interefting events of the yefter- day's party. What cards each player held, what card he led, what others were played to it, for what reafons, what were the confequences — all this is delivered with the moft perfed circum. ftantiality, and attended co with confum-mate patience. A better and more interefting topic of conver- fation is the politics of the day, which are here ■difcuffed with a liberality and franknefs not com- mon elfewhere. The lad Hamburgh gazette is difculfed 462 SKETCH OF MOSCO. difculTed and debated without fear or referve ; every one taking part In the converfation, accord- incr to his fentiments or humour. This fhews the good underllanding and the mutual confi- dence that fubfift between the government and the nation, and is certainly the befl evidence for the goodnefs of the aduiiniftration and the con- tentednefs of the people. One of the finefl features of the national cha" rader of the Ruffians is certainly their tolera" rioN, which fliines at Mofco in its mofl brilliant luftre. This popular virtue is the fruit of thofe laws that have been enaded in this refped by the wife monarchs of Ruffia, fince the asra of Alexey Mikha'ilovitch. Faith, in matters of reli- gion, is here never any detriment to a man. In civil affairs, in focial intercourfe, in friendfhip, in love, religion is no obflacle to fuccefs. The Mofcovite never inquires, whether thou be of Cephas, or of Apollos, or of Paul. Honour and probity are the grounds of his confidence, and amiablenefs of any kind the fource of his attachment. Hence we fee, that even bigotted parents truft the education of their children to a foreigner who is of a different perfuafion, if they are but convinced of his honefty. They love and efteeni him, though he never attends their ^SKETCH OF MOSCO. 463 their religious rites ; and meat is fervcd to him at their rabies, while they themfelves keep ilrict fad. A man may fafely rely on the friendihip of the Ruflians, when once he has acquired it, in fpite of any difference in religion ; and marrfages between Ruffians and foreigners are contrafted without the leaH: fcruple or hefitarion. Befides this religious toleration, here is flill another, namely, social toleration, which is commonly a mark of good breeding and know- ledge of the world. It is in contrail with a pro- penfity to teflinefs and cavil, and forms the bafis of good behaviour in company, and of a chearful and eafy communication of fentiments and ideas. This fpecies of toleration is likewife univerfal in Mofco. Every one may deliver his particular conceptions and notions on any fubjedl what- ever, without fear of flat contradidion, or of being abafhed or confounded by grofs replies. No one pretends to force his opinion on others by bawhng and clamour, and it feldom happens that the pleafure of fociety is dlllurbed by warm debates. Every one rides his hobby-horfe under the fafeguard of focial toleration. In fhort, whatever may be the fource of this virtue, its charms are ineftimable, and its effects be- neficial. Another 464 SKETCH OP JWOSCO. Another beautiful characlcriilic of the Mofco- vites is entitled to equal praife — it is benefi- cence. No pauper is fent empty away from the door ; on the contrary, they haften to the indi- gent to offer their mite. At all family occurrences of confequcnce, efpecially at funerals, confider- able funis are difirlbuted in alms, and it is com- mon to purchafc the difcharge of prifoners by paying their debts. The rich have an eleemo- fynary day, at leafl once a- week, when all the poor who prefent themfelves, whatever be their country or religious profeffion, receive money, garments, provifions, &:c. according to their fe- veral neceflities, or their diilerent defer ts. Pri- vate perfons at times endow ufeful inftitutions of great extent, as the commercial-fchool founded by M. Demidof, the alms-houfes of Kurakin and of Scheremetoi, and even the foundling-houfe, which owes its foundation in part to voluntary contributions. Very frequently too, the college of general provifion receives confiderable funis for the relief of the diHrefied, and nowhere do colledlions for any beneficent purpofe fill more rapidly than here. One cuflom more deferves our honourable notice, by which the comforts of fociety are greatly enhanced. Thofe long-tailed, trouble- fome, miiiute, and infipid titles, which are ftill fcrupuloufly SKETCH OF MOSCO. 465 fcrupuloufly retained in many parts of Germany, are here but feldom heard. Every one, let his rank and flation be what they may, is called by his pronomen with the addition of his father*s^ and the termination 'vitch ; as, Ivan Makfimo- vitch, Gavrila Petrovitch,Paphnuti Romanovitch, Pankrati Gregorievitch, &c. and the ladies by adding evna or ovna, inflead of ii-.ich ; as, Aga- phia Romanovna, Yuliana Alexandrovna, Daria Aphanafievna, Anaftafia Ivanovna, he The knass and the graf are indeed called illujlrious *, and the general, or he who holds an equal rank in the civil department, has the title excellence^ 'y yet in common converfation often only by their names, knses Ivan Mikhailovitch, graf Matphey Petrovitch, &c. This laudable. ciiftom is eveti generally adopted by the Germans, and is obferved even in fpeaking their native language. In Ihort, the pride of titles and rank, of wealth or fcience, is here extremely rare. Whether you are noble or not ; whether you reckon your in- come by thoufands or by hundreds, no man cvef inquires. Station is honourable ; but moderate circumftances are no difgrace. A man is fure of be^ng the firft perfon in company, if he be the Jnoft agreeable. * Siatelftvo. f Prevoflchodytelftvo. VOi^. U. H H 4^6 SKETCH OF MOiiCO. CHAP. XII. Education. — E>:evtions on the part of parents. — Stylfl of mofcovite education. — Regard for the french lan- guage. — Aptnefs of the young ladies for playing on the harpfichoid. — Defects in the education of females. — Requifites for a good tutor. — French mafters. — German mafters. — The Dxtkaand the Nenka. — Vifm's Nedorofl. Of the public fchools we have already had occafion to fpeak : we (hall here fay fomething concerning the private tuition, as it is conduded by domeftic teachers, or in boarding-fchools. In Mofco, as well as throughout all RufTia, education is treated with all the importance that it deferves. Perfons of opulence and diftindion are not fparing of expence, in order to give their children a good education j not only paying the domeflic tutor a falary of a ihoufand rubles and upwards, but likewife having the befl mafters for mufic, dancing, drawing. Sec. fo that the edu- cation of the children in great houfes coft feveral thoufand rubles- annually. Thefe exertions are certainly highly praife-worthy ; but, on the other hand, the mode of education in general, which is nov/ become the fufliionj is extremely repre- henflble^ SKETCH OF MOSCOi 46/ lienfible. This feems to be the proper term, though it couid hardly be expelled that falhion /hould have anything to do in the management of an affair of fo much importance as education ; yet when fome defeftive practice becomes the objedl of general imitation, it can only be ex- plained from the caprices of that wanton goddefs; We fhall here take the liberty to make a few remarks on the prevailing mode of education in Mofco, with that difcreel franknefs which ought always to characterife fuch as wifli to do good. The knowledge of languages, and the graces of the perfon, feem to be the foremoft confider- ations in the mind of the generality of parents, if not the only points to which the labours of the tutor ought to tend. Hence it arifes, that in the choice of a preceptor far lefs attention is paid to the fcience and erudition that he pofTefles, and his integrity, than to a brilliant exterior. The chief requifite of all is, that he fpeak french well : for among all clafles the learning of this language is the prime concern. .Accordingly, it is by no means furprifmg that the important bufmefs of education fhould be committed to ignorant and uninformed perfons,and occafionally even to mea of diflblute manners, if they only fpeak french with a proper accent, and can difcourfe with fluency on ordinary topics. This muft needs be. a great H H 2 differvice i6^ SKETCH OF MOSCO. dilTcvvicc to the community, to which they may perhapCO. bitterly, and will nor, by any pcrfuafion, b€ brouc,Iit to fix his eyes on the book. He puts his fingers in his ears, while the pr.riih-clerk, with his drawling fchoolmafter-acccnt, is bawl- ing to him his As, buki, yedi, glagol, dobro, yell, jiveic, &c. * At length the Nenka, who never forfakes her poor Mitrophanufchka in this hour of torment, by bringing him fugar-plumbs and cakes and, the paper clapper, fueceeds at leaft fo far as to make him leave off crying. The bufmefs now feems to take a favourable turn. The' fchoolmaller fcreains his letters : Mitrophanufchka munches comfitt;, accom* panying the melody of his teacher, at intervals, with the found of his clapper, and even occa. fionally muttering out a letter ; while the Nenka is incefifantly coaxing the dear child with all her arts and ingenuity to mind his book. The pa- rifli-clerk having fiaiilied his hour, retires ; and now the Frenchman appears. With him af- * By the way, this will be no improper place for making the reader acquainted v/idi the names of the letters of the ruffian alphabet. i\s, buki, vcdi, glagol, dobro, yeit, jivetc, zemlia, ije, kako, liudi, muifliete, nache, one, pokoV, rtfi, flovo, tverdo, u, fL'rte, khicre, tfi, chcrf, fcha, fchtfcha, ycrc, ycri, yer, yati, yu, ya. Formerly among tliefe were alfo the letters i, zclo, ye, kli, pfi, phila, and ijitl'a ; but they have of late years been difufcd by literary peri'ons. fairs SKETCH OF MOSCO. 475 fairs are Aiding into a better train ; and Mitro- phanufchka gets through this hour by the help of fweetmeats and his clapper. The parents are charmed with both pupil and tutor, and all goes on as it fiiould. In the evening of this day the family recei^'es a vifit from an aunt, who has not long been come from Peterfburg, where fhe has pafled fome years : the conver- fation chiefly turns on the clever young Mitro- phanufchka : they tell th^ aunt that the occafion of their journey to town was folely for the fake pf giving this darling boy an education fuitable to his rank: they talk in high terms of the great progrefs he has made in only one day, at the fame time doing ample juftice to his tutors, who are extolled as perfons of uncommon ta- lents. But they dwell wirh particular emphalis on the merits of the amiable Frenchman whom they have been fo happy as to engage. The aunt, a gttat admirer of that nation, requefts to have him introduced to her. He is fent for, and prefently appears. " Goodlack !" fhe imme- diately exclaims, " this is my peterfburg coach- f' man!" The ci-devant coachman lofes no- thing of his prefence of mind at this difcovery ; but, exprefling his joy at finding an old ac- quaintance, kiffes her hand ; and fhe, according to the rufEan cuflora, prefents to him her cheek : thus 476 SKETCH OF MOSCO. thus all continues in the former train. The de- tection excites not the fmallefl: averfion in the parents, who content themfelves with faying ; Well, he is however a Frenchman — on the contrary, their fatisfaction is rather increafed by the circumflance of his being known to the aunt, who gives him a good character. The metamorphofed coachman mixes in company whh the gentlemen of the houfe, the peterf- burg aunt fits down to a party at Ombre, and all divert themfelves with the recollection of former times. %c^ ( 477 ) The Sources whence the foregoing Hiftory is drawn ztt the following : Letopis NeJIorovn. — Chronicle of Neftor, l vol. .\to: St. Peterfburg, 1767. — This chronicle was publlfhed from a manufcript found at Koenigfburg, and has been conlidered by the ableft critics as the moll faithful of all. Neither the Poles, the Bohemians, the Serbes, the Vendes, nor any other of the flavonran nations, are able to boaft of an hiflorian of fuch high antiquity. He was born in 1056, and at the age of fixteen entered himfelf of the pet- fcherfkian monattery at Kief, where he died at a pretty ad\-anced age. His reputation for purity of life obtained him a place among the faints. His work clofes with th« year 1 1 15. With the following year commences the nar- rative of his continuator Sylvefler, dean of the monaflery of St. Michael at Kief, and afterwards bifhop of Pereiaflavl. The other continuators of this chronicle, which breaks off at the year 1206, are not known. The flyle of Neftor is plain and fimple throughout ; it being chiefly his intent to preferve the remembrance of fafts without embellifhment. His fimplicity, however, does not entirely exclude eloquence. He fays nothing of the memoirs which he followed for the times anterior to thofe ia which he wrote : but it is eafy to difcover that he did jiot work upon merely oral tradition, and that he had be;- fore him the manufcripts which he has neglefted to cite. It 13 proved by authentic documents, that fo early a-j the time e 4^3 SOtTRCES OF time of Olcg, in the ninth century, the Ruffians had th art of writing, fince from that period they made tella- ments, contrads, and treaties. Neftor and his continua- tors have been careful to note down in their chronicle the appearance of comets, cclipfcs, and other celeflial phseno- mena. Litopis Nilonava. — Chronicle of Nikon, 2 vol. 4to. St. Pettrlburg, 1767. — This chronicle is not properly the work of the patriarch Nikon, whom we have feen play- ing a great part under the reign of tzar Alexey. But that prelate employed fomc of the leifure procured him by his difgrace, in colledling a great number of chronicles, col- lating them, coiTcfting one by the other, perhaps fome- times in altering them ; and, having done this, he made a copy of the whole, in which he placed fo much confidence, that he pronounces an anathema againft any who fbould dare to make any alteration in it. '1 his work brings us down to the reign of tzar Alexey ; but the two volumes that are printed conclude at the invafion of RulTia by tha Tartars. Kni^a Stcpcnndla, 2 vol. 410. St- Pcterfburg, 1777. — The book of degrees — i6 entitled becaufe in it the hif- tory of the fovercigns of Rullia is difpofed according to the order of their defcent : thus, when the father has for his fucceffor his fon and his grandfon, they together form only one degree ; and another degree commences when the throne pafTcs to a collateral heir. This book is not a chronicle, but a hirtory begun ia the fourteenth century by the me- tropolitan Kyprian, in the reign of Dmitry Donfky, and continued in the fixteenth century by the metropolitan Makhary under tzar Ivan Vaflillievitch. This work is very .defervcdly eltcemtd, and the copies of it were accordingly multiplied, till at laft it was printed by the care of the learned M. Mullcr, counlcUor of the college of foreign affairs. / RtJSSIAN FIISTORY. 4^^ sifairs, and one of the moft illuftrious members of the aca- demy of fcitnces at St. Petcrlburjv. The authors of itj, however, are juftly reprehei>fible, forhaving fometimes too ligluly deviated from the text of tlie ancient writers of the chronicles, for fupplying the place of it with falfe and- ridiculous traditions, and often fpoihng their work by ac- €ounts of prodigies for the fake of pleafing the monks of their time. Thty had no notion of the rules of found cri- ticifm ; and their ilyle, though dignified, is often turgid, and fails of infpiring us with the fame confidence as that of the honeft Neftor and his continuators. T%arjlvenm-j Letopt^ds. — Tzarian chronicle, r vol. 4to. St. Peteriburg, 1772. — It conduSs us from the year 111410 the year 1472; but there is a eonilderabk chafm In it. Every tranfa£tion, in the original manufcript,- is accompanied Avith a miniature reprefentatfon of it. It may be conjeftured, that this copy, being ornamented at fo great expence, was made for tzar Alcxey, who was very curious of information. Though it be not extremely ancient, It is not the lefs wortliy of confidence, and {hould be confidered as an extraft, carefully made from the ancient chronicles writitn by contemporaries with the facls. The chronological order is accurately preferved in it, the very ilyle of the authors is retained, and the various phsenomena of the Ikies are noted. J)revney Letopi/fets. — Ancient chronicle, 2 vol. 410. St. Peteriburg, 1774 — 75. — It is printed from a copy ornamented like the foregoing, and made for the ufe, it may be ptefumed, of the fame prince. It runs on from the reicrn of Alexander NefHiy to the year 1424, T'zarjlvenndia Kniga. — The tzarian book, i vol. 410. St. Peterfburg, 1769. — This is another copy refembhng the two former. It contains the hiftory of tjiar Ivan Vaf- fillievltch^. 4f56 SOURCES OF fillievitch, to the year 1553, who followed the conqueft 0^ Kazan. Op'ilJ.irii: Kniazla Kourh/lago. — Hiflory of tzar Ivan Vaflillievitch, by prince Kourbflcoy. The author was a witnefs of moft of the fails which he relates ; having ferved at the fiegc of Kazan, and having had a command during the war of Livonia. Having fallen ui.der the difpleafurC of tzar Ivan, and dreading his vengeance, he fled into Poland. From this place of his retreat he addrelfes his ti'ork to that prince himfcif, particularizing and reproach- ing him boldly with his cruelties. The tzar condefcended to anfwer him ; and, without denying the fa£ls with which lie is charged, he related, in vindication of himfcif, the caufes of complaint he had againfl his fubjefts. The per- formance of Kourbflcoy and that of the tzar are two valua- ble monuments which are preferved only in the manufcript. Letopii M'lateyakh. — Chronicle of the troubles of Mofco, I vol. 8vo. St. PeterfDurg, 1 771. — It begins at the reign of Fcodor, fori of tzar Ivan Vafiillievitch, and ends at the reign of Alexey. If the author has not dived into the cabinets of thdfe who were at the head of affairs in the times whereof he writes, he was at leaft very well informed of whatever could come to the knowlcdo-e of a private attentive obfci-vcr. The epocha which he corh- prifes is one of the mofl intcrefting in all the hiltory of Ruffia. Sinopfis, I vol. 8vo. St. Peterfburg. The work of a cre- dulous monk ; being a dry abridgement of a part of ruffian hiflory, where fome important tranfaftions are haflily no- ticed, while the author dwells with fatisfa£tion on a number of idle and abfurd tales, invented in the cloiflcrs. This little book went through feven ediiions ; becaufe nothing better had then been pubiiflied. radr$ RUSSIAN HISTORY. 48 I 7'adro Rojfi'ijhoy IJlorii. — Abridgment of ruffian hif- tory, I vol. 8vo. Mollio, 1770. — An excellent work of prince Khilkof, ambaffador from Ruflia in Sweden, and detained prifoner by the Swedes contrary to the laws of na- tions, when Peter I. in 1700 declared war again ft Charles XII. He died when jufl. on the point of recovering his liberty, and it was during his captivity that he wrote this work, which he finilhes at the battle of Pultava. Kazati/hai IJloriia, — Hiftory of Kazan, by M. Ritch- kof, I vol. 8yo. St. Peterfburg, 1767. — The author drew up his work from a chronicle which he found at Kazan, and he has enriched it with feveral curious invefti- gations. VveiUnii k AJlrakhanJkoy Topographi'u — Introduafon to the topography of Aftrakhan, 1 vol. -Svo. St. Peterf- burg, 1774. — A. work of the fame author. Opijfatiie Slutchdief Kajalulchlkhfta do A%ova. — Account of the events which relate to the city of Azof, i vol. Svo. St. Peterfburg, 1768. — The learned work of M. Baer, profeffor of oriental languages at the academy of fciences 3t St. Peterfburg. The original is in german. Jzveftiya Vizantii/likh ifionkof. — Extrads from the byzantine hiftorians. — M. Stritter has under this title col- lefted all the pafTages in the hiflorians of Byzantium that relate to the northern hives v,-ho contributed to the ruin of the reman empire. IJionya Shiphjlcd'ia. — Hiftory of the Scythians. — A work, in manufcript of the ftolnik Lizlof, who lived under the reign of tzar Mikhaila Pheodorovitch. It would be veryufeful, if it were not fuperfeded, as to the hiftory of the Tartars of Kazan and Aftrakhan, by the writings of M. Ritchkof. Krathoy Letopijfds Lomonofova. — Brief chronology of Lomonofof, i vol. 8vo. St. Peterftjurg, 1760. — It is VOL. II. I , impoffible 483 SOURCES Ol- impofTible to include more matter in the fliort Ipace of fifty pjgcs. This h'ttle work is followed by the genealogy of the monarchs of RiifTia, and their alliances. Rovejl Samotvaiitfahh. — Hiltory of the impoftors, by piincc Schtfcherbatof, i vol. 8vo. St. Peterfburg, 1774, Under tKis title the author has compiled the hiilory of the adventurers, who, under falfe names, have attempted to ufuip the throne of RufTia. This work is almoft entirely taken from the chronicle of the troubles of Mofco, and the abridgment of prince Khilkof. Annexed to it is a rela- tion of the outrages of vStenka Radzin. Ijlonya Ruffujldia Tat'tfchtfcheva. — Hiftpry of Ruflia, by M. Tatifchifchef, privy-counfellor, 3 vols. 4to. — The thor, who lived under the emprefs Anne, took on himfelf nearly the fame talk with Nikon. It is fcarcely pofilblc to imagine that any one has ever collected and collated fuch a great number of chronicles as this writer. He induftrioufly employed himfelf for thirty years in correfting and com-* pleting thefe chronicles one from the other, in modernizing the flyle, and in making immenfe refearches into the antiqui- ties of his countr}', from which he has drawn bold confe- quenccs, frequently very doubtful. As he feldom cites the chronicles he has followed, and gives no reafon for his preferring fome to the others, what degree of confidence fhould be placed in his work cannot be ascertained. He had brought it down to the reign of Fepdor, fon of tzar Ivan VaffiUievitch ; but the three volumes that are printed terminate at the invafion of the Tartais, and the reit was loft in a fire. JJlcriya Rojfvjhaia kn. Schtfcherhatova, — Hillory of Rufha, by prince Schtfcherbatof, 3 vols. 410. St. Peterfburg, 1770 ,^—71 and 74. — The author always cites his authorities, which upon reference are as often found to correfpond. If the RUSSIAN HISTORY. 483' the prime character of a hlftorian be the love of truth, this prince defervcs the higheft praifes. J'llu Petra Felihago. — Life of Peter the Great, 2 vols. 4to. — printed for the firft time in the flavonian language, at Venice, and reprinted in 1774 at St. Pcteriburg, with notes by prince Schtfcherbatof, A work abour.dinjr in curious remarks. The author being only intent on the vc» racity of his narrative, is carelefs of ornament He is faid to be a prelate of a flavonian church in the turkifh domi- nions. , IJlory'ia Petra Vellhago. — Hiftory of Peter the Great, by Pheophane Prokopovitch, archbifhop of Novgorod, I vol. 8vo. St. Peterfburg, 1773. — The author had an intimate knowledge of his hero, who frequently conde*- fcended to aflc his advice. His work finifhcs after the battle of Puhava. It is thought by.fome perfons that thia book is falfely attributed to the archbiihop of Novgorod ; it is certain, neverthelefs, that the original maniitcript was torrefted by the hand of that prelate, and that he noted in the margin the new inquiries he intended to make. journal Petra Vdihago. — Journal of Peter the Great, 2 vol. 4to. St. Peterfturg, 1770. — If that prince did not himfelf write this journal, he at leaft cauftd it to be written under his own infpeftion, and corrected it with his ov/n Iran \ in a great number of places. It was given to the public by prince Schtfcherbatof, v^ho has added to if fome papers of importance taken from the archives. Opijfan'ie S'tlirjhago Tzarjiva. — Defcriptiou of the king- dom of Siberia, 1 vol. 410. St. Peterfhurg, 1750. — The learned work of M. Mulkr, corroborated by a great variety of original documents. S'lhlrjkaia Ijior'tya. — Hiflory of Siberia, by M. Fifcher, profeffor of the academy of fciences at St. Peterfhurg, i vol. • 4to. St. Peterfhurg, 1774. — The author has made con- 112 fiUtrabk 484 SOURCES OF fidcrable 11 fe of M, MuUcr's work, to which he has added many learned and curious remarks of his own. Opijfan'te Zeml'i Kamtjhall'i. — Dcfcription of Kanit- /liatka, by Krachcninnikof, 2 vols. 410. St. Peterfburg, 1755. — The author, being fent to Kaintfhatka by the academy of fciences, compofed his work from his own ob- fervations, and thofe of Steller, member of that academy, and died at Tiumen, in 1745, on his return from his literary travels. Dnvmciia Rojftijkdta iflor'iya Lomonofova. — Ancient hiftory of Ruflia, by Lomonofof, i vol. 410. St. Peterf- burg, 1766. — The author was the befl poet of his coun- try, and at the fame time an excellent profc-writer : but he was deftitute of that critical judgment which is the chief quality of an hiftorian. Tejcmcfiatchn'iya Sotch'incmyn^ 20 vols. 8vo. — This is a journal published monthly by the imperial academy of fciences at St. Peterftiurg, from 1755 to 1765. It con- tains a great number of very important hidorical pieces, the greater part compofed by the learned M. Mullcr, well known for his indefatigable refearches into ruffian hillory. Drevn'ta'ia Rojfi'ifkdla Vivliophiha. — Ancient ruffian library, 10 vols. 8vo. — A colleftion of original authen- tic pieces, drawn from the cabinets and archives, and pub- lifhed by M. Novikof. Among them are feveral articles of great importance. Raxfujden'te volrie s Shvedfic'lu. — DifTertation on the war with Sweden, by baron Shalirof, vite-chancellur of the ruffian empire, i vcl. i2mo. St. Peterlburg, 1722. — It is a manufcript written by order of Peter I. and under his infpetlion. It deferves to be confulted by all who. would iludy the hiftory of that prince. IJlorlya Rojfnjhdla Tfcbitjejrantfom. — Hiftory of Ruffia, In manufcript. — The author is a. foreigner who lived in the RUSSIAN HISTORY. 485 the reign of Peter I. TPie frequent gallicifms that occur in his rufs dlftlon lead one to think that he was a French- man. He knew nothing of the ruffian chronicles, and has followed the livonian, fwpdifli, and poHlh hiftorians. He may be taxed with very frequent miftakes, and muft therefore be confulted with diftruft, though he is not without utility, efpecially as to the hillory of tzar Ivan VaffiUievitch. That prince in the laft years of his life ftruck fuch terror into his fubjecls, that the Ruffians no longer dared to commit anything tA paper. Accordingly, for a period of feveral years, it is only from foreigners, who were at war with them, or who travelled among them, that anything is to be learnt of their hiilory. Povfednevniya zaptjii vremeni tzare't Mikhdila PheodorO' 'vltcha i Akxelya M'lkhdilov'ttcha. — Journals of the courfe of times of the tzars Mikhafla Pheodorovitch and Alexey Mikhailovitch, 2 vols. 4to. Mofco, 1769. — Thefe me- moirs inform us on what days the fovereigns dined in flate, what officers of the court waited at table, in what manner foreign ambaffadors were received, what officers were fent to meet them, &c. But they Hkewife prefent us with fomc hiftorical fads, which are of the moft confummate authen- ticity. Rodojlovl imperatorjko'i familti. — Genealogy of the im- perial houfe. — This manufcript, the work of fome literary man, ought to be confulted as containing lome hiltorical facls. Rerum MofcovUarum commentarii Sigifmiindi I'lleri laronis in Herherjlain. Bafde<£, 157 1» i vol. folio. — Commen- tary of baron Herberllain, on Ruffia. — The author was twice fent on embaffies to Ruffia, firil by the emperor Maximilian, and afterwards by the emperor Ferdinand. He took much pains to acquire information, and he im- parts it liberally to his readers. It may be here. remarked, I I 2 that ^86 bOURCES OF that fcvcral oi the works written in latin concerning RuiTia, in the fixtecnth century, arc far fuptrlor to anything that has fince appeared from foreigners touching that empire. JiTofcovla (icjlriptio^ ,indort ui}ei8 INDEX. Beard, of high edlmation in Ruflia, i. 355. Ordered to be ihaved, ii. 1 5 2. Bda-vefs, Dielgorod, the white town, i. 176. Belaya Vellia, three towns of that name, i. 410. Belgrade, articles of peace fjgned at, ii. 226. Bell, the largell in the world, ii. 375. Bells, cuftom of ringing, i. 128. tJfed for cafting cannoUi ii. 76. Bely bogue, the white god, i. 119. Berlin taken and ravaged, ii. 328. BeJ}uchef. appointed vice-chancellor, ii. 286. Entirely de- voted to Aullria, 306. Put under arreft, 307. ^/i/^ tranflated into flavonian, ii. 134. Bielgorod, a quarter of Mofco, ii. 382. Bira-?narket, at Mofco, ii. 385. Biren, chamberlain to Anna Jvanovna, ordered not to be biO'Jght with hsr into Rulfia, ii. 209. [Where the word net is by accident omitted.] Comes to court, 2J3. A ftain upon the memory of Anna Ivanovna, 238. Is her all-powerful mirion, 2 59. His execrable barbarities, 241. Appointed guardian of the young emperor Ivan, 244. On the pinnacle of grandeur, 247. Arrelted by general Man iftein, 251. Birds that are born blind, not eaten, i. 109. Black-bock, an antient book of arithmetic, i. 423. Blagovejl, or the agreeable found, i. 127. Black Ruflia, i. 137. Blade, a traitorous voyevode, i. 191. His merited punifh- roent, i. 193. 2?c«rd' of commerce inftituted, ii. 145. Bogue, the antient Hypanis, i. lc6. Bohemians, or Tfchechs, i. 41. Bolrjlaus retakes Kief, i. 218. Many places taken by him come back to Ruflia, 222. Bolgarin, a mivk of the holy mountain, i. 406. Boltin, the ruflian antiquarian, ii 31. Boors, tilled the ground of the nobleman on flated condi- tions, i. 368. A?;7j afTaflinated in his tent, i. 217 Boris Godu/iof acquires enormous wealth, 1. 303. With af- fected reludlatice fuffers himfelf to be crowned, 306. Borka, or Ardu, empire of, i. 41. Boryfihenes, origin of that appellation, i. 39. Sviatoflaf obliged to winter near the rocks of, i. i86. Bofphorus, over againll Tamatarcha, i. 4081 The tauridan ' lira its, 429. Bojar INDEX. 499 Ssyar, manner of his parading to court, i. 353. Boyars, what they were, i. 329. Boyar^oi Avar abrogated, ii. 120. Brandt, a dutch boat-builder, fent for by Peter I. ii. 60. Brztzanians, from Britzen, i. 41. Broiun, general, ordered to quit RuHia, ii. 354. Brunfwickt princefs of, married to Alexey Petrovitch, il, 105. Buddembrock and Levenhaupt, generals, badly conduft the campaign, ii. 258. Buka, fimilar to the roman Monducus or Lamia, i. 109. Bulgarians, fome account of the, i. 10. 28. Lofe mofl: of their towns along the Danube, i. 177. Their coun- try and language, i. 180. Byzantine hiftorians quoted, i. 176. Calabria, peopled by grecian colonies, i. 77. Calamities, a long train of, enfue to Ruffia, i. 227. Calepin, Ambrofe, quoted, i. 55. Capitulation to be propofed to Anna Ivanovna, ii. 208. Torn to pieces by her, 211. Captiiies, and their offspring, the only flaves, i. 347. Carcafes of the dead embalmed, i. 110. Cajpian, v/hence called the Khvalinflcian fea, i. 395. Con- nefted with the Baltic, ii. 145. Catharine I. fucceeds to the crown, ii. loi, Catullus, quotation from, i. 53. Caserns, famous, of Kitf, the beginning of, i. 429. Cedrenus, the grecian hillorian, i. 400. Celtic^ thought by fome writers to be the parent of the latin, i. 76. Ceremonies, idolatrous, to the god Svetovid, i. 1 16. Chancellor, Richard, commander of an englifti veffel, goes to the tzar at Mofco, i. 361. Chara^er, perfonal, not influenced by church forms, i. 377. Of Catharine I. ii. 192. Charges brought againfl Biren, ii. 251. Againft field- marfhal Munich, 273. Charles V. emperor, Ivan Vaffillievitch fends an ambaiTa- dor to, i. 298. K K a Charles 500 INDEX. Charles Xlf, not yet fi\teen, afcends the throne of Sweden, ii. 72. Entirely routs the ruHian army, 74. Arrogant tieclaraiion of, '/<;, Blameably unconcerned at the pro- grefs of the Ruflians, 80. Forces the Ruffians on all lides to retreap 84. Ivilled before Frederikfhal, 96. ChcfLijkoy, chancellor, ii. 286. Cheiardie, M. de la, aflUis in the revolution, ii. 266. Cbvtitrt, of land, i. 344. China, peace between RuHIaand, ii. 143. Chrijhitiiigs go rapidly on, i. 376. C/'///i/««//y introduced into Rufiia, o'f little effefl, i. 370. Chryjlpolis, from Conftantinople to, over the ice, i. 430. Chudo Morllcoe, a flavonian wdtery god, i. 102. Churches and fchobls endowed, i. 212. Cictro, quotation from, i. 59. Ci-v!lizaiio/i, obfervativins on the Hate of, in Rufiia, i. 325. CVz','7-wars, grounds laid for, i. 213. Clergy, impol'e fetters on the human mind, i. 378. Im- merfed in fenfualiiy and ignorance, 380. Interefted in the choice of Mikliaila, ii. 4. Contemned by Peter I., loi. Nothing to be expefted from, 1 16. Attempts to reform, 348. Take umbrage at Peter III. 351. Ruffian, have a primate, i. 221. Climate of Mofco, ii. 368. Club, the noblemen's, at Mofco, ii. 384. Cojin, model of a, lent to Rulfia, ii. 140. Coin, Sophia caufcs her imprels to be ftamped on the, ii. 46. Cc/Zvro-, inefFedlual ficge of, ii. 315. Invellcd, 327. Combat, fmgle, between plaintiff and defendant, eltabllfhcd by law, i. 356. Commerce fub'illed early between the Ruflians and the Greek?, i. 647. Flouritlies, .;2 1 . Laws concerning, 357. Common people gained over by the arts of Sophia, ii. 43. Concerts during Lent, ii. 452. Congregations, lutheran, in Mofco, ii. 390. .Ccn/crts, method of chufiug, pradlifed by the tzars of Kuffia, ii. 30. Caijlantrac Porphyrogenneta, the grecian emperor, i. 169. ■ 407. 421. Conjtantinople,. furprifing expedition to, i. l^o. Conquerors and foldiers in barbarous ages, pidture of, i. 187. Ca/zj-.-.'/y// anticipated by Sweden, ii. 257, Copeiioitgen, Peter f. goes to, ii. io6. Cuionaiicn oi Peter 11. ii. 199. Courtf INDEX. 50! Couyi, of Peterfijurg, takes a fofter and politer turn, ii, 237. Magnificent, 533. Co^l, put on by the ruffian princes, when dying, i. t^t^j. Cronjladty defcription and hilbry of, i 493. A hollile fleet appears before, ii. 190. Crorvn, refufed by Mikhf.ila Romanof, ii. 5. Crucifix worn about the neck, i. 127. Cruelties committed by Tgor in Paphlagonia, Pontns and Birhynia, i. 159. Of Peter the Great, admit of no pal- liation, ii. 161 . Cuira/fiers, firft added to the army, ii. 236. Cyrilf invents the ruiTian written character, i. 376. D Daikog, the flavonian Plutus, i. 102. Daiecarlians, refufe to enlill, ii. 293. Break out into open infurredion, 295. Dama/cenus, St. John, the hymns of, i. 121. Daniel, prince of Kief, obtains from the pope the title of king, i. ^81. Prince of Turof, 408. Daniela Alexandro'vitch, builds the Kreml palace, ii. 376. Dantzik, taken by field marfhal Munich, ii. 218. Dajhkof, princefs, enters into a coufpiracy to dethrone Peter III. li. 355. Da^id Jgorevitch and Volodar Roflifiavitch taken prifoners, i. 409. Daunts army, menaces Berlin, ii. 319. DeBt, Ruflia refponfible for a, due from Sweden to Holland, ii. 229. Deity, mankind have always made of him a malignant and cruel being, i. 91. Democratic form of government in Novgorod, gives place to the monarchical, i. 328. Denmark, a campaign againft, projedled by Peter Illi "• 353- Denomination, fimilarity ofj the occafion of various miftakes. Denominations of the mofl; ftriking fenfible objedls, i. ci. Derbent, captured by Peter 1. ii, 100. De/na, Ruffians and Swedes difpute the paflage of the.ii. ^6. Devajlations^ horrible, committed on the Uvedilh coaft, ii. 97. Diamonds, amazing amount in, ii. 256. K K 3 Died 502 INDEX. £)/(f/; boyarflcle, boyar-children, i. 344. Dilich, his hillory of Hungary, i. 22, 23. Di>r.inutives,2i muUiiude of, whereof the primary fubftantive is loll, i. 87. Di/agreemcnts, between Peter and Sophia, come to a formal rupture, ii. 56. Di/cipline, martial, improved by count Munich, ii. 234. Dijlempers, contagious, fcldom prevail at Mofco, ii. 3(39. Pijiiirbances, on tl\e fide of Poland, ii. 19, Diimar^s account of Kief, i. 139. Dmitri, grand-prince, prerceives that the Tartars are no longer fo formidable as before, i. 270. Obtains the fur- name of Donfkoy, 275. Dmitri Ivarwvitch put to death by Boris Godunof, i. 304. Dmitri, ihe whole party of, difperfed, ii. 7. Dobryna raifes a fuperb ftatue to the deity Perune, i. 196. Dogoda, a flavonian zephyr, i. 98. Ddgorukies, arrefttd and put to the torture, ii. 263. Re- called from Siberia and reinllated in their polls, 285. Dolgcruky, VaffiUy Lukovitch, on an embafly to Anna Ivan- ovna, ii. 209. Dolgcruky, the rufllan commander, ii. 23. Dcnicvic (iukhi, domeftic daemons, i. 98. Den, Ruflia allowed to build a fortrefs on the, ii. 227. Dorpat, city of, defcribed, i. 465. Hiftory of, 470. X>/t/}, alterations in, ii. 153. Z>rfxi//'/z«j, rendered tributary by Oleg, i. 149. Igor viflo- rious overthem, i. 163. Derivation of their name, i. 166. Drcunifigs, decreed by Ivan the Terrible., i. 295. Drummer, Peter the Great begins his carreer, by being, ii. 52, Drunke7inefs, Alexey Petrovitch addided to, ii. 104. Duel, generally decides on right and wrong, i, 329. Duke, title of, unknown to the antient RuUians, i. 222, f>unai, the name of the Danube, i. 106. Durak, the common expreflion for fool, ii. 447. Durojiolt, on the Danube, i. 183. EcchJiaJ} ical ccrtmoviifi^, great reliance on, I. 376. Ecclejiajlics, meritorious, i. 379. Lducation, plan of, purfued with Peter II. ii. 200. At JVJofco, 466. INDEX. 503 EjJ'gyoiVtitT the Great, ii. 161. Elicon, a fwlfs carpenter, went to Rome, i. 78. EiiJTa, the grecian city, called Olifha by the Ruflians, i. 400. Elizabeth, queen of England, highly efteemed by Ivan Vaf- fillievitch, i. 301. Zeaioufly employed in promoting enterpriles of difcovery, 360. Among her prefcnts to tzar Ivan, fends an englifh phyfician, i. 366. Eiizaheth, daughter of Peter the Great, rtr oiains quiet du- ring all the reign of Anne, ii. 263. IVli^kes a folemn vow that no blood (hall be (bed in her attempt on the throne, 269. Attempts made to dethrone, 279. Re, fuies to give back the conquefts made from Sweden by her father, 289. Her death and charader, 330. Her reprehenfible conduft to.vards her fucceflbr, 342. Elmoy St. Alexey Petrovitch, under a borrowed name, at the tortrefs of, ii. 106. Engineers, a corps of, firft inftituted, ii. 234. EngUpnen, land at Archangel, i. 301. invited to fettle in the empire 366- Envy, between Ruffians and foreigners partly done away, ii. 2^5 = Enidokhia, Peter the Great's firft wife, ii. 207. Eugene, prince, war happily terminated by, ii. 226. Euxine, conjoined with the Cafpian, ii. 145. Extortioners, privileged, opprefs the people, ii. 16. Fanjourites, inftability of their fituation, ii. 308, Female-ie-x, contempt for the, invariably a chara^leriftic of the want of civilization, i. 367. Feodor Ivanovitch, a weak prince, i. 302. Feodor Bcriffo'vitch, dethroned and imprifoned, i, 314. Feodor and Ivan, the fons of Alexey Mikhailovitch, ii, 33, Feodor Alexeyvitch, prudent government of, ii. 35. abruptly anfwers the patriarch, ii 39. Ferdinand, emperor, applied to for workmen by Ivan Vaffil- lievitch, i. 299. Ivan's letter to, 364. Ferdinand, laft prince of the houfe of Kettler, ii. 240. Fermor, fieldmarfhal, marches into PrutTia, ii. 311. Finland, almoft all, falls to Ruflia, ii. 96. Finnsy antiently comprifed under the denomination Varagps, i. 21. Two hundred of their villages burnt by the Ruf- fians, ii. 292, •^ ^ 4 Fire^ 504 INDEX. Fire-zxmf, brought into prad^ice in RufT.a, i. 364. Fire, grecian, acccunt of, i. 161. Flemings, great gainers by the downfall of the hanfcatic league, i. 36.1. Florus and Laurus, the tutelar faints of horfes, i. 123. Food, of the antient Slavonians, i. 327. Fools, kept for the divcrfion of the court, ii. 155. Foreign guidance and inllrtdlion, Ruffians mult always have, i. 363. Foreigners, at the head of afFairs under the regent Anne, ii. 261. Encouraged to come into the empire, 334., At Mofco, 391, 392. Foref.s, confecrated to the idol Perune, i, 92. Foundling-hciije, at Mofco, ii. 399. Franc-archers, in France, i. 344. Frederic IF. Elizabeth the perfonal enemy of, ii. 30 [. Writes to Peter III. to warn him of his danger, 355. Futilities, metaphyfical, brought from Greece into Ruffia, i, 209. Futurity, the defire to dive into, natural to man, i. 107. Gnhricl, metropolitan of Novgorod, i. ^^94, Gallitzin, Vaflilly, a fagacious miniller, ii. 37. Charafler of, 43. Sent into exile, 58. Callitzia, fpeech of prince, ii. 208. Gardorik, or great city, i. 134. Gedemin, duke of I^ithuania feizes on Kief, 1 277. Genealogical X.2^\t%2,vA regifters publicly burnt, ii, 38. Germans, often confounded with the Celts, i. '^d, Getes, called by the Romans Dacians, i. 392. Gibbets eredcd in Front of Sophia's convent, ii. 72. Glcb riadimirovitch, llabbed by his own cook, i. 217. Gkb Sviatcjlavitch, expelled from Tmutarakan, i. 432. Glebof, a young boyar, cruelties exercifed upon, ii. 169, Gluck, a luiheran clergyman, ii. 171. jS/. Gods, houlhclJ, among the Tfchuvafchec, }. 108. Gaertz, a n-gotiation begun by, ii. 96. Goldap, town of, plundered and burnt, ii. 303. Golden horde, demolition of, i. 280. Golliknfi life of Peter the Great, ii. 414. Gc'i.zaga, a famous fcene -painter at Mofco, ii. 411. Goranesg INDEX. ^ Goranes, the fame with mountaineers, i. 6. 138. Gordon, general, numbers of Scotfmen ferve under, ii. 59. Defeats the rebellious ftreliczesjyi. Gori, etrufcan monuments reported by, i. 8z. Gorodetz, where fituate, i. 404. Gojiomuijl, grandfather of Olga, i. 165. Goths and Ruffians antiently adopted many things In com- mon, i. I. and Huns in the regions of the Dniepr, i. 137. Go-vernDient, beneficial charges in, ii. 120. Gramota Uftautiaia, compiled by Ivan Vaffillicvitch, i. 334. Great Britain, treaty of commerce with, ii. 236. Great Greece, the modern Calabria, i. 77. Gr£T/fi« empire attacked by Oleg, i. 149. Peace concluded with, 153. Greece, architeds invited from, i. 208. Emperor of, prefents Vladimir II. with the enfigns of imperial dignity, 229. 365- Greek emperors had Ruffians in their army, and efpecially in their fleet, i. 170. Greeks pretend that Theodore the martyr miraculoufly fought for them, i. 184. Gregory VIII. pope, letter from, to IfiaHaf I. i. 224. Grodno, in Lithuania, abandoned by Peter I. ii. 84. Grofyagerjdorf, battle of, ii. 304. Ground, a great extent of, neccffary to men who never culti- vate the earth, i. 47. Grunjiein and Schwartz, liften to Leftocq's propofal, Ii. 265. Grvjinian or Georgian flobode, at Mofco, ii. 305. Guards, the chief aftors in revolutions, ii. 178. Preobra- jenflcoi, harlh methods employed againft, 288. Gubnaia Gramota, not known by whom compofed, I. 3 -a. Gubnie Starojii, a book now loft. i. 337. Gunners and bombardeers, german, taken into the ruffian fervice, i. 364. Gymnajium, at Mofco, ii. 398. H Habitations, of theantient Slaves, i. 327. ^ Hair, heathenilh rite of cutting it oft, i. 125. Halitch and Vladimir ceded to the Poles, i. 278. H^n/eatic-lcague, its merchandizes confifcated, i. 284. At- tempts to revive its commerce, 307. Account of, 358. Uarangne of prince Sviatopolk II. i. 417. Harioft, 5o6 INDEX. Ilarlm, digs himfelf a civern, i. 429. JHavellaiiiaHs^ from ihcir dwelling near the Havel, i. 40. Head money, firft levy of, i. 344. Ileaus cuiotFby hundreds, ii. 165. Heidcke, an eminent lutheran preacher at Mofco, H. 389. Helen, the name taken by Olga at her baptifm, i. 169. Heljingfors, the Swedes furrounded near, ii. 290. Henry IV- emperor, applied to for aid by Ifjallaf I. i. 223. Htretic, Peter III. ii. 353. Htghivays and roads, provifion for, ii. 1 44. Hilarton, a hermit of great fandlity, i, 37;. Hiong-nu, the real name of the Huns, i. 2. Hrjioty, lources of rufllan, ii. 477, Holovtziny the Ruffians fuljmit to the Swedes at, ii. 85. Holjiein, Gottorp, duke of, fon-in-iaw of Catharine 1. il. 190. ' Anthony Peter Ulric, eled; heir to the fwedifh crown, 294. Honour and probity, how to know a Ruffian of, ii. i8o. Hortits penfiiis, at I'tterlljurg, defcribed, i. 449. Ho/iiliiies with Sweden, ceffation of, ii. 288. Hoiijts, of the Ruiiians, i. 366. Hungary, fupplies SviatoHaf with gold and horfes, i. 179. Huns, mother- country of the, i. 2. 30. I Japhel, Kozar the feventh fon of, i. 174. Ice-h\\h, diverfion of the, ii. 455. Jdiers and vagrants, not tolerated, i. 351. Jerbziwjky, Dr. a worthy lutheran paftor, ii. 389. Jfjuiis, not tolerated by Peter the Great, ii. 133. Igor, ftill in his minority, accompanies Oleg on his warlike expeditions, i. 146. Succeeds to the throne, i. 157. Ravages Paphlagonia, Pontus and Bithynia, i. i^g. Igor Vlad'uniro^itch Monomachus, builds the city of Vladimir on the Kliafma, i. 232. Igor Vjevnlodonjhch, killed, with his whole family, i. 232 Jgumcns or abbots i. 120. lilyrians, inhabiting ths northern coafts of the Adriatic, i. 77. Incu'fions by the neiglibouring nations, i. 229. Indidi, method of computing by, i. 427. Infancy, of Catharine J. veiled in oblcurity, ir. 183. Ingria, Pe'.cr 1. makes himfelf mafter of, ii. 82. Inhabitants INDEX. 507 Inrjalliants m VeietlbMrg, number of, 1. 453. Jnno'vatiom of Peter I. excite dMcontent, ii. 67. Inqmfttion^ political court of, ii. 33?. ht/cnption on a marble found among the ruins of Phana- goiia, i. 427. Inten/e Q.o\d, record of, i. 429. Invalids, hofpital of, at Mofco, ii. 387. Joachim Swjelof, patriarch, ereds a Jchool at Mofco ii 381. ' • Journey, Peter I. urdertakes his firft, if. 69. ■l^ajlaf Fladifniro'vitch ohi&\^s?6\o\{k.. i 191. Iftcijlaf Tarr.Jlwciich forced to abandon the throne, i. 22*. IJmaiUfJhy guard?, commanded by Gregory Orlof, ii. /-y Ij'vojchiks, or drivers, ii. 45(f. ' ' ^^'^' /i/^//, the kupalnilh, exfilain-. d, i. 94. /i;«« I. an enterpriling prince, i. 278. Unites wi;h the grand principality, 281. Ivan Vajfdhe-vitch II furnamed the terrible, i. 286 A regular attendant at church, 290 Hi. horrid crueitj-s 295. Pur.ifnes corrupt judge^, 296, Revifes and im* proves the Sudebiiik, 33j. Ivan, the dethroned errperor, cruelly aflaflinated, ii. 282 Judgment paffed on Catherine I. by a german author H r93. ' ' Judges afting and deciding partially, i. 356. Open to bri- bery, 11. 15. Partial, knocted, 122.' Julian calendar ftiil ui'ed in Ruifia, v. 148. Juliana, queen ot Denmark, ii. :8r. JuJIice, admirdllratioii o', iound maxims concerning the 11. 114. Correded, 121. 6 » R Kahaks, or com nrion public houfes, il. 421, Kabala, a fort of contraft, i. 550. Kabardia, added to the ruflian empire, i. 2c«; The greater and the lefs, to remain as a frontier, \.. 227. Kaffa or KjfFa, a maritime town in the Krimea, i. I'gg. Ruffian prifoners expofed to fa!e at, i. 285. * Kagans, the rulhan princes never fo called, i, 28. Kalka, an engsgement between the Ruflians an'd Tartars near the river, i. 241. Source 0/ the, 399. * Kalocer, a patrician, treats with the Ruffians In the came of Phocas, i. 182. Kaminieiz 5c8 INDEX. Karninietx taken by the Turks, il. 27. Kam:jhatka, the acquifuion of, ii. 143. Kaptfckak, Baaty khan of, i. 243. Kuvinn, m2i:re de police at Molco, ii. 443. Kuyzerlingiien, couiu, firll hufband of Anna Moens, ii. 170. Kazan, belieged by Ivan Vaffillicvit^h, i. 288. Kaxanfiioy church, Catharine II. takes the cath in the, ii. 357. iL'c;v/i-/y, Irom the old Kortfchef, i. 429. KettUr, the family of become e.xtind, ii. 230. Kcxholm and Novgorod taken by the Swedes, i. 322. ii. 8. Kherajkof, one of the molldiftinguifhed authors of" Ruiiia, ii. 397. 414. . ^^ , . . Khors, the Uavonun ^Iculitpius, 1. ici. Khortfchit^ fignification of, i. 10 1. Khoty'un taken by Marfhal Munich, ii. 225. Khrobatesy from khrebet, a mountain, i. 4I. K'lef, a town of the Sarmates, i. 4. The original building of, i. 139. Taken by a wicked llratagem, i. I47. Oleg returns vidorious to, i. 153. Beficged by the Petche- negans, i. 177. A proclamiition ilTued at, ordering all the jnliabicants to be baptized, i. 203. Feafls there, i. 212. The prince of, paramount to all the relt, 225. Sufrers particularly by inrelHne wars, 231. Horrible flaughter committed by the Tartars at the taking of, 249. Seized rn by the duk^ of Lithuania, 277. Origin of the fa- mous caverns at, 429. Kiel, Peter III. born and educated at, ii. 339. 34 !• Kikhnora, the Havonian Morpheas, i. 1 00. /6V^/j//b fubmitto Ruffia, ii. 237. Kijftnians from the town of Kaffian, i. 41. /^Tz/fl/^^o/W, at Mofco, ii. 377. 413. Kit^liar, on the borders of the Terek, ii. 256. Ki-vi, io called from their dwelling in a mountainous dif. trift, i. ^. Kna'zics ox (erfs, 1. 350. Knighthood, an order of, inftituted In honour of Catharine I. ii. 105. K'lcot, Alexey Petrovitch fuppofed by foroe to have pc- rilhtd by the, ii. 108. Kct rgjbtrg, fubmit.s to the Ruffians, ii 3 1 1. Kolagridova, inadame, the Siddons of Molco, Ii. 409. Koituda, the flavonian god of peace, i. loz. KoU-z>f>, adopted from the Greeks, i. ill' Komuiies h^d thrir name from the river Kuma, I. 12. Kontiians aflill the Ruffians againft the Tartars, i. 18. KoJ>rcmi!iu^y INDEX. $09 Kopronimus, emperor Conflantlne, i. 430. Korelians, comprehended by foreigners under the name Biarmians, i. \z. 18. Korojlen, Igor flain and burled at, i. 164. Kor/esy in Courland, i. 12. Korfun, Kherfon anciently fo called, i. 20f. Kojbges, dwelt eaftward of the fea of Azof, I. 12. 39!. Subdued by Sviatoflaf, 411. Kofiromuy the family of Philaretes in a convent at, ii. 4. Kotiak, prince of the Polovtzes, i. 39S. Kotupan, the alfaflin, ftoned to death, i. 402. Kotz.ebue' % pLys, much admired at Mofco, ii. 408. 410. 41 1. Kovanjkoy, prince, at the head of the ftrelitzes, ii. fician to the princfls Elizabeth, ii. 261. His device for tixng her refolution, 268. Banifhed to Sibe- rij, ^00. Letter, curious, written by the Novgorodians to their prince, i. 235. From tzar Ivan to the emperor Ferdinand, 365. From Peter L to his fon, ii. 105. Of Fi^deric II. concerning Peter the Great, ii. 168. To the queen, 321. 325- Letters, names of the, in the ruffian alphabet, ii. 474. Ltbuniiam occupy the fouth-ealt coall of modern DaU matia, i. 77. Lictnuya, a kind of contrnfl, 1. 350. Lieven. the uicdern Livonians, i. 13. 19. Lt/>, INDEX. S»» Life, hard manner of, purfued by Sviatoflaf, i, 172. Z,//w of the Kriniea, defcribed, ii. 218. literature among the Ruffians, i. 380. State of, at Mofco, iJ. 413. Lithuanians, derivation of that term, i, 14. Liubitjh, aflembly of the princes ar, i, 417. Li'vonia, afflided by a cruel war, i. 300. Lae-venbaupt, the fwedifh general, defeated, il. 87. An advocate for a war, 258. Lmxvenixolden, a Livonian, favourite of Caiharine If. IL 189. 243. Lope, the fame wich Lapland, i. 13, 19. Lords, followed to the wars by their flaves, i. 352. Lubeck, fends an embafTy to Ruffia, i. 361. Bifliop of, propofed to be king of Sweden, ii. 294. Eleded, 29C. Luke, the evangeliJl, a portrait painted by, ii, 374. Luxury, fome degree of, feems to have prevailed at the court of Ruffia, from the time of Cleg, i. 169. M Maddox, an ingenious and enterprifing Engllfhman, pro- pnetor and manager of the theatre at Mofco, ii. 404. M«§^/ar^/, eUablifh the ungarian kingdom, i. 14. iVia/^^or/, cruelly puniOied, ii. 337. Magnates, origin of their arbitrary judicial authoritv, \ 334- Malucha, Olga's attendant, the mother of Vladimir, i. lof. Mamai, khan of the donflcoi Tartars, i. 271. Lofes a battle to the Ruffians, 274. Manichces., the devotion of them not captivating to the ruf- fian n)iffionaries, i. 197. Manifefto, of the emprefs Anne, ii. 211. Of the emorefe Elizabeth on taking the crown. 274. Of Catharine IL concerning the prince Ivan, 281. Acculing the Swedes as authors of the war, 291. Of Catharine II. on he> acceding to the throne, 358. Manners, caufcs of the alteration and diverfity of, i. 331. iV/«^^/w/, adjutant-general to count iViunich, ii. 232. i!f^«i//ij^//rf/ and trades encouraged, ii. 139. Maria Fesdorevna, the prefent tmprefs, ii. 4cr. Maria There/a, rinds a friend and ally in Elizjheth, ii. 298, Marnia QovAQnis to be married to the pretended Dmitri, i. 310. Admits a fecond Dmitri as he/ fpoufe, 519. Marka^ 5i2 INDEX. Mtirh/-p\a.ce, pradtice of reforting to the, i. 567. Alar/al/otJ, fpoke rather greek than Celtic, i. 78. Martens and lables elleeiiicd in proportion to the darkncfs of their colour, i. 1 57. Martha, the foi mer name of Catharine I, ii. 171. May-da.y, how kept at Mofco, ii. 419. Mazeppa, hetm;in of the Kozaks, ii. 85. 237. Mead, a liquor much ufed in Rufiia, ii. 460. Meetings, public, cuftomary with the RulGnns, n. 118. Melnik, the Milltr, a famous ruflian comedy, ii. 407. Memel, taken by the Rufllans, ii. 503. Mengden, countefs, a favourite with the regent Anne, 11. 260. Mentchlkof, prince, appointed viceroy of Ingria, ii. 8z. Made preceptor to Alexey Petrovitch, 10^. Fans the Tzar's relentments, 104. His elhtes in the Ukraine confifcated, 122. Originally a pye-boy, ii. 160. Gives information of a plot, 164. Religns Catharine to Peter the Great, 171. Guilty of much opprefTion and in- juftice, 179. Orders Catharine to be proclaimed em- prefs, 183. Keeps in favour with the tzar till his death, 1S8. Anxious to execute two claufes of Catharine's will, 194. Dies in exile, ig8. Merchants, gerrnan, imprifoned at Novgorod, i. 283. Of Novgorod and Pfcove, in high reputation, i. 359. Po- liili, fall viiflimi to the fury of the populace at Mofco, i. Meres, dwelt in the region of Roftof, i. 15. M^/chl/chorej, where they dkvtlt, i. i ^. Me/embria, from the Kriir. to, over the ice, i. 430. Metropolitan, of Novgorod, writes a fubmiffive letter in behalf of his prince, i. 236. Mihhdila Feod;rcvi'ch, elected tzar, i. 323. Mikhdila Romano/, a deicendarit of the ancient tznrs, ii. 3. Sends ambafi'adors to England and other countries, ii. lo* Promotes commerce with England and Periia, i iz. Milojlafjhy, the family of, ii- 33. Mind, tirmnefs of, Peter the Great's, ii. 128. Minei, a hymn-book, divided into months, i. 121. Mini/iers, engliili and pruiuan, frequently warn Peter III, of his danger, ii. 35^. A//«r and coinage, rectified, ii. 145. Miro-vitch, lieutenant, forms a piao for delivering the cap- tive Ivan, ii. 283. P;iys for it with his head, 2S5. Mitrophantt/ibka, a chariidcr in the play of Nederofl, ii '',72. Aiittau^ INDEX. 513 Mittau, an embafTy dirpatched to, ii. 209. Moens, Anna, beloved by Peter the Great, ii. 170. Mok'ns, de IsL Crtjix, ii. 172. Beheaded, 175. Mokos, a flavonian deity, i. 97. Moldavia, hofpodar of, ii. 92. Cocquered by tlie Ruf- fians, ii. 222. Reftored to the Turks, 227. Monajieries, not to purchase villages without the confent of the tzars, i. 356. Reformed, ii. 132. Mongoles quit th;;ir antient feats, i. 238. Monks, greek and ruffian, i. 120. Monojyllables, flavonian and latin, i. 48. Monuments, etrufcan, reported by Dcmpiler, i. 82. Mordvines, formerly called Meren, i. 19. Moro/of, entrufted with the education of Alexey Mikhailo- vicch, ii. 14. Mofco, origin of, i. 268. Horrid maflacres and conflagra- tions at, 276. The great bell conveyed to, 2H2. Ra- vaged and burnt by the Poles, 322, ii. 9. Tranquillity reltored in, ii. 17. Tremendous procefiion at, 47. Triumphal entry of Peter I. into, 64. A fecond, 81. On the victory at Pukava, 8g. A mathematical fchool at, 135. A gigantic city, ii. 365. Mjlijlaf Vladimiro'vitch, obtains the honourable furname of the Great, i. 229. Builds a church to the mother of God, i. 396. Vladirairovitch, prince of Tmutarakan, Munich, count, ordered againfl: the Turks, ii. 217. Com- plained of by the court of Vienna, 223. Ambitious and vain, 249. Obtains the poft of minifter, 252. The puniuimeni he had brought on Biren, retaliated on, 272. Murovi, prince of, fubdued by Oleg Sviatoflavitch, i. 414. Muromss, inhabited the dillridl of Murom, i, 15. Murder, common among the ar.tient Slavonians, i. 327. Might be retaliated by the relations, 354. Statutes concerning, ii. 113. MufiC and dancing encouraged at court, ii. 237. Mythology, flavonian, no probability of obtaining a com- plete iyftem of, i. 90. N Names, proper, terminations of, ii. 465. Narijhkin, Alexey's fecond confort of the family of, ii. 33. Nar-va, city of, defcribed, i. 457. Curious difcovery made near, ^6t^. VOL. II. h h Natalia f 514 INDEX. Natalia, the tzaritza, two brothers of, murdered, n. 45. Nations, all ahke at particular periods of their hlllory, i. 178. Navy, Peter I. defiroiis of obtaining a, ii. 61. Created by him, ii-j. AujimL-nted, 189. Nedorojl, the Spoiled Cliild, a favourite ruffian comedy, ii. 410. 472. Ncfjly. St. Alexander, order of knighthood of, i. 253. Neglinnaiyay a river at Mofco, ii. 366. NejJor, enumerates the naiions tributary to Ruffia, i. 21. Quoted, i. 35. Treaty of peace between Oleg and the Greeks, preferved in his antient chronicle, i. 153. Speech of Igor's counfellors reported by, i. 163. Makes the Rullians always vidoriuus, i. i'^"4. His merit in writing a hiftory, 380, Tatifchtfchef s remarks on, i. 403. Wrote the life of St. Nikon, i. 405. Nicholas, St. the wonder-worker, a fingular favourite of God, i. 121. Niemtzi, the Germans, why fo called, i. 325. Nikon, St. and the monk Bolgarin, tr.ivel together, i. 407. Returns to 7'chernigof, 428. Nikon, the metropolitan, acquires great merit, ii. 17. Receives all petitions ad- drefl'cd to the tzar, 129. Ntya, the ilavonian Pluto, i. 1C2. Natcbiirgt at the origin of the Neva, captured by Peter I. 81. Nobility, pedigrees of, deftroyed, ii. 38. Noblenun, without exception, to ferve in the wars, i. 353. Nobles, univerfally foldiers, i. 368. Ncvgorod %ZMzx^\, account of, i. 140. The Varages be- come maflers of, i. 142. Its republican fpirit breaks out afrefii, i. 145. And Kief, the fovereign of, firft affiimes the ftyle of grand-prince, 215. '1 he antient love of liberty revives ac, i. 234. The chief mart of the ruffian commerce, 255. Relieved by Alexander Nefiky, 255. Prelfed hard upon by Ivan I. 281. Shock- ing cruelties inflided at, 297. Municipal laws of, i. 354. A fcarcity at, ii. 129. Nouns of r.uiiber, french and engllfh, derived from the latin, i. 50. Numbers, of late invention among all nations, i. 49. Nu7is, obliged to keep fchools, ii. 133. Nycn/chantx, taken from the Swedes, ii. 81. Nyftadt, treaty of, ii. 229. Sweden requires to be an- nulled, 288. Adopted as the bafts of a new one, 296. Oath, INDEX. 515 O Oath, of allegiance, new, it. 21Z. Oaths, methods of taking, i. 371. Obdoresy incorporated in the imperial title, i. 19, Ohefes, now the Georgians, i. 395. Obfer-uatory, ereded, at St. Peterfburg, ii. 137. Odjiod-Tjortzi, why they gave themfelves that appellation, ^\: 345- Ohfel and Mohn, iflands of, i. 485. O^Vifr/, fwedifh, difTeminate arts, ii. 142. Okioich, a book of canticles, i. 121. Oleg, a kinfman of Rurik, obtains the fovereign power, and unites the flavonian territory to that of Novgorod, i. 145. Fixes the feat of his dominion at Kief, 149. Commits horrid depredations in the territory cf Conftantinople, 152. Oieg S. cephorus, implores aid of Sviatoflaf, i. 176. phdaretcs. r N D E X. ,5«7 Philaretes, metropolitan of Rortof, ii. 3. Appointed patri- arch, ii. 10. Phyjicians and apothecaries, encouraged to come from Ger- many, i. ^566. Phyjicianiy at Mofco, ii. 393. Plato t metropolitan, preaching encouraged by, ii. 381. Plaiitus, quotation from, i. 62. Plays, fpiritual, at Kief and Mofco, ii. 153. Plot to murder Peter 1, detceneral, killed in adion, ii. 324. PyJJjiki, a future generation of pygmies, i. 103. parrel, decided by fingle combat, i. 204. !^as, a ruffian liquor, ii. 460. !^ay, at Mofco, originated with prince Proforofiky, ii, /J42. ^iays, vifitcd by Peter I. ii. 144. 'J>ue/:ion, penal, i. 341. R s, rendered tributary by Oleg, i. 145, ■ Riazan,a famous old city, j. 386. RaJimitches, rende Raezan, or Riazar Ravaj INDEX. 519 Rava, Peter I. has a conference with the king of Poland at, ii. 72. JRazumof/^y, count, hetman of th' Kodaks, ii. ^^^. Rededa, prince of the KofTjges, killed by Mftiflaf, i. ;^gi. Relics, holy bones and other, imported from Conftaniinople, ^- 375- . ,. ' Religion, what Peter the Great did for. ii. 1 27. Religions, different, miffionaries difpatched by Vla>^imir I. to inquire into, i. 197. Religious focieties increafe by vexations, but not by contempt, i. 170. Repnin, prince Nicholas, governor of Livonia, ir 1-3. RevalyA&icnp'Aon and hiftory of, i- 474. Ivan I, provoked by the populace of, i. 2S4. Re--velation, divine, in favour of Mikhaila Romanof, ii. 5. Reuenues, great deficiencies in tht;, li, 122. Revolutions in Ruliia eafily brought about, ii. 178. Eliza- beth's efFtfted without bloodflied, 260. Riga, defcription and hiftory of, i. 479. Rog'volode, the daughter of, confers her hand on Yaropolk, i. 191. Romanoff xh." family of, becomes extinft, ii. 202. Romans, imagined by the ancient Ruffians to be of larger ftature than the reft of mankind, i. 103. Romanus, emperor, ofi'ers tribute to Igor, i. i6z. Treaty with, 412. Romodamfjky , prince, titular tzar of Mofco, ii. 162. Roftijlaf, of Volhynia, i. 419. Rojiof,\i\^o^ of, depofed by the metropolitan, i. 379. Rtigen, the Slavonians of, had their peculiar deities, i. 114. Rurik, a chieftain of the Varages, i. 142. RuJJalki, nymphs of the forefts and wafers, i. 10^. RuJJia, how called by the antient northern writers, i. 2j. Antient, its extent, 133. Governed by Oleg, thirty- three years, 156. Attacked by the Petchenegans, 158. Along feries of calamities btefal, 227. Invaded by the ' Mongoles, 240. Dependent on the Tartars, 256. Poundation of that power which enabled it by deo;rees to fhake off the yoke of tne Tartars, 269. The kazan-tar- tarian empire annexed to, 290. Chriftianity becomes the national worfhip in, 3B4. Tmutarakan re-united to, 387. Her confequence ir.creafes in Europe, li 11, Makes fome progrefs in civilization under Alexey Mik- hailovitch, 30. More clofely conneded with the reft of Europe, 82. Extenfion ^nd aggrandilement of, 99. Opens a confiderrtble trade with China, 115. Arts and L L 4 fciences. 5:3 INDEX. (cience? in, 139. Commerce of, greatly improved, 143. The mcll (J-iigcroiJs neighbour boih to Sweden and Po- land, 176. Buundaric's of, enlarged, 192. Surrenders all her perfian pi fTcfTions, 215- 1 he territory of, eti- largtd, 237. Again by iillzHbeth, 297. ^//^;««j, primitive llcck of the, i. i. ihcir defcent from the Huns adopted without foundation, 7. Their origin at prelent veiled in impenetrable obfcu:ity, 22. Whence obtaipcd tl.at appellation, 145. Averfc to being go- verned by young princes, 156. After a battle eight days in burying their dead, 274. Have a native propeniity 10 traffic, 359. Extremely far behind the relt of Europe, 363. State of manners and culture among the, 366. Idolaters till the reign of Vladimir, 372. Obtain their own patriarch at Mofco, 384. Able to effed but little againll polifli troops, ii. 13. Have a great averfion to foreigners, 115. Of a good national charader, 116. Confidered by the Turks as formidable adverfaries, 233. Tarnifh their honour by barbarities in Pruflia, 305. Shew their difcontent with Peter 111. 354. Hofpitality a main feature in the charader of the, 457. Kujlfchi the famous naturalili, ii. 156. Sacrljice, cruel,!. 195. Salanijcbiik, grecian women perform the fervice in the church at. i. 401. Salt is found in all nature, 5. 57. Samoyedes, doubtful whether they be of farmatian defcent, i. 20. Sapieha, prince, a favourite of Catharine 1. ii. 1S9. Sarkel, taken by Sviatoflaf, i. 175. built by grecian archi- teds, 4C9. Sarmates, the anceftors of the inhabitants of the fouthern parts of Ruflia, i. 7. Salan and his crew, account of, i. 105. Sa'volot/chay Gleb Sviatodavitch killed in the battle at, i-433-. Shitoi, a liquor, how made, ii. 407. Sbi.'enjcljtfchik, a celebrated ruflian comedy, ii. 407. Schamachj^ ruflian merchants killed at, ii, 100. Scheg/o'vifo'i, c^ipHiin of the Strelitzes, ii. 57. Sc/jeiu ohvxins the chief co.mmand of the army, ii. 6^. ^dieraiictoft ihe ruflian general, ii. 1S5. Schliijfdhurg, INDEX. 521 SchluJTelhurg, formerly called Nceteburg, i. 43^. The hor- rors of Ivan's dungeon in the caftle of, ii. 280. Schmudians, countrv of the, called Samogitia, i 11. Schuijkoy, pardoned while his neck was under the axe, i. 317. Scythiafis, often confounded with the Celts, i. 76. Senate, dependent on the monarch, inllituted, ii. 120. Sermons, the archbiiliop of Novgorod delivers, ii. 130. Servants and maRcrs, contraft between, i. 368. Fidelity of, ii. I 19. Shafirof, count, Oftermann fecretary to, ii 196. 5'A//>-bui!ding, Peter I. gets a tafte for, ii. 60. Shuja, the refidence of the fsrmatian monarchs, \. 135. Siberia, the pofterity of the Huns ftill fubfiih in, i. ". Schools erefted there by the fwediih prifoners, ii. 130. Exiles recalled from, 2S5. 346. The difcovery of, i. 291. Sihir, the capital of Siberia, 1. 295. Silny Bogue, the mighty god, i. i 13. SiTnegolians, inhabited Courland, i. 1 1. Simeon und J^lexey Jkxewitci>, tzarevitches, 1. 127. Simeon Ivanovit<:/j, reigns annicably with his brethren, 1, 269. Sinaus and Tru-vor, partners with Rurik in the government of Novgorod, i. 1.^4 Sinclair, a fwecifli major, cruelly mui-dered, ii. 23 1. Ska'uronjky, count, a brother of Catharine I. ii. 193. Slaves, or Slavi, whence fo called, i. 325. Sla'uonians, Ruffians confounded with them, i. 35. Their name fuppoied to be derived ^xom Jla-oa, glory, i. 36. In Rullia enjoyed great power, i. 43. The antieut relicioa of, i. 370. Sledge-parties, ii. 453. Slobodes, orfuburbs, of Mofco, li. 3^56. Smolenjk, captured by Oleg, i. 146. The monk who was carrying off the uniorcunate Ivan, taken at, ii. 280. Sur- rounded by a rampart, i. 307. Snakotntzi, or acquaintance, i. 353. Schores, or cathedrals, at Mofco, ii. 373, Society, at Riga, agreeable, i. 49I. Sokal, prince of the Polovtzes, comes to overrun Rudia, i. 416. Soltikof, count, appointed chief of the army, ii, 316- Sophia, St. the proud bafilicurn of, i. 198. Sophia, contends for the fovereignty with her brother Peter, ii. 41. Sent to a convent, qS. Sound {oQ-a obtains a name among favages, i. 57. Speech j22 INDEX. Spetch of Sviatoflaf to bis army on going to battle, i. 175. St. teterjlura, fomc account of, i. 435. Stanijlaui Lejchinjky, eIc«Sed king ol Puland, ii. 79. 240. Statue of Hcter the Great, defcribed, i. 449. Slav itjhan, t!ie Turks completely routed by Marlhal Mu- nich, near, ii. 225. Sttnka Radzin, a revolt headed by, ii. 24, ilis robberies about Ailrakhan, 113. Stepennaiya kriiga, or book of degrees, i. ^Slg. Siockholm, frencl) influence great at, if-. 214. Greater liill, 228. Sloglaf, or book efa hundred chapters, i. 337. Sto/ie, for the pL-deiial of the famous -«ftatue of Peter the Great, tranfport of, i. 450. i'rrf/z/ic^j, when fi I ft formed, i, 289. What the janifTaries are at Coniiantinople, ii. 42. Exctffcs committed by them, 45. Strikoffiy, the polifli hifiorian, i. 390. S(ro('anof, curious to gain a knowledge of Siberia, i, 291. SidJIaniives, flavonian and latin, i. 5S. 8i). Succcjjion, hereditary, aboliflie :! by Peter the Great, ii. 1 10. Sudcbnik, a double coilcdion of liatutesj i. 331. Gonfifis of ninety-fevcn claufes, i. 336. ^•^v'Wii' continues his attachment to Yaropolk, i. 189. S'oiatoi Vit, means both Sviatovid ar.d St. Vitus, i. 1 18. Svialnfiaf Igcriez'ltch, i. 165. 431. Prohibits none from fubmitting to baptifm, 168. has no turn for the grave concerns of government, 171. Partitions his llates among his children, 179. Hardly efcapes captivity, {9,.^, Defeated and killed, 186. His character, 1S7. Sviatojlof Tarof.a'vitch, i. 406. Sojiato-vid, worfliipped in the ifle of Rugen, i. 114. Ex- changed by tlie Bohemians for St. Vitus, i. 118. Svetiteld &^\i^ ^'g^ by his counfel, i. 165. S'viatopolk \. fucceeds Vladimir, i. 216. Takes to flight and dies on the road, 220. Sukanh:, chief of a confpiracy againft Peter I. ii. 69. Sumarokof, the ruffian hiftorian, his encomium on Feodor Alexeyvitth, ii. 40. owOTMfr-feafon, at Mofco, ii. 419 Superfliiion tinges the hands ot its pontifs in blood, i. 91. Abfurd and fanguinary, 119. Supgrflitions pradifed by the ignorant vulgar of all nations, i. 1 1 1^. Supremacy oi the church recovered to the fovereignsj ii. 132. Saveden, I N D E X. 523 Siveden, an iinfuccefsful war with, i, ^00. Jealoufy of, ii. i. And Poland, fruftrated in their views on the ruffian throne, ii. 6. Ceffions made to Ruffia by, at the treaty of Nyltadt, 97. 229. King of, only the fhadow of a mo- narch, 229. Snxjedes, defeat the Poles and deliver Mofco, ii. 8. Lofe part of their poffeffions on the Baltic, 79. Generally vido- rious over the Ruffiins in a pitched battle. 83. S^ord, brethren of the, order of, i. 484. Synod, the holy direil'.ting, conftituted, ii. J32. Sjranes, baptized by Stephen Permlkoi, and become Ruf- fians, i. 18. Tagar.rok, demolition of the fortifications at, ii. 216. Taman, an infcription found in theifland of, i. 387. Pro- feflbr P Has goes to, 425. ^'amatarcha on the fame fcite with Phanagoria, i. 407, Tartarian fl .node, at Mofco, ii. 395. Tartars, firfi: ir.vafion of Ruffia by the, i. 240. Terrible as enemies, 244. The power of, confiderably divided, 279. The fecond falfe Dmitri killed by, 320. Give a check to x^lexey's conqaefts, ii. 22. Taupins, under Charles VIL of France, i, 345. Taurida, Vladimir I. marches through, i. 412. Tcherny bogus, the biiCfc god, i. 119. Temudjchin, iince called rfcnisighiflchan, i. 239, Territory yV\tvj dillributions of, i. 230. Terror, general, infpired by Biren, ii. 252. Teutonic order, in Livonia, i. 486. ^ Theatre, at Mofco, ii. ^+04. Private, of a ruffian nobleman, 43S. Theodojia, befieged by Vladimir I. i. 199. Theofhanes, the patrician, attacks the Ruffians by furprife, i. 160. Bifliop, ii. 1 10. Thrace, John Zimifces makes an incurfion into, i. l8z. Tmutarakan, Mltiilaf, prince of, takes poffeffion of the country of the Koffoges, i. 12. Inquiry into the fituation of, 385. Captured by Sviatoflaf I. 415. What its rame implies, 425. Diredtly oppofite Kertfch, 429. Toleration, excites the fury of the clergy, ii. 133. A di- fiirguifhed feature of the ruffian charader, 462. Toljloi 5*4 INDEX. ^olfiei, Peter Andreyevitch, ii. 167. Manages the affairs of the ruflian cabinet, 183. Exiled ta Siberia, 198. ^'otjcii, fet on lire, i. 422. 1'erifs, millaken for the Turks, i. 15. 7'orture, ufe of the, i. 340. • Toiun, taken by llorm, an unconimonly dreadful fpeiRacIe, i. 250. To-MHSy feveral, built by Rurik, i. qjy. 1'rade, between the Englifli and Rufilans, commencement of, i. 360. I'rade and commerce, fchool of, at Mofco,ii. 402. ^raiiJlatioTis made from foreign languages, ii. 136. Trigli'va, the flavoniin Hecate, i. 99. Trioiiion, a book of anthems, i. 121. Triznn, or funeral repaft, i. 1 10. T/chalmates, mingled with the Tartars, i. \j. l/chnjfovna, defcribed, ii, 434. ^j'cheremijes, fo called from their fituation to the caflward, I. 20. Tfchervcnnaia Rqffia, or Red Ruflia, i. 136. 'J/chiJIifiie liudi, or numbered people, i. 352. Ijihudts, fignifies acquaintances or neighbours, i. 17. 'Jjchu-va/ches, the antient Bilirians, i. 20. 7'ver, built by Vfevolod III. i. 422. lurkejlan, on the banks of the Taras, i. 41. Turkey, hoflilities with, ii. 49. Turks, of like origin with the Tartars, i. 31. Compelled to acknowledge the fovereignty of the tzars over the Kozaks, ii. 34. Drawn into a war againft Pcrfia, 216. T'welve feleS men, judicial decifions referred to, i. 355. Tzar, when firftufed,i. 286. 'Jzargrad, Conilantinople fo called, i. 151. 421. Tzaritzin, englifn garden at, ii. 431. Tzar Mcrjki, the flavonian Neptune, i. 102. Tzarst mechod pradifed by them in chufmg a bride, ii. 32. Antient, fiiewed themfelves but feldorn to the people, ii. 66. Title of, exchanged for that of emperor, 98. V l''uJ:ii:, the valiant, a famous Novgorodian, i. 143. Vagabonds, and other ufelefs members of fociety, i. 351. Valdemar, INDEX. ^25 Valdanar II. king of Denmark, lays the foundation of Narva, i. 458. Varages, Avedilh, norman, cnglifh and ruflian, f. 142. Varagians, who they were, i. lO. Farro, etymology of, i. 54. yaffilly Lvanovitch, enabled to keep the Tartars in awe, i. 285. VaJJilly Dmitricvitch, caufes himfelf to be crowned, i. 277, Vajjilly-ojirof, whence fo called, i. 436. Vatttches, \. i I . a flavonian nation, i. 176. Vaitxhall, eftablifhed by Mr. Maddox, at Mofco, ii. 427. Veliki kncz, improperly trandated grand duke, i. 222. Veneta^ built by the (laves, i. 38. Vengeance, perfonal, itriftly forbidden, i. 368. Verb, the firft that would have been imagined in any lan- guage, i. 62. Had at the beginning, perhaps, only the infinitive, i. 69, VeJJes, dwelt on the White-fea, i. 1 1. Viciims, human, thrown into the waters, i. 107. Viciory, a dear, to the Ruffians, i. 274. Vienna, Alexey Petrovitch, goes to Charles VI. at, ii. 106. Vier, count de, a portuguefe adventurer, ii. 197. Knooted and fen t to Siberia, 198. P'irg'tl, quotation from, i. 54. Vijhnei Volotpok, canal with (luices at, ii. 145. Vizir, depofed and banifhed, ii. 95. Vladimir, a natural fon of Sviatoflaf, obtains Novgorod, i. 180. Ambitious and obdurate, 188. Retires to the Varagians, 190, Vladimir I. obltinately bigoted to idolatry, i. 196, Ex- torts bapdfm by force of arms, i. 199.' Saves his life by hiding himfeif under a bridge, i. 207. Dies of grief, i. 208. is llyled the Great, i. 2 so. Canonized, 215. Order of knighthood eftablifhed in his honour, 216. His fiiendlhip courted by the Greeks and Bulga- rians, 373. Vladimir, tne antient city of, i, 231. Calamities brought on it by the Tartars, 246. Vladijlaf, of Poland, elected tzir of Ruffia, ii. 4. Vcgulitj'ches, inhabit mount Ural, i. 18. Voivode, a leader in vvar, i. 326. Volga, piratical parties on the, i, 422. Volos, the god of cattle, i. 371. Foloti, whether the Slavonians vvorlhipped giants under the nime of, i. 103. Voron'zof, 5i6 INDEX. Vorontzo/, count, fuccecds Beftuchef, ii. 307. Countcfs tl/Zabeth, ■^,\<^. ■Vojkrejenjkoi nunnery, when built, 1. 4^8. VqU'ius derives the latin language from the Greek, i. 76. Votes, a tribe dwelling between the Volkhof and the Neva, i. II. 18. Vreech, a fwedifh captain, founds a fchool at Tobolfk, ii. »39- Vyborg-^^Zi at St. Peteriburg, i. 437, u Udores inhabited the province of Tom/k, i. 20. Faither particulars concerning them, i. 22. Uglit/ches, contend for their liberty, i. 157. JJgres, account of them, i. 16. Ukraine, the Tartars there chailifed, ii. 218. Count Lafcy winterJ in the, 222. JJlric, Anthony, duke of Erunfvvic, ii. 243. Dies in pri- fon, 279. Vltramontanes, who went from the north-weft into Italy, i. Vlojhenies, publifhed, i. 333. ii. 113. Umbria, antient inhabitants of, i, 85. Vngrians invade ihe roman territory, i. 176. Union, of the ruffian and latin churches, attempted by the roman pontiffs, i. 381. Vnivtrfity of Mofcc, ii. 396. Ufchakof, general, ii. 174. Ufpenjkoy cathedral, at Mofco, the ruffian monarchs crowned there, ii. 374. Ujlavnaia Gramota, i. 338. w Wachter, of opinion that the latin language originated in the teutonic, i. 76. War, always declared juft and. neceffary by politicians an- tient and modern, i. 159, Uniform confequences of, i. 195. The principal occupation of the Slaves, 326. Wars J I N D E X. 527 Wars, bloody, frequently bring nothing about, ii, 13. 'J hat are attended with no alteration in the ftate of na- tions Ihould occupy but a Ihort fpace in hiltory, ii. 222. J^'^ar/aTv, archives brought thence to Peteriburg, ii. 13. Water&/, fent to travel, ii. 137. Yiigdorcsy a grbat and powerful nation on the river Yuga, i. 17. Yurie-vetch Linjonjhoi, Dorpat fo called by the Ruffians, i. 465. Yurin Tf.ul, general of the Kozares, i. 401. Yury, prince, fhorn of his hair, i. J26. Yury II. transfers the refidence to Suzdal,?. 135. Yury, or George, his marriage feaft, i. 245. His unfeel- ing behaviour cowards his unhappy father, i. 266. Yutlandf Horfens in, the family of prince Ivan permitted to retire to, ii. 285. Zaikonc/pajhy monaftery, in Mofco, ii. 380. Zakoffky, Lazarus, general, 5. 423. Zaporogian Kozaks return under the ruffian fceptre, ii, 237. Zariijki, an accomplice of Marina, ii. 7. Zemlejioigorod, a quarter at Molco, ii. 367. 386. Zeno'via, the flavonian Diana, i. 99. Zkthen and Seidlitz, generals, perform miracles of prowefs, ii. 313. Zimifces, John, aflaffinates and fucceeds Nicephorus, \, 181. Zimt/erla, the flavonian Flora, i. 103. Z?ii:ch, a flavonian deity, i. to I. Zolotaiyahzbs., the golden matron, i. 113. Zorndorf, caufe of the misfortune at, ii. 3 {7. Zubof, Plato Alcxandrovitch, governor of Taurida, i. 436, THE END. Printed by A Strahan, Printers Su'ecf, LorJi!-., THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY This book is DUE on the last date stamped below m ^ ^ 1^ fflB ID imi M 1 6 ^^"^ f^/^pfivsm tf\ ^ \i '<^ 4?