voltaire xxxiv
TRANSCRIPT
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I am a heritage because I
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brin you years of thought
and toe lore of time *-^
I impart yet I can pot 5pea!<
I bave traveled amans the
peoples of tbe eartb ^ I
am a rover-^ Oft-tlrpes
I 5trc(y fron? tbe tresde"
oftbe or?s #bo loves and
c$erlsbes rpe-o%bo
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n?e va^rai?t please send
rpe bon?e-an'oi'$ n?y
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profound respect> 0.@. 0,> 9O,+I10 .AI0:
Of that divine tear and of that human smile is composed the
s#eetness of the present civiliBation4
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the other" holding the leaves in one hand #hile
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and front" gently pressing open the sections till
you reach the center of the volume :o this t#o
or three times and you #ill obtain the best re-
sults Open the volume violently O3 carelessly M'
in any one place and you #ill liely brea the
bac and cause a start in the leaves /ever 'J
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from the bindery ready to be sent home& he" l r
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before my eyes" too hold of the volume and
tightly holding the leaves in each hand" instead *L
of allo#ing them free play" violently opened it F5
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6O could have pretended to say" in the year FJGG"
that a magni$cent and polite court #ould be formed at
the eKtremity of the 7ulf of 3inland? that the inhabitants
of .oliams" 8aBan" and the bans of the 9olga and .o"
#ould be raned among our best disciplined troops" and
gain victories in 7ermany" after defeating the .#edes
and the ,urs & that an empire t#o thousand leagues in
length" almost unno#n to us before" should in the space
of $fty years become a #ell-governed state" and eKtend
its inSuence to all the 0uropean courts? and that in FJ5'"
the most Bealous patron of learning in 0urope" should be
a 1ussian? +ny one #ho had said this #ould have
passed for the most chimerical mortal on earth eter the
7reat" therefore" #ho singly planned and eKecuted this
amaBing and altogether unforeseen revolution" is" perhaps"
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of all princes" the one #hose deeds are most #orthy of
being transmitted to posterity
,he court of .t etersburg has furnished the historian"
charged #ith compiling this #or" #ith all the authentic
documents It is said in the body of this history" that
these memoirs are deposited in the public library of 7e-
neva" a #ell-no#n and freTuented city" in the neighbor-
hood of #hich the author lives & but as the #hole of the
instructions and %ournal of eter the 7reat have not yet
been communicated to him" he has thought proper to eep
these records at his o#n house& #here the curious may
have a sight of them" #ith as much ease as from the library-
eepers at 7eneva" and the #hole shall be deposited there
as soon as the second volume is $nished
,he public already has several pretended histories of
eter the 7reat" most of them compiled from ne#spapers
,hat #hich #as published at +msterdam" in four vol-
umes" by oyard /estesuranoy" is one of those impo-
sitions of the press" #hich have become too common among
us Of this ind are the 4Aemoirs of .pain"4 by :on
uan de ;olmenar" and the 46istory of ouis EI9"4
compiled by a Aotte" the esuit" from pretended papers
of a minister of state" and ascribed to a Aartiniere
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H +uthorPs reface
.uch also are the histories of the emperor ;harles 9I &
of rince 0ugene" and many others
In this manner has the noble art of printing been made
to serve the purposes of the vilest traNc + :utch boo-
seller orders a boo to be #ritten" %ust as a manufacturer
gives directions for #eaving a piece of cloth & and unhap-
pily there are authors to be found" #hose necessities
oblige them to sell their labors to these dealers" lie #or-
men" for hire& hence arise these insipid panegyrics" and
defamatory libels" #ith #hich the public is overrun" and is
one of the most shameful vices of the age
/ever did history stand more in need of authentic
vouchers" than at this time" #hen so infamous a traNc
is made of falsehood ,he author #ho no# oUers to the
public 4,he 6istory of the 1ussian 0mpire under eter
the 7reat4 is the same #ho thirty years ago #rote the
PP6istory of ;harles EII"4 from the papers of several
eminent persons in public stations" #ho had lived #ith
that monarch for a considerable time ,he present his-
tory is a con$rmation of" and supplement to" the former
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+nd here the author thins himself obliged" out of
respect to the public" and a regard for truth" to bring to
vie# an undeniable testimony of the degree of credit due
to the 46istory of ;harles EII4
/ot long since" the ing of oland and due of
orraine ordered that #or to be read over a second time
to him at ;ommercy" #hen he #as struc #ith the truth
of a multitude of facts" to #hich he himself had been
eye-#itness" and so incensed at the boldness #ith #hich
certain libellers and %ournalists had controverted their
authenticity" that he resolved to enforce" by the authority
of his o#n testimony" the credit due to the historian & and
as it #as not proper for him to #rite himself" he ordered
one of the great oNcers of his household" to dra# up the
follo#ing" in the form of a certi$cate >
/ous ieutenant-7eneral des armees du 1oi" 7rand
Aarechal des ogis de so" Aa%este olonaise" V ;om-
mandant en ,oul" les deuK aro" etc" certinons Tue sa
Aa%este olonaise" apres avoir entendu la lecture de IP his-
toire de ;harles EII ecrite par Aonsieur de 9 (der-
niere edition de 7eneveW apres avoir louc le style de
cette histoire" V avoir admire ces traits Tui carac-
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terisent tons les ouvrages de cct illustre auteur" nous a fait
IPhonneur de nous dire TuPil etait pret a donner un certi$cat
a Aonsieur de 9 " pour constater 9eKacte verite des
faits contenus dans cette histoire ;e rince a a%oute Tue
Aonsieur de 9 nPa oublie" ni deplace aucun fait" aucune
circonstance interessante" Tue tout est vrai" Tue tout est
+uthorPs reface J
en son ordre dans cette histoire> TuPil a parle sur la o-
logne" V sur tous les evenemens Tui y sont arrives" etc
commc sPil en eutt etc temoin oculairc ;ertinons de plus"
Tuc ce rince nous a ordonne dPecrire sur le champ a
Aonsieur de 9 pour lui rendre comptc de ce Tue nous
venions dPentendre" V XPassurer de son estimc V de son-
amitie
e vif interet Tue nous prenons a la gloirc de Aonsieur
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de 9 V celui Tue tout honnete Itomme doit avoir
pour ce Tui constate la verite des fails dans les histoires
contemporaries" nous a presse de dcmander au 1oi de o-
logne la permission dPenvoyer a Aonsieur de 9 un
ccrti$cat en forme de tout ce Tue sa Aa%este nous avail
fait IPhonncur dc nous dire e 1oi de ologne" non seule-
mcnt y a consenti" mais incnie nous a ordonne de IPen-
tPoycr" avcc priere a Aonsieur de 9 dPen faire usage
toutes les fois TuPil le %ugera a propos" soil en le communi-
Tuant" soit en le faisant imprimcr" etc
3ait a ;ommercy ce u uillet" FJ5'
e ;omte de ,ressan
Xe" lieutenant-general of the ingPs armies" grand
marshal of the household to his olish ma%esty" and com-
mandant of ,oul" of the t#o ars" etc" do hereby certify"
that his said olish ma%esty" on hearing read to him the
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46istory of ;harles EII"4 #ritten by A de 9 (the
last 7eneva editionW not only recommended the style
of that history" and eKpressed his admiration of the stroes
#hich characteriBe all the #ritings of that celebrated
author& but has moreover done us the honor of signifying
to us" that he #as ready to grant a certi$cate to A de
9 " for the better ascertaining the eKact truth of the
facts contained in that history 6is ma%esty" at the same
time" added that A de 9 has neither omitted nor
misplaced any one fact" or interesting circumstance & that
the #hole is agreeable to truth" and every event placed in
its proper order& and that he has spoen of everything
relating to oland" and the events #hich happened there"
etc" as if he had been an eye-#itness e moreover
certify" that his ma%esty ordered us to #rite immediately
to A de 9 " to acTuaint him #ith #hat #e had heard"
and to assure him of his ma%estyPs friendship and esteem
,he great regard #e have for A de 9 Ps reputa-
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tion" and that concern #hich every honest man should
have for #hatever serves to establish the truth of facts
in histories of our o#n times" has induced us to as per-
mission of his olish ma%esty" to transmit to A de 9 "
a formal certi$cate of #hatever his ma%esty had been
pleased to impart to us ,o #hich his ma%esty #as not
M +uthorPs reface
only pleased readily to consent" but even gave his eKpress
orders for us to send it" #ith his desire that A de 9
#ould" on all occasions" mae such use of it as he should
%udge proper" either by communicating it" having it
printed" etc
:one at ;ommercy" uly n" FJ5'
,he ;ount de ,ressanY
hen this document #as sent to the author" it gave
him a surprise" more agreeable" as it came from a prince
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#ho #as as #ell acTuainted #ith the several transactions
as ;harles EII himself& and is" besides" so #ell no#n
to all 0urope for his regard for truth" and his humanity
and benevolence
,here are a great number of testimonies" no less authen-
tic" relating to the history of the age of ouis EI9" a
#or of eTual truth and importance" that breathes a spirit
of patriotism" but #ithout suUering that spirit to in%ure
truth" to eKaggerate the good" or to disguise the evil & a
#or composed #ithout any vie#s of interest" #ithout hope
and #ithout fear" by a person #hose situation in life places
him above the necessity of Sattering any one
,here are very fe# authorities Tuoted in PP,he +ge of
ouis EI9"4 as the events of the $rst years" being no#n
to every one" #anted only to be placed in their proper
light& and as to those of later date" the author speas of
them as an eye-#itness On the contrary" in 4,he 6istory
of the 1ussian 0mpire"4 he al#ays Tuotes his vouchers"
the principal of #hich is eter the 7reat himself
e have not been at the pains" in this history of eter
the 7reat" to mae any idle researches into the origin of
most of the nations" of #hich the immense empire of
1ussia is composed" from 8amchata to the altic .ea
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It is a strange undertaing to prove by authentic sources"
that the 6uns removed" in former times" from the north
of ;hina into .iberia & and that the ;hinese themselves are
an 0gyptian colony I no# that some philosophers of
great reputation have imagined they sa# a conformity be-
t#een these people" in some particulars & but their sur-
mises have been made bad use of" by some #ho have at-
tempted to convert their con%ectures into certainty
,hus" for instance" they no# pretend to prove that the
0gyptians #ere the ancestors of the ;hinese +n ancient
#riter has told us that the 0gyptian ing .esostris" #ent
as far as the river 7anges & no# if he #ent as far as the
7anges" he might have gone to ;hina" #hich is at a great
distance from the 7anges" therefore he did go thither&
but ;hina" at that time" #as not peopled" therefore it is
clear that .esostris peopled ;hina ,he 0gyptians used
+uthorPs reface '
lighted tapers at their festivals" the ;hinese used lanterns &
it cannot" therefore" be doubted that the ;hinese are an
0gyptian colony 3urthermore" the 0gyptians have a great
river" so have the ;hinese & lastly" it is evident that the
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$rst ings of ;hina bore the same names as the ancient
ings of 0gypt & for in the name of the family of 2u" #e
may trace characters" #hich" disposed after another man-
ner" form the #ord Aenes ,herefore" it is incontestable"
that the emperor 2u too his name from Aenes" ing of
0gypt& and the emperor 8i is plainly +toes" by changing
8 into +" and i into toes
ut if a learned man of ,obols or ein #ere to read
some of our boos" he might demonstrate still more clearly
that the 3rench are descended from the ,ro%ans 6e
might prove it in the follo#ing manner" and astonish his
countrymen by his profound researches ,he most ancient
#ritings" he might say" and those in most esteem in that
little country of the est called 3rance" are romances &
these #ere #ritten in a pure language" derived from the
ancient 1omans" #ho #ere famous for never advancing
a falsehood Aore than t#enty of these authentic boos
aNrm that 3rancis" the founder of the monarchy of the
3rans" #as a son of 6ector ,he name of 6ector has
ever since been preserved by this nation & and even in the
present century" one of their greatest generals #as called
6ector de 9illars P
,he neighboring nations he #ould continue are so
unanimous in acno#ledging this truth" that +riosto" one
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of the most learned of the Italians" o#ns in his 4Orlando"4
that ;harlemagnePs nights fought for 6ectorPs helmet
astly" there is one proof that admits of no reply" namely"
that the ancient 3rans" to perpetuate the memory of the
,ro%ans" their ancestors" built a ne# city called ,roy"
in the province of ;hampagne& and these modern ,ro%ans
have al#ays retained so strong an aversion to their enemies"
the 7rees" that there are not at present four persons
in the #hole province of ;hampagne #ho #ill learn their
language > nay" they #ould never admit any esuits among
them" probably because they had heard it said that some
of that body used formerly to eKplain 6omer in their
public schools
It is certain that such arguments might produce a great
eUect at ,obols or ein & but then again" another
learned man might overturn this $ne hypothesis" by prov-
ing that the arisians are descended from the 7rees > for"
he might say" the $rst president of one of the courts of
%udicature of aris" #as named +chille du 6arlay
4+chille4 is evidently derived from the 7ree +chilles"
io +uthorPs reface
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of Isis #as established at the village of Isis" on the road
from aris to 9ersailles& #hile others again might dem-
onstrate that #e are of +rabian eKtraction" as #itness the
#ords 4almanac"4 4alembic"4 4algebra"4 4admiral4 ,he
;hinese and .iberian literati #ould be greatly puBBled to
decide the Tuestion & and" after all" #ould very liely leave
us %ust #hat #e are
It seems" then" that #e must still remain in uncertainty
concerning the origin of all nations It is the same #ith
respect to a #hole people" as #ith particular families
.everal 7erman barons pretend to be descended" in a
direct line" from +rminius& %ust as a pedigree #as com-
posed for Aahomet" by #hich he descended directly from
+braham and 6agar
In lie manner" the family of the ancient cBars of Aus-
covy" #as said to come from ela" ing of 6ungary & this
ela from +ttila" +ttila from ,urc" the father of the
6uns & and this ,urc #as the son of apheth 6is brother
1uss founded the empire of 1ussia" and another brother"
named ;ameri" founded a state to#ards the river 9olga
+ll these sons of apheth #ere" as every one no#s" the
grandsons of /oah" #hose three sons made #hat haste
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+uthorPs reface n
they could to procure themselves settlements" at the dis-
tance of a thousand leagues apart" lest they should be of
some assistance to one another & and" in all probability"
by lying #ith their sisters" became the fathers of millions
of inhabitants" in the space of a fe# years
+ number of grave #riters have traced these descents"
#ith much the same eKactness and sagacity as they dis-
covered the manner in #hich the apanese peopled eru
6istory has for a long time been #ritten in this style & a
style to #hich resident de ,hou and 1apin-,hoyras seem
to have been absolute strangers
If #e are to be on our guard against those historians"
#ho go bac to the to#er of abel" and to the deluge" #e
should be no less sparing of our credit to those #ho enter
into a minute detail of modern history" penetrate into all
the secrets of the cabinets" and are so unfortunately minute
as to give an eKact relation of every battle" #hen even
the generals themselves #ould have found great diNculty
in doing it
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.ince the beginning of the last century" there have been
nearly t#o hundred great battles fought in 0urope" most
of them more bloody than those of +rbela and harsalia &
but as very fe# of these battles produced any great conse-
Tuences" they are lost to posterity ere there but one
boo in the #orld" children #ould no# every line of it
by heart" and be able to tell every syllable & in lie man-
ner" had there been but one battle" the name of each
soldier #ould be no#n" and his pedigree handed do#n
to future ages & but in such a long" and almost continuous
succession of bloody #ars among ;hristian princes" the an-
cient interests are all changed" and give #ay to ne# ones &
the battles fought t#enty years ago are eUaced by those
of the present time & as in aris" the ne#s of yesterday
is forgotten in that of to-day& and this" in its turn" #ill
be lost in that of to-morro# > and almost every event is
plunged by another into perpetual oblivion ,his is a re-
Section #hich cannot be d#elt on too much & it serves to
comfort us under the misfortunes #e suUer" and to sho#
us the nothingness of all human aUairs /aught then re-
mains in history" #orthy of $King the attention of manind"
but those striing revolutions #hich have #rought a change
in the manners and la#s of great states & and upon this
principle the history of eter the 7reat is #orthy of being
no#n
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If #e have d#elt some#hat too long on the particulars
of certain battles and sieges" #hich resemble others of the
same nature" #e crave pardon of the philosophic reader&
F +uthorPs reface
and have no other eKcuse to oUer" but that these little
facts" being connected #ith great ones" must necessarily
mae a part of the #hole
e have refuted /orberg in some passages" #hich
appeared to us the most important & but have left him
Tuietly to en%oy his mistaes #here they are of no conse-
Tuence
,his history of eter the 7reat is made as concise" and
at the same time as copious" as possible ,here are his-
tories of small provinces" little to#ns" and even of con-
vents of mons" that tae up several volumes in folio
,he memoirs of a certain abbot" #ho retired for sonn-
years into .pain" #here he did scarce anything #orth
notice" employ seven volumes & #hereas one has been found
suNcient for the life of +leKander the 7reat
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erhaps there may still be some of those overgro#n
children" #ho #ould rather read the fabulous stories of
Osiris" acchus" 6ercules" and ,heseus" consecrated by
antiTuity" then the true history of a modern prince & either
because the antiTue names of Osiris and 6ercules sound
more agreeable in their ears than that of eter & or the
overthro#ing of giants and lions" is more pleasing to a
#ea imagination than the history of useful la#s and noble
enterprises> and yet #e must acno#ledge" that the defeat
of the giant of 0pidaurus" and of the robber .innis" and
the combat #ith ;rommionPs so#" are not eTual to the
eKploits of the conTueror of ;harles EII" the founder of
.t etersburg" and the legislator of a most potent em-
pire
It is true" the ancients taught us ho# to thin %ustly"
and it #ould be very eKtraordinary to prefer +nacharsis"
the .cythian" merely for his antiTuity" to the modern .cythian"
#ho has civiliBed so many people e see no reason #hy
the la#-giver of 1ussia should give #ay either to y-
curgus or .olon +re the la#s of the latter" #hich recom-
mend the love of boys to the citiBens of +thens" and
forbid it to the slaves" or those of the former" #hich
ordered young #omen to boK naed in the public maret-
place" to be preferred to the la#s of him #ho civiliBed the
people of both seKes in his dominion" and made them $t
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for society & #ho formed a military discipline by sea and
land" and #ho opened a free passage for the arts and
sciences into his native country?
,his history contains the transactions of his public
life #hich #ere useful & and not those of his private
life" of #hich #e have but fe# particulars" and those suf-
$ciently no#n It is not for a stranger to disclose the
secrets of his cabinet" his bed or his table ere any
+uthorPs reface FR
person capable of furnishing such anecdotes" it must have
been rince AenshioU" or 7eneral .heremeto" #ho #ere
long the companions of his most retired hours" but they
have not done it & and #hatever comes to us only from the
authority of public rumor" does not deserve belief Aen
of sense #ould rather behold a great man" laboring for
t#enty-$ve years" for the #elfare of a vast empire" than
be informed" from vague and idle accounts" of the foibles
#hich this great prince might have in common #ith the
meanest of his sub%ects
In #hat relates only to style" criticism" or the private
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reputation of an author" it is better to let the herd of petty
pamphleteers snarl unnoticed" since it #ould be maing
ourselves as ridiculous as they" to lose time in ans#ering
or even in reading their productions& but #hen important
facts are concerned" truth must sometimes stoop to con-
found the falsities of these despicable #retches & their
infamy should no more hinder her from clearing herself"
than the vileness of a criminal" among the dregs of the
people" should stop the course of %ustice against him It
#as this t#ofold reason" then" that obliged us to silence
that impudent ignoramus" #ho corrupted 4,he +ge of ouis
EI94 by notes" as absurd as they #ere malicious& in
#hich he brutally insults a branch of the house of 3rance"
the #hole house of +ustria" and more than a hundred
other illustrious families in 0urope& to #hose very ante-
chambers he is as much a stranger as to the facts #hich
he has thus insolently falsi$ed
,he ease #ith #hich a #riter may impose on the public
and spread abroad the most Sagrant calumnies is unhap-
pily one of the greatest inconveniences attending the noble
art of printing
evassor" a priest of the oratory" and a Aptte" a esuit
the one a beggar in 0ngland" and the other in 6olland
both #rote history for bread ,he former chose ouis
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EIII of 3rance for the ob%ect of his satire" and the latter
ouis EI9 ,he character of apostates #as by no means
liely to secure them a greater degree of credit #ith the
public & nevertheless" it is pleasant to see #ith #hat con-
$dence they both declare themselves the depositaries of
truth" incessantly repeating this maKim > 4+ historian
should boldly declare the #hole truth4 ,hey should have
added that he must" in the $rst place" be acTuainted #ith it
himself
,heir o#n maKim is their fullest condemnation & but
even this maKim calls for a strict eKamination" as it is the
eKcuse of all satirists
+ll truths of public utility and importance should"
FL +uthorPs reface
doubtless" be revealed & but if there should be any mali-
cious anecdote relating to a prince& if in his domestic con-
cerns he may" lie a number of private persons" have given
too much #ay to some human frailties" no#n" perhaps" only
to one or t#o con$dants & #ho had authoriBed you to reveal
to the public #hat these con$dants should not have dis-
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closed to any one? I #ill grant that you might yourself
have discovered this secret & but #hy should you tear
asunder the veil #ith #hich every man has a right to cover
the recesses of his o#n house? hat is your reason for
maing the scandal public? 2ou #ill say to indulge the
curiosity of manind" to please their malice and to sell my
boo" #hich other#ise" perhaps" #ould not be read 2ou
are then only a defamer" a libeller" and a broacher of calum-
nies" but not a historian
If this foible of a man in public life & if this private
vice #hich you so industriously endeavor to drag to light
has had any inSuence on public aUairs & if it has occasioned
the loss of a battle" has hurt the revenue of a state" or made
the sub%ect unhappy" then you should mention it It is your
duty to discover the minute and hidden cause #hich pro-
duced such great events&- but other#ise you should be
silent
4et no truth be concealed4 is a maKim that may admit
of some eKceptions& but this one #ill admit of none> 4+c-
Tuaint posterity #ith nothing but #hat is #orthy of pos-
terity4
esides the falsity in facts" there is also a falsity in
dra#ing characters ,he frenBy of loading history #ith
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these portraits began $rst in 3rance #ith the #riting of
romances" and the famous ;lelia brought the madness into
fashion In the infancy of good taste" .arrasin #rote his
history of the conspiracy of allenstein" #ho #as never
concerned in any plot& and" in dra#ing the character of
this general" #hom he never sa#" he has given a translation
of almost all that .allust says of ;atiline" #hom that his-
torian ne# so #ell ,his is #riting history in an in-
genious manner & but he #ho maes too great a parade of
his #it succeeds only in sho#ing it& #hich is a matter of
very little conseTuence
;ardinal de 1etB might #ith propriety give the charac-
ters of the principal personages of his time" all of #hom he
#ell ne#" and #ho had all been either his friends or his
enemies It is true he has not dra#n them as Aaimbourg
has done those of the princes of past times in his romantic
histories ut #as the cardinal a faithful painter? 6as
he not suUered passion and a fondness for novelty to mis-
guide his pencil? .hould he" for eKample" have eKpressed
+uthorPs reface F5
himself in this manner of Dueen +nne" mother of ouis
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EI9? 4.he had that sort of #it #hich #as %ust necessary
to eep her from appearing a fool in the eyes of those #ho
did not no# her .he had more harshness than pride"
more pride than true greatness of soul" more sho# than
reality" more regard for money than liberality" more liber-
ality than sel$shness" more sel$shness than disinterested-
ness" more attachment than passion" more insensibility than
cruelty" more superstition than real piety" more obstinacy
than $rmness" and more incapacity than of all the rest4
It must be o#ned that this obscurity of eKpression" this
cluster of antitheses and comparisons" and this burlesTue
#ay of dra#ing characters so un#orthy of history" is not
very liely to please those of good understanding ,he
lovers of truth #ill Tuestion the $delity of the portrait
#hen they compare it #ith the conduct of the Tueen& and
virtuous minds #ill be as much disgusted #ith the ill-na-
ture and contempt #hich the historian displays in speaing
of a princess #ho loaded him #ith favors" as incensed to
see an archbishop stirring up a civil #ar" merely" as he him-
self acno#ledges" for the pleasure of doing it
If #e are to suspect the $delity of these portraits" dra#n
by those #ho had such opportunities of painting to the life"
ho# can #e credit the bare assertion of a historian #ho
aUects to dive into the heart of a prince" that" perhaps"
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lived siK hundred leagues distant from him? In this case
he should describe him by his actions" and leave it to those
#ho have long attended his person to tell the balance
6arangues or set speeches are another species of ora-
torial falsehood in #hich historians formerly indulged
,hey made their heroes say #hat #as possible for them
to have said + liberty of this ind might" indeed" be taen
#ith a personage of remoter times" but at present these
$ctions are not tolerated & nay" #e eKpect much more &
for #ere a #riter" at present" to put into the mouth of
a prince a speech #hich he never made" #e should con-
sider such author no longer as a historian" but as a rhetor-
ician
+ third species of falsehood" and the most gross of
all" though it has been long the most seducing" is that of
the marvellous ,his prevails in all the ancient histories"
#ithout eKception
.ome predictions are still to be met #ith in 4,he 6is-
tory of ;harles EII"4 by /orberg& but #e $nd none in
any historians of the present age Omens" prodigies" and
apparitions" are no# sent bac to the regions of fable
6istory stood in need of being enlightened by philosophy
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I/,1O:@;,IO/
+, ,60 beginning of the present century" the vulgar
ne# no other hero in the /orth than ;harles EII of
.#eden 6is personal valor (#hich #as rather that of a
private soldier than a great ingW the lustre of his victories"
and even of his misfortunes" made an impression on those
#ho are easily struc #ith great events" but are not so
clear-sighted in regard to more slo# and useful labors
It #as even much doubted at that time by foreign nations"
#hether ;Bar eter I #ould be able to go through #ith
his great undertaings & yet they have not only continued"
but been improved" especially under the empress 0liBabeth"
his daughter ,his empire is at present reconed in the
number of the most Sourishing states & and eter is raned
among the greatest la#-givers ,hough his undertaings
did not stand in need of success in the eyes of #ise men"
yet his success has perpetuated his glory e no# thin
that ;harles EII deserved to be the $rst general under
eter the 7reat & the one has left only ruins behind him &
the other has been a founder of his empire in every sense
I ventured to pass much the same %udgment about thirty
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years ago" #hen I #as #riting 4,he 6istory of ;harles
EII4 ,he memoirs #ith #hich I have been since fur-
nished from the court of 1ussia" aUord me the means of
maing this empire no#n" #hose people are of such
antiTuity" #hile their la#s" manners" and arts" are all of
a ne# creation
6I.,O12 O3 ,60 [email protected]+/
0AI10
@/:01 0,01 ,60 710+,
;6+,01 I
:0.;1I,IO/ O3 [email protected]+
,60 0mpire of 1ussia is the largest on the entire
globe" eKtending from #est to east more than t#o
thousand common leagues of 3rance" and about eight
hundred in its greatest breadth from north to south
It borders on oland and the +rctic .ea" and %oins
to .#eden and ;hina Its length from the island
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of :ago" on the most #estern part of ivonia" to its
most eastern limits" taes in nearly one hundred and
seventy degrees" so that #hen it is noon in the #est-
ern part of the empire" it is nearly midnight in the
eastern Its breadth from north to south is three
thousand siK hundred versts" #hich maes eight hun-
dred and $fty of our common 3rench leagues
,he limits of this country #ere so little no#n in
the last century that" in FHM'" #hen it #as reported
that the ;hinese and the 1ussians #ere at #ar" and
that in order to terminate their diUerences" the em-
peror ;am-hi on the one hand" and the cBars Ivan"
or ohn" and eter on the other" had sent their min-
9ol RL
F M 6istory of the
isters to meet an embassy #ithin three hundred
leagues of ein" on the frontiers of the t#o em-
pires ,his account #as at $rst treated as a $ction
,he country no# comprised under the name of
1ussia" or the 1ussias" is of greater eKtent than all
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the balance of 0urope" or than ever the 1oman 0m-
pire #as" or that of :arius subdued by +leKander &
for it contains more than one million one hundred
thousand sTuare leagues /either the 1oman 0m-
pire" nor that of +leKander" contained more than
$ve hundred and $fty thousand each& and there is
not a ingdom in 0urope the t#elfth part so eKten-
sive as the 1oman 0mpire & but to mae 1ussia as
populous" as plentiful" and as #ell stored #ith to#ns
as our southern countries" #ould reTuire #hole ages"
and a race of monarchs such as eter the 7reat
,he 0nglish ambassador #ho resided at .t
etersburg in FJRR" and #ho had been at Aadrid"
says" in his manuscript" that in .pain" #hich is the
least populous state in 0urope" there may be rec-
oned forty persons to every sTuare mile" and in 1us-
sia not more than $ve e shall see in the second
chapter" #hether this minister #as mistaen Aar-
shal 9auban" the greatest of engineers" and the best
of citiBens" computes that in 3rance every sTuare
mile contains t#o hundred inhabitants ,hese cal-
culations are never very eKact" but they serve to
sho# the amaBing disproportion in the population
of t#o diUerent countries
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I shall observe here" that from .t etersburg to
ein" there is hardly one mountain to be met #ith
in the route #hich the caravans might tae through
1ussian 0mpire F'
independent ,artary" and that from .t etersburg
to the north of 3rance" by #ay of :antBic" 6am-
burg" and +msterdam" there is not even a hill of any
eminence to be seen ,his observation leaves room
to doubt the truth of that theory #hich sho#s the
mountains to have been formed by the rolling of the
#aves of the sea" and supposes all that is at present
dry land to have been for a long time covered #ith
#ater> but ho# comes it to pass" that the #aves"
#hich" according to the supposition" formed the
+lps" the yrenees" and Aount ,aurus" did not also
form some eminence or hill from /ormandy" to
;hina" #hich is a #inding space of above three
thousand leagues? 7eography thus considered"
may furnish lights to natural philosophy" or at least
give room for rational doubts
3ormerly #e called 1ussia by the name of Aus-
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covy" from the city of Aosco#" the capital of that
empire" and the residence of the grand dues> but
at present the ancient name of 1ussia prevails
It is not my business in this place to inTuire" #hy
the countries from .molens" to the other side of
Aosco#" #ere called hite 1ussia" or #hy 6iib-
ner gives it the name of lac" nor for #hat reason
the government of 8io# should be named 1ed 1us-
sia
It is very liely that Aadies the .cythian" #ho
made an irruption into +sia" nearly seven hundred
years before our era" might have carried his arms
into these regions" as 7enghis 8han and ,amerlane
did after#ard" and as probably others had done long
before Aadies 0very part of antiTuity is not de-
O 6istory of the
serving of our inTuiries& that of the ;hinese" the
Indians" the ersians" and the 0gyptians" is ascer-
tained from illustrious and interesting monuments &
but these monuments suppose others of a far more
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ancient date" since it reTuired many ages to teach
men the art of transmitting their thoughts by per-
manent signs" and no less time #as reTuired to form
a regular language & and yet #e have no such mon-
uments" even in this polite part of 0urope ,he art
of #riting #as for a long time unno#n to all the
/orth> the patriarch" ;onstantine" #ho #rote the
history of 8io# in the 1ussian language" acno#l-
edges that the use of #riting #as not no#n in these
countries in the $fth century
et others eKamine #hether the 6uns" the .lavs"
and the ,artars" formerly led their #andering and
famished tribes to#ard the source of the oris-
thenes & my design is to sho# #hat ;Bar eter cre-
ated" and not to engage in a useless attempt to clear
up the chaos of antiTuity e should al#ays eep
in mind" that no family on earth no#s its founder"
and conseTuently" that no nation no#s its origin
I use the name of 1ussians to designate the in-
habitants of this great empire ,hat of 1oKolanians"
#hich #as formerly given them" #ould indeed be
more sonorous" but #e should conform to the cus-
tom of the language in #hich #e #rite /e#s-
papers and other memoirs have for some time used
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the #ord 41ussians4& but as this name comes too
near to that of russians" I shall abide by that of
1uss" #hich almost all our #riters have given them
esides it appeared to me" that the people of the
1ussian 0mpire F
most eKtensive territory on the earth should be
no#n by some appellation that may distinguish
them absolutely from all other nations
+nd here it #ill be necessary for the reader to
have recourse to the map" in order to form a clear
idea of this empire" #hich is at present divided into
siKteen large governments" that #ill one day be sub-
divided" #hen the northern and eastern countries
come to be more inhabited
,hese siKteen governments" #hich contain sev-
eral immense provinces" are described in pages
#hich follo#
I9O/I+
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,he nearest province to our part of the #orld is
that of ivonia" one of the most fruitful in the #hole
/orth In the t#elfth century the inhabitants #ere
pagans & at this time certain merchants of remen
and iibec traded in this country" and a body of
religious crusaders" called ort-glaives" or s#ord-
bearers" #ho #ere after#ard incorporated in the
,eutonic order" made themselves masters of this
province" in the thirteenth century" at the time #hen
the fury of the ;rusades armed the ;hristians
against everyone #ho #as not of their religion +l-
bert" margrave of randenburg" grand master of
these religious conTuerors" made himself sovereign
of ivonia and of randenburg-russia" about the
year F5FL 3rom that time" the 1ussians and oles
began to dispute for the possession of this province
.oon after#ard it #as invaded by the .#edes" and
for a long #hile continued to be ravaged by these
6istory of the
several po#ers 7ustavus +dolphus having con-
Tuered it" it #as then ceded to the .#edes in FHHG"
by the famous treaty of Oliva & and" at length" ;Bar
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eter #rested it from the latter" as #ill be seen in
the course of this history
;ourland" #hich %oins ivonia" is still in vassal-
age to oland" though it depends greatly on 1ussia
,hese are the #estern limits of this empire
,60 7O901/A0/,. O3 1090" ., 0,01.@17" +/:
9IO17
Aore north#ard is the government of 1evel and
0sthonia 1evel #as built by the :anes in the thir-
teenth century ,he .#edes #ere in possession of
this province" from the time that country put itself
under the protection of that cro#n in F5HF ,his is
another of the conTuests of eter the 7reat
On the borders of 0sthonia lies the 7ulf of 3in-
land ,o the east#ard of this sea" and at the %unc-
tion of the /eva #ith ae adoga" is situated .t
etersburg" the most modern and best built city in
the #hole empire" founded by ;Bar eter" in spite
of all the united obstacles #hich opposed its founda-
tion
,his city is situated on the bay of 8ronstadt" in
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the midst of nine rivers" by #hich its diUerent Tuar-
ters are divided In the centre of this city is an al-
most impregnable fortress" built on an island" formed
by the river /eva> seven canals are cut from the
rivers" and #ash the #alls of one of the royal pal-
aces of the admiralty" of the docyard for the gal-
leys" and of several manufactories ,hirty-$ve large
1ussian 0mpire R
churches help to adorn the city& among #hich $ve
are allotted for foreigners of the 1oman ;atholic"
;alvinist" and utheran religions> these are so
many temples raised to toleration" and eKamples to
other nations ,here are $ve palaces & the old one"
called the summer palace" situated on the river
/eva" has a very large and beautiful stone balus-
trade" #hich runs all along the river side ,he ne#
summer palace near the triumphal gate" is one of the
$nest pieces of architecture in 0urope ,he admir-
alty buildings" the school for cadets" the imperial
college" the academy of sciences" the eKchange" and
the merchantsP #arehouses" are all magni$cent struc-
tures" and monuments of taste and public utility
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,he to#nhouse" the public dispensary" #here all the
vessels are of porcelain & the court magaBines" the
foundry" the arsenal" the bridges" the marets" the
sTuares" the barracs for the horse and foot guards"
contribute at once to the embellishment and safety
of the city" #hich is said to contain at present four
hundred thousand souls In the environs of the
city are several villas or country seats" #hich sur-
prise all travellers by their magni$cence ,here is
one in particular #hich has #ater#ors superior to
those of 9ersailles ,here #as nothing of all this in
FJG" the #hole being then an impassable morass
.t etersburg is considered the capital of Ingria" a
small province subdued by eter I 9iborg" an-
other of his conTuests" and that part of 3inland
#hich #as lost" and ceded by the .#edes in FJL"
maes another government
L 6istory of the
+1;6+/70
6igher up" to#ard the north" is the province of
+rchangel" a country entirely ne# to the southern
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nations of 0urope It too its name from .t
Aichael" the +rchangel" under #hose patronage it
#as put long after the 1ussians had embraced
;hristianity" #hich did not happen till the begin-
ning of the eleventh century& and they #ere not
no#n to the other nations of 0urope till the middle
of the siKteenth ,he 0nglish" in F5RR" endeavoring
to $nd out a northeast passage to the 0ast Indies"
;hancellor" captain of one of the ships $tted out for
this eKpedition" discovered the port of +rchangel in
the hite .ea& at that time it #as a desert place"
having only one convent" and a little church" dedi-
cated to .t Aichael the +rchangel
,he 0nglish" sailing up the river :#ina" arrived
at the middle part of the country" and at length at
Aosco# 6ere they easily made themselves mas-
ters of the trade of 1ussia" #hich #as removed from
the city of /ovgorod" #here it #as carried on by
land to this seaport" #hich is inaccessible" indeed"
during seven months in the year & but" nevertheless"
this trade proved more bene$cial to the empire than
the fairs of /ovgorod" that had fallen to decay in
conseTuence of the #ars #ith .#eden ,he 0ng-
lish obtained the privilege of trading thither #ith-
out paying any duties & a manner of trading #hich
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is apparently the most bene$cial to all nations ,he
:utch soon came in for a share of the trade of +rch-
angel" then unno#n to other nations
1ussian 0mpire 5
ong before this time" the 7enoese and 9enetians
had established trade #ith the 1ussians by the
mouth of the ,anais or :on" #here they had built a
to#n called ,ana ,his branch of the Italian com-
merce #as destroyed by the ravages of ,amerlane"
in that part of the #orld > but that of +rchangel con-
tinued" #ith great advantage both to the 0nglish
and :utch" until the time that eter the 7reat
opened a passage into his dominions by the altic
.ea
[email protected]+/ ++/:
,60 7O901/A0/, O3 +1;6+/70
,o the #est of +rchangel" and #ithin its govern-
ment" lies 1ussian apland" the third part of this
country" the other t#o belonging to .#eden and
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:enmar ,his is a very large tract" occupying
about eight degrees of longitude" and eKtending in
latitude from the polar circle to the /orth ;ape ,he
natives of this country #ere confusedly no#n to
the ancient" under the names of ,roglodytes and
northern ygmies & appellations suitable enough to
men #ho" for the most part" are not above four feet
and a half high" and d#ell in caverns& they are %ust
the same people they #ere at that time ,hey are
of a ta#ny compleKion" though the other people of
the /orth are #hite" and for the most part very lo#
in stature & #hile their neighbors" and the people of
Iceland" under the polar circle" are tall > they seem
made for their mountainous country" being nimble"
sTuat" and robust& their sins are hard" the better
to resist the cold" their thighs and legs are slender"
FH 6istory of the
their feet small" to enable them to run more nimbly
among the rocs" #ith #hich their province is cov-
ered & they are passionately fond of their o#n coun-
try" #ith #hich none but themselves can be pleased"
and are able to live no#here else .ome have af-
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$rmed" on the credit of Olaus" that these people
#ere originally natives of 3inland" and that they
removed into apland" #here they diminished in
stature > but #hy might they not as #ell have made
choice of lands less northerly" #here the conven-
iences of life #ere more plentiful? 6o# comes it
that they diUer so radically from their pretended
ancestors in features" $gure" and compleKion? Ae-
thins #e might" #ith as great reason" suppose that
the grass #hich gro#s in apland is produced from
that of :enmar" and that the $shes peculiar to their
laes came from those of .#eden It is most liely
that the aplanders are lie their animals" the prod-
uct of their o#n country" and that nature has made
the one for the other
,hose #ho inhabit the frontiers of 3inland" have
adopted some of the eKpressions of their neighbors"
as happens to every people > but #hen t#o nations
give to things of common use" to ob%ects #hich are
continually before their eyes" names absolutely dif-
ferent" it aUords a strong presumption that one of
them is not a colony from the other ,he 3inland-
ers call a bear 4aru4 the aplanders" 4muriet4>
the sun in the 3innish language is called 4auringa"4
in apland" 4beve4 6ere is not the least analogy
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,he inhabitants of 3inland" and .#edish apland"
formerly #orshipped an idol #hom they called
1ussian 0mpire J
4lumalac"4 and since the reign of 7ustavus +dol-
phus" to #hom they are indebted for the appellation
of utherans" they call esus ;hrist the son of lum-
alac ,he Auscovite or 1ussian aplanders" are at
present thought to be of the 7ree ;hurch & but
those #ho #ander about the mountains of the /orth
;ape are satis$ed #ith adoring one 7od under cer-
tain rude forms" as has been the ancient custom of
all the nomadic tribes
,his race of people" #ho are inconsiderable in
numbers" have fe# ideas" and are happy in not hav-
ing more" #hich #ould only cause them to have ne#
#ants #hich they could not satisfy > at present they
live contented" and free from diseases" not#ith-
standing the eKcessive coldness of their climate&
they drin nothing but #ater" and attain to a great
age ,he custom imputed to them of entreating
strangers to lie #ith their #ives and daughters"
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#hich they esteem as an honor done to them" prob-
ably arose from a notion of the superiority of
strangers" and a desire of amending" by their means"
the defects of their o#n race ,his #as a custom
established among the virtuous acedaemonians +
husband #ould entreat as a favor" of a comely
young man" to give him handsome children" #hom
he might adopt ealousy" and the la#s" prevent the
rest of manind from giving their #ives up to the
embraces of another& but the aplanders have fe#
or no la#s" and are" in all probability" strangers to
%ealousy
M 6istory of the
AO.;O
+scending the river :#ina from north to south"
#e travel up the country till #e come to Aosco#"
the capital of the empire ,his city #as long the
centre of the 1ussian dominions" before they #ere
eKtended on the side of ;hina and ersia
Aosco#" lying in $fty-$ve degrees and a half
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1ussian 0mpire '
the magni$cent one belonging to the cBars" and #ith
the +siatic splendor #hich then reigned at that
court ,here #as nothing eTual to it in 7ermany at
that time" nor any city so eKtensive or #ell peo-
pled
On the contrary" the earl of ;arlisle" #ho #as
ambassador from ;harles II to ;Bar +leKis in
FHRR" complains that he could not meet #ith any
convenience of life in Aosco# & no inns on the road"
nor refreshments of any ind One %udged as a
7erman" the other as an 0nglishman" and both by
comparison ,he 0nglishman #as shoced to see
most of the boyards" or Auscovite noblemen" sleep
on boards or benches" #ith only the sins of animals
under them & but this #as the ancient practice of all
nations ,he houses" #hich #ere almost all built of
#ood" had scarcely any furniture& fe# or none of
their tables #ere covered #ith cloth & there #as no
pavement in the streets & nothing agreeable & nothing
convenient& very fe# arti$cers" and those fe# eK-
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tremely a##ard" and employed only in #ors of
absolute necessity ,hese people might have passed
for .partans" had they been sober
ut on public days the court displayed all the
splendor of a ersian monarch ,he earl says he
could see nothing but gold and precious stones on
the robes of the cBar and his courtiers ,hese
dresses #ere not manufactured in the country & and
yet it is evident that the people might be rendered
industrious long before that time In the reign of
the cBar oris 7odoonof the largest bell in 0urope
#as cast at Aosco#" and in the atriarchal church
RG 6istory of the
there #ere several ornaments in silver" #ored in
a very curious manner ,hese pieces of #orman-
ship" #hich #ere made under the direction of 7er-
mans and Italians" #ere only transient eUorts It
is daily industry and the continual eKercise of a
great number of arts that mae a nation Sourish-
ing oland and the neighboring nations #ere at
that time very little superior to the 1ussians ,he
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handicraft trades #ere not in greater perfection in
the north of 7ermany" nor #ere the polite arts much
better no#n than in the middle of the seventeenth
century
,hough the city of Aosco# at that time had
neither the magni$cence nor arts of our great cities
in 0urope" yet its circumference of t#enty miles&
the part called the ;hinese to#n" #here all the rari-
ties of ;hina #ere eKhibited& the spacious Tuarter
of the 8remlin" #here stood the palace of the cBars &
the gilded domes" the lofty and conspicuous turrets &
and lastly" the prodigious number of its inhabitants"
amounting to near $ve hundred thousand" rendered
Aosco# one of the most considerable cities in the
#orld
,heodore" or 3eodor" eldest brother of eter the
7reat" began to improve Aosco# 6e ordered sev-
eral large houses to be built of stone" though #ithout
any regular architecture 6e encouraged the prin-
cipal persons of his court to build" advancing them
sums of money" and furnishing them #ith materials &
he #as the $rst #ho collected studs of $ne horses"
and made many improvements eter" #ho #as at-
tentive to everything" did not neglect Aosco# #hen
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1ussian 0mpire RF
he #as building .t etersburg & for he caused it to
be paved" adorned it #ith noble edi$ces" and en-
riched it #ith manufactories & and #ithin these fe#
years" A de .hoovalof" high chamberlain to the em-
press 0liBabeth" daughter of eter the 7reat" has
founded a university in this city ,his is the same
person #ho furnished me #ith the material from
#hich I have compiled the present history" and #ho
#as himself much more capable" even in the 3rench
language" had not his great modesty determined
him to resign the tas to me" as #ill appear from his
o#n letters on this sub%ect" #hich I have deposited
in the public library of 7eneva
.AO0/.8
est#ard of the duchy of Aosco# is that of
.molens" a part of the ancient .armatia 0uropea
,he duchies of Aosco# and .molens composed
#hat is properly called hite 1ussia .molens"
#hich at $rst belonged to the great dues of 1ussia"
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#as conTuered by the great due of ithuania in the
beginning of the $fteenth century" and #as retaen
one hundred years after#ard by its old masters
.igismund III" ing of oland" got possession of
it in FHF F ;Bar +leKis" father of eter I" recovered
it again in FH5L" since #hich time it has al#ays con-
stituted part of the 1ussian 0mpire ,he panegyric
of eter the 7reat" delivered in the +cademy of .ci-
ences in aris" taes notice that before his time the
1ussians had made no conTuests either to the #est
or south & but this is evidently a mistae
R 6istory of the
,60 7O901/A0/,. O3 /O97O1O: +/: 8IO" O1 ,60
@81+I/0
et#een .t etersburg and .molens lies the
province of /ovgorod" and is said to be the country
in #hich the ancient .lavs" or .lavonians" made
their $rst settlements ut #hence came these
.lavs" #hose language has spread over all the north-
east part of 0urope ? .la signi$es chief" and .lave
one belonging to a chief +ll that #e no# concern-
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ing these ancient .lavs is" that they #ere a race of
conTuerors & that they built the city of /ovgorod the
7reat at the head of a navigable river & and that this
city had for a long time a Sourishing trade" and #as
a potent ally to the 6anse ,o#ns ;Bar I#an 9asi-
elivitch or ohn asilovitch made a conTuest of it
in FLHJ" and carried a#ay all its riches" #hich con-
tributed to the magni$cence of the court of Aosco#"
till then almost unno#n
,o the south of the province of .molens #e
meet #ith the province of 8ieU" other#ise called the
esser 1ussia" 1ed 1ussia" or the @raine" through
#hich runs the :nieper" called by the 7rees the
oristhenes ,he diUerence in these t#o names"
the one so harsh" the other so melodious" serves to
sho# us" together #ith a hundred other lie in-
stances" the rudeness of all the ancient people of the
/orth" in comparison #ith the graces of the 7ree
language 8ieU" the capital city" formerly 8iso#"
#as built by the emperors of ;onstantinople" #ho
made it a colony& here are still to be seen several
7ree inscriptions more than t#elve hundred years
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1ussian 0mpire RR
old ,his is the only city of any antiTuity in these
countries" #here men lived so long together #ithout
building #alls 6ere it #as that the great dues
of 1ussia held their residence in the eleventh cen-
tury" before the ,artars brought it under their sub-
%ection
,he inhabitants of the @raine" called ;ossacs"
are a miKture of the ancient 1oKolanians" .arma-
tians"and ,artars 1ome and ;onstantinople" though
so long the mistresses of other countries" are not
to be compared in fertility #ith the @raine /ature
has there eKerted her utmost eUorts for the service
of manind& but they have not seconded those ef-
forts by industry" living only on the spontaneous
productions of an uncultivated" but fruitful soil and
the eKercise of rapine ,hough fond to a degree of
enthusiasm of that most valuable of all blessings"
liberty" yet they #ere al#ays in sub%ection" either to
the oles or the ,urs" till the year FH5L" #hen they
thre# themselves into the arms of 1ussia" but #ith
some limitations +t length they #ere entirely sub-
dued by eter the 7reat
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guished from all other people by never admitting
#omen to live among them& as the +maBons are
said never to have admitted any man ,he #omen
#hom they mae use of for propagation live on
other islands in the river& they have no marriages
among them" nor any domestic economy & they en-
roll the male children in their militia" and leave the
girls to the care of their mothers + brother fre-
Tuently has children by his sister" and a father by his
daughter ,hey no# no other la#s than customs
introduced by necessity & ho#ever" they mae use of
some prayers from the 7ree ritual 3ort .t 0liB-
abeth has been lately built on the oristhenes to eep
them in a#e ,hey serve as irregulars in the 1us-
sian army" and hapless is the fate of those #ho fall
into their hands
,60 7O901/A0/,. O3 I07O1O:" 9O1O/0C6" +/:
/I/I-/O97O1O:
,o the northeast of the province of 8ieU" be-
t#een the oristhenes and the ,anais" or :on" is the
government of ielgorod" #hich is as large as that
of 8ieU ,his is one of the most fruitful provinces
of 1ussia" and furnishes oland #ith a prodigious
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1ussian 0mpire R5
number of those large cattle no#n by the name of
the @raine oKen ,hese t#o provinces are secured
from the incursions of the petty ,artar tribes by
lines eKtending from the oristhenes to the ,anais"
and are #ell furnished #ith forts and redoubts
3arther north#ard #e cross the ,anais and come
into the government of 9oroneBh or 9eronise"
#hich eKtends as far as the .ea of +Bov In the
neighborhood of the capital of this province" #hich
is called by the 1ussians 9oroneBh" at the mouth of
the river of the same name" #hich falls into the :on"
eter the 7reat built his $rst Seet & an undertaing
#hich #as at that time entirely ne# to the inhab-
itants of these vast dominions ,hence #e come to
the government of /i%ni-/ovgorod" abounding
#ith grain" and #atered by the river 9olga
+.,1+86+/
3rom the latter province #e proceed south#ard
to the ingdom of +strahan ,his country reaches
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from forty-three and a half degrees north latitude"
in a most delightful climate" to near $fty degrees"
including about as many degrees of longitude as of
latitude It is bounded on one side by the ;aspian
.ea" and on the other by the mountains of ;ircassia"
pro%ecting beyond the ;aspian" along Aount ;au-
casus It is #atered by the great river 9olga" the
.o" and several other lesser streams" bet#een
#hich" according to Ar erry" the 0nglish engi-
neer" canals might be cut that #ould serve as reser-
voirs to receive the overSo#ing #aters & and by that
means ans#er the same purposes as the canals of
RH 6istory of the
the /ile" and mae the soil more fruitful& but to
the right and left of the 9olga and .o this $ne
country #as inhabited" or rather infested" by ,ar-
tars" #ho never apply themselves to agriculture" but
have al#ays lived as strangers and so%ourners on
the face of the earth
,he engineer" erry" #ho #as employed by
eter the 7reat in these parts" found a vast tract of
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land covered #ith pasture" leguminous plants"
cherry and almond trees" and large Socs of #ild
sheep" #hich fed in these solitary places and #hose
Sesh #as eKcellent ,he inhabitants of these coun-
tries must be conTuered and civiliBed" in order to
second the eUorts of nature" #hich has been forced
in the climate of .t etersburg
,he ingdom of +strahan is a part of the an-
cient ;apsha" conTuered by 7enghis 8han" and
after#ard by ,amerlane" #hose dominion eKtended
as far as Aosco# ,he cBar ohn asilides" grand-
son of ohn asilovitch" and the greatest conTueror
of all the 1ussian princes" delivered his country
from the ,artar yoe in the siKteenth century" and
added the ingdom of +strahan to his other con-
Tuests in F55L
+strahan is the boundary of +sia and 0urope"
and is so situated as to be able to carry on a trade
#ith both" as merchandise may be conveyed from
the ;aspian .ea up to this to#n by means of the
9olga ,his #as one of the grand schemes of eter
the 7reat" and has been partly carried into eKecu-
tion +n entire suburb of +strahan is inhabited
by Indians
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lies the ingdom of 8aBan" #hich" lie that of +s-
trahan" fell by partition to one of the sons of
7enghis 8han" and after#ard to a son of ,amer-
lane" and #as at length conTuered by ohn asilides
It is still inhabited by a number of Aahometan ,ar-
tars ,his vast country stretches as far as .iberia &
it is said to have been formerly very Sourishing and
rich" and still retains some part of its pristine opu-
lence + province of this ingdom" called erm"
and since .oliams" #as the maret for the mer-
chandise of ersia and the furs of ,artary ,here
has been found in erm a great Tuantity of the coin
RM 6istory of the
of the $rst caliphs" and some ,artar idols made of
gold& but these monuments of ancient opulence
#ere found in the midst of barren deserts and eK-
treme poverty" #here there #ere not the least traces
of commerce & revolutions of this nature may easily
happen to a barren country" seeing they are so soon
brought about in the most fruitful provinces
,he famous .#edish prisoner" .trahlemberg"
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#ho made such advantageous use of his misfor-
tunes" and #ho eKamined those eKtensive countries
#ith so much attention" #as the $rst #ho gave an air
of probability to a fact #hich before had been al-
#ays thought incredible" namely" concerning the
ancient commerce of these provinces liny and
omponius Aela relate that" in the reign of +u-
gustus" a ing of the .uevi made a present to Aetel-
lus ;eler of some Indians #ho had been cast by a
storm on the coasts bordering on the 0lbe ut
ho# could inhabitants of India navigate the 7er-
manic seas? ,his adventure #as deemed fabulous
by all our moderns" especially after the change made
in the commerce of our hemisphere by the discovery
of the ;ape of 7ood 6ope ut formerly it #as no
more eKtraordinary to see an Indian trading to the
north#est of his country than to see a 1oman go
from India by #ay of +rabia ,he Indians #ent to
ersia" thence embared on the ;aspian .ea" and
ascending the 1ha" no# the 9olga" got to erm
through the river 8ama& #hence they might tae
shipping again on the lac .ea" or the altic
,here have" in all times" been enterprising men ,he
,yrians undertoo most surprising voyages
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1ussian 0mpire R'
If" after surveying all these vast provinces" #e
direct our vie# to#ard the 0ast" #e shall $nd the
limits of 0urope and +sia again confounded +
ne# name is #anting for this considerable part of
the globe ,he ancients divided their no#n #orld
into 0urope" +sia" and +frica& but they had not
seen the tenth part of it & hence it happens that #hen
#e pass the .ea of +Bov" #e are at a loss to no#
#here 0urope ends or +sia begins & all that tract of
country lying beyond Aount ,aurus #as distin-
guished by the general appellation of .cythia" and
after#ard by that of ,artary It might not be im-
proper" perhaps" to give the name of ,erra +rcticce"
or /orthern ands" to the country eKtending from
the altic .ea to the con$nes of ;hina & as that of
,erra +ustrales" or .outhern ands" is to that
eTually eKtensive part of the #orld situated near the
+ntarctic ole" and #hich serves to counterpoise the
globe
,60 7O901/A0/,. O3 .I01I+" O3 ,60 .+AO20:."
,60 O.,I+8." 8+A;6+,8+" 0,;
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.iberia" #ith the territories beyond it" eKtends
from the frontiers of the provinces of +rchangel"
1esan" and +strahan" east#ard as far as the .ea
of apan & it %oined the southern parts of 1ussia by
Aount ;aucasus& thence to the country of 8am-
chata" is about t#elve hundred 3rench leagues&
and from southern ,artary" #hich serves as its
boundary" to the 3roBen .ea" about four hundred"
#hich is the least breadth of the 1ussian 0mpire
,his country produces the richest furs& and this
caused the discovery of it in the year F5HR
LG 6istory of the
In the siKteenth century" in the reign of ;Bar
ohn asilides" and not in that of 3eodor ohanno-
#itB" a private person in the neighborhood of +rch-
angel" named +nia" one tolerably rich for his con-
dition of life and country" too notice" that certain
men of eKtraordinary $gure" dressed in a manner
unno#n to that country" and #ho spoe a language
understood by no one but themselves" came every
year do#n a river #hich So#s into the :#ina" and
brought martens and blac foKes" #hich they bar-
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tered for nails and pieces of glass" %ust as the $rst
savages of +merica used to eKchange their gold #ith
the .paniards 6e caused them to be follo#ed by
his sons and servants" as far as their o#n country
,hese #ere the .amoyeds" a people resembling
the aplanders" but of a diUerent race ,hey are"
lie that people" unacTuainted #ith the use of bread &
and lie them" they yoe reindeer to dra# their
sledges ,hey live in caverns and huts" amidst the
sno# & but in other respects" nature has made a vis-
ible diUerence bet#een this species of men and the
aplanders ,he upper %a# pro%ects" so as to be
on a level #ith the nose" and the ears are placed
higher /either the men nor the #omen have hair
on any other part of their bodies than their heads &
and their nipples are of a deep blac" lie ebony ,he
aplanders are distinguished by no such mars
+ccording to memoirs sent from these countries"
I have been informed that the author of the curious
natural history of the ingPs garden is mistaen"
#here" in speaing of the many curiosities in hu-
man nature" he confounds the apland race #ith that
1ussian 0mpire LF
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of the .amoyeds ,here are many more diUerent
species of men than is commonly thought
,he .amoyeds are as singular in their moral as
in their physical distinctions& they #orship no su-
preme being & they border on Aanichseism" or rather
on the religion of the ancient Aagi" in this one point"
that they acno#ledge a good and an evil principle
,he horrible climate they inhabit may in some meas-
ure eKcuse this belief" #hich is of such ancient date"
and so natural to those #ho are ignorant and un-
happy
,heft or murder is never heard of among them &
being in a manner devoid of passions" they are stran-
gers to in%ustice & they have no terms in their lan-
guage to denote vice and virtue" their eKtreme sim-
plicity has not yet permitted them to form abstract
ideas" they are #holly guided by sensation" and this
is perhaps an incontestable proof that men naturally
love %ustice" #hen not blinded by inordinate pas-
sions
.ome of these savages #ere prevailed on to go
to Aosco#" #here many things they sa# $lled them
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#ith admiration ,hey gaBed on the emperor as
their god" and voluntarily engaged for themselves
and countrymen a present of t#o martens or sables
every year for each inhabitant ;olonies #ere soon
settled beyond the Obi and the Irtish" and some forts
built In the year F5'5 a ;ossac oNcer #as
sent into this country" #ho conTuered it for the cBar
#ith only a fe# soldiers and some artillery" as ;or-
tes did AeKico & but he only made a conTuest of
barren deserts
L 6istory of the
In sailing up the Obi to the %unction of the river
Irtish #ith the ,obol" they found a petty settlement"
#hich they converted into the to#n of ,obols"
no# the capital of .iberia" and a large city ho
could imagine that this country #as for a long time
the residence of those 6uns" #ho" under +ttila"
carried their depredations as far as the gates of
1ome" and that the 6uns came from the north of
;hina? ,he @sbeg ,artars succeeded the 6uns"
and the 1ussians the @sbegs ,he possession of
these savage countries has been disputed #ith as
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much murderous fury as that of the most fruitful
provinces .iberia #as formerly better peopled than
it is at present" especially to#ard the southern parts &
if #e may %udge from the rivers and sepulchral mon-
uments
,his part of the #orld" from the siKtieth degree
of latitude or thereabouts" as far as those mountains
of perpetual ice #hich border the north seas" is
totally diUerent from the regions of the temperate
Bone& the earth produces neither the same plants
nor the same animals" nor are there the same sort
of $shes in their laes and rivers
elo# the country of the .amoyeds lies that of
the Ostias" along the river Obi ,hese people have
no resemblance to the .amoyeds" save that" lie
them" and all the $rst races of men" they are hunters"
$shermen" and shepherds & some of them have no
religion" not being formed into any society" and the
others" #ho live together in herds or clans" have a
ind of #orship" and pray to the principal ob%ect of
1ussian 0mpire LR
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their #ants & they adore the sin of a sheep" because
this creature is the most serviceable to them& %ust
as the 0gyptian husbandmen made choice of an oK"
as an emblem of the :eity #ho created that creature
for the use of man
,he Ostias have other idols" #hose origin and
#orship are as little deserving our notice as their
#orshippers ,here #ere some converts to ;hris-
tianity made among them in the year FJF& but
these" lie the lo#est of our peasants" are ;hristians
#ithout no#ing #hat they profess .everal #rit-
ers pretend that these people #ere natives of 7reat
erm" but as 7reat erm is in a manner a desert"
ho# comes it that its inhabitants should settle at
such a distance" and so inconveniently? ,his is a
diNculty not #orth clearing up 0very nation #hich
has not cultivated the polite arts deserves to remain
in obscurity
In the country of the Ostias in particular" and
among their neighbors the urates and 2auts" they
often discover a ind of ivory under ground" the na-
ture of #hich is as yet unno#n .ome tae it to
be a sort of fossil" and others the tooth of a species
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of elephants" the breed of #hich has been destroyed >
but #here is the country that does not aUord some
natural productions #hich astonish and confound
philosophy ?
.everal mountains in this country abound #ith
amianth or asbestos" a ind of incombustible SaK"
of #hich a sort of cloth is made
,o the south of the Ostias are the urates"
LL 6istory of the
another people #ho have not yet been made ;hris-
tians 0ast#ard there are several tribes" #hom the
1ussians have not as yet entirely subdued
/one of these people have the least no#ledge
of the calendar ,hey recon their time by sno#s"
and not by the apparent motion of the sun> as it
sno#s regularly" and for a long time every #inter"
they say" 4I am so many sno#s old"4 %ust as #e say"
4I am so many years4
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+nd here I must relate the accounts given by the
.#edish oNcer .trahlemberg" #ho #as taen pris-
oner in the battle of ultava" lived $fteen years
in .iberia" and made a complete tour of that coun-
try 6e says there are still some remains of an an-
cient people" #hose sin is spotted or variegated"
and that he himself had seen some of them & and the
fact has been con$rmed to me by 1ussians born at
,obols ,he species seems to be greatly dimin-
ished" as #e $nd very fe# of these eKtraordinary
people" and they have probably been eKterminated
by some other race& for instance" there are very
fe# +lbinos" or hite Aoors& I sa# one of them
#ho #as presented to the +cademy of .ciences at
aris It is the same #ith respect to several other
species of rare animals
+s to the orandians" of #hom mention is made
so freTuently in the learned history of the ingPs
garden" my memoirs say" that this race of people is
entirely unno#n to the 1ussians
+ll the southern part of these countries is peopled
by numerous hordes of ,artars ,he ancient ,urs
came from this part of ,artary to conTuer these eK-
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1ussian 0mpire L5
tensive countries" of #hich they are at present in
possession ,he 8almucs and Aongols are the
very .cythians #ho" under Aadies" made themselves
masters of upper +sia" and conTuered ;yaKares"
ing of the Aedes ,hey are the men #hom 7en-
ghis 8han and his sons led after#ard as far as 7er-
many" and #as termed the Aogul 0mpire under
,amerlane ,hese people aUord a lively instance of
the vicissitudes #hich have happened to all nations &
some of their hordes" instead of being formidable
no#" are vassals of 1ussia
+mong these is a nation of 8almucs" d#elling
bet#een .iberia and the ;aspian .ea" #here" in the
year FJG" there #as discovered a subterranean
house of stone" #ith urns" lamps" ear-rings" an
eTuestrian statue of an Oriental prince" #ith a dia-
dem on his head" t#o #omen seated on thrones" and
a roll of manuscripts" #hich #ere sent by eter the
7reat to the +cademy of Inscriptions in aris" and
proved to be #ritten in the ,hibetan language> all
these are striing proofs that the liberal arts for-
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merly eKisted in this no# barbarous country" and
are lasting evidences of the truth of #hat eter the
7reat #as #ont to say that the arts had made the
tour of the globe
,he last province is 8amchata" the most east-
ern part of the continent ,he inhabitants #ere ab-
solutely void of all religion #hen they #ere $rst
discovered ,he northern part of this country af-
forded $ne furs" #ith #hich the inhabitants clothed
themselves in #inter" though they #ent naed in
the summer ,he $rst discoverers #ere surprised to
LH 6istory of the
$nd in the southern parts men #ith long beards"
#hile in the northern parts" from the country of the
.amoyeds" as far as the mouth of the river +mur"
they have no more beards than the +mericans
,hus" in the 0mpire of 1ussia" there is a greater
number of diUerent species" more singularities" and
a greater diversity of manners and customs than in
any other country in the no#n #orld
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,he discovery of this country #as made by a
;ossac oNcer" #ho #ent by land from .iberia to
8amchata in FJGF" by order of eter the 7reat"
#ho" not#ithstanding his misfortune at /arva" still
continued to eKtend his rule from one eKtremity of
the continent to the other +fter#ard" in FJ5" some
time before his death" in the midst of his great eK-
ploits" he sent ;aptain ering" a :ane" #ith eKpress
orders to $nd out" if possible" a passage by the .ea
of 8amchata" to the coast of +merica ering did
not succeed in his $rst attempt& but the empress
+nne sent him out again" in FJRR A .pengenberg"
captain of the ship" his associate in this voyage" set
out $rst from 8amchata" but could not put to sea
till the year FJR'" so much time #as taen up in get-
ting to the port #here they #ere to embar" in
building and $tting out the ships" and providing the
necessaries .pengenberg sailed as far as the north-
ern part of apan" through a strait" formed by a long
chain of islands" and returned #ithout having dis-
covered the passage
In FJLF" ering cruised all over this sea" in com-
pany #ith de isle de la ;royere" the astronomer"
of the family of PIsle" #hich has produced such
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1ussian 0mpire LJ
eKcellent geographers& another captain lie#ise
#ent on the same discovery ,hey both made the
coast of +merica" to the north#ard of ;alifornia
,hus the northeast passage" so long sought after"
#as at length discovered" but there #as no subsist-
ence to be found in those barren coasts ,heir fresh
#ater failed them" and part of the cre# died of
scurvy ,hey sa# the northern ban of ;alifornia
for more than a hundred miles" and sa# some leath-
ern canoes" #ith %ust such a class of people in them
as the ;anadians +ll their endeavors" ho#ever"
proved fruitless > ering ended his life on an island"
to #hich he gave his name ,he other captain hap-
pening to be closer to the ;alifornian coast" sent ten
of his people on shore" #ho never returned ,he
captain" after #aiting for them in vain" found him-
self obliged to return to 8amchata" and de isle
died as he #as going ashore .uch are the disasters
that have generally attended every ne# attempt on
the northern seas ut #hat advantages may yet
arise from these dangerous voyages" time alone can
disclose
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e have no# described the diUerent provinces
that compose the 1ussian dominions" from 3inland
to the sea of apan ,he largest parts of this em-
pire have been united at diUerent times" as has been
the case in all other ingdoms in the #orld ,he
.cythians" 6uns" Aassagetae" .lavs" ;imbrians"
7etae" and .armatians are no# sub%ects of the cBar
,he 1ussians" properly so called" are the ancient
1oKolani" or .lavs
@pon reSection" #e shall $nd that most states
LM 6istory of the
#ere formed in the same manner ,he 3rench are
an assemblage of 7oths" of :anes called /ormans"
of northern 7ermans" called urgundians& of
3rans" and some 1omans miKed #ith the ancient
;elts In 1ome and Italy there are several families
descended from the people of the /orth" but none
that #e no# of from the ancient 1omans ,he
supreme pontiU is freTuently the oUspring of a
ombard" a 7oth" a ,euton" or a ;imbrian ,he
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.paniards are a race of +rabs" ;arthaginians" e#s"
,yrians" 9isigoths" and 9andals" incorporated #ith
the ancient inhabitants of the country hen na-
tions are thus intermiKed" it is a long time before
they are civiliBed" or even before their language is
formed .ome indeed receive these sooner" others
later olity and the liberal arts are so diNcult to
establish" and the ne#ly-raised structure is so often
destroyed by revolutions" that #e may #onder that
all nations are not as barbarous as ,artars
;6+,01 II
;O/,I/@+,IO/ O3 ,60 :0.;1I,IO/ O3 [email protected]+" O-
@+,IO/" 3I/+/;0." +1AI0." ;@.,OA." 10I7-
IO/" 0,;
,60 more civiliBed a country is" the better it is
peopled ,hus ;hina and India are more populous
than any other empires" because" after a multitude
of revolutions" #hich changed the face of sublunary
aUairs" these t#o nations made the earliest estab-
lishments in civil society > the antiTuity of their gov-
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1ussian 0mpire L'
ernment" #hich has eKisted more than four thousand
years" supposes" as #e have already observed" many
eUorts in preceding ages ,he 1ussians came very
late& but the arts having been introduced among
them in their full perfection" they have made more
progress in $fty years than any other nation had
done before them in $ve hundred ,he country is
far from being populous" in proportion to its eK-
tent & but such as it is" it has as great a number of
inhabitants as any other state in ;hristendom 3rom
the census" and the register of merchants" arti$cers"
and male peasants" I might safely assert that 1ussia"
at present" contains at least t#enty-four millions of
male inhabitants > of these t#enty-four millions" the
greatest part are villeins or bondmen" as in oland"
several provinces of 7ermany" and formerly
throughout all 0urope ,he estate of a gentleman
in 1ussia and oland is computed" not by his in-
crease in money" but by the number of his slaves
,he follo#ing is a list" taen in FJLJ" of all the
males #ho paid the per capita or poll-taK >
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Aerchants or tradesmen F'M"GGG
6andicrafts FH"5GG
easants incorporated #ith the merchants and
handicrafts i"'5O
easants called Odpnosis" #ho contribute to
maintain the militia LRG"G
Others #ho do not contribute thereto H"GMG
ormen of diUerent trades" #hose parents are
not no#n iooo
Others #ho are not incorporated #ith the compa-
nies of tradesmen L"JGG
easants immediately dependent on the cro#n"
about 555"GGG
ersons employed in the mines belonging to the
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cro#n" partly ;hristians" partly Aahometans
and pagans HL"GGG
9ol RL-L
5G 6istory of the
Other peasants belonging to the cro#n" #ho #or
in the mines" and in private manufactories L"GG
/e# converts to the 7ree ;hurch 5J"ooo
,artars and Ostias (peasantsW LF"GGG
Aourses" ,artars Aordauts" and others" #hether
pagans or ;hristians" employed by the ad-
miralty J"Moo
,artars sub%ect to contribution" called ,epteris"
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obilitB" etc M"'GG
ondmen to several merchants" and other privi-
leged persons" #ho" though not landholders"
are allo#ed to have slaves '"ioo
easants on the lands set apart for the support of
the cro#n LFM"GGG
easants on the lands belonging to her ma%esty"
independently of the rights of the cro#n HG"5GG
easants on the lands con$scated to the cro#n FR"HGG
ondmen belonging to gentlemen R"55O"ooo
ondmen belonging to the assembly of the clergy"
and #ho defray other eKpenses RJ5OO
ondmen belonging to bishops FFH"LGG
ondmen belonging to convents" #hose numbers
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#ere reduced by eter the 7reat JF"5GG
ondmen belonging to cathedral and parish
churches R"JGG
easants employed as laborers in the docs of the
admiralty" or in other public #ors" about L"GGG
aborers in the mines" and in private manufac-
tories FH"GGG
easants on the lands assigned to the principal
manufactories FL"5GG
aborers in the mines belonging to the cro#n RGG
astards brought up by the clergy LG
.ectaries called 1asholnis "GG
H"HLR"H'G
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6ere #e have siK millions" siK hundred and for-
ty-three thousand" siK hundred and ninety male per-
sons" #ho pay the poll-taK In this number are in-
cluded boys and old men & but girls and #omen are
not reconed" nor boys born bet#een the maing of
one register of the lands and another /o#" if #e
1ussian 0mpire 5F
only recon triple the number of heads sub%ect to be
taKed" including #omen and girls" #e shall $nd
nearly t#enty millions of souls
,o this number #e may add the military list"
#hich amounts to three hundred and $fty thousand
men esides" neither the nobility nor clergy" #ho
are computed at t#o hundred thousand" are sub%ect
to this taK
3oreigners" of #hatever country or profession"
are lie#ise eKempt > as also the inhabitants of the
conTuered countries" namely> ivonia" 0sthonia"
Ingria" 8arelia" and a part of 3inland" the @raine"
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and the :on ;ossacs" the 8almucs" and other ,ar-
tars" .amoyeds" the aplanders" the Ostias" and
all the idolatrous people of .iberia" a country of
greater eKtent than ;hina" #hich are not included
in this list
y the same calculation" it is impossible that the
total of the inhabitants of 1ussia should amount to
less than t#enty-four millions +t this rate" there
are eight persons to every sTuare mile ,he %0ng-
lish ambassador" #hom I have mentioned before" al-
lo#s only $ve& but he certainly #as not furnished
#ith such faithful data as those #ith #hich I have
been favored
1ussia" therefore" is eKactly $ve times less popu-
lous than .pain" but contains nearly four times the
number of inhabitants> it is almost as populous as
3rance or 7ermany & but if #e consider its vast eK-
tent" the number of souls is thirty times less
,here is one important remar to be made in re-
gard to this enumeration" namely" that out of siK mil-
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5 6istory of the
lion siK hundred and forty thousand people liable
to the poll-taK" there are about nine hundred thou-
sand that belong to the 1ussian clergy" #ithout rec-
oning either the ecclesiastics of the conTuered coun-
tries" of the @raine" or of .iberia
,herefore" out of seven persons liable to the poll-
taK" the clergy have one& but nevertheless they are
far from possessing the seventh part of the #hole
revenues of the state" as is the case in many other
ingdoms" #here they have at least a seventh of all
estates& for their peasants pay a taK to the sover-
eign & and the other taKes of the cro#n of 1ussia"
in #hich the clergy have no share" are very consid-
erable
,his valuation is very diUerent from that of all
other #riters on the aUairs of 1ussia & so that for-
eign ministers" #ho have transmitted memoirs of
this state to their courts" have been greatly mis-
taen ,he archives of the empire are alone to be
consulted
It is very probable that 1ussia has been better
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peopled than it is at present & before smallpoK" #hich
came from the eKtremities of +rabia" and the mal-
ady that came from +merica" had spread over these
climates" #here they have no# taen root ,he
#orld o#es these t#o dreadful scourges" #hich have
depopulated it more than all its #ars" the one to Aa-
homet" and the other to ;hristopher ;olumbus ,he
plague" #hich is a native of +frica" seldom ap-
proached the countries of the /orth esides" the
people of those countries" from .armatia to the ,ar-
tars" #ho d#ell beyond the great #all" having over-
1ussian 0mpire 5R
spread the #orld by their irruptions" this ancient
nursery of the human species must have been sur-
prisingly diminished
In this vast eKtent of country" there are said to
be about seventy-four thousand mons" and $ve
thousand nuns" not#ithstanding the care taen by
eter the 7reat to reduce their number & a care #or-
thy the ruler of an empire" #here the human race is
so remarably de$cient ,hese thirteen thousand
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persons" thus immured and lost to the state" have"
as the reader may have observed" seventy-t#o thou-
sand bondmen to till their lands" #hich is evidently
too great a number& there cannot be a stronger
proof of ho# diNcult it is to eradicate abuses of long
standing
I $nd" by a list of the revenues of the empire in
FJR5" that reconing the tribute paid by the ,ar-
tars" #ith all taKes and duties in money" the sum to-
tal amounted to thirteen millions of rubles" #hich
mae siKty-$ve millions of 3rench livres" eKclusive
of tributes in ind ,his moderate sum #as at that
time suNcient to maintain three hundred and thirty-
nine thousand $ve hundred" sea as #ell as land
forces > but both the revenues and troops are aug-
mented since that time
,he customs" diets" and manners of the 1ussians
al#ays bore a greater aNnity to those of +sia than
to those of 0urope> such #as the old custom of
receiving tribute in ind" of defraying the eKpenses
of ambassadors on their %ourneys" and during their
residence in the country" and of never appearing at
church" or in the royal presence" #ith a s#ord& an
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5L 6istory of the
Oriental custom" directly the reverse of that ridic-
ulous and barbarous one among us" of addressing
ourselves to 7od" to our ing" to our friends" and to
our #omen" #ith an oUensive #eapon" #hich hangs
do#n to the bottom of the leg ,he long robe #orn
on public days" had a nobler air than the short hab-
its of the #estern nations of 0urope + vest" lined
and turned up #ith fur" #ith a long scimitar"
adorned #ith %e#els for festival days& and those
high turbans" #hich add to the stature" #ere much
more striing to the eye than our perues and close
coats" and more suitable to cold climates & but this
ancient dress of all nations seems to be not so #ell
contrived for #ar" nor so convenient for #oring
people Aost of their other customs #ere rustic&
but #e must not imagine that their manners #ere as
barbarous as some #riters #ould have us believe
+lbert 8rants relates a story of an Italian ambas-
sador" #hom the cBar ordered to have his hat nailed
to his head" for not pulling it oU #hile he #as
maing a speech to him Others attribute this ad-
venture to a ,artar" and others again to a 3rench
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ambassador
Olearius pretends that the cBar Aichael 3eodo-
rovitch banished the marTuis of 0Kideiiil" ambas-
sador from 6enry I9 of 3rance" into .iberia & but
it is certain that this monarch sent no ambassador
to Aosco#" and that there never #as a marTuis of
0Kideiiil in 3rance In the same manner travel-
lers spea about the country of orandia" and of the
trade they have carried on #ith the people of /ova
Cembla" #hich is scarcely inhabited at all" and the
1ussian 0mpire 55
long conversations they have had #ith some of the
.amoyeds" as if they understood their language
ere the enormous compilations of voyages to be
cleared of everything untrue or useless in them"
both the #ors and the public #ould be gainers
by it
,he 1ussian government resembled that of the
,urs" in respect to the standing forces" or guards"
called strelitBes" #ho" lie the %anissaries" sometimes
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disposed of the cro#n" and freTuently disturbed the
state as much as they defended it ,heir number
#as about forty thousand ,hose #ho #ere dis-
persed in the provinces" subsisted by rapine and
plunder& those in Aosco# lived lie citiBens" fol-
lo#ed trades" did no duty" and carried their inso-
lence to the greatest eKcess > in short" there #as no
other #ay to preserve peace and good order in the
ingdom" but by overcoming them& a very neces-
sary" and at the same time a very dangerous" step
,he public revenue does not eKceed $ve millions
of rubles" or about t#enty-$ve millions of 3rench
livres ,his #as suNcient #hen ;Bar eter came
to the cro#n to maintain the ancient mediocrity" but
#as not a third part of #hat #as necessary to go
certain lengths" and to render himself and people
considerable in 0urope > but at the same time many
of their taKes #ere paid in ind" according to the
,urish custom" #hich is less burdensome to the
people than that of paying their tributes in money
,60 ,I,0 O3 ;C+1
+s to the title of cBar" it may possibly come from
the ,Bars or ,chars of the ingdom of 8aBan
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5H 6istory of the
hen ohn" or Ivan asilides" completed the con-
Tuest of this ingdom" #hich had been begun by
his grandfather" #ho after#ard lost it" he assumed
this title" #hich his successors have retained ever
since efore the time of ohn asilides" the sover-
eign of 1ussia too the title of elie 8neB" i e"
great prince" great lord" great chief" #hich the ;hris-
tian nations after#ard rendered by that of great
due ;Bar Aichael 3eodorovitch" #hen he re-
ceived the 6olstein embassy" too to himself the
follo#ing titles > 47reat neB" and great lord" con-
servator of all the 1ussias" prince of olodimer"
Aosco#" /ovgorod" etc" tBar of 8aBan" tBar of
+strahan" and tBar of .iberia4 ,Bar #as" there-
fore" a title belonging to these eastern princes & and"
therefore" it is more probable it #as derived from
the ,shas of ersia" than from the 1oman ;aesars"
of #hom the .iberian ,Bars" on the bans of the
Obi" can hardly be supposed to have ever heard
/o title" ho#ever pompous" is of any conse-
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Tuence" if those #ho bear it are not great and po#-
erful of themselves ,he #ord 4emperor"4 #hich
originally signi$ed no more than 4general of the
army"4 became the title of the sovereign of the 1o-
man republic > it is no# given to the supreme gover-
nor of all the 1ussias more %ustly than to any other
potentate" if #e consider the po#er and eKtent of
his dominions
10I7IO/
,he established religion of 1ussia has" ever
since the eleventh century" been that of the 7ree
;hurch" so called in opposition to the atin" although
1ussian 0mpire 5J
there #ere al#ays a greater number of Aahometan
and pagan provinces than of those inhabited by
;hristians .iberia" as far as ;hina" #as in a state
of idolatry & and in some of the provinces they #ere
utter strangers to all inds of religion
erry" the engineer" and aron .trahlemberg"
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#ho both resided many years in 1ussia" tell us that
they found more sincerity and probity among the
pagans than the other inhabitants& not that pagan-
ism made them more virtuous" but their manner of
living freed them from all the tumultuous passions &
and" in conseTuence" they #ere no#n for their
integrity
;hristianity did not get a footing in 1ussia and
the other countries of the /orth till very late It
is said that a princess named Olha $rst introduced
it" about the end of the tenth century" as ;lotilda"
niece of an +rian prince" did among the 3rans &
the #ife of Aiceslaus" due of oland" among the
oles & and the sister of 0mperor 6enry II among
the 6ungarians omen are naturally easily per-
suaded by the ministers of religion" and they easily
persuade the other part of manind
It is further added that rincess Olha caused her-
self to be baptiBed at ;onstantinople" by the name of
6elena& and that as soon as she embraced ;hris-
tianity" 0mperor ohn Cimisces fell in love #ith her
It is most liely that she #as a #ido#& ho#ever"
she refused the emperor ,he eKample of rincess
Olha" or Olga" as she is called" did not at $rst
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mae any great number of proselytes 6er son"
#ho reigned a long time" #as not of the same #ay
5M 6istory of the
of thining as his mother & but her grandson" olod-
imer" #ho #as born of a concubine" having mur-
dered his brother and mounted the throne" sued for
the alliance of asiles" emperor of ;onstantinople"
but could obtain it only on condition of receiving
baptism> and this event" #hich happened in the
year 'MJ" #as at the time #hen the 7ree ;hurch
#as $rst established in 1ussia hotius" the pa-
triarch" so famous for his immense erudition" his
disputes #ith the ;hurch of 1ome" and for his mis-
fortunes" sent a person to baptiBe olodimer" in
order to add this part of the #orld to the patriarchal
see
olodimer" or olodomar" therefore completed
the #or #hich his grandmother had begun +
7ree #as made the $rst metropolitan" or patriarch"
of 1ussia & and from this time" the 1ussians adopted
an alphabet" taen partly from the 7ree ,his
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#ould have been of advantage to them" had they not
still retained the principles of their o#n language"
#hich is the .lavonian in everything but a fe# terms
relating to their liturgy and church government
One of the 7ree patriarchs" named eremiah" hav-
ing a suit pending before the :ivan" came to Aos-
co# to present it& #here" after some time" he re-
signed his authority over the 1ussian churches" and
consecrated as patriarch the archbishop of /ovgo-
rod" named ob ,his #as in the year F5MM" from
#hich time the 1ussian ;hurch became as inde-
pendent as its empire ,he patriarch of 1ussia
has ever since been consecrated by the 1ussian bish-
ops" and not by the patriarch of ;onstantinople 6e
1ussian 0mpire 5'
raned in the 7ree ;hurch neKt to the patriarch of
erusalem" but he #as in fact the only free and po#-
erful patriarch& and conseTuently" the only real
one ,hose of erusalem" ;onstantinople" +ntioch"
and +leKandria are mercenary chiefs of a church"
enslaved by the ,urs& and even the patriarchs of
erusalem and +ntioch are no longer considered as
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such" having no more credit or inSuence in ,urey
than the rabbis of the e#ish synagogues settled
there
It #as from a person #ho #as patriarch of all the
1ussias that eter the 7reat #as descended in a
direct line ,hese ne# prelates soon #anted to
share the sovereign authority #ith the cBars ,hey
thought it not enough that their prince #aled bare-
headed once a year before the patriarch" leading his
horse by the bridle ,hese eKternal mars of re-
spect only served to increase their thirst for rule & a
passion #hich proved the source of great troubles
in 1ussia" as #ell as in other countries
/icon" #hom the mons loo on as a saint" and
#ho #as patriarch in the reign of +leKis" the father
of eter the 7reat" #anted to raise his dignity above
that of the throne& for he not only assumed the
privilege of sitting by the side of the cBar in the
senate" but pretended that neither #ar nor peace
could be made #ithout his consent 6is authority
#as so great that" being supported by his immense
#ealth" and by his intrigues #ith the clergy and the
people" he ept his master in a ind of sub%ection
6e had the boldness to eKcommunicate some sen-
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ators #ho opposed his eKcessive insolence& till at
HG 6istory of the
length +leKis" $nding himself not po#erful enough
to depose him by his o#n authority" #as obliged to
convene a synod of all the bishops ,here the pa-
triarch #as accused of having received money from
the oles & and being convicted" #as deposed and con-
$ned for the remainder of his days in a monastery"
after #hich the prelates chose another patriarch in
his stead
3rom the infancy of ;hristianity in 1ussia" there
have been several sects there" as #ell as in other
countries& for sects are as freTuently the fruit of
ignorance" as of pretended no#ledge > but 1ussia
is the only ;hristian state of any eKtent in #hich
religion has not eKcited civil #ars" though it has
felt some occasional tumults
,he 1asolnis" #ho consist at present of about
t#o thousand males" and #ho are mentioned in the
foregoing list" are the most ancient sect of any in
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this country It #as established in the t#elfth cen-
tury" by some enthusiasts" #ho had a super$cial
no#ledge of the /e# ,estament& they made use
then" and still do" of the old pretence of all sec-
taries" that of follo#ing the letter" and accused all
other ;hristians of remissness ,hey #ould not
permit a priest" #ho had drun brandy" to baptiBe &
they aNrmed" in the #ords of our .aviour" that
there is neither a $rst nor a last" among the faithful &
and held that one of the elect might ill himself for
the love of his .aviour +ccording to them" it is
a great sin to repeat the hallelu%ah three times & and"
therefore" repeat it only t#ice ,he benediction is
to be given only #ith three $ngers In other re-
1ussian 0mpire Hl
spects" no society can be more regular or strict in
its morals ,hey live lie the Duaers" and" lie
them" do not admit any other ;hristians into their
assemblies" #hich is the reason that these have ac-
cused them of all the abominations of #hich the
heathens accused the primitive 7alileans" the 7ali-
leans the 7nostics" and the 1oman ;atholics the
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rotestants ,hey have been freTuently accused of
cutting the throat of an infant" and drining its
blood & and of miKing together in their private cer-
emonies" #ithout distinction of indred" age" or even
of seK ,hey have been persecuted at times" and
then they shut themselves up in their hamlets" set
$re to their houses" and thre# themselves into the
Sames eter too the only method of reclaiming
them" #hich #as by letting them live in peace
In all this vast empire" there are but t#enty-eight
episcopal sees& and in eterPs time there #ere but
t#enty-t#o ,his small number #as" perhaps" one
of the causes to #hich the 1ussian ;hurch o#es its
tranTuillity .o very circumscribed #as the no#l-
edge of the clergy" that ;Bar 3eodor" brother of
eter the 7reat" #as the $rst #ho introduced the
custom of singing psalms in churches
3eodor and eter" especially the latter" admitted
indiUerently into their councils and their armies
those of the 7ree" the atin" the utheran" and the
;alvinist communion" leaving every one at liberty to
serve 7od after his o#n conscience" provided he did
his duty to the state +t that time" there #as not one
atin church in this great empire of t#o thousand
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leagues" till eter established some ne# manufacto-
H 6istory of the
ries at +strahan" #hen there #ere about siKty 1o-
man ;atholic families" under the direction of the
;apuchins& but the esuits" endeavoring to estab-
lish themselves in his dominions" he drove them out
by an edict" published in +pril" FJFM 6e tolerated
the ;apuchins" as an insigni$cant set of mons" but
considered the esuits as dangerous politicians
,he 7ree ;hurch has the honor and satisfaction
of seeing its communion eKtended throughout an
empire t#o thousand leagues in length" #hile that
of 1ome is not in possession of half that tract in
0urope ,hose of the 7ree communion have" at
all times" been particularly attentive to maintain an
eTuality bet#een theirs and the atin ;hurch & and
al#ays on their guard against the Beal of the see of
1ome" #hich they loo upon as ambition& because"
in fact" that ;hurch #hose po#er is very much cir-
cumscribed in our hemisphere" and yet assumes the
title of 4universal"4 has al#ays endeavored to act
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armament of forty thousand small bars" appeared
before ;onstantinople" #hich they besieged" and im-
posed a tribute on the 7ree emperors& but the
grand neB olodimer" being #holly taen up #ith
the care of establishing ;hristianity in his domin-
ions" and #earied out #ith intestine broils in his
o#n family" #eaened his dominions by dividing
them bet#een his children ,hey almost all fell a
prey to the ,artars" #ho held 1ussia in sub%ection
nearly t#o hundred years +t length ohn asilides
freed it from slavery" and enlarged its boundaries&
but after his time it #as ruined again by civil #ars
efore the time of eter the 7reat" 1ussia #as
neither so po#erful" so #ell cultivated" so populous"
nor so rich as at present It had no possessions in
3inland nor in ivonia& and this latter alone had
been long #orth more than all .iberia ,he ;os-
sacs #ere still unsubdued" nor #ere the people of
+strahan reduced to obedience& #hat little trade
#as carried on #as rather to their disadvantage
,he hite .ea" the altic" the ontus 0uKinus" the
.ea of +Bov" and the ;aspian .ea" #ere entirely use-
less to a nation that had not a single ship" nor even
a term in their language to eKpress a Seet If noth-
ing more had been #anting but to be superior to
the ,artars" and the other nations of the /orth" as
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far as ;hina" the 1ussians undoubtedly had that
HL 6istory of the
advantage" but they #ere to be brought on an eTual-
ity #ith civiliBed nations" and to be in a condition
one day of even surpassing several of them .uch
an undertaing appeared altogether impracticable"
inasmuch as they had not a single ship at sea" and
#ere absolutely ignorant of military discipline on
land& nay" the most common manufactures #ere
hardly encouraged" and agriculture itself" the pri-
mum mobile of trade" #as neglected ,his reTuires
the utmost attention and encouragement on the part
of a government& and it is to this the 0nglish are
indebted for $nding in their corn a treasure far su-
perior to their #oollen manufacture
,his gross neglect of the necessary arts suN-
ciently sho#s that the people of 1ussia had no idea
of the polite arts" #hich became necessary in their
turn" #hen #e have cultivated the others ,hey
might" indeed" have sent some of the natives to gain
instruction among foreigners" but the diUerence of
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languages" manners" and religion" opposed it e-
sides" there #as a la# of state and religion eTually
sacred and pernicious" #hich prohibited any 1ussian
from going out of his country" and thus seemed to
devote this people to eternal ignorance ,hey had
the most eKtensive dominions in the #orld" and yet
everything #as #anted among them +t length e-
ter #as born" and 1ussia became a civiliBed state
6appily" of all the great la#givers #ho have
lived in the #orld" eter is the only one #hose his-
tory is #ell no#n ,hose of ,heseus and 1om-
ulus" #ho did far less than he" and of the founders
of all #ell-governed states" are blended #ith the most
1ussian 0mpire H5
absurd $ctions& #hereas" here #e have the advan-
tage of #riting truths" #hich #ould pass for $ctions"
#ere they not so #ell attested
;6+,01 III
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,60 +/;0.,O1. O3 0,01 ,60 710+,
,60 family of eter the 7reat has been in pos-
session of the throne ever since the year FHFR efore
that time" 1ussia had undergone revolutions" #hich
had retarded the reformation of her police" and the
introduction of the liberal arts ,his has been the
fate of all human societies /o ingdom ever eK-
perienced more cruel troubles In the year F 5'J" the
tyrant oris 7odunoU assassinated :emetrius or
:emetri" as he #as called the la#ful heir" and
usurped the empire + young mon too the name
of :emetrius" pretending to be that prince es-
caped from his murderers" and #ith the assistance
of the oles" and a considerable party" he drove out
the usurper" and seiBed the cro#n himself ,he
imposture #as discovered as soon as he came to the
sovereignty" because the people #ere not pleased
#ith him & and he #as murdered ,hree other false
:emetriuses started up one after another .uch a
succession of impostors drives a country to the ut-
most distraction ,he less men are civiliBed" the
more easily they are imposed on It may readily be
conceived" ho# much these frauds augmented the
public confusion and misfortunes ,he oles" #ho
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had begun the revolutions" by setting up the $rst
9o RL-5
HH 6istory of the
false :emetrius" #ere on the point of being masters
of 1ussia ,he .#edes shared in the spoils on the
coast of 3inland" and laid claim to the cro#n ,he
state seemed on the verge of utter destruction
In the midst of these calamities" an assembly"
composed of the principal boyars" chose for their
sovereign a young man $fteen years of age> this
happened in FHFR" and did not seem a very liely
method of putting an end to these troubles ,his
young man #as Aichael 1omanoU" grandfather to
;Bar eter" and son of the archbishop of 1ostoU"
surnamed hilaretes" and of a nun" and related by
the motherPs side to the ancient cBars
It must be observed that this archbishop #as a
po#erful nobleman" #hom the tyrant oris had
obliged to become priest 6is #ife" .cheremeto#"
#as lie#ise compelled to tae the veil& this #as
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the ancient custom of the #estern tyrants of the
atin ;hurch" as that of putting out the eyes #as
#ith the 7ree ;hristians ,he tyrant :emetrius
made hilaretes archbishop of 1ostoU" and sent him
as ambassador to oland" #here he #as detained
prisoner by the oles" #ho #ere then at #ar #ith
the 1ussians & so little #as the la# of nations no#n
to the diUerent people at these times :uring his
fatherPs con$nement" that young 1omanoU #as
elected cBar ,he archbishop #as eKchanged for
some olish prisoners & and on his return" his son
created him patriarch" and the old man #as in fact
ing under his sonPs name
If such a government appears eKtraordinary to
strangers" the marriage of ;Bar Aichael 1omanoU
1ussian 0mpire HJ
#ill seem still more so ,he 1ussian princes had
never intermarried #ith foreign states since the year
FL'G" or after they became masters of 8aBan and
+strahan & they seem to have follo#ed the +siatic
customs in almost everything" and especially that of
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marrying only among their o#n sub%ects
,his conformity to the ancient customs of +sia
#as still more conspicuous at the ceremonies ob-
served at the marriage of a cBar + number of the
most beautiful #omen in the province #ere brought
to court" #here they #ere received by the grand
gouvernante of the court" #ho provided apartments
for them in her o#n house" #here they all ate to-
gether ,he cBar paid them visits" sometimes incog-
nito" and sometimes in his real character ,he #ed-
ding day #as $Ked" #ithout its being declared on
#hom the choice had fallen +t the appointed time"
the chosen one #as presented #ith a rich #edding
suit" and dresses #ere given to the other fair candi-
dates" #ho then returned home ,here have been
four instances of these marriages
In this manner #as Aichael 1omanoU espoused
to 0udocia" the daughter of a poor gentleman named
.trefchneu 6e #as employed in ploughing in his
grounds #ith his servants" #hen the lords of the
bedchamber came to him #ith presents from the
cBar" and to acTuaint him that his daughter #as
placed on the throne ,he name of the princess is
still held in the highest veneration by the 1ussians
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,his custom is greatly diUerent from ours" but not
less respectable on that account
It is necessary to observe that" before 1omanoU
HM 6istory of the
#as elected cBar" a strong party had made choice
of rince adislaus" son of .igismund III" ing of
oland +t the same time" the provinces bordering
on .#eden had oUered the cro#n to a brother of
7ustavus +dolphus > so that 1ussia #as then in the
situation in #hich #e have so freTuently seen o-
land" #here the right of electing a ing has been the
cause of civil #ars ut the 1ussians did not follo#
the eKample of the oles" #ho entered into a com-
pact #ith the prince #hom they elected& not#ith-
standing that they had smarted from the oppression
of tyrants" yet they voluntarily submitted to a young
man" #ithout maing any conditions #ith him
1ussia never #as an elective ingdom& but the
male issue of the ancient sovereigns failing" and siK
cBars" or pretenders" having perished miserably in
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the late troubles" there #as" as #e have observed" a
necessity for electing a monarch& and this election
caused fresh #ars #ith oland and .#eden" #ho
maintained" #ith force of arms" their pretended
rights to the cro#n of 1ussia ,he right of gov-
erning a nation against its o#n #ill can never be
long supported ,he oles" on their side" after hav-
ing advanced as far as Aosco#" and committed all
the ravages of #hich the military eKpeditions of
those times chieSy consisted" concluded a truce for
fourteen years y this truce" oland remained in
possession of the duchy of .molens" in #hich the
oristhenes has its source ,he .#edes also made
peace" in virtue of #hich they remained in posses-
sion of Ingria" and deprived the 1ussians of all com-
munication #ith the altic .ea" so that this empire
1ussian 0mpire H'
#as separated more than ever from the rest of
0urope
Aichael 1omanoU" after this peace" reigned
Tuietly" #ithout maing any alteration in the state"
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either to the improvement or corruption of the ad-
ministration +fter his death" #hich happened in
FHL5" his son" +leKis Aichaelovitch" ascended the
throne by hereditary right It may be observed" that
the cBars #ere cro#ned by the patriarch of 1ussia"
according to the ceremonies in use at ;onstanti-
nople" eKcept that the patriarch of 1ussia #as seated
on the same platform #ith the sovereign" and con-
stantly aUected an eTuality highly insulting to the
supreme po#er
+0EI. AI;6+0O9I,;6" ,60 .O/ O3 AI;6+0
+leKis #as married in the same manner as his
father" and from among the young #omen pre-
sented to him" he chose the one #ho appeared to
him the most amiable 6e married a daughter of
the boyar" Aeloslausi" in FHLJ& hi s second #ife"
#hom he married in FHJF" #as of the family of
/arishina" and his favorite Aoroso# #as mar-
ried to another ,here cannot be a more suitable
title found for this favorite than that of viBier" for
he governed the empire in a despotic manner" and"
by his great po#er eKcited several commotions
among the strelitBes and the populace" as freTuently
happens at ;onstantinople
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,he reign of +leKis #as disturbed by bloody in-
surrections" and by domestic and foreign #ars +
chief of the :on ;ossacs" named .tena 1aBin" en-
%o 6istory of the
deavored to mae himself ing of +strahan" and
#as for a long time very formidable & but being at
length defeated and taen prisoner" he ended his
life on the scaUold +bout t#elve thousand of his
adherents are said to have been hanged on the high
road to +strahan In this part of the #orld" men"
being uninSuenced by morality" #ere to be governed
only by rigor& and from this arose slavery and a
secret thirst of revenge
+leKis had a #ar #ith the oles" #hich proved
successful and terminated in a peace that secured
to him the possession of .molens" 8ieU" and the
@raine> but he #as unfortunate against the
.#edes" and the boundaries of the 1ussian 0mpire
#ere contracted on that side of the ingdom
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,he ,urs #ere at that time his most formidable
enemies> they invaded oland" and threatened his
dominions bordering on ;rim ,artary" the ancient
;hersonesus ,aurica In FHJF" they too the city of
8aminie" and all that belonged to oland in the
@raine ,he ;ossacs of that country" ever averse
to sub%ection" ne# not #hether they belonged to
the ,urs" oland" or 1ussia .ultan Aahomet I9"
#ho had conTuered the oles" and had %ust imposed
a tribute on them demanded" #ith all the haughti-
ness of an Ottoman victor" that the cBar should
evacuate his possessions in the @raine" but re-
ceived as haughty a denial from that prince Aen
did not no# at that time ho# to disguise their
pride" under civility ,he sultan" in his letter" styled
the sovereign of the 1ussias only 4;hristian 6ospo-
dar"4 and entitled himself 4most gracious ma%esty"
1ussian 0mpire JF
ing of the universe4 ,he cBar replied that he
scorned to submit to a Aahometan dog" and that his
scimitar #as as good as the grand seigniorPs sabre
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+leKis at that time formed a design #hich seemed
to presage the inSuence that the 1ussian 0mpire
#ould one day obtain in the ;hristian #orld 6e
sent ambassadors to the pope" and to almost all the
great sovereigns in 0urope" eKcepting 3rance" #hich
#as in alliance #ith the ,urs" in order to establish
a league against the Ottoman orte 6is ambas-
sadors at the court of 1ome succeeded only in not
being obliged to iss the popePs toe" and in other
courts they met only #ith unpro$table good #ishes &
the Tuarrels of the ;hristian princes bet#een them-
selves" and the %arring interests arising from those
Tuarrels" having constantly prevented them from
uniting against the common enemy of ;hristianity
In the meantime" the ,urs threatened to chas-
" tise the oles" #ho refused to pay their tribute >
;Bar +leKis assisted on the side of ;rim ,artary"
and ohn .obiesi" general of the cro#n" #iped oU
his countryPs stain" in the blood of the ,urs" at the
famous battle of ;hotin" in FHJL" #hich paved his
#ay to the throne +leKis disputed this throne #ith
him" and proposed to unite his eKtensive dominions
to oland" as the agellons had done & but in regard
to ithuania" the greatness of his oUer #as the cause
of its being re%ected 6e is said to have been very
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deserving of the ne# ingdom" by the manner in
#hich he governed his o#n 6e caused a set of la#s
to be correctly arranged in 1ussia" and introduced
both linen and sil manufactures" #hich indeed #ere
J 6istory of the
not long ept up & nevertheless" he had the merit of
their $rst establishment 6e peopled the deserts
about the 9olga and the 8ama" #ith ithuanian"
olish" and ,artar families" #hom he had taen
prisoners in his #ars > before his reign" all prisoners
of #ar #ere the slaves of those to #hose lot they
fell +leKis employed them in agriculture & he did
his utmost to introduce discipline among his troops >
in a #ord" he #as #orthy of being the father of
eter the 7reat & but he had no time to perfect #hat
he had begun" being snatched a#ay by a sudden
death" at the age of forty-siK" in the beginning of the
year FHJJ" according to our style" #hich is eleven
days ahead of that of 1ussia
30O:O1" O1 ,60O:O10 +0EIO9I,;6
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On the death of +leKis" son of Aichael" all fell
again into confusion 6e left by his $rst marriage"
t#o princes" and siK princesses 3eodor" the eldest"
ascended the throne at $fteen years of age 6e
#as of a #ea and sicly constitution" but of su-
perior merit 6is father had caused him to be ac-
no#ledged his successor" a year before his death >
a custom observed by the ings of 3rance from
6ugh ;apet do#n to ouis the 2oung" and by
many other cro#ned heads
,he second son of +leKis #as Ivan or ohn" #ho
#as still #orse treated by nature than his brother
3eodor" being almost blind and dumb" very in$rm"
and freTuently attaced #ith convulsions Of siK
daughters" born of this $rst marriage" the only one
#ho made any $gure in 0urope #as rincess .o-
1ussian 0mpire JR
phia" #ho #as remarable for her great talents & but
unhappily still more so for the mischief she plotted
against eter the 7reat
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+leKis" by his second marriage #ith another of
his sub%ects" daughter of the boyar /arishina" had
eter" and the princess /athalia eter #as born
Aay RG une FG" ne# style FHJ& and #as but
four years old #hen he lost his father +s the chil-
dren of a second marriage #ere not much regarded
in 1ussia" it #as little eKpected that he #ould one
day mount the throne
It had ever been the purpose of the family of 1o-
manoU to civiliBe the state It #as also the purpose
of 3eodor e have already remared" in speaing
of Aosco#" that this prince encouraged the inhabi-
tants of that city to build a great number of stone
houses 6e also enlarged that capital" and made
several useful regulations in the general police ut
by attempting to reform the boyars" he made them
his enemies > besides" he #as not possessed of suN-
cient no#ledge" vigor" or resolution" to venture on
maing a general reformation ,he #ar #ith the
,urs" or rather #ith the ;rim ,artars" in #hich he
#as constantly engaged #ith varied success" #ould
not permit a prince of his poor health to attempt so
great a #or 3eodor" lie his predecessors" mar-
ried one of his sub%ects" a native of the frontier of
oland & but having lost her in less than a year after
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their nuptials" he too for his second #ife" in FHM"
Aartha Aat#eo#na" daughter of the secretary +p-
raKin .ome months after this marriage" he #as
seiBed #ith the disorder #hich ended his days" and
JL 6istory of the
died #ithout leaving any children +s the cBars
married #ithout regard to birth" they might lie-
#ise appoint a successor #ithout respect to primo-
geniture ,he dignity of consort and heir to the
sovereign seemed to be the re#ard of merit & and in
that respect" the custom of this empire #as prefer-
able to the custom of more civiliBed states
3eodor" before he eKpired" seeing that his brother
Ivan #as by his natural in$rmities incapable of gov-
erning" nominated his younger brother eter" heir
to the empire of 1ussia eter" #ho #as then only
in his tenth year" had already given the most prom-
ising hopes
If" on the one hand" the custom of raising a sub-
%ect to the ran of cBarina #as favorable to the
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#omen" there #as another #hich #as not less hard
on them& namely" that the daughters of the cBars
#ere very seldom married" but #ere obliged to pass
their lives in a monastery
rincess .ophia" third daughter of ;Bar +leKis"
by his $rst marriage" #as possessed of abilities
eTually great and dangerous erceiving that her
brother 3eodor had not long to live" she did not
retire to a convent & but $nding herself situated be-
t#een t#o brothers" one of #hom #as incapable of
governing through his natural inability" and the
other on account of his youth" she conceived the de-
sign of placing herself at the head of the empire
6ence" in the last hours of ;Bar 3eodor" she at-
tempted to act the part that ulcheria had formerly
played #ith her brother" the emperor ,heodosius
1ussian 0mpire J5
;6+,01 I9
O6/ +/: 0,01 6O11I0 .0:I,IO/ +AO/7 ,60
.,10I,C0.
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thans" according to the custom of the 0astern na-
tions & #here criminals" after undergoing their pun-
ishment" must iss the %udgePs hand esides com-
plying #ith this custom" the oNcers gave them a sum
JH 6istory of the
of money" #hich #as something more than the cus-
tom
hile the strelitBes thus began to mae them-
selves formidable" rincess .ophia" #ho secretly en-
couraged them" in order to lead them by degrees
from crime to crime" heLd a meeting at her house"
consisting of the princesses of the blood" the gen-
erals of the army" the boyars" the patriarch" the
bishops" and even some of the principal merchants &
#here she represented to them" that rince ohn"
by right of birth and merit" #as entitled to the em-
pire" the reins of #hich she intended to eep in her
o#n hands +t the breaing up of the assembly"
she caused a promise to be made to the strelitBes" of
an augmentation of pay" besides considerable pres-
ents 6er emissaries #ere in particular employed
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to stir up the soldiery against the /arishina fam-
ily" especially the t#o brothers of the young do#-
ager cBarina" the mother of eter the 3irst ,hese
persuaded the strelitBes that one of the brothers"
named ohn" had put on the imperial robes" had
seated himself on the throne" and had attempted to
strangle rince ohn& adding" moreover" that the
late cBar 3eodor had been poisoned by a villain
named :aniel 9ongad" a :utch physician +t last
.ophia put into their hands a list of forty noblemen"
#hom she styled enemies to their corps and to the
state" and as such #orthy of death ,hese proceed-
ings eKactly resembled the proscriptions of .ulla"
and the 1oman triumvirate" #hich had been revived
by ;hristian II in :enmar and .#eden ,his
may serve to sho#" that such cruelties prevail in all
1ussian 0mpire JJ
countries in times of anarchy and confusion ,he
mutineers began the tragedy #ith thro#ing the t#o
princes" :olgoroui and Aatheof" out of the palace
#indo#s ,he strelitBes received them on the points
of their spears" then stripped them" and dragged
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their dead bodies into the great sTuare& after this
they rushed into the palace" #here" meeting #ith
+thanasius /arishina" a brother of the young
cBarina" and one of the uncles of ;Bar eter" they
murdered him& then breaing open the door of a
neighboring church" #here three of the proscribed
persons had taen refuge" they dragged them from
the altar" stripped them naed" and stabbed them
,hey #ere so blinded #ith their fury" that" seeing
a young nobleman of the family of .oltioU " a great
favorite of theirs" and #ho #as not included in the
list of the proscribed" and some of them mistaing
him for ohn /arishina" #hom they #ere in search
of" they murdered him on the spot & and #hat plainly
sho#s the manners of those times" after having dis-
covered their error" they carried the body of young
.oltioU to his father to bury it & and the #retched
parent" far from daring to complain" gave them a
considerable re#ard for bringing him the mangled
body of his son eing reproached by his #ife" his
daughters" and the #ido# of the deceased" for his
#eaness > 4et us #ait for an opportunity of being
revenged"4 said the old man ,hese #ords being
overheard by some of the soldiers" they returned"
dragged the aged parent by the hair" and cut his
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throat at his o#n door
+nother party of the strelitBes" #ho #ere scour-
JM 6istory of the
ing the city in search of the :utch physician" 9on-
gad" met #ith his son" of #hom they inTuired for his
father& the youth trembling" replied" that he did
not no# #here he #as" upon #hich they imme-
diately despatched him .oon after a 7erman phy-
sician falling in their #ay" 42ou are a doctor"4 said
they" 4and if you did not poison our master" 3eodor"
you have poisoned others" and therefore merit
death"4 and thereupon illed him
+t length they found the :utchman" of #hom
they #ere in Tuest" disguised in the garb of a beg-
gar & they instantly dragged him before the palace &
the princesses" #ho loved this #orthy man and
placed great con$dence in his sill" begged the strel-
itBes to spare him" assuring them that he #as a very
good physician" and had taen all possible care of
their brother 3eodor ,he strelitBes made ans#er
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#retches tore him from their arms" and dragged him
to the foot of the stairs" together #ith the physician
9ongad" #here they held a ind of tribunal among
themselves" and condemned them both to be put to
the torture One of the soldiers" #ho could #rite"
dre# up a form of accusation" and sentenced the t#o
unfortunate princes to be cut to pieces& a punish-
ment inSicted in ;hina and ,artary on parricides"
and called the punishment of ten thousand slices
+fter having thus treated /arishina and 9ongad"
they eKposed their heads" feet" and hands" on the
iron points of a balustrade
hile this party of the strelitBes #ere thus glut-
ting their fury in the sight of the princesses" the
others massacred everyone #ho #as obnoKious to
them" or suspected by rincess .ophia
,his horrid tragedy concluded #ith proclaiming
the t#o princes" ohn and eter" in une" FHM"
%oint sovereigns" and associating their sister .ophia
#ith them" in the Tuality of co-regent" #ho then
publicly approved of all their outrages" gave them
re#ards" con$scated the estates of the proscribed"
and besto#ed them on their murderers .he even
permitted them to erect a monument" #ith the names
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Mo 6istory of the
of the persons they had murdered" as being traitors
to their country> and to cro#n all" she published
letters patent" thaning them for their Beal and $del-
ity
;6+,01 9
+:AI/I.,1+,IO/ O3 1I/;0.. .O6I+ 0E,1+O1-
:I/+12 D@+110 +O@, 10I7IO/ + ;O/.I1-
+;2
.@;6 #ere the steps by #hich rincess .ophia
ascended the throne of 1ussia" though #ithout being
declared cBarina& and such the eKamples that eter
the 3irst had before his eyes .ophia en%oyed all
the honors of a sovereign & her bust #as on the pub-
lic coin& she signed all despatches" held the $rst
place in council" and en%oyed unlimited po#er .he
#as possessed of good understanding" and some #it &
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made verses in the 1ussian language" and both spoe
and #rote eKtremely #ell ,hese talents #ere set
oU by an agreeable person" and sullied only by her
ambition
.he procured a #ife for her brother ohn" in the
usual manner + young lady" named .oltioU" of
the family of the noblemen #ho had been assassi-
nated by the seditious strelitBes" #as sent for from
the heart of .iberia" #here her father commanded a
fortress" to be presented to ;Bar ohn at Aosco#
6er beauty triumphed over all the intrigues of her
rivals" and ohn #as married to her in FHML +t
every marriage of a cBar" #e seem to read the his-
1ussian 0mpire MF
tory of +hasuerus" or that of ,heodosius the
2ounger
In the midst of the re%oicings on account of this
marriage" the strelitBes raised a ne# insurrection"
on account of religion of a particular tenet 6ad
they been mere soldiers" they #ould never have be-
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come controversialists" but they #ere also citiBens of
Aosco# hosoever has or assumes a right of
speaing in an authoritative manner to the populace
may found a sect ,his has been seen in all ages"
and all parts of the #orld" especially since the pas-
sion of dogmatiBing has become the instrument of
ambition" and the terror of #ea minds
1ussia had eKperienced some previous disturb-
ances on account oi a dispute" as to #hether the sign
of a cross #as to be made #ith three $ngers" or #ith
t#o One +baum" #ho #as a priest" had set up
some ne# tenets at Aosco#" in regard to the holy
spirit& #hich" according to the .criptures" enlight-
ened all the faithful & as lie#ise #ith respect to the
eTuality of the primitive ;hristians" and these #ords
of ;hrist" 4,here shall be amongst you neither $rst
nor last4 .everal citiBens" and many of the strel-
itBes" embraced the opinions of +baum One 1as-
pop #as the chief of this party" #hich became Tuite
strong ,he sectaries at length uly FH" FHM" ne#
style entered the cathedral" #here the patriarch
and his clergy #ere oNciating" drove them out of
the church #ith stones" and seated themselves de-
voutly in their places" to receive the holy spirit ,hey
called the patriarch the 4ravenous #olf in the sheep-
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fold4 & a title #hich all sects have liberally besto#ed
9ol RL-H
M 6istory of the
on one another rincess .ophia and the t#o cBars
#ere immediately made acTuainted #ith these dis-
turbances & and the other strelitBes" #ho #ere staunch
to the good old cause" #ere given to understand that
the cBars and the ;hurch #ere in danger @pon this
the strelitBes and burghers of the patriarchal party
attaced the +baumists & but a stop #as put to the
carnage" by publishing a convocation of a council"
#hich #as immediately assembled in a hall of the
palace ,his too up very little time" for they
obliged every priest they met to attend ,he patri-
arch and a bishop disputed against 1aspop & but at
the second syllogism they began to thro# stones at
one another ,he council ended #ith ordering 1as-
pop" and some of his faithful disciples" to have their
heads struc oU & and the sentence #as eKecuted by
the order of the three sovereigns" .ophia" ohn" and
eter
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:uring these troubles" there #as a nes" named
;ho#ansoi" #ho having been instrumental in rais-
ing rincess .ophia to the dignity she then held"
#anted" as a re#ard for his services" to have a share
in the administration
It may be supposed" that he found .ophia not so
grateful as he could #ish & upon #hich he espoused
the cause of religion and the persecuted 1aspopians"
and stirred up a party among the strelitBes and the
people" in defence of 7odPs name
,his conspiracy proved a more serious aUair than
the enthusiastic riot of 1aspop +n ambitious hypo-
crite al#ays carries things farther than a simple
fanatic ;ho#ansoi aimed at no less than the im-
1ussian 0mpire MR
perial dignity& and to rid himself of all cause of
fear" he resolved to murder the t#o cBars" .ophia"
the other princesses" and everyone attached to the
imperial family ,he cBars and the princesses #ere
obliged to retire to the monastery of the 6oly ,rin-
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ity" #ithin t#elve leagues of .t etersburg ,his
#as" at the same time" a convent" a palace" and a
fortress" lie Aonte ;assino" ;orby" 3ulda" 8emp-
ten" and several others belonging to the atin
;hurch ,his monastery of the ,rinity belongs to
the mons of .t asil It is surrounded by deep
ditches" and rampart of bric" on #hich is planted
artillery ,he mons are possessed of all the coun-
try round for four leagues ,he imperial family
#ere in safety there" but more on account of the
strength than the sanctity of the place 6ere .ophia
treated #ith the rebel nes& and having decoyed
him half-#ay" caused his head to be struc oU" to-
gether #ith those of one of his sons" and thirty-
seven strelitBes #ho accompanied him
,he strelitBes" on this ne#s" rushed to arms" and
marched to attac the convent of ,rinity" threatening
to destroy everything that came in their #ay ,he
imperial family stood upon their defence & the boyars
armed their vassals" all the gentlemen Soced in" and
a bloody civil #ar seemed on the point of beginning
,he patriarch some#hat paci$ed the strelitBes" #ho
began to be intimidated #ith the number of troops
that #ere marching to#ard them on all sides& in
short" their fury #as changed into fear" and their
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fear into the most ab%ect submission & a change com-
mon to the multitude ,hree thousand seven hun-
ML 6istory of the
dred of this corps" follo#ed by their #ives and chil-
dren" #ith ropes tied about their necs" #ent in pro-
cession to the convent of the ,rinity" #hich three
days before they had threatened to burn to the
ground In this condition" these unhappy #retches
presented themselves before the gate of the convent"
t#o by t#o" one carrying a bloc" and another an
aK& and prostrating themselves on the ground"
#aited for their sentence ,hey #ere pardoned upon
their submission" and returned to Aosco#" blessing
their sovereigns & and still disposed" though un-
no#n to themselves" to commit the same crime at
the very $rst opportunity
,hese commotions having subsided" the state re-
sumed a seeming tranTuillity & but .ophia still pos-
sessed the chief authority" leaving ohn to his in-
capacity" and eeping eter as a #ard In order to
strengthen her po#er" she shared it #ith rince
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asil 7olitBin" #hom she created generalissimo"
minister of state" and lord eeper 7olitBin #as in
every respect superior to any person in that dis-
tracted court> he #as polite" magni$cent" full of
great designs" more learned than any of his coun-
trymen" having received a much better education"
and #as even master of the atin tongue" #hich
#as" at that time" almost entirely unno#n in 1us-
sia 6e #as of an active and indefatigable spirit"
had a genius superior to the times he lived in" and
capable" had he had leisure and po#er" as he had in-
clination" to have changed the face of things in 1us-
sia ,his is the eulogium given of him by a /eu-
ville" at that time the olish envoy in 1ussia & and
1ussian 0mpire M5
the encomiums of foreigners are seldom to be sus-
pected
,his minister bridled the insolence of the strel-
itBes by distributing the most mutinous of that
body among the several regiments in the @raine"
in 8aBan" and .iberia It #as under his adminis-
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tration that the oles" long the rivals of 1ussia" gave
up" in FHMH" all pretensions to the large provinces of
.molens and the @raine 6e #as the $rst #ho
sent an embassy to 3rance" in FHMJ& a country"
#hich had for more than t#enty years been in the
Benith of its glory" as a result of the conTuests" ne#
establishments" and the magni$cence of ouis EI9"
and especially of the arts 3rance had not then en-
tered into any correspondence #ith 1ussia" or rather
#as unacTuainted #ith that empire & and the +cad-
emy of Inscriptions ordered a medal to be struc to
commemorate this embassy" as if it had come from
the most distant part of the Indies & but not#ith-
standing all this" the ambassador" :olgoroui"
failed in his negotiation" and even suUered some
gross aUronts on account of the behavior of his do-
mestics" #hose mistaes it #ould have been better
to have overlooed& but the court of ouis EI9
could not then foresee that 3rance and 1ussia #ould
one day count among the number of their advan-
tages" that of being cemented by the closest union
1ussia #as no# Tuiet at home" but she #as still
pent up on the side of .#eden" though enlarged to-
#ard oland" her ne# ally" #as in continual alarm
on the side of ;rim ,artary" and at variance #ith
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scarcity of provisions" but they carried #ith them
baggage that far eKceeded anything of the ind in
our camps" #here luKury prevails ,heir vast num-
bers of #agons for carrying ammunition and provi-
sions" in an uninhabitable and desert country" greatly
retarded the eKpedition against ;rim ,artary ,he
army found itself in the midst of the vast deserts"
on the river .amara" unprovided #ith magaBines
6ere 7olitBin did #hat" in my opinion" #as never
done any#here else & he employed RG"GGG men in
building a to#n on the bans of the .amara" to serve
as a place for magaBines in the ensuing campaign >
it #as begun in one year" and $nished in the third
1ussian 0mpire MJ
month of the follo#ing & the houses indeed #ere all
of #ood eKcept t#o" #hich #ere bric & the ramparts
#ere of turf" but #ell lined #ith artillery & and the
#hole place #as in a fair state of defence
,his #as all that #as done of any conseTuence in
this ruinous eKpedition In the meantime" .ophia
continued to govern in Aosco#" #hile ohn had
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only the name of cBar & and eter" no# seventeen
years of age" had already the courage to aim at real
sovereignty a /euville" the olish envoy" then
resident at Aosco#" #ho #as an eye-#itness of all
that passed" pretends that .ophia and 7olitBin had
engaged the ne# chief of the strelitBes to sacri$ce
to them their young cBar > it appears" at least" that
siK hundred of these strelitBes #ere to have made
themselves masters of his person ,he private me-
moirs #hich have been intrusted to my perusal" by
the court of 1ussia" aNrm that a scheme had actually
been laid to murder eter the 3irst > the blo# #as
on the point of being struc ,he cBar #as once
more obliged to tae refuge in the convent of the
,rinity" the usual asylum of the court #hen threat-
ened by the soldiers ,here he assembled the boy-
ars of his party" raised a body of forces" treated #ith
the captains of the strelitBes" and called in the as-
sistance of certain 7ermans" #ho had been long
settled in Aosco#" and #ere attached to his per-
son" from his having already sho#n himself the en-
courager of strangers .ophia and ohn" #ho con-
tinued at Aosco#" used every means to engage the
strelitBes to remain $rm to their interests & but the
cause of young eter" #ho loudly complained of an
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MM 6istory of the
attempt meditated against himself and his mother"
prevailed over that of the princess" and of a cBar"
#hose very aspect alienated all hearts +ll the ac-
complices #ere punished #ith a severity to #hich
that country #as as much accustomed as to the
crimes #hich occasioned it .ome #ere beheaded"
after undergoing the punishment of the nout or
battogs ,he chief of the strelitBes #as put to
death in the same manner" and several suspected per-
sons had their tongues cut out rince 7olitBin es-
caped #ith his life" through the intercession of one
of his relatives" #ho #as a favorite of ;Bar eter&
but he #as stripped of his riches" #hich #ere im-
mense" and banished to a place in the neighborhood
of +rchangel a /euville" #ho #as present" re-
lates that the sentence pronounced on 7olitBin" #as
in these terms 4,hou art commanded" by the most
clement cBar" to repair to 8arga" a to#n under the
pole" and there to continue the remainder of thy
days 6is ma%esty" out of his eKtreme goodness" al-
lo#s thee three pence per day for thy subsistence4
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,here is no to#n under the pole 8arga is in the
Hd degree of latitude" and only siK degrees and a
half farther north than Aosco# hoever pro-
nounced this sentence" must have been a bad geog-
rapher a /euville #as probably imposed on by a
false account
+t length" in FHM'" rincess .ophia #as once
more sent bac to her monastery at Aosco#" after
having so long held the reins of government & and
this revolution proved" to a #oman of her disposi-
tion" a suNcient punishment
0,01 ,60 710+,
1ussian 0mpire M'
3rom this instant eter began to reign in reality"
his brother ohn having no other share in the gov-
ernment than that of signing his name to all public
acts 6e led a retired life" and died in FHLH
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;6+,01 9I
,60 10I7/ O3 0,01 ,60 3I1., 07I//I/7 O3 ,60
71+/: 103O1A+,IO/
0,01 ,60 710+, #as tall" genteel" #ell-made"
#ith a noble aspect" piercing eyes" and a robust con-
stitution" $tted for all inds of hardship and bodily
eKercise 6e had a sound understanding" #hich is
the basis of all real abilities & and to this #as %oined
an active disposition" #hich prompted him to under-
tae and eKecute the greatest things 6is education
#as far from being #orthy of his genius rincess
.ophia #as" in a peculiar manner" interested in let-
ting him remain in ignorance" and indulge himself
in those eKcesses #hich youth" idleness" custom" and
the high ran he held" made but too attractive /ev-
ertheless" he had" in une" FHM'" been married" lie
his predecessors" to one of his o#n sub%ects" the
daughter of ;olonel apuchin & but as he #as
young" and for some time en%oyed none of the pre-
rogatives of the cro#n" but that of indulging his
pleasures #ithout restraint" the ties of #edloc #ere
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not al#ays suNcient to eep him #ithin bounds
,he pleasures of the table" in #hich he indulged
himself rather too freely" #ith foreigners #ho had
'O 6istory of the
been invited to Aosco# by rince 7olitBin" seemed
not to presage that he #ould one day become the re-
former of his country & ho#ever" in spite of bad eK-
amples" and even the allurements of pleasures" he
applied himself to the arts of #ar and government"
and sho#ed that he had the seeds of greatness in
him
It #as still less eKpected" that a prince #ho #as
sub%ect to such a constitutional dread of #ater as to
sub%ect him to cold s#eats" and even convulsions"
#hen he #as obliged to cross a small river or a
broo" should become one of the best seamen in all
the /orth In order to get the better of nature" he
began by %umping into the #ater" not#ithstanding
the horror he felt at it" till at length this aversion
#as changed into a fondness for that element
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6e often blushed at the ignorance in #hich he
had been brought up 6e learned" #ithout the help
of a master" enough of 7erman and :utch to
be able to #rite and converse in both those lan-
guages ,he 7ermans and :utch appeared to him
as the most civiliBed nations" because the former
had already established in Aosco#" some of those
arts and manufactures #hich he #as desirous of see-
ing established in his empire" and the latter eKcelled
in the art of navigation" #hich he already began to
loo upon as the most necessary of all others
.uch #ere the dispositions #hich eter cher-
ished" not#ithstanding the follies of his youth +t
the same time" he found himself disturbed by fac-
tions at home" had the turbulent spirit of the strel-
itBes to eep under" and an almost uninterrupted
1ussian 0mpire 'F
#ar to manage against the ;rim ,artars" for" though
hostilities had been suspended in FHM' by a truce" it
had no long continuance
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:uring this interval" eter became con$rmed in
his design of introducing the arts into his country
6is father had in his lifetime" entertained the
same designs" but he laced leisure" and a favorable
opportunity to carry them into eKecution & he trans-
mitted his genius to his son" #ho #as more clear-
sighted" more vigorous" and more unshaen by diN-
culties and obstacles
+leKis had been at great eKpense in sending for
othler" a ship-builder and sea captain from 6ol-
land" together #ith a number of ship#rights and
sailors ,hese built a large frigate and a yacht on
the 9olga" #hich they navigated do#n that river to
+strahan" #here they #ere to be employed in build-
ing more vessels" for carrying on an advantageous
t^ade #ith ersia by the ;aspian .ea ust at this
t > me the revolt of .tena 1aBin broe out" and this
rebel destroyed these t#o vessels" and murdered the
captain & the cre# Sed into ersia" #hence they got
to some settlements belonging to the :utch 0ast
India company + master-builder" #ho #as a good
ship#right" stayed behind in 1ussia" #here he lived
a long time in obscurity
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ordered a small vessel to be built in that port by the
same rant" he embared therein on the +rctic .ea"
#hich no other sovereign had ever beheld On this
occasion he #as escorted by a :utch man-of-#ar"
under the command of ;aptain olson" and attended
by all the merchant vessels then in the port of
+rchangel 6e had already learned the manner of
#oring a ship & and" not#ithstanding the pains his
courtiers too to imitate their master" he #as the
only one #ho #as pro$cient in it
6e found it as diNcult to raise a #ell-disciplined
body of land forces on #hom he could depend as to
establish a navy 6is $rst essay in navigation on a
lae" previous to his %ourney to +rchangel" #as re-
garded only as the amusement of a young prince of
genius & and his $rst attempt to form a body of dis-
ciplined troops appeared as nothing more than a
diversion ,his happened during the regency of
1ussian 0mpire 'R
rincess .ophia& and had he been suspected of
meaning anything serious by this amusement" it
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might have been attended #ith fatal conseTuences
6e placed his con$dence in a foreigner" the cele-
brated efort" of a noble and ancient family in ied-
mont" transplanted nearly t#o centuries ago to
7eneva" #here they have $lled the most considerable
posts in the state It #as intended that he should be
brought up to trade" to #hich that to#n is indebted
for the $gure it no# maes" having formerly been
no#n only as the seat of religious controversies
ut his genius" #hich prompted him to the
greatest undertaings" led him to Tuit his fatherPs
house at the age of fourteen & and he served four
months as a cadet in the citadel of Aarseilles & thence
he #ent to 6olland" #here he served some time as a
volunteer" and #as #ounded at the siege of 7rave"
a strongly forti$ed to#n on the Aeuse" #hich the
prince of Orange" after#ard ing of 0ngland" re-
too from ouis EI9 in FH'L +fter this" led by
hope of preferment" he embared #ith a 7erman
colonel named 9erstin" #ho had obtained a commis-
sion from eterPs father" to raise soldiers in the
/etherlands and bring them to +rchangel ut
#hen he arrived at that port" after a most fatiguing
and dangerous cruise" +leKis #as no more & the gov-
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able to eter" to #hom he strictly attached himself
3rom being the companion of his pleasures" he be-
came his favorite" and con$rmed himself in that sta-
tion by his abilities ,he cBar made him his con-
$dant in the most dangerous design that a prince
of that country could possibly form" namely" that of
putting himself in a condition to be able one day to
overcome the seditious and barbarous body of forces
called the strelitBes ,he great sultan" or pasha"
Osman" lost his life in attempting to disband the
%anissaries eter" young as he #as" #ent to #or
in a much abler manner than Osman
6e began #ith forming" at his country seat at
reobraBinsi" a company of $fty of his youngest
domestics & and some young gentlemen" the sons of
boyars" #ere chosen for their oNcers & but in order
to teach these young noblemen subordination" to
1ussian 0mpire '5
#hich they #ere #holly unaccustomed" he made
them pass through all the diUerent military degrees"
and himself set them the eKample" by serving $rst as
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itBes" as the enemies of the state
One thing #orthy of notice" and #hich fully con-
futes the hasty error of those #ho pretend that
3rance lost very fe# of its inhabitants by the revoca-
tion of the 0dict of /antes" is that one-third of his
'H 6istory of the
army" #hich #as only called a regiment" consisted of
3rench refugees efort disciplined his ne# troops
as if he had been all his lifetime a soldier
eter #as desirous of seeing one of those images
of #ar" the moc $ghts #hich had been lately in-
troduced in times of peace & a fort #as erected" #hich
#as to be attaced by one part of his ne# troops" and
defended by the other ,he diUerence bet#een this
$ght and others of the lie nature #as" that instead
of a sham engagement" there #as a real one" in
#hich some of his men #ere slain and a great many
#ounded efort" #ho commanded the attac" re-
ceived a #ound ,hese bloody sports #ere intended
to initiate the young troops into the service of the
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$eld & but it reTuired much labor and some suUering
to compass this end
,hese #arlie amusements did not distract the
cBarPs attention from his naval pro%ect +s he had
made efort a general by land" not#ithstanding his
having never borne a command & he no# made him
admiral" though he had never had the direction of
a ship" but he ne# him deserving of both It is
true that he #as an admiral #ithout a Seet" and a
general #ith only his regiment for an army
y degrees the cBar reformed that great abuse in
the army" the independence of the boyars" #ho" in
time of #ar" used to bring into the $eld a multitude
of their vassals and peasants & this #as eKactly the
ancient government of the 3rans" 6uns" 7oths"
and 9andals" #ho indeed subdued the 1oman 0m-
pire in its state of decline" but #ould have been to-
tally destroyed had they had the #arlie" disciplined
1ussian 0mpire 'J
legions of ancient 1ome to encounter" or such armies
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as are no# brought into the $eld
+dmiral efort #as not long" ho#ever" before
he had something more than an empty title 6e em-
ployed some :utchmen and 9enetians in building
a number of barcolongos" or long bars" and also
t#o ships of about thirty guns each" at the mouth of
the 9oroneBh" #hich falls into the ,anais" or :on &
these vessels #ere to go do#n the river and eep in
a#e the ;rim ,artars" #ith #hom hostilities had
been rene#ed
,he cBar #as no# to determine in FHM'
against #hich of the follo#ing po#ers he #ould
declare #ar the ,urs" the .#edes" or the ;hinese
ut here it #ill be proper to premise on #hat terms
he then stood #ith ;hina" and #hich #as the $rst
treaty of peace concluded by that nation
;6+,01 9II
;O/710.. +/: ,10+,2 I,6 ,60 ;6I/0.0
0 A@., set out by forming a proper idea of the
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limits of the ;hinese and 1ussian empires at this
period hen #e leave .iberia" properly so called"
and also far behind us to the south" a hundred hordes
of ,artars" #ith #hite and blac 8almucs" and
Aahometan and agan Aoguls" #e come to the
IRoth degree of longitude and the 5d of latitude"
on the river +mur ,o the north#ard is a great
chain of mountains that stretches as far as the +rctic
9ol RLJ
'M 6istory of the
.ea" beyond the polar circle ,his river" #hich runs
for over $ve hundred leagues through .iberia and
;hinese ,artary" falls" after many #indings" into
the .ea of 8amchata It is said that at its mouth
there is sometimes caught a monstrous $sh" much
larger than the hippopotamus of the /ile" and that
the tooth thereof is the $nest ivory It is further-
more said that this ivory #as formerly an ob%ect of
trade & that they used to convey it through .iberia"
#hich is the reason #hy pieces of it are still found
under ground in that country ,his is the most
probable account of that fossil ivory" of #hich #e
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have else#here spoen & for it appears highly chi-
merical to claim that there #ere formerly elephants
in .iberia
,his +mur is called the lac 1iver by the Aan-
chu ,artars" and the :ragon 1iver by the ;hinese
It #as in these countries" so long unno#n" that
the 1ussians and ;hinese contested the limits of
their empires ,he 1ussians had some forts on the
1iver +mur" about three hundred leagues from the
great #alls Aany hostilities had arisen bet#een
these t#o nations on account of these forts & at
length both began to understand their interests bet-
ter& the emperor ;amhi preferred peace and com-
merce to an unpro$table #ar and sent several am-
bassadors to /iptchou" one of those settlements
,he ambassadors had ten thousand men in their
retinue" including their escort ,his #as +siatic
pomp & but #hat is remarable is that there #as not
an eKample in the annals of the empire of an em-
bassy being sent to another potentate & and #hat is
1ussian 0mpire ''
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still more singular" the ;hinese had never concluded
a treaty of peace since the foundation of their
monarchy ,hough t#ice conTuered by the ,ar-
tars" #ho attaced and sub%ected them" they never
made #ar on any people" eKcepting a fe# hordes
that #ere Tuicly subdued" or as Tuicly left to
themselves #ithout any treaty .o that this nation"
so reno#ned for morality" ne# nothing of #hat #e
call the 4a# of /ations4 & that is to say" of those
vague rules of #ar and peace" of the privileges of
foreign ministers" of the formalities of treaties" nor
of the obligations resulting therefrom" nor of the
disputes concerning precedence and points of honor
ut in #hat language #ere the ;hinese to nego-
tiate #ith the 1ussians in the midst of deserts ? ,his
diNculty #as removed by t#o esuits" the one a
ortuguese named ereira" the other a 3renchman"
#hose name #as 7erbillon& they set out from
ein #ith the ;hinese ambassadors" and #ere
themselves the real negotiators ,hey conferred in
atin #ith a 7erman belonging to the 1ussian em-
bassy" #ho understood this language ,he chief of
that embassy #as 7olovin" governor of .iberia" #ho
displayed a greater magni$cence than the ;hinese
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themselves" and thereby gave a high idea of the 1us-
sian 0mpire to a people #ho thought themselves the
only po#erful nation under the sun
,he t#o esuits settled the limits of both empires
at the river 8erbechi" near the spot #here the treaty
#as concluded +ll the country south of this line of
partition #as ad%udged to the ;hinese" and the north
to the 1ussians" #ho lost only a small fort #hich
FOO 6istory of the
#as found to have been built beyond the limits & a
peace #as agreed to" and after some fe# altercations
both parties s#ore to observe it" in the name of the
same 7od" and in these terms> 4If any of us shall
entertain the least thought of indling ane# the
Sames of #ar" #e beseech the supreme ord of all
things" and #ho no#s all hearts" to punish the
traitor #ith sudden death4
3rom this form of treaty" used alie by ;hinese
and ;hristians" #e may infer t#o important truths >
$rst" that the ;hinese government is neither athe-
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istical nor idolatrous" as has been so freTuently
and falsely charged by contradictory imputations&
second" that all nations cultivating the gift of reason
and understanding" do" in eUect" acno#ledge the
same 7od" not#ithstanding the particular deviations
of that reason" through the #ant of being properly
instructed
,he treaty #as dra#n up in atin and t#o copies
#ere made of it ,he 1ussian ambassadors set their
names $rst to the copy that remained in their pos-
session" and the ;hinese also signed theirs the $rst"
agreeably to the custom observed by 0uropean na-
tions" #hen t#o eTual po#ers conclude a treaty #ith
each other On this occasion #as observed another
custom belonging to the +siatic nations" and #hich
#as" indeed" that of the earliest ages ,he treaty
#as engraved on t#o large marble pillars" erected
on the spot" to determine the boundaries of the t#o
empires
,hree years after this the cBar sent Isbrand Ides"
a :ane" as ambassador to ;hina & and the commerce
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1ussian 0mpire FGF
he then established bet#een the t#o nations con-
tinued #ith mutual advantage till the rupture be-
t#een them in the year FJ& but since this short
interruption it has been revived #ith redoubled
vigor
;6+,01 9III
0E0:I,IO/ ,O ,60 .0+ O3 +CO9 ;O/D@0., O3 +CO9
,60 ;C+1 .0/:. 2O@/7 70/,0A0/ I/,O 3O1-
0I7/ ;O@/,1I0. 3O1 IA1O90A0/,
I, +. not so easy to have peace #ith the ,urs"
and indeed the time seemed propitious for the 1us-
sians to pro$t by their discom$ture 9enice" that
had long groaned under their yoe" began no# to
rouse itself ,he doge Aorosini" #ho had sur-
rendered ;andia to the ,urs" after#ard too from
them the eloponnesus" #hich conTuest got him the
title of 4eloponnesian"4 an honor #hich revived
the memory of the 1oman 1epublic eopold" em-
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peror of 7ermany" had proved successful against
the Ottoman po#er in 6ungary & and the oles un-
dertoo to chec the incursions of the ;rim ,artars
eter too advantage of these circumstances to
discipline his troops" and to secure the empire of the
lac .ea In FH'L 7eneral 7ordon marched along
the ,anais to#ard +Bov #ith his regiment of $ve
thousand men" follo#ed by 7eneral efort #ith his
regiment of t#elve thousand& by a body of strel-
itBes" under the command of .cheremetoU and
.chein" natives of russia& by a body of ;ossacs"
6istory of the
and by a large train of artillery & in a #ord" every-
thing #as ready for this eKpedition
,his army began its march under the command
of Aarshal .cheremetoU in the beginning of the
summer of FH'5" to attac the to#n of +Bov" at the
mouth of the :on" and at the eKtremity of the .ea
of +Bov ,he cBar #as #ith the army" but only as
a volunteer" being determined to learn before he un-
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dertoo to command :uring their march they
stormed t#o forts #hich the ,urs had built on the
bans of the river
,his eKpedition #as attended #ith some diNcul-
ties ,he place #as #ell forti$ed and defended by
a strong garrison + number of barcolongos" resem-
bling the ,urish saics" and built by 9enetians" #ith
t#o small :utch ships of #ar that #ere to sail out
of the 9oroneBh" could not be got ready soon enough
to enter the .ea of +Bov +ll beginnings meet #ith
obstacles ,he 1ussians had never yet made a reg-
ular siege & and the $rst attempt did not meet #ith
all the success that could be desired
One acob" a native of :antBic" had the direction
of the artillery under the command of 7eneral
.chein& for as yet they had none but foreign oN-
cers belonging to the train" and none but foreign
engineers and pilots ,his acob had been con-
demned to the bastinade" or nout" by .chein" the
1ussian general +t that time rigorous discipline
#as thought to be the only method of strengthening
command & and the 1ussians Tuietly submitted to it"
not#ithstanding their natural bent to sedition & and
after the punishment did their duty as usual ut
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1ussian 0mpire FGR
the :ane thought in a diUerent manner" and re-
solved to be revenged for the treatment he had re-
ceived" and thereupon spied the cannon" deserted to
the ,urs" turned Aahometan" and defended +Bov
#ith great success against his former masters ,his
sho#s that the lenity #hich is no# practised in 1us-
sia is preferable to the former severities & and is bet-
ter calculated to retain those in their duty" #ho" by
a good education" have a proper sense of honor
It #as absolutely necessary" at that time" to use the
utmost rigor to#ard the common people & but since
their manners have been changed" the empress 0liB-
abeth has completed" by clemency" the #or her
father began by the authority of the la#s ,his
lenity has even been carried by this princess to a
degree uneKampled in the history of any nation
.he has promised that" during her reign" no person
shall be punished #ith death" and she has ept her
#ord .he is the $rst sovereign #ho ever sho#ed
so much regard for the lives of men y an institu-
tion eTually prudent and humane" malefactors are
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no# condemned to serve in the mines and other pub-
lic #ors & by #hich means their very punishments
prove of service to the state In other countries
they no# only ho# to put a criminal to death" #ith
all the apparatus of eKecution" #ithout being able
to prevent the perpetration of crimes ,he appre-
hension of death maes" perhaps" less impression on
those miscreants" #ho are for the most part bred up
in idleness" than the fear of punishment and hard
labor rene#ed every day
,o return to the siege of +Bov" #hich place #as
FGL 6istory of the
no# defended by the same person #ho had before
directed the attacs against it & the 1ussians in vain
attempted to tae it by storm& and after losing a
great number of men" #ere obliged to raise the
siege
erseverance in his undertaings #as the distin-
guishing character of eter the 7reat In the spring
of FH'H he brought a still larger army before +Bov
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+bout this time his brother died" #ho" though he
had not #hile living been the least curb to eterPs
authority" having en%oyed only the bare title of cBar"
yet had been some restraint upon him in regard to
appearances ,he money #hich had been appro-
priated to the support of ohnPs dignity and house-
hold #ere no# applied to the maintenance of the
army ,his proved no small help to a government
#hose revenues #ere not nearly so great as they are
at present eter #rote to 0mperor eopold" to the
states-general" and to the elector of randenburg" to
obtain engineers" gunners" and seamen 6e also
too some 8almucs into his pay" #hose light horse
#ere very useful against the ;rim ,artars
,he most agreeable of the cBarPs successes #as
that of his little Seet" #hich #as at length completed
and #ell commanded It defeated the ,urish saics
sent from ;onstantinople" and too some of them
,he siege #as carried on regularly from trenches"
but not altogether in our method" the trenches being
three times deeper than ours" #ith parapets as high
as ramparts On uly M" FH'H" the garrison sur-
rendered" #ithout being allo#ed the honors of #ar
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among them" and #hich #ere eKcellent for the pur-
pose of cruising on the coasts of ;rim ,artary ,he
Ottoman 0mpire #as alarmed at this po#erful
armament& the $rst that had ever been attempted
on the .ea of +Bov ,he cBarPs scheme #as to drive
the ,urs and the ,artars forever out of the
,aurica ;hersonesus" and after#ard to establish a
free and easy commerce #ith ersia through 7eor-
gia ,his is the very trade #hich the 7rees for-
ioH 6istory of the
merly carried on to ;olchis" and to this peninsula of
;rim ,artary" #hich eter no# seemed on the point
of conTuering
6aving subdued the ,urs and the ,artars" he
#as #illing to accustom his people to splendid
sho#s" as #ell as to military labor 6e made his
army enter into Aosco#" under triumphal arches" in
the midst of superb $re#ors and everything that
could add to the lustre of the festival ,he soldiers
#ho had fought on board the 9enetian saics against
the ,urs" and #ho #ere a distinct corps of them-
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selves" marched $rst Aarshal .cheremetoU" 7en-
eral 7ordon" 7eneral .chein" +dmiral efort" and
the other general oNcers all too the precedence of
their monarch in this procession" #ho declared he
had no ran in the army" being desirous to convince
the nobility" by his eKample" that the only #ay to ac-
Tuire military preferment #as to deserve it
,his triumphal entry seemed some#hat ain to
those of the ancient 1omans" in #hich the con-
Tuerors #ere #ont to eKpose the prisoners they had
taen to public vie#" and sometimes put them to
death In lie manner the slaves taen in this eK-
pedition follo#ed the army & and the deserter" acob"
#ho had betrayed them" #as dra#n in an open cart"
in #hich #as a gibbet" to #hich his body #as
fastened after he had been broen on the #heel
On this occasion #as struc the $rst medal in
1ussia" #ith this remarable legend" in the language
of the country > 4eter the 3irst" +ugust 0mperor
of Auscovy4 On the reverse #as the city of +Bov"
#ith these #ords > 49ictorious by 3ire and ater4
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1ussian 0mpire FGJ
eter felt a sensible concern in the midst of all
these successes that his ships and galleys in the .ea
of +Bov had been built entirely by the hands of for-
eigners& and #ished as earnestly to have a harbor
in the altic .ea" as upon the lac .ea
+ccordingly" in Aarch" FHJJ" he sent threescore
young 1ussians of efortPs regiment into Italy"
most of them to 9enice" and the rest to eghorn" to
instruct themselves in the naval art and the manner
of constructing galleys 6e also sent forty others
into 6olland to learn the method of building and
#oring large ships & and others lie#ise into 7er-
many" to serve in the land forces and instruct
themselves in the military discipline of that nation
+t length he resolved to absent himself for a fe#
years from his o#n dominions in order to learn ho#
to govern them the better 6e had an irresistible
inclination to improve himself" by his o#n observa-
tion and practice" in the no#ledge of naval aUairs"
and of the several arts #hich he #as so desirous
to establish in his o#n country 6e proposed to
travel incognito through :enmar" randenburg"
6olland" 9ienna" 9enice and 1ome 3rance and
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.pain #ere the only countries he did not tae into
his plan & .pain" because the arts he #as in Tuest of
#ere too much neglected there & and 3rance" because
in that ingdom they reigned #ith too much osten-
tation" and the parade and state of ouis EI9"
#hich had disgusted so many cro#ned heads" ill
agreed #ith the private manner in #hich he pro-
posed to travel Aoreover" he #as in alliance #ith
most of the po#ers #hose dominions he intended to
ioM 6istory of the
visit" eKcept those of 3rance and 1ome 6e also
remembered" #ith some degree of resentment" the
little respect sho#n by ouis EI9 to his embassy
in FHMJ" #hich had proved more famous than suc-
cessful & and lastly" he already began to espouse the
cause of +ugustus" elector of .aKony" #ith #hom
the prince of ;onti had lately entered into compe-
tition for the cro#n of oland
;6+,01 IE
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,1+90. O3 0,01 ,60 710+,
6+9I/7 determined to visit the several countries
and courts above mentioned" he put himself into the
retinue of three ambassadors" in the same manner as
he had before mingled in the train of his generals
at his triumphal entry into Aosco#
,he three ambassadors #ere 7eneral efort" the
boyar +leKis 7olovin" commissary-general of #ar
and governor of .iberia" the same #ho signed the
perpetual treaty of peace #ith the plenipotentiaries
of ;hina on the frontiers of that empire & and 9os-
nitBin" secretary of state" #ho had been long em-
ployed in foreign courts 3our principal secretaries"
t#elve gentlemen" t#o pages for each ambassador" a
company of $fty guards" #ith their oNcers" all of
the regiment of reobraBinsi" composed the chief
retinue of this embassy" #hich consisted of t#o hun-
dred persons & and the cBar" reserving to himself
only one valet de chambre" a servant in livery" and
1ussian 0mpire FG'
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a d#arf" mingled #ith the cro#d It #as a thing
unparalleled in history" for a ing of t#enty-$ve
years of age" to Tuit his dominions in order to learn
the art of governing 6is victory over the ,urs
and ,artars" the splendor of his triumphant entry
into Aosco#" the number of foreign troops attached
to his service" the death of his brother ohn" his co-
partner in the empire" and the con$nement of the
rincess .ophia to a cloister" and" above all" the uni-
versal respect sho#n to his person" seemed to assure
him the tranTuillity of his ingdom during his ab-
sence 6e intrusted the regency to the boyar
.trechnef and rince 1omadono#si" #ho #ere to
deliberate #ith the rest of the boyars in cases of im-
portance
,#o troops raised by 7eneral 7ordon remained
behind in Aosco# to eep everything Tuiet in that
capital ,hose strelitBes #ho #ere thought liely
to create a disturbance #ere distributed in the fron-
tiers of ;rim ,artary" to preserve the conTuest of
+Bov" and to chec the incursions of the ,artars
6aving provided against every incident" he gave
free scope to his passion and desire of improvement
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+s this %ourney proved the cause" or at least the
preteKt" of the bloody #ar #hich so long hindered"
but in the end promoted" all the designs of the cBar &
#hich drove +ugustus" ing of oland" from the
throne" placed that cro#n on the head of .tanislaus"
and then stripped him of it& #hich made ;harles
EII ing of .#eden" the $rst of conTuerors for
nine years" and the most unfortunate of ings for
nine more & it is necessary" in order to enter into a
F FG 6istory of the
detail of these events" to tae a vie# of the state of
0urope at that time
.ultan Austapha II sat at that time on the Otto-
man throne ,he #eaness of his administration
#ould not permit him to mae any great eUorts
either against eopold" emperor of 7ermany" #hose
arms #ere successful in 6ungary" nor against the
cBar" #ho had lately taen +Bov from him" and
threatened to mae himself master of the lac .ea &
nor even against the 9enetians" #ho had made
themselves masters of all the eloponnesus
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ohn .obiesi" ing of oland" forever famous
by the victory of ;hoti and the deliverance of 9i-
enna" died une FJ" FH'H" and the possession of that
cro#n #as in dispute bet#een +ugustus" elector of
.aKony" #ho obtained it" and +rmand" prince of
;onti" #ho had only the honor of being elected
In FH'J .#eden had lost" but #ithout regret"
;harles E" her sovereign" the $rst ing #ho had
ever been really absolute in that country" and #ho
#as the father of a prince still more so" and #ith
#hom all despotic po#er ceased 6e left the cro#n
to his son" ;harles EII" a youth of $fteen years of
age ,his #as apparently favorable for the cBarPs
design & he had it in his po#er to eKtend his domin-
ions on the 7ulf of 3inland and on the side of i-
vonia ut he did not thin it enough to harass the
,urs on the lac .ea& the settlements on the
.ea of +Bov and the borders of the ;aspian .ea
#ere not suNcient to ans#er his schemes of naviga-
tion" commerce and po#er esides" glory" #hich is
1ussian 0mpire in
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the darling ob%ect of every reformer" #as to be
found neither in ersia nor in ,urey" but in our
parts of 0urope" #here great talents are rendered
immortal In a #ord" eter did not aim at intro-
ducing either the ersian or ,urish manners
among his sub%ects
7ermany" then at #ar #ith both the ,urs and
the 3rench" and united #ith .pain" 0ngland" and
6olland" against the single po#er of ouis EI9"
#as on the point of concluding peace" and the pleni-
potentiaries had already met at the castle of 1ys-
#ic" in the neighborhood of ,he 6ague
eter and his ambassadors began their %ourney
in +pril" FH'J" by #ay of 7reat /ovgorod& thence
they travelled through 0sthonia and ivonia" prov-
inces formerly disputed by the 1ussians" .#edes"
and oles" and #hich the .#edes at last acTuired by
superiority of arms
,he fertility of ivonia" and the situation of its
capital" 1iga" #ere temptations to the cBar to pos-
sess himself of that country 6e eKpressed a curi-
osity to see the forti$cations of the citadel ut
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;ount dP+lberg" governor of 1iga" taing umbrage
at this reTuest" refused him the satisfaction he de-
sired" and aUected to treat the embassy #ith con-
tempt ,his behavior did not at all contribute to
cool the inclination the cBar might have to mae
himself master of those provinces
3rom ivonia they proceeded to randenburg"
russia" part of #hich had been inhabited by the an-
cient 9andals olish russia has been included in
0uropean .armatia randenburg russia #as a
6 6istory of the
poor country" and badly peopled & but its elector"
#ho after#ard too the name of ing" displayed a
magni$cence on this occasion" eTually ne# and de-
structive to his dominions 6e piTued himself on
receiving this embassy in his city of 8onigsberg"
#ith all the pomp of royalty ,he most sumptuous
presents #ere made on both sides ,he contrast be-
t#een the 3rench dress" #hich the court of erlin
aUected" and the long +siatic robes of the 1ussians"
#ith their caps buttoned up #ith pearls and dia-
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monds" and their scimitars hanging at their belts"
produced a singular eUect ,he cBar #as dressed
after the 7erman fashion ,he prince of 7eorgia"
#ho accompanied him" #as clad in a ersian habit"
#hich displayed a diUerent magni$cence ,his is
the same #ho #as taen prisoner after#ard at the
battle of /arva" and died in .#eden
eter despised all this ostentation & it #ould have
been better had he sho#n an eTual contempt for the
pleasures of the table" in #hich the 7ermans" at that
time" placed their chief glory It #as at one of these
entertainments" then too much in fashion" and #hich
are alie fatal to health and morality" that he dre#
his s#ord upon his favorite efort & but he eKpressed
as much contrition for this sudden outburst of pas-
sion as +leKander did for the murder of ;lytus &
he ased pardon of efort" saying that he #anted to
reform his sub%ects" and could not yet reform him-
self 7eneral efort" in his manuscript" praises the
cBar more for this goodness of heart than he blames
him for his eKcess of passion
,he ambassadors then #ent through omerania
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1ussian 0mpire FFR
and erlin& and thence" one part too its #ay
through Aagdeburg" and the other by 6amburg" a
city #hich already begun to be reno#ned for its eK-
tensive commerce" but not so rich and populous as
it has become since ,hence they directed their
route to#ard Ainden" crossed estphalia" and at
length" by the #ay of ;leves" arrived at +msterdam
,he cBar reached this city $fteen days before
the ambassadors +t his $rst coming" he lodged in
a house belonging to the 0ast India ;ompany & but
soon after#ard he too a small apartment in the
doc-yard" belonging to the admiralty 6e then put
on the habit of a :utch sipper" and in that dress
#ent to the village of .aardam" a place #here a
great many more ships #ere built than at present
,his village is as large" as populous" as rich" as
many opulent to#ns" and much neater ,he cBar
greatly admired the multitude of people #ho #ere
constantly employed there" the order and regularity
of their times of #oring" the despatch #ith #hich
they built and $tted out ships" the number of #are-
houses" and machines for the greater ease and se-
curity of labor ,he cBar began #ith purchasing a
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bar" to #hich he made a mast #ith his o#n hands &
after that" he #ored on all the diUerent parts in
the construction of a vessel" living in the same man-
ner as the #ormen at .aardam" dressing and eating
lie them" and #oring in the forges" the rope-#als"
and in the several mills" #hich are in that village"
for sa#ing timber" eKtracting oil" maing paper" and
dra#ing #ire 6e caused himself to be enrolled
in the list of carpenters" by the name of eter Ai-
9ol RL-M
FFL 6istory of the
chaelhoU" and #as commonly called eter as" or
Aaster eter> the #ormen #ere at $rst con-
founded at having a cro#ned head for a fello# la-
borer" but soon became familiariBed to the sight
hile he #as thus handling the compass and the
aK at .aardam" a con$rmation #as brought him of
the division in oland" and of the double nomination
of the elector +ugustus" and the prince of ;onti
,he carpenter of .aardam immediately promised
8ing +ugustus to assist him #ith thirty thousand
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men" and from his #or-loft issued orders to his
army that #as assembled in the @raine against the
,urs
On +ugust n" FH'J" his troops gained a victory
over the ,artars near +Bov" and a fe# months after-
#ard too from them the city of Or" or Orapi"
#hich #e call recop +s to himself" he still con-
tinued improving in diUerent arts > he #ent fre-
Tuently from .aardam to +msterdam" to hear the
lectures of the celebrated anatomist" 1uysch" and
made himself master of several operations in sur-
gery" #hich" in case of necessity" might be of use
to himself and his oNcers 6e #ent through a
course of natural philosophy" in the house of bur-
gomaster itBen" a person estimable for his pa-
triotic virtue" and the noble use he made of his im-
mense riches" #hich he distributed lie a citiBen of
the #orld" sending men of ability" at a great eK-
pense" to all parts of the globe" in search of #hatever
#as most rare and valuable" and $tting out vessels
at his o#n eKpense to mae ne# discoveries
eter as gave a truce to his labors for a short
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1ussian 0mpire FF5
time" but it #as only to pay a private visit at @trecht
and at ,he 6ague" to illiam" ing of 0ngland" and
stadtholder of the @nited rovinces 7eneral e-
fort #as the only one admitted to the private con-
ference of the t#o monarchs eter assisted after-
#ard at the public entry of his ambassadors" and at
their audience& they presented in his name to the
deputy of the states siK hundred of the most beau-
tiful sables that could be procured& and the states"
over and above the customary presents on these oc-
casions" of a gold chain and a medal" gave them
three magni$cent coaches ,hey received the $rst
visits of all the plenipotentiaries #ho #ere at the
;ongress of 1ys#ic" eKcepting those of 3rance"
to #hom they had not announced their arrival" not
only because the cBar espoused the cause of +ugus-
tus against the prince of ;onti" but also because
8ing illiam" #hose friendship he #as desirous of
cultivating" #as averse to a peace #ith 3rance
+t his return to +msterdam" he resumed his for-
mer occupations" and completed #ith his o#n hands
a ship of siKty guns" that he had begun himself" and
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sent her to +rchangel" #hich #as the only port he
had at that time on the ocean
6e not only engaged in his service several 3rench
refugees" .#iss" and 7ermans & but he also sent all
sorts of artists to Aosco#" having made a trial of
their abilities himself ,here #ere fe# trades or
arts #hich he did not perfectly #ell understand in
their minutest branches > he too a particular pleas-
ure in correcting" #ith his hands" the geographical
maps" #hich at that time sho#ed the positions of
uH 6istory of the
the to#ns and rivers in his vast dominions" then lit-
tle no#n ,here is still preserved a map" on #hich
he mared out" #ith his o#n hand" his pro%ected
union of the ;aspian and lac .eas" the eKecution
of #hich he had given in charge of Ar reel" a
7erman engineer ,he %unction of these t#o seas
#as indeed a less diNcult enterprise than that of the
ocean and Aediterranean" #hich #as eUected in
3rance& but the very idea of %oining the .ea of
+Bov #ith the ;aspian" astonished the imagination
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at that time > but ne# establishments in that country
became the ob%ect of his attention" in proportion as
his successes begat ne# hopes
6is troops" commanded by 7eneral .chein and
rince :olgoroui" had" in uly" FH'H" gained a
victory over the ,artars near +Bov" and lie#ise
over a body of %anissaries sent by .ultan Austapha
to their assistance ,his success served to mae him
more respected" even by those #ho blamed him as
a sovereign" for having Tuitted his dominions" to
turn #orman at +msterdam ,hey no# sa# that
the aUairs of the monarch did not suUer by the la-
bors of the philosopher" the traveller" and the arti-
$cer
6e remained at +msterdam" constantly employed
in his usual occupations of ship-building" engineer-
ing" geography" and the practice of natural philos-
ophy" till the middle of anuary" FH'M" and then he
set out for 0ngland" but still as one of the retinue
of his ambassadors
8ing illiam sent his o#n yacht to meet him"
and t#o ships of #ar as convoy In 0ngland" he
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1ussian 0mpire FFJ
observed the same manner of living as at +mster-
dam and .aardam& he too an apartment near the
ingPs docyard at :eptford" #here he applied him-
self #holly to gain instruction ,he :utch builders
had taught him their method" and the practical part
of ship-building In 0ngland" he found the art bet-
ter eKplained& for there they #or according to
mathematical proportion 6e soon made himself so
perfect in this science that he #as able to give les-
sons to others 6e began to build a ship according
to the 0nglish method of construction" and it proved
a prime sailer ,he art of #atchmaing" #hich #as
already brought to perfection in ondon" neKt at-
tracted his attention" and he made himself complete
master of the #hole theory & ;aptain erry" the en-
gineer" #ho follo#ed him from ondon to 1ussia"
says that" from the casting of cannon" to the spin-
ning of ropes" there #as not any one branch of
trade belonging to a ship that he did not minutely
observe" and even put his hand to" as often as he
came into the places #here those trades #ere car-
ried on
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In order to cultivate his friendship" he #as al-
lo#ed to engage several 0nglish arti$cers in his
service" as he had done in 6olland& but over and
above arti$cers" he engaged some mathematicians"
#hich he #ould not so easily have found in +mster-
dam 3erguson" a .cotchman" an eKcellent geom-
etrician" entered into his service" and #as the $rst
person #ho brought arithmetic into use in the eK-
cheTuer of 1ussia" #here" before that time" they
made use of the ,artarian method of reconing"
nM 6istory of the
#ith balls strung upon a #ire & a method #hich sup-
plied the place of #riting" but #as very perpleKing
and imperfect" because" after the calculation" there
#as no method of proving it" in order to discover
any error ,he $gures #hich are no# in use" #ere
not introduced among us till the ninth century" by
+rabs& and they did not mae their #ay into
the 1ussian 0mpire till a thousand years after#ard
.uch has been the fate of the arts" to mae their
progress slo#ly round the globe 6e too #ith
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him t#o young students from a mathematical school"
and this #as the beginning of the marine academy"
founded after#ard by eter the 7reat 6e ob-
served and calculated eclipses #ith 3erguson
erry" the engineer" though greatly discontented at
not being suNciently re#arded" acno#ledges that
eter made himself pro$cient in astronomy& that
he perfectly #ell understood the motions of the
heavenly bodies" as #ell as the la#s of gravitation"
by #hich they are directed ,his force" no# so evi-
dently demonstrated" and before the time of the
great /e#ton so little no#n" by #hich all the plan-
ets gravitate to#ard one another" and #hich re-
tains them in their orbits" #as already familiar to
a sovereign of 1ussia" #hile other countries amused
themselves #ith imaginary vertices" and" in 7ali-
leoPs nation" one set of ignorant persons ordered
others" as ignorant" to believe the earth to be im-
movable
erry set out in order to eUect a communication
bet#een rivers" to build bridges" and construct
sluices ,he cBarPs plan #as to open a communi-
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1ussian 0mpire FF'
cation by means of canals bet#een the ocean" the
;aspian" and the lac .eas
e must not forget to observe that a set of 0ng-
lish merchants" #ith the marTuis of ;aermarthen at
their head" gave eter $fteen thousand pounds ster-
ling for the permission of selling tobacco in 1ussia
,he patriarch" by a mistaen severity" had inter-
dicted this branch of trade & for the 1ussian ;hurch
forbade smoing as an unclean and sinful action
eter" #ho ne# better things" and #ho" among his
many pro%ected changes" meditated a reformation
of the ;hurch" introduced this commodity of trade
into his dominions
efore eter left 0ngland" he #as entertained
by 8ing illiam #ith a spectacle #orthy such a
guest > this #as a moc sea-$ght ittle #as it then
imagined that the cBar #ould one day $ght a real
sea battle against the .#edes" and gain naval victo-
ries in the altic In $ne" illiam made him a pres-
ent of the vessel in #hich he used to go over to
6olland" called the 1oyal ,ransport" a beautiful
yacht" and magni$cently adorned In this vessel
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eter returned to 6olland" in the latter end of FH'M"
taing #ith him three captains of ships of #ar"
t#enty-$ve captains of merchant ships" forty lieu-
tenants" thirty pilots" as many surgeons" t#o hun-
dred and $fty gunners" and over three hundred ar-
ti$cers ,his little colony of persons" silful in all
branches" sailed from 6olland to +rchangel" on
board the 1oyal ,ransport" and from there #ere
distributed into all the diUerent places #here their
services #ere necessary ,hose #ho had been en-
IO 6istory of the
gaged at +msterdam #ent by the #ay of /arv."
#hich then belonged to the .#edes
hile he #as thus transplanting the arts and man-
ufactures of 0ngland and 6olland into his o#n
country" the oNcers he had sent to 1ome and other
places in Italy had lie#ise engaged some artists in
his service 7eneral .heremetoU" #ho #as at the
head of his embassy to Italy" made a tour of 1ome"
/aples" 9enice" and Aalta" #hile the cBar proceeded
to 9ienna #ith his other ambassadors 6e had no#
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only to vie# the military discipline of the 7ermans"
after having seen the 0nglish Seets" and the doc-
yards of 6olland olitics had lie#ise as great a
share in this %ourney as the desire of instruction
,he emperor #as his natural ally against the ,urs
eter had a private audience #ith eopold" and the
t#o monarchs conferred standing" to avoid the
trouble of ceremony
/othing #orthy of remar occurred during his
stay at 9ienna" eKcept the celebration of the ancient
feast of the landlord and landlady" #hich had been
neglected for some time" and #hich eopold thought
proper to revive upon the cBarPs account ,his
feast" #hich the 7ermans call irthschaft" is cele-
brated in the follo#ing manner >
,he emperor is landlord and the empress land-
lady" the ing of the 1omans" the archdues and
the archduchesses are generally their assistants > they
entertain people of all nations as their guests" #ho
come dressed after the most ancient fashion of their
respective countries > those #ho are invited to th<*
feast dra# lots for ticets" on each of #hich
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ling particulars& but #hatever revives the remem-
brance of ancient manners and customs is in some
degree #orthy of being recorded
eter #as ready to set out from 9ienna" in order
to proceed to 9enice" to complete his tour of in-
spection" #hen he received ne#s of a rebellion"
#hich had lately broen out in his dominions
F 6istory of the
;6+,01 E
;C+1 0,01" #hen he left his dominions to set
out on his travels" had provided against every inci-
dent" even that of a rebellion ut the great and
serviceable things he had done for his country proved
the very cause of this rebellion
;ertain old boyars" to #hom the ancient cus-
toms #ere still dear" and some precepts" to #hom
the ne# ones appeared little better than sacrilege"
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struction among foreigners ,he forces commanded
by .chein and 7ordon" #ho #ere much better dis-
ciplined than the strelitBes" met them $fteen leagues
from Aosco#" gave them battle" and entirely de-
feated them> but this advantage gained by a for-
eign general over the ancient militia" among #hom
#ere several of the burghers of Aosco#" contributed
still more to irritate the people
,o Tuell these tumults" the cBar set out privately
from 9ienna" passed through oland" had a private
intervie# #ith +ugustus" concerted measures #ith
that prince for eKtending the 1ussian dominions
on the side of the altic" and at length" in .ep-
tember" FH'M" arrived at Aosco#" #here he sur-
prised everyone #ith his presence > he then conferred
re#ards on the troops #ho had defeated the strel-
itBes" of #hom the prisons #ere no# full If the
crimes of these unhappy #retches #ere great" their
punishment #as no less so ,heir leaders" #ith sev-
eral of their oNcers and priests" #ere condemned
to death & some #ere broen on the #heel" and t#o
in the time of the cBar asilo#itB" and undoubtedly in-
Suenced him not a little in the severity #ith #hich he
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treated his people ,he ing of oland" .tephen athori"
having recovered ivonia" #ent himself into that province
to establish a ne# form of government" according to the
constant custom there hen the peasants" all of #hom
#ere treated as slaves" had committed errors" they #ere
#hipped #ith a rod till the blood came ,he ing #as
#illing to commute this barbarous punishment to one that
#as more moderate & but the peasants" insensible of the
favor designed them" thre# themselves at his feet" and
entreated him not to mae any alterations in their ancient
customs" because they had eKperienced that all innovations"
far from procuring them" the least redress" had al#ays
made their burdens sit the heavier on them
FL 6istory of the
#omen #ere buried alive & more than t#o thousand
of the strelitBes #ere eKecuted" part of #hom #ere
hanged round about the #alls of the city" and others
put to death in diUerent manners" and their dead
bodies remained eKposed for t#o days in the high
roads"* particularly about the monastery #here the
princesses .ophia and 0udocia resided Aonuments
of stone #ere erected" on #hich their crimes and
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punishments #ere set forth + number of them"
#ho had #ives and children at Aosco#" #ere dis-
persed #ith their families into .iberia" the ingdom
of +strahan" and the country of +Bov ,his pun-
ishment #as at least of service to the state" as they
helped to cultivate and people a large tract of #aste
land
erhaps" if the cBar had not found it absolutely
necessary to mae such terrible eKamples" he might
have employed part of those strelitBes" #hom he
put to death" on the public #ors& #hereas they
#ere no# lost both to him and the state > the lives
of men should be held in great estimation" espe-
cially in a country #here the increase of inhabitants
should have been the principal care of the legisla-
*;aptain erry" in p FML of his memoirs" says that these
eKecutions being performed in the depth of #inter" the
bodies #ere immediately froBen & those #ho #ere beheaded
#ere ordered to be left in the same posture as #hen eKe-
cuted" in rans upon the ground" #ith their heads lying
by them & and those #ho #ere hanged round the three
#alls of the city" #ere left hanging the #hole #inter" to
the vie# of the people" till the #arm #eather began to
come on in the spring" #hen they #ere taen do#n and
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buried together in a pit" to prevent infection ,his author
adds that there #ere other gibbets placed on all the public
roads leading to Aosco#" #here others of these rebels
#ere hanged
1ussian 0mpire F5
ture& but he thought it necessary to terrify and
brea the spirit of the nation by eKecutions" and the
parade attending them ,he entire corps of the
strelitBes" #hose number not one of his predecessors
had even dared to thin of diminishing" #as broen
forever" and their very name abolished ,his change
#as eUected #ithout any resistance" because matters
had been properly prepared beforehand ,he ,ur-
ish sultan" Osman" as I have already remared" #as
deposed and murdered in the same century" only for
giving the %anissaries room to suspect that he in-
tended to lessen their number eter had better
success" because he had taen better measures
Of this po#erful and numerous body of the strel-
itBes" he left only t#o feeble regiments" from #hom
there could no longer be any danger & and yet these"
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still retaining their old spirit of mutiny" revolted
again in +strahan" in the year FJG5" but #ere
Tuicly suppressed
ut #hile #e are relating eterPs severity in this
aUair of state" let us not forget to commemorate
the more than eTual humanity he sho#ed some time
after#ard" #hen he lost his favorite" efort" #ho #as
snatched a#ay by an untimely fate" Aarch F" FH''"
at the age of forty-siK 6e paid him the same fu-
neral honors as are besto#ed on the greatest sover-
eigns" and assisted himself in the procession" car-
rying a pie in his hand" and marching after the cap-
tains" in the ran of a lieutenant" #hich he held in the
deceased generalPs regiment" hereby setting an eK-
ample to his nobles" of the respect due to merit and
the military ran
FH 6istory of the
+fter the death of efort" it appeared plainly
that the changes in the state #ere not o#ing to that
general" but to the cBar himself eter had indeed
been con$rmed in his design" in his conversations
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#ith efort & but he had formed and eKecuted them
all #ithout his assistance
+s soon as he had suppressed the strelitBes" he
established regular regiments on the 7erman model"
#ho #ere all clothed in a short and convenient uni-
form" instead of those long and troublesome coats"
#hich they used to #ear & and" at the same time" their
eKercise #as more regular
,he regiment of reobraBinsi guards #as al-
ready formed > it had taen its name from the $rst
company of $fty men" #hom the cBar had trained
up in his younger days" in his retreat at reobraBin-
si" at the time #hen his sister .ophia governed the
state" and the other regiment of guards #as also es-
tablished
+s he had himself passed through the lo#est de-
grees in the army" he #as resolved that the sons of
his boyars and great men should serve as common
soldiers before they #ere made oNcers 6e sent
some of the young nobility on board his Seet at
9oroneBh and +Bov" #here he obliged them to serve
their apprenticeship as common seamen /o one
dared dispute the commands of a master #ho had
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himself set the eKample ,he 0nglish and :utch
he had brought over #ith him #ere employed in
eTuipping this Seet for sea" in constructing sluices"
and building docs for repairing the ships" and to
resume the great #or of connecting the :on and the
1ussian 0mpire FJ
9olga" #hich had been dropped by reel" the 7er-
man engineer
+nd no# the cBar began to set about his pro%ected
reformations in the council of state" in the revenue"
in the ;hurch" and even in society itself
,he aUairs of the revenue had been hitherto ad-
ministered much in the same manner as in ,urey
0ach boyar paid a stipulated sum for his lands"
#hich he raised from the peasants" his vassals & the
cBar appointed certain burghers and burgomasters
to be his receivers" #ho #ere not po#erful enough
to claim the right of paying only such sums as they
thought proper" into the public treasury ,his ne#
administration of the $nances #as #hat cost him the
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most trouble > he #as obliged to try several methods
before he could select a proper one
,he reformation of the ;hurch" #hich in all other
countries is regarded as so dangerous and diNcult"
#as not so to him ,he patriarchs had at times op-
posed the authority of the cro#n" as #ell as the
strelitBes & /icon #ith insolence" oachin" one of
his successors" in an artful manner
,he bishops had arrogated the po#er of life and
death" a prerogative directly contrary to the spirit
of religion" and the subordination of government
,his assumed po#er" #hich had been of long stand-
ing" #as no# taen from them ,he patriarch
+drian" dying at the close of this century" eter de-
clared that there should for the future be no other
,his dignity then #as entirely suppressed" and
the great income belonging thereto #as united to
the public revenue" #hich stood in need of this ad-
FM 6istory of the
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dition +lthough the cBar did not set himself up as
head of the 1ussian ;hurch" as the ings of 7reat
ritain have done in regard to the ;hurch of 0ng-
land& yet he #as" in fact" absolute master over it"
because the synods did not dare either to disobey the
commands of a despotic sovereign" or to dispute #itli
a prince #ho had more no#ledge than themselves
e need only cast an eye on the preamble to the
edict" concerning his ecclesiastical regulations" is-
sued in FJF" to be convinced that he acted at once
as master and legislator>
4e should deem ourselves guilty of ingrati-
tude to the Aost 6igh" if" after having reformed the
military and civil orders" #e neglected the spiritual
3or this cause" follo#ing the eKample of the
most ancient ings" #ho have been famed for piety"
#e have taen upon us to mae certain #holesome
regulations" touching the clergy4
It is true" he convened a synod for carrying into
eKecution his ecclesiastical degrees& but the mem-
bers of this synod on assuming oNce" #ere to tae
an oath" the form of #hich had been dra#n up and
signed by himself ,his #as an oath of submission
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pled" the celibacy of the mons #as contrary to na-
ture" and to the public good It #as the ancient cus-
tom of the 1ussian ;hurch for secular priests to
marry at least once in their lives& they #ere even
obliged so to do> and formerly they ceased to be
priests as soon as they lost their #ives ut that a
multitude of young people of both seKes should mae
a vo# of living useless in a cloister" and at the eK-
pense of others" appeared to him a dangerous insti-
tution 6e" therefore" ordered that no one should
be admitted to a monastic life till $fty years of age"
a time of life very rarely sub%ect to a temptation of
this ind & and he forbade any person to be admit-
ted" of any age" #ho #as in the public service
,his regulation has been repealed since his death"
because the government has thought proper to sho#
more complaisance to the monasteries & but the pa-
triarchal dignity has never been revived" and its great
revenues are no# appropriated to the payment of the
troops
,hese alterations at $rst eKcited some murmur-
ings + certain priest #rote to prove that eter #as
+ntichrist" because he #ould not admit of a pa-
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9ol RL'
FRG 6istory of the
triarch& and the art of printing" #hich the cBar
encouraged in his ingdom" #as made use of to pub-
lish libels against him & but on the other hand" there
#as another priest #ho started up to prove that e-
ter could not be +ntichrist" because the number siK
hundred and siKty-siK #as not to be found in his
name" and that he had not the sign of the beast +ll
complaints" ho#ever" #ere soon Tuieted eter" in
fact" gave much more to the ;hurch than he too
from it& for he made the clergy" by degrees" more
regular and more learned 6e founded three col-
leges at Aosco#" #here they teach the languages"
and #here those #ho are designed for the priesthood
are obliged to study
One of the most necessary reforms #as the sup-
pression" or at least the mitigation" of the ,hree
ents" an ancient superstition of the 7ree ;hurch"
and as pre%udicial to those #ho are employed in
public #ors" and especially to soldiers" as #as the
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old e#ish superstition of not $ghting on the .ab-
bath day +ccordingly" the cBar dispensed #ith his
#ormen and soldiers" observing these ents" in
#hich" though they #ere not permitted to eat" they
#ere accustomed to get drun 6e also dispensed
#ith their observance of meagre days & the chaplains
of the Seet and army #ere obliged to set the eKam-
ple" #hich they did #ithout much reluctance
,he calendar #as another important ob%ect 3or-
merly" in all the countries of the #orld" the chiefs
of religion had the care of regulating the year" not
only on account of the feasts to be observed" but be-
1ussian 0mpire FRF
cause" in ancient times" the priests #ere the only per-
sons #ho understood astronomy
,he 1ussian year began on .eptember i eter
ordered that it should for the future commence on
anuary I" as among the other nations of 0urope
,his alteration #as to tae place in the year FJGG"
at the beginning of the century" #hich he celebrated
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by a %ubilee" and other grand solemnities It #as a
matter of surprise to the common people" ho# the
cBar should be able to change the course of the sun
.ome obstinate persons" persuaded that 7od had
created the #orld in .eptember" continued the old
style > but the alteration too place in all the public
oNces in the court of chancery" and in a little #hile
throughout the #hole empire eter did not adopt
the 7regorian calendar" because it had been re%ected
by the 0nglish mathematicians & but it must" never-
theless" sooner or later be received in all countries
0ver since the $fth century" #hen letters $rst
came into use among them" they had been accus-
tomed to #rite upon long rolls" made either of the
bar of trees" or of parchment" and after#ard of
paper & and the cBar #as obliged to publish an edict"
ordering every one" for the future" to #rite after our
manner
,he reformation no# became general ,heir
marriages #ere made formerly as in ,urey and
ersia" #here the bridegroom does not see his bride
till the contract is signed" and they cannot then
revoe their #ords ,his custom may do #ell enough
among those people" #here polygamy prevails" and
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FR 6istory of the
#here the #omen are al#ays shut up& but it is a
very bad one in countries #here a man is limited to
one #ife" and #here divorces are seldom allo#ed
,he cBar #as #illing to accustom his people to
the manners and customs of the nations" #hich he
had visited in his travels" and from #hich he had
taen the masters" #ho #ere no# instructing them
It appeared necessary that the 1ussians should
not be dressed in a diUerent manner from those #ho
#ere teaching them the arts and sciences & because
the aversion to strangers" #hich is but too natural
to manind" is not a little ept up by a diUerence
of dress ,he full dress" #hich at that time partoo
of the fashions of the oles" the ,artars" and the
ancient 6ungarians" #as" as #e have else#here ob-
served" very noble& but the dress of the burghers
and common people resembled those %acets plaited
round the #aist" #hich are still given to the poor
children in some of the 3rench hospitals In gen*
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eral" the robe #as formerly the dress of all nations"
as being a garment that reTuired the least trouble
and art & and for the same reason the beard #as suf-
fered to gro# ,he cBar met #ith but little diN-
culty in introducing our mode of dress and the cus-
tom of shaving among the courtiers & but the people
#ere more obstinate" and he found himself obliged
to levy a taK on long coats and beards atterns
of close-bodied coats #ere hung up in public places &
and those #ho refused to pay the taK" #ere obliged
to suUer their robes and their beards to be cur-
tailed& all this #as done in a %ocular manner" and
this air of pleasantry prevented seditions
1ussian 0mpire FRR
It has ever been the aim of legislators to render
manind more sociable& but it is not suNcient to
eUect this end" that they live together in to#ns&
there must be a mutual intercourse of civility ,his
intercourse s#eetens all the bitterness of life ,he
cBar" therefore" introduced those assemblies" #hich
the Italians call 4ridotti4 ,o these assemblies he
invited all the ladies of his court" #ith their daugh-
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ters& and they #ere to appear dressed after the
fashions of the southern nations of 0urope 6e #as
even at the pains of dra#ing up rules for all the
little decorums to be observed at these social enter-
tainments ,hus even to good breeding among his
sub%ects" all #as his o#n #or" and that of time
,o mae his people relish these innovations the
better" he abolished the #ord 4golut"4 meaning
4slave"4 al#ays made use of by the 1ussians #hen
they addressed their cBar" or presented any petition
to him & and ordered that" for the future" they
should mae use of the #ord 4raab4 #hich signi$es
4sub%ect4 ,his alteration in no #ise diminished the
obedience due to the sovereign" and yet #as the
most ready means of securing their aUections
0very month produced some ne# change or institu-
tion 6e carried his attention even to ordering
painted posts to be set up in the road bet#een Aos-
co# and 9oroneBh" to serve as milestones" at the
distance of every verst& that is to say" every seven
hundred paces" and had a public inn built at the end
of every t#entieth verst
hile he #as thus eKtending his cares to the
common people" to the merchants" and to the travel-
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FRL 6istory of the
ler" he thought proper to mae an addition to the
pomp and splendor of his o#n court 3or" though
he hated pomp or sho# in his o#n person" he thought
it necessary in those about him 6e" therefore" in-
stituted the Order of .t +ndre#" in imitation of the
several orders #ith #hich all the courts of 0urope
abound 7olovin" #ho succeeded efort in the dig-
nity of high admiral" #as the $rst night of this or-
der It #as esteemed a high re#ard to have the
honor of being admitted a member It #as a ind
of badge that entitled the person #ho bore it" to the
respect of the people ,his mar of honor costs
nothing to the sovereign" and Satters the self-love of
a sub%ect" #ithout rendering him too po#erful
,hese many useful innovations #ere received
#ith applause by the #iser part of the nation & and
the murmurings and complaints of those #ho ad-
hered to the ancient customs #ere dro#ned in the
acclamations of men of sound %udgment
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hile eter #as thus beginning a ne# creation
in the interior part of his state" he concluded an ad-
vantageous truce #ith the ,urs" #hich gave him
liberty to eKtend his territories on another side
Austapha II" #ho had been defeated by rince
0ugene" at the battle of Centa in FH'J" stripped of
the Aorea by the 9enetians" and unable to defend
+Bov" #as obliged to mae peace #ith his victorious
enemies" #hich peace #as concluded at 8arlo#itB"
on anuary H" FH''" bet#een eter#ardein and
.lanamen" places made famous by his defeats
,emesvar #as made the boundary of the 7erman
possessions" and of the Ottoman dominions 8am-
1ussian 0mpire FR5
enets-odolsi #as restored to the oles & the Aorea"
and some to#ns in :almatia" #hich had been taen
by the 9enetians" remained in their hands for some
time & and eter I continued in possession of +Bov"
and of a fe# forts built in its neighborhood
It #as not possible for the cBar to eKtend his do-
minions on the side of ,urey" #ithout dra#ing
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upon him the forces of that empire" before divided"
but no# united 6is naval pro%ects #ere too vast
for the sea of +Bov" and the settlements on the ;as-
pian .ea #ould not admit of a Seet of men-of-#ar >
he" therefore" turned his vie#s to#ard the altic
.ea" but #ithout relinTuishing those in regard to the
:on and 9olga
;6+,01 EI
+1 I,6 .0:0/
,he attle of /arva
+ 71+/: scene opened in FJGG on the frontiers of
.#eden One of the principal causes of all the revo-
lutions #hich happened" from Ingria as far as :res-
den" and #hich laid #aste so many countries for
eighteen years" #as the abuse of the supreme po#er"
by ;harles E" ing of .#eden" father of ;harles
EII ,his is a fact #hich cannot be too often re-
peated" as it concerns every cro#ned head" and
every nation & almost all ivonia" #ith the #hole of
0sthonia" had been ceded by the oles to ;harles
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E" ing of .#eden" #ho succeeded ;harles E"
at the time of the treaty of Oliva It #as ceded in
FRH 6istory of the
the customary manner" #ith a reservation of rights
and privileges ;harles E" sho#ing little regard
for these privileges" ohn 1einhold atul" a gentle-
man of ivonia" came to .tocholm in FH'" at the
head of siK deputies from the province" and laid
their complaints at the foot of the throne" in re-
spectful" but strong" terms +s a reply" the deputies
#ere ordered to be imprisoned" and atul #as con-
demned to lose his honor and his life & but he lost
neither" for he made his escape to the canton of
9aud" in .#itBerland" #here he remained some time &
#hen he after#ard #as informed that +ugustus"
elector of .aKony" had promised at his accession to
the throne of oland" to recover the provinces that
had been #rested from that ingdom" he hastened
to :resden" to represent to that prince" ho# easily
he might mae himself master of ivonia" and
avenge upon a ing" only seventeen years of age" the
losses that oland had sustained by his ancestors
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+t this very time ;Bar eter entertained thoughts
of seiBing Ingria and 8arelia ,hese provinces had
formerly belonged to the 1ussians" but the .#edes
had made themselves masters of them by force of
arms" in the time of the false :emetriuses" and had
retained the possession of them by treaties & another
#ar and ne# treaties might restore them again to
1ussia atul #ent from :resden to Aosco#"
and by inciting the t#o monarchs to avenge his
private causes" he cemented a close union bet#een
them" and directed their preparations for invading
all the places situated to the east and south of 3in-
land
1ussian 0mpire FRJ
ust at this period" the ne# ing of :enmar"
3rederic I9" entered into an alliance #ith the cBar
and the ing of oland" against ;harles" the young
ing of .#eden" #ho seemed in no condition to
#ithstand their united forces atul had the satis-
faction of besieging the .#edes in 1iga" the capital
of ivonia" and directing the attac as ma%or-gen-
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eral
,he cBar marched nearly t#enty thousand men
into Ingria It is true that" in this numerous army"
he had not more than F"GGG good soldiers" being
those he had disciplined himself& namely" the t#o
regiments of guards" and some fe# others" the rest
being a badly armed militia" #ith some ;ossacs and
;ircassian ,artars& but he carried #ith him one
hundred and forty-$ve pieces of cannon 6e laid
siege to /arva" a small to#n in Ingria that had a very
commodious harbor" and it #as generally thought
the place #ould prove an easy conTuest
It is no#n to all 0urope" ho# ;harles EII"
#hen not Tuite eighteen years of age" made head
against all his enemies" and attaced them one after
another& he entered :enmar" put an end to the
#ar in that ingdom in less than siK #ees" sent aid
to 1iga" obliged the enemy to raise the siege" and
marched against the 1ussians encamped before
/arva" through ice and sno#" in the month of /o-
vember
,he cBar" #ho looed upon /arva as already in
his possession" had gone to /ovgorod" and had
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taen #ith him his favorite" AenshioU" then a lieu-
tenant in the company of bombardiers" of the reob-
FRM 6istory of the
raBinsi regiment" and after#ard raised to the ran
of $eld-marshal" and prince & a man #hose singular
fortunes entitle him to be spoen of more fully in
another place
eter left the command of the army" #ith his in-
structions for the siege" #ith the prince of ;roy"
#hose family came from 3landers" and #ho had
lately entered into the cBarPs service rince :ol-
goroui acted as commissary of the army ,he
%ealousy bet#een those t#o chiefs" and the absence
of the cBar" #ere partly the occasion of the unparal-
leled defeat at /arva
;harles EII" having landed at ernau in ivonia
#ith his troops" in the month of October" advanced
north#ard to 1evel" #here he defeated an advanced
body of 1ussians 6e continued his march" and
meeting #ith another body" routed that also ,he
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runa#ays returned to the camp before /arva" #hich
they $lled #ith consternation ,he month of /o-
vember #as no# far advanced & /arva" though un-
silfully besieged" #as on the point of surrendering
,he young ing of .#eden had not at that time
above nine thousand men #ith him" and could bring
only siK pieces of cannon to oppose a hundred and
forty-$ve" #ith #hich the 1ussian intrenchments
#ere defended +ll the accounts of that time" and all
historians #ithout eKception" concur in maing the
1ussian army then before /arva" amount to eighty
thousand men ,he memoirs #ith #hich I have
been furnished say siKty thousand& be that as it
may" it is certain that ;harles had not Tuite nine
thousand" and that this battle #as one of those #hich
1ussian 0mpire FR'
prove that the greatest victories have been freTuently
gained by inferior numbers" ever since the famed one
of +rbela
;harles did not hesitate one moment to attac
this army" so greatly superior& and taing advan-
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tage of a violent #ind" and a great storm of sno#"
#hich ble# directly in the faces of the 1ussians" he
attaced their intrenchments under cover of some
pieces of cannon" #hich he had posted advanta-
geously for the purpose ,he 1ussians had not
time to form themselves in the midst of that cloud
of sno#" that beat full in their faces" and #ere as-
tonished by the discharge of cannon that they could
not see" and never imagined ho# small a number
they had to oppose
,he prince of ;roy attempted to give his orders"
but rince :olgoroui #ould not receive them ,he
1ussian oNcers rose against the 7erman oNcers&
the duePs secretary" ;olonel yon" and several
others #ere murdered 0veryone abandoned his
post" and tumult" confusion" and a panic spread
through the #hole army ,he .#edish troops had
nothing to do but to cut to pieces those #ho #ere
Sying .ome thre# themselves into the river /arva"
#here great numbers #ere dro#ned & others thre#
do#n their arms" and fell upon their nees before the
conTuering .#edes
,he prince of ;roy" 7eneral +llard" and the rest
of the general oNcers" dreading the 1ussians more
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than the .#edes" #ent in a body and surrendered
themselves prisoners to ;ount .teinboc ,he ing
of .#eden no# made himself master of the artillery
FLG 6istory of the
,hirty thousand of the vanTuished enemy laid do#n
their arms at his feet" and $led oU bareheaded and
disarmed before him rince :olgoroui and all
the 1ussian generals came and surrendered them-
selves" as #ell as the 7ermans" but did not no#
till after they had surrendered" that they had been
conTuered by eight thousand men +mong the pris-
oners" #as the son of a ing of 7eorgia" #hom
;harles sent to .tocholm & his name #as Aittelesy
;Barevitch" or cBarPs son" an additional proof that
the title of cBar" or tBar had not its origin from
the 1oman ;aesars
;harles EII did not lose more than t#elve hun-
dred men in this battle ,he cBarPs %ournal" #hich
has been sent me from .t etersburg" says that in-
cluding those #ho died at the siege of /arva" and in
the battle" and those #ho #ere dro#ned in their
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Sight" the 1ussians lost no more than siK thousand
men ant of discipline and a panic that seiBed the
army did all the #or of that fatal day ,he num-
ber of those made prisoners of #ar #as four times
greater than that of the conTuerors & and if #e may
believe /orberg" ;ount iper" #ho #as after#ard
taen prisoner by the 1ussians" reproached them"
that the number of their people made prisoners in
the battle" eKceeded by eight times the number of
the #hole .#edish army If this is truth" the
.#edes must have made over seventy-t#o thousand
prisoners ,his sho#s ho# seldom #riters are #ell
informed of particular circumstances One thing"
ho#ever" eTually incontestable and eKtraordinary" is
that the ing of .#eden permitted one-half of the
1ussian 0mpire FLF
1ussian soldiers to retire" after having disarmed
them" and the other half to repass the river" #ith
their arms & by this unaccountable presumption" re-
storing to the cBar troops that" being after#ard #ell
disciplined" became invincible
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;harles had all the advantages that could result
from a complete victory Immense magaBines" trans-
ports loaded #ith provisions" posts evacuated or
taen" and the #hole country at the mercy of the
.#edish army" #ere conseTuences of the fortune of
this day /arva #as no# relieved& the shattered
remains of the 1ussian army did not sho# them-
selves & the #hole country as far as soU lay open &
the cBar seemed bereft of all resource for carrying
on the #ar & and the ing of .#eden" victor in less
than t#elve months over the monarchs of :enmar"
oland" and 1ussia" #as looed upon as the $rst
prince in 0urope" at an age #hen princes hardly
presume to aspire at reputation ut the unshaen
constancy that made a part of eterPs character pre-
vented him from being discouraged in any of his
pro%ects
+ 1ussian bishop composed a prayer to .t /ich-
olas" on account of this defeat" #hich #as publicly
read in all the churches throughout 1ussia ,his
composition sho#s the spirit of the times" and the
ineKpressible ignorance from #hich eter delivered
his country +mong other things" it says that the
furious and terrible .#edes #ere sorcerers & and
complains that .t /icholas had entirely abandoned
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his 1ussians ,he prelates of that country #ould
blush to #rite such stuU at present& and" #ithout
FL 6istory of the
any oUence to the holy .t /icholas" the people soon
perceived that eter #as the proper person to be ap-
plied to" to retrieve their losses
;6+,01 EII
10.O@1;0. +3,01 ,60 +,,0 O3 /+19+ ,6+, :I.-
+.,01 0/,I102 10+I10: 0,01 7+I/. + 9I;-
,O12 /0+1 ,60 .+A0 +;0 ,60 01.O/ 6O
+. +3,01+1:. 0A10.." A+:0 1I.O/01 +,
,60 .,O1AI/7 O3 + ,O/ 0,01* . .@;;0..0.
6I. ,1I@A6 +, AO.;O*
,he 2ears FJGF and FJG
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,60 cBar having Tuitted his army before /arva"
in the end of /ovember" FJGG" in order to go and
concert matters #ith the ing of oland" received
the ne#s of the victory gained by the .#edes as he
#as on his #ay 6is constancy in all emergencies
#as eTual to the intrepidity and valor of ;harles
6e deferred the conference #ith +ugustus" and has-
tened to repair the disordered state of his aUairs
,he scattered troops rendeBvoused at 7reat /ov-
gorod" and marched to soU on ae eipus
It #as not a little matter to be able to stand upon
the defensive" after so severe a chec > 4I no# very
#ell"4 said eter" 4that the .#edes #ill have the ad-
vantage of us for some time" but they #ill teach us
at length to conTuer them4
6aving provided for the present emergency" and
*,his chapter and the follo#ing are taen entirely from
the %ournal of eter the 7reat" sent me from .t etersburg
1ussian 0mpire FLR
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to engage the olish :iet to enter into the Tuarrel
It is #ell no#n" that a ing of oland is no more
than the head person in a republic ,he cBar had the
advantage of being al#ays obeyed > but the ings of
oland and of 0ngland" and at present the ing of
.#eden" are all obliged to treat #ith their sub%ects
atul and a fe# oles" in the interest of their mon-
arch" assisted at these conferences eter promised
FLL 6istory of the
to aid them #ith subsidies" and an army of t#enty-
$ve thousand men ivonia #as to be restored to
oland" in case the diet #ould concur #ith their
ing" and assist in recovering this province> the
diet hearened more to their fears than to the cBarPs
proposals ,he oles #ere apprehensive of having
their liberties restrained by the .aKons" and 1us-
sians" and #ere still more afraid of ;harles EII It
#as therefore agreed by the ma%ority" not to serve
their ing" and not to $ght
,he partisans of +ugustus gre# enraged against
the contrary faction" and a civil #ar #as lighted up
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in the ingdom& because their monarch had an in-
tention to restore to it a considerable province
eter then had only an impotent ally in 8ing
+ugustus" and feeble help in the .aKon troops & and
the terror #hich ;harles EII inspired on every side"
reduced eter to the necessity of depending entirely
upon his o#n strength
+fter travelling #ith the greatest eKpedition from
Aosco# to ;ourland" to confer #ith +ugustus" he
posted bac from ;ourland to Aosco#" to for#ard
the accomplishment of his promises In Aarch he
despatched rince 1epnin" #ith four thousand men"
to 1iga" on the bans of the :#ina" #here the .aKon
troops #ere intrenched
,he general consternation #as no# increased &
for ;harles passing the :#ina in spite of all the
.aKons" #ho #ere advantageously posted on the op-
posite side" gained a complete victory over them in
uly & and then" #ithout #aiting a moment" he made
himself master of ;ourland" advanced into ith-
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1ussian 0mpire" FL5
uania" and by his presence encouraged the olish
faction that opposed +ugustus
eter" not#ithstanding all this" still pursued his
designs 7eneral atul" #ho had been the soul of
the conference at irBen" and #ho had engaged in
his service" procured him some 7erman oNcers" dis-
ciplined his troops" and supplied the place of 7eneral
efort & the cBar ordered relays of horses to be pro-
vided for all the oNcers" and even for the 7erman"
ivonian" and olish soldiers" #ho came to serve in
his armies 6e lie#ise inspected in person every
particular relating to their arms" their clothing" and
their rations
On the con$nes of ivonia and 0sthonia" and to
the east#ard of the province of /ovgorod" lies ae
eipus" #hich receives the #aters of the river 9el-
iaia" from out of the middle of ivonia" and gives
rise in its northern part to the river /arova" that
#ashes the #alls of the to#n of /arva" near #hich
the .#edes gained their famous victory ,his lae
is more than thirty leagues in length" and from
t#elve to $fteen in breadth It #as necessary to
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eep a Seet there" to prevent the .#edish ships from
insulting the province of /ovgorod & to be ready to
mae a descent on their coasts" and above all" to be
a nursery for seamen eter employed the greater
part of the year FJGF" in building on this lae" a hun-
dred half galleys" to carry about $fty men each & and
other armed bars #ere $tted out on ae adoga
6e directed all these operations in person" and set
his ne# sailors to #or > those #ho had been em-
ployed in FH'J" on the .ea of +Bov" #ere then sta-
9ol RL FG
FLH 6istory of the
tioned near the altic 6e freTuently Tuitted those
occupations to go to Aosco#" and the rest of the
provinces" in order to enforce the observance of the
customs he had introduced" or to establish ne# ones
,hose princes #ho have employed the leisure
moments of peace" in raising public #ors" have ac-
Tuired fame& but that eter" %ust after his misfor-
tune at /arva" should apply himself to the %unction
of the altic" the ;aspian" and the 0uropean seas by
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canals has cro#ned him #ith more real glory than
the most signal victory It #as in FJG that he be-
gan to dig that deep canal" intended to %oin the :on
and the 9olga Other communications #ere to be
made" by means of laes bet#een the :on and the
:#ina" #hich #aters empty into the altic" near
1iga ut this latter pro%ect seemed to be still at a
great distance" as eter #as far from having 1iga in
his possession
hile ;harles #as laying all oland #aste" eter
caused to be brought from that ingdom" and from
.aKony" a number of shepherds #ith their Socs" in
order to have #ool $t for maing good cloth & he
erected manufactories of linen and paper & gave or-
ders for collecting a number of arti$cers& such as
smiths" braBiers" armorers and founders" and the
mines of .iberia #ere ransaced for ore ,hus #as
he continually laboring for the development and de-
fence of his dominions
;harles pursued the course of his victories" and
left a suNcient body of troops" as he imagined" on
the frontiers of the cBarPs dominions" to secure all
the possessions of .#eden 6e had already formed
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1ussian 8mpire FLJ
a design to dethrone +ugustus" and after#ard to
pursue the cBar #ith his victorious army to the very
gates of Aosco#
.everal slight engagements occurred in this year
bet#een the 1ussians and .#edes^ in #hich the lat-
ter did not al#ays prove superior & and even in those
#here they had the advantage" the 1ussians im-
proved in the art of #ar In short" in little more
than t#elve months after the battle of /arva" the
cBarPs troops #ere so #ell disciplined that they de-
feated one of the best generals belonging to the ing
of .#eden
eter #as then at soU" #hence he detached
numerous bodies of troops on all sides" to attac the
.#edes& #ho #ere no# defeated by a native of
1ussia" and not a foreigner 7eneral .heremeto" by
a silful manoeuvre" attaced the Tuarters of the
.#edish general" .lippembac" in several places near
:erpt" on the frontiers of ivonia & and at last ob-
tained a victory" on anuary n" FJG +nd no#"
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for the $rst time" the 1ussians too from the .#edes
four of their colors" #hich #as thought a consider-
able number
aes eipus and adoga #ere for some time
after#ard the theatres of sea-$ghts" bet#een the
1ussians and .#edes & in #hich the latter had the
same advantage as by land > namely" that of discip-
line and long practice & but the 1ussians had some
fe# successes #ith their half galleys" at ae
eipus" and 3ield-Aarshal .heremeto too a .#ed-
ish frigate
y means of this lae the cBar ept ivonia and
FLM 6istory of the
0sthonia in continual alarm & his galleys freTuently
landed several regiments in those provinces& #ho
re-embared #henever they failed of success" or else
pursued their advantage ,he .#edes #ere t#ice
beaten in the neighborhood of :erpt" #hile they
#ere victorious every#here else
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In all these actions the 1ussians #ere superior in
number& because ;harles EI" #ho #as so suc-
cessful in every other place" gave himself little con-
cern about these triSing advantages gained by the
cBar& but he should have considered that these
numerous forces of his rival #ere every day gro#-
ing more accustomed to the business of $ghting" and
might soon become formidable
hile both parties #ere thus engaged by sea and
land in ivonia" Ingria" and 0sthonia" the cBar #as
informed that a .#edish Seet had set sail in order
to destroy +rchangel & he immediately marched
thither" and everyone #as astonished to hear of him
on the coasts of the 3roBen .ea" #hen he #as
thought to be at Aosco# 6e put the to#n into a
state of defence" prevented the intended descent"
dre# the plan of a citadel" called the /e# :#ina"
laid the $rst stone" and then returned to Aosco#"
and from there to the seat of #ar
;harles made some alliances in oland & but the
1ussians" on their side" made gains in Ingria and
ivonia Aarshal .heremeto marched to meet the
.#edish army under the command of .lippembac"
gave that general battle near the little river 0mbac"
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and defeated him" taing siKteen colors" and t#enty
pieces of cannon /orberg places this action on
1ussian 0mpire FL'
:ec u" FJGF" but the %ournal of eter the 7reat
$Kes it on uly F'" FJG
+fter this advantage" the 1ussian general
marched on#ard" laid the #hole country under con-
tribution" and too the little to#n of Aarienburg on
the con$nes of Ingria and ivonia on +ugust Hth
,here are several to#ns of this name in the north of
0urope& but this" though it no longer eKists" is
more celebrated in history than all the others" by
the adventure of the empress ;atherine
,his little to#n" having surrendered at discretion"
the .#edes" #ho defended it" either through mistae
or design" set $re to the magaBine ,he 1ussians"
incensed at this" destroyed the to#n" and carried
a#ay all the inhabitants +mong the prisoners #as
a young #oman" a native of ivonia" #ho had been
brought up in the house of a utheran minister of
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that place" named 7liic" and #ho after#ard became
the sovereign of those #ho had taen her captive"
and #ho governed 1ussia under the name of the
empress ;atherine
,here had been many instances before this of
private #omen being raised to the throne & nothing
#as more common in 1ussia" and in all +siatic ing-
doms" than for cro#ned heads to marry their o#n
sub%ects & but that a poor stranger" #ho had been
taen prisoner in the storming of a to#n" should
become the absolute sovereign of that very empire
#hither she #as led captive is an instance #hich for-
tune and merit never produced before nor since in
the annals of the #orld
,he 1ussian arms proved eTually successful in
F5G 6istory of the
Ingria & for their half galleys on ae adoga com-
pelled the .#edish Seet to retire to 9iborg" a to#n
at the other eKtremity of this great lae" #hence
they could see the fortress of /oteborg" #hich #as
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then besieged by 7eneral .heremeto ,his #as an
undertaing of much greater importance than #as
imagined at that time" as it might open a communi-
cation #ith the altic .ea" the constant aim of eter
the 7reat
/oteborg #as a strongly forti$ed to#n" built on
an island in ae adoga" #hich it commands" and
by that means" #hoever is in possession of it" must
be master of that part of the river /eva" #hich falls
into the sea near there ,he 1ussians bombarded
the to#n night and day" from .eptember FM till Oc-
tober F& and at length made a general assault by
three breaches ,he .#edish garrison #as reduced
to a hundred men $t for service & and #hat is very
astonishing" they did defend it" and obtained" even
in the breach" an honorable capitulation on October
FH& moreover" ;olonel .lippembac" #ho com-
manded there" #ould not surrender the to#n" eK-
cept on condition of being permitted to send for t#o
.#edish oNcers from the nearest post" to eKamine
the breaches" in order to be #itnesses for him to
the ing" his master" that eighty-three men" #ho
#ere all then left of the garrison capable of bearing
arms" besides one hundred and $fty sic and
#ounded" did not surrender to a #hole army" till it
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+fter this campaign of FJG" the cBar resolved
that .heremeto and the oNcers #ho had signaliBed
themselves should mae a triumphal entry into Aos-
co# on :ecember ith +ll the prisoners taen in
this campaign marched in the train of the victors"
#ho had the .#edish colors and standards carried
before them" together #ith the Sag of the .#edish
frigate taen on ae eipus eter assisted in the
preparations for this triumphal pomp" as he had
shared in the great actions it celebrated
,hese sho#s naturally inspired emulation" other-
#ise they #ould have been no more than idle osten-
tation ;harles despised everything of this ind"
and" after the battle of /arva" held his enemies"
their eUorts" and their triumphs" in eTual contempt
F5 6istory of the
;6+,01 EIII
103O1A+,IO/ O3 AO.;O 3@1,601 .@;;0..0.
3O@/:I/7 O3 ., 0,01.@17 ,+8I/7 O3 /+19+
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,60 short stay #hich the cBar made at Aosco#"
in the beginning of the #inter FJGR" #as employed
in seeing all his ne# regulations put into eKecution"
and in improving the civil as #ell as military gov-
ernment 0ven his amusements #ere calculated to
inspire his sub%ects #ith a taste for the ne# manner
of living #hich he had introduced ith this in
vie#" he invited all the boyars and principal ladies of
Aosco# to the marriage of one of his sisters" at
#hich everyone #as reTuired to appear dressed after
the ancient fashion + dinner #as served in the
same manner as in the siKteenth century y an
old superstitious custom" no one #as to light a $re
on the #edding-day" even in the coldest season
,his custom #as rigorously observed on this occa-
sion ,he 1ussians formerly never dran #ine"
but only mead and brandy& no other liTuors #ere
permitted on this day" and" #hen the guests made
complaints" he replied" in a %oing manner" 4,his
#as a custom #ith your ancestors" and old customs
are al#ays the best4 ,his raillery contributed
greatly to the reformation of those #ho preferred
past times to the present" at least it put a stop to
their murmurings & and there are several nations
that stand in need of the lie eKample
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+ still more useful institution #as that of a
printing press for 1ussian and atin type" the parts
of #hich #ere all brought from 6olland ,hey be-
1ussian 0mpire F5R
gan by printing translations in 1ussian of several
boos of morality and polite literature 3erguson
founded schools for geometry" astronomy" and navi-
gation
+nother institution no less necessary #as that of
a large hospital" not one of those houses #hich en-
courage idleness and perpetuate the misery of the
people" but such as the cBar had seen at +msterdam"
#here old persons and children are employed" and
#here everyone #ithin the #alls is made useful in
some #ay
6e established several manufactures & and as
soon as he had introduced those arts into Aosco#"
he hastened to 9oroneBh" to give directions for
building t#o ships of eighty guns" each #ith long
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cradles or caserns $tted to the ribs of the vessel" to
buoy her up" and carry her safely over the shoals
and bans of sand that lay about +Bov & an ingenious
contrivance" similar to that used by the :utch in
6olland" to get their large ships over the ampus
6aving made all necessary preparations against
the ,urs" he turned his attention against the
.#edes 6e #ent" in Aarch" FJGR" to visit the
ships that #ere being built at OlonetB" a to#n be-
t#een aes adoga and Onega" #here he had es-
tablished a foundry for maing all inds of arms &
and #hen everything bore a military aspect" at Aos-
co# Sourished all the arts of peace + spring of
mineral #ater" #hich had been lately discovered
near OlonetB" added to the reputation of that place
3rom there he proceeded to .chliisselburg" #hich he
forti$ed
F5L 6istory of the
e have already observed that eter #as deter-
mined to pass regularly through all the military de-
grees & he had served as lieutenant of bombardeers
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under rince AenshioU" before that favorite #as
made governor of .chliisselburg" and no# he too
the ran of captain" and served under Aarshal
.heremeto
,here #as an important fortress near ae a-
doga" and not far from the river /eva" named /y-
antB or /ya It #as necessary to mae himself
master of this place" in order to secure his conTuests"
and favor his other designs 6e therefore under-
too to transport a number of small bars" $lled
#ith soldiers" and to drive oU the .#edish vessels
that #ere bringing supplies" #hile .heremeto had
the care of the trenches ,he citadel surrendered"
Aay d" and t#o .#edish vessels arrived too late
to assist the besieged" being attaced and taen by
the cBar 6is %ournal says" that" as a re#ard for his
service" 4,he captain of bombardeers #as created
8night of the Order of .t +ndre# by +dmiral 7ol-
ovin" the $rst night of that Order4
+fter the taing of the fort of /ya" he resolved
to build the city of .t etersburg" at the mouth of
the /eva" upon the 7ulf of 3inland
,he aUairs of 8ing +ugustus #ere in a desperate
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state& the victories of the .#edes in oland had
emboldened his enemies" and even his friends had
obliged him to dismiss a body of t#enty thousand
1ussians that the cBar had sent him to reinforce his
army ,hey thought by this sacri$ce to deprive the
malcontents of all preteKt for %oining the ing of
1ussian 0mpire F55
.#eden & but enemies are disarmed by force" a sho#
of #eaness serving only to mae them more inso-
lent ,hese t#enty thousand men that had been
disciplined by atul proved of in$nite service in
ivonia and Ingria" #hile +ugustus #as losing his
dominions ,his reinforcement" and above all the
possession of /ya" enabled the cBar to found his ne#
capital
It #as in this barren and marshy spot" #hich
has communication #ith the mainland by one #ay
only" that eter laid the foundation of .t eters-
burg" in siKty degrees of north latitude and forty-
four and a half east longitude ,he ruins of some
of the bastions of /ya #ere made use of for the
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$rst stones of the foundation ,hey began by build-
ing a small fort on one of the islands" #hich is no#
in the centre of the city ,he .#edes beheld" #ith-
out apprehension" a settlement in the midst of a
morass" and inaccessible to large vessels& but in a
very short time they sa# the forti$cations advanced"
a to#n raised" and the little island of 8ronstadt"
situated over against it" changed" in FJGL into an
impregnable fortress" under the cannon of #hich
even the largest Seets may ride in safety
,hese #ors" #hich seemed to reTuire a time of
profound peace" #ere carried on in the very bosom
of #ar ormen of every sort #ere called together
from Aosco#" +strahan" 8aBan" and the @raine"
to assist in building the ne# city /either the diN-
culties of the ground" that #as to be rendered $rm
and raised" the distance #hich the necessary ma-
terials must be brought" the unforseen obstacles
F5H 6istory of the
#hich are forever springing up in all great under-
taings& nor" lastly" the epidemic disorder #hich
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carried oU a large number of the #ormen" could
discourage the royal founder& and in $ve months
a ne# city arose It is true" indeed" it #as little
better than a cluster of huts" #ith only t#o bric
houses surrounded by ramparts & but this #as all
that #as then necessary ,ime and perseverance
accomplished the rest In less than $ve months after
the founding of .t etersburg a :utch ship came
there to trade" the captain of #hich #as handsomely
re#arded" and the :utch soon found the #ay to .t
etersburg
hile eter #as directing the establishment of
this colony" he too care to provide for its safety
by maing himself master of the neighboring posts
+ .#edish colonel named ;roniort had taen post
on the river .estra" and thence threatened the rising
city eter" on uly Mth" marched against him #ith
his t#o regiments of guards" defeated him" and
obliged him to repass the river 6aving thus put
his to#n in safety" he repaired to OlonetB" to give
directions for building a number of small vessels"
and in .eptember returned to .t etersburg on
board a frigate that had been built by his direction"
taing #ith him siK transport vessels for present
use" till the others could be got ready 0ven at this
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%uncture he did not forget his ally" the ing of o-
land" but in /ovember he sent him a reinforcement
of t#elve thousand foot" and a subsidy in money of
three hundred thousand rubles" #hich mae about
one million $ve hundred thousand 3rench livres
1ussian 0mpire F5J
It has been remared that his annual revenue did not
eKceed $ve million rubles & a sum #hich the eKpense
of his Seets" of his armies" and of his ne# establish-
ments seemed more than suNcient to eKhaust 6e
had" almost at one and the same time" forti$ed /ov-
gorod" soU" 8ieU" .molens" +Bov" +rchangel"
and founded a capital /ot#ithstanding all this" he
had still a suNciency left to assist his ally #ith men
and money ;ornelius le ruine" a :utchman #ho
#as on his travels and at that time in 1ussia" and
#ith #hom he freTuently conversed freely" as indeed
he did #ith all strangers" says that the cBar assured
him that he had still three hundred thousand rubles
remaining in his coUers" after all the eKpenses of the
#ar #ere defrayed
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In order to put his infant city of .t etersburg
out of danger of insult" he #ent in person to sound
the depth of #ater thereabouts" $Ked on a place for
building the fort of 8ronstadt& and" after maing
the model of it in #ood #ith his o#n hands" he em-
ployed rince AenshioU to put it in eKecution
3rom there he #ent" in /ovember" to pass the #inter
at Aosco#" in order to establish" by degrees" the
several alterations he had made in the la#s" manners"
and customs of 1ussia 6e regulated the $nances
and put them on a ne# footing 6e eKpedited the
#ors that #ere in progress in 9oroneBh" at +Bov &
and in a harbor #hich he had caused to be made on
the .ea of +Bov" under the fort of ,aganrog
In anuary" FJGL" the Ottoman orte" alarmed at
these preparations" sent an embassy to the cBar" com-
plaining thereof & to #hioh he ans#ered that he #as
F5M 6istory of the
master in his o#n dominions" as #ell as the grand
seignior #as in ,urey" and that it #as no infringe-
ment of the peace to render the 1ussian po#er re-
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spectable on the 0uKine .ea
@pon his return to .t etersburg in Aarch" $nd-
ing his ne# citadel of 8ronstadt" #hich had been
founded in the bosom of the sea" completely $n-
ished" he furnished it #ith the necessary artillery"
but in order to settle himself $rmly in Ingria" and
to repair the disgrace he had suUered before /arva"
he deemed it necessary to tae that city hile he
#as maing preparations for the siege" a small Seet
appeared on ae eipus to oppose his designs
,he 1ussian half galleys #ent out to meet them"
gave them battle" arid too the #hole sTuadron"
#hich had on board ninety-eight pieces of cannon
+fter this victory" the cBar laid siege to /arva by
sea and land" and also besieged the city of :erpt in
0sthonia at the same time
ho #ould have imagined that there #as a uni-
versity in :erpt? 7ustavus +dolphus had founded
one there" but it did not render that city more
famous" :erpt being only no#n by these t#o
sieges eter #as continually going from one to the
other" for#arding the attacs and directing all the
operations ,he .#edish general" .lippembac" #as
in the neighborhood of :erpt #ith a body of t#enty-
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$ve hundred men
,he besiegers eKpected every instant that he
#ould thro# reinforcements into the place" but
eter" on this occasion" had recourse to a stratagem
#orthy of more freTuent imitation 6e ordered t#o
1ussian 0mpire F5'
regiments of foot and one of horse to be clothed in
the same uniform" and to carry the same standards
and colors of the .#edes ,hese sham .#edes at-
taced the trenches on une Jth" and the 1ussians
pretended to be put to Sight & the garrison" deceived
by appearances" made a sally" on #hich the moc
combatants %oined their forces and fell upon the
.#edes" one-half of #hom #ere left dead upon the
place and the rest made shift to get bac to the
to#n .lippembac arrived soon after to relieve
them" but #as totally defeated +t length" on uly
Rd" :erpt #as obliged to capitulate" %ust as the cBar
#as preparing everything for a general assault
+t the same time eter met #ith a chec on the
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side of his ne# city of .t etersburg& but this did
not prevent him from going on #ith the #or at that
place" or from vigorously prosecuting the siege of
/arva It has already been observed that he sent
reinforcements and money to 8ing +ugustus #hen
his enemies #ere driving him from his throne & but
both these aids proved useless ,he 1ussians hav-
ing %oined the ithuanians in the interest of +ugus-
tus" #ere totally defeated in ;ourland by the
.#edish general" o#enhaupt" on uly Rist" and had
the victors directed their eUorts to#ard ivonia"
0sthonia" and Ingria" they might have destroyed the
cBarPs ne# #ors and all the fruits of his great un-
dertaings eter #as every day sapping the breast-
#ors of .#eden" #hile ;harles seemed to neglect
all resistance" for the pursuit of a less advantageous"
though a more brilliant fame
On uly F" FJGL" a single .#edish colonel" at the
FHG 6istory of the
head of his detachment" obliged the olish nobility
to nominate a ne# ing on the $eld of election" called
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8olo" near the city of arsa# ,he cardinal" pri-
mate of the ingdom" and several bishops" submitted
to a utheran prince" not#ithstanding the menaces
and eKcommunications of the supreme pontiU In
short" everything gave #ay to force +ll the #orld
no#s ho# .tanislaus ecBinsy #as elected ing"
and ho# ;harles EII obliged the greater part of
oland to acno#ledge him
eter" ho#ever" #ould not abandon the dethroned
ing" but redoubled his assistance in proportion to
the necessities of his ally & and #hile his enemy #as
maing ings" he beat the .#edish generals one
after another in 0sthonia and Ingria" then passed to
the siege of /arva and made several vigorous as-
saults on the to#n ,here #ere three bastions"
famous at least for their names" called 9ictory"
6onor" and 7lory ,he cBar carried them all three
s#ord in hand on +ugust G ,he besiegers forced
their #ay into the to#n" #here they pillaged and
eKercised all those cruelties #hich #ere but too cus-
tomary at that time bet#een the .#edes and 1us-
sians
eter here gave an eKample that should have
gained him the aUection of all his ne# sub%ects 6e
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ran every#here in person to put a stop to the pillage
and slaughter" rescued several #omen out of the
clutches of the brutal soldiery" and" after having
#ith his o#n hand illed t#o of those ruNans #ho
had refused to obey his orders" he entered the to#n-
house" #hither the citiBens had ran in cro#ds for
1ussian 0mpire FHF
shelter" and laying his s#ord" yet reeing #ith blood"
upon the table" said > 4,his s#ord is not stained
#ith the blood of your fello#-citiBens" but #ith that
of my o#n soldiers" #hich I have spilled to save
your lives4
;6+,01 EI9
0,01 ,60 710+, 800. O..0..IO/ O3 + I/71I+"
6I0 ;6+10. EII I. ,1I@A6+/, I/ O,601
+;0. 1I.0 O3 A0/.6I8O33 ., 0,01.@17
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.0;@10: ,60 ;C+1 0E0;@,0. 6I. :0.I7/.
/O,I,6.,+/:I/7 ,60 9I;,O1I0. O3 ,60 8I/7
O3 .0:0/
I/ FJGL" eter" being no# master of all Ingria"
conferred the government of that province upon
AenshioU& and at the same time gave him the
title of prince and the ran of ma%or-general ride
and pre%udice might" in other countries" $nd means
to ob%ect to a pastry cooPs boy being raised to be a
general and governor and to princely dignity& but
eter had already accustomed his sub%ects to see"
#ithout surprise" everything given to merit" and
nothing to mere nobility AenshioU" by a lucy
accident" had" #hile a boy" been taen from his
original obscurity and placed in the cBarPs family"
#here he learned several languages and acTuired a
no#ledge of public aUairs" both in the cabinet and
$eld & and having found means to ingratiate himself
#ith his master" he after#ard ne# ho# to render
himself necessary 6e greatly for#arded the #ors
9ol RL ii
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F H 6istory of the
at .t etersburg" of #hich he had the direction&
several bric and stone houses #ere already built"
#ith an arsenal and magaBines & the forti$cations
#ere completed" but the palaces #ere not built till
some time later
eter #as scarcely settled in /arva" #hen he of-
fered fresh assistance to the dethroned ing of o-
land& he promised him a body of troops over and
above the t#elve thousand men he had already sent
him" and actually despatched 7eneral 1epnin from
the frontiers of ithuania" #ith siK thousand horse"
and the same number of foot ut he did not lose
sight of his colony of .t etersburg ,he build-
ings #ent on rapidly& his navy increased daily&
several ships and frigates #ere on the stocs at
OlonetB& these he too care to see $nished" and
brought them himself into the harbor of .t eters-
burg in October
0ach of his returns to Aosco# #as distinguished
by triumphal entries In this manner did he revisit
it in :ecember" #hence he made only one eKcursion"
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to be present at the launching of his $rst ship of
eighty guns on the 9oroneBh" #hich ship he himself
had designed the preceding year
In Aay" FJG5" as soon as the campaign could be
opened in oland" he hastened to the army #hich
he had sent to the assistance of +ugustus" on the
frontiers of that ingdom& but #hile he #as thus
supporting his ally" a .#edish Seet put to sea to
destroy .t etersburg and the fortress of 8ron-
stadt" as yet hardly $nished ,his Seet consisted of
t#enty-t#o ships of #ar" from $fty-four to siKty-
1ussian 0mpire FHR
four guns each" besides siK frigates" t#o bomb-
etches" and t#o $reships ,he troops that #ere sent
on this eKpedition made a descent on the little island
of 8otin & but a 1ussian colonel" named ,olbog#in"
#ho commanded a regiment there" ordered his sol-
diers to lie do#n #hile the .#edes #ere landing"
and then suddenly rising up" they thre# in such a
bris and #ell-directed $re that the .#edes #ere
put into confusion and forced to retreat #ith the ut-
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most precipitation to their ships" leaving behind
them all their dead and over three hundred pris-
oners
6o#ever" their Seet still continued hovering
about the coast and threatened .t etersburg
,hey made another descent and #ere repulsed as be-
fore & land forces #ere also advancing from 9iborg
under the command of the .#edish general" Aeidel"
and too their route by .chliisselburg & this #as the
greatest attempt that ;harles had yet made upon
those territories #hich eter had either conTuered
or formed ,he .#edes #ere every#here repulsed"
and .t etersburg remained in security
eter" on the other hand" advanced to#ard ;our-
land" #ith the intention of penetrating as far as
1iga 6is plan #as to mae himself master of i-
vonia" #hile ;harles EII #as busied in reducing
the oles to obedience to the ne# ing he had given
them ,he cBar #as still at 9ilna in ithuania" and
7eneral .heremeto #as approaching to#ard Aitau"
the capital of ;ourland& but there he #as met by
7eneral o#enhaupt" already famous for several
victories" and a pitched battle #as fought bet#een
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FHL 6istory of the
the t#o armies at a place called 7emavershoU" or
7emavers
In all those actions" #here eKperience and dis-
cipline decide the day" the .#edes" though inferior
in number" had the advantage ,he 1ussians #ere
totally defeated" une Mth" and lost all their
artillery eter" not#ithstanding the loss of three
battles" viB" at 7emavers" at acobstadt" and at
/arva" al#ays retrieved his losses" and even con-
verted them to his advantage
+fter the battle of 7emavers" he marched his
army into ;ourland & came before Aitau" made him-
self master of the to#n" and after#ard laid siege
to the citadel" #hich he too by capitulation
,he 1ussian troops at that time had the reputa-
tion of follo#ing their successes by rapine and pil-
lage & a custom of too great antiTuity in all nations
ut eter" at the taing of /arva" had made such
alterations in this custom that the 1ussian soldiers
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appointed to guard the vaults #here the grand
dues of ;ourland #ere buried" in the castle of
Aitau" perceiving that the bodies had been taen out
of their tombs" and stripped of their ornaments" re-
fused to tae possession of their post till a .#edish
colonel had been $rst sent for to inspect the condi-
tion of the place" #ho gave them a certi$cate that
this outrage had been committed by the .#edes
themselves
+ rumor #hich #as spread throughout the #hole
empire that the cBar had been totally defeated at
the battle of 7emavers" proved of greater pre%udice
to his aUairs than even the loss of that battle ,he
1ussian 0mpire FH5
remainder of the ancient strelitBes in garrison at
+strahan" emboldened by this false report" muti-
nied" and murdered the governor of the to#n eter
#as obliged to send Aarshal .heremeto #ith a body
of troops to Tuell the insurrection and punish the
mutineers
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0verything seemed no# to conspire against the
cBar> the success and valor of ;harles EII & the
misfortunes of +ugustus & the forced neutrality of
:enmar & the insurrection of the ancient strel-
itBes & the murmurs of a people" sensible of the re-
straint" but not of the utility of the late reform&
the discontent of the grandees" #ho found them-
selves sub%ected to military discipline & and lastly"
the eKhausted state of the $nances" #ere suNcient
to have discouraged any prince eKcept eter& but
he did not despond" even for an instant 6e soon
Tuelled the revolt" and having provided for the
safety of Ingria" and secured the possession of the
citadel of Aitau" in spite of the victorious o#en-
haupt" #ho had not troops enough to oppose him"
he found himself at liberty to march an army
through .amo%itia and ithuania
6e no# shared #ith ;harles EII the glory of
giving la#s to oland 6e advanced as far as ,y-
ocin" #here he had an intervie# for the second
time #ith 8ing +ugustus& #hen he endeavored to
comfort him under his misfortunes" promising to
avenge his cause" and at the same time made him a
present of some colors #hich AenshioU had taen
from the troops of his rival ,he t#o monarchs
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after#ard #ent together to 7rodno" the capital of
F HH 6istory of the
ithuania" #here they remained till :ecember F5
+t their parting eter gave him both men and
money" and then" according to his custom" #ent to
pass part of the #inter at Aosco#" to encourage the
arts and sciences there" as #ell as to enforce his ne#
la#s" after having made a very diNcult and labori-
ous campaign
;6+,01 E9
6I0 0,01 I. .,10/7,60/I/7 6I. ;O/D@0.,."
+/: IA1O9I/7 ,60 OI;0 O3 6I. :OAI/IO/."
6I. 0/0A2" ;6+10. EII" 7+I/. .0901+ +,-
,0. & 7I90. +. ,O O+/: +/: .+EO/2" +/:
,O +@7@.,@." /O,I,6.,+/:I/7 + 9I;,O12
7+I/0: 2 ,60 [email protected]+/. +@7@.,@. 10.I7/.
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,60 ;1O/" +/: :0I901. @ +,8@" ,60
;C+1P. +A+..+:O1 A@1:01 O3 +,8@" 6O
I. .0/,0/;0: ,O 0 1O80/ O/ ,60 600
0,01 had barely returned to Aosco#" in FJGH"
#hen he heard that ;harles EII" after being every-
#here victorious" #as advancing to#ard 7rodno" to
attac the 1ussian troops 8ing +ugustus had been
obliged to See from 7rodno" and retire #ith pre-
cipitation to#ard .aKony" #ith four regiments of
1ussian dragoons & a step #hich both #eaened and
discouraged the army of his protector eter found
all the roads to 7rodno occupied by the .#edes" and
his troops dispersed
hile he #as #ith diNculty assembling his
troops in ithuania" the famous .chulenburg" #ho
;6+1@0. Eir O1 .0:0/
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1ussian 0mpire FHJ
#as the last support +ugustus had left" and #ho
after#ard gained so much glory by the defence of
;orfu against the ,urs" #as advancing on the side
of 7reat oland" #ith about t#elve thousand .aK-
ons" and siK thousand 1ussians" taen from the
troops #ith #hich the cBar had intrusted that un-
fortunate prince .chulenburg reasonably eK-
pected" #ith %ust reason" that he #ould be able to
prop the sining fortunes of +ugustus & he per-
ceived that ;harles EII #as employed in ithuania"
and that there #ere only ten thousand .#edes under
7eneral 1enschild to interrupt his march & he" there-
fore" advanced #ith con$dence as far as the fron-
tiers of .ilesia" #hich is the passage out of .aKony
into @pper oland hen he came near the village
of 3raustadt" on the frontiers of that ingdom" he
met 7eneral 1enschild" #ho #as advancing to give
him battle
hatever care I tae to avoid repeating #hat has
been already mentioned in the history of ;harles
EII" I am obliged in this place to note that there
#as in the .aKon army a 3rench regiment" that had
been taen prisoners at the famous battle of len-
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heim" and here obliged to serve in the .aKon rans
Ay memoirs say that this regiment had charge of
the artillery" and add" that the 3rench" struc #ith
the fame and reputation of ;harles EII" and dis-
contented #ith the .aKon service" laid do#n their
arms as soon as they came in sight of the enemy"
and desired to be taen into the .#edish army" in
#hich they continued till the end of the #ar
,his defection #as as the beginning or signal of a
F HM 6istory of the
total overthro# to the 1ussian army" of #hich no
more than three battalions #ere saved" and almost
every man of these #as #ounded & and as no Tuar-
ter #as granted" the remainder #ere cut to pieces
/orberg" the chaplain" pretends that the .#edish
#ord at this battle #as" 4In the name of 7od"4 and
that of the 1ussians" 48ill all4 & but the .#edes
illed all in 7odPs name ,he cBar himself declares"
in one of his manifestoes" that a number of 1us-
sians" ;ossacs" and 8almucs" that had been made
prisoners" #ere murdered in cold blood three days
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after that battle ,he irregular troops on both sides
had accustomed their generals to these cruelties"
than #hich greater #ere never committed in the most
barbarous times I had the honor to hear 8ing .tan-
islaus say" that in one of those engagements" #hich
#ere so freTuent in oland" a 1ussian oNcer #ho
had formerly been one of his friends came to put
himself under his protection" after the defeat of the
corps he commanded & and that the .#edish general"
.teinbo" shot him dead #ith a pistol" #hile he held
him in his arms
,his #as the fourth battle the 1ussians had lost
against the .#edes" #ithout reconing the other vic-
tories of ;harles EII in oland ,he cBarPs troops
that #ere in 7rodno ran the ris of suUering a still
greater disgrace" by being surrounded on all sides &
but he fortunately found means to get them to-
gether" and even to strengthen them #ith rein-
forcements ut being forced to provide at once
for the safety of this army" and the security of his
conTuests in Ingria" he ordered rince AenshioU
1ussian 0mpire FH'
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to march #ith the army under his command east-
#ard" and from thence south#ard as far as 8ieU
hile his men #ere on the march" he repaired
to .chliisselburg" then to /arva" and to his colony
of .t etersburg" and put those places in shape for
defence 3rom the altic he hastened to the bans
of the oristhenes" to enter into oland by the #ay
of 8ieU" maing it still his chief care to render those
victories of ;harles" #hich he had not been able to
prevent" of as little advantage to the victor as pos-
sible +t this very time" he meditated a ne# con-
Tuest & namely" that of 9iborg" the capital of 8a-
relia" situated on the 7ulf of 3inland 6e #ent in
season to lay siege to this place" but it #ithstood the
po#er of his arms & aid arrived in season" and he #as
obliged to raise the siege 6is rival" ;harles EII"
did not mae any conTuests" though he gained so
many battles & he #as at that time in pursuit of 8ing
+ugustus in .aKony" being al#ays more intent upon
humbling that prince" and crushing him beneath the
#eight of his superior po#er and reputation" than
upon recovering Ingria" #hich had been #rested
from him by a vanTuished enemy
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6e spread terror through all @pper oland" .i-
lesia" and .aKony 8ing +ugustusP #hole family"
his mother" his #ife" his son" and the principal no-
bility of the country" retired into the heart of the
empire +ugustus no# sued for peace" choosing to
trust himself to the mercy of his conTueror rather
than in the arms of his protector 6e entered into
a treaty #hich deprived him of the cro#n of o-
land" and covered him #ith ignominy ,his #as a
FJG 6istory of the
private treaty" and #as to be concealed from the
cBarPs generals" #ith #hom he had taen refuge in
oland" #hile ;harles EII #as giving la#s in eip-
sic" and acting as absolute master throughout his
electorate
6is plenipotentiaries had already signed the fatal
treaty" on .eptember FL" by #hich he not only di-
vested himself of the cro#n of oland" but prom-
ised never more to assume the title of ing& at the
same time he recogniBed .tanislaus" renounced his
alliance #ith the cBar" his benefactor" and to com-
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plete his humiliation" engaged to deliver up to
;harles EII " ohn 1einold atul" the cBarPs am-
bassador and general in the 1ussian service" #ho
#as then actually $ghting his cause 6e had some
time before ordered atul to be arrested on false
suspicions" contrary to the la# of nations & and no#"
in direct violation of these la#s" he delivered him
up to his enemy It had been better for him to have
died s#ord in hand than to have concluded such a
treaty > a treaty #hich not only robbed him of his
cro#n" and of his reputation & but also endangered
his liberty" because he #as at that time in the po#er
of rince AenshioU in osnania" and the fe# .aK-
ons that he had #ith him #ere paid by the 1ussians
rince AenshioU #as opposed in that district
by a .#edish army" reinforced #ith a strong party
of oles" in the interest of the ne# ing" .tanislaus"
under the command of 7eneral Aaderfeld & and not
no#ing that +ugustus had entered into a treaty
#ith the enemies of 1ussia" had proposed to attac
1ussian 0mpire FJF
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them" and +ugustus did not dare to refuse ,he
battle #as fought on October F'" near 8alisB" in the
palatinate belonging to .tanislaus & this #as the $rst
pitched battle the 1ussians had gained against the
.#edes rince AenshioU had all the glory of the
action" four thousand of the enemy #ere left dead on
the $eld" and t#enty-siK hundred #ere made pris-
oners
It is diNcult to comprehend ho# +ugustus could
be prevailed on" after this battle" to ratify a treaty
#hich deprived him of all the fruits of his victory
ut ;harles #as still triumphant in .aKony" #here
his very name spread terror ,he success of the
1ussians appeared so triSing" and the olish party
against +ugustus #as so strong" and" in $ne" that
monarch #as so ill-advised" that he signed that fatal
document /or did he stop here & he #rote to his
envoy" 3instein" a letter" that #as" if possible" more
shameful than the treaty itself & for therein he ased
pardon for having obtained a victory" protesting
that the battle had been fought against his #ill & that
the 1ussians and the oles" his adherents" had
obliged him to do it & that he had" #ith a vie# of pre-
venting it" actually made some movements to aban-
don AenshioU & that Aaderfeld might have beaten
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him" had he made the most of that opportunity&
that he #as ready to restore all the .#edish prison-
ers" or to brea #ith the 1ussians & and that" in $ne"
he #ould give the ing of .#eden all possible satis-
faction for having dared to beat his troops
,his #hole aUair" unparalleled and inconceivable
FJ 6istory of the
as it is" is nevertheless strictly true hen #e reSect
that" #ith all this #eaness" +ugustus #as one of
the bravest princes in 0urope" #e may plainly per-
ceive that the loss or preservation" the rise or decline
of empires" is entirely o#ing to fortitude of mind
,#o other circumstances concurred to complete
the disgrace of the ing of oland" elector of .aK-
ony" and heighten the abuse #hich ;harles EII
made of his good fortune & the $rst #as his obliging
+ugustus to #rite a letter of congratulation to the
ne# ing" .tanislaus" on his election > the second
#as terrible & he even compelled +ugustus to deliver
up atul" the cBarPs ambassador and general It
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is suNciently no#n to all 0urope" that this minis-
ter #as after#ard broen alive upon the #heel" in
.eptember" FJGJ /orberg" the chaplain" confesses
that the orders for his eKecution #ere all #ritten in
;harlesPs o#n hand
,here is not a civilian in all 0urope" nay" even
the vilest slave" but must feel the horror of this bar-
barous in%ustice ,he $rst crime of this unfortu-
nate man #as his having made a humble repre-
sentation of the rights and privileges of his country"
at the head of siK ivonian gentlemen" #ho #ere
sent as deputies from the #hole province & having
been condemned to die for ful$lling the $rst of
duties" that of serving his country agreeably to her
la#s ,his iniTuitous sentence put him in full pos-
session of a right #hich all manind derive from
nature" that of choosing his country eing after-
#ard made ambassador to one of the greatest mon-
archs in the universe" his person thereby became sa-
1ussian 0mpire FJR
cred On this occasion the la# of force violated that
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of nature and nations In former ages cruelties of
this ind #ere hidden in the blaBe of success" but
no# they sully the glory of a conTueror
;6+,01 E9I
+,,0A,. A+:0 ,O .0, @ + ,6I1: 8I/7 O3 O-
+/: ;6+10. EII .0,. O@, 31OA .+EO/2
I,6 + O013@ +1A2" +/: A+1;60.
,61O@76 O+/: I/ + 9I;,O1IO@. A+//01
;1@0,I0. ;OAAI,,0: ;O/:@;, O3 ,60 ;C+1
.@;;0..0. O3 ,60 8I/7 O3 .0:0/" 6O +,
0/7,6 +:9+/;0. ,O+1: [email protected]+
;6+10. EII en%oyed the fruits of his good for-
tune in +ltranstadt" near eipsic" #hither the rot-
estant princes of the 7erman 0mpire repaired in
droves to pay homage to him" and implore his pro-
tection 6e received ambassadors from almost all
the potentates of 0urope ,he emperor oseph im-
plicitly follo#ed his directions eter" perceiving
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that 8ing +ugustus had renounced his protection
and his o#n cro#n" and that a part of the olish
nation had acno#ledged .tanislaus" listened to the
proposals made him" by 2olova" of choosing a
third ing
+ diet #as held at ublin" in anuary" FJGJ" in
#hich several of the palatines #ere proposed& and
among others" rince 1agotsi #as put upon the
list" that prince #ho #as so long ept in prison
FJL 6istory of the
#hen young by the emperor eopold" and #ho
after#ard" #hen he procured his liberty" #as his
competitor for the throne of 6ungary
,his negotiation #as pushed" and oland #as on
the point of having three ings at one time rince
1agotsi not succeeding" eter thought to besto#
the cro#n on .imiausi" grand general of the re-
public" a person of great po#er and interest" and
head of a third party" that #ould neither acno#l-
edge the dethroned ing nor the person elected by
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the opposite party
In the midst of these troubles" there #as a tal
of peace" as is customary on such occasions es-
seval" the 3rench envoy in .aKony" interposed" in
order to bring about a reconciliation bet#een the
cBar and the ing of .#eden It #as thought at
that time by the court of 3rance" that ;harles" hav-
ing no longer either the 1ussians or oles to $ght
against" might turn his arms against 0mperor o-
seph" #ith #hom he #as not on good terms" and on
#hom he had even imposed several la#s during his
stay in .aKony ut ;harles ans#ered that he
#ould treat #ith the cBar in Aosco# It #as on
this occasion that eter said > 4Ay brother ;harles
#ants to act the +leKander" but he shall not $nd a
:arius in me4
,he 1ussians" ho#ever" #ere still in oland" and
#ere in the city of arsa#" #hile the ing #hom
;harles EII had set over the oles #as hardly ac-
no#ledged by that nation In the meantime"
;harles #as enriching his army #ith the spoils of
.aKony
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1ussian 0mpire FJ5
+t length he began his march from +ltranstadt"
at the head of an army of forty-$ve thousand men &
a force #hich it seemed impossible for the cBar to
#ithstand" seeing he had been entirely defeated by
eight thousand at /arva
It #as in passing by the #alls of :resden that
;harles made that very eKtraordinary visit to 8ing
+ugustus" #hich" as /orberg says" 4#ill strie pos-
terity #ith admiration4 It #as running an unac-
countable ris" to put himself in the po#er of a
prince #hom he had deprived of his ingdom 3rom
there he continued his march through .ilesia" and
re-entered oland
,his country had been ravaged by #ar" ruined by
factions" and #as a prey to every ind of calamity
;harles continued advancing #ith his army through
the province of Auscovia" and chose the most diN-
cult #ays he could tae ,he inhabitants" #ho had
taen shelter in the morasses" resolved to mae him
at least pay for his passage .iK thousand peasants
despatched an old man to spea to him > this man"
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#ho #as of a very eKtraordinary $gure" clad in
#hite" and armed #ith t#o carbines" made a speech
to ;harles& but as the bystanders did not under-
stand #hat he said" they" #ithout any further cer-
emony" despatched him in the midst of his harangue"
and before their ingPs face ,he peasants" in a
rage" immediately #ithdre#" and too up arms +ll
#ho could be found #ere seiBed" and obliged to
hang one another& the last #as compelled to put
the rope about his nec himself" and to be his o#n
eKecutioner +ll their houses #ere burned to the
FJH 6istory of the
ground ,his fact is attested by /orberg" #ho #as
an eye-#itness" and therefore cannot be contra-
dicted
;harles" having arrived #ithin a fe# leagues of
7rodno" #as informed of the cBarPs being there in
person" #ith a body of troops & upon #hich" #ithout
staying to deliberate" he too only eight hundred of
his guards and set out for 7rodno + 7erman of-
$cer" named Aulfels" #ho commanded a body of
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troops posted at one of the gates of the to#n" fan-
cying" #hen he sa# ;harles" that he #as follo#ed
by his #hole army" instead of disputing the passage
#ith him" too to Sight ,he alarm spread through
the #hole to#n & everyone imagined the #hole
.#edish army had already entered& the fe# 1us-
sians #ho made any resistance #ere cut to pieces
by the .#edish guards& and all the oNcers as-
sured the cBar that the victorious army had made
itself master of the place 6ereupon eter re-
treated behind the ramparts" and ;harles planted a
guard of thirty men at the very gate through #hich
the cBar had %ust entered
In this confusion" some of the esuits" #hose
college had been taen to accommodate the ing of
.#eden" as being the handsomest structure in the
place" #ent by night to the cBar" and for once told
the #hole truth eter immediately returned to
the to#n" and forced the .#edish guards +n en-
gagement ensued in the streets and public places&
but at length" the #hole .#edish army appearing in
sight" the cBar #as obliged to yield to superior num-
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1ussian 0mpire FJJ
bers" and left the to#n in the hands of the victor"
#ho made all oland tremble
;harles had augmented his forces in ivonia and
3inland" and eter had everything to fear" not only
for his conTuests on this side" together #ith those
in ithuania" but also for his ancient territories"
and even for the city of Aosco# itself 6e #as
obliged to provide at once for the safety of all these
diUerent places" at such a distance from each other
;harles could not mae any rapid conTuests to the
east of ithuania in the depth of #inter" and in a
marshy country"" sub%ect to epidemic disorders"
#hich had been spread by poverty and famine from
arsa# as far as Ains eter posted his troops
so as to command the passes of the rivers" guarded
all the important posts" and did everything in his
po#er to impede the march of his enemy" and then
hastened to put things in proper shape at .t eters-
burg
,hough ;harles #as lording it in oland" he
too nothing from the cBar& but eter" by the use
he made of his ne# Seet" by landing his troops in
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3inland" by taing and dismantling the to#n of
orga" and by seiBing booty" #as procuring many
real and great advantages to himself" and distress-
ing his enemy
;harles" after being detained a long time in ith-
uania by continual rains" at length reached the little
river of eresina" some fe# leagues from the oris-
thenes /othing could #ithstand his activity& he
thre# a bridge over the river in sight of the 1us-
sians & beat a detachment that guarded the passage"
9ol RL F
FJM 6istory of the
and got to 6oloBin on the river ibitsch" #here the
cBar had posted a considerable body of troops to
chec the impetuous progress of his rival ,he
little river of ibitsch is only a small broo in dry
#eather& but at this time it #as s#elled by the
rains to a deep and rapid stream On the other side
#as a morass" behind #hich the 1ussians had thro#n
up an intrenchment for over a Tuarter of a league"
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1ussian 0mpire FJ'
but levelled their pieces in a proper manner" not a
single .#ede #ould have escaped
,he ing" after fording the river" passed the mo-
rass on foot +s soon as the army had surmounted
these obstacles #ithin sight of the 1ussians" they
dre# up in order of battle" and attaced the enemyPs
intrenchments seven diUerent times" and it #as not
till the seventh attac that the 1ussians gave #ay
y the accounts of their o#n historians" the .#edes
too but t#elve $eld-pieces" and t#enty-four mortars
It #as therefore evident" that the cBar had at
length succeeded in disciplining his troops" and this
victory of 6oloBin" #hile it covered ;harles EII
#ith glory" might have made him sensible of the
many dangers he must Pencounter in venturing into
such distant countries" #here his army could march
only in small bodies" through #oods" morasses" and
#here he #ould be obliged to $ght every step of
his #ay & but the .#edes" being accustomed to carry
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all before them" dreaded neither danger nor fatigue
;6+,01 E9II
;6+10. EII ;1O..0. ,60 O1I.,60/0." 0/0-
,1+,0. I/,O ,60 @81+I/0" @, ;O/;01,. 6I.
A0+.@10. +:2 O/0 O3 6I. +1AI0. I. :0-
30+,0: 2 0,01 ,60 710+, 60 O.0. 6I. .@-
2 O3 1O9I.IO/. +/: +AA@/I,IO/ +:9+/;0.
,61O@76 + :0.01, ;O@/,12 6I. +:90/,@10.
I/ ,60 @81+I/0
I/ FJGM" ;harles arrived on the borders of the
oristhenes" at a small to#n called AohileU ,his
F MG 6istory of the
#as the important spot #here he #as to decide
#hether he should direct his march east#ard to#ard
Aosco#" or south#ard to#ard the @raine 6is
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o#n army" his friends" his enemies" all eKpected that
he #ould direct his course immediately for the cap-
ital of 1ussia hichever #ay he too" eter #as
follo#ing him from .molens #ith a strong army &
no one eKpected that he #ould turn to#ard the
@raine 6e #as induced to tae this strange res-
olution by AaBeppa" hetman of the ;ossacs" #ho"
being an old man of seventy" and #ithout children"
should have thought only of ending his days in
peace > gratitude should have bound him to the cBar"
to #hom he #as indebted for his present dignity&
but #hether he had any real cause of complaint
against that prince or #as daBBled #ith the lustre of
;harlesPs eKploits" or #hether" in time" he thought
to mae himself independent" he betrayed his bene-
factor" and privately espoused the interests of the
ing of .#eden" Sattering himself #ith the hope of
engaging his #hole nation in rebellion #ith himself
;harles had not the least doubt of subduing the
1ussian 0mpire" as soon as his troops should be
%oined by so #arlie a people as the ;ossacs Aa-
Beppa #as to furnish him #ith #hat provisions" am-
munition" and artillery he should #ant & besides" he
#as to be %oined by an army of some seventeen thou-
sand men out of ivonia" under the command of
7eneral o#enhaupt" #ho #as to bring #ith him
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nth" thre# them into disorder" and illed a num-
ber of his men 6e lost a greater number of his
o#n" indeed" but that did not discourage him
;harles immediately hastened to the $eld of battle"
and #ith some diNculty repulsed the 1ussians" at
the haBard of his o#n life" by engaging a party of
dragoons" by #hom he #as surrounded +ll this
#hile AaBeppa did not appear" and provisions began
to gro# scarce ,he .#edish soldiers" seeing their
ing share in all their dangers" fatigues" and #ants"
#ere not dispirited & but though they admired his
courage" they could not refrain from murmuring at
his conduct
,he orders #hich the ing had sent to o#en-
haupt to march for#ard #ith all haste" to %oin him
F M 6istory of the
#ith the necessary supplies" #ere delivered t#elve
days later than they should have been ,his #as
a long delay as circumstances then stood 6o#-
ever" o#enhaupt at length began his march eter
suUered him to pass the oristhenes & but as soon
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as his army #as bet#een that river and its tributa-
ries" he crossed after him" and attaced him #ith his
united forces" #hich had follo#ed in diUerent corps
at eTual distances from one another ,his battle #as
fought bet#een the oristhenes and the .ossa
rince AenshioU #as upon his return #ith the
same body of horse #ith #hich he had lately en-
gaged ;harles EII 7eneral aur follo#ed him"
and the cBar himself headed the So#er of his army
,he .#edes imagined they had to deal #ith an army
of forty thousand men" and the same #as believed
for a long time on the faith of their relation > but
my late memoirs inform me that eter had only
t#enty thousand men in this dayPs engagement" a
number not much greater than that of the enemy >
but his vigor" his patience" his un#earied persever-
ance" together #ith that of his troops" animated by
his presence" decided the fate" not of that day only"
but of three successive days" during #hich the $ght
#as rene#ed at diUerent times
,hey made their $rst attac upon the rear of the
.#edish army" near the village of esna" from #hich
this battle taes its name ,his $rst shoc #as
bloody" #ithout proving decisive o#enhaupt re-
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treated into a #ood" and thereby saved his baggage
,he neKt morning" #hen the .#edes #ere to be
driven from this #ood" the $ght #as still more
1ussian 0mpire FMR
bloody" and more to the advantage of the 1ussians
6ere it #as that the cBar" seeing his troops in dis-
order" cried out to $re upon the runa#ays" and even
upon himself" if they sa# him turn bac ,he
.#edes #ere repulsed" but not thro#n into confu-
sion
+t length a reinforcement of four thousand dra-
goons arriving" he fell upon the .#edes a third time"
#ho retreated to a small to#n called rospoc"
#here they #ere again attaced & they then marched
to#ard the :esna" the 1ussians still pursuing them &
yet they #ere never broen" but lost over eight thou-
sand men" seventeen pieces of cannon" and forty-
four colors> the cBar too $fty-siK oNcers" and
nearly nine hundred privates prisoners" and the
great convoy of provisions and ammunition that #as
going to ;harlesPs army fell into the hands of the
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conTueror
,his #as the $rst time that the cBar in person
gained a pitched battle against an enemy #ho had
distinguished himself by so many victories over his
troops 6e #as employed in a general thansgiving
for his success" #hen he received advice that 7eneral
+praKin had lately gained an advantage over the
enemy in Ingria" some leagues from /arva" an ad-
vantage less considerable" indeed" than that of
esna& but this concurrence of fortunate events
greatly raised the hopes and courage of his troops
;harles EII heard of these unfortunate tidings"
%ust as he #as ready to pass the :esna in the
@raine AaBeppa at length %oined him& but in-
stead of t#enty thousand men" and an immense
FML 6istory of the
Tuantity of provisions" #hich he #as to have brought
#ith him" he came #ith only t#o regiments" and
appeared rather lie a fugitive applying for assist-
ance than a prince bringing aid to his ally ,his
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;ossac had indeed begun his march #ith about
$fteen or siKteen thousand of his people" #hom he
had told at their $rst setting out" that they #ere
going against the ing of .#eden & that they #ould
have the glory of stopping that hero on his march"
and that he #ould hold himself eternally obliged to
them for so great a service
ut #hen they came #ithin a fe# leagues of the
:esna" he made them acTuainted #ith his real de-
sign ,hese brave people received his declaration
#ith disdain > they refused to betray a monarch
against #hom they had no cause of complaint" for
the sae of a .#ede #ho had invaded their country
#ith an armed force" and #ho" after leaving it"
#ould be no longer able to defend them" but must
abandon them to the incensed 1ussians and the
oles" once their masters and al#ays their enemies &
they accordingly returned home" and noti$ed the
cBar of the defection of their chief & AaBeppa found
himself left #ith only t#o regiments" the oNcers of
#hich #ere in his o#n pay
6e #as still master of some strong posts in the
@raine" and in particular of aturin" the place of
his residence" regarded as the capital of the country
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of the ;ossacs & it is situated near some forests on
the :esna" at a great distance from the place #here
eter had defeated 7eneral o#enhaupt ,here
#ere al#ays some 1ussian regiments Tuartered in
1ussian 0mpire FM5
these districts rince AenshioU #as detached
from the cBarPs army" and got there by roundabout
marches ;harles could not secure all the passes&
he did not even no# them all" and had neglected to
mae himself master of the important post of .taro-
dub" #hich leads directly to aturin" across seven
or eight leagues of forest" through #hich the :esna
runs 6is enemy had al#ays the advantage of him"
by being better acTuainted #ith the country
AenshioU and rince 7olitBin" #ho had ac-
companied him" easily made their passage good" and
presented themselves before the to#n of aturin" on
/ovember ILth& it surrendered almost #ithout re-
sistance" #as plundered and reduced to ashes
,he 1ussians made themselves masters of a large
magaBine destined for the use of the ing of .#e-
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den" and of all AaBeppaPs treasures ,he ;ossacs
chose another hetman" named .oropasy" #ho #as
approved by the cBar" #ho" being #illing to impress
a due sense of the enormous crime of treason on the
minds of the people" by a striing eKample of %ustice"
ordered the archbishop of 8ieU and t#o prelates to
eKcommunicate AaBeppa publicly& after #hich he
#as hanged in eNgy" and some of his accomplices
#ere broen on the #heel
Aean#hile" ;harles EII" still at the head of
about t#enty-seven thousand .#edes" #ho #ere
reinforced by the remains of o#enhauptPs army"
and the addition of some three thousand men #hom
AaBeppa had brought #ith him" and still infatuated
#ith the notion of maing all the @raine declare
for him" passed the :esna" at some distance from
F MH 6istory of the
aturin" and near the oristhenes" in spite of the
cBarPs troops #hich surrounded him & part of #hom
follo#ed close in the rear" #hile another part lined
the opposite side of the river to oppose his passage
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6e continued his march through a desert country"
#here he met #ith nothing but burned or ruined vil-
lages ,he cold began to set in at the beginning of
:ecember so eKtremely sharp that in one of his
marches nearly t#o thousand of his men perished
before his eyes& the cBarPs troops did not suUer
nearly so much" being better supplied & #hereas the
ing of .#edenPs army" being almost naed" #as
necessarily more eKposed to the inclemency of the
#eather
In this deplorable situation" ;ount iper" chan-
cellor of .#eden" #ho never gave his master other
than good advice" con%ured him to halt" and pass
at least the severest part of the #inter in a small
to#n of the @raine" called 1omna" #here he might
intrench himself" and get some provisions by the
help of AaBeppa & but ;harles replied" that he #as
not a person to shut himself up in a to#n iper
then entreated him to repass the :esna and the or-
isthenes" to return to oland" to put his troops into
#inter Tuarters" of #hich they stood so much in
need" to mae use of the olish cavalry" #hich #as
absolutely necessary & to support the ing he had
nominated" and to eep in a#e the partisans of +u-
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gustus" #ho began already to bestir themselves
;harles ans#ered him again" that this #ould be Sy-
ing before the cBar" that the season #ould gro#
1ussian 0mpire FMJ
milder" and that he must reduce the @raine" and
march on to Aosco#
oth armies remained some #ees inactive" on
account of the intenseness of the cold" anuary"
FJG'& but" as soon as the men #ere able to mae
use of their arms" ;harles attaced all the small
posts that he found in his #ay& he #as obliged to
send parties on every side in search of provisions &
that is to say" to scour the country t#enty leagues
round" and rob all the peasants of their necessary
subsistence eter" #ithout hastening" ept a strict
eye upon all his motions" and suUered the .#edish
army to d#indle a#ay by degrees
It is impossible for the reader to follo# the
.#edes in their march through these countries&
several of the rivers #hich they crossed are not to be
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found on the maps > #e must not suppose" that
geographers are as #ell acTuainted #ith these coun-
tries as #e are #ith Italy" 3rance" and 7ermany&
geography is" of all the arts" that #hich still stands
the most in need of improvement > and ambition has
hitherto been at more pains to desolate the face of
the globe" than to give a description of it
e must content ourselves" then" #ith no#ing"
that ;harles traversed the #hole @raine in the
month of 3ebruary" burning the villages #herever
he #ent" or meeting #ith others that had been laid
in ashes by the 1ussians 6e" advancing south-
east" came to those sandy deserts" bordered by moun-
tains that separate the /ogay ,artars from the :on
;ossacs ,o the east#ard of those mountains are
F MM 6istory of the
the altars of +leKander ;harles #as no# on the
other side of the @raine" on the road that the ,ar-
tars tae to 1ussia" but he #as obliged to return
again to procure subsistence > the inhabitants" hav-
ing retired #ith all their cattle into their dens and
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luring places #ould sometimes defend their sub-
sistence against the soldiers" #ho came to deprive
them of it .uch of these poor #retches as could
be found" #ere put to death" agreeable to #hat are
falsely called the rules of #ar I cannot here for-
bear transcribing a fe# lines from /orberg 4+s an
instance of the ingPs regard to %ustice" I shall insert
a note #hich he #rote #ith his o#n hand to ;olonel
6eilmen >
4 P;olonel > I am very #ell pleased that you have
taen these peasants" #ho carried oU a .#edish sol-
dier & as soon as they are convicted of the crime" let
them be punished #ith death" according to the eK-
igency of the case ;6+10. @:I.P 4
.uch are the sentiments of %ustice and humanity
displayed by a ingPs confessor & but had the peas-
ants of the @raine had it in their po#er to hang
some of those regimented peasants of 0ast 7oth-
land" #ho thought themselves entitled to come so far
to plunder them" their #ives" and families" of their
subsistence" #ould not the confessors and chaplains
of these @rainers have had eTual reason to applaud
their %ustice?
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AaBeppa had" for some time" been in treaty #ith
the Caporavians" #ho d#ell on the shores of the or-
isthenes and the islands in that river It is this divi-
sion that forms the nation of #hom mention has al-
1ussian 0mpire FM'
ready been made in the $rst chapter of this history"
and #ho have neither #ives nor families" and sub-
sist entirely by rapine :uring the #inter they heap
up provisions in their islands" #hich they after#ard
go and sell in the summer" in the little to#n of ol-
tava& the rest d#ell in small hamlets" to the right
and left of this river ,hey choose a particular
hetman" and this hetman is subordinate to the het-
man of the @raine ,he head of the Caporavians
came to meet AaBeppa& and these t#o barbarians
had an intervie#" at #hich each had a horsePs tail"
and a club borne before him" as ensigns of honor
,o sho# #hat this hetman of the Caporavians"
and his people #ere" I thin it not un#orthy of his-
tory to relate the manner in #hich this treaty #as
concluded AaBeppa gave a great feast to the het-
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man of the Caporavians and his principal oNcers
+s soon as these chiefs had made themselves drun
#ith brandy" they too an oath #ithout stirring
from table upon the 0vangelists" to supply ;harles
#ith men and provisions & after #hich they carried
oU all the plate and other table-furniture AaBep-
paPs ste#ard ran after them" and remonstrated that
such behavior did not agree #ith the doctrine of the
7ospels on #hich they had so lately s#orn .ome
of AaBeppaPs domestics #ere for taing the plate
a#ay from them by force & but the Caporavians #ent
in a body to complain to AaBeppa" of the unparal-
leled aUront oUered to such brave fello#s" and de-
manded to have the ste#ard delivered up to them
that they might punish him according to la# ,his
#as accordingly complied #ith" and the Caporavians"
F'G 6istory of the
according to la#" tossed this poor man from one to
another lie a ball" and after#ard plunged a nife
to his heart
.uch #ere the ne# allies that ;harles EII #as
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obliged to receive" part of #hom he formed into a
regiment of t#o thousand men& the remainder
marched in separate bodies against the ;ossacs and
8almucs of the cBarPs party that #ere stationed
about that district
,he little to#n of oltava" #ith #hich those
Caporavians carry on a trade" #as $lled #ith provi-
sions" and might have served ;harles for a place of
arms It is situated on the river 9orsla" near a
chain of mountains #hich command it on)the north
side ,o the east#ard is a vast desert ,he #est-
ern part is the most fruitful" and the best peopled
,he 9orsla empties into the oristhenes about $f-
teen leagues lo#er do#n& from oltava" one may
go north#ard" through the de$les #hich communi-
cate #ith the road to Aosco#" a passage used by the
,artars It is very diNcult of access" and the pre-
cautions taen by the cBar had rendered it almost im-
penetrable& but nothing appeared impossible to
;harles" and he depended upon marching to Aos-
co#" as soon as he had made himself master of ol-
tava & #ith this in vie# he laid siege to that to#n in
the beginning of Aay
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1ussian 0mpire F'F
;6+,01 E9III
+,,0 O3 O,+9+
6010 it #as that eter eKpected him& he had
disposed the several divisions of his army at con-
venient distances for %oining each other" and march-
ing all together against the besiegers & he had visited
the countries surrounding the @raine & namely" the
duchy of .everia" #atered by the :esna" already
made famous by his victory & the country of olcho"
in #hich the Occa has its source & the deserts and
mountains leading to the .ea of +Bov& and lately
he had been in the neighborhood of +Bov" #here he
caused that harbor to be cleansed" ne# ships to be
built" and the citadel of ,aganrog to be repaired
,hus did he employ the time that passed bet#een the
battles of esna and oltava" in preparing for the
defence of his dominions +s soon as he heard that
the .#edes had laid siege to the to#n" he mustered
all his forces & the horse" dragoons" infantry" ;os-
sacs" and 8almucs" advanced from diUerent Tuar-
ters 6is army #as #ell provided #ith necessaries
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of every ind & large cannon" $eld-pieces" ammuni-
tion of all sorts" provisions" and even medicines for
the sic > this #as another point of superiority he
had over his rival
On une F5" FJG'" he appeared before oltava
#ith an army of about siKty thousand eUective men &
the river 9orsla #as bet#een him and ;harles
,he besiegers #ere encamped on the north#est side
of that river" the 1ussians on the southeast
eter ascended the river above the to#n" $Ked
F ' 6istory of the
his barges" marched over #ith his army" and dre#
a long line of intrenchments" #hich #ere begun and
completed in one night" uly Rd" in the face of the
enemy ;harles might then %udge #hether the per-
son #hom he had so much despised" and #hom he
thought of dethroning at Aosco#" understood the
art of #ar ,his disposition being made" eter
posted his cavalry bet#een t#o #oods" and covered
it #ith several redoubts" lined #ith artillery 6av-
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ing thus taen all the necessary measures" he #ent
to reconnoitre the enemyPs camp in order to form the
attac
,his battle #as to decide the fate of 1ussia" o-
land" and .#eden" and of t#o monarchs" on #hom
the eyes of all 0urope #ere $Ked ,he ma%ority of
the nations #ho #ere attentive to these important
concerns #ere eTually ignorant of the place #here
these t#o princes #ere" and of their situation > but
no#ing that ;harles EII had set out from .aKony"
at the head of a victorious army" and that he #as
driving the enemy every#here before him" they no
longer doubted that he #ould at length entirely
crush him& and that as he had already given la#s
to :enmar" oland" and 7ermany" he #ould no#
dictate conditions of peace in the 8remlin of Aos-
co#" and mae a ne# cBar" after having already
made a ne# ing of oland I have seen letters
from several public ministers to their respective
courts" con$rming this general opinion
,he ris #as far from being eTual bet#een these
t#o great rivals If ;harles lost his life" #hich he
had so often and so #antonly eKposed" there #ould
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1ussian 0mpire F'R
after all have been but one hero less in the #orld
,he provinces of the @raine" the frontiers of ith-
uania and of 1ussia" #ould then rest from their cal-
amities" and a stop #ould be put to the general
devastation #hich had so long been their scourge
oland #ould" together #ith her tranTuillity" re-
cover her la#ful prince" #ho had been reconciled to
the cBar" his benefactor & and lastly" .#eden" though
eKhausted of men and money" might $nd sources of
consolation under her heavy losses
ut if the cBar perished" those immense labors
#hich had been of such utility to manind" #ould
perish #ith him" and the most eKtensive empire in
the #orld #ould again relapse into the chaos from
#hich it had been so lately taen
,here had already been some sirmishes bet#een
the detached parties of the .#edes and 1ussians" un-
der the #alls of the to#n In one of these encoun-
ters" on une Jth" ;harles had been #ounded by
a muset-ball" #hich had shattered the bones of his
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foot & he under#ent several painful operations" #hich
he bore #ith his usual fortitude" and had been con-
$ned to his bed for some days In this condition he
#as informed that eter intended to give him
battle & his notions of honor #ould not suUer him to
#ait to be attaced in his intrenchments +ccord-
ingly he gave orders for Tuitting them" and #as
himself carried in a litter eter the 7reat acno#l-
edged that the .#edes attaced the redoubts" lined
#ith artillery" that covered his cavalry" #ith such
obstinate valor" that" not#ithstanding the strongest
resistance" supported by a continual $re" the enemy
9ol RLFR
F'L 6istory of the
made themselves masters of t#o redoubts .ome
#riters say that" #hen the .#edish infantry found
themselves in possession of the t#o redoubts" they
thought the day their o#n" and began to cry out
49ictory4 ,he chaplain /orberg" #ho #as at some
distance from the $eld of battle" among the bag-
gage" pretends that this #as a calumny& but #hether
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the .#edes cried out 4victory4 or not" it is certain
they #ere not victorious ,he $re from the other
redoubts #as ept up #ithout ceasing" and the re-
sistance made by the 1ussians in every part #as as
$rm as the attac of their enemies #as vigorous
,hey did not mae one irregular movement& the
cBar dre# up his army #ithout the intrenchments in
eKcellent order" and #ith surprising despatch
,he battle no# became general eter acted as
ma%or-general& aur commanded the right #ing"
AenshioU the left" and .heremeto the centre ,he
action lasted t#o hours& ;harles" #ith a pistol in
his hand" #ent from ran to ran" carried in a litter"
on the shoulders of his drabans & one of #hom #as
illed by a cannon-ball" and at the same time the lit-
ter #as shattered 6e then ordered his men to carry
him upon their pies & for it #ould have been diN-
cult in so smart an action" let /orberg say as he
pleases" to $nd a litter ready-made eter received
several balls through his clothes and his hat & both
princes #ere continually in the midst of the $re"
during the #hole action +t length" after t#o hoursP
desperate engagement" the .#edes #ere taen on all
sides" and fell into confusion" so that ;harles #as
obliged to Sy before him #hom he had hitherto held
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1ussian 0mpire F'5
in so much contempt ,his very hero" #ho could not
mount his saddle during the battle" no# Sed for his
life on horsebac& necessity lent him strength in
his retreat & he suUered the most eKcruciating pain"
#hich #as increased by the mortifying reSection of
being vanTuished #ithout resource ,he 1ussians
reconed nine thousand t#o hundred and t#enty-
four .#edes left dead on the $eld of battle" and be-
t#een t#o and three thousand made prisoners in the
action" mostly cavalry
;harles EII Sed #ith the greatest precipitation"
#ith forty thousand men" a fe# $eld-pieces" and a
very small Tuantity of provisions and ammunition
6e directed his march south#ard" to#ard the or-
isthenes" bet#een the t#o rivers 9orsla and siol"
in the country of the Caporavians eyond the or-
isthenes" are vast deserts" #hich lead to the frontiers
of ,urey /orberg aNrms that the victors dared
not pursue ;harles & and yet he acno#ledges that
rince AenshioU appeared on the neighboring
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heights" #ith ten thousand horse" and a considerable
train of artillery" #hile the ing #as passing the
oristhenes
3ourteen thousand .#edes surrendered them-
selves prisoners of #ar to these ten thousand 1us-
sians & and o#enhaupt" #ho commanded them"
signed the fatal capitulation" by #hich he gave up
those Caporavians #ho had engaged in the service
of his master" and #ere then in the fugitive army
,he chief persons taen prisoners in the battle" and
by the capitulation" #ere ;ount iper" the $rst min-
ister" #ith t#o secretaries of state" and t#o of the
F'H 6istory of the
cabinet" 3ield-Aarshal 1enschild" 7enerals o#en-
haupt" .lippembac" 1oBen" .taelber" ;reutB" and
6amilton" #ith three general aides-de-camp" the
auditor-general of the army" $fty-nine staU oNcers"
$ve colonels" among #hom #as the prince of ur-
temberg" siKteen thousand nine hundred and forty-
t#o privates and non-commissioned oNcers& in
short" reconing the ingPs o#n domestics and
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others" the conTueror had no less than eighteen
thousand seven hundred and forty-siK prisoners in
his po#er & if #e add nine thousand t#o hundred and
t#enty-four slain in battle" and nearly t#o thousand
men that passed the oristhenes #ith ;harles" it ap-
pears plainly that he had" on that memorable day"
no less than t#enty-seven thousand eUective men
under his command
;harles had begun his march from .aKony #itb
forty-$ve thousand men" o#enhaupt had brought
over siKteen thousand out of ivonia" and yet
scarcely a handful of men #ere left of all this po#-
erful army& of a numerous train of artillery" part
lost in his marches and part buried in the morasses"
he had no# remaining only eighteen brass cannon"
t#o ho#itBers" and t#elve mortars" and #ith a #ea
force he had undertaen the siege of oltava" and
had attaced an army provided #ith formidable ar-
tillery ,herefore he is" #ith %ustice" accused of
having sho#n more courage than prudence" after his
leaving 7ermany On the side of the 1ussians"
there #ere no more than $fty-t#o oNcers" and one
thousand t#o hundred and ninety-three privates
illed& an undeniable proof that the disposition of
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1ussian 0mpire F'J
the 1ussian troops #as better than that of ;harles"
and that their $re #as superior to that of the
.#edes
e $nd" in the memoirs of a foreign minister to
the court of 1ussia" that eter being informed of
;harlesPs design to tae refuge in ,urey" #rote a
friendly letter to him" entreating him not to tae so
desperate a resolution" but to trust himself in his
hands" rather than in those of the natural enemy to
all ;hristian princes 6e gave him" at the same
time" his #ord of honor not to detain him prisoner"
but to terminate all their diUerences by a reasonable
peace ,his letter #as sent by an eKpress as far as
the river ug" #hich separates the deserts of the
@raine from the grand seigniorPs dominions +s
the messenger did not reach that place till ;harles
had entered ,urey" he brought bac the letter to
his master ,he same minister adds further" that
he had this account from the very person #ho #as
charged #ith the letter ,his anecdote is not alto-
gether improbable" but I do not meet #ith it either in
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eterPs %ournals or in any of the papers intrusted to
my care hat is of greater importance in relation
to this battle #as its being the only one of the many
that have stained the earth #ith blood" that instead
of producing only destruction" has proved bene$cial
to manind" by enabling the cBar to civiliBe so con-
siderable a part of the #orld
,here have been more than t#o hundred pitched
battles fought in 0urope from the commencement
of this century" to the present year ,he most sig-
nal" and the most bloody victories" have produced no
F'M 6istory of the
other conseTuences than the reduction of a fe#
provinces" ceded after#ard by treaties" and retaen
again by other battles +rmies of a hundred thou-
sand men have freTuently engaged each other in the
$eld& but the greatest eUorts have been attended
only by slight and momentary successes & the most
trivial causes have been productive of the greatest
eUects ,here is no instance in modern history of
any #ar productive of good that has compensated
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for the many evils it has occasioned & but" from the
battle of oltava" the greatest empire under the sun
has derived its present happiness and prosperity
;6+,01 EIE
;O/.0D@0/;0. O3 ,60 +,,0 O3 O,+9+
;6+10. EII ,+80. 103@70 +AO/7 ,60 ,@18.
+@7@.,@." 6OA 60 6+: :0,61O/0:" 10-
;O901. 6I. :OAI/IO/. ;O/D@0.,. O3 0,01
,60 710+,
,60 chief prisoners #ere presented to the con-
Tueror" #ho ordered their s#ords to be returned"
and invited them to dinner It is a #ell-no#n fact
that" on drining to the oNcers" he said" 4,o the
health of my masters in the art of #ar4 6o#ever"
most of his masters" particularly the subaltern oN-
cers and all the privates" #ere soon after#ard sent
into .iberia ,here #as no cartel established here
for eKchange of prisoners bet#een the 1ussians and
.#edes & the cBar" indeed" had proposed one before
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1ussian 0mpire F''
the siege of oltava" but ;harles re%ected the oUer"
and his troops #ere in everything the victims of his
inSeKible pride
It #as this unseasonable obstinacy that occasioned
all the misfortunes of this prince in ,urey" and a
series of adventures more becoming a hero of ro-
mance than a #ise or prudent ing& for as soon as
he arrived at ender" he #as advised to #rite to the
grand viBier" as is the custom among the ,urs & but
this he thought #ould be demeaning himself too far
.imilar obstinacy embroiled him #ith all the minis-
ters of the orte one after another & in short" he ne#
not ho# to accommodate himself either to times or
circumstances
,he $rst ne#s of the battle of oltava produced a
general revolution in minds and aUairs in oland"
.aKony" .#eden" and .ilesia ;harles" #hile all-
po#erful in those parts" had obliged the emperor
oseph to tae a hundred and $ve churches from the
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;atholics in favor of the .ilesians of the ;onfession
of +ugsburg ,he ;atholics no sooner received
ne#s of the defeat of ;harles than they repossessed
themselves of all the utheran temples ,he .aKons
no# thought of nothing but being revenged for the
eKtortions of a conTueror #ho had robbed them" ac-
cording to their o#n account" of t#enty-three mil-
lions of cro#ns
,he ing of oland" their elector" immediately
protested against the abdication that had been eK-
torted from him" and being no# reconciled to the
cBar" he left no stone unturned to reascend the o-
lish throne .#eden" over#helmed #ith consterna-
OO 6istory of the
tion" thought her ing for a long time dead" and in
this uncertainty the senate ne# not ho# to act
eter in the meantime determined to mae the
best use of his victory" and therefore despatched
Aarshal .heremeto #ith an army into ivonia" on
the frontiers of #hich province that general had so
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often signaliBed himself rince AenshioU #as
sent in haste #ith a numerous body of cavalry to
second the fe# troops left in oland" to encourage
the nobles #ho #ere in the interest of +ugustus" to
drive out his competitor" #ho #as no# considered
as no better than a rebel" and to disperse a body of
.#edes and troops that #ere still left in that ing-
dom under the command of 7eneral ;rassau
,he cBar soon after set out in person" marched
through the province of 8ieU" and the palatinates of
;helm and @pper 9olhynia" and at length arrived at
ublin" #here he concerted measures #ith the gen-
eral of ithuania 6e then revie#ed the cro#n
troops" #ho all too the oath of allegiance to 8ing
+ugustus & thence he proceeded to arsa#" and at
,horn" on .eptember iMth" en%oyed the most glori-
ous of all triumphs" that of receiving the thans of
a ing #hom he had reinstated in his dominions
,here it #as" on October Jth" that he concluded a
treaty against .#eden" #ith the ings of :enmar"
oland" and russia& in #hich it #as resolved to
recover from ;harles all the conTuests of 7ustavus
+dolphus eter revived the ancient pretensions of
the cBars to ivonia" Ingria" 8arelia" and part of
3inland& :enmar laid claim to .cania" and the
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ing of russia to omerania
1ussian 0mpire GF
,hus ;harles EII" by his unsuccessful valor"
shoo the noble edi$ce that had been erected by his
ancestor" 7ustavus +dolphus ,he olish nobility
came in on all sides to rene# their oaths to their
ing" or to as pardon for having defeated him &
and almost the #hole ingdom acno#ledged eter
for its protector
,o the victorious arms of the cBar" to these ne#
treaties" and to this sudden revolution" .tanislaus
had nothing to oppose but a voluntary resignation &
he published a #riting called 4@niversale4 in #hich
he declared himself ready to resign the cro#n" if the
republic reTuired it
eter having concerted all the necessary meas-
ures #ith the ing of oland" and recti$ed the treaty
#ith :enmar" set out to $nish his negotiation #ith
the ing of russia It #as not then usual for sov-
ereign princes to perform the function of their o#n
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ambassadors eter #as the $rst to introduce this
custom" #hich has been follo#ed by very fe# ,he
elector of randenburg" the $rst ing of russia"
had a conference #ith the cBar" at Aarien#erder" a
small to#n situated in the #estern part of omer-
ania" and built by the old ,eutonic nights" and in-
cluded in the limits of russia" lately erected into a
ingdom ,his country indeed #as poor and small &
but its ne# ing" #henever he travelled" displayed
the utmost magni$cence& #ith great splendor he
had received ;Bar eter on his $rst trip through his
dominions" #hen that prince Tuitted his empire to
go in search of instruction among strangers ut
he received the conTueror of ;harles EII in a still
G 6istory of the
more pompous manner eter concluded only a de-
fensive treaty #ith him" #hich after#ard" ho#ever"
completed the ruin of .#eden
/ot an instant #as lost eter having proceeded
#ith the greatest despatch in his negotiations" #hich
else#here are #ont to tae up so much time" %oined
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his army then before 1iga" the capital of ivonia&
he began by bombarding the place" and $red the $rst
three bombs himself & then changed the siege into a
blocade" and #hen #ell assured that 1iga could not
escape him" he repaired to .t etersburg" to inspect
and for#ard the #ors under #ay there" the ne#
buildings" and the $nishing of his Seet & and having
laid the eel of a ship of $fty-four guns" #ith his
o#n hands" he returned to Aosco# on :ecember Rd
6ere he amused himself #ith assisting in the prep-
arations for the triumphal entry" #hich he eKhibited
in that capital 6e directed everything relating to
that festival" and #as the principal contriver and
architect
6e opened the year FJFG #ith this solemnity" so
necessary to his sub%ects" #hom it inspired #ith no-
tions of grandeur& and it #as highly pleasing to
everyone #ho had been fearful of seeing those over
#hom they no# triumphed enter their #alls as con-
Tuerors .even magni$cent arches #ere erected"
under #hich passed in triumph the artillery" stand-
ards" and colors" taen from the enemy" #ith their
oNcers" generals" and ministers" #ho had been made
prisoners" all on foot" amid the ringing of bells" the
sound of trumpets" the discharge of a hundred pieces
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of cannon" and the acclamations of an innumerable
1ussian 0mpire GR
concourse of people" #hose voices rent the air as
soon as the cannon ceased $ring ,he procession
#as closed by the victorious army" #ith the generals
at its head & and eter" #ho marched in his ran of
ma%or-general +t each triumphal arch stood the
deputies of the several orders of the state& and at
the last #as a chosen band of young gentlemen" the
sons of boyars" clad in 1oman habits" #ho presented
a cro#n of laurel to their victorious monarch
,his public festival #as follo#ed by another cere-
mony" #hich proved no less satisfactory than the
former In the year FJGM occurred a disagreeable
accident" the more disagreeable to eter as his arms
#ere at that time unsuccessful Aattheof" his am-
bassador to the court of ondon" having had his
audience of leave #ith Dueen +nne" #as arrested
for debt at the suit of some 0nglish merchants" and
carried before a %ustice of the peace to give security
for the debts he o#ed there ,he merchants in-
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sisted that the la#s of commerce should prevail be-
fore the privileges of foreign ministers & the cBarPs
ambassador" and #ith him all the public ministers"
protested against this proceeding" alleging that their
persons should be al#ays inviolable ,he cBar
#rote to Dueen +nne demanding satisfaction for
the insult oUered him in the person of his ambas-
sador
ut the Tueen #as unable to gratify him" because"
by the la#s of 0ngland" tradesmen #ere allo#ed to
prosecute their debtors" and there #as no la# that
eKcepted ministers of state from such prosecution
,he murder of atul" the cBarPs ambassador" #ho
OL 6istory of the
had been eKecuted the year before by the orders of
;harles EII" had encouraged the 0nglish to sho#
so little regard to a character #hich had been so
cruelly profaned ,he other public ministers #ho
#ere then at the court of ondon" #ere obliged to be
bound for the cBarPs ambassador & and all the Tueen
could do in his favor #as to prevail on her parlia-
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ment to pass an act" by #hich no one for the future
could arrest an ambassador for debt& but after the
battle of oltava the 0nglish court thought proper
to give satisfaction to the cBar
,he Tueen" by a formal embassy" apologiBed for
#hat had passed Ar hit#orth" the person
charged #ith this commission" began his harangue
#ith the follo#ing #ords > 4Aost high and mighty
emperor4 6e told the cBar that the person #ho had
presumed to arrest his ambassador had been impris-
oned and rendered infamous ,here #as no truth in
this" but it #as suNcient that he said so" and the
title of emperor" #hich the Tueen had not given
eter before the battle of oltava" plainly sho#ed
the consideration he had no# acTuired in 0urope
,his title had been already granted him in 6ol-
land" not only by those #ho had been his fello#-
#ormen in the docyards at .aardam" and seemed
to interest themselves most in his glory" but also by
the principal persons in the state" #ho unanimously
styled him emperor" and made public re%oicings for
his victory" even in the presence of the .#edish min-
ister
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,he universal reputation #hich he had acTuired
by his victory of oltava" #as still further increased
1ussian 0mpire G5
by his not suUering a moment to pass #ithout
taing some advantage of it In the $rst place" he
laid siege to 0lbing" a 6anse ,o#n of russia in
oland" #here the .#edes had still a garrison ,he
1ussians scaled the #alls" entered the to#n" and the
garrison surrendered on Aarch nth ,his #as one
of the largest magaBines belonging to ;harles EII
,he conTuerors found therein one hundred and
eighty-three brass cannon" and one hundred and
$fty-seven mortars Immediately after the reduc-
tion of 0lbing" eter marched from Aosco# to .t
etersburg& as soon as he arrived at this latter
place" he too shipping under his ne# fortress of
8ronstadt" coasted along the shore of 8arelia" and
not#ithstanding a violent storm" brought his Seet
safely before 9iborg" the capital of 8arelia in 3in-
land" #hile his land forces advanced over the
froBen morasses" and in a short time the capital of
ivonia #as closely blocaded +fter a breach #as
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made in the #alls" 9iborg surrendered" and the gar-
rison" consisting of four thousand men" capitulated"
but did not receive the honors of #ar" being made
prisoners not#ithstanding the capitulation eter
charged the enemy #ith several infractions of this
ind" and promised to set these troops at liberty" as
soon as he should receive satisfaction from the
.#edes for his complaints On this occasion the
ing of .#eden #as to be consulted" #ho continued
as inSeKible as ever& and those soldiers" #hom" by
a little concession" he might have delivered from
their con$nement" remained in captivity ,hus did
8ing illiam III" in FH'5" arr est Aarshal ou-
ioH 6istory of the
Sers" not#ithstanding the capitulation of /amur
,here have been several instances of such violations
of treaties & but it is to be #ished there never had
been any
+fter the taing of this capital" the blocade of
1iga #as changed into a regular siege" and pushed
#ith vigor ,hey #ere obliged to brea the ice on
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the river :#ina" #hich #aters the #alls of the city
+n epidemic #hich had raged for some time in those
parts" no# got among the besiegers" and carried oU
nine thousand & nevertheless" the siege #as not in the
least slacened& it lasted a considerable time" but
the garrison capitulated on uly I5th" and #ere al-
lo#ed the honors of #ar& but it #as stipulated by
the capitulation" that all the ivonian oNcers and
soldiers should enter into the 1ussian service" as na-
tives of a country that had been dismembered from
that empire" and usurped by the ancestors of ;harles
EII ut the ivonians #ere restored to the priv-
ileges of #hich his father had stripped them" and all
the oNcers entered into the cBarPs service > this #as
the most noble satisfaction that eter could tae for
the murder of his ambassador" atul" a ivonian"
#ho had been put to death for defending those privi-
leges ,he garrison consisted of nearly $ve thou-
sand men + short time after#ard the citadel of
ennamund #as taen" and the besiegers found in
the to#n and fort over eight hundred pieces of ar-
tillery of diUerent inds
/othing #as no# lacing to mae eter master
of the province of 8arelia but the possession of the
strong to#n of 8eKholm" built on an island in ae
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1ussian 0mpire FGJ
adoga" and deemed impregnable> it #as bom-
barded and surrendered on .eptember igth ,he
island of Oesel in the altic" bordering on the north
of ivonia" #as subdued #ith the same rapidity
On the side of 0sthonia" a province of ivonia"
to#ard the north" and on the 7ulf of 3inland" are
the to#ns of ernau and 1evel & by the reduction of
these eter completed the conTuest of ivonia
ernau surrendered after a siege of a fe# days" and
1evel capitulated #ithout #aiting to have a single
cannon $red against it& but the besieged found
means to escape out of the hands of the conTuerors"
at the very time that they #ere surrendering them-
selves prisoners of #ar> for some .#edish ships
having anchored in the roadstead" under cover of the
night" the garrison and most of the citiBens em-
bared" and #hen the besiegers entered the to#n"
they #ere surprised to $nd it deserted hen
;harles EII gained the victory of /arva" little did
he eKpect that his troops #ould one day be driven
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to use such arti$ces
In oland" .tanislaus $nding his party ruined"
had taen refuge in omerania" #hich still belonged
to ;harles EII +ugustus resumed the government"
and it #as diNcult to decide #ho had acTuired more
glory" ;harles in dethroning him" or eter in re-
storing him to his cro#n
,he sub%ects of the ing of .#eden #ere still
more unfortunate than their monarch ,he conta-
gious distemper #hich had made such havoc over
ivonia passed into .#eden & and in the city of
.tocholm" it carried oU thirty thousand persons>
6istory of the
it desolated the provinces" already thinned of their
inhabitants& for during the space of ten years suc-
cessively" most of the able-bodied men had Tuitted
their country to follo# their master" and perished in
foreign climes
;harlesPs ill fortune pursued him also in omer-
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ania> his army had retired thither from oland" to
the number of eleven thousand & the cBar" the ings
of :enmar and russia" the elector of 6anover"
and the due of 6olstein %oined together to render
this army useless" and to compel 7eneral ;rassau"
#ho commanded it" to submit to a neutrality ,he
regency of .tocholm hearing no ne#s of their
ing" and distracted by the mortality that raged in
that city" #ere glad to sign this neutrality" #hich
seemed to deliver one of its provinces at least from
the horrors of #ar ,he emperor of 7ermany
favored this eKtraordinary agreement" by #hich it
#as stipulated that the .#edish army then in om-
erania should not move to assist their monarch in
any other part of the #orld& nay" it #as further-
more resolved in the 7erman 0mpire" to raise an
army to enforce its eKecution ,he reason of this
#as that the emperor of 7ermany" #ho #as then at
#ar #ith 3rance" hoped to engage the .#edish army
in his service ,his #hole negotiation #as carried
on #hile eter #as subduing ivonia" 0sthonia" and
8arelia
;harles EII" #ho #as all this time at ender"
putting every spring in motion to engage the divan
to declare #ar against the cBar" received this ne#s
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as one of the severest blo#s his unto#ard fortune
1ussian 0mpire G'
had dealt him 6e could not broo that his senate
at .tocholm should pretend to tie up the hands of
his army" and it #as on this occasion that he #rote
that he #ould send one of his boots to govern them
,he :anes" in the meantime" #ere maing prep-
arations to invade .#eden & so that every nation in
0urope #as no# engaged in #ar .pain" ortugal"
Italy" 3rance" 7ermany" 6olland" and 0ngland #ere
contending for the dominions left by ;harles II of
.pain & and the #hole /orth #as up in arms against
;harles EII + Tuarrel #ith the Ottoman 0mpire
#as all that #as lacing for every village in 0urope
to be eKposed to the ravages of #ar ,his Tuarrel
happened soon after#ard" #hen eter had attained
to the summit of his glory" and precisely for that
reason
+:901,I.0A0/,
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(;hapter EE #as the beginning of the .econd
artW
,60 1ussian 0mpire has become so prominent
in 0urope" that the history of eter" its real founder"
is thereby rendered still more interesting ,his
prince gave a ne# face to the /orth" and" after his
decease" #e have seen his nation on the point of
changing the fate of 7ermany" and eKtending its in-
Suence over 3rance and .pain" not#ithstanding the
immense distance of those ingdoms
,he establishment of this empire forms perhaps
the most considerable era in the annals of 0urope
9ol RLFL
io 6istory of the
neKt to that of the discovery of the /e# orld & and
it is this consideration alone" #hich induces the au-
thor of the $rst part of the history of eter the 7reat
to present the public #ith the second
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,here are some mistaes in several of the impres-
sions of the $rst part" of #hich he thins necessary
to give the reader notice" and are as follo#s > page R"
after the #ords in the route #hich the caravans
might tae" add in travelling through 8almuc
plains" and over the great desert of 8obi age H"
for at the %unction" read at the mouth age FJ" for
1ed 1ussia" read #ith a part of 1ed 1ussia +nd
here it may not be improper to acTuaint those critics
#ho no# little of the matter" that 9olhynia" odo-
lia" and some of the neighboring countries" have been
called 1ed 1ussia by all geographers On page R'"
the editor" deceived by the lac of a cipher in the
A. copy" has printed J"GGG bondmen belonging to
the mons" instead of seven hundred and t#enty
thousand age LL" after the #ords" #hen the
7ree ;hurch #as $rst established in 1ussia" tae
out #hat follo#s" and in its place insert" ;hrysoberg"
patriarch of ;onstantinople" sent a bishop to baptise
olodimer" in order that he might" by that means"
add this part of the #orld to his patriarchal see&
olodimer then completed the #or that had been
begun by his father One Aichael" a native of .yria"
#as the $rst metropolitan of 1ussia age JR" 6e
looed upon the esuits as dangerous politicians" to
#hich may be added" that the esuits" #ho intro-
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duced themselves into 1ussia in FHM5" #ere driven
out of that empire again in FHM'" and having a sec-
1ussian 0mpire FF
ond time got footing" they #ere $nally eKpelled in
FJFM
,he title of small may be continued to the country
of Orenburg" because that government is small in
comparison #ith .iberia" on #hich it borders 3or
the sin of a sheep" #hich several travellers aNrm to
be #orshipped by the Ostiacs" may be substituted
that of a bear& for if these honest people are sup-
posed to pay divine #orship to a thing" because it is
useful to them" the fur of a bear is certainly a greater
ob%ect of adoration #ith them than a sheepPs sin &
but he must surely #ear an assP sin #ho #ould lay
any stress on such triSing anecdotes
hether the bars built by ;Bar eter I #ere"
or #ere not called half galleys" or #hether this
prince lived at $rst in a #ooden house" or in one
built of bric" #ill" I believe" be thought of little
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importance
,here are" ho#ever" some things more deserving
the attention of a %udicious reader It is said" for
instance" in the $rst volume" that the inhabitants of
8amchata have no religion & but from certain me-
morials of a later date" I learn that this savage peo-
ple have their divines" #ho mae the inhabitants of
this peninsula to be descended from a superior be-
ing" #hom they called 8outhou ,hese memorials
assert also that they pay no #orship to this deity"
and eKpress neither love nor fear for him
6ence it appears" that though they have a myth-
ology" yet they have no religion & this may be true"
but it is not very probable 3ear is one of the nat-
ural attributes of man It is said" furthermore" that
F 6istory of the
in the midst of their absurdities" they mae a distinc-
tion of things permitted" and things forbidden&
among the former" they recon the indulging of all
their passions & and" among the latter" the sharpen-
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ing of a nife or a hatchet #hile they are travelling"
or the saving of a person from dro#ning & but if it
is held a sin by these people to save the life of a fel-
lo# creature" they are in that respect certainly dif-
ferent from all other people in the #orld" #ho in-
stinctively Sy to the assistance of one another" #hen
interest and passion do not get the better of their
natural inclination One #ould imagine that they
could never have thought of maing criminal an
action #hich in itself is so common and necessary&
that it is not even meritorious" but by a philosophy
eTually false and superstitious" #hich #ould incul-
cate that #e are not in anything to oppose destiny"
and that no one should save a man #hom 7od has
preordained to be dro#ned& but these barbarians
have not the least no#ledge even of a false philoso-
phy & and yet #e are told that they celebrate a great
feast" #hich they call by a #ord #hich in their
language signi$es puri$cation& but from #hat have
they to purify themselves" if they hold everything to
be allo#ed & and for #hat" if they neither fear nor
love their god 8outhou?
,heir notions are" doubtless" in many respects
contradictory" as are indeed those of almost every
other people& #ith this diUerence" that theirs arise
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from a #ant of understanding" ours from an abuse
of it e abound much more in contradictions" be-
cause #e are much greater reasoners
1ussian 0mpire FR
+s they acno#ledge a ind of god" so they have
also their evil spirits astly" they have sorcerers
and magicians among them" as there have al#ays
been among all nations" even the most civiliBed In
8amchata old #omen are looed upon as #itches"
as they #ere among us" till #e had attained to a
clearer no#ledge of natural la# 6ence #e $nd
it has ever been the lot of human beings to entertain
absurd notions" founded on our curiosity and #ea-
ness ,he people of 8amchata have also their
prophets" #ho eKplain their dreams& and it is not
long since #e had ours
+fter the court of 1ussia had sub%ected these
people by building $ve fortresses in their country"
they instituted the ;hristian religion of the 7ree
;hurch among them + 1ussian gentleman" per-
fectly #ell acTuainted #ith these people" informed
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me that one of their greatest ob%ections to receiving
it #as that they #ere certain it could not be insti-
tuted for them" inasmuch as bread and #ine #ere
essential parts of our holy rites" #hereas they had
neither bread nor #ine in their country
In other respects these people merit very little
notice I shall mae only one observation in rela-
tion to them" namely" that if #e cast our eyes on
three-fourths of +merica" the #hole southern part
of +frica" and on the /orth" from apland as far as
the .ea of apan" #e shall $nd one-half of the
human race to be very little superior to the people
of 8amchata
+nd here it may be proper to observe to the
reader that the famous geographer de PIsle calls
FL 6istory of the
this country 8amtshat" as the 3rench and Italians
generally drop the a and ay #hich terminate most
of the 1ussian names
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ut there is a point of greater importance" and
#hich may concern the dignity of cro#ned heads
Olearius" #ho" in FHRL" accompanied the envoy of
6olstein into 1ussia and ersia" relates in the third
boo of his history that ;Bar Ivan asilo#itB ban-
ished the emperorPs ambassador into .iberia ,his
is a fact #hich I do not $nd related by any other
historian It is hardly probable that the emperor
#ould have Tuietly submitted to so eKtraordinary
an insult and open violation of the la#s of nations
,he same Olearius says in another place > 4e
began our %ourney 3eb FR" FHRL" in company #ith
an ambassador from the court of 3rance" called the
count of ,alleyrand" and prince of ;halais" #ho had
been sent by ouis" together #ith one ames 1ussel"
on an embassy to ,urey and Auscovy& but his
colleague did him so many bad oNces #ith the patri-
arch of 1ussia" that the great due banished him
into .iberia4
In the same boo he says that this ambassador"
the prince of ;halais" and the before-mentioned
1ussel" his colleague" #ho #as a merchant" #ere sent
as envoys by 6enry I9 It is not very liely that
6enry I9" #ho died in FHFG" should have sent an
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embassy to 1ussia in FHRL& and if ouis EIII had
sent as his ambassador a person of so illustrious a
house as that of ,alleyrand" he #ould hardly have
given him a merchant for his colleague & all 0urope
#ould have no#n of this embassy" and an insult
1ussian 0mpire F5
of so singular a nature oUered to the ing of 3rance
#ould have made still more noise
I have already disputed this statement in the $rst
part of this history & but $nding that it nevertheless
continued to gain some credit" I thought it necessary
to search the register of foreign aUairs in 3rance
for clearer information on this head" and $nd that
the follo#ing incident gave rise to this mistae of
Olearius
,here #as" in fact" a person of the family of ,al-
leyrand" #ho" having a great passion for travelling"
made a voyage to ,urey #ithout acTuainting his
family of his design" or furnishing himself #ith the
necessary letters of recommendation +t the court
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of Aosco# he met a :utch merchant named 1ussel"
#ho acted as agent for a company of merchants"
and #ho had a correspondence #ith the 3rench min-
istry & #ith this man the marTuis of ,alleyrand %oined
company to go on a tour to ersia & but having had
some dispute #ith his fello#-traveller by the #ay"
this latter accused him falsely to the patriarch of
Aosco# & and he #as actually banished into .iberia
6o#ever" having found means to mae his situation
no#n to his family at the end of about three years"
Ar :esnoyers obtained his release of the court of
Aosco#
6ere" then" #e have this story set in its true light
,his #ould not merit a place in history" eKcept that
it may serve to put the reader on his guard against
the multitude of anecdotes of a similar nature #ith
#hich the relations of most travellers abound
,here are historical errors and historical false-
lH 6istory of the
hoods ,his narrative of Olearius is only an error &
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but #hen #e are told that a cBar caused an ambas-
sadorPs hat to be nailed to his head" that is a false-
hood + #riter may be deceived in regard to the
number or force of the ships that compose a naval
armament" or in regard to the eKtent of a country &
but these only are errors" and of a very pardonable
ind +gain" those #ho repeat the fabulous ac-
counts of antiTuity" in #hich the origin of all nations
is enveloped" may be accused of a #eaness common
to all the #riters of old times & but this is not falsi-
fying" it is" properly speaing" no more than copying
tales
e are also freTuently led by inadvertency into
faults #hich cannot be called falsehoods& for in-
stance" #hen #e read in 6iibnerPs geography that
the boundaries of 0urope are in that place #here the
river Obi empties itself into the lac .ea" and that
0urope contains thirty millions of inhabitants & these
are inaccuracies #hich a reader of any no#ledge of
history can easily rectify
,he same treatise freTuently presents us #ith
large to#ns strongly forti$ed and #ell peopled"
#hich are in reality no other than insigni$cant vil-
lages in a manner uninhabited ut here it is easily
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perceived that time has totally changed the face of
things & that the author has consulted only ancient
#riters" and that #hat #as matter of fact in their
time ceases to be so at present
.ome #riters" again" are mistaen in the infer-
ences they dra# from facts eter the 7reat abol-
ished the patriarchal dignity 6iibner adds that he
1ussian 0mpire FJ
caused himself to be declared patriarch ;ertain
spurious histories of 1ussia go still further and al-
lege that he oNciated in the ponti$cal character
,hus" from a no#n fact" they have dra#n errone-
ous conclusions" #hich happen but too freTuently
hat I have called by the name of historical
falsehoods is still more common" and is the invention
of Sattery" or a foolish fondness for the marvellous
,he historian #ho" to please a po#erful family"
prostitutes his pen to praise a tyrant" is a base
#retch & he #ho endeavors to blacen the memory
of a good prince is a villain & and the romancist #ho
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publishes the inventions of his o#n brain for real
facts is a contemptible creature ,he man #ho in
former times made #hole nations pay reverence to
his fables #ould no# hardly be read by the meanest
of the people
,here are some critics #ho plunge still deeper
into falsehood & such are those #ho alter passages"
or else misconstrue them& and #ho" inspired by
envy" #rite #ith ignorance against #ors of real
utility& but let us leave those vipers to gna# the
$le as the $ttest punishment for their invidious
labors
;6+,01 EE
;+A+I7/ O3 1@,6
.@,+/ +;6A0, III declared #ar against eter
I" not from any regard to the ing of .#eden" but"
as may readily be supposed" merely #ith a vie# to
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FM 6istory of the
his o#n interest ,he han of the ;rim ,artars
could not" #ithout dread" behold a neighbor gro#
so po#erful as eter I ,he orte had" for some
time" taen umbrage at the number of ships #hich
this prince had on the .ea of +Bov and in the lac
.ea" at his fortifying the city of +Bov" and at the
Sourishing state of the harbor of ,aganrog" already
famous& and" lastly" at his series of successes" and
at the ambition #hich success never fails to aug-
ment
It is neither true nor even probable that the orte
should have begun the #ar against the cBar on the
.ea of +Bov" for no other reason than because a
.#edish ship had taen a bar on the altic" on
board of #hich #as found a letter from a minister"
#hose name has never been mentioned /orberg
tells us that this letter contained a plan for the con-
Tuest of the ,urish 0mpire & that it #as carried to
;harles EII" #ho #as then in ,urey" and #as by
him sent to the divan & and that" immediately after
the receipt of this letter" #ar #as declared ut this
story carries the mar of $ction It #as the re-
monstrances of the han of ,artary" #ho #as more
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uneasy about the neighborhood of +Bov than the
,urish divan" that induced the latter to give orders
for taing the $eld*
*,he account this chaplain gives of the demands of the
grand seignior is eTually false and puerile 6e says that
.ultan +chmet" previous to his declaring #ar against the
cBar" sent to that prince a paper" containing the conditions
on #hich he #as #illing to grant him peace ,hese con-
ditions" /orberg tells us" #ere as follo#s > 4,hat eter
should renounce his alliance #ith +ugustus" reinstate
.tanislaus in the possession of the cro#n of oland" re-
store all ivonia to ;harles EII" and pay that prince the
1ussian 0mpire F'
It #as in the month of +ugust and before the
cBar had completed the reduction of ivonia" that
+chmet III resolved to declare #ar against him
,he ,urs" at that time" could hardly have had the
ne#s of the taing of 1iga" and" therefore" the pro-
posal of restoring to the ing of .#eden the value in
money of the eUects he had lost at the battle of
oltava" #ould have been the most absurd thing
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imaginable" if not eKceeded by that of demolishing
.t etersburg ,he behavior of ;harles EII at
ender #as suNciently romantic& but the conduct
of the ,urish divan #ould have been much more
so" if #e suppose it to have made any demands of
this ind
In /ovember" FJFG" the han of ,artary" #ho
#as the principal instigator of this #ar" paid ;harles
a visit in his retreat at ender ,hey #ere con-
nected by the same interests" inasmuch as 0urope
forms part of the frontiers of ittle ,artary
;harles and the han #ere the t#o greatest suf-
ferers by the successes of the cBar& but the han
did not command the forces of the grand seignior
6e #as lie one of the feudatory princes of 7er-
many" #ho served in the armies of the empire #ith
their o#n troops" and #ere sub%ect to the authority
of the emperorPs generals for the time being
value in ready money of #hat he had taen from him at
the battle of oltava& and" lastly" that the cBar should
demolish his ne#ly-built city of .t etersburg4 ,his
piece #as forged by one raBey" a half-starved pamphleteer"
and author of a #or entitled 4Aemoirs .atirical" 6istori-
cal" and 0ntertaining4 It #as from this fountain /orberg
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dre# his intelligence & and ho#ever he may have been the
confessor of ;harles EII he certainly does not appear to
have been his con$dant
G 6istory of the
,he $rst step taen by the divan #as to arrest
,olstoi" the cBarPs ambassador at the orte" in the
streets of ;onstantinople" together #ith thirty of his
domestics" #ho" #ith their master" #ere con$ned in
the prison of the .even ,o#ers ,his barbarous
custom" at #hich even savages #ould blush" is
o#ing to the ,urs al#ays having a number of for-
eign ministers residing among them" #hereas they
never send any in return ,hey loo on the ambas-
sadors of ;hristian princes in no other light than as
merchants or consuls & and having naturally as great
a contempt for ;hristians as they have for e#s"
they seldom condescend to observe the la#s of na-
tions in respect to them" unless forced to it & at
least" they have hitherto persisted in this barbarous
pride
,he famous viBier" +chmet ;uprogli" #ho too
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the island of ;andia under Aahomet I9" insulted
the son of the 3rench ambassador" and even carried
his brutality so far as to strie him" and after#ard
to con$ne him in prison" #ithout ouis EI9" proud
as he #as" daring to resent it other#ise than by
sending another minister to the orte ,he ;hris-
tian princes" #ho are so remarably delicate on the
point of honor among themselves" and have even
made it a part of the la# of nations" seem to be ut-
terly insensible on this head in regard to the ,urs
/ever did a cro#ned head suUer greater aUronts
in the persons of his ministers than did ;Bar eter
In the space of a fe# years his ambassador at the
court of ondon #as thro#n into %ail for debt" his
plenipotentiary at the courts of oland and .aKony
1ussian 0mpire F
#as broen on the #heel by order of the ing of
.#eden& and no# his minister at the Ottoman
orte #as seiBed and thro#n into a dungeon at ;on-
stantinople lie a common felon
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e have already observed that he received satis-
faction from Dueen +nne of 0ngland for the insult
oUered to his ambassador at ondon ,he horrible
aUront he suUered in the person of atul #as
#ashed a#ay in the blood of the .#edes slain at
the battle of oltava& but fortune permitted the
violation of the la#s of nations by the ,urs to pass
unpunished
In anuary" FJFF" the cBar found himself obliged
to Tuit the theatre of #ar in the est and march
to#ard the frontiers of ,urey 6e began by caus-
ing ten regiments that he had in oland to advance
to#ard Aoldavia 6e then ordered Aarshal .her-
emeto to set out from ivonia #ith his forces"
and" leaving rince AenshioU at the head of aUairs
at .t etersburg" he returned to Aosco# to give
orders for opening the campaign
6e established a senate of regency& the regi-
ment of guards began their march" he issued orders
to all the young nobles to follo# him to the $eld to
learn the art of #ar" and appointed some of
them cadets" and others subaltern oNcers +dmiral
+praKin #ent to +Bov to tae the command by sea
and land ,hese several measures having been
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taen" the cBar published an ordinance in Aosco#
for acno#ledging a ne# empress ,his #as the
person #ho had been taen prisoner in Aarienburg
in FJG eter had" in FH'H" repudiated his #ife"
6istory of the
0udocia apouin" or apouchin" by #hom he had
t#o children ,he la#s of his ;hurch permit
divorces& but had they not" eter #ould have
enacted a ne# la# to do so
,he fair captive of Aarienburg" #ho had taen
the name of ;atherine" had a soul superior to her
seK and her misfortunes .he rendered herself so
agreeable to the cBar that he #ould have her al#ays
near .he accompanied him in all his eKcursions and
most fatiguing campaigns & sharing in his toils and
softening his troubles by her natural gayety and
her endeavors to oblige him on all occasions & and the
indiUerence she eKpressed for the luKury" dress" and
other indulgences" of #hich the generality of her
seK are #ont to mae real necessities" #on his re-
gard .he freTuently softened the passionate tem-
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per of the cBar" and" by maing him more merciful"
rendered him more truly great In a #ord" she
became so necessary to him that he married her pri-
vately in FJGJ 6e had already t#o daughters by
her" and the follo#ing year she bore him a third" #ho
#as after#ard married to the due of 6olstein*
*,his due of 6olstein" at the time he married the
daughter of eter I" #as a prince of very inconsiderable
po#er" though of one of the most ancient houses in 7er-
many 6is ancestors had been stripped of a great part of
their dominions by the ings of :enmar" so that" at the
time of this marriage" he found himself greatly circum-
scribed in point of possessions& but" from this epoch of
his alliance #ith the cBar of Auscovy" #e may date the
rise of the ducal branch of 6olstein" #hich no# $lls the
thrones of 1ussia and .#eden" and is lie#ise in posses-
sion of the bishopric of ubec" #hich" in all probability"
#ill fall to this house" not#ithstanding the late election"
#hich at present is the sub%ect of litigation" the issue of
#hich #ill" to all appearance" terminate in favor of the
1ussian 0mpire R
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,he cBar made this private marriage no#n on
Aarch FJ" FJFF" the very day he set out #ith her to
try the fortune of his arms against the ,urs ,he
several dispositions he had made seemed to promise
a successful issue ,he hetman of the ;ossacs
#as to guard against the ,artars" #ho had already
begun to commit ravages in the @raine ,he main
body of the 1ussian army #as advancing to#ard the
:niester" and another body" under rince 7olitBin"
#as marching through oland 0verything #ent
on favorably at the beginning & for 7olitBin" having
met a numerous body of ,artars near 8ieU" #ho
had been %oined by some ;ossacs" some oles of
8ing .tanislausP party" and a fe# .#edes" defeated
them and illed nearly $ve thousand men ,hese
,artars had" in their march through the open coun-
prince" son to the present bishop" through the protection
of the courts of 9ienna and .t etersburg ,he empress
;atherine" #ho no# sits on the throne of 1ussia" is her-
self descended from this august house" by the side of her
mother" #ho #as sister to the ing of .#eden" to the
prince-bishop of iibec" and to the famous prince 7eorge
of 6olstein" #hose achievements made so much noise dur-
ing the late #ar ,his princess" #hose name #as 0liBa-
beth" married the reigning prince of +nhalt Cerbst" #hose
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house #as indisputably the most ancient" and" in former
times" the most po#erful in all 7ermany" since they can
trace their pedigree from the dues of +scania" #ho #ere
formerly masters of the t#o electorates of .aKony and
randenburg" as appears by their armorial bearings" #hich
are" Tuarterly" the arms of .aKony and randenburg Of
this branch of Cerbst there is remaining only the present
reigning prince" brother to the empress ;atherine" #ho" in
case he should die #ithout issue" #ill succeed to the
principality of 2vern" in 0ast 3riesland& from all #hich
it appears already that the family of 6olstein is at present
the most po#erful in 0urope" as being in possession of three
cro#ns in the /orth
L 6istory of the
try" made about ten thousand prisoners It has been
the custom of the ,artars to carry #ith them a
greater number of cords than scimitars" in order to
bind the unhappy #retches they surprise ,he cap-
tives #ere set free" and those #ho had made them
prisoners #ere put to the s#ord ,he #hole 1us-
sian army amounted to siKty thousand men It #as
to have been augmented by the troops belonging to
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the ing of oland ,his prince" #ho o#ed every-
thing to the cBar" came to pay him a visit at arosla"
on the river .an" une R" FJFL" and promised him
aid ar #as no# declared against the ,urs in
the name of these t#o monarchs& but the olish
:iet" not #illing to brea #ith the Ottoman orte"
refused to ratify the engagement their ing had en-
tered into It #as the fate of the cBar to have in
the ing of oland an ally #ho could never be of
any service to him 6e entertained similar hopes
of assistance from the princes of Aoldavia and
allachia" and #as also disappointed
,hese t#o provinces should have taen this op-
portunity to shae oU the ,urish yoe ,hese
countries #ere those of the ancient :aci" #ho" to-
gether #ith the 7epidae" #ith #hom they #ere inter-
miKed" for a long time disturbed the 1oman 0m-
pire ,hey #ere at length subdued by the emperor
,ra%an" and ;onstantine I made them embrace the
;hristian religion :acia #as one of the provinces
of the 0astern 0mpire" but shortly after these very
people contributed to the ruin of that of the est
by serving under the Odoacers and ,heodorics
,hey continued to be sub%ect to the 7ree 0m-
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1ussian 0mpire 5
pire" and #hen the ,urs made themselves masters
of ;onstantinople" #ere governed and oppressed by
particular princes& at length they #ere totally sub-
%ected by the ,urish emperor" #ho no# granted
them investiture ,he hospodar" or vaivode" chosen
by the Ottoman orte to govern these provinces" is
al#ays a ;hristian of the 7ree ;hurch ,he
,urs" by this choice" give a proof of their tolera-
tion" #hile our ignorant declaimers are accusing
them of persecution ,he prince nominated by the
orte is tributary to" or rather farms" these coun-
tries of the grand seignior & this dignity being al#ays
conferred on the best bidder or on him #ho maes the
greatest presents to the viBier" as the oNce of 7ree
patriarch is conferred at ;onstantinople .ome-
times this government is besto#ed on a dragoman"
that is to say" the interpreter to the divan ,hese
provinces are seldom under the government of the
same vaivode" the orte choosing to divide them" in
order to be more sure of eeping them in sub%ection
:emetrius ;antemir #as at this time vaivode of
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Aoldavia ,his prince #as said to be descended
from ,amerlane" because ,amerlanePs true name
#as ,imur" and ,imur #as a ,artarian han & and
so" from the name ,amuran" say they" came the
family of ;antemir
essaraba rancovan had been invested #ith the
principality of allachia" but had not found any
genealogist to deduce his pedigree from the ,ar-
tarian conTueror& ;antemir thought the time no#
ripe to shae oU the ,urish yoe and render him-
self independent by means of the cBarPs protection
9ol RLF5
H 6istory of the
In this respect he acted in the very same manner
#ith eter as AaBeppa had done #ith ;harles EII
6e even engaged essaraba for the present to %oin
him in the conspiracy" of #hich he hoped to reap all
the bene$t himself & his plan being to mae himself
master of both provinces ,he bishop of erusalem"
#ho #as at that time at allachia" #as the soul of
this conspiracy ;antemir promised to furnish the
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cBar #ith men and provisions" as AaBeppa did the
ing of .#eden" and ept his #ord no better
7eneral .heremeto advanced to#ard assy"
the capital of Aoldavia" to inspect and occasion-
ally assist the eKecution of these great pro%ects
;antemir came to meet him" and #as received #ith
all the honors due to a prince& but he acted as a
prince in no one circumstance" eKcept that of pub-
lishing a manifesto against the ,urish 0mpire
,he hospodar of allachia" #ho soon discovered
the ambitious plans of his colleague" Tuitted his
party and returned to his duty ,he bishop of
erusalem dreading" #ith reason" the punishment
due to his per$dy" Sed and concealed himself& the
people of allachia and Aoldavia continued faith-
ful to the Ottoman orte" and those #ho #ere to
have furnished provisions for the 1ussian army
carried them to the ,urs
,he viBier" altagi Aahomet" had already crossed
the :anube at the head of one hundred thousand
men" and #as advancing to#ard assy along the
bans of the river ruth" #hich falls into the :an-
ube" and #hich is nearly the boundary of Aoldavia
and essarabia 6e then despatched ;ount onia-
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1ussian 0mpire J
to#si"* a olish gentleman attached to the fortunes
of the ing of .#eden" to desire that prince to mae
him a visit and see his army ;harles" #hose pride
al#ays got the better of his %udgment" #ould not
*,his same ;ount oniato#si" #ho #as at that time
in the service of ;harles EII" died after#ard ;astellan
of ;raco#" and $rst senator of the republic of oland
after having en%oyed all the dignities to #hich a nobleman
of that country can attain 6is connections #ith ;harles
EII" during the princePs retirement at ender" $rst made
him taen notice of& and it is to be #ished" for the honor
of his memory" that he had #aited till the conclusion
of a peace bet#een .#eden and oland" to be reconciled to
8ing +ugustus & but follo#ing the dictates of ambition"
rather than those of strict honor" he sacri$ced the interests
of both ;harles and .tanislaus" to the care of his o#n
fortune& and #hile he appeared the most Bealous in their
cause" he secretly did them all the ill service he could at
the Ottoman orte& to this double dealing he o#ed the
immense fortune of #hich he #as after#ard possessed
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6e married the princess ;Bartorisa" daughter of the ;as-
tellan of 9ilna" a lady" for her heroic spirit" #orthy to
have been born in the times of ancient 1ome hen her
elder son" the present grand chamberlain of the cro#n" had
that famous dispute #ith ;ount ,arlo" palatine of ublin"
a dispute #hich made so much noise in all the public papers
in the year FJL" this lady" after having made him shoot
at a mar every day for three #ees" in order to be eKpert
at $ring" said to him" as he #as mounting his horse" to go
to meet his adversary > 47o" my son" but if you do not
acTuit yourself #ith honor in this aUair" never appear be-
fore me again4 ,his anecdote may serve as a specimen of
the character of our heroine ,he family of ;Bartorisi
is descended from the ancient agellons" #ho #ere" for sev-
eral ages" in lineal possession of the cro#n of oland & and
is" at this day" eKtremely rich and po#erful by the alliances
it has contracted" but they have never been able to acTuire
popularities & and so long as ;ount ,arlo #ho #as illed
in a duel #ith the young count oniato#si lived" had no
inSuence in the dictines" or lesser assembly of the states"
because ,arlo" #ho #as the idol of the nobles" and a s#orn
enemy to the ;Bartorisi family" carried everything before
him" and nothing #as done but according to his pleasure
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M 6istory of the
consent to this proposal & he insisted that the grand
viBier should mae him the $rst visit" in his asylum
near ender & #hen oniato#si returned to the Ot-
toman camp and endeavored to eKcuse this refusal
of his master" the viBier" turning to the han of the
,artars" said> 4,his is the very behavior I eK-
pected from this proud in$del4 ,his mutual pride"
#hich never fails to alienate the minds of those in
po#er from one another" did no service to the ing of
.#edenPs aUairs & and indeed that prince might have
easily perceived from the beginning that the ,urs
#ere not acting for his interest" but for their o#n
hile the ,urish army #as passing the :anube"
the cBar advanced by the frontiers of oland and
passed the oristhenes in order to relieve Aarshal
.heremeto" #ho #as then on the bans of the ruth
to the south of assy" and in danger of being sur-
rounded by an army of ten thousand ,urs and an
army of ,artars eter" before he passed the oris-
thenes" #as in doubt #hether he should eKpose his
beloved ;atherine to these dangers" #hich seemed
to increase every day& but ;atherine looed upon
this solicitude of the cBar for her ease and safety as
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an aUront oUered to her love and courage" and
pressed her consort so strongly on this head that he
found himself obliged to consent that she should
pass the river #ith him ,he army beheld her #ith
%oy and admiration on horsebac at the head of the
troops" for she rarely made use of a carriage +fter
passing the oristhenes" they had a tract of desert
country to pass through and then to cross the og"
then the river :niester" and then another desert to
1ussian 0mpire '
traverse" before they came to the bans of the ruth
;atherine during this fatiguing march animated the
#hole army by her cheerfulness and aUability .he
sent refreshments to such of the oNcers as #ere
sic" and eKtended her care even to the meanest
soldier
+t length the cBar brought his army in sight of
assy on uly L" FJFF 6ere he #as to establish his
magaBine essaraba" the hospodar of allachia"
#ho had again embraced the interest of the Ottoman
orte" but still" in appearance continued a friend to
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cBar" by a singular fatality" found himself in the
neighborhood of his rival and competitor ;harles"
ender not being above t#enty-$ve leagues from
the place #here the 1ussian army #as encamped
near assy .ome parties of ;ossacs made eKcur-
sions even to the place of that unfortunate mon-
archPs retreat& but the ;rim ,artars" #ho hovered
round that part of the country" suNciently secured
him from any attempt that might be made to seiBe
his person & and ;harles #aited in his camp #ith im-
patience" not fearing the issue of the #ar
eter" as soon as he had established some maga-
Bines" marched in haste #ith his army to the right of
the river ruth 6is essential ob%ect #as to prevent
the ,urs" #ho #ere posted to the left and to#ard
the head of the river" from crossing it and marching
to#ard him ,his eUected" he #ould then be master
of Aoldavia and allachia & #ith this ob%ect in vie#
he despatched 7eneral anus #ith the vanguard of
the army to oppose the passage of the ,urs & but
the general did not arrive till they had already begun
to cross the river on their bridges & he #as obliged
to retreat" and his infantry #as closely pursued by
the ,urs till the cBar came to his assistance
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,he grand viBier no# marched directly along the
river to#ard the cBar ,he t#o armies #ere very
uneTual & that of the ,urs" #hich had been rein-
forced by the ,artarian troops" consisted of nearly
t#o hundred and $fty thousand men" #hile that of
the 1ussians amounted to barely thirty-$ve thou-
sand ,here #as" indeed" a considerable body of
troops" headed by 7eneral 1enne" on their march
,60 ;+A O/ ,60 1@,6
- t
ItP-P
I
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1ussian 0mpire RF
from the other side of the Aoldavian Aountains &
but the ,urs had cut oU all communication #ith
those parts
,he cBarPs army no# began to be in #ant of
provisions" and could" only #ith the greatest diN-
culty" procure #ater" though encamped at a very
short distance from the river" being eKposed to a
furious discharge from the batteries #hich the
grand viBier had caused to be erected on the left
side of the river" under the care of a body of troops
that ept up a constant $re on the 1ussians y
this account it appears that altagi Aahomet" the
,urish viBier" far from being the #ea commander
#hich the .#edes have represented him" gave proof
on this occasion that he understood his business
assing the ruth in the sight of the enemy" oblig-
ing him to retreat" and harassing him in that re-
treat& cutting oU all communication bet#een the
cBarPs army" and a body of cavalry that #as
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marching to reinforce it& hemming in this army"
#ithout the least probability of a retreat" and cut-
ting oU all supplies of #ater and provisions" by
eeping it constantly under chec by the batteries on
the opposite side of the river" #ere manoeuvres that
in no #ay bespoe an ineKperienced or indolent gen-
eral
eter no# sa# himself in a situation even #orse
than that to #hich he had reduced his rival ;harles
EII" at oltava" being" lie him" surrounded by a
superior army" and in greater #ant of provisions"
and" lie him" having con$ded in the promises of a
prince too po#erful to be bound by those promises"
R 6istory of the
he resolved upon a retreat" and endeavored to return
to#ard assy" in order to choose a more advan-
tageous situation for his camp
6e accordingly decamped under cover of the
night on uly G" FJFF & but his army had scarcely
begun its march" #hen" at brea of day" the ,urs
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fell upon his rear & but the reobraBinsi regiment
facing about and standing $rm for a considerable
time" checed the fury of their onset ,he 1us-
sians then formed themselves and made a line of
intrenchments #ith their #agons and baggage ,he
same day the ,urs returned again to the attac
#ith the #hole body of their army & and as a proof
that the 1ussians ne# ho# to defend themselves"
let #hat #ill be alleged to the contrary" they made
head against this very superior force for a consider-
able time" illed a great number of their enemies"
#ho in vain endeavored to brea in upon them
,here #ere in the Ottoman army t#o oNcers
belonging to the ing of .#eden" namely" ;ount
oniato#si and the count of .parre" #ho had the
command of a body of ;ossacs in that princePs in-
terest Ay papers inform me that these t#o gen-
erals advised the grand viBier to avoid coming to
action #ith the 1ussians" and content himself #ith
depriving them of supplies of #ater and provisions"
#hich #ould oblige them either to surrender or to
perish of famine& other memoirs pretend" on the
contrary" that these oNcers #ould have persuaded
Aahomet to fall upon this feeble and half-starved
army" in a #ea and distressed condition" and put all
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to the s#ord ,he former plan #ould have been the
1ussian 0mpire RR
#iser" but the second is more agreeable to the char-
acter of generals #ho had been trained under
;harles EII
,he fact is" that the grand viBier fell upon the
rear of the 1ussian army at the da#n of day" #hich
#as thro#n into confusion" and there remained only
a line of four hundred men to confront the ,urs
,his small body formed itself #ith amaBing Tuic-
ness under the orders of a 7erman general named
+llard" #ho" to his immortal honor" made such rapid
and eKcellent disposition on this occasion" that the
1ussians #ithstood for over three hours the re-
peated attacs of the #hole Ottoman army" #ithout
losing a foot of ground
,he cBar no# found himself amply repaid for
the immense pains he had taen to inure his troops
to strict discipline +t the battle of /arva siKty
thousand men #ere defeated by only eight thousand"
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because the former #ere undisciplined & and here #e
behold a rear-guard" consisting of only eight thou-
sand 1ussians" sustaining the onslaughts of one
hundred and $fty thousand ,urs" illing seven
thousand of them" and obliging the rest to fall bac
+fter this sharp engagement both armies in-
trenched themselves for that night& but the 1us-
sians #ere still surrounded and deprived of all pro-
visions" even #ater & for" although they #ere so near
the river ruth" they did not dare approach its
bans & for as soon as any parties #ere sent out to
$nd #ater" a body of ,urs posted on the opposite
shore drove them bac by a furious discharge from
their cannon loaded #ith chain shot& and the body
RL 6istory of the
of the ,urish army #hich had attaced that of the
cBar the day before" continued to play upon them
from another Tuarter #ith the #hole force of their
artillery
,he 1ussian army appeared to be lost beyond
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resource" by its position" by the ineTuality of num-
bers" and by the #ant of provisions ,he sirmishes
on both sides #ere freTuent and bloody& the 1us-
sian cavalry being almost all dismounted" could no
longer be of any service" unless by $ghting on foot &
in a #ord" the situation #as desperate It #as out
of their po#er to retreat" they had nothing left but to
gain a complete victory" to perish to the last man" or
to be made slaves by the in$dels
+ll the accounts and memoirs of those times
unanimously agree that the cBar" debating #hether
or not he should eKpose his #ife" his army" his em-
pire" and the fruits of all his labors to almost in-
evitable destruction" retired to his tent oppressed
#ith grief and seiBed #ith violent convulsions" to
#hich he #as naturally sub%ect" and #hich the pres-
ent desperate situation of aUairs brought on #ith
redoubled violence In this condition he remained
alone in his tent" having given positive orders that
no one should be admitted to be a #itness to the dis-
traction of his mind ut ;atherine" hearing of his
distress" forced her #ay to him" and on this occasion
eter found ho# #ell it #as for him that he had
permitted his #ife to accompany him on this eKpe-
dition
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+ #ife #ho had faced death in its most horrible
shapes" and had eKposed her person" lie the meanest
1ussian 0mpire R5
soldier" to the $re of the ,urish artillery for the
sae of her husband" had an undoubted right to
spea to her husband" and to be heard ,he cBar
accordingly listened to #hat she had to say" and in
the end suUered himself to be persuaded to try and
send to the viBier proposals of peace
It has been a custom from time immemorial
throughout the 0ast" that #hen any people apply
for an audience of the sovereign or his representa-
tive" they must not presume to approach #ithout a
present On this occasion" therefore" ;atherine
gathered the fe# %e#els that she had brought #ith
her on this military tour" in #hich no magni$cence
or luKury #as admitted & to these she added t#o
blac foKesP sins and #hat ready money she could
collect & the latter #as designed for a present to the
iaia .he made choice herself of an oNcer on
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#hose $delity and understanding she thought she
could depend" #ho" accompanied by t#o servants"
#as to carry the presents to the grand viBier" and
after#ard deliver the money intended for the iaia
into his o#n hand ,his oNcer #as also charged
[vith a letter from Aarshal .heremeto to the grand
viBier ,he memoirs of ;Bar eter mention this
letter" but they tae no notice of the other particulars
of ;atherinePs conduct in this business& ho#ever"
they are suNciently con$rmed by the declaration is-
sued by eter in FJR" #hen he caused ;atherine to
be cro#ned empress" #herein #e $nd these #ords>
4.he has been of the greatest assistance to us in all
our dangers" and particularly in the battle of ruth"
#hen our army #as reduced to t#enty-t#o thousand
RH 6istory of the
men4 If the cBar had then" indeed" no more men
capable of bearing arms" the service #hich ;ath-
erine did him on that occasion #as fully eTuivalent
to the honors and dignities conferred upon her ,he
%ournal of eter the 7reat observes that the day
of the bloody battle uly Oth he had thirty-one
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thousand $ve hundred and $fty-four foot and siK
thousand siK hundred and ninety-t#o horse" the lat-
ter almost all dismounted& he must then have lost
siKteen thousand t#o hundred and forty-siK men
in that engagement ,he same memoirs state that
the loss sustained by the ,urs greatly eKceeded
that of the 1ussians & for as the former rushed upon
the cBarPs troops pell-mell and #ithout observing
any order" hardly a single shot of the latter missed its
mar If this is true" the aUair of uly Oth and ist
#as one of the most bloody in the annals of history
e must either suspect eter the 7reat of hav-
ing been mistaen in his declaration at the cro#ning
of the empress #hen he acno#ledges 4his obliga-
tions to her for having saved his army" #hich #as
reduced to t#enty-t#o thousand men"4 or accuse
him of a falsity in his %ournal" #herein he says that
the day on #hich the above battle #as fought" his
army" eKclusive of the forces he eKpected from the
other side of the Aoldavian mountains" 4amounted
to thirty-one thousand $ve hundrd and $fty-four
foot" and siK thousand siK hundred and ninety-t#o
horse4 +ccording to this calculation" the battle of
ruth must have been far more terrible than the his-
torians have represented ,here must certainly be
some mistae here" #hich is no uncommon thing in
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1ussian 0mpire RJ
the records of campaigns" especially #hen the #riter
enters into a minute detail of circumstances ,he
surest method" therefore" on these occasions is to
con$ne ourselves to the principal events" the victory"
and the defeat & as #e can very seldom no# #ith
any degree of certainty the eKact loss on either
side
ut" ho#ever the 1ussian army might be reduced
in point of numbers" there #ere still hopes that the
grand viBier" deceived by their vigorous and obsti-
nate resistance" might grant them peace on terms
honorable to his masterPs arms" and at the same time
not absolutely disgraceful to those of the cBar It
#as the great merit of ;atherine to have perceived
this possibility at a time #hen her consort and his
generals eKpected nothing less than destruction
/orberg" in his 46istory of ;harles EII"4
Tuotes a letter" sent by the cBar to the grand viBier"
in #hich he eKpresses himself thus > 4If" contrary
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to my intentions" I have been so unhappy as to incur
the displeasure of his highness" I am ready to mae
reparation for any cause of complaint he may have
against me& I con%ure you" most noble general" to
prevent the further eUusion of blood & give orders" I
beseech you" to put a stop to the dreadful and de-
structive $re of your artillery" and accept of the hos-
tage I here#ith send you4
,his letter carries all the mars of falsity" as do
most of the random pieces of /orberg& it is dated
uly nth" / ." #hereas no letter #as sent to
altagi Aahomet till uly F st" / ." neither #as it
the cBar #ho #rote to the viBier" but 7eneral .her-
RM 6istory of the
emeto & there #ere no such eKpressions made use of
as 4if the cBar has had the misfortune to incur the
displeasure of his highness"4 such terms being suit-
able only to a sub%ect #ho implores the pardon of his
sovereign #hom he has oUended ,here #as no
mention made of any hostage" nor #as any sent
,he letter #as carried by an oNcer" in the midst of
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a furious cannonade on both sides .heremeto"
in this letter" only reminded the viBier of certain
overtures of peace that the orte had made at the
beginning of the campaign through the mediation of
the :utch and 0nglish ministers" and in #hich the
divan demanded that the fort and harbor of ,agan-
rog should be given up" #hich #ere the real sub%ects
of the #ar
.ome hours elapsed before the messenger re-
ceived an ans#er from the grand viBier" and it #as
apprehended that he had either been illed by the
enemyPs cannon or that they detained him prisoner
+ second courier #as therefore despatched #ith
duplicates of the former letters" and a council of #ar
#as immediately held" at #hich ;atherine #as pres-
ent +t this council ten general oNcers signed the
follo#ing resolution >
41esolved" if the enemy #ill not accept the condi-
tions proposed" and should insist upon our laying
do#n our arms" and surrendering at discretion" that
all the ministers and general oNcers are unani-
mously of opinion to cut their #ay through the
enemy s#ord in hand4
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In conseTuence of this resolution" a line of in-
trenchments #as thro#n round the baggage" and
1ussian 0mpire R'
the 1ussians marched some fe# paces out of their
camp to#ard the enemy" #hen the grand viBier
caused a suspension of hostilities to be proclaimed
bet#een the t#o armies
+ll the #riters of the .#edish party have treated
the grand viBier as a co#ardly and infamous #retch"
#ho had been bribed to sell the honor of his masterPs
arms In the same manner have several authors ac-
cused ;ount iper of receiving money from the
due of Aarlborough to persuade the ing of
.#eden to continue the #ar against the cBar & and
have laid to the charge of the 3rench minister that
he purchased the eace of .eville for a stipulated
sum .uch accusations should never be advanced
#ithout very strong proofs It is seldom that a min-
ister #ill stoop to such meannesses" #hich are al#ays
discovered sooner or later by those #ho have been
intrusted #ith the payment of the money" or by the
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public registers" #hich never lie + minister of state
stands as a public ob%ect to the eyes of all 0urope
6is credit and inSuence depend #holly upon his
character" and he is al#ays suNciently rich to be
above the temptation of becoming a traitor
,he place of viceroy of the ,urish 0mpire is so
illustrious" and the pro$ts anneKed to it in time of
#ar so immense" there #as such a profusion of
everything necessary and even luKurious in the
camp of altagi Aahomet" and" on the other hand"
so much poverty and distress in that of the cBar" that
surely the grand viBier #as rather in a position to
give than to receive ,he triSing present of a #oman
#ho had nothing to send but a fe# sins and some
LG 6istory of the
%e#els" in compliance #ith the established custom of
all courts" or rather those in particular of the 0ast"
can never be considered as a bribe ,he fran and
open conduct of altagi Aahomet seems at once to
give the lie to the blac accusations #ith #hich so
many #riters have stained their narratives 9ice-
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;hancellor .haNroU paid the viBier a visit in
his tent & everything #as transacted in an open man-
ner on both sides" and indeed it could not be other-
#ise ,he $rst article of the negotiation #as en-
tered into in the presence of a person #holly de-
voted to the ing of .#eden" a domestic of ;ount
oniato#si" #ho #as himself one of that monarchPs
generals ,his man served as interpreter" and the
several articles #ere put in #riting by the viBierPs
chief secretary" 6ummer 0Uendi Aoreover" ;ount
oniato#si #as there in person ,he present
sent to the iaia #as oUered probably in form"
and everything #as transacted agreeably to the Ori-
ental customs Other presents #ere made by the
,urs in return & so that there #as not the least ap-
pearance of treachery ,he motives #hich deter-
mined the viBier to consent to the proposals oUered
him #ere" $rst" that the body of troops under the
command of 7eneral 1enne on the borders of the
river .ireth" in Aoldavia" had already crossed three
rivers" and #ere actually in the neighborhood of the
:anube" #here 1enne had already made himself
master of the to#n and castle of rahila" defended
by a numerous garrison under the command of a
pasha .econdly" the cBar had another body of
troops advancing through the frontiers of oland&
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1ussian 0mpire LF
and lastly" it is more than probable that the viBier
#as not fully acTuainted #ith the eKtreme #ant that
#as felt in the 1ussian camp One enemy seldom
furnishes another #ith an eKact account of its pro-
visions and ammunition & on the contrary" both sides
are accustomed rather to mae a parade of plenty"
even at a time #hen they are in the greatest need
,here can be no arti$ces practised to gain intelli-
gence of the true state of an adversaryPs aUairs by
means of spies bet#een the ,urs and the 1ussians
,he diUerence of their dress" of their religion" and
of their language" #ill not permit it ,hey are"
moreover" strangers to desertion" so common in
most of our armies" and conseTuently the grand
viBier could not no# the desperate condition to
#hich the cBarPs army #as reduced
altagi" #ho #as not fond of #ar" and #ho"
nevertheless" had conducted this very #ell" thought
that his eKpedition #ould be suNciently successful
if he put his master in possession of the to#ns and
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harbors #hich made the sub%ect of the #ar" stopped
the progress of the victorious army under 1enne"
and obliged that general to Tuit the bans of the
:anube and return to 1ussia" and forever shut the
entrance of the .ea of +Bov" the ;immerian os-
phorus" and the lac .ea" against an enterprising
prince & and" lastly" if he avoided staing these cer-
tain advantages on the haBard of a ne# battle in
#hich" after all" despair might have got the better of
superiority of numbers Only the preceding day
he had beheld his %anissaries repulsed #ith loss & and
there laced not eKamples of many victories having
9ol RL F H
L 6istory of the
been gained by the #eaer over the stronger .uch
#ere AahometPs reasons for accepting the proposals
of peace 6is conduct" ho#ever" did not merit the
approbation of ;harlesPs oNcers" " #ho served in the
,urish army" nor of the han of ,artary It #as
to the interest of the latter and his follo#ers to re%ect
all terms that #ould deprive them of the opportunity
of ravaging the frontiers of 1ussia and oland
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;harles EII desired to be avenged on his rival" the
cBar& but the general" and the $rst minister of the
Ottoman 0mpire" #as neither inSuenced by the pri-
vate thirst of revenge #hich animated the ;hristian
monarch" nor by the desire of booty #hich actuated
the ,artar chief
+s soon as the suspension of arms #as agreed to"
the 1ussians purchased of the ,urs the provisions
of #hich they stood in need ,he articles of the
peace #ere not signed at that time" as is related by
a Aotraye ,he viBier" among other conditions"
demanded that the cBar should promise not to inter-
fere any more in olish aUairs ,his #as a point
particularly insisted upon by ;ount oniato#si &
but it #as" in fact" to the interest of the Ottoman
cro#n that the ingdom of oland should continue
in its then defenceless and divided state& accord-
ingly this demand #as reduced to that of the 1us-
sian troops evacuating the frontiers of oland ,he
han of ,artary" on his side" demanded a tribute of
forty thousand seTuins ,his point" after being long
debated" #as at length abandoned
,he grand viBier insisted for a long time that
rince ;antemir should be delivered to him" as at-
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1ussian 0mpire LR
ul had been to the ing of .#eden ;antemir #as
in the same situation as AaBeppa had been ,he
cBar caused that hetman to be arraigned and tried
for his defection" and to be eKecuted in eNgy ,he
,urs #ere not acTuainted #ith such a proceeding &
they ne# nothing of trials for contumacy" nor of
public condemnations ,he passing of a sentence
on any person and eKecuting him in eNgy #ere the
more strange to them" as their la# forbids the rep-
resentation of any human lieness #hatever ,he
viBier in vain insisted on ;antemirPs being delivered
up" eter peremptorily refused to comply" and #rote
the follo#ing letter #ith his o#n hand to 9ice-
;hancellor .haNroU>
4I can resign to the ,urs all the country as far
as 8urs" because I have hopes of being able to re-
cover it again& but I #ill by no means violate my
faith" #hich" once forfeited" can never be retrieved
I have nothing I can properly call my o#n but my
honor If I give up that" I cease to be longer a
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ing4
+t length the treaty #as concluded and signed
at a village called 3alcBio" on the river ruth
+mong other things" it #as stipulated that +Bov
and the territories belonging thereto should be re-
stored" together #ith all the ammunition and artil-
lery that #ere in the place before the cBar made him-
self master thereof in FH'H& that the harbor of
,aganrog should be demolished" as also that of
.amara" on the river of the same name & and several
other fortresses ,here #as another article added
respecting the ing of .#eden" #hich article alone
LL 6istory of the
suNciently sho#s the little regard the viBier had for
that prince& for it #as therein stipulated that the
cBar should not molest ;harles in his return to his
dominions" and that after#ard the cBar and he might
mae peace #ith each other" if they #ere so inclined
It is evident by the #ording of this eKtraordinary
article that altagi Aahomet had not forgotten the
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haughty manner in #hich ;harles EII had behaved
to him a short time before" and it is not unliely that
this very behavior of the ing of .#eden might have
been one inducement #ith Aahomet to comply
so readily #ith his rivalPs proposals for peace
;harlesPs glory depended on the ruin of the cBar&
but #e are seldom inclined to eKalt those #ho eK-
press a contempt for us & ho#ever" this prince" #ho
refused to pay the viBier a visit in his camp" on his
invitation" #hen it #as certainly to his interest to
have been upon good terms #ith him" no# came
thither in haste and unased" #hen the #or #hich
put an end to all his hopes #as on the point of being
concluded ,he viBier did not go to meet him in
person" but contented himself #ith sending t#o of
his pashas" nor #ould he stir out of his tent till
;harles #as #ithin a fe# paces of it
,his intervie# consisted" as every one no#s" in
mutual reproaches .everal historians have char-
acteriBed the ans#er #hich the viBier made to the
ing of .#eden" #hen that prince reproached him
#ith not maing the cBar prisoner" #hen he might
have done it so easily" as the reply of a #ea man
4If I had taen him prisoner"4 said Aahomet" 4#ho
#ould there be to govern his dominions ?4
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1ussian 0mpire L5
It is very easy" ho#ever" to see that this #as
the ans#er of a man #ho #as piTued #ith resent-
ment& and these #ords #hich he added" 4for it is
not proper that every cro#ned head should Tuit his
dominions"4 suNciently sho#ed that he intended to
mortify the refugee of ender
;harles gained nothing by his %ourney" but the
pleasure of tearing the viBierPs robe #ith his spurs"
#hile that oNcer" #ho #as in a position to mae
him repent this splenetic insult" seemed not to notice
it" in #hich he #as certainly greatly superior to
;harles If anything could have made that monarch
sensible ho# easily fortune can put greatness to
the blush" it #ould have been the reSection that at
the battle of oltava a pastry-cooPs boy had forced
his #hole army to surrender at discretion" and in
this of ruth a #ood-cutter #as the arbiter of his
fate" and that of his rival the cBar& for the viBier
altagi Aahomet had been a cutter of #ood in the
grand seigniorPs seraglio" as his name implied & and
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far from being ashamed of that title" he gloried in
it & so much do the manners of the 0astern people
diUer from ours
hen the ne#s of this treaty reached ;on-
stantinople" the grand seignior #as so #ell pleased"
that he ordered public re%oicings to be made for a
#hole #ee" and Aahomet" iaia or lieutenant-gen-
eral" #ho brought the tidings to the divan" #as in-
stantly raised to the dignity of ou%ou Imraour"
or master of the horse" a certain proof that the sultan
did not thin himself ill served by his viBier
/orberg seems to have no#n very little of the
LH 6istory of the
,urish government #hen he says that 4the grand
seignior #as obliged to eep fair #ith altagi
Aahomet" that viBier having rendered himself for-
midable4 ,he %anissaries indeed have often ren-
dered themselves formidable to their sultans & but
there is not one eKample of a viBier #ho has not
been easily sacri$ced to the #ill or orders of his
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sovereign" and Aahomet #as in no position to
support himself by his o#n po#er esides" /or-
berg manifestly contradicts himself by aNrming"
in the same page" that the %anissaries #ere irritated
against Aahomet" and that the sultan stood in dread
of his po#er
,he ing of .#eden #as no# reduced to the
necessity of forming cabals in the Ottoman court&
and a monarch #ho had so lately made ings by his
o#n po#er #as no# seen #aiting for audience" and
oUering memorials and petitions #hich #ere re-
fused
;harles eKhausted all the means of intrigue" lie
a sub%ect #ho endeavors to mae a minister sus-
pected by his master In this manner he acted
against Aahomet" and against those #ho succeeded
him +t one time he addressed himself to the sultana
9alide by means of a e#ess" #ho had admission
into the seraglio& at another" he employed one of
the eunuchs for the same purpose +t length he
had recourse to a man #ho #as to mingle among the
grand seigniorPs guards" and" by counterfeiting a per-
son out of his senses" to attract the attention of the
sultan" and by that means deliver into his o#n hand
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a memorial from ;harles 3rom all these various
1ussian 0mpire LJ
schemes" the ing of .#eden had only the morti$-
cation of seeing himself deprived of his thaim &
that is to say" of the daily pension #hich the orte
had assigned him for his subsistence" and #hich
amounted to about F"5GG 3rench livres ,he grand
viBier" instead of remitting this allo#ance to him
as usual" sent him an order" in the form of a friendly
advice" to Tuit the grand seigniorPs dominions
;harles" ho#ever" #as determined not to depart"
still Sattering himself #ith the vain hope that he
should once more re-enter oland and 1ussia #ith
a po#erful army of ,urs 0very one no#s #hat
#as the issue of his boldness in the year FJL" and
ho# he engaged an army of %anissaries" .pahis and
,artars" #ith only himself" his secretaries" his valet
de chambre" coo" and stable-men& that he #as
taen prisoner in that country" #here he had been
treated #ith the greatest hospitality& and that he
at length got bac to his o#n ingdom in the dis-
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guise of a courier" after having lived $ve years in
,urey & from all #hich it remains to be acno#l-
edged" that if there #as reason in the conduct of
this eKtraordinary prince" it #as reason of a very
diUerent nature from that of other men
;6+,01 EEI
;O/;@.IO/ O3 ,60 +33+I1. O3 1@,6
I, is necessary to repeat an event already re-
lated in the history of ;harles EII It happened
that during the suspension of hostilities #hich pre-
LM 6istory of the
ceded the treaty of ruth" t#o ,artar soldiers sur-
prised and too prisoners t#o Italian oNcers be-
longing to the cBarPs army" and sold them to an
oNcer of the ,urish %anissaries ,he viBier being
informed of this breach of public faith" punished
the t#o ,artars #ith death 6o# are #e to recon-
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cile this severe delicacy #ith the violation of the
la#s of nations in the person of ,olstoi" the cBarPs
ambassador" #hom this very viBier caused to be
arrested in the streets of ;onstantinople" and im-
prisoned in the castle of the .even ,o#ers ? ,here
is al#ays some reason for the contradictions #e
$nd in the actions of manind altagi Aahomet
#as incensed against the han of ,artary" for
having opposed the peace he had lately made" and
#as resolved to sho# that chieftain that he #as his
master
,he treaty #as no sooner concluded than the
cBar Tuitted the borders of the ruth" and returned
to#ard his o#n dominions" follo#ed by a body of
eight thousand ,urs" #hom the viBier had sent as
an army of observation to #atch the motions of the
1ussian army during its march" and also to serve
as an escort or safeguard to them against the #an-
dering ,artars #hich infested those parts
eter instantly set about accomplishing the
treaty" by demolishing the fortresses of .amara and
8amensii & but the restoring of +Bov" and the de-
molition of the port of ,aganrog" met #ith some
diNculties in the eKecution +ccording to the terms
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of the treaty" it #as necessary to distinguish the
artillery and ammunition #hich belonged to the
1ussian 0mpire L'
,urs in +Bov before that place #as taen by the
cBar" from those #hich had been sent there after it
fell into his hands ,he governor of the place spun
out this aUair to a tedious length" at #hich the
orte #as greatly incensed" and not #ithout reason >
the sultan #as impatient to receive the eys of
+Bov ,he viBier promised they should be sent
from time to time" but the governor al#ays found
means to delay the delivery of them altagi
Aahomet lost the good graces of his master" and
#ith them his place ,he han of ,artary and his
other enemies made such good use of their interest
#ith the sultan that the grand viBier #as deposed"
and several pashas #ere disgraced at the same time &
but the grand seignior" #ell convinced of his minis-
terPs $delity" did not deprive him of either his life or
estate" but only sent him to Aytilene to tae the
command of that island ,his simple removal from
the helm of aUairs" #ithout the loss of his fortunes"
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and above all" giving him the command in Aytilene"
suNciently contradicts all that /orberg has ad-
vanced to induce us to believe that this viBier had
been corrupted #ith the cBarPs money
/orberg asserts" furthermore" that the ostangi
pasha" #ho came to divest him of his oNce" and to
acTuaint him #ith the grand seigniorPs sentence" de-
clared him 4a traitor" one #ho has disobeyed the
orders of his sovereign lord" had sold himself to
the enemy for money" and #as found guilty of not
having taen proper care of the interests of the
ing of .#eden4 In the $rst place" such declara-
tions are not in use in ,urey & the orders of the
5G 6istory of the
grand seignior al#ays being issued privately" and
eKecuted #ith secrecy .econdly" if the viBier had
been declared 4a traitor" a rebel" and a corrupted
person"4 crimes of this nature #ould have been in-
stantly punished #ith death in a country #here they
are never forgiven astly" if he #as punishable
for not having suNciently attended to the interests
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of the ing of .#eden" it is evident that this prince
must have had such a degree of inSuence at the
Ottoman orte as to have made the other ministers
tremble" #ho #ould conseTuently have endeavored
to gain his good graces & #hereas" on the contrary"
the pasha 2usuf" aga of the %anissaries" #ho suc-
ceeded Aahomet altagi as grand viBier" had the
same sentiments as his predecessor" in relation to
;harlesPs conduct" and #as so far from doing him
any service" that he thought of nothing but ho# to
get rid of so dangerous a guest & and #hen ;ount
oniato#si" the companion and con$dant of that
monarch" #ent to compliment the viBier on his ne#
dignity" the latter spoe to him thus > 4In$del" I
fore#arn thee" that if ever I $nd thee hatching any
intrigues" I #ill upon the $rst notice cause thee to be
thro#n into the sea #ith a stone about thy nec4
,his compliment ;ount oniato#si himself re-
lates in the memoirs #hich he dre# up at my re-
Tuest" and is a suNcient proof of the little inSuence
his master had in the ,urish court +ll that /or-
berg has related touching the aUairs of that empire
appears to come from a pre%udiced person" and one
#ho #as very ill informed of the circumstances he
pretends to #rite about +nd #e may count among
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1ussian 0mpire
the errors of a party spirit and political falsehoods"
everything #hich this #riter advances unsupported
by proofs" concerning the pretended corruption of
a grand viBier& that is" of a person #ho had the
disposal of more than siKty millions per annum"
#ithout being sub%ect to the least account I have
no# before me the letter #hich ;ount oniato#si
#rote to 8ing .tanislaus immediately after the sign-
ing of the ,reaty of ruth" in #hich he upbraids
altagi Aahomet #ith the slight he sho#ed to the
ing of .#eden" his dislie to the #ar" and the un-
steadiness of his temper& but never once hints at
corruption" for he ne# too #ell #hat the place of
grand viBier #as" to entertain an idea that the cBar
#as capable of setting a price on the in$delity of
the second person in the Ottoman 0mpire
.chaNrof3 and .heremeto" #ho remained at
;onstantinople as hostages on the part of the cBar
for his performance of the treaty" #ere not used
in the manner they #ould have been if no#n to
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have purchased this peace" and to have %oined #ith
the viBier in deceiving his master ,hey #ere al-
lo#ed to go at liberty about the city" escorted by t#o
companies of %anissaries
,he cBarPs ambassador" ,olstoi" having been re-
leased from his con$nement in the .even ,o#ers"
immediately on the signing of the ,reaty of ruth"
the :utch and 0nglish ministers interposed #ith the
ne# viBier to see the several articles of that treaty
put into eKecution
+Bov #as at length restored to the ,urs" and
the fortresses mentioned in the treaty #ere de-
5 6istory of the
molished according to stipulation +nd no# the
Ottoman orte" though very little inclined to inter-
fere in the diUerences bet#een ;hristian princes"
could not #ithout vanity behold himself made arbi-
trator bet#een 1ussia" oland" and the ing of
.#eden& and insisted that the cBar should #ith-
dra# his troops from oland" and deliver the ,ur-
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ish 0mpire from so dangerous a neighbor & and de-
sirous that the ;hristian princes might continually
be at #ar #ith each other" #ished for nothing so
much as to send ;harles home to his o#n dominions"
but had not the least intention of furnishing him
#ith an army ,he ,artars #ere still for #ar" as
an arti$cer is #illing to seiBe every opportunity to
eKercise his calling ,he %anissaries lie#ise #ished
to be called into the $eld" but more out of hatred
against the ;hristians" their naturally restless dis-
position" and from a fondness for rapine and
licentiousness" than from any other motives /ever-
theless the 0nglish and :utch ministers managed
their negotiations so #ell that they prevailed over
the opposite party& the ,reaty of ruth #as con-
$rmed" but #ith the addition of a ne# article" by
#hich it #as stipulated that the cBar should #ith-
dra# his forces from oland #ithin three months"
and that the sultan should immediately send ;harles
EII out of his dominions
e may %udge from this ne# treaty #hether the
ing of .#eden had that inSuence at the orte
#hich some #riters #ould have us believe 6e #as
evidently sacri$ced on this occasion by the ne#
viBier" asha 2usuf" as he had been before by
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1ussian 0mpire 5R
altagi Aahomet ,he historians of his party could
$nd no other eKpedient to color over this fresh
aUront" but that of accusing 2usuf of having been
bribed lie his predecessor .uch repeated imputa-
tions" unsupported by proofs" are rather the clamors
of an impotent cabal than the testimonies of history
ut faction" #hen driven to acno#ledge facts" #ill
ever endeavor to alter circumstances and motives &
and unhappily it is thus that all the histories of our
times #ill be handed do#n to posterity so altered
that they #ill be unable to distinguish truth from
falsehoods
;6+,01 EEII
A+11I+70 O3 ,60 ;C+109I,;6 ,60 A+11I+70 O3
0,01 +/: ;+,601I/0 @I;2 .O0A/IC0:
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too $ve other to#ns in the neighborhood
omerania is the most northern province of 7er-
many" bounded on the east by russia and oland"
on the #est by randenburg" on the south by Aec-
lenburg" and on the north by the altic .ea It has
changed masters almost every century 7ustavus
+dolphus got possession of it in his famous ,hirty
2earsP ar" and it #as after#ard solemnly ceded
to the cro#n of .#eden by the ,reaty of est-
phalia" #ith a reservation of the little bishopric of
8ammin" and a fe# other small to#ns lying in
@pper omerania ,he #hole of this province
properly belongs to the elector of randenburg" in
virtue of a family compact made #ith the dues of
omerania" #hose family being eKtinct in FHRJ" con-
seTuently by the la#s of the empire the house of
randenburg had an undoubted right to the suc-
cession& but necessity" the $rst of all la#s" occa-
sioned this family compact to be set aside by the
,reaty of Osnabriic & after #hich almost the #hole
of omerania fell to the lot of the victorious .#edes
,he cBarPs intention #as to #rest from .#eden
all the provinces that cro#n possessed in 7ermany &
and" in order to accomplish his design" he found it
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necessary to enter into a confederacy #ith the
1ussian 0mpire 55
electors of 6anover and randenburg and the ing
of :enmar eter dre# up the several articles of
the treaty he pro%ected #ith these po#ers" and also
a complete plan of the necessary operations for ren-
dering him master of omerania
In the meantime he #ent to ,orgau on Oct
R" FJFF" to be present at the nuptials of his son"
the cBarevitch +leKis" #ith the princess of olfen-
biittel" sister of the consort of ;harles 9I" emperor
of 7ermany & nuptials #hich in the end proved fatal
to his o#n peace of mind" and to the lives of the
unfortunate pair
,he cBarevitch #as born of the $rst marriage of
eter the 7reat #ith 0udocia apouin" to #hom he
#as espoused in FHM'& and #ho #as at this time
shut up in the monastery of .usdal& their son"
+leKis etrovitch" #ho #as born Aarch I" FH'G"
#as no# in his t#enty-second year ,his prince
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#as not then at all no#n in 0urope + minister"
#hose memoirs of the court of 1ussia have been
printed" says in a letter he #rites to his master"
dated +ug 5" FJFF" that 4this prince #as tall and
#ell made" resembled his father greatly" #as of an
eKcellent disposition" very pious" had read the ible
$ve times over" too great delight in the ancient
7ree historians" appeared to have a very Tuic ap-
prehension and understanding" #as #ell acTuainted
#ith mathematics" the art of #ar" navigation" and
hydraulics & that he understood the 7erman lan-
guage" and #as then learning the 3rench" but that
his father #ould never suUer him to go through a
regular course of study4
5H 6istory of the
,his character is very diUerent from that
#hich the cBar himself gives of his son some time
after#ard" in #hich #e shall see #ith ho# much
grief he reproaches him #ith faults directly op-
posite to those good Tualities for #hich this min-
ister seems so much to admire him
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e must leave posterity to determine bet#een the
testimony of a stranger" #ho may have formed too
slight a %udgment" and the declaration of a parent"
#ho thought himself under the necessity of sacri$c-
ing the dictates of nature to the good of his people
If the minister #as no better acTuainted #ith the
disposition of +leKis than he seems to have been
#ith his out#ard form" his evidence #ill have but
little #eight& for he describes this prince as tall
and #ell made" #hereas the memoirs sent me from
.t etersburg say that he #as neither one nor the
other
6is step-mother" ;atherine" #as not present at
his nuptials& for though she #as already looed
upon as cBarina" yet she had not been publicly ac-
no#ledged as such & and" moreover" as she had only
the title of highness given her at the cBarPs court"
her ran #as not suNciently settled to admit of her
signing the contract" or to appear at the ceremony
in a station be$tting the consort of eter the 7reat
.he therefore remained at ,horn" in olish russia
.oon after the nuptials #ere celebrated" the cBar
sent the ne#ly-married couple a#ay to olfen-
biittel" and brought the cBarina to .t etersburg"
on an '" FJF" #ith that despatch and privacy
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#hich he observed in all his %ourneys
1ussian 0mpire 5J
6aving no# disposed of his son" he" on 3eb F'"
FJF" publicly solemniBed his o#n nuptials #ith
;atherine" #hich had been declared in private be-
fore ,he ceremony #as performed #ith as much
magni$cence as could be eKpected in a city but yet
in its infancy" and from a revenue eKhausted by the
late destructive #ar against the ,urs" and that
#hich he #as still engaged in against the ing of
.#eden ,he cBar gave orders for" and assisted
in" all the preparations for the ceremony" according
to his usual custom& and ;atherine #as no# pub-
licly declared cBarina" in re#ard for having saved
her husband and his #hole army
,he acclamations #ith #hich this declaration #as
received at .t etersburg #ere sincere& the ap-
plauses #hich sub%ects confer on the actions of a
despotic sovereign are generally suspected& but on
this occasion they #ere con$rmed by the united
voice of all the thining part of 0urope" #ho be-
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held #ith pleasure on the one hand the heir of a
vast monarchy" #ith no other glory than that of
his birth" married to a petty princess& and" on
the other hand" a po#erful conTueror" and a la#-
giver" publicly sharing his bed and his throne #ith
a stranger and a captive" #ho had nothing to recom-
mend her but her merit& and this approbation be-
came more general as the minds of men gre# more
enlightened by that sound philosophy #hich has
made so great progress in our understandings
#ithin these last forty years & a philosophy" eTually
sublime and discerning" #hich teaches us to pay only
the eKterior respect to greatness and authority"
9ol RL FJ
5M 6istory of the
#hile #e reserve our esteem and veneration for
shining talents and meritorious services
+nd here I feel obliged to relate #hat I have
met #ith touching this marriage in the despatches
of ;ount asse#itB" +ulic councillor at 9ienna" and
long time minister from 6olstein at the court of
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1ussia & a person of great merit" and #hose mem-
ory is still held in the highest esteem in 7ermany
In some of his letters he speas thus > 4,he cBarina
had not only been the main instrument of procuring
the cBar that reputation #hich he en%oyed" but #as
lie#ise essentially necessary in the preservation of
his life ,his prince #as unhappily sub%ect to vio-
lent convulsions" #hich #ere thought to be the eUect
of poison #hich had been given him #hile he #as
young ;atherine alone had found the secret of
alleviating his suUerings by an un#earied assiduity
and attention to #hatever she thought #ould please
him" and made it the #hole study of her life to pre-
serve a health so valuable to the ingdom and to
herself" insomuch that the cBar" $nding he could
not live #ithout her" made her the companion
of his throne and bed4 I here only repeat the eK-
press #ords of the #riter himself
3ortune" #hich has furnished us #ith many eK-
traordinary scenes in this part of the #orld" and
#hich had raised ;atherine from the lo#est abyss
of misery and distress to the pinnacle of human
grandeur" #rought another eKtraordinary incident
in her favor some fe# years after her marriage #ith
the cBar" and #hich I $nd thus related in a curious
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manuscript of a person #ho #as at that time in the
1ussian 0mpire 5'
cBarPs service" and #ho speas of it as a thing to
#hich he #as eye-#itness
+n envoy from 8ing +ugustus to the court of
eter the 7reat" being on his return home through
;ourland" and having put up at an inn by the #ay"
heard the voice of a person #ho seemed in great
distress" and #hom the people of the house #ere
treating in that insulting manner #hich is but too
common on such occasions & the stranger" in a tone
of resentment" made ans#er that they #ould not
dare to use him thus if he could but once get to the
speech of the cBar" at #hose court he had perhaps
more po#erful protectors than they imagined
,he envoy" upon hearing this" had a curiosity to
as the man some Tuestions" and from certain
ans#ers he let fall" and a close eKamination of his
face" he thought he found in him some resemblance
to the empress ;atherine& and #hen he came to
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:resden" he could not forbear #riting to one of
his friends at .t etersburg concerning it ,his
letter" by accident" came to the cBarPs hands" #ho
immediately sent an order to rince 1epnin" then
governor of 1iga" to endeavor to $nd out the person
mentioned in the letter rince 1epnin immediately
despatched a messenger to Aitau in ;ourland" #ho
on inTuiry" found out the man" and learned that his
name #as ;harles .cavronsy & that he #as the son
of a ithuanian gentleman" #ho had been illed in
the #ars of oland" and had left t#o children then
in the cradle" a boy and a girl" #ho had neither of
them received any other education than that #hich
simple nature gives to those #ho are abandoned by
HG 6istory of the
the #orld .cavronsy" #ho had been parted from
his sister #hile they #ere both infants" ne# nothing
further of her than that she had been taen prisoner
in Aarienburg" in the year FJGL" and supposed her
to be still in the household of rince AenshioU"
#here he imagined she might have made some little
fortune
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rince 1epnin" obeying the particular orders he
had received from the cBar" caused .cavronsy to
be seiBed" and conducted to 1iga" under pretence of
some crime laid to his charge & and to mae it more
plausible" on his arrival there" a sham information
#as dra#n up against him" and he #as sent to .t
etersburg" under a strong guard" #ith orders to
treat him #ell on the road
hen he came to that capital" he #as carried to
the house of an oNcer of the emperorPs palace"
named .hepleU" #ho having been previously in-
structed in the part he #as to play" dre# several
circumstances from the young man in relation to his
condition& and" after some time" told him that"
although the information #hich had been sent up
from 1iga against him #as of a serious nature" yet
lie #ould have %ustice done him & but that it #ould
be necessary to present a petition to his ma%esty for
that purpose & that one should accordingly be dra#n
up in his name" and that he (.hepleUW #ould $nd
means to deliver it into the cBarPs o#n hands
,he neKt day the cBar came to dine #ith .hepleU
at his o#n house" #ho presented .cavronsy to him &
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#hen his ma%esty" after asing him many Tuestions"
#as convinced" by the natural ans#ers he gave" that
1ussian 0mpire HF
he #as really the cBarinaPs brother& they had both
lived in ivonia #hen young" and the cBar found
everything that .cavronsy said to him" in relation
to his family aUairs" to tally eKactly #ith #hat his
#ife had told him concerning her brother" and the
misfortunes #hich had befallen her and her brother
in the earlier part of their lives
,he cBar" no# satis$ed of the truth" proposed
the neKt day to the empress to go and dine #ith him
at .hepleUPs & and #hen dinner #as over" he gave
orders that the man #hom he had eKamined the day
before" should be brought in again +ccordingly
he #as introduced" dressed in the same clothes he
had #orn #hile on his %ourney from 1iga" the cBar
not being #illing that he should appear in any other
garb than #hat his unhappy circumstances had ac-
customed him to
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6e interrogated him again in the presence of his
#ife& and the narrative adds" that" at the end" he
turned about to the empress" and said these very
#ords> 4,his man is your brother& come hither"
;harles" and iss the hand of the empress" and em-
brace your sister4
,he author of this narrative adds further" that
the empress fainted a#ay #ith surprise& and that
#hen she revived" the cBar said to her> 4,here is
nothing in this but #hat is very natural ,his gen-
tleman is my brother-in-la# & if he has merit" #e
#ill mae something of him& if he has not" #e
must leave him as he is4
I am of opinion that this speech sho#s as much
greatness as simplicity" and a greatness not very
H 6istory of the
common Ay author says that .cavronsy remained
a considerable time at .hepleUPs house& that the
cBar assigned him a handsome pension" but that he
led a very retired life 6e carries his relation of
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this adventure no further" as he made use of it only
to disclose the secret of ;atherinePs brother& but
#e no#" from other authorities" that this gentle-
man #as after#ard created a count & that he mar-
ried a young lady of Tuality" by #hom he had t#o
daughters" #ho #ere married to t#o of the principal
noblemen in 1ussia I leave to those #ho may be
better informed of the particulars" to distinguish
#hat is fact in this relation" from #hat may have
been added" and shall only say that the author does
not seem to have told this story out of a fondness for
entertaining his readers #ith the marvellous" since
his papers #ere not intended to be published 6e
is #riting freely to a friend about a thing of #hich
he says he #as an eye-#itness 6e may have been
mistaen in some circumstances" but the fact itself
has all the appearance of truth & for if this gentle-
man had no#n that his sister #as raised to so great
dignity and po#er" he #ould not certainly have re-
mained so many years #ithout having made himself
no#n to her +nd this discovery" ho#ever eKtraor-
dinary it may seem" is certainly not more so than
the eKaltation of ;atherine herself& and both the
one and the other are striing proofs of the force
of destiny" and may teach us to be cautious ho# #e
treat as fabulous several events of antiTuity" #hich
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perhaps are less contradictory to the common order
of things than the adventures of this empress
1ussian 0mpire HR
,he re%oicings made by ;Bar eter for his o#n
marriage and that of his son #ere not of the nature
of those transient amusements #hich eKhaust the
public treasure" and are presently lost in oblivion
6e completed his grand foundry for cannon" and
$nished the admiralty buildings ,he high#ays
#ere repaired" several ships built" and others put
upon the stocs & ne# canals #ere dug" and the $n-
ishing touches put to the grand #arehouses and
other public buildings" and the trade of .t eters-
burg began to Sourish 6e issued an ordinance for
removing the senate from Aosco# to .t eters-
burg" #hich #as eKecuted in the month of +pril"
FJF y this step he made his ne# city the capital
of the empire" and he employed a number of .#edish
prisoners in beautifying this city" #hose foundation
had been laid upon their defeat
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;6+,01 EEIII
,+8I/7 O3 .,0,,I/ :0.;0/, @O/ 3I/+/:
090/,. O3 ,60 20+1 F JF
0,01" no# seeing himself happy in his o#n
family" and in his state" and successful in his #ar
against ;harles EII" and in the several negotia-
tions #hich he had entered into #ith other po#ers"
#ho #ere resolved to assist him in driving out the
.#edes from the continent" and cooping them up
forever #ithin the peninsula of .candinavia" be-
gan to turn his attention to#ard the north#est
HL 6istory of the
coasts of 0urope" not laying aside all thoughts of the
.ea of +Bov" and the lac .ea ,he eys of +Bov"
#hich has been so long #ithheld from the pasha"
#ho #as to have taen possession of that place for
the sultan" #ere no# given up" and" not#ithstand-
ing all the endeavors of the ing of .#eden" the
intrigues of his friends at the Ottoman orte" and
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even some menaces of a ne# #ar on the part of the
,urs" both that nation and the 1ussian 0mpire
continued at peace
;harles EII" still obstinate in his resolution not
to depart from ender" tamely submitted his hopes
and fortunes to the caprice of a grand viBier" #hile
the cBar #as threatening all his provinces" arming
against him the ing of :enmar" and the elector of
6anover" and had almost persuaded the ing of
russia" and even the oles and .aKons" to declare
openly for him
;harles" ever of the same inSeKible disposition"
behaved in a similar manner to#ard his enemies"
#ho no# seemed united to over#helm him" as he
had done in all his transactions #ith the Ottoman
orte & and from his luring-place in the deserts of
essarabia" de$ed the cBar" the ings of oland"
:enmar" and russia" the elector of 6anover
soon after#ard ing of 0ngland and the emperor
of 7ermany" #hom he had so greatly oUended" #hen
he #as traversing .ilesia #ith his victorious troops"
and #ho no# sho#ed his resentment" by abandoning
him to his ill-fortune" and refused to tae under his
protection any of those countries #hich as yet be-
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longed to the .#edes in 7ermany
1ussian 0mpire H5
It #ould have been no diNcult matter for him to
have broen the league #hich #as forming against
him" had he consented to cede .tettin" in omerania"
to 3rederic " ing of russia" and elector of
randenburg" #ho had a la#ful claim thereto& but
;harles did not then regard russia as a po#er of
any conseTuence & and indeed neither he nor any other
person" could at that time foresee" that this petty
ingdom" and the electorate of randenburg" either
of #hich #ere little better than deserts" #ould one
day become formidable ;harles" therefore" #ould
not listen to any proposal" but" determined to tae all"
rather than give up anything" sent orders to the re-
gency of .tocholm to mae all possible resistance
both by sea and land & and these orders #ere obeyed"
not#ithstanding that his dominions #ere almost eK-
hausted of men and money ,he senate of .toc-
holm $tted out a Seet of thirteen ships of the line"
and every person capable of bearing arms came vol-
untarily to oUer service& in a #ord" the inSeKible
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courage and pride of ;harles seemed to be infused
into all his sub%ects" #ho #ere almost as unfortunate
as their master
It can hardly be supposed that ;harlesPs conduct
#as formed upon any regular plan 6e had still a
po#erful party in oland" #hich" assisted by the
;rim ,artars" might indeed have desolated that
#retched country" but could not have replaced
.tanislaus on the throne & and his hopes of engaging
the Ottoman orte to espouse his cause" or con-
vincing the divan that it #as their interest to send
t#elve thousand men to the assistance of his friends"
HH 6istory of the
under pretence that the cBar #as supporting his ally
+ugustus in oland" #as vain and chimerical
/evertheless" he continued still at ender" to #ait
the issue of these vain pro%ects" #hile the 1ussians"
:anes" and .aKons" #ere overrunning omerania
eter too his #ife #ith him on this eKpedition
,he ing of :enmar had already made himself
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master of .tade" a seaport to#n in the duchy of
remen" and the united forces of 1ussia" .aKony"
and :enmar #ere already before .tralsund
In October" FJF" 8ing .tanislaus" seeing the de-
plorable state of so many provinces" the impossi-
bility of his recovering the cro#n of oland" and
the universal confusion occasioned by the inSeKi-
bility of ;harles" called a meeting of the .#edish
generals" #ho #ere defending omerania #ith an
army of eleven thousand men" as the last resource
they had left in those provinces
hen they #ere assembled" he proposed to them
to mae their terms #ith 8ing +ugustus" oUering
himself to be the victim of this reconciliation On
this occasion" he made the follo#ing speech to them
in the 3rench language" #hich he after#ard left in
#riting" and #hich #as signed by nine general oN-
cers" among #hom happened to be one atul"
cousin german to the unfortunate atul" #ho lost
his life on the #heel by the order of ;harles EII
46aving been hitherto the instruments of pro-
curing glory to the .#edish army" I cannot thin
of proving the cause of their ruin I therefore de-
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clare myself ready to sacri$ce the cro#n" and my
personal interests" to the preservation of the sacred
1ussian 0mpire HJ
person of their ing" as I can see no other method
of releasing him from the place #here he no# is4
6aving made this declaration #hich is here
given in his o#n #ords he prepared to set out for
,urey" in hope of being able to soften the inSeKible
temper of his benefactor" by the sacri$ce he had
made for him 6is ill fortune #ould have it that
he arrived in essarabia at the very time that
;harles" after having given his #ord to the sultan
that he #ould depart from ender" and having re-
ceived the necessary remittances for his %ourney" and
an escort for his person" too the mad resolution to
continue there" and opposed a #hole army of ,urs
and ,artars" #ith only his o#n domestics ,he
former" though they might easily have illed him"
contented themselves #ith taing him prisoner +t
this very %uncture" .tanislaus arriving" #as seiBed
himself" so that t#o ;hristian ings #ere prisoners
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at one time in ,urey
+t this time" #hen all 0urope #as in commotion"
and 3rance had %ust terminated a #ar eTually
fatal against one part thereof" in order to settle the
grandson of ouis EI9 on the throne of .pain"
0ngland gave peace to 3rance" and the victory
gained by Aarshal 9illars at :enain" in 3landers"
saved that state from its other enemies 3rance had
been for more than a century the ally of .#eden"
and it #as to the interest of the former that its ally
should not be stripped of his possessions in 7er-
many ;harles unhappily #as at such a distance
from his dominions that he did not even no# #hat
#as occurring in 3rance
HM 6istory of the
,he regency of .tocholm" by a desperate eUort"
ventured to demand a sum of money from the
3rench court at a time #hen its $nances #ere at so
lo# an ebb that ouis EI9 had hardly money
enough to pay his household-servants ;ount
.parre #as sent #ith a commission to negotiate this
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loan" in #hich it #as not to be supposed he #ould
succeed 6o#ever" on his arrival at 9ersailles"
he represented to the marTuis de ,orci the in-
ability of the regency to pay the little army #hich
;harles had still remaining in omerania" and
#hich #as ready to brea up and dispute of itself
an account of the long arrears due to the men & and
that 3rance #as on the point of beholding the only
ally she had left deprived of those provinces #hich
#ere so necessary to preserve the balance of po#er &
that indeed ;harles had not been altogether so at-
tentive to the interests of 3rance in the course of
his conTuests as might have been eKpected" but that
the magnanimity of ouis EI9 #as at least eTual
to the misfortunes of his royal brother and ally
,he 3rench minister" in ans#er to this speech" so
eUectually set forth the incapacity of his court to
furnish the reTuested aid" that ;ount .parre de-
spaired of success
It so happened" ho#ever" that a private individual
advanced #hat .parre had lost all hopes of obtain-
ing from the court ,here #as at that time in
aris a baner named .amuel ernard" #ho had ac-
cumulated an immense fortune by maing remit-
tances for the government to foreign countries" and
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other private contracts ,his man #as intoKicated
1ussian 0mpire H'
#ith a species of pride very rarely to be met #ith
in people of his profession 6e #as immoderately
fond of everything that made an eclat" and ne#
very #ell that at one time or another the govern-
ment #ould repay #ith interest those #ho haBarded
their fortune to supply its eKigencies ;ount .parre
#ent one day to dine #ith him" and too care to
Satter his foible so #ell that before they rose from
table the baner put siK hundred thousand livres
into his hand & and then immediately #aiting on the
marTuis de ,orci" he said to him > 4I have lent the
cro#n of .#eden siK hundred thousand livres in
your name" #hich you must repay me #hen you are
able4
;ount .teinboc" #ho at that time commanded
;harlesPs army in omerania" little eKpected so
seasonable a supply & and seeing his troops" to #hom
he had nothing to give but promises" ready to
mutiny" and that the storm #as gathering fast upon
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him" and being moreover apprehensive of being sur-
rounded by the three diUerent armies of 1ussia"
:enmar" and .aKony" desired a cessation of arms"
on the supposition that .tanislausPs abdication
#ould soften the obstinacy of ;harles" and that the
only #ay left for him to save the forces under his
command #as by delaying negotiations 6e there-
fore despatched a courier to ender" to represent
to the ing of .#eden the desperate state of his
$nances and aUairs" and the situation of the army"
and to acTuaint him that he had" under these cir-
cumstances" found himself necessitated to apply for
a cessation of arms" #hich he should thin himself
JG 6istory of the
very happy to obtain ,he courier had not been des-
patched more than three days" and .tanislaus had
not yet set out on his %ourney to ender" #hen
.parre received the siK hundred thousand livres
from the 3rench baner above-mentioned& a sum
#hich #as at that time an immense treasure in a
country so desolated ,hus uneKpectedly reinforced
#ith money" #hich is the grand panacea for all dis-
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orders of state" .teinboc found means to revive the
drooping spirits of his soldiery& he supplied them
#ith all they #anted" raised ne# recruits" and in a
short time sa# himself at the head of t#elve thou-
sand men" and dropping his former intention of
procuring a suspension of arms" he sought only for
an opportunity of engaging the enemy
,his #as the same .teinboc" #ho" in the year
FJFG" after the defeat at oltava" had avenged the
.#edes on the :anes by the raid he made into
.cania" #here he defeated them #ith only a fe#
militia" #hom he had hastily gathered together" #ith
their arms girded on them #ith ropes 6e #as
lie all the other generals of ;harles EII " active
and enterprising& but his valor #as sullied by his
brutality& as an instance of #hich it #ill be suN-
cient to relate" that having" after an engagement
#ith the 1ussians" given orders to ill all the prison-
ers" and perceiving a olish oNcer in the service of
the cBar #ho had caught hold of 8ing .tanislausPs
stirrup" then on horsebac" in order to save his life"
.teinboc shot him dead in that princePs arms" as
has been already mentioned in the life of ;harles
EII" and 8ing .tanislaus has declared to the author
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1ussian 0mpire JF
of this history that" had he not been #ithheld by his
respect and gratitude to the ing of .#eden" he
should have shot .teinboc dead upon the spot
7eneral .teinboc no# marched by the #ay of
ismar to meet the combined forces of 1ussians"
:anes" and .aKons" and soon found himself near
the :anish and .aKon army" #hich #as in advance
of the 1ussians about three leagues ,he cBar sent
three couriers" one after another" to the ing of
:enmar" beseeching him to a#ait his coming up"
and thereby avoid the danger #hich threatened him
if he attempted to engage the .#edes #ith an
eTuality of force& but the :anish monarch" un-
#illing to share #ith any one the honor of a victory
#hich he thought sure" advanced to meet the .#ed-
ish general" #hom he attaced near a place called
7adebusch ,his dayPs aUair gave a further proof
of the natural enmity that subsisted bet#een the
.#edes and :anes ,he oNcers of these t#o
nations fought #ith most unparalleled obstinacy
against one another" and neither side #ould desist
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till death terminated the dispute
.teinboc gained a complete victory before the
1ussian army could come up to the assistance of the
:anes" and the neKt day received an order from
;harles to lay aside all thoughts of a suspension of
arms" #ho at the same time upbraided him for
having entertained an idea so in%urious to his honor"
and for #hich he told him he could mae no repara-
tion" but by conTuering or perishing .teinboc
had happily obviated the orders and the reproach by
the victory he had gained
J 6istory of the
ut this victory #as lie that #hich had formerly
brought such a transient consolation to 8ing +u-
gustus" #hen in the torrent of his misfortunes he
gained the battle of 8alioB against the .#edes" #ho
#ere conTuerors in every other place" and #hich
only served to aggravate his situation" as this of
7adebusch only procrastinated the ruin of .tein-
boc and his army
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hen the ing of .#eden received the ne#s of
.teinbecPs success" he looed upon his aUairs as
retrieved" and even Sattered himself #ith hopes of
engaging the Ottoman orte to declare for him"
#ho at that time seemed disposed to come to a ne#
rupture #ith the cBar& full of these fond imagina-
tions" he sent orders to 7eneral .teinbec to fall
upon oland" being still ready to believe" upon the
least shado# of success" that the day of /arva" and
those in #hich he gave la#s to his enemies" #ere
again returned ut unhappily he too soon found
these Sattering hopes utterly blasted by the aUair
of ender" and his o#n captivity among the ,urs
,he #hole fruits of the victory of 7adebusch
#ere con$ned to surprising and reducing to ashes
the to#n of +ltena" inhabited by traders and manu-
facturers" a place #holly defenceless" and #hich" not
having been in arms" should" by all the la#s of #ar
and nations" have been spared & ho#ever" it #as ut-
terly destroyed" several of the inhabitants perished
in the Sames" others escaped #ith their lives" but
naed" and a number of old men" #omen" and chil-
dren" perished of cold and the fatigue they suf-
fered" at the gates of 6amburg .uch has too often
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1ussian 0mpire JR
been the fate of thousands of men for the Tuarrels
of t#o only & and this cruel advantage #as the only
one gained by .teinboc& for the 1ussians" :anes"
and .aKons pursued him so closely that he #as
obliged to beg for an asylum in ,onning" a fortress
in the duchy of 6olstein" for himself and army
,his duchy #as at that time sub%ected to the most
cruel ravages of any part of the /orth" and its sover-
eign #as the most miserable of all princes 6e #as
a nephe# of ;harles EII" and it #as on account of
his father" #ho had married ;harlesPs sister" that
that monarch carried his arms even into the heart of
;openhagen" before the battle of /arva" and for
#hom he lie#ise made the ,reaty of ,ravendal"
by #hich the dues of 6olstein #ere restored to
their rights
,his country #as in part the cradle of the ;imbri
and of the old /ormans" #ho overran the province
of /eustria in 3rance" and conTuered all 0ng-
land" /aples" and .icily& and yet at present
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no state pretends less to mae conTuests than
this part of the ancient ;imbrica ;hersonesus"
#hich consists only of t#o petty duchies& namely"
that of .chles#ig" belonging in common to the ing
of :enmar and the due of 6olstein" and that of
7ottorp" appertaining to the due alone .chles#ig
is a sovereign principality & 6olstein is a branch of
the 7erman 0mpire" called the 1oman 0mpire
,he ing of :enmar and the due of 6olstein-
7ottorp #ere of the same family& but the due"
nephe# of ;harles EII" and presumptive heir to his
cro#n" #as the natural enemy of the ing of :en-
9ol RLFM
6istory of the
mar" #ho had endeavored to crush him in the very
cradle One of his fatherPs brothers" #ho #as bishop
of iibec"and administrator of the dominions of his
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unfortunate #ard" no# beheld himself in the midst
of the .#edish army" #hom he dared not assist" and
those of 1ussia" :enmar" and .aKony" that threat-
ened his country #ith daily destruction /everthe-
less" he thought himself obliged to try to save
;harlesPs army" if he could do it #ithout irritating
the ing of :enmar" #ho had made himself master
of his country" #hich he eKhausted by raising con-
tinual contributions
,his bishop and administrator #as entirely gov-
erned by the famous baron 7oertB" the most artful
and enterprising man of his age" endo#ed #ith a
genius amaBingly penetrating" and fruitful in every
resource & #ith talents eTual to the boldest and most
arduous attempts" he #as as insinuating in his ne-
gotiations as he #as hardy in his pro%ects& he had
the art of pleasing and persuading in the highest de-
gree" and ne# ho# to captivate all hearts by the
vivacity of his genius" after he had #on them by the
softness of his eloTuence 6e after#ard gained
ascendency over ;harles EII as great as he had
then over the bishop & and all the #orld no#s that
he paid #ith his life the honor he had of governing
the most ungovernable and obstinate prince that
ever sat upon a throne
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7oertB had a private conference #ith 7eneral
.teinboc" at #hich he promised to deliver him up
the fortress of ,onning" #ithout eKposing the
bishop-administrator" his master" to any danger" and
1ussian 0mpire J5
at the same time gave the strongest assurances to
the ing of :enmar that he #ould defend the place
to the utmost In this manner are almost all nego-
tiations carried on" aUairs of state being of a very
diUerent nature from those of private persons & the
honor of ministers consisting #holly in success" and
those of private persons in the observance of their
promises
7eneral .teinboc presented himself before ,on-
ning & the commandant refused to open the gates to
him" and by this means put it out of the ing of :en-
marPs po#er to allege any cause of complaint
against the bishop-administrator& but 7oertB caused
an order to be given in the name of the young due
a minor to suUer the .#edish army to enter the
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to#n ,he secretary of the cabinet" named .tame"
signed this order in the name of the due of 6oi-
stein& by this means 7oertB preserved the honor
of an infant #ho had not as yet any po#er to issue
orders & and he at once served the ing of .#eden"
#hom he #as desirous of pleasing" and the bishop -
administrator" his master" #ho appeared not to have
consented to the admission of the .#edish troops
,he governor of ,onning" #ho #as easily gained"
delivered up the to#n to the .#edes" and 7oertB
eKcused himself as #ell as he could to the ing of
:enmar" by protesting that the #hole had been
transacted #ithout his consent
,he .#edes retired partly #ithin the #alls" and
partly under the cannon of the to#n> but this did
not save them > for 7eneral .teinboc #as obliged
to surrender his #hole army" to the number of
JH 6istory of the
eleven thousand men" in the same manner as about
siKteen thousand of their countrymen had done at
the battle of oltava
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y this convention it #as agreed that .teinboc"
#ith his oNcers and men" might be ransomed or
eKchanged ,he price for the generalPs ransom #as
$Ked at eight thousand 7erman cro#ns& a very
triSing sum" #hich .teinboc" ho#ever" #as not able
to raise & so that he remained a prisoner in ;open-
hagen till the day of his death
,he territories of 6olstein no# remained at the
mercy of the incensed conTueror ,he young due
became the ob%ect of the ing of :enmarPs ven-
geance" and #as fated to pay for the abuse #hich
7oertB had made of his name > thus did the ill for-
tune of ;harles EII fall upon all his family
7oertB" perceiving his pro%ects thus dissipated"
and being still resolved to act a distinguished part
in the general confusion of aUairs" recalled to mind
a scheme #hich he had formed to establish a neu-
trality in the .#edish territories in 7ermany
,he ing of :enmar #as ready to tae posses-
sion of ,onning& 7eorge" elector of 6anover" #as
about to seiBe remen and 9erden" #ith the city of
.tade& the ne#-made ing of russia" 3rederic
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illiam" cast his eye upon .tettin" and ;Bar eter
#as preparing to mae himself master of 3inland&
and all the territories of ;harles EI" those of
.#eden eKcepted" #ere going to become the spoils of
those #ho #anted to share them 6o#" then" could
so many diUerent interests be rendered compatible
#ith a neutrality? 7oertB entered into negotiation
1ussian 0mpire JJ
at one and the same time #ith all the several princes
#ho had any interest in this partition& he contin-
ued night and day passing from one province to
the other & he engaged the governor of remen and
9erden to put those t#o duchies into the hands of
the elector of 6anover by #ay of seTuestration" so
that the :anes should not tae possession of them
for themselves > he prevailed on the ing of russia
to accept %ointly #ith the due of 6olstein" of the
seTuestration of .tettin and ismar" in considera-
tion of #hich the ing of :enmar #as not to act
against 6olstein" nor to enter ,onning It #as most
certainly a strange #ay of serving ;harles EII" to
put his to#ns into the hands of those #ho might
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never restore them & but 7oertB" by delivering these
places to them as pledges" bound them to a neutral-
ity" at least for some time & and he hoped to be able
to bring 6anover and randenburg to declare for
.#eden > he prevailed on the ing of russia" #hose
ruined dominions stood in need of peace" to enter
into his plans" and in short he found means to ren-
der himself necessary to all these princes" and dis-
posed of the possessions of ;harles EII lie a guar-
dian" #ho gives up one part of his #ardPs estate
to preserve the other" and of a #ard incapable of
managing his aUairs himself& and all this #ith-
out any regular authority or commission" or other
#arrant for his conduct" than full po#er given him
by the bishop of ubec" #ho had no authority to
grant such po#ers from ;harles himself
.uch #as aron 7oertB" and such his actions"
#hich have not hitherto become suNciently no#n
JM 6istory of the
,here have been instances of an OKenstiern" a 1ich-
elieu" and an +lberoni" inSuencing the aUairs of all
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parts of 0urope & but that the privy counsellor of a
bishop of ubec should do the same as they" #ith-
out his conduct being avo#ed by any one" is a thing
hitherto unheard of
/evertheless" he succeeded in the beginning" for
in une" FJFR" he made a treaty #ith the ing of
russia" by #hich that monarch engaged" on condi-
tion of eeping .tettin in seTuestration" to preserve
the rest of omerania for ;harles EII In virtue of
this treaty" 7oertB made a proposal to the governor
of omerania to give up the fortress of .tettin to
the ing of russia for the sae of peace" thining
that the .#edish governor of .tettin #ould prove
as easy to be persuaded as the 6olsteiner #ho had
the command of ,onning & but the oNcers of ;harles
EII #ere not accustomed to obey such orders Aay-
erfeld made ans#er" that no one should enter .tet-
tin but over his dead body and the ruins of the place"
and immediately sent notice to his master" of the
strange proposal ,he messenger found ;harles a
prisoner at :emotica" in conseTuence of his adven-
ture at ender" and it #as doubtful at that time"
#hether he #ould not remain all his life in con-
$nement in ,urey" or else be banished to some
of the islands in the archipelago" or some part of
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+sia under the dominion of the Ottoman orte
6o#ever" ;harles" from his prison" sent the same
orders to Aayerfeld as he had before done to .tein-
boc & namely" rather to perish than to submit to his
1ussian 0mpire J'
enemies" and even commanded him to tae his in-
SeKibility for his eKample
7oertB" $nding that the governor of .tettin had
baZed his measures" and #ould neither hearen to
a neutrality nor a seTuestration" undertoo not only
to seTuester the to#n of .tettin of his o#n author-
ity" but also the city of .tralsund" and found means
to mae a treaty #ith the ing of oland" elector of
.aKony" for that place" similar to that he had made
#ith the elector of randenburg for .tettin 6e
clearly sa# ho# impossible it #ould be for the
.#edes to eep possession of those places #ithout
either men or money" #hile their ing #as a captive
in ,urey" and he thought himself* sure of turning
aside the scourge of #ar from the /orth by means
of these seTuestrations ,he ing of :enmar him-
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self at length gave in to the pro%ects of 7oertB > the
latter had gained an entire ascendency over rince
AenshioU" the cBarPs general and favorite" #hom
he had persuaded that the duchy of 6olstein must
be ceded to his master" and Sattered the cBar #ith
the prospect of opening a canal from 6olstein into
the altic .ea & an enterprise perfectly conformable
to the inclination and vie#s of this royal founder&
and above all" he labored to insinuate to him that he
might obtain a ne# increase of po#er" by conde-
scending to become one of the po#ers of the empire"
#hich #ould entitle him to a vote in the :iet of
1atisbon" a right that he might after#ard forever
maintain by that of arms
In a #ord" no one could put on more diUerent
MG 6istory of the
appearances" adapt himself to more opposite inter-
ests" or act a more complicated part" than did this
silful negotiator& he even #ent so far as to en-
gage rince AenshioU to ruin the very to#n of
.tettin" by bombarding it" in order to force Aayer-
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feld to seTuester it into his hands" and oUered this
unpardonable insult to the ing of .#eden" #hose
good graces he #as trying to gain & and in #hich"
at length" to his misfortune" he succeeded but too
#ell
hen the ing of russia sa# a 1ussian army
before .tettin" he found that place #ould be lost
to him" and remain in the possession of the cBar
,his #as %ust #hat 7oertB eKpected and #aited for
rince AenshioU #as in #ant of money& 7oertB
got the ing of russia to lend him four hundred
thousand cro#ns> he after#ard sent a message to
the governor of the place" to no# of him #hether
he #ould rather see .tettin in ashes" and under the
dominion of 1ussia" or trust it in the hands of the
ing of russia" #ho #ould engage to restore it to
the ing" his master? ,he commandant at length
suUered himself to be persuaded" and gave up the
place" #hich AenshioU entered" and" in considera-
tion of the four hundred thousand cro#ns" deliv-
ered it after#ard" together #ith all the territories
thereto ad%oining" into the hands of the ing of
russia" #ho" for formPs sae" left therein t#o bat-
talions of the troops of 6olstein" and has never since
restored that part of omerania
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3rom this period" the second ing of russia"
successor to a #ea and prodigal father" laid the
1ussian 0mpire MF
foundation of that greatness to #hich his state has
since arrived" by military discipline and economy
aron 7oertB" #ho put so many springs in mo-
tion" could not succeed in prevailing on the :anes
to spare the duchy of 6olstein" or forbear taing
possession of ,onning 6e failed in #hat appeared
to have been his $rst ob%ect" though he succeeded
in all his other vie#s" and particularly in that of
maing himself the most important personage of the
/orth" #hich indeed #as his principal ob%ect
,he elector of 6anover then had secured to him-
self remen and 9erden" of #hich ;harles EII #as
no# stripped ,he .aKon army #as before is-
mar & .tettin #as in the hands of the ing of rus-
sia & the 1ussians #ere ready to lay siege to .tral-
sund" in con%unction #ith the .aKons & and the lat-
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ter had already landed in the island of 1iigen" and
the cBar" in the midst of the numberless negotiations
on all sides" #hile others #ere disputing about neu-
tralities and partitions" made a descent upon 3in-
land +fter having himself pointed the artillery
against .tralsund" he left the rest to the care of his
allies and rince AenshioU" and embaring in the
month of Aay" on the altic .ea" on board a ship
of $fty guns" #hich he himself caused to be built
at .t etersburg" he sailed for the coast of 3inland"
follo#ed by a Seet of ninety-t#o #hole" and one hun-
dred and ten half galleys" having on board nearly
siKteen thousand troops 6e made his descent at
6elsingfors" Aay " FJFR" the most southern part
of that cold and barren country" lying in siKty-one
degrees north latitude& and not#ithstanding the
M 6istory of the
diNculties he had to encounter" succeeded in his de-
sign 6e caused a feint to be made on one side of
the harbor" #hile he landed his troops on the other"
and too possession of the to#n 6e then made
himself master of the #hole coast ,he .#edes
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no# seemed not to have any resource left& for it
#as at this very time that their army" under the com-
mand of 7eneral .teinboc" #as obliged to surren-
der at ,onning
,hese repeated disasters #hich befell ;harles"
#ere" as #e have already sho#n" follo#ed by the
loss of remen" 9erden" .tettin" and a part of om-
erania& and that prince himself" #ith his ally and
friend" .tanislaus" #ere after#ard both prisoners
in ,urey > nevertheless he #as not to be undeceived
in the Sattering notion he had entertained of return-
ing to oland" at the head of an Ottoman army" re-
placing .tanislaus on the throne" and once again
maing his enemies tremble
;6+,01 EEI9
.@;;0..0. O3 0,01 ,60 710+, 10,@1/ O3
;6+10. EII I/,O 6I. :OAI/IO/.
0,01" #hile he #as follo#ing the course of his
conTuests" completed the establishment of his navy"
brought t#elve thousand families to settle in .t
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etersburg" ept all his allies $rm to his person and
fortunes" not#ithstanding they had all diUerent in-
terests and opposite vie#s & and #ith his Seet" ept
1ussian 0mpire MR
in a#e all the seaports of .#eden on the gulfs of
3inland and othnia
rince 7olitBin" one of his land-generals" #hom
he had selected himself" as he had done all his other
oNcers" advanced from 6elsingfors" #here the cBar
had made his descent into the midst of the country"
near the village of ,avastehus" #hich #as a post
that commanded the 7ulf of othnia" and #as de-
fended by a fe# .#edish regiments" and about eight
thousand militia In this situation" a battle #as un-
avoidable" the event of #hich proved favorable to
the 1ussians" #ho" on Aarch FR" FJFL" easily routed
the #hole .#edish army" and penetrated as far as
9aBa" so that they #ere no# masters of about eighty
leagues of country
,he .#edes #ere still in possession of a Seet"
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#ith #hich they ept the sea & eter had" for a con-
siderable time" #aited #ith impatience for an oppor-
tunity of establishing the reputation of his ne#
marine +ccordingly he set out from .t eters-
burg" and having got together a Seet of siKteen ships
of the line" and one hundred and eighty galleys" $t
for #oring among the rocs and shoals that sur-
round the island of +land" and the other islands in
the altic .ea" bordering upon the .#edish coast"
he fell in #ith the Seet of that nation near their o#n
shores ,his armament greatly eKceeded his in the
siBe of the ships" but #as inferior in the number of
galleys" and better suited for engaging in the open
sea than among rocs or near the shore ,he ad-
vantage the cBar had in this respect #as entirely
o#ing to himself 6e served in the capacity of rear-
ML 6istory of the
admiral on board his o#n Seet" and received all the
necessary orders from +dmiral +praKin eter re-
solved to mae himself master of the island of
+land" #hich lies only t#elve leagues oU the .#ed-
ish coast & and though obliged to pass full in vie#
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of the enemyPs Seet" he eUected this bold and haB-
ardous enterprise 6is galleys forced a passage
through the enemy" #hose cannon did not $re lo#
enough to hurt them" and approached +land & but as
that coast is almost surrounded #ith rocs" the cBar
caused eighty small galleys to be transported by
men" over a point of land" and launched beyond
near a place called 6ango @dde" #here his large
ships #ere at anchor 0renschild" the .#edish rear-
admiral" thining that he might easily tae or sin
all these galleys" stood in shore" in order to recon-
noitre their situation" but #as received #ith so bris
a $re from the 1ussian Seet" that most of his men
#ere illed or #ounded& and all the galleys and
praams he had brought #ith him #ere taen" to-
gether #ith his o#n ship ,he admiral endeavored
to escape in a boat & but being #ounded" #as obliged
to surrender" and #as brought on board the galley
#hich the cBar #as navigating himself ,he scat-
tered remnant of the .#edish Seet made the best of
its #ay home & and the ne#s of this accident thre#
all .tocholm into confusion" #hich no# began to
tremble for its o#n safety
Auch about the same time" ;olonel .chouvaloU
/euschlof attaced the only remaining fortress on
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the #estern side of 3inland" and made himself mas-
1ussian 0mpire M5
tcr of it" after a most obstinate resistance on the
part of the besieged
,his aUair of +land #as" neKt to that of oltava"
the most glorious that had distinguished the arms
of eter the 7reat" #ho no# sa# himself master of
3inland" the government of #hich he committed to
rince 7olitBin" and returned to .t etersburg vic-
torious over the #hole naval force of .#eden" and
more than ever respected by his allies& the stormy
season no# approaching" not permitting him to re-
main longer #ith his ships in the outer #aters 6is
good fortune also brought him bac to his capital
%ust as the cBarina #as brought to bed of a prin-
cess" #ho died" ho#ever" about a year after#ard
6e then instituted the Order of .t ;atherine" in
honor of his consort" and celebrated the birth of his
daughter by a triumphal entry" #hich #as" of all the
festivals to #hich he had accustomed his sub%ects"
that #hich they held in the greatest esteem ,his
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ceremony #as ushered in by bringing nine .#edish
galleys and seven praams $lled #ith prisoners" and
1ear-+dmiral 0renschildPs o#n ship" into the har-
bor of 8ronstadt
,he cannon" colors" and standards taen in the
eKpedition to 3inland" and #hich had come home in
the 1ussian admiralPs ship" #ere brought on this
occasion to .t etersburg" and entered that metrop-
olis in order of battle + triumphal arch #hich the
cBar had caused to be erected" and #hich" as usual"
#as made from a model of his o#n" #as decorated
#ith the insignia of his conTuests @nder this arch
the victors marched in procession" #ith +dmiral
MH 6istory of the
+praKin at their head & then follo#ed the cBar in
Tuality of rear-admiral" and the other oNcers ac-
cording to their several rans ,hey #ere all pre-
sented one after another to 9ice-+dmiral 1oda-
monosi" #ho" at this ceremony" represented the
sovereign ,his temporary vice-emperor distrib-
uted gold medals among all the oNcers" and others
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of silver to the soldiers and sailors ,he .#edish
prisoners passed under the triumphal arch" and +d-
miral 0renschild follo#ed immediately after the
cBar" his conTueror hen they came to the place
#here the vice-cBar #as seated on his throne" +d-
miral +praKin presented to him 1ear-+dmiral
eter" #ho demanded to be made vice-admiral" in
re#ard for his services It #as then put to vote" if
his reTuest should be granted & and it may easily be
conceived that he had the ma%ority on his side
+fter this ceremony #as over" #hich $lled every
heart #ith %oy" and inspired every mind #ith emu-
lation" #ith a love for his country" and a thirst for
fame" the cBar made the follo#ing speech to those
present & a speech #hich deserves to be transmitted
to posterity
4;ountrymen and friends" #hat man is there
among you" #ho could have thought" t#enty years
ago" that #e should one day $ght together on the
altic .ea" in ships built by our o#n hands& and
that #e should establish settlements in countries
conTuered by our o#n labors and valor ? 7reece is
said to have been the ancient seat of the arts and
sciences > they after#ard too up their abode in
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Italy" #hence they spread themselves through every
1ussian 0mpire MJ
part of 0urope It is no# our turn to call them
ours" if you #ill second my designs" by %oining study
to obedience ,he arts circulate in this globe" as the
blood does in the human body& and perhaps they
may establish their empire amongst us" after their
return to 7reece" their mother country& and I
even venture to hope that #e may one day put the
most civiliBed nations to the blush" by our noble
labors" and the solid glory resulting therefrom4
6ere is the true substance of this speech" so
#orthy of a great founder" and #hich has lost its
chief beauties in this" and every other translation&
but the principal merit of this eloTuent harangue is
its having been spoen by a victorious monarch" at
once the founder and la#giver of his empire
,he old boyars listened to this speech #ith
greater regret for the abolition of their ancient cus-
toms than admiration of their masterPs glory& but
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the young ones could not hear him #ithout tears of
%oy
,he splendor of these times #as further height-
ened by the return" on .ept F5" FJFL" of the 1ussian
ambassadors from ;onstantinople" #ith a con$rma-
tion of the peace #ith the ,urs > an ambassador
sent by asha 6ussein to 1ussia" had arrived some
time before #ith a present to the cBar of an elephant
and $ve lions 6e received at the same time an am-
bassador from Aahomet ahadur" han of the @sbeg
,artars" reTuesting his protection against another
tribe of ,artars& so that both eKtremities of +sia
and 0urope seemed to %oin to oUer him homage" and
add to his glory
MM 6istory of the
,he regency of .tocholm" driven to despair by
the desperate situation of their aUairs" and the ab-
sence of their sovereign" #ho seemed to have aban-
doned his dominions" had come to a resolution to
consult him no more in relation to their proceed-
ings& and immediately after the victory #hich the
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cBar gained over their navy" they sent to the con-
Tueror to demand a passport for an oNcer charged
#ith proposals of peace ,he passport #as sent &
but %ust as the person appointed to carry on the ne-
gotiation #as on the point of setting out" rincess
@lrica 0leonora" sister of ;harles EII" received ad-
vice from the ing that he #as preparing" at length"
to Tuit ,urey" and return home to $ght his o#n
battles @pon this ne#s the regency did not dare
send the negotiator #hom they had already pri-
vately named to the cBar& and therefore resolved
to support their ill-fortune till the arrival of ;harles
to retrieve it
In fact" ;harles" after a stay of $ve years and
some months in ,urey" set out from that ingdom
in the latter end of October" FJFL 0veryone no#s
that he observed the singularity in his %ourney #hich
characteriBed all the actions of his life 6e arrived
at .tralsund on /ovember d +s soon as he got
there" aron 7oertB came to pay his court to him &
and though he had been the instrument of one part
of his misfortunes" yet he %usti$ed his conduct #ith
so much art" and $lled the imagination of ;harles
#ith such Sattering hopes" that he gained his con$-
dence" as he had already done that of every other
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minister and prince #ith #hom he had entered into
1ussian 0mpire M'
any negotiations In short" he made him believe that
means might be found to dra# oU the cBarPs allies"
and thereby procure an honorable peace" or at least
to carry on the #ar on an eTual footing & and from
this time 7oertB gained a greater ascendency over
the mind of the ing of .#eden than ever ;ount
iper had
,he $rst thing #hich ;harles did after his ar-
rival at .tralsund" #as to demand a supply of money
from the citiBens of .tocholm" #ho readily parted
#ith #hat little they had left" as not being able to
refuse anything to a ing" #ho ased only to besto#"
#ho lived as hard as the meanest soldier" and eK-
posed his life eTually in defence of his country 6is
misfortunes" his captivity" his return to his domin-
ions" so long deprived of his presence" #ere argu-
ments #hich prepossessed his o#n sub%ects and
foreigners in his favor" #ho could not forbear at
once to blame and admire" to compassionate and to
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assist him 6is reputation #as of a ind totally dif-
fering from that of eter the 7reat & it consisted not
in cherishing the arts and sciences" in enacting la#s"
in establishing a form of government" nor in intro-
ducing commerce among his sub%ects& it #as con-
$ned entirely to his o#n person 6e placed his chief
merit in a valor superior to #hat is commonly called
courage 6e defended his dominions #ith a great-
ness of soul eTual to that valor" and aimed only to
inspire other nations #ith a#e and respect for him >
hence he had more partisans than allies
9ol RLF'
'G 6istory of the
;6+,01 EE9
0@1O0 +, ,60 10,@1/ O3 ;6+10. EII .I070 O3
.,1+.@/:
60/ ;harles EII returned to his dominions
in FJFL" he found the state of aUairs in 0urope very
diUerent from that in #hich he had left them
Dueen +nne of 0ngland #as dead" after having
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made peace #ith 3rance ouis EI9 had secured
the monarchy of .pain for his grandson" the due
of +n%ou" and had obliged 0mperor ;harles 9I
and the :utch to agree to a peace" #hich their situa-
tion rendered necessary to them" so that the aUairs
of 0urope had put on altogether a ne# face
,hose of the /orth had undergone a still greater
change eter #as sole arbiter in that part of the
#orld & the elector of 6anover" #ho had been called
to $ll the ritish throne" had plans of eKtending his
territories in 7ermany" at the eKpense of .#eden"
#hich had never had any possessions in that coun-
try" until after the reign of the great 7ustavus ,he
ing of :enmar aimed at recovering .cania" the
best province of .#eden" #hich had formerly be-
longed to the :anes ,he ing of russia" as heir
to the dues of omerania" laid claim to a part of
that province On the other hand" the 6oi stein
family" oppressed by the ing of :enmar" and the
due of Aeclenburg" almost at open #ar #ith his
sub%ects" #ere begging eter the 7reat to tae them
under his protection ,he ing of oland" elector
of .aKony" #as anKious to have the duchy of ;our-
land anneKed to oland & so that" from the 0lbe to
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1ussian 0mpire 'F
the altic .ea" eter I #as considered as the sup-
port of the several cro#ned heads" as ;harles EII
had been their greatest terror
Aany negotiations #ere set on foot after the re-
turn of ;harles to his dominions" but nothing had
been done ,hat prince thought he could raise a
suNcient number of ships of #ar and privateers to
put a stop to the rising po#er of the cBar by sea&
#ith respect to the land #ar" he depended on his
o#n valor& and 7oertB" #ho had suddenly become
his prime minister" persuaded him that he might
$nd means to defray the eKpense" by coining copper
money" to be taen at ninety-siK times less than its
real value" a thing unparalleled in the history of any
state& but in +pril" FJF5" the $rst .#edish priva-
teers that put to sea #ere taen by the cBarPs men-of-
#ar" and a 1ussian army marched into the heart of
omerania
,he russians" :anes" and .aKons no# sat do#n
#ith their united forces before .tralsund" and
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;harles EII beheld himself returned from his con-
$nement at :emTtica" on the lac .ea" only to be
more closely pent up on the borders of the altic
e have already sho#n" in the history of this
eKtraordinary man" #ith #hat haughty and unem-
barrassed resolution he braved the united forces of
his enemies in .tralsund & and shall therefore" in
this place" only add a single circumstance" #hich"
though trivial" may serve to sho# the peculiarity of
his character ,he greater part of his oNcers hav-
ing been either illed or #ounded during the siege"
the duty fell hard upon the fe# #ho #ere left"
' 6istory of the
aron de 1eichel" a colonel" having sustained a long
engagement upon the ramparts" and being tired out
#ith repeated #atchings and fatigues" had thro#n
himself on a bench to tae a little repose & #hen he
#as called up to mount guard again upon the ram-
parts" as he #as dragging himself along" hardly
able to stand" and cursing the obstinacy of the ing"
#ho sub%ected all those about him to such insuUer-
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able and fruitless fatigues" ;harles happened to
overhear him & upon #hich" stripping oU his o#n
cloa" he spread it on the ground before him" saying"
4Ay dear 1eichel" you are Tuite spent& come" I
have had an hourPs sleep" #hich has refreshed me"
IPll stand guard for you" #hile you $nish your nap"
and #ill #ae you #hen I thin it is time4 & and so
saying" he #rapped the colonel up in his cloa & and
not#ithstanding all his resistance" obliged him to lie
do#n to sleep" and mounted guard himself
It #as during this siege" in October" FJF5" that
the elector of 6anover" lately made ing of 0ng-
land" purchased of the ing of :enmar the province
of remen and 9erden" #ith the city of .tade"
#hich the :anes had taen from ;harles EII ,his
purchase cost 8ing 7eorge eight hundred thousand
7erman cro#ns In this manner #ere the domin-
ions of ;harles bartered a#ay" #hile he defended
the city of .tralsund" inch by inch" till at length
nothing #as left of it but a heap of ruins" #hich his
oNcers compelled him to leave& and #hen he #as
in a place of safety" 7eneral :uer delivered up
those ruins to the ing of russia
.ome time after#ard" :uer being presented to
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1ussian 0mpire 'R
;harles" that monarch reproached him #ith having
capitulated to his enemies & #hen :uer replied" 4I
had too great a regard for your ma%estyPs honor" to
continue to defend a place #hich you #ere obliged to
leave4 6o#ever" the russians continued in pos-
session of it no longer than FJF" #hen they gave it
up at the general peace
:uring the siege of .tralsund" ;harles received
another morti$cation" #hich #ould have been still
more severe" if his heart had been as sensible to the
emotions of friendship" as it #as to those of fame
and honor 6is prime minister" ;ount iper" a man
famous throughout all 0urope" and of unshaen
$delity to his prince not#ithstanding the assertions
of certain rash persons" or the authority of a mis-
taen #riter this iper" I say" had been the victim
of his masterPs ambition ever since the battle of ol-
tava +s there #as at that time no cartel for the
eKchange of prisoners subsisting bet#een the 1us-
sians and .#edes" he had remained in con$nement
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about paying the money e this as it may" ;ount
iper #as closely con$ned in the castle of .chliissel-
burg" #here he died the year after" at the age of
seventy 6is remains #ere sent to the ing of
.#eden" #ho gave them a magni$cent burial & a vain
and melancholy return to an old servant" for a life
of suUering" and so deplorable an end !
eter #as satis$ed #ith having got possession of
ivonia" 0sthonia" 8arelia" and Ingria" #hich he
looed upon as his o#n provinces" and to #hich he
had" moreover" added almost all 3inland" #hich
served as a ind of pledge" in case his enemies
should conclude a peace 6e had married one of his
nieces to ;harles eopold" due of Aeclenburg" in
+pril" FJF5" so that all the sovereigns of the /orth
#ere no# either his allies or his creatures In o-
land" he ept the enemies of 8ing +ugustus in a#e &
one of his armies" consisting of about eight thousand
men" having" #ithout any loss" Tuelled several of
those confederacies" #hich are so freTuent in that
country of liberty and anarchy > on the other hand"
the ,urs" by strictly observing their treaties" left
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1ussian 0mpire '5
him at full liberty to eKert his po#er" and eKecute
his schemes to their utmost eKtent
In this Sourishing situation of his aUairs" scarcely
a day passed #ithout being distinguished by ne#
establishments" either in the navy" the army" or the
legislature > he himself composed a military code for
the infantry
6e founded a naval academy at .t etersburg&
despatched ange to ;hina and .iberia" #ith a com-
mission of trade& set mathematicians to #or" in
dra#ing maps of the #hole empire& built a sum-
mer palace at etershoU" and at the same time built
forts on the bans of the Irtish" stopped the incur-
sions and ravages of the ohari on the one side"
and" on the other" suppressed the ,artars of 8ou-
ban
In FJF5" his prosperity seemed to be at its Benith"
by the empress ;atherinePs being delivered of a son"
and an heir to his dominions being given him" in a
prince born to the cBarevitch +leKis& but the %oy
for these happy events" #hich happened #ithin a fe#
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days of each other" #as soon damped by the death of
the empressP son& and the seTuel of this history
#ill sho# us" that the fate of the cBarevitch #as too
unfortunate for the birth of a son to this prince to be
looed upon as a happiness
,he delivery of the cBarina put a stop for some
time to her accompanying" as usual" her royal con-
sort in all his eKpeditions by sea and land& but" as
soon as she #as up again" she follo#ed him to ne#
adventures
'H 6istory of the
;6+,01 EE9I
,1+90. O3 ,60 ;C+1
I.A+1 #as at this time besieged by the cBarPs
allies ,his to#n" #hich belonged of right to the
due of Aeclenburg" is situated on the altic" about
seven leagues from iibec" and might have rivalled
that city in its eKtensive trade" being once one of the
most considerable of the 6anse ,o#ns" and the due
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of Aeclenburg eKercised therein a full po#er of
protection" rather than of sovereignty ,his #as
one of the 7erman territories yet remaining to the
.#edes" by virtue of the eace of estphalia > but it
#as no# obliged to share the same fate as .tral-
sund In 3ebruary" FJFH" the allies of the cBar
pushed the siege #ith the greatest vigor" in order to
mae themselves masters of it before that princePs
troops should arrive & but eter himself coming be-
fore the place in person" after the capitulation" #hich
had been made #ithout his no#ledge" made the
garrison prisoners of #ar 6e #as not a little in-
censed that his allies should have left the ing of
:enmar in possession of a to#n #hich #as the
right of a prince #ho had married his niece& and
his resentment on this occasion #hich that artful
minister" 7oertB" soon after turned to his o#n ad-
vantage laid the $rst foundation of the peace"
#hich he meditated to bring about bet#een the cBar
and ;harles EII
7oertB too the $rst opportunity to insinuate to
the cBar" that .#eden #as suNciently humbled" and
that he should be careful not to suUer :enmar and
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1ussian 0mpire 'J
russia to become too po#erful ,he cBar %oined in
opinion #ith him" and as he had entered into the
#ar merely from motives of policy" #hilst ;harles
carried it on #holly on the principles of a #arrior"
he" from that instant" slacened in his operations
against the .#edes" and ;harles" every#here un-
fortunate in 7ermany" determined to ris one of
those desperate stroes #hich success only can
%ustify" and carried the #ar into /or#ay
In the meantime" eter #as desirous to mae a
second tour through 0urope 6e had undertaen
his $rst as a person #ho travelled for instruction in
the arts and sciences > but this second he made as a
prince" #ho #anted to dive into the secrets of the
several courts 6e too the cBarina #ith him to
;openhagen" ubec" .ch#erin" and /eustadt 6e
had an intervie# #ith the ing of russia at the
little to#n of +uersberg" #hence he and the em-
press #ent to 6amburg" and to +ltena" #hich had
been burned by the .#edes" and #hich they caused
to be rebuilt :escending the 0lbe as far as .tade"
they passed through remen" #here the magistrates
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prepared $re#ors and illuminations for Pthem"
#hich formed" in a hundred diUerent places" these
#ords" 4Our deliverer is come amongst us4 +t
length" on :ec FJ" FJFH" he arrived once more at
+msterdam" and visited the little hut at .aardam"
#here he had $rst learned the art of ship-building"
about eighteen years before" and found his old
d#elling converted into a handsome and commo-
dious house" #hich is still to be seen" and goes by
the name of the princePs house
'M 6istory of the
It may easily be conceived #ith #hat a ind of
idolatry he #as received by a trading and seafaring
people" #hose companion he had heretofore been"
and #ho thought they sa# in the conTueror of ol-
tava a pupil #ho had learned from them to gain naval
victories& and had" after their eKample" established
trade and navigation in his o#n dominions In a
#ord" they looed upon him as a fello#-citiBen #ho
had been raised to the imperial dignity
,he life" the travels" the actions of eter the
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7reat" as #ell as of his rival" ;harles of .#eden"
eKhibit a surprising contrast to the manners #hich
prevail among us" and #hich are" perhaps" rather
too delicate& and this may be one reason that the
history of these t#o famous men so much eKcites
our curiosity
,he cBarina had been left behind at .ch#erin in-
disposed" being greatly advanced in her pregnancy &
nevertheless" as soon as she #as able to travel" she
set out to %oin the cBar in 6olland" but #as taen
in labor at esel on an FL" FJFJ" and there deliv-
ered of a prince" #ho lived but one day It is not
customary #ith us for a lying-in-#oman to stir
abroad for some time & but the cBarina set out and
arrived at +msterdam in ten days after her labor
.he #as very desirous to see the little cabin her
husband had lived and #ored in +ccordingly she
and the cBar #ent together" #ithout any state or at-
tendants eKcepting only t#o servants" and dined at
the house of a rich shipbuilder of .aardam" #hose
name #as 8alf" and #ho #as one of the $rst #ho
had traded at .t etersburg 6is son had lately ar-
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1ussian 0mpire ''
rived from 3rance" #hither eter #as going ,he
cBar and cBarina too great pleasure in hearing an
adventure of this young man" #hich I should not
mention here" if it did not serve to sho# the great
diUerence bet#een the manners of that country and
ours
Old 8alf" #ho had sent this son of his to aris
to learn the 3rench tongue" #as desirous that he
should live in a genteel manner during his stay
there & and accordingly had ordered him to lay aside
the plain garb #hich the inhabitants of .aardam
are in general accustomed to #ear" and to provide
himself #ith fashionable clothes in aris and to live
in a manner rather suitable to his fortune than his
education& being suNciently #ell acTuainted #ith
his sonPs disposition to no# that this indulgence
#ould have no bad eUect on his natural frugality
and sobriety
+s a calf is in the 3rench language called 9eau"
our young traveller" #hen he arrived at aris" too
the name of :e 9eau 6e lived in a splendid man-
ner" spent his money freely" and made several gen-
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teel connections /othing is more common in
aris than to besto#" #ithout reserve" the title of
count and marTuis" #hether a person has any claim
to it or not" or even if he is barely a gentleman
,his absurd practice has been allo#ed by the gov-
ernment" in order that" by thus confounding all
rans" and conseTuently humbling the nobility" there
might be less danger of civil #ars" #hich" in former
times" #ere so freTuent and destructive to the peace
of the state In a #ord" the title of marTuis and
RGG 6istory of the
count" #ithout possessions eTuivalent to that dig-
nity" are lie those of night" #ithout being of any
order" or abbe" #ithout any church preferment & of
no conseTuence" and not recogniBed by the sensible
part of the nation
2oung Ar 8alf #as al#ays called the count de
9eau by his acTuaintances and his o#n servants & he
freTuently made one in the parties of the princesses &
he played at the duchess of ernPs" and fe#
strangers #ere treated #ith greater mars of dis-
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tinction" or had more general invitations among
polite company + young nobleman" #ho had been
al#ays one of his companions in these parties" prom-
ised to pay him a visit at .aardam" and #as as good
as his #ord & #hen he arrived at the village" he in-
Tuired for the house of ;ount 8alf& #hen being
sho#n into a carpenterPs #orshop" he there sa#
his former gay companion" the young count" dressed
in a %acet and trousers" after the :utch fashion"
#ith an aKe in his hand" at the head of his fatherPs
#ormen 6ere he #as received by his friend in that
plain manner to #hich he had been accustomed from
his birth" and from #hich he never deviated ,he
sensible reader #ill forgive this little digression" as
it is a satire on vanity" and a panegyric on true
manners
,he cBar continued three months in 6olland"
during #hich he passed his time in matters of a
more serious nature than the adventure %ust related
.ince the treaties of /imeguen" 1ys#ic" and
@trecht" ,he 6ague had preserved the reputation of
being the centre of negotiations in 0urope ,his
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1ussian 0mpire RGF
little city" or rather village" the most pleasant of any
in the /orth" is inhabited chieSy by foreign minis-
ters" and by travellers #ho come for instruction to
this great school ,hey #ere at that time laying the
foundation of a great revolution in 0urope ,he
cBar having received intelligence of the approaching
storm" prolonged his stay in the o# ;ountries"
that he might be nearer at hand to observe the
machinations going for#ard" both in the /orth and
.outh" and prepare himself for the part #hich it
might be necessary for him to act therein
;6+,01 EE9II
,1+90. O3 0,01 ,60 710+, ;O/.I1+;2 O3
+1O/ 7O01,C 10;0,IO/ O3 ,60 ;C+1 I/
31+/;0
60 +I/2 sa# that his allies #ere %ealous of
his po#er" and found that there is often more trouble
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#ith friends than #ith enemies
Aeclenburg #as one of the principal sub%ects
of those divisions" #hich almost al#ays subsist be-
t#een neighboring princes #ho share in conTuests
eter #as not #illing that the :anes should tae
possession of ismar for themselves" and still less
that they should demolish the forti$cations" and yet
they did both the one and the other
6e openly protected the due of Aeclenburg"
#ho had married his niece" and #hom he regarded
RG 6istory of the
lie a son-in-la#" against the nobility of the country"
and the ing of 0ngland as openly protected these
latter On the other hand" he #as greatly discon-
tented #ith the ing of oland" or rather #ith his
minister" count 3lemming" #ho #anted to thro# oU
that dependence on the cBar" #hich necessity and
gratitude had imposed
,he courts of 0ngland" oland" :enmar" 6oi-
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stein" Aeclenburg" and randenburg #ere sever-
ally agitated #ith intrigues and cabals
,o#ard the end of the year FJFH and beginning
of FJFJ" 7oertB" #ho" as assevitB tells us in his
memoirs" #as #eary of having only the title of
counsellor of 6olstein" and being only private pleni-
potentiary to ;harles EII" #as the chief promoter
of these intrigues" #ith #hich he intended to disturb
the peace of all 0urope 6is design #as to bring
;harles EII and the cBar together" not only to
$nish the #ar bet#een them" but to unite them in
friendship" to replace .tanislaus on the throne of
oland" and to #rest remen and 9erden out of the
hands of 7eorge I" ing of 0ngland" and even to
drive that prince from the 0nglish throne" in order
to put it out of his po#er to appropriate to himself
any part of the spoils of ;harles EII
,here #as at the same time a minister of his o#n
character" #ho had formed a design to overturn the
t#o ingdoms of 0ngland and 3rance& this #as
;ardinal +lberoni" #ho had more po#er at that
time in .pain than 7oertB had in .#eden" and #as
of as bold and enterprising a spirit as himself" but
much more po#erful" as he #as at the head of aUairs"
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1ussian 0mpire RGR
in a ingdom in$nitely more rich" and never paid his
creatures and dependants in copper money
7oertB" from the borders of the altic .ea" soon
formed a connection #ith +lberoni in .pain ,he
cardinal and he held a correspondence #ith all the
#andering 0nglish #ho #ere in the interest of the
house of .tuart 7oertB made visits to every place
#here he thought he #as liely to $nd any enemies
of 8ing 7eorge" and #ent successively to 7ermany"
6olland" 3landers" and orraine" and at length came
to aris about the end of the year FJFH ;ardinal
+lberoni began" by remitting to him in aris" a mil-
lion of 3rench livres" in order to use the cardinalPs
o#n eKpression to set $re to the train
7oertB proposed that ;harles EII should yield
up several places to the cBar" in order to be in a con-
dition to recover all the others from his enemies"
and that he might be at liberty to mae a descent upon
.cotland" #hile the partisans of the .tuart family
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amuse himself for an hour or t#o after the fatigues of
business" had appointed a young nymph" #hom he #as
fond of" to meet him there at nine oPcloc in the evening &
but did not come to her till nearly t#o oPcloc in the
morning ,he lady" as may be supposed" reproached him
#ith the little regard he paid to her charms" or his o#n
promise" but he eKcused himself by saying that he had
been obliged to stay to $nish a long despatch in cipher"
#hich #as to be sent a#ay that very night by a courier to
.pain & so saying" he undressed and thre# himself into
bed" #here he Tuietly fell asleep In pulling oU his clothes"
he had by accident dropped a paper out of his pocet"
#hich" by its bul" raised in the nymph that curiosity so
natural to her seK .he piced it up" and read it partly
over" #hen the nature of its contents made her resolve to
communicate them to a 3ollon & accordingly she framed
some eKcuse for leaving the room" and immediately #ent
to the apartment of the old lady" and opened her budget &
a 3ollon" #ho had understanding superior to that of
most in her sphere" immediately sa# the #hole conse-
Tuence of the aUair & and" after having recommended to
the girl to amuse her gallant as long as possible" she im-
mediately #ent to #aen the regent" to #hom she had
access at all hours" for matters of a very diUerent nature
to the present ,his prince" #hose presence of mind #as
eTual to every eKigency" immediately despatched diUerent
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couriers to the frontiers & in conseTuence of #hich" the
.panish ambassadorPs messenger #as stopped at ayonne"
and his despatches taen from him& upon deciphering
#hich" they #ere found eKactly to agree #ith the original
delivered to the regent by a 3ollon & upon this" the prince
of ;ellamar" the .panish ambassador" #as arrested and all
his papers seiBed & after #hich he #as sent under a strong
guard to the frontiers" #here they left him" to mae the
best of his #ay to his o#n country ,hus an event #hich
#ould have brought the ingdom of 3rance to the verge
of destruction" #as frustrated by a votary of 9enus" and
a priestess of the temple of pleasure
1ussian 0mpire RG5
formed 7oertB #as the $rst #ho #as let into the
secret" and #as to have made a %ourney into Italy
in disguise" to hold a conference #ith the pretender
in the neighborhood of 1ome& thence he #as to
have hastened to ,he 6ague" to have an intervie#
#ith the cBar" and then to have settled everything
#ith the ing of .#eden
,he author of this history is particularly #ell in-
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formed of every circumstance here advanced" for
aron 7oertB proposed to him to accompany him
in these %ourneys & and" although he #as very young
at that time" he #as one of the $rst #itnesses to a
great part of these intrigues
7oertB returned from 6olland in the latter part
of FJFH" furnished #ith bills of eKchange from ;ar-
dinal +lberoni" and letters plenipotentiary from
;harles EII It is incontestable that the acobite
party #ere to have made a rising in 0ngland" #hile
;harles" on his return from /or#ay" #as to mae
a descent upon the north of .cotland ,his prince"
#ho had not been able to preserve his o#n domin-
ions on the continent" #as no# going to invade and
overturn those of his neighbors" though %ust escaped
from his prison in ,urey" and from amidst the
ruins of his o#n city of .tralsund 0urope might
have beheld him placing the cro#n of 7reat ritain
on the head of the son of ames II in ondon" as
he had before done that of oland on .tanislaus at
arsa#
,he cBar" #ho #as acTuainted #ith a part of
7oertBPs pro%ects" #aited for the unfolding of the
rest" #ithout entering into any of his plans" or in-
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9ol RL G
RGH 6istory of the
deed no#ing them all 6e #as as fond of great
and eKtraordinary enterprises as ;harles EII"
7oertB" or +lberoni & but then it #as as the founder
of a state" a la#giver" and a sound politician & and
perhaps +lberoni" 7oertB" and even ;harles himself
#ere men of restless souls" #ho sought after great
adventures" rather than persons of solid understand-
ing" #ho too their measures #ith a %ust precaution &
or perhaps after all" their ill successes may have sub-
%ected them to the charge of rashness and impru-
dence
:uring 7oertBPs stay at ,he 6ague" the cBar did
not see him" as it #ould have given too much um-
brage to his friends the states-general" #ho #ere in
close alliance #ith" and attached to" the party of the
ing of 0ngland & and even his ministers visited
him only in private" and #ith great precaution" hav-
ings orders from their master to hear all he had to
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oUer" and to Satter him #ith hope" #ithout entering
into any engagement or maing use of the cBarPs
name in their conferences ut not#ithstanding all
these precautions" those #ho understood the nature
of aUairs plainly sa# by his inactivity" #hen he
might have made a descent upon .cania #ith the
%oint Seets of 1ussia and :enmar" by his visible
coolness to#ard his allies" and the little regard he
paid to their complaints" and lastly" by this %ourney
of his" that there #as a great change in aUairs"
#hich #ould very soon manifest itself
In the month of anuary" FJFJ" a .#edish
pacet-boat" #hich #as carrying letters over to 6oi-
1ussian 0mpire RGJ
land" being forced by a storm upon the coast of
/or#ay" put into harbor there ,he letters #ere
seiBed" and those of aron 7oertB and some other
public ministers being opened" furnished suNcient
evidence of the pro%ected revolution ,he court of
:enmar communicated these letters to the 0nglish
ministry" #ho gave orders for arresting the .#edish
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minister" 7yllenborg" then at the court of ondon"
and seiBing his papers & upon eKamining #hich they
discovered part of his correspondence #ith the
acobites
8ing 7eorge immediately #rote to the states-
general" reTuiring them to cause aron 7oertB to
be arrested" agreeably to the treaty of union subsist-
ing bet#een 0ngland and that republic for their
mutual security ut this minister" #ho had his
creatures and emissaries in every part" #as Tuicly
informed of this order& upon #hich he instantly
Tuitted ,he 6ague" and got as far as +rnheim" a
to#n on the frontiers" #hen the oNcers and guards
#ho #ere in pursuit of him" and #ho are seldom ac-
customed to use such diligence in that country" came
up #ith and too him" together #ith all his papers &
he #as closely con$ned and severely treated& and
.ecretary .tan" the person #ho had counterfeited
the sign-manual of the young due of 6olstein in
the aUair of ,onning" eKperienced still harsher
usage In $ne" the count of 7yllenborg" the .#ed-
ish envoy to the court of 7reat ritain" and the
baron 7oertB" minister plenipotentiary from ;harles
EII" #ere eKamined lie criminals" the one at on-
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RGM 6istory of the
don" and the other at +rnheim" #hile all the foreign
ministers eKclaimed against this violation of the la#
of nations
,his privilege" #hich is much more insisted upon
than understood" and #hose limits and eKtent have
never yet been $Ked" has in almost every age under-
gone violent attacs .everal ministers have been
driven from the courts #here they resided in a pub-
lic character" and even their persons have been more
than once seiBed upon & but this #as the $rst instance
of foreign ministers being interrogated at the bar of
a court of %ustice" as if they #ere natives of the
countries ,he court of ondon and the states-gen-
eral laid aside all rules upon seeing the dangers
#hich menaced the house of 6anover & but" in fact"
this danger" #hen once discovered" ceased to be any
longer danger" at least at that %uncture
/orberg" the historian" must have been very ill
informed" have had a very indiUerent no#ledge of
men and things" or at least have been strangely
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blinded by partiality" or under severe restrictions
from his o#n court" to endeavor to persuade his
readers that the ing of .#eden had not a great
share in this plot
,he aUront oUered to his ministers $Ked ;harles
more than ever in his resolution to try every means
to dethrone the ing of 0ngland ut here he found
it necessary" once in his lifetime" to mae use of
dissimulation 6e diso#ned his ministers and their
proceedings" both to the regent of 3rance and the
states-general" from the former of #hom he eK-
pected a subsidy" and #ith the latter it #as for his
1ussian 0mpire RG'
interest to eep fair 6e did not" ho#ever" give the
ing of 0ngland so much satisfaction" and his minis-
ters" 7oertB and 7yllenborg" #ere ept siK months
in con$nement" and this repeated insult animated in
him the desire of revenge
eter" in the midst of all these alarms and %eal-
ousies" ept himself Tuiet" a#aiting #ith patience the
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outcome of time & and having established such good
order throughout his vast dominions" as that he had
nothing to fear either at home or from abroad" he
resolved to mae a %ourney to 3rance @nhappily"
he did not understand the 3rench language" by
#hich means he #as deprived of the greatest advan-
tage he might have reaped from his %ourney& but
he thought there might be something there #orthy
of observation" and he #ished to be a nearer #itness
of the terms on #hich the regent stood #ith the ing
of 0ngland" and #hether that prince #as staunch to
his alliance
eter the 7reat #as received in 3rance as such
a monarch should be Aarshal ,esse #as sent to
meet him #ith a number of the principal lords of the
court" a company of guards" and the ingPs coaches &
but he" according to his usual custom" travelled #ith
such eKpedition that he #as at 7ournay #hen the
eTuipages arrived at 0lbeuf 0ntertainments #ere
made for him in every place on the road #here he
chose to partae of them On his arrival he #as re-
ceived in the ouvre" #here the royal apartments
#ere prepared for him" and others for the princes
8ourain and :olgoroui" 9ice-;hancellor .haf-
$roU" +mbassador ,olstoi the same #ho had suf-
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RFG 6istory of the
fered that notorious violation of the la#s of nations
in ,urey and for the rest of his retinue Orders
#ere given for lodging and entertaining him in the
most splendid and sumptuous manner& but eter"
#ho #as there only to see #hat might be of use to
him" and not to suUer these ceremonious triSings"
#hich #ere a restraint upon his natural plainness"
and consumed time that #as precious to him" #ent
the same night to tae up his lodgings at the other
end of the city" in the 6otel de esdiguiere" belong-
ing to Aarshal 9illeroi" #here he #as entertained
at the ingPs eKpense in the same manner as he
#ould have been at the ouvre ,he neKt day
Aay M" FJFJ the regent of 3rance #ent to mae
him a visit in the hotel" and the day after#ard the
young ing" then an infant" #as sent to him under
the care of his governor" Aarshal 9illeroi" #hose
father had been governor to ouis EI9 On this
occasion they" by a polite arti$ce" spared the cBar the
troublesome restraint of returning this visit imme-
diately after receiving it" by allo#ing an interval of
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t#o days for him to receive the respects of the sev-
eral corporations of the city& the second night he
#ent to visit the ing & the household #ere all under
arms" and they brought the young ing Tuite to the
door of the cBarPs coach eter" surprised and un-
easy at the prodigious concourse of people assem-
bled about the infant monarch" too him in his arms"
and carried him in that manner for some time
;ertain ministers of more cunning than under-
standing have pretended in their #ritings that Aar-
shal 9illeroi #anted to mae the young ing of
1ussian 0mpire RFF
3rance tae the upper hand on this occasion" and
that the cBar made use of this stratagem to overturn
the ceremonial under the appearance of good nature
and tenderness & but this notion is eTually false and
absurd ,he natural good breeding of the 3rench
court and the respect due to the person of eter
the 7reat" #ould not permit a thought of turning the
honors intended him into an aUront ,he cere-
monial consisted in doing everything for a great
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monarch and a great man that he himself could have
desired" if he had given any attention to matters of
this ind ,he %ourneys of the emperors ;harles
I9" .igismund" and ;harles 9 to 3rance #ere by
no means comparable" in point of splendor" to this
of eter the 7reat ,hey visited this ingdom only
from motives of political interest" and at a time
#hen the arts and sciences" as yet in their infancy"
could not render the era of their %ourney so mem-
orable & but #hen eter the 7reat" on his going to
dine #ith the due dP+ntin in the palace of etit-
burg" about three leagues out of aris" sa# his o#n
picture" #hich had been dra#n for the occasion"
brought and placed in a room #here he #as" he then
found that no people in the #orld ne# so #ell as
the 3rench ho# to receive such a guest
6e #as still more surprised" #hen" on going to
see them strie the medals in the long gallery of the
ouvre" #here all the ingPs artists are so hand-
somely lodged" a medal #hich they #ere then stri-
ing happening to fall to the ground" the cBar stooped
hastily do#n to tae it up" #hen he beheld his o#n
head engraved thereon" and on the reverse 3ame
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RF 6istory of the
standing #ith one foot upon a globe" and underneath
these #ords from 9irgil> 49ires acTuirit cundo4 &
an allusion eTually delicate and noble" and elegantly
adapted to his travels and his fame .everal of
these medals in gold #ere presented to him" and to
all those #ho attended him herever he #ent to
vie# the #ors of any artists" they laid the master-
pieces of their performances at his feet" #hich they
besought him to accept In a #ord" #hen he visited
the manufactures of the 7obelins" the #orshop of
the ingPs sculptors" painters" goldsmiths" %e#el-
lers" or mathematical-instrument maers" #hatever
seemed to strie his attention at any of those places
#as al#ays oUered him in the ingPs name
eter" #ho #as a mechanic" an artist" and a
geometrician" #ent to visit the +cademy of .ciences"
#hose members received him #ith an eKhibition of
everything they had most valuable and curious & but
they had nothing so curious as himself 6e corrected
#ith his o#n hand several geographical errors in the
maps of his o#n dominions" and especially in those
of the ;aspian .ea astly" he condescended to be-
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come one of the members of that academy" and
after#ard continued a correspondence in eKperi-
ments and discoveries #ith those among #hom he
had enrolled himself as a simple brother If #e
#ould $nd eKamples of such travellers as eter" #e
must go bac to the times of a ythagoras and an
+nacharsis" and even they did not Tuit the com-
mand of a mighty empire to go in search of instruc-
tion
+nd here #e cannot forbear recalling to the mind