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COXE’S TRAVELS IN RUSSIA. 73%
that he might reign with ftill more abfolute power during the minority of Peter II. But
thefe reports deferve no credit, and were merely derived from the {pirit of party, or from
popular rumour.
Catharine was in her perfon under the middle fize, and in her youth delicate and
well-formed, but inclined to corpulency as fhe advanced in years. She had a fair com-
plexion, dark eyes, and light hair, which fhe was accuftomed to dye black *. She could
neither read nor write ¢ ; her daughter Elizabeth ufually figned her name, particularly to
her laft will and teftament, and Count Ofterman generally put her fignature to the pub-
lic decrees and difpatches. Her abilities were greatly exaggerated by her panegyrifts.
Gordon, who had frequently feen her, feems to have reprefented her character with the
greateft juftnefs, when he fays, ‘ She was a very pretty well-lookt woman, of good
fenfe, but not of that fublimity of wit, or rather that quicknefs of imagination, which
fome people have believed. The great reafon why the Tzar was fo fond of her, was
her exceeding gocd temper; fhe never was feen peevifh or out of humour; obliging
and civil to all, and never forgetful of her former condition ; withal, mighty grateful.”
Catherine maintained the pomp of majefty united with an air of eafe and grandeur; and
Peter frequently exprefled his admiration at the propriety with which fhe fupported her
high ftation, without forgetting that fhe was not born to that dignity f.
She bore her elevation meekly, and was never, as Gordon afferts, forgetful of her
former condition. When Wurmb §, who was tutor to Gluck’s children at the time that
Catharine was a domeftic in the fame family, prefented himfelf before her after the
public folemnization of her marriage with Peter, fhe faid, ‘‘ What, thou good man, art
thou ftill alive! I will provide for thee;”’ and gave hima penfion. She was alfo no
lefs attentive to the family of her benefaétor Gluck, who died a prifoner at Mofcow :
fhe penfioned his widow, made his fon a page, portioned the two eldeft daughters, and
appointed the youngeft a maid of honour. If we may believe Weber, fhe frequentl
inquired after her firft hufband, and, when fhe lived with Prince Mentchikof, ufed fe-
cretly to fend him {mall {ums of money, until, in 1705, he was killed in a fkirmifh with
the enemy. Ina conference with General Schlippenback, who had commanded the
Swedifh army, when fhe was taken captive by the Ruflians, fhe afked him, ‘* whether
her Spoufe John was nota brave foldier ??’ Schlippenback replying, ‘* Am not I one
alfor’’ her Majefty anfwered in the affirmative; but repeating the queftion, he replied,
** yes, pleafe your Majesty ; and I may boa{t to have had the honour of having him
under my command ||.””. But the moft noble part of her character was her peculiar hu-
manity and compaflion. Motraye has paid a handfome tribute to this excellence.
*¢ She had in fome fort the government of all his (Peter’s) paffions; and even faved the
* Bulching fays, * Lhr fehwarzes haar war nicht natuerlich, fondern gefaerbi,? &c. Hilt. Mag. vol. iii.
p- 190. ‘ Her black hair was not natural, but coloured. On her firft rife the coarfenefs of her hands
proved that fhe had been ufed to hard labour, but they gradually grew whiter and whiter.” Thefe cir-
cumftances we may readily believe, becaufe the lady from whom Bufching received the information could
ealily know whether Catharine’s hair was black, or her hands coarfe, although fhe might be deceived in
what relates to her family.
+ Baffevitz, p. 295. Bufching, xi p. 4&8t.
{ Son époufe était avec lui Etalant, conformément a la volonté du monarque, la tompe impériale, qui le genait, et
la foutenant avec un air furprenant de grandeur et d’aifance. Le czar ne pouvait fe laffer d’admirer les talens
quelle poffedait, felon fon expreffion, de fe créer impcratrice, fans oublier qu’elle ne le naquit point. Baflevitz in
Buf. p. 358. i
§ Life of Peter, vol iit. p, 258,
|| Bufching had the above anecdote from a lady who was prefent at this conference, Hift. Mag. vol. iii.
Pp: 140.
5 a2 lives
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