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730 COXE’s TRAVELS IN RUSSIA.
of Catharine. The oppofite party, however, denied thefe fentiments to be fo clear as
the fecretary chofe to infinuate, and infifted, that as their late monarch had failed to no-
minate his heir, the eleétion of the new fovereign fhould revert to the ftate. Upon this
the Archbifhop further teftified, that the evening before the coronation of the Emprefs
at Mofcow, Peter had declared, in the houfe of an Englifh merchant, he fhould place
the crown upon her head, with no other view than to leave her miftrefs of the Empire
after his deceafe. ‘This atteftation being confirmed by many perfons prefent, Mentchi-
kof cried out, ‘* What need have we of any teftament! A refufal to conform to the in-
clination of our great fovereign, thus authenticated, would be both unjuft and criminal.
Long live the Emprefs Catharine |”? Thefe words being inftantly repeated by the greater
part of thofe who were prefent ; Mentchikof, faluting Catharine by the title of Emprefs,
paid his firft obeifance by kiffing her hand, and his example was followed by the whole
aflembly. She next prefented herfelf at the window to the guards, and to the people,
who fhouted acclamations of ‘* Long live Catharine,”’ while Mentchikof fcattered among
them handfuls of money *. Thus, fays a contemporary, the Emprefs was raifed to the
throne by the guards, in the fame manner as the Roman Emperors by the Preetorian
cohorts, without either the appointment of the people or of the legions t.
The reign of Catharine may be confidered as the reign of Mentchikof; the Emprefs
having neither inclination nor abilities to direct the helm of government ; and fhe placed
the moft implicit confidence in the original author of her good fortune, and the fole in-
{trument of her elevation to the throne.
During her fhort reigit her life was very irregular ; fhe was extremely averfe to bufi-
nefs, would frequently pafs whole nights in the open air, and was particularly intemperate
in the ufe of tokay-wine, in which fhe often indulged herfelf to excefs {. ‘Thefe irre-
gularities, joined to a cancer and a dropfy, haftened her end, and fhe expired on the 17th
of May 1727, a little more than two years after her acceflion to the throne, and in the
39th year of her age.
As the deaths of fovereigns in defpotic countries are feldom imputed to natural caufes,
that of Catharine was alfo attributed to poifon; as if the diforders which preyed upon
her frame were not fufficient to bring her to the grave. Some affert, that fhe was poi-
foned by a glafs of fpirituous liquor ; others by a pear given to her by General Diever.
Sufpicions alfo fell upon Prince Mentchikof, who, a fhort time before her deceafe, had
a trifling mifunderftanding with her, and who was acculed of haftening her death,
* This account of the eleGtion of Catharine is chiefly extraGted from Baffevitz, who affifted Prince Mentchi-
kof in this revolution, and certainly muft deferve credit as far as he chofe to difcover the fecret cabals. Other
authors relate this event fomewhat differently ; but this difference is ealily reconciled, and the main facts
eontinuethe fame. Bulching afferts, as he was informed by Count Munic, that Peter was no fooner dead,
than the fenate and nobles affembled in the palace; unknown to Mentchikof, who, being informed of their
meeting, repaired to the palace, and was refuled admittance; upon which he fent for General Butterlin,
with a company of guards, and buriling open the door of the apartment, declared Catharine Emprefs.
Bufching, vol.i. p.15 3 alfo Ebauche, &c p, 50. The Auitrian envoy fays, that General Butterlin
threatened to maffacre the fenate if the members did not acknowledge Catharine. But we have already
feen, from the authority of Baflevitz, that many of the nobles, &c. repaired to the palace in oppofition to
Mentchikof; that General Butterlin had high words with Prince Repnin and the oppofite party; that
Mentchikof’s prefence utterly difconcerted them ; and ic is probable that both he and Butterlin might have
threatencd the nobles, which Baflevitz might not chufe to record, as he was willing to make the nomination
of Catharine as unanimous as poflible; although he fays, ‘¢ C’eft ainfi que Catharine faifit le {ceptre,
qu’elle méritoit a fi jufte titre.” Ina word, thefe three accounts are eafily reconcileable; they all prove
one fact, that Mentchikof, either by himfelf or his agents, by bribes, promifes, and threats, forced the no-
bility to proclaim Catharine,
+ Auftrian envoy in Bufching xi. p. 502. t Buf. Hitt, Mag. iii, p. 192.
’ that
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