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€OXE’Ss TRAVELS IN RUSSIA, 767
Crap. X1T.—Account of Peter Ill.—Appointed Great-Duke by Elizabeth. Efpoufes the
Princefs of Anhalt Zerb/t.—Difcontented.—Rejfides at Oranienggum.—Conftructs a
Fortrefs.—Difciplines the Garrifon.—Intrigues to exclude him from the Suceeffion.—De-
feated.— Death of Elizabeth.—Acceffion of Peter.— His Rage for Reformation. —Irritates
the Clergy, Army, and Nobles.—Enthufiaftic Admiration of the King of Pruffia.— Incon-
Siftent Behaviour to his Confort Catherine.— Her great Abilities, prudent Conduct, and
Popularity. —In Danger of being arrefted.—Heads a Party.—Meetings of the Infur-
gents.—Infatuation of Peter.—Catherine cfcapes from Peterhof.—Harangues the Guards.
—Afcends the Throne.—Her Manifefto.— Advances again? the Emperor.—His Arrival
at Peterhof.—Defpondency and Irrefolution.—Sails to Cronftadt.—lIs_refufed Admit-
tance.—Retires to Oranienbaum.—Refiens him/felf into the Hands of the Emprefs.—Signs
his Abdication, is conveyed a Prifoner to Robfcha, and dies.—His Body laid in State and
interred.— Lenity of the Empre{s to his Adherents.
THE revolution of 1741 placed Elizabeth, daughter of Peter the Great, on the
the throne of Ruffia. In the following year the Emprefs nominated Charles Peter
Ulric, fon of Charles Frederic Duke of Holftein Gottorp, by Anne, her filter, fuc-
ceflor to the crown. Having embraced the Greek religion, he was appointed Great-
Duke of Ruffia, with the accuftomed formalities, and affumed the name of Peter
Feodorovitch. In 1745 he efpoufed Sophia Augufta, daughter of Chriftian Auguttus,
Prince of Anhalt Zerb{t, who, being re-baptized according the rites of the Greek
church, was called Catharine Alexiefna. She was born* in 1729, and was fixteen
years of age at the time of her marriage. Their only iflue were the Great-Duke Paul,
born 1754; and Anne, who was born in 1757, and died in 1761.
During the firft years of their marriage the molt perfeét union fubfifted between them,
which was at length fucceeded by mutual averfion and difguft. Peter, whofe mind
was warped by a bad education, and who was purpofely eftranged from political affairs,
was held by Elizabeth in a ftate of dependance: a prey to idlenefs, and without the
power of amufing himfelf with rational occupations of literature, he devoted himfelf to
the moft trifling purfuits, or to the loweft gratifications. He was perpetually befet
with fpies, who made unfavourable reports of his conduct to the Emprefs, ever fufpi-
cious of his intentions, and conftantly alarmed with the dread of a revolution fimilar to
that which had placed her upon the thronet. At Peterfburgh he had apartments in
the imperial palace, and lived more in the ftyle of a ftate prifoner, than of a fucceflor
to the crown. When the Emprefs removed to Peterhof, he refided at his favourite
palace of Oranienbaum; where he amufed himfelf in training his fervants to military
exercifes. The Emprefs, confidering this employment as likely to craw his attention
* Catharine was born at Stettin, where her father, who was in the Pruffian fervice, refided as governor,
and was educated with great attention under the care of her mother, who was daughter of Chriftian
Anguftus, Prince Bifhop of Lubeck. A lady who knew her before her marriage, defcribed her to me
as extremely beautiful, accomplifhed, and amiable, and added, that fhe expreffed great repugnance to go
into Ruffia; fhe even burft into tears, and declared that fhe would rather marry a Count in Germany than
the Great Duke.
+ The horrors of mind which Elizabeth fuffered from apprehenfions of this kind are fcarcely to be cre-
dited. Had I not received the following anecdote from the beft authority 1 fhould not infertit. Befides
conftant wathes and guards about her apartment, a perfon, who was originally a taylor, and in whom fhe
repofed the moft perfect confidence, ufually remained at the foot of her bed while fhe wasafleep, He occu-
pied this extraordinary poft two-and-twenty years, and at her death was gratified with a pentfion, F
ron
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