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796 COXE’S TRAVELS IN RUSSIA.
had not proceeded far before he was met by a perfon* who had efcaped from Peterf-
burgh, and {topping the carriage, acquainted the Emperor that he wifhed to {peak with
him in private. Peter, however, ordered his attendants to proceed, adding, ‘“* Why
are you in fuch a hurry? turn back to Peterhof, and there you will have time enough
to fpeak to me.” ‘The other repeating his folicitations, the Emperor at length alighted
from his carriage, and was informed of the revolution at Peterfburgh. Yet his infatu-
ation was ftill fo great, that he doubted the truth of the intelligence; but, when an
enumeration of particular circumftances at length awakened him to a fenfe of his dan-
ger, he teftified the ftrongeft fymptoms of amazement and horror, and was reduced
almoft to a ftate of ftupefaction. Recovering from this paroxyf{m of defpair, he dif-
patched an adjutant to Oranienbaum, ordering the garrifon to Peterhof. On his ar-
rival, he found the Emprefs departed, and could obtain no information of her pro-
ceedings from any perfon of her court. Marfhal Munic advifed him to put himfelf at
the head of his Holftein troops, and march without delay to the capital: ‘I will go
before you,” faid the gallant veteran, “ and Your Majefty’s perfon fhall not be touched
but through mine.”’ Had this advice been followed, it would have been attended with a
glorious, and perhaps a fuccefsful event. The Holftein troops, though not exceeding a
thoufand, were zealoufly attached to Peter; and Munic was worth a regiment. The
courage of the Emperor, however, deferted him in this emergency; he fluctuated be-
tween hope and fear ; formed new refolutions one moment, and renounced them the
next.
His own agitation was ftill further encreafed by the behaviour of the principal per-
fons, who accompanied him from Oranienbaum, or whom he found at Peterhof. The
women vented fhrieks, and hung about the Emperor in agonies of the deepeft diftrefs ;
every one clamoroufly offered advice ; but the uproar was fo great, that the advice could
fcarcely be heard, and if heard was not attended to, becaufe it was repeatedly changed.
Several of the Emprefs’s party were prefent, and artfully fomented the general confu-
fion: under the fpecious appearance of affection and zeal, they alarmed the fears of
the Emperor, and objected to every vigorous meafure as inadmiflible and dangerous.
In thefe circumftances Peter, perplexed by fuch difcordant or treacherous advice, was
foftened into cowardice by the tears of the women, and remained the whole day ina
{tate nearly bordering on diftraftion. Every moment brought him frefh caufe of terror
and difmay. He was fucceflively informed, that the Emprefs had received the oath of
allegiance from perfons of all ranks, that fhe was miftrels of the capital, and was ad-
vancing at the head of 10,000 troops. Difheartened by this intelligence, he difpatched
yepeated meflengers to his confort, with propofals of accommodation ; and as not one
of them came back, he at length determined to take refuge im Cronftadtt; a mea-
fure which, if he had earlier embraced, might have given a favourable turn to his af-
fairs.
Soon after his firft arrival at Peterhof, he had difpatched general Devier and another
officer to Cron{tadt to reconnoitre the place; the general was admitted without diffi-
culty, and the officer returned to Peterhof with the account that no news of the revo-
lution had reached Cronftadt, that Devier was preparing for his immediate reception,
* According to Mr. Keith, the perfon who met him was the fervant of Count Alexandrovitch Na-
sischkin.
+ A town upon a {mall ifland in the Gulf of Finland, where the Ruffian navy is ftationed. See the
4efcription in the chapter on the Ruffian navy. Book vi. ch. 2.
that
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