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COXE’S TRAVELS IN RUSSIA. 781
Catharine’ was in the thirty-fourth year of her age when fhe afcended the
throne ; and the fuccefs of this revolution * was no lefs owing to her own perfonal
* Gregory Orlof, who is mentioned in this account as one of the principal agents of the revolution, was
aid-de-camp to Count Peter Schewalof, and bore an inferior rank in the army, when his youth and comeli.
nefs captivated Catharine, then Grand Duchefs, foon after the recal of her favourite Count Poniatowski.
Even at this early period flie did not attempt to conceal her attachment from thofe in whom fhe repofed any
confidence. Pointing him out one day to Mr. Wroughiton, * Do you fee,’ fhe faid, ‘that young man?
He has had the audacity to make love to me.” ‘This intrigue greatly contributed to facilitate the revolu-
_tion which placed ber on the throne. Orlof himfelf was a man of a determined and enterprifing fpirit, and
had confiderable influence among the officers and foldiers of his own regiment ; his attempts were alfo fup-
ported by his four brothers, Alexey, Vlodomir, Feodor, and Ivan, but particularly by Alexey, who was in
the guards, and was one of the moft ative agents in the revolution:
It was principally owing to the fuggeftions of Orlof that Catfiarine ventured to aflume the authority as
Emprefs, and not as regent. He was little known before the revolution, and Mr. Keith thus mentions his
fift public appearance at Court.. “ He wore the ribband of St. Alexander, and the key of chamberlain,
and is a good looking man, with a very modett behaviour. I could not recolleét having ever feen him be-
fore.”? He was afterwards rapidly promoted to the higheft honours and offices of government, both civil
and military, and was created Prince of the Germanempire. He gained fuch an afcendency over his royal
miftrefs, that fhe was only prevented from marrying him by the {trong remonftrances of Count Panin, and
Marfhal Razomofsky.
Orlof gradually diminifhed the affe&tion of the Emprefs by the coarfenefs of his manners, his grofs inat-
tention, and frequent infidelities. During his journey to Mofcow in 1771, to check the progrefs of the
plague, his enemies availed themfelves of his abfence to-undermine his influence. Informed of thefe cabals,
he fuddenly returned to Peterfburgh, and regained, by increafed affiduity, his former afcendancy, though he
did not wholly recover her affeGtions.
Deeming his power too ftrongly rooted to be again fhaken, he repaired to Fotzani in 1772, to negotiate
a peace with the Turks, where he difplayed all the pomp of imperial magnificence. This abfence gave fuc-
cefs to the cabals of his enemies, and his difgrace was announced by the introduction of a new favourite,
Vaflilchikef, at the inftigation of Count Panin and Marfhal Romanzof. 4
With a view to crufh this cabal by his prefence, Orlof inftantly broke up the congas of Fotzani, and
travelled with fuch expedition as to perform a journey of one thoufand eight hundred miles in nine days and
nights. Arriving at the gates of Peterfburgh, he was refufed admittance, and received an order from the
Emprefs to repair to his country houfe at Gatchina, under pretence of performing quarantine. Still, how-
ever, he flattered himnfelf with hopes of being recalled, and when undeceived by a letter from the Emprefs,
forbidding him to appear at court, was fo much affeé@éd that he fainted away.
Being afterwards ordered to Revel, he paffed through Peterfburgh, and without previous notice, called
upon his brother Alexéy, while he was at dinner with a large company. _ A gentleman who was prefent
defcribed the Prince as extremely agitated ; after embracing his brothers, he fat down to table, ftarted up,
refumed his feat, again rofe, whifpered his brothers, and retired with them into another apartment.
On the following day he departed for Revel, and foon after fet out on his travels; but he had
fearcely reached Drefden before the Emprefs recalled him to Peterfburgh, and offered him his former
apartments in the palace, which he declined, probably at the inftigation of his brothers, and refumed his
ourney.
: He afterwards efpoufed his niece, and was fo much affected with her death, that he loft his fenfes, and
died in a ftate of infanity.” ,
By Prince Orlof the Emprefs had a fon, whom I faw at the corps de cadets, where he was educated ;
he appeared to me, in 1779, to be about feventeen years of age. He lodged in the-houfe of Ribas, the
principal manager under M. de Betfkoi. He paffed at firft for the fon of a gentleman of the name of
Schwerin, but affumed that of Bobrinfki, from an eftate which the Emprefs, purchafed for him. He was
apprifed of his origin from the high marks of diftinétion which he received. He was often admitted to the
Emprefs. Prince Orlof called him his fon, and carried his portrait in the lid of his {nuff-box. A Ruffian
nobleman told me that he once took up the box by chance, and knew the picture from its ftriking refem-
blance. He ventured, however, to afk whom it reprefented, and Princefs Orlof, who was prefent, replied
with a fmile, ‘It is my portrait in a man’s drefs, before I was married.?? Bobrinfki afterwards travelled,
and I heard of him when I was at Geneva, in 1784. d
The Emprefs always retained a high degree of regard for the memory of Prince Orlof, and treated his
brothers with great marks of favour and confidence. The family received eftates, containing forty-five
thoufand peafants, and to the amount of 3,000,000l, fterling in money, houfes, plate, and jewels,
{pirit
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