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COXE’S TRAVELS IN RUSSIA« 899
AL PoP. EN DD di ies
No. L—A Letter from Mr. Keith, Britifh Minifter at St. Peterfburgh, to ihe Right
Honourable George Grenville, Secretary of State, on the Revolution of 1762.
Sir, St. Peterfburgh, July 12, 1762.
LAST Friday morning, about 9 o’clock (as I was preparing to go to Peterhoff, to
meet the Emperor,) one of my fervants came running into my room with a frighted
countenance, and told me there was a great uproar at the other end of the town, that
the guards, having mutinied, were affembled, and talked of nothing lefs than dethroning
the Emperor ; he could tell me no circumftances, and could give me no anfwer to the
only queftion I afked, namely, if the Emprefs was in town. But about a quarter of an
hour after, one of the gentlemen of our factory came in and informed me that the
Emprefs was in town, and that fhe had been, by the guards, and the other troops of
the garrifon, declared their Emprefs and Sovereign; and that fhe was then actually at
the Cafanfki church, to hear the Te Dewm fung upon the occafion. He added the
circumftances of Prince George of Holftein Gottorp’s- being made a prifoner, as he
was endeavouring to make his efcape out of the town. This account was confirmed from
all quarters, and we underftood the feveral f{upreme colleges in the empire, and all the
great people were then taking the oaths of fidelity to the new Emprefs, as the guards
and other regiments had already done.
This furprifing revolution was brought about and completed in a little more than two
hours, without one drop of blood being fpilt, or any aét of infolence committed ; and
all the quarters of this city, at any diftance from the palace, efpecially the {treet where I
and moft part of His Majefty’s fubjects refide, were as quiet as if nothing had happened ;
the only novelty to be feen were fome piquets placed at the bridges, and fome of the
horfe guards patroling through the ftreets, in order to preferve the public tran-
uillity.
? As te as the guards aflembled in the morning, feveral detachments were fent to
the Peterhoff Road, to hinder any intelligence from being fent to the Emperor; and
this piece of duty was performed with fo much diligence and exa¢tnefs, that no one
perfon got through, except the mafter of the horfe, Monfieur Narifkin,
About ten o’clock in the evening, the Emprefs marched out of town on horfeback,
at the head of twelve or fourteen thoufand men, and a great train of artillery, and took
the road towards Peterhoff, in order to attack the Emperor at that place, or Oranie-
baum, or wherever they fhould meet him; and next day in the afternoon we received
the account of His Imperial Majefty’s having furrendered his perfon, and refigned his
crown, without one ftroke being ftruck. The few circumftances of this great event
that I have been able to pick up, and which appear to be authentic, though I will not
warrant them all, are as follow, viz. That this affair had been long contriving, but was
haftened in the execution by one of the confpirators having been arrefled two days
before, upon fome rafh words that had fallen from him ; upon which fome of the others
concerned, for fear of the whole confpiracy being difcovered, had come to the refo-
lution of going immeditely to work, and in confequence, had fent to Monf. Orlow,
one of the Ruffian officers in the guards, to apprize the Emprefs of this circumftance,
5x2 and
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