Theresa, on this revolution, were, on the confirmation of the peace with Prussia, found to be abortive. Lewis XV. whose embassador had been favoured by Catherine, while yet grand-duchess, formed, upon no better foundation, expectations as fruitless. Catherine distinguished the literature of France from the politics of its court: of the former she was a professed admirer, while for the latter she manifested a profound contempt. To d'Alembert, who thought proper to decline the offer, she had proffered a salary of fifty thousand rubles, on condition of his undertaking the education of her son, and finishing at Petersburg the Encyclopædia.

The king of Prussia, who seems to have formed a just opinion of her character, thus expressed himself in a letter on the revolution, written to a favourite: "The emperor of Russia has been dethroned by his consort: it was to be expected. The czarina has much good sense, and the same inclinations as her deceased husband. She possesses no religion, but affects the devotee. It is the second volume of Zeno, the Greek emperor, of his wife Adriana, and of Mary de Medicis. The late chancellor Bestucheff, who had a strong propensity to gold, was her great favourite; the attachments of the present period will, I flatter

myself, be the same. The poor emperor wished to imitate Peter I. for which he wanted capacity."

Frederic, who saw with its success, the bold attempt of the empress, repeatedly warned his minister Goltz, that, since Peter was bent on his own destruction, it would be well to prepare for the event. In pursuance of this counsel, Goltz, the companion and flatterer of the czar, was, on the reverse of his fortunes, the first to abandon him, and to fawn on his adversaries. Such is the virtue-the friendship of courts!

An envoy from Copenhagen was also received graciously by the empress, and assured of her pacific intentions towards Denmark. With Keith, the English embassador, she treated as with a friendly power, and renewed with England the treaty of commerce.

Catherine, while establishing peace with the foreign powers, was not negligent of the internal tranquillity of the empire. The court assumed a new aspect; every thing was in subordination to the secret power of Gregory Orloff, whose influence and pride daily increased. The nobles, incensed and humiliated by the insolence of the favourite, ardently desired his ruin: some of them, losing sight of prudence, ventured to speak out,

a

while Catherine, dissembling for a time, meditated to avenge the cause of her lover.

Accounts arrived from Moscow of a more favourable nature; brandy and money judiciously distributed, had worked a change in the minds of the malecontents; the soldiers acknowledged the rights of a sovereign, of whose bounty they received such substantial proofs. Catherine hastened her journey to the ancient capital, for the purpose of celebrating the ceremony of her coronation. Previous to her departure from Petersburg, she assembled the guards by whom she had been seated on the throne, and, having bestowed on them farther testimonies of her gratitude, left them under the command of Razumoffsky, the hetman, with whom she joined prince Volkensky. The government of the city was confided to count Bruce, on whose fidelity Catherine could rely. Alexius Orloff had a charge to watch over the whole. Gregory, his brother, and the chancellor Bestucheff, were chosen as attendants on the empress, among whom also were her principal adherents, and those nobles who could not be left without danger. The young Paul Petrovitch, and the principal ladies of the court, completed the suite..

The cavalcade entered with pomp into Moscow, where money had been previously distributed; yet no acclamations, no tokens of public approba tion, welcomed its approach. In this portentous silence, Catherine read too truly the sentiments of the people. Having proceeded to the chapel of the czars, she lavished her blandishments on the archbishop and priests, and was crowned in the presence of the soldiery and people of the court. The crowd, which had shrunk back on the appearance of the empress, rushed forward to meet the grand-duke, mingling with their expressions of tenderness for the child, an apparent concern for the fate of his father.

Catherine, pained and dissatisfied by all that had past, nevertheless concealed her chagrin, and made the earliest preparations for her return to Petersburg. During her stay at Moscow, she honoured the ancient capital by issuing from it several proclamations; while, to flatter the mili tary, which had been neglected by Peter, she published a manifesto, on the day of her coronation, in praise of the troops who had fought against Prussia. By other favours and promotions, she likewise sought to conciliate the attachment of the garrison.

The monks, who had favoured her projects, and to whom, despoiled by Peter, she had promised a restoration of their possessions, recalled to her memory their zeal and their services. Catherine, aware that the power so successfully exerted in her favour might, in different circumstances, be opposed against her, prudently forbore, with more sagacity than gratitude, to re-establish their privileges; contenting herself with referring their plea to the examination of a synod devoted to her will. The principal members of the clergy were brought over in secret; the remainder, sacrificed to policy, vowed vengeance against those by whom they had been duped.

Priests are not offended with impunity. By their ascendancy over ordinary and ignorant minds their power is always formidable. In conformity to their threats, the Russian clergy fanned among the populace the embers of sedition, which were smothered rather than extinguished by the late events. The malecontents recalled to their remembrance prince Ivan, who, on the very day of the revolution, was concealed in Petersburg, whence he had since been mysteriously removed. It was openly declared that, to him, as to the rightful heir, the throne of his ancestors properly belonged. A manifesto, drawn up by a statecounsellor, and signed by Peter, in which the