reft; other officers, in a different uniform, led on the foldiers, whose difinclination was evident.

"About noon, the chiefs of the Ruffian clergy, all of them old men of venerable aspects, (it is well known how the fmalleft things capable of striking the imagination become, at fuch decifive moments, of the greatest importance,) all of them, with beautiful white hair, with long white beards, clothed with fplendour and dignity, and carrying the crown, the Imperial globe, and the ancien, books, the infignia of the coronation, marched, with a tranquil and majestic step, through the whole army, who, from an impreffion of respect, for a moment preserved filence; they went up to the palace, to crown the Emprefs; and this fpectacle impreffed on every mind certain emotions, which feemed to legitimate violence and ufurpation.

"As foon as the ceremony was over, he put on the ancient uniform of the guards, which the borrowed of a young officer nearly of her fize. To the ftriking ceremonies of religion, fucceeded a warlike toilet, when the charms of gallantry increased the strong intereft excited by the scene; and this young and handfome woman was feen, with the most feductive gracefulness, receiving from the nobles, who furrounded her, a hat, a fword, and above all, the ribband of the first order of the empire, which her husband had quitted for the Pruffian order. In this new drefs the mounted a horfe at the palace gate; and accompanied by the princefs of Afchekof, alfo on horfeback, and in the habit of the guards, she made the tour of the palace, fhowed herself to the troops, as about to become their general; and by her fmiling and steadfast countenance, restored to the multitude that confidence which the herself received from them."

"Peter refolved to offer this reconciliation, and landed at Oranienbaum, like a man about to grant a pardon. But his domeftics coming forrowfully to receive him on the shore, he faid to them," My children, I am no longer any thing;" and their confternation again excited all his own. He learned from them, that the Emprefs's army was already at hand; and immediately he ordered the fleeteft of his horfes to be fecretly faddled, being refolved to fly alone and disguised, and to make for Poland. But the agitation of his mind foon throwing him back into indecifion, his miftrefs, feduced by the hope of finding

finding an asylum, and perhaps, at the fame time, a throne for herself, perfuaded him to fend to afk permiffion of the Emprefs, for them to retire together into the durchy of Holstein. This was, according to her, yielding every thing to the Emprefs, who could defire nothing more than an arrangement fo favourable to her ambition; and if the Emperor's domestics cried out, "Our father, the will put you to death!" his miftrefs replied, "Why would you wish to alarm your master ?” "This was his final refolution; and immediately, as, according to general representation, the only mode of avoiding the first fury of the foldiers was not to make any resistance, he ordered them to dismantle every thing which could make the leaft defence, and to difmount the cannon; he difmiffed the foldiers, and commanded them to lay down their arms. At this fpectacle, Munick, full of indignatión, asked, "If he did not know how to die like an Emperor, at the head of his troops? If you are afraid of a fabre," faid he, " take a crucifix in your hand, they will not dare to touch you; and as for me, I will conduct the fight," The Emperor perfitted in his refolution. He wrote to his wife, that he gave up the Ruffian empire to her, and demanded permiffion to retire into Holstein with the frail Woronfof, and his aid-de-camp Goudowitz.

“The chamberlain, whom he appointed generaliffimo, was entrusted with this letter; and, at the fame time, all the Prince's courtiers, who could procure fmall veffels, threw themfelves into them, and haftening to defert him, went to augment the new court.

"The Emprefs fent for answer, a renunciation for him to fign, couched in the following terms:

"During the short time of my abfolute reign over the empire of Ruffia, I have discovered that my strength is not sufficient for fuch a burden; and that to govern fuch an empire either as a fovereign, or in any other manner, is beyond my abilities; I have likewife forefeen the fhock it would receive, which would have been followed by its total ruin, and would have covered me with eternal difgrace: after having, therefore, deliberately reflected on the subject, I declare folemnly, and without constraint, to the Ruffian empire, and the whole univerfe, that I renounce for my life the government of the aforeLoid empire, not wishing to reign over it, either as fovereign, VOL. II. 3 B

or under any other form of government, and without aspiring to be reinstated by any affiftance I may be able to attain. To the truth of this I make oath before God and the universe, having written and figned this renunciation with my own hand."

"What remained to be apprehended from a man who difgraced himself fo far as to tranfcribe and fign fuch a paper? Or what must be thought of a nation, in which this man would be ftill feared?

"The fame chamberlain, after having carried the renunciation to the Emprefs, came back and difarmed the Holstein foldiers, who furrendered their arms with indignation, and were confined in barns. He then handed the Emperor, his miftrefs, and his favourite, into a carriage, and drove them without any efcort to Peterhoff.

"Peter, when he thus put himfelf into the hands of his wife, was not without hope. The first troops he met had never feen him: they were thofe three thoufand Coffacks which hazard alone had brought to this tranfaction; they preferved a profound filence, and the emotion, which he could not fupprefs on their appearance, gave them no trouble. But as fooh as the army perceived him, the unanimous cries of "Long live the Emprefs!" began on all fides. He paffed through the regiments amidst this new acclamation, repeated with fury. It deprived him of his fenfes. When they arrived at the great ftair-cafe, his 'miftrefs was carried off as the alighted from the carriage, by fome foldiers, who tore off her fath. His favourite was befet with cries of derifion, while he replied to the foldiers with haughtiness, and reproached them with their crime. The Emperor afcended alone, in a paroxyfm of rage. They told him to undrefs himself, and none of these rebels laying their hands on his perfon, he himfelf ftripped off his ribband, his fword, and his coat, saying: "I am now in your hands." He was left for fome minutes in his fhirt, and with naked feet, exposed to the laughter of his foldiers. Thus was Peter for ever feparated from his miftrels and his favourite; and a few moments after, all these were hurried away on different fides under a strong guard." "Six days had paffed fince the revolution, and this great event appeared to be terminated, without any odious impref

fions being left by any violence. Peter was guarded in an agrecable houfe named Robfchak, fix leagues from Peterfbourg. On the road he asked for fome cards, and conftructed with them a fort of fortrefs, faying, "I fhall never in my life fee one again." On his arrival at the country house, he asked for his violin, his dog, and his negro.

"But the foldiers were aftonished at what they had done; they could not conceive by what enchantment they had been induced to dethrone the grandfon of Peter the Great, to give his crown to a German. The greater part, without plan and without ideas, had been led on by the motion of the others; and each, having returned to their low condition, after the pleasure of difpofing of a crown had vanished, felt nothing but remorfe. The failors, who had not been interested in the revolt, publicly reproached the guards in the taverns, with having fold their Emperor for beer. The voice of pity, which juftifies even the greateft criminals, was heard in every street. One night, a troop of foldiers, attached to the Empress, was in commotion, through a vain fear, exclaiming, "their Mother was in danger." It was neceffary to wake her, that they might fee her. The following night there was a fresh difturbance ftill more dangerous. Whilft the Emperor's life left a pretext for this difquietude, it was thought there would be no tranquillity.

"One of the Counts Orlof, for from the first day that title had been given to them, that very foldier furnamed the Scarred, who had fuppreffed the Princess of Afchekof's letter, and a man of the name of Teplof, who had rifen from the lowest employs by the fingular art of fupplanting his competitors, went together towards the Emperor's refidence: they informed him that they were come to dine with him; and, according to the Ruffian cuftom, glaffes of brandy were brought before the repaft. That which the Emperor drank was a glass of poifon. Whether they were in hafte to report this news, or whether the horror of the action made them too precipitate, they invited him a moment after to take a fecond glafs. His entrails were already hurning, and the ferocity of their countenances rendering them fufpected, he refufed the glass: they employed force to compel him to take it, and he to repulfe them. In this horrible ftruggle, in order to ftife his outcries, which began to be heard at a diftance, they precipitated them

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felves on him, feized him by the throat, and threw him down; but as he defended himself with all the ftrength which the extremity of defpair supplies, and as they avoided giving him any wound, being reduced to fear for themfeives, they called to their affiftance two officers of his guard, who at that moment were without at the gate of his prifon. One of them was the youngest of the Princes Baratinski, and the other a man of the name of Potemkine, about seventeen years of age. They had fhowed so much zeal in the conspiracy, that in fpite of their extreme youth they had been appointed his guards; they haftended in, and three of thefe murderers tied and faftened a napkin round the neck of the unfortunate Emperor, whilft Orlof preffed on his chest with his two knees, and almoft ftifled him; in this manner they ftrangled him, and he remained lifeless in their hands.

"It is not known with certainty what fhare the Empress had in this tranfaction; but it is a fact well afcertained, that on the very day on which it happened, this princess beginning her dinner with much gaiety, faw this Orlof enter with his hair dishevelled, covered with duft and sweat, his clothes tom, his countenance agitated, and full of horror and precipitation. As he entered, his eyes, wild and fparkling, fought the eyes of the Emprefs. She rofe in filence, and went into a closet, where he followed her; a few moments after the fent for -Count Panine, who had already been appointed prime minifter; the informed him that the Emperor was dead, and confulted him on the best mode of announcing his death to the public. Panine advised her to let one night elapfe, and to publifh the intelligence on the morning, as if the had received it during the night. This advice was adopted, and the Emprefs returned with the fame countenance, and continued her dinner with the fame gaiety. The next day, when it was reported that Peter had died of an hæmorrhoidal cholic, the appeared bathed in tears, and published her forrow in an edict.

"The body was brought to Petersbourg, in order to be expofed. The face was black and the neck mangled. In fpite of thefe horrible marks, they left him three days expofed to the view of the people, in the drefs only of a Holftein officer, for the purpose of quelling the commotions which began to be apprehended, and of preventing impoftors from disturbing the