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coxe’s TRAVELS IN RUSSIA .

authority in as unlimited a form, as had ever been enjoyed by any of her predeeeflbrs.This Emprefs refigned herfelf implicitly to the direction of Biren, a native of Courland ,who rofe from the lowed extraction, and regulated all her councils with the moft arbi-trary fway. Anne has generally been cenfured for her feverity, and is faid to haveruled the Ruffians with the knoot in her hand ; but the cruelties which tarniffied herreign, mull be attributed to the brutal temper of Biren. The Emprefs herfelf was ofa humane difpofition : ffie frequently oppofed the fanguinary meafures of her favourite,and in vain endeavoured to foften his mercilefs difpofition, by fubmitting to intreaties,and interceding even with tears, for the unfortunate objeCts of his refentment * * * § . But,in effeCt, the fovereign who permits cruelties is, and ought to be, equally guilty in theeyes of the world with the fovereign who commands them ; and polierity juftly imputesto the miltrefs the vices of the fervant, who is uncontrouled in his abufe of power,Anne died on the 17th of GCtober 1740, after nominating for her fucceffor her ne-phew Ivan, then an infant; with a view of prolonging the reign of Biren, whom fheappointed regent during the minority.

Viewing the tomb of Elizabeth, I recolleCted the motley character of that indolentand voluptuous Emprefs, who, by the revolution of 1741, renewed in her perfon theline of Peter the Great upon the throne of Ruffia. Elizabeth was born in 1709,and, when arrived at years of maturity, was extremely admired for her perfonal at-tractions.

Her beauty, as well as rank and large dowry, occafioned feveral offers, none of whichwere accepted, and ffie died fingle. During the reign of her father, a negociation hadcommenced for her marriage with Louis XV . By the will of Catharine, Elizabeth wasbetrothed to Charles Augustus, biffiop of Lubeck , and brother of Adolphus Frederic,King of Sweden ; but he died before the completion of the ceremony. In the reign ofPeter II., ffie was demanded by Charles, Margrave of Anfpach ; in 1741, by thePerfiantyrant Kouli Khan ; and at the time of the revolution, the regent Anne endeavoured toforce her to efpoufe Prince Louis of Brunfwickf. From the period of her acceffion ffierenounced all thoughts of the connubial hate, and adopted her nephew Peter. Herdiflike to marriage, however, did not proceed from any difinclination to man ; for ffiefreely owned to her confidents, that ffie was never happy but when in love J, if wemay dignify by that name a capricious paffion ever changing its objeCt. The fame cha-raCteriftic warmth of temper hurried her no lefs to the extremes of devotion : ffie wasfcrupuloufly exaCt in her annual confeffions of the wanderings of her heart, in expref-fing the utmoll contrition, and in punctually adhering to the minuteft ceremonies andordinances of the church.

With refpeCt to her difpofition, ffie is generally ftyled the humane Elizabeth, asffie made a vow 7 never to infliCt any capital puniffiments § during her reign ; and is

* “ J’aiete preterit,” writes Count Munic “ lorfque 1 ’imperatrice pleuroit a chaudes larmes fur ce queBiron fulminoit & menacoit de ne vouloir pkisfervir fi l’imperatrice ne facrifioit Volinfki & ainfi des autres.”Ebauche, &c. p 119

Mrs Vigor ays of her, “ I have often feen her melt into tears at a melancholy ftory, and fhe thews fuchunaffedted horror at any mark of cruelty, that her mind to me feems to be compofed of the moft amiablequalities that I have ever obferved in any one perfon; which feems a particular mark of the goodnefs ofProvidence, as (he is poffeffed of fuch power Letters from Ruffia, p. £9,

-j- See Manftein’s Memoirs, p. 25 285. 309.

j “ Elle etoit voluptueufe a l’ences, nee de fang voluptueux, & elle difoit fouvent a fes confidentes, qu’ellen’etoit contents que tant qu’elle etoit amoureufe; mais elle etoit avec cela fort inconftante & changeoitfouvent de favoris ” Ebauche, p. 170.

§ See Remarks on her celebrated edift, which aljoliflied capital punifhments, in the chapter on the PenalLaws of Ruffia, in a fubfequent paflage.

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