COXF.’s TRAVELS IN RUSSIA.

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ture Baffevitz whifpered one of the oppofite party, “ The Emprefs is tniftrefs of thetreafure and fortrefs j Ihe has gained over the guards and the fynod, and many of thechief nobility $ even here fhe has more followers than you imagine ; advife thereforeyour friends to make no oppofition as they value their heads.” This information beingrapidly circulated, Baffevitz gave the fignal, and two regiments of guards, who had beengained by a largefs * to declare for Catharine, and already furrounded the palace, beatto arms. “ Who has dared,” exclaimed Prince Repnin, the commander in chief, “ todraw out the troops without my knowledge!”—“I,” returned General Butterlin,“ without pretending to difpute your authority, in obedience to the commands of mymod gracious miftrefs.” This fhort reply was followed by a dead filence.

In this moment of fufpenfe and anxiety, Mentchikof entered, preceding Catharine,fupported by the Duke of Holftein. She attempted to fpeak, but was prevented, byfighs and tears, from giving utterance to her words; at length, recovering herfelf, “ Icome,” the faid, “ notwithstanding the grief which now overwhelms me, to allure you,that, fubmiflive to the will of my departed hutband, whofe memory will be ever dear tome, I am ready to devote my days to the painful occupations of government, until Pro.vidence fhall fummon me to follow him.” Then, after a fliort paufe, (lie artfully added,“ If the Great-Duke will profit by my inftruCtions ; perhaps I fnall have the confolation,during my wretched widowhood, of forming for you an Emperor worthy of the bloodand name of him whom you have now irretrievably loft.” “ As this crifis,” repliedMentchikof, “is a moment of fuch importance to the good of the empire, and requiresthe mod mature deliberation, your Majefty will permit us to confer without reftraint,that this whole affair may be tranfaCted without reproach, not only in the opinion of theprefent age, but alfo of pofterity.”—“ ACting as I do,” anfwered Catharine, “ morefor the public good than for my own advantage, I am not afraid to fubrait all my con-cerns to the judgment of this enlightened aflembly; you have not only my permiffiontoconfer with freedom ; but I lay my commands upon you all, to deliberate maturely onthis important fubjedt, and promife to adopt the refult of your decifions.” At theconclufion of thefe words, the affembly retired into another apartment, and the doorsWere locked.

It was previoufly fettled by Mentchikof and his party, to declare Catharine Emprefs,and the guards, who furrounded the palace with drums beating arid colours flying, ef-fectually vanquifhed all oppofition. The only circumftance, therefore, which remained,was to give a juft colour to her title, by perfuading the affembly that Peter intended toname her his fucceffor. For this purpofe Mentchikof demanded of the Emperor ’s fe-cretary, whether his late mafter had left any written declaration of his intentions ? Thefecretary replied, “ A little before his laft journey to Mofcow he deftroyed a will, andhe frequently expreffed his defign of making another, but was prevented by the reflection,that if he thought his people, whom he had raifcd from a ftate of barbarifm to a highdegree of power and glory, could be ungrateful, he would not expofe his final inclina-tions to the infult of a refufal; and if they recollected what they owed to his labours,they would regulate their conduCt by his intentions, which he had difclofed with moreiolemnity than could be tnanifefted by any writing.” An altercation now began in theaffembly, and fome of the nobles having the courage to oppofe the acceflion of Catha-rine, Theophanes , Archbilhop of Plefcof, called to their recollection the oath which theyhad all taken in 1722, to acknowledge the fucceffor appointed by Peter, and added, thatthe fentiments of that Emperor delivered by the fecretary were in effeCt an appointment

VOL. VI.

The Auftrian envoy fays, that the guards received each 61.

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