COXe’s TRAVELS IN RUSSIA.

73 1

that he might reign with ftill more abfolute power during the minority of Peter II. Butthefe reports deferve no credit, and were merely derived from the fpirit of party, or frompopular rumour.

Catharine was in her perfon under the middle fize, and in her youth delicate andwell-formed, but inclined to corpulency as die advanced in years. She had a fair com-plexion, dark eyes, and light hair, which Ihewas accuftomed to dye black* * * § . She couldneither read nor write f; her daughter Elizabeth ufuaily figned her name, particularly toher laft will and teftament, and Count Oftermaii generally put her fignature to the pub-lic decrees and difpatches. Her abilities were greatly exaggerated by her panegyrifts.Gordon, who had frequently feen her, feems to have represented her character with thegreateft juftnefs, when he lays, “ She was a very pretty well-Iookt woman, of goodfenfe, but not of that fublimity of wit, or rather that quicknefs of imagination, whichfome people have believed. The great reafon why the Tzar was fo fond of her, washer exceeding good temper ; Ihe never was feen peevilh or out of humour; obligingand civil to all, and never forgetful of her former condition ; withal, mighty grateful.’*Catherine maintained the pomp of majefty united with an air of eafe and grandeur; andPeter frequently expreffed his admiration at the propriety with which fhe fupported herhigh ftation, without forgetting that Ihe was not born to that dignity J.

She bore her elevation meekly, and was never, as Gordon affierts, forgetful of herformer condition. When Wurmb §, who was tutor to Gluck’s children at the time thatCatharine was a domeftic in the fame family, prefented himfelf before her after thepublic folemnization of her marriage with Peter, Ihe faid, “ What, thou good man, artthou ftill alive ! I will provide for thee;” and gave him a penfion. She was alfo riolefs attentive to the family of her benefa&or Gluck, who died a prifoner at Mofcow :Ihe pensioned his widow, made his fon a page, portioned the two eldeft daughters, andappointed the youngeft a maid of honour. If we may believe Weber, {he frequentlyinquired after her firft hulband, and, when Ihe lived with Prince Mentchikof, ufed fe-cretly to fend him fmall fums of money, until, in 1705, he was killed in a fkirmilh withthe enemy. In a conference with General Schlippenback, who had commanded theSwedilh army, when Ihe was taken captive by the Ruffians, Ihe alked him, “ whetherher Spoufe John was not a brave foldier ?” Schlippenback replying, “ Am not I onealfo?” her Majefty anfwered in the affirmative; but repeating the queftion, he replied,tc yes, pleafe your Majesty ; and I may boaft to have had the honour of having himunder my command ||.” But the molt noble part of her character was her peculiar hu-manity and compaftion. Motraye has paid a handfome tribute to this excellence.“ She had in fome fort the government of all his (Peter’s) paffions; and even faved the

* Bufching fays, ‘‘ Ihr [chiucmes haar war nichtnatnerlich,fonderngefaerbi,” &c. Hitt. Mag. vol. iii.p. igo. “ Her black hair was not natural, but coloured. On her firft rife the coarfenefs of her handsproved that file had been ufed to li3rd labour, but they gradually grew whiter and whiter.” Thefe cir-cumftances we may readily believe, becaufe the lady from whom Bufching received the information couldeafily know whether Catharine’s hair was black, or her hands coaife, although fhe might be deceived inwhat relates to her family.

t Baflevitz, p. 295. Bufching, xi p.481.

% Son Spoufe etait awe lui etalant, conformement a la volonte du monarque, la pomps imperials, qui h genait , etla foutenant avec an air furprenant de grandeur et d’aifance. Le czar ne pouvait fe lajfer d’admirer Its l aims<l u ’ellepojfedait, felon fon exprejjion, de fe creer imp:ratrice, fans ottblier qu’elle ne le naquit point. Baffevitz inP- 3 5 8 .

§ Lile of Peter, vol iii. p, 2,8.

II Bufching had the above anecdote from a lady who was prefent at this conference. Hilt. Mag. vol. iii.P- igo.

5 a 2 lives