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COXE’s TRAVELS IN RUSSIA.

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APPENDIX.

No. l.—A Letter from Mr. Keith, Britifh Minifler at St. Peterjburgh, to the RightHonourable George Grenville , Secretary of State, on the Revolution of 1762.

g JR St. Pctcrjburgh, July 12, 1762.

LAST Friday morning, about 9 o’clock (as I was preparing to go to Peterhoff , tomeet the Emperor, ) one of my fervants came running into my room with a frightedcountenance, and told me there was a great uproar at the other end of the town, thatthe guards, having mutinied, were affembled,and talked of nothing lefs than dethroningthe Emperor • he could tell me no circumftances, and could give me no anfwer to theonly queftion I afked, namely, if the Emprefs was in town. But about a quarter of anhour after one of the gentlemen of our fadlory came in and informed me that the. Emprefs was in town, and that fhe had been, by the guards, and the other troops ofthe garrifon, declared their Emprefs and Sovereign ; and that fire was then aftually atthe Cafanfki church, to hear the Te Dewn lung upon the occahon. He added thecircumftances of Prince George of Holfteiu Gottorp’s being made a pnfoner, as hewas endeavouring to make his efcape out of the town. This account was confirmed fromall quarters, and we underftood thefeveral fupreme colleges in the empire, and all thegreat people were then taking the oaths of fidelity to the new Emprefs, as the guards

an This furaffing'pevolufioi^'v^^n'ought about and completed in a little more than twohours, without one drop of blood being ipilt, or any acT of mfolence commuted ; andall the quarters of this city, at any diftance from the palace, efpecially the ftreet where Iand mol part of His Majefty’s fubjefts refide, were as quiet as if nothing had happened ;the only novelty to be ieen were fome piquets placed at the bridges, and fome of thehorfe guards patroling through the ftreets, in order to preferve the public tran-

^As foon as the guards affembled in the morning, feveral detachments were Cent tothe Peterhoff Road, to hinder any intelligence from being fent to the Emperor ; andthis piece of duty 4as performed with fo much diligence and exadnefs, that no oneperfon got through, except the mafter of the horfe, Monfieur Nanfkm.

P About ten o’clock in the evening, the Emprefs marched out of town on horfeback,at fhe head of twelve or fourteen thoufand men, and a great tram of artillery, and took

the road towards Peterhoff, in order to attack the Emperor at that place, or Orame-

baum or wherever they fliould meet him and next day in the afternoon we receivedthe Account of His Imperial Majefty’s having furrendered his perfon, and refigned hiscrown without one ftroke being (Wk The few circumftances of this great eventthat I have been able to pick up, and which appear to be authentic, though I will notwarrant them all, are as follow, viz. That this afar had been long contriving, but washaftened in the execution by one of the confpirators having been arrefted two daysbefore upon fome raft words that had fallen from him ; upon which fome of the othersfor foar of the whole confpiracy being difcovered, had come to the refo-ludon ofimmedtely R> work, and in confequence. had fent to Monf. (Mow,one of the 8 Ruffian officers in the guards, to apprize the Emprefs of this circumftance,

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