Sophia was born in the month of October, 1658. Her
» father, Alexèy Michaelovitch, the fécond fovereign of the
houfe of Romanof, was twice, married ; firft to Maria Ili-
nitchna of the family of Milolafiki ; fecondly, to Natalia
Kirilofna, of that of Nariikin : by the former he had Feodor,
Ivan, and feveral princeffes,, among whom was Sophia ; by
the latter, Peter the Great.. During Maria’s life, her-family
was diûinguiihed hy Alexèy, and. enjoyed a coniiderable influence
; but after her deceafe,. and upon his marriage with
Natalia, their power was eclipfed by the fuperior afcendancy
of the Nariikins, who fucceeded to the confidence and favour
of their fovereign. Hence two parties were formed in-
the court ; and perpetual quarrels took place between the
children of Alexèy by his firft wife, and their ftep-mother
Natalia. During this period, Ivan Michaelovitch Milolafiki,
the head of that family, endeavoured, fecretly to undermine
the Nariikins :• he attributed, to their influence that the taxes-
were increaftd ;. that the pay was with-held from the fol-
diery ; and, in a- word, reproached them as the authors o f
ail the grievances w-bich were urged againft the government;
of Alexèy. By theft and other artifices he laboured to render,
them, unpopular and. having, gained, over to- his party a:
3. Voltaire has- contributed more than- againft the memory of'this unfôrturrateprini
any other writer to fpread reports injurious cefs begin to fubfide. Muller has ventured to/1
to Sophia ; but the truth-o f his narrative juftify her charafter iirfome iirftances ; the-
e f her rife* admmiftration, and fall, is liable author o f the Antidote to the Abbé dé
* to the ftrongeft obje&ions-: he dtaws many Chappe’s Jburney into Siberia, fpeaks of'
feéts, urged againft Sophia, from the worlc her in a favourable manner ; and L ’ Evefque-
o f the fuppofed'Poliih envoy; L a Neuville* has evidently fhown, that her character has:
which has- been- juft ihown-to be o f no au- been-grofsly roifreprefented, that ftie was a:
thority; and extraits-the remainderalmoif princefs o f great merit, and" by no means
folely from certain memoirs,, which being deferring o f the reproaches which have been1
tranfmitted to him- by order o f the emprefs caft upon her conduit. I had alreadÿ frnilhed
Elifabeth, Peter’ s daughter, would* natu* this chapter, as weil'as the laft, before his.
rally throw the fevereft cenfures upom So- hiftory made its appearance; and though the
phia, and adopt ali the mifreprefentations arguments o f that judicious hiftorian had.'
o f her adverfaries. no ihare in forming,, they certainly con-
But the violent prepoffeflions conceived firmed my opinion in favour o f Sophia.
large
large body of Strelitz *, waited for a favourable opportunity CHAP-
of executing his defigns f. , ■ . vm-
Upon the acceifion of Feodor to the t-hrone, his relations,,
the family of Milolafiki, re-affumed'their former importance^
and the Nariikins were excluded from all ihare.in the admi-
niftration of affairs..
Sophia had. gained the efteem and affeiftion of her brother
Feodor, by the fuperiority of her underftanding, her infinu-
ating.addrefs, and unwearied attention during the long i l l -
nefs which at length brought him prematurely to the grave;
To her that weak prince, whofe infirmities rendered him
unfit to govern, refigned the abfolute direâion of affairs,
and, at her fuggeftion, placed his iole -confidence in prince
Vaifili, Galitzin, a nobleman who had greatly diftinguilhéd
himielf, under the. reign of. Alexèy Michaelovitch,, for his
political, abilities..
Upon the demife of Feodor without iflue, on the 27th o f
April, 1.6 8 2 ,Ivan his brother, and rightful heir o f the tiironc,
was excluded, from the fuGceffion ®n account of- his incapacity,,
andliis half-brother Peter was- declared'tzar. In regard
to this event, the partizans of Peter-endeavour to eftabliih
two. pofitions x.. That he was raifed to this dignity in com-
fequence. of Feodor’s exprefs appointment j, and, 2. By the
unanimous: voice of. the nation..
I - With, refpeâ to the: firft pofition, that Peter was nominated
tzar in confequence of Feodor’s | exprefs appointment,
when we confider, that Feodor was- entirely governed by
Sophia and his own family, it is not.probable, that he ihould
* The Ruffian,regiments o f guards were Feodor avant d'expirer, voyant quefon ■
railed Strelitz, or Streltfi, until they.were frère Ivan, trop difgracié d e -la-nature
luppreffed, and the name ab'oliihed, by Pe- était incapable de -regner, nomma pour hé-
« «ta Great. _• '. rit-ier des Ruffes ion. .fécond frère,Pierre, &c.
t Sumorokof s.Aufniehr derStrelitzen, Voltaire.
P* &
f a-<Sb