b o o k t0 proye that the incapacity of Ivan was no bar to his election:
a memorable dnftance was exhibited in the perfon of Feodor
Ivanovitch, who, notwithftanding his abfolute imbecility, was
raifed to the throne, and a regency entrufted with the adtm-
niftration of affairs * : and it muff alfo be confidered, that Peter,
•then only in his eleventh year, had not afforded any inftances
o f that vaft fuperiority of underftanding, which afterwards
marked his character; and that his mother, who was to
fway the reins of empire, was a perfon of no experience,
and extremely unpopular. Nor is it matter of furprize that
the care of Ivan and the government iliould be committed
to Sophia. The victorious family would naturally choofe
a recent devoted from interefts and inclination to theii party,
| perfon of imperial lineage, popular manners, refpettable
character, and great abilities ; and all thefe requifites centered
in Sophia.
However authors may have cenfured the ambitious de-
figns of Sophia, they unanimouily concur in delineating her
engaging manners, the beauties of her perfon f, the vigour
* S. R. G . vol. V . p . 19. a good imderftanding and great learn,.
4- Weber, the Hanoverian envoy at St. , “ Sie befats groffen verftand und gro
P e t e r i b u r g h in the beginning o f this century, “ fchoenheit, p. 10. ,
■fays o f Sophia, “ T h e tzar was frequently Many other authors might be quo e
•«‘ heard to .declare, that, excepting her in- the fame purpofe, but as there , ^nothing
“ ordinate ambition, ihe was a princefs o f which party-malice will not invent to de-
“ great perfonal and mental aocoropliih- predate an obnoxious charafler the fu p p -
•“ ments ” Ver . Ruff. V o l. I . p. 143. fititious Poliih envoy La Neuville has m.t-
Voltai’re in a very fpirited portrait, r e p r e f e n t e d h e r p e r f o n as much as her con-^
■clofesit by faying, “ unt figure agrissble duft, in the following extraordinary paffage -
t lt le io i t t o u s f e s f a le n s . ” HR d e i ib e s “ Sophie dont i’ efprit J “ -her at the rime o f the revolution, as a “ nent nen de la dformsti de.fi,s corps, it«
handfome young lady, then upwards .o f “ d'mcgrojeur monjlrumfi, awe „m -u uU g
t He came into Ruffia ;n H two « « un loiffeau, dn M au
years before her death ; and though he •“ loops ausjamlcsU » tno.ns 40 an,s ra
never faw her himfelf, on account o f her “ autant v , e f i mile cjl lasgc, con, to, y g j
imprifonment, he muil have known many " fie r e autant fon efpnt eft fin,, delii &J
perfons who had been perfonally acquainted “ litique & fans avoir jamais hi M
w k h hen Perry’ s State o f Ruffia, p. 143. “ «Ue poffedenaturellement toutes fes max
.Sumorokof fays o f her, that Ihe poffeffed “ tmes,” &c, p. 151.
and wifdom of her adminiftration, and her extenfive plans of
reformation for the advantage of her country. '— .— 1
Sophia repofed her principal confidence in prince Vaffili
Galitzin, commonly known by the name of the Great Galit-
zin, a moft able minifter, and confummate politician. The
fcandalous chronicle of thbfe times,;or rather of a later period,
attributed her partiality for this minifter to afofter paf-
fion, though he was above fixty years of age ; and1 her enemies
have not even fcrupled to declare * that ihe had formed
the plan of affaffinating the two tzars, ufurpingthe throne,
and of efpoufing prince Galitzin; who was to obtain a divorce
from his wife ; but this calumny, as it is not founded on-
the leaft fubftantial evidence, deferves not to be refuted.
Sophia t has been alfo accufed, not only of neglefting the•
education of Peter, but of introducing him into the company
of the moflr profligate young men, and of encouraging his-
propenfity to every fpecies of excefs which might enervate
his frame, weaken his underftanding, and render him averfe
to bufinefs. This calumny, however, has been amply refuted
by Mr. Muller }, who has fhewn from unquefti'onable
authority, that Ivan and Peter had two different courts ;
that the education of the latter was folely entrufted to his
mother; and that i f improper perfons were placed about him,.,
the blame muft fall upon her, and not upon Sophia.. With
refpeft to his propenfity to drinking,, that vice was extremely -
common in Ruffia, and prince Vaffili §' Galitzin alone was as
remarkable for his fobriety as the favourites of Peter, LSFort,,
H Gordon, p.' 86. ‘““ forcing his* company to drink" to excefr» .
V o lta ire .. “ Brandy,. theJiquor which flawed at every
J ’ Journal o f St, Pet. Mar. 1 7 y8,"p„-168, “ other table, -was feldoin feen at his, who
3É § ! * “ never .tlrank. any himfelf; but took much.
m “ Galitzin was1 the only man of quality. “ delight in rational and ingenious conver»
“ ■‘ in Rallia who could. entertain, without. “ fation.” M o ttle yY L ife of-Peter.