book the power lodged in the hands of a rival party ; ftill further
. HL . encouraged by his mother and her adherents, he claimed a
ihare in the adminiftration of affairs; and took his feat, for
the fir ft time, in the privy council, on the 25 th of January,
1688, and in the eighteenth year of his age. Sophia, though
unwilling to, refign any part of her authority, could not
withhold her confent •, but as Peter’s fpirit was above con-
troul, ihe availed; herfelf of fome violent altercations which
paifed between them, and- contrived to exclude him, for the
future, from a feat in the council. From this period the
diffentions between them arofe to fo great an height, as to
threaten an open rupture ; and the: fall of one feemed ne--
ceffary to, the fecurity of the other *.
Things remained in this ftate of jealoufy and variance,,
until, the month of September, 1689 when the afpiring
genius of Peter acquired the afcendancy, and fecured his
undivided authority by the fall and imprjibnment of Sophia.,
By the advice of Boris Galitzin and the Nariikins, Peter re-
fblved to arreft his fifter, and to feize the reins of government
: and it is afferted by his adherents-i* that Sophia and
prince VafliliGaliizin, apprized of his intentions, determined
to prevent their own. ruin by his aflaffination that they,
had gained over the chief o f the- Strelitz and a. corps of 600
men, and had. adtually GommifiSoned them to perpetrate
that infamous deed.
Peter had retired to ileep at his palace of Preobaiheniki
near Mofcow, when.t-wo J of the confpirators, it is faid; ftruck
with horror at their crime*quitted their companions, anil
baftened to the young tzar with the information that a body
* Journ. of St*. Bet-, for 1778, p.. 175, of- two confpirators who wore en^ged to>
affaifioate Peter, but, repenting, difcovered
f Gordon. the plot, is again related as happening in?
X It is remarkable* that, this fame flory 1697» Schmidt..RnlELGef* V. ll..p . 9'**
of
o f Strelitz were upon their march to aflaifinate him. The CHAP*
fame accounts add, that Peter refufed to give credit to their
report, until it was confirmed by Boris Galitzin and one of
his uncles, whom he immediately difpatched to reconnoitre;
and that the confpirators were already fo near, that he had
fcarcely time to make his efcape'®. He inftantly proceeded
to the convent o f the Holy Trinity ; where hk danger being
fpread abroad, troops flocked to him from all quarters, and
in fuch numbers, that in the fpace of three days he had an
army of 60,000 men under his command, and found himfelf
in a fituation to give law to the oppofite party.
In the mean time Sophia, in a ftate of the utmoft confter-
nation, denied all intercourfe with the confpirators, expreffed
the utmoft horror at their attempt ; difpatched repeated
meffages to her brother to juftify her conduit ; and even fet
off in perfon to affert her innocence ; but was ordered to
return without delay to Mofcow, and to deliver the ringleaders
of the mutiny. ' Soon afterwards Peter himfelf repaired
to the capital : the principal confpirators, being tortured
in his prefence, confeffed a defign againft his life, and
fuffered the fevereft puniihment. Vaffili Galitzin t was ba-
nifhed into Siberia ; and Sophia was imprifoned for life in
the nunnery of Devitz : Peter alone affumed the reins of
government, and found fufficient fcope for his vaft and en~
terprizing genius ; while the name of Ivan was ftill inferted,
* Voltaire, though convinced o f Sophia’ s “ ces Strelitz devaient s’emparer de fa per.
intention to affaflinatc Peter, and notwith. “ fonne. Les mémoires fccrettes que la
,(landing the intelligence he received from “ cour de Rufiie mà confiés, affurent que la
the court o f Peteriburgh, can only give us “ parti etoit pris de tuer Pierre Premier!
the following fcanty information : “ La “ le coup allait être porte, et la Ruifio
“ Neuville rendent alors à Mo/crai, et témoin “ était privé à jamais de la nouvelle exif.
“ oculaire de ce qui fe pajjd, pretend que So- ” tence, qu’elle,” &e,
“ pilie et Galitzin engagèrent le nouveau f This able miniiter furvived his fall
ebef des Strêlitz à leur facrifier leur jeune 34 years ; he died in prifon at Pooftozerk
” czar : il parait au moins que fix-cent de in 17 :3. L ’Evefque, vol, IV . p. 107,
Gg g z as