book a s a matter of formality, in the publick a<£ts until-his death,,
. i which happened in 1696.
Such are the principal circumftances of this extraordinary
revolution ; but we muft eenfider, that this is the account
given by the victorious party ; and that the caufe of Sophia
never underwent^ eandid-examination. It may be impoffible
to exculpate that-prineefs entirely from ambitious views'; ihe
might be extremely unwilling to relinquilh a power which:
ihe had- long enjoyed, and which ihe exercifed with great
ability ihe might efteem the right o f Ivan to the throne as
fuperior to that o f Peter; and might- coriiider Peter’s acquifi-
tion of the foie fovereignty as the certain prelude to her own
deftruClion: but we have no poiitive evidence * which ihoultl
induce us to believe that- ihe confpired againft her brother’s
life ; and perhaps the whole ftory of the intended alTaffina-
tion was fetgnecbby Boris Galitzih + and her enemies. Had
ihe been really guilty of that attempt, ihe wanted not opportunities
of efcaping from Ruffia ; and lire never would
have imprudently demanded admittance into Peter’s pres-
fence, in order to affert her innocence, i f the proofs of her
guilt had been as Arcing as her adverfaries pretended J. In
* We have no cep£ain proofs thakany of\ Jy “ -Avait elle,” ' as L ’Evefque judici-
the confpirators accufed'*Sophia o f being ouily remarks, “ comme on 1’en accufs,
g r iv y to any defign,.upon jPgter’ s J i/ e j and,, “ -forme le-deiTein d’ôter la vie à Pierre*?
even if they did name her as an accomplice, “ voulait-elle feulement l ’enlever, et le
their evidence, as it was extorted by the “ faire depofer ? Fut-elle même complice
rack, is by no means to be depended upon. “ de l ’entreprife de Stchéglovitoi ? c’eft ce
f I r appears from the following paffage “ que nous n’oferions prononcer. IL fan*
that the difcovery o f Sophia’ s defigns came “ drait avoir des pieces authentiques, pour
'from that quarter. “ Prince Boris G a lit - “ juger ce grand procès;. Ises hiitoriens
“ zin, a faithful fubjeit o f the tzar Peter, “ l ’âccufent aucun ne dit qu’elle a it été
il coining timely to penetrate into his k in f- “ nommée p a r . les Coupablès. Pierre de-
“ man prince Bafil’s defigns, put the tzar “ vait la craindre, il favait qu’elle etoit
“ upon his guard, adviiing him, without “ aimée des Strélits et de leur cheffir Elle
M delay, to’ take the government into his “ tenait les rênes du gouvernmènt ; ellejie
hands.”*- Gordon-, .Y*, t. p.-89^ “ voulait pas- les lâcher, et il- voulait s’en
“ Îaifii iî.
* word, the confliét between Peter and Sophia was the con- c h a p .
flitft of two rivals impatient of controul, and ftriving fnr. Vnl' ■
pre-eminence ; the caufe of the fuccefsful party would ne-
ceffarily be deemed juft and equitable ; and the vanquiihed
fatftion was fure to be loaded with every fpecies of guilt and
enormity.
The reftlefs fpirit of Sophia, brooding in the folitude of a
convent, is faid to have excited frefh troubles- and infur.-
reitions ; and, during her life, no confpiracy was undertaken
againft Peter, in which ihe was not fufpetfted of being
concerned. She was more particularly accufed of being
privy to the rebellion, which broke out in 1697 ; when
8oooStrelitz feizedsthe opportunity of Peter’s abfence upon
his travels to rife in arms upon the frontiers of Lithuania,
and to march towards Mofcow. The rebels were attacked
and defeated by the addrefs and courage of general Patrick
Gordon ; many were put to the fword, and the remainder
furrendered at difcretion. The tzar received at Vienna the
account of the mutiny and defeat of the Strelitz, and inftant-
ly haftened to Ruilia, that he might examine the delinquents
in perfon.
Peter, upon his arrival at Mofcow, was particularly anxious
to difcover the caufes of the rebellion,.to learn by, whofe intrigues
it was excited ; and, above all, to ,convi£t Sophia,
whom he charged with fomenting the publick difcontents,
and with holding a correfpondence with the rebels. 'But as
no perfons could give immediate and pertinent anfwers to all
his queftions, he entertained fufpicions of all his courtiers,
“ faifir: elle etoit déteflce de Nataiie, & « contre elle : elle en fut la viftim-; e: la
“ de^tous, les parents de cette Princeffe : “ Calomnie devait la pourfuivre lo g-t ms
“ On [’acculait d’intrigues ; elle .en formait “ encore après fa difgrace, & mêm; aud.-ls
“ fàïs doute, et fans ceffe il s’en formait “ du tombeau.!’ Vol. IV . p. sot.
and