BOOK the artifices of the defigning Mentchikof, and to the refent-
ment of an inhuman, though, perhaps, juftly offended father.
The recolleaion of his fate makes a ftrong impreffion on a
feeling mind; and muft ftill more forcibly ftnke a iubje<ft of
the Britifh empire ; where will is not law; where the heir
apparent is as fecure as the fovereign himfelf; and where
the right of fucceffion ftands irrevocable, not to be altered by
the caprice or jealoufy of a reigning monarch. The ftecu-
lative theorift may indeed argue for Peter, that there ffiould
be a power invefted in the fovereign to exclude an unworthy
fucceffor, who ihould threaten to overturn his plans of reformation,
and again to plunge his country intothe barbanfm
from which he had raifed it with fo much difficulty. But,
in effea, this is nothing lefs than xendering the fate of a
whole empire abfolutely dependent upon the will of one
perfon, who, during his life,.may change his heir as often
as he changes his opinion ; or who, like Peter, may expire
without nominating his fucceffor, and leave the crown to be
fr’zed or difputed by thofe who have not the leaft fhadow of
¿retention. By this means the. throne is open to every
claimant who may have a chance of fecuring the concurrence
of the army. If all the evils which might have
been expe<fted from this change of the fucceffion have
not been hitherto experienced in Ruffia, it muft be
afcribed to the following confideration : that notwitfi-
ftanding- the abfolute power which the fovereign poffeffed
of nominating his heir, yet the notions of hereditary
'right,and the privilege of primogeniture, though annulled by
Peter’s law, ftill retained a confiderable degree of influence m
. ¡the
V
the opinion of the nation. The exclufion, however, of CI^AP‘
Alexey, the decree* fubfequent to his death, and the unfet- '— ,— >
tied ideas concerning the right of fucceffion neceffarily introduced
by that fatal mandate, have occafioned frequent
revolutions in the government of this country : and the
difpofal of the fceplre has in fome meafure depended upon
the regiments of guards t ftationed in the capital.
Though I do not mean to juftify the conduit of Alexey,
yet I cannot but affent to the opinion of a judicious hiftoriarn
* *‘ ,111 the month o f February, 1.72a, a
proclamation was made by the found o f
“ trumpet, requiring every $iatural-bora
fubjeit o f the Ruffian empire, and all fo-
“ reigners then redding there, to fwea-r and
“ fign an bath, | that they will acknow-
ledge, as fucceffor .to the empire, the
“ perfon whom his majeily iliould nominate
“ for their fovereign after his- death. This
“ order itruck a damp on the fpirirs o f every
“ body, when they reflected on the un*
doubted title o f the young prince Peter,
“ his majeily’s graodfon, and only remain-
•“ ing heir o f thedmp'edal family,” Bruce’s
Memoirs, p.,53.6.
The oath was thus worded ; “ I do vow
and fwear before Almighty God, and up-
-*‘-011 the Holy Evangel iits, that I own and
*‘ acknowledge the decree.-concerning the
“ fucceffion to the crown o f Ruffia, pub..-
'**-liihed the -5th o f ebruary, 17.22, by or-
der o f the moil illuitrious,ajjd mighty
prince, Peter I . emperor aad .fovereign
“ o f all Ruffia, our moil gracious lo.rd and
mailer ; *wherein.it is ordained, that the
“ prefcnt, or anyfuccecding emperor ofRuffiai
“ not only may at p.lea fur e nominate and ap-
•“ point a fuccejjbr to the croidn, but likewife
“ alter the fucc>jfion, as of.len ,-a's he, tkeprcfeni,
or any other fuccceding emperor /hall fee
“ caiife., or think fit • This imperial ordi-
“ nance, I-the under-named do acknowledge
to be juil and right, and promife all .due
“ obedience’ to the perfon io named and
M i l H .u
“ appointed fucceffor to the imperial crown
“ o f Ruffia ; I will ’hold and acknowledge
“ him to be th,e only lawful heir,, and my
“ only fovereign, and accordingly will ha-
“ zard life and fortune to maintain him on
“ the throne, and defeat the defigns o f his
“ enemies. Moreover, if I (hall ever be
“ found to a6t contrary to this oath, or to
“ put any other conilruétion upon it, then^
“ and in that cafe, I will be accounted a
H traitoT, and not only be liable to an ig-
“ nominious death, but alfo to the anathe-
“ ma o f the church. In confirmation o f
“ which, I kifs the Holy Gofpel and crofs,
“ and hereunto do fet my hand.”
■f T h é licentious conduit o f the guards
(foon after the acceffion o f Catharine 1.^
which proceeded from their power o f dif-
pofing o f the crown, was uncoptroulable,.
“ Although the emprefs appeared ¿to rule
“ with an abfolute authority, yet it is cer-
“ tain that ilie entirely depended upon the
“ .caprice o f the P-reobreihenïky regiment o f
“ guards, and the nobles who had placed
“ her upon her throne, neither of.whom
“ Aie durit coiitradiilpr reduce. -Ç-atharine,
“ well aware -of her fituation, endea-
“ voured to free herfelf from this depen-
“ dent Hate, by .declaring all the .majors*
tf who had .moil authority, lieutenant-ge-
“ neralsii and, under pretence o f thefe
“ promotions, to remove them .from the
“ regiment of guards, and, in.their iteac!/
“ to- appoint feveral foreigners, who weçp
U ' “ .officer.