BooK majeilkk form and expreffive features, of an excellent and
»— »— 'improved uuderllanding, and of irreproachable morals.
While llie was vei’y young, count Apraxin, a Ruffian nobleman,
paid his addreffes to her, but was rejected with fcorn.
Not daunted, however, with this repulfe, he continued his
courtihip, and, finding her one day alone, he threw liimfelf
at her feet, offered his fword, and entreated her to put an
end to his life and milery. “ Give it me,” faid the princefs,
ftretching out her hand, “ you fhall fee that the daughter
“ of your emperor has ilrength and fpirit lufficient to rid
“ herielf of a wretch who inlults her.”- The count, appre-
henfive that ihe might execute her threat, withdrew the
fword, and demanded inftant pardon ; and, as the princefs
told the ftory with great humour, became the derifion of the
court * .
Anne efpoufed, in 17 2 5 , Charles Frederick duke of Hol-
ftein-Gottorp, to whom ihe had been long betrothed. Bred
up with the expectation of two crowns f , ihe was difappointed
“ inimitable an fard ; les yens, d’une cou- the Houfe o f V a fa, and the chapter on the
44 leur indécife et d ’mrfeu éblonifant. Bref, death o f Charles XII. both in the next vo-
“ de pied en cap l ’envie n’y pouvoit trou- lume.
** ver ancon défaut. Ave c cela un juge- As to her expectations o f the Ruffian
44 ment pénétrant, une vraie candeur et crown, Baffevitz, her hufband’ s minifter,
44 bonté de caraâére, libérale, et magni- pofitively afferts, that Peter I. had formed
“ fiqne, très bien inüruite, parlant élégam- the refolution o f railing her to the throne.
44 ment fa langue maternelle, le Francois, 44 C ’ étoit dans les mains de cette princefle,
44 l ’Allemand, l’Italien et le Suédois.” Baffe- “ que Pierre le Grand fouhaitoit d evoir
witz in Bu£ Hif= Mag. IX. p. 370, 3 71. 44 paffer fon fceptre.” Buf. Hif. Mag. IX .
* Baâêwitz, p . 371. p. 371.
■f Thais o f Sweden and Rnffia ; the A fhort time before his lait .illnefs he ex-
fonner by marriage, and the latter by her plained to her and the duke o f Holftein the
fatber*s nomination. fyftem he had purfued during his.reign, and
With refpecr to the former, her huiband, inftrufted them in the details o f govern*
the only fon o f Hedwige eldeft filler o f ment.- While he lay upon his death-bed,
Charles XH. was, upon that monarch’s having recovered his underftanding by a
death, the undoubted heir o f theüwedifh momentary intermiffion o f the delirium ( f e e
crown, but was fet afide by the Swedes, Chapter V l l l . on Catharine I .) , he called
who preferred 13 bric a Eleonora Charles’ s for Anne to diftate his laft fentiments, but
yoaagefi filler. See Genralogical Table o f upon her arrival he relapfed into his former
ftate
pointed of both; nominated by her mother Catharine I, one CHAP*
of the council of regency during the minority of Peter II.; ■ V' ■
excluded from that council after having only once taken her
feat, by the defpotifm of prince Menzikof, whom ihe herfelf
had promoted with all her influence; driven from Ruffia
by the mandate of that arrogant minifter, Ihe retired with,
her liuiband to Kiel, where ihe died in 1728, in the 22d year
of her age, and leaving one fon, the unfortunate Peter III.
Her coufin the emprefs Anne*, fecond daughter o f
Ivan Alexievitch, lies interred in the fame cathedral.
She w,as widow of the duke of Courland ; and refided
at Mittau when ihe was unexpectedly called to takeilate
o f infenTibility. Ibid. p. 372.
It alfo appears, from the following extraits
from Sir Luke Schaube’s papers, in the
pofleffion o f the Earl o f Hardwicke, that
Peter had even taken fome fteps towards
fettling the crown upon his daughter Anne.
44 Le Cardinal [Dubois] ne paroit guere
t l touché de il’injuitjce qui feroit faite au
44 fils du czarowitz ; et il dit, que fi le czar
4 4 réglerait la fuccejjion en faveur de fa fille, il
** faudroit bien que ceux qui voudroient fe
44 lier avec lui de fon vivant,' promiflent de
44 la maintenir après fa mort, après laquelle
44 toutefois .il arriveroit vrayfemblablement
44 de cette difpofitiôn comme fi elle n’avoit
M jamais exifle.” E xtra it o f a letter from
Sir Luke Schaube to Lord Carteret, dated
Paris Jan. 20, 1722.
44 Ce que les minières Mofcovites difoi-
44 ent au Monf. de Campredon que le czar
44 voulue fe procurer une garantie pour la
“ fuccejjion à f i s états de la maniéré qu'il Je
“ fropofi de l'établir, paroit fort fingulier, &c.
44 Par rapport a Texelufion de f in petit-fils en
44 faveur de fa fille, fans marquer en même
44 temps à quel prince il la deitine.” Extrait
from a Letter o f Lord Carteret to the
Cardinal du Bols, dated Jan. 1721 - 2.
T h e decree which he ifiued in February
1722, feemcd a prelu.de to this appointment,.
which was probably prevented by the fed*
dennefs o f his death.
Catharine L was no leis inclined to appoint
Anne her fucceffor, and a ftrong:
party was formed in her favour; but that
emprefs was prevented from following her
inclinations in this inftance by the fhort-
nels of her reign, and the danger o f ez -
•cluding Peter Alexievitch, who, as th e
grandfon o f Peter the Great, was fupported.
by a ft ill more po werful party.
* 44 The czarina is about my height,
44 but a very large made woman, very well
44 fhaped for her fize, and eafy and grace -
44 ful in her perfon. She has a brown com -
44 plexion, black hair, dark and blue eyes -
fhe has an awfulneis in her countenance-
44 that flrikes you at firft fight; but when ihe
44 fpeaks, fhe has a fmile about her mouth,
44 that is inexpreffibly fweet. She talks a
44 good deal to every body, and has fuchaa.
“ affability in her addrefs, that you feem.
“ talking to an equal; and yet fhe does
44 not, for one moment, drop the dignity:
44 o f a fovereign. She feems to have great
44 humanity; and is, I think, what one
44 would call a fine agreeable woman were
44 fhe a private perfon.” Letters by a Lady
from Ruffia,
pofleiSoEt