b o o k raifeil to the throne b y the guards, in the fame manner as the
, Roman emperors b y the praetorian cohorts, without either the
appointment of the people or o f ‘ the legions*.
The reign of Catharine may be coniidered as the reign of
Menzikof : that emprefs having neither inclination nor abilities
to direit the helm of government; and Are placed the
mott implicit confidence-ill a mairwho had been the original
author of her good fortune, and the foie inftrument of her
elevation to the throne.
During her ihort-reign her life was very irregular: fhe
was extremely averfe to bufinefs ; would frequently, when
the weather was -fine, pafs whole nights in the open air;
and was particularly intemperate in the ufe of tokay-wine,
in which (he often indulged herfelf to excefs t. Thefe irregularities,
joined to a cancer and a dropfy, haftened her
end ; and the expired on the 17th of May, 172,7, a little
more than two years after her acceffion to the throne, and in
about the 39th year of her age.
who afliited prince Menzikof in tfhis revolu- But we have already feen, from the an-
Vida, and certainly muft deferve credit as far thority o f Baflewitzj that many o f . the no-
..as he chofe to dUcover the fecret- cabals, bles, & c; repaired to the palace ¿in Q#pofi-
J‘Some aufhors relate this event fomewhat tion to prince Menzikof; that general B ut-
-difierently^ but this .-difference is ealily re- turlin had high words with prince Repnin
conciled, and the main fads continue the and the oppofite party-.; -thatj>rince Men-
1*ame. Bufch'ng aiTerts, as he was informed .zikof -s prefenoe utte-iiy difeoncerted them;
by count Munich, that ^eter was.no iopner and it„i6 .probable that both panqevMenzi-
dead, than the fenate and nobles afiembled k o f and Butturlin might have threatened
the palace unknown to5prince Menzikof. the nobles* which Baflewitz might not chufe
T h e latter, being informed o f the meet- t o „record, as .he was willing to make ihe
in», repaired to the palace, and was ;re- ¿nomination o f -Catharine as unanimous as
fufed admittance-; upon which he fent for poflrbie: although he fays, “ C ’eit ainli
general Butturlin, with a .company o f “ que.-jCatharine iailit le fceptre, qu’ellp
gu a rd s ; and, burning open the door <of meritoit a fiju ile titre.”
the apartment in which the meeting was -in a word, thefe three accounts are eafily
held, declared Catharine .emprefs. Buf- meconcileable to each other ; they all prove
ching, Vpl. I . . p! 1 5 ; alfo .¿Eibauche, &c. .one fait, that Menzikof, either by himfelf or
p r p . h i s agents, by bribes, prcunifes and threats.
The Auftrian envoy fays, chat general' forced the nobility to proclaim Catharine.
Butturlin threatened to.njaflacre the lenate if * • Auitrian envoy in Bufching X I .p . 502.
themembers did not acknowledgeCatharine. f Buf. I iiii. Mag. I I I .p . 192.
1 As
C A T H A R I N E I. :
As the deaths of fovereigias in defpotick countries are fel-
dom imputed to natural caufes, that of Catharine has alfo *
been attributed to pokon; as if the dilbrders which preyed
upon her frame were not fufficient to bring her to the grave.
Some aflent,. that ihe was poifoned in a glafs, of fpirituous-
liquor* others by a pear-given her by general Die ver. Suf-
piciohs alfo. .fell upon prince Menzizof,. who,. a ihort timei
before her deceafe, had a trifling mifunderftanding with her,.
and who waaaccufed of haftening her death, that he.might,
reign .with itill.more.abfolute power during theminority of
Peter II. But thefe reportsdeferve not the leaft credit, ancl-were
merely dilated b f the fpirit of party, or by-poputer rumour.
Catharine waa in k r perfon under the middle. fize, and,
in :her youth delicate and well-formed, but inclined .to corpulency
as ihe advanced in years. ;She had a fair complexion,
dark eyes, and lighrhakj.wdneh .ibe was always, a c -
cuftoiaed to die with .a. blaek. colour She could neither
read nor write + ; her daughter Elizabeth ufually figned her
name for. her,.and particularly to her laft willand teftament;
and count Qftermaa generally, put her fignature to the pub-
lick decrees and difpatches.,. Her abilities.have been greatly,
exaggerated by her panegyrifts. Gordon, vvho- had fre-
' quently feen her, fee-ms,.of all writers, to have reprefented-
her character with the- greateft ju finels, when he fays,
“ She was, a very pretty welkkiokt woman, o f good fenfe*
S®7
CHA P .
V I I .
* Bufching f.iys; “ Ibr fchwarzcs haar
“ 'w a r ' nich r n aîuerl ic h r fondera getaer b t , ”
&c. Hift. Mag. vol. III. p. 190..
û Her black hair Was r^t natural but
“ coloured. On her fir 11 rifeJthecoarfenefs
“ o f her hands proved that ilie had been.
•> ufed to hard labour, but they gradually
** grew whiter and whiter.” Thefe circum-
ibmces we may readily believe, becaufe the
lady from whom Bufching received the information
could eafily know whether. C a tharine's
hair was ' Mack, or’ her hands
coarfe, although fhe might Be deceived in •
what relates to her family.
+ Bafiewitz fays,. “ Elle n’ apprit jamais
“ à écrire. L a princefle Elizabeth figni.
“ tout pour elle, quand elle fût fur.le trône
. “ même fon..teilament.” P : 295.
The A u ilrian .minifier fays, count Oiler*,
man ufed to fign her name. to aU the d i s patches
». BniV.XI. p. 481. -
u but:.
II