b o o k b y which he ftudiecl practical fortification. Pleafed with this -
¿X_^firft effay, he caufed a larger and more regiflar fortrefs to be
conftrudted near the palace: within was-a brick houfe for
himfelf, called the governor’s houfe, wooden habitations for
the principal officers, and barracks capable o f containing
1500 foldiers. Every thing wore a martial appearance : the
hours o f morning and evening parade were marked by the-
firing o f cannon ; a regular guard was ftationed ; the troops
were dreffed in the German uniform, and, taught, under his
infpedtion the Pruffian difcipline. This houfe in the for-
trefs was the principal fcene of his convivial entertainments;
there, when he was not employed in exercifing his troops,
or in iffuing his military orders, he amufed himfelf in drinking
and fmoking with the officers; and he generally puihed
the pleafures o f the table to an excefs of intoxication.
Mean while, impatient of the eonftraint under which he
was kept by the fufpicious Elizabeth, he occafionally broke
out into open and bitter tnvedtives: he was often heard to
fay, that he had been called into Ruffia in order to be confined
like a ftate prifoner, frequently expreffed a defire to
return into Holftein, and founded his only hopes o f comfort
on the deatfy o f Elizabeth. Thele expreffions, always carried
to the emprefs, and either wantonly exaggerated, or malignantly
interpreted, made fuch an impreffion on that princefs,
who became more and more fufpicious as fhe advanced in
vears, that fhe was once nearly prevailed upon, by the chancellor
Beftuchef, to exclude him from the fucceffion, and
to declare his fon Paul her heir, and Catharine regent, in
cafe of a minority. Beftuchef reprefented to the emprefs»
that Peter had by his condudt proved himfelf unworthy of
the crow n; that he openly expreffed the utmoft contempt
fo r the Ruffian nation, and placed his whole confidence in
foreigners; that he was guilty of the bafeft ingratitude, t o - -
h e r ; and that ihe woiild confer a ilgnal f^rvice upon her
fubjecfts, by excluding a perfon fo difqualified for diredting
the reins o f empire.. Elizabeth, won oyer by thefe arguments,
and alarmed by the apprehenfions o f a confpiracy
faid to be forming againft her perfon, almoft eonfented to
the propofal; but, upon more ferious reflection, fhe perfe-
vered in her former appointment o f Peter, and Beftuchef*
was difgraced. Such was the fituation o f the court, when
Elizabeth died on the 25th o f December, 1 7 6 1 .
Upon this event, Peter III. affumed the reins o f government,
with all the joy o f a perfon enlarged from a long
imprifonment into a ftate o f the moft perfeCt liberty.
He immediately releafed the principal ftate-prifoners who
had been confined by Elizabeth: among thefe were Biren
duke o f Courland f, marfhal Munich J, and Leftof § ; and in
all ftate affairs he conducted himfelf upon political principles
diametrically oppofite to thofe of the late emprefs.
Elizabeth, at the time o f her deceafe, was, in conjunction
w i t h the courts o f Vienna and Paris, engaged in a war with
» O f a ll th e p r in c ip a l nobles difg ra ced re g en t in his f le a d . H e was £ r f t con fin ed
b y E liz a b e th , B e f t u c h e f w as th e on ly one at S ch lu fie lb u rgh ; and afte rw a rd s , a t th e
who was not reca lled to co u r t b y P e te r III. acceflion o f E liz a b e th , f e n t to Y a ro fla t ,
A ftr.ong p ro o f o f his in tr igu es againft th at from whence h e was reca lled b y P e te r I I I .
p r in c e / 'w h o , w ith a ll his w e a k n e fs , was o f H e was fe fto red to th e d u ch y o f C o u r la n d
a temper ex ce ed in g ly humane and fo rg iv in g , h v C a th a r in e II. and died a t Mittau.^ -
H e was re c a lle d a't the. acceflion o f C a th a - J F o r an ac count o f marfltal M u n ich fee
iiiite., : , 1 - • 1 . th e n e x t ch ap te r .
f Biren w a s a native o f C o u r la n d , th e § L e f to f was a /u rg e o n ; b y b i r t h a G e r -
fa v ou r ite and p r ime -min ifter o f th e emprefs man : lie was favou r ite to E liz a b e th , and
A n t ie ; e lec ted, a t h e r recommend ation, affifted h e r in, plan n in g th e revo lu tion or
d u k e o f C o u r lan d . A t h e r ;d e ath , in 174 0 , 1 7 4 2 * B u t th a t u n g ra te fu l princefs fo r g o t
K h e became regent' du r in g th e min o r ity o f th is' fa v o u r ; an d , b ecau fe L e f to f g rew
' th e y o u n g emp eror Iv an . T h e fame y e a r ' Haughty and im p e r tin en t, ih e baniftied an d
h e was a rfefted b y maVihal M u n ich ; and detaihed him in prifon u n til ihe died.
A n n e , mother o f the em p ero r , pro cla imed
• the