b o o k his Hiftory of Ruflia, from the earlieft times. He has already
. v ‘ . publiihed 3 volumes in quarto, which finifh with the reign of
Demetrius Donfki, who died in 13 8 9. T h e fourth volume
was in the prefs in the year 1778 ; hut I am not certain
whether it has yet made its appearance. I have read with
great pleafure the German trariflation o f this performance,
which appears to me a moft Valuable addition to the hiftory
o f the North. The author has had accefs to the imperial
archives; he draws his information from the moft antient
-and unqueftionable fources ; is particularly exadt in quoting
his authorities ; and ranges the events in chronological feries
with great perfpicuity. An author, who, having confulted
many of the fame chronicles which are cited by this hifto-
rian, and who having given to the publick the moft complete
hiftory o f Ruflia yet extant, is no incompetent judge of
Sherebatof’s merit, thus fpeaks o f this work: “ L ’Auteur cite
“ toujours ces autorités. J’ai vérifié un grand nombre de
“ fes citations, et j ’ai reconnu par tout fon exactitude. Si le
“ premier caradtere d’un hiftorien eft l’amour de la vérité, ce
“ prince mérite de grands éloges ®.”
Although this difquifition is confined to the native writers,
y e t I cannot avoid in this place curforily mentioning Voltaire’s
Life o f Peter the Great, as it is the work from which moft
foreign nations have formed their ideas of Ruflia ; which
many French and Englifh authors have fervilely copied until
it is confidered as a ftandard book, to which we may refer
as to the moft unqueftionable authority ; and particularly as
the author informs us in the Preface : “ La cour de Peterj-
“ bourg, & c . a fa it parvenir à l'hijlorien charge de_ cet ouv-
* 44 T h e au th o r a lways cites his au th o ri-. 44 a c cu ra cy . I f th e firit ch a r a d e r o f an hif-
44 ties. I ha ve verified a grea t number o f his “ torian is the love o f tru th , the prin c e de-
44 referen ces , and ha ve always difcovered his 44 fé rve s .th e g rea teil p ra ifè .”
I “ rage
“ rage tous les document autentiques. I l n'a écrit que fu r des G^ IP’
preuves inconteftables.” . . ■
But the well-informed Ruflians, although this workidolizei
their hero Peter I. do not fcruple to confefs, that it is a very
inaccurate performance, and by no means deferving the encomium
which, according to the prevalent tafte o f the age,
is indifcriminately and unhappily beftowed upon all Voltaire’s
productions. It is a panegy rick rather than a hiftory, in
which many principal faits are omitted or difguifed ; where
every defeét in the principal character is foftened, and every
virtue exaggerated : and indeed, when we confider the caufe
for which it was compiled, and the perfon from whom the
materials were chiefly tranfmitted, we ihall the lefs wonder
at any deficiency in the execution.
The truth is, that the elegant author wrote this life by
flefire o f the emprefs Elizabeth, who conferred upon him a
coniiderable prefent for his trouble, and by whofe orders he
received the principal materials. Hence it may eafily be conjectured,
that nothing would be communicated which could
refleft the fmalleft difcredit, either upon Peter or Catharine I.
He was too partial and interefted to confult truth, and was
unwilling to infert any circumftance which might be dif-
pleafing to Elizabeth. His genius was fettered by thefe re-
ftraints ; the picture accordingly which he has drawn of Peter
I. is almoft as- devoid of animation as of refemblancé ;
and this fketch is the leaft entertaining, as well as the moft
inaccurate, o f all his hiftorical pieces.
But frequently alfo in regard to thofe events which did not
interfere with Elizabeth’s prejudices, he certainly either did.
not examine, or did not follow, fome o f the beft and moft'
authentick materials which had been fent from Peterfburgh *.
Bufching has pu b liihed in th e third-volume o f his HiftoHcal M a g a z in e : “ M e -
C c 2- . From'