b o o k , Ring o f Pruffia, which promifed a fpeedy and glorious-
•— „— 'termination. Frederick’s refources were nearly exhaufted
and, notwithftanding the vigorous and fuccefsful oppolition
he had hitherto maintained, he feemed on the point of being-
overwhelmed by the number and perfeverance o f his enemies.
But Peter had no fooner afcended the throne, than,
iacrificing every other confideration to his extravagant enthu-
fiafm for thechara&erof thePruffian monarch,.he difpatched:
an envoy to Berlin, in order to propofe an immediate reconciliation.
Frederick acceded to the propofal without delay :
and a fufpenfion o f hoftilities was foen concluded, Peter
recalled his foldiers from the Auftrian army : and in a ihort
interval lent a reinforcement o f 20,000 men to his favourite
hero. Thus, within the fpace only o f a few months,.
Ruffian troops joined the Pruffian army, in order to drive
from Silefia thofe very Auftrians, who not long before had.
been brought into that province by the Ruffian arms.
Having gratified his inclination in this treaty without con-
fulting his allies,, or the interefts and honour o f his- empire,
he aimed at recovering his paternal inheritance the duchy
o f Slefvick; and was determined to involve his fubjedts in
an expenfive war with the king o f Denmark, on.account o f
claims confidered by many as ill-founded and chimerical.
Peter, as duke o f Holftein, formed pretenfions to that duchy,
although it had been ceded by a treaty in 17 32 : and he
had no fooner concluded the peace with the king o f Pruffia,
than he ordered an army to march into Holftein, which he
propofed to command in perfon.
With refpedt to the interior adminiftration o f affairs, the:
emperor turned his attention to reform his kingdom I and
envy muft allow, that, notwithftanding the precipitancy and
imprudence
imprudence with which he adted, Ruffia dates feveral ufeful CHA-P-
and important alterations from his fhort adminiftration. Pe- ^— >
ter annulled the fecret council or inquifition * o f flate ; abo-
liffied many prerogatives which were oppreffive and tyrannical
: he formed a plan for corredting the abufes in the courts
o f judicature, and for introducing a regular and lefs corrupt
fyftem of jurifprudence. He freed the nobles from the obligation
they were under o f ferving in the army, and permitted
them to travel into foreign countries, which before-
depended upon the arbitrary will o f the fovereign.
T h e emperor, during the firft fix weeks o f his reign, pro-
pofed fo many beneficial regulations, and made fo many
judicious'reflections upon them, that many perfons, who
had formed a mean idea o f his capacity, conceived them-
felves miftaken; and imagined, that, during the reign o f
Elizabeth,, he had, from'motives o f policy, afiedted a deficiency
o f underftanding. His fubfequent conduCt, however,
fully proved, that he was ftill the fame weak and imprudent
prince; that he had juft fenfe enough to adopt the fchemes
fuggefted by others, but did not poflefs abilities fufficient to
carry them into execution; that he had all the rage o f
reformation, without the judgement necelfary to a reformer.
V*
The falutary regulations mentioned above, were accompanied,
with others that were trifling, fome that were detrimental,
and feveral, which although in themfelves ufeful
and proper, were very imprudently propofed in the com-
T h is -ftate in qu ifition was invented b y -manner. T h e r e w a s a c a tc h 'w o rd— Slovo
Aiexfcy M ich a e lo v ite h : it e o n jilted . o f .a fe - I de lo , •“ I fa y the w o rd j ” w h ich i f an y
c re t committee o f confidential p er fon s, ap - one o n ly pronounced aga in# another was
p o in ted to ju d g e criminals fufpe&ed- o f h igh fuffic ien t caufe for th e la t te r ’s b ein g im -
t re afon. Perfons o f a ll rank s and fexes w e re med iately ap prehen ded , and fen t to the fe»
liab le to be arreited u pon th e flightfeft fu f - e re t committee ,
p ic ions, and to r tu re d in the molt dreadful
Vol. II. C mencemer