i-4' T R A V E L S I N T O R U S ‘S I A.
b o o k jefty, while the ceremonial part was left to the emprefs, he
mounted guard as colonel, and faluted her with his pike. Under
all thefe circumftances, the dignity o f her deportment
was fo itriking, that it was impoffible-not to contraft her.behaviour
with the trifling levity o f her huiband’s conduit;
and to give the preference where it was fo evidently due.
Thus this infatuated prince, at the very time he was fully
determined to divorce and impriion • his wife, imprudently
difplayed to his fubjedts her Capacity for empire ; and, while
he proclaimed her forfeiture o f his own efteem, adopted
every method to fecure to her that o f the whole nation.
Meanwhile the: breach between them was continually widened
: he would occafionally behave to her with the moil:
brutal contumely ; and once in particular, at’ an entertain-
tment he gave in honour o f the king o f Pruffia, he publickly
affronted her to fuch a degree, that ihe burft into tears, and
retired from table. Thus hisinfults, no lefs than his deference,
equally attracted odium to himfelf, and popularity to
‘.Catharine. ,
It is alfo a well-known fadt, that he more than once
.avowed an intention o f arrefting both her and the .great-
duke, whom he propofed to exclude from the fuccefflon,
•and o f marrying Elizabeth countefs o f Voronzof, his
favourite miftrefs. This alarming meafure was fcarcely
adopted before it was immediately conveyed to Catharine,
through th e imprudence o f the countefs. By the fame,
- or other‘means, as well as by the indifcretion o f Peter him-
felfj'the emprefs obtained early intelligence o f every refold-
vtion formed againft her perfon. She was thus enabled to
feize thedecifive moment o f enterprize ; and to fecure her
fafety by preventing the defigns o f herhufband.
Indeed
r- e v o l u t i o n 0 f m DCC LXII. is
Indeed her danger became every day more and more CH£P*
imminent, and the moment o f her being arrefted feemed
at hand. A brick houfe, confifting o f eleven rooms, had
been conftruded by the emperor’s order in the fortrefs
o f Schuflelburgh *, for a perfon o f very confiderable confe-
quence j and had been railed with fuch expedition, as to be
almoit finiihed within the ihort fpace o f . fix weeks.- Petar-
had been himfelf at SchlufTelburgh to examine i t ; and no
great depth o f penetration was-reqpifite to perceive that it
was conftr-u&ed for the emprefsv. In this important crifis a
meeting o f her party was held at Peteriburgh. This.party
was extremely fmall, and,, excepting the princefifD’A ihko f
and her particular adherents,, confifted only o f - a few
among the principal nobility.. T h e m oft’confpicuous o f
thefe were prince Volkoniki, count Panin, governor o f the
great-duke,, and count Rofomouiki Hetman o f the Ukraine.
In the firft confultations for dethroning Peter III. it was propofed,
according to the plan-of. chancellor Beftuchef, to declare
the great-duke emperor, and Catharine regent during
his minority and this would have been the meafure naturally
followed in any country, .wherein the order o f fuccef-
fion was more fixed than in Ruffia. Nor was it but a few
days before the revolution,, that the inconvenience attending
a minority, joined to the popularity and abilities o f the emprefs,
induced the infurgents to adopt the refolution o f
placing her upon the throne. At thefe meetings various
plans o f an iniurrection were propofed ; but it was at length
unanimouily agreed to delay their attempt until Peter’s
departure for Holftein, when Catharine might feize the
capital during his abfence, and afcend the-.throne.
{ * See the d e ic r ip tion o f th is b u ild in g in V o l . I . p . 546.
6 Although