b o o k alarmed the fears o f the emperor, and objected to every vl-
. vm' , gorous meafure as inadmiffible and dangerous. Under thefe
circumftances the emperor, perplexed by fuch difcordant or
treacherous advice, was foftened into cowardice by the tears
o f the women, and remained the whole day in a ftate nearly
bordering on diftradtion.
Every moment brought him freih caufe o f terror and
difmay. He was fucceffively informed that the emprefs had
received the oath o f allegiance from perfons o f all ranks ;
that ihe was miftrefs o f the capital, and was advancing towards
him at the head o f 10,000 troops. Peter, diiheart-
ened by this intelligence, difpatched repeated meffengers to
his confort, with propofals o f accommodation; and, as not
one o f them came back, he at length determined to take refuge
in Cronftadt * ; a meafure, which, i f he had earlier
embraced, might probably have given a favourable turn to
his affairs.
Soon after his firft arrival atPeterhof,hehad difpatched general
Lievers and prince Baratiniki to Cronftadt, to reconnoitre
the place: general Lievers was admitted without difficulty ;
and prince Baratiniki returned to Peterhof with the account
that no news o f the revolution had reached Cronftadt; that
general Lievers was preparing for his immediate reception;
that his majefty would find there an afylum, where the
emprefles troops could not penetrate ; and from whence he
might, in cafe o f extreme neceffity, efcape by fea to his
dominions in Holftein. In confequence o f this reprefenta-
tion, the emperor ordered the Holftein troops, who were
upon their march to Peterhof, to return to Oranienbaum ;
» A town noon a fm a ll ifland in th e R a tion ed. See its defc ription in th e ch ap -
G o l f o f F in lan d , w h e re th e Ruffian n avy is te r on th e Ruffian navy.
i but,
but, by an unaccountable fatality, he pro trailed his depar- CHA”
ture till midnight. Upon his arrival at the harbour, to his>— v—
inexpreflible furprize and aftoniffiment, the imperial yatcht
at firft was refufed admittance by the centinels, who objected
to the latenefs o f the hour; and, when it was reprefented to
them that the emperor was on board, they ftill periifted in
their refufal, and threatened to fire from the batteries i f the
veflel did not inftantly retire.
This reception, fo different from what he had expected,
was occafioned by the following remarkable circumftances.
General Lievers, upon his arrival at Cronftadt, took the
command o f the fortrefs ; but, perceiving that the garrifon
had no knowledge o f the revolution, was unwilling to give
any alarm, by fpreading the report; and, as he ffiortly expected
the emperor, thought it more advifeable to wait for
his appearance before he made any attempts to fecure the
fidelity o f the garrifon, or iffued any orders hoftile to the
party o f the emprefs. During this interval, admiral Talicin
came to Cronftadt: he had been difpatched from Peterf-
burgh by the emprefs, who had forgotten, in the firft hurry
o f the revolution, to fecure that important fortrefs; and was
now fent, i f it fhould not prove too late *, for that purpofe.
He Was admitted into the place without oppofition : icon
perceiving the fituation o f affairs, he inftantly commanded
the arreft o f general Lievers, which was as inftantly obeyed;
* C o n fid e r in g th e g re a t im p or tan c e o f
"Cronftadt, th e n e g le f t o f fe cu r in g it feems
h a rd ly cred ib le ; hu t I was in fo rm ed from
v e r y good a u th o r ity , th a t fo la t e as ten in
th e môrn in g n o ftep h a d been taken a t P e t
e r (burgh towards g e t t in g pofleflion o f th a t
fo r t re fs . A b o u t th a t time a p r iv ate perfon
mentioned it b y ch an ce to one o f th e p r in cipal
infurgents, w h o , w ith o u t d e la y , a c q
u a in te d th e emprefs. T h e la t te r , confcious
V ol. II. E
o f its g re a t im p or tan c e, im mediate ly d ifp
a tch ed adm ira l T a lic in - I t Graft h a ve been
p a ft eleven b efo re h e cou ld have fet oft from
P e te r lb u rg h : an d , as h e w en t b y w a te r , th e
diftance b e in g tw e n ty miles , i t muft have
b een paft three b e fo re h e arr ived a t C r o n ftad
t. T h e diftance from P e t e rh o f to th e
fame p la c e b e in g on ly fix m ile s , th e emper
o r m igh t have arrived th e re lo n g b e fo re
T a lic in ,
the
11
s.