3° T R A V E L S I N T O R U S S I A .
b o o k xniles from. Peterhof, and the emprefs returned about the
- fame time to Peteriburgh, About feven die made her triumphant
entry on horfeback, amidft continued huzzas ; the
ftreets were filled with a prodigious concourfe o f people,
who were drawn up in lines, and killed her hands, which
ilie held out to them as ihe palled along. A great number
o f priefts were affembled upon this occafion about the avenues
to the palace : as ihe rode through their ranks, die Hooped
down to falute the cheeks o f the principal clergy, while they
were killing her hand, a mode o f falutation in Rullia, ex-
prellive of the higheft deference.
The firft hurry o f the revolution was no fooner paft, and
the fpirit o f revolt had fcarce time to fubfide, before many
repented of having deferted their fovereign. The populace,
always prone to change, began to pity their dethroned monarch,
and loft fight of his defedfs in the contemplation of
his calamity; they regarded him no longer in the light o f a
mifguided ruler, but only as an unfortunate prince, driven
from the height of power to the moft abjedt ftate, and fubjedt
to the horrors o f perpetual imprifonment. Peter, not-
withftanding his violence and incapacity, poflelled feveral
qualifications o f a popular nature, and was greatly beloved
by thofe who had accefs to his perfon. During the em-
prefles march to Peterhof, feveral private foldiers manifefted
ftrong fymptoms o f diftatisfadtion; fome openly murmured
at being led againft their fovereign; and it has
fince been known, that had Peter, upon the firft news o f the
revolution, made his appearance in perfon, many o f the
troops would have deferted to his ftandard. This fpirit o f
difcontent was obferved, and fecretly fomented by the partisans
o f the emperor; the tide o f popularity was even turn-
6 ing
R E V O L U T I O N O F M DCC LXH. 3i
ing in his favour, and a' new riling was hourly expedled : CxiAP.
at this crifis Peter’s deceafe reftored peace to the diftraded -—
empire, and delivered Ruffia from the impending horrors of
a civil war. .This event happened at Robfcha on the 6th
o f July, O. S. on the feventh day o f his confinement, and
in the 34th year o f his age. His body was brought to the
convent o f St. Alexander Nevfki- at Peteriburgh, and there
laid in ftate, where perfons o f all ranks were admitted, according
to the cuftom o f Ruffia, to kils the hand of the de—
ceafed. His remains were then buried in the church o f the
convent, and the place o f the fepulchre was diftinguifhed
with neither tomb nor infcription.
The death o f Peter was not followed by any o f thofe tragical
fcenes which.had'hitherto uniformly difgraced the revolutions
in Ruffia : notone o f the nobles was fent into Siberia;
there- were no- pubfick or private executions ; everr
the perfonal enemies o f the emprefs-were forgiven. Marfhal
Mtinich had given the emperor the beft advice, and had offered
to fupport him at the hazard o f his- own perfon. T h e emprefs
is faid to have mildly inquired the motives which had
incited in him-fitch an- afiive fpirit o f oppofition to her inte-
refts. “ I was at that period,” replied Munich- with a
fpirit which twenty years imprifonment could- not fubdue,
u engaged by-the ftrongeft ties o f duty and gratitude to ex-'
“ ert myfelf in behalf o f my late mafter : your majefty is:
“ now my fovereign,. and-will experience -the fame fidelity.”’
The emprefs, ftruck with the magnanimity o f his anfwer,
with equal greatnefs o f mind-repofed in him the moft'unbounded
confidence,, which was juftified by his fubfequent
condudl. As foon as the danger o f a new infurredlion was
dilpelled, Count Voronzof was releafed from prifon, and afterwards
employed. Elizabeth Voronzof experienced from
the.