T R A V E L S I N T O ' R ü S S I A.
Upon that revolution this illuftrious couple were, as 1 have
j before obferved, fucceifively confined at Riga, Dunemund,
and Oranienbaum : from thence they were removed to Solo-
menifioi Oftrof, an ifland in the White Sea; and, finally, to
Kolmogori, a fmall town, fituated in an ifland o f the Dvina,
about 40 mifes from Archangel. Au.ne had four children
by her huiband during their joint imprifonment; and ihe
died in child-bed at Kolmogori, in March, 174 6. Her body,
was brought to Pqteriburgh, and buried in the church o f the
convent o f St. Alexander N.evlki.
Manitein ¥ has well drawn the weak, capricious, and inde-
cifive character o f the regent A n n e ; who, with a moderate
degree o f firmnefs and prudence, might eafily have defeated
* “ She was e x tremely capric ious , paf-
£* fionate, and indolent ; h a tin g affairs, and
“ ir re fo lu te in trifles , as w ell as in affairs o f
“ th e g re a te ft imp ortan ce. D u r in g the
y e a r o f he r reg en c y Ihe gove rned w ith a
“ g re a t deal o.f mildn efs . She loved to do
“ g o o d , b.ut d id n o t k n ow how to do it p ro -
“ p e r ly . H e r fa vou r ite , Juliana de M a n g - ,
•“ den, poiTefled h e r w h o le confidence, and
-“ go ve rn ed he r man ner o f life ju ft as ilie
“ pleaied . -Her minifters and th e men o f
pa rts, w ere h a rd ly liflened to. In ih or t,
“ ih e had none o f th e qua lities f it fo r go,-
“ ve rn in g fo g re a t an empire in a time o f
tro u b le and d ifficu lty. She had always a
“ me lan ch o lick , and , ra th e r , a f re t fu l a i r ;
“ wh ich migh t p roceed h a b itu a lly from th e
“ vexa tion s ilie had fuffered from th e duke
44 o f C ou r lan d du r in g the reign o f the em- .
“ prefs A nne .' - She was handlome, had a '
“ v e ry p re t ty figure , with a. good fh ap e ';
“ and fpo ke with flu en cy iev era l lan gu a g e s .>9
M an ile in ’s Memoirs , p . 3 16 .
C o u n t M un ich fays o f h e r , “ E lle et-oit
“ naturellement faineanie et ne p a ru t j a - ’
“ mais ail c a b in e t ; et lo rfqu e je me pre-
“ fentai le matin ch e z elle ay ec c e qui etoit
“ exped ie au cab in e t, cu ce qui deinandoit
44 q u e lq u e : re fo lu iio n ,^ lle fentoit ion ih fu f-
^ jfiiance e t me ¿((ifjit lo u v cn t : J e y judrctis
44 que mon fils fu t déjà en âg e de regner
44 lui-même . E lle é to it . natu rellement
44 falop e, fe coeffoit d ’ un m ou choir b lan c ,
44 a llo it ainii à la mefle e t fans ju p e de ba*
44 leine, et paroiiToit de même en p u b lic e t
44 à fa tab le e t après midi p o u r jo u e r aux,
44 ca rte s avec un p a r t i ch oifi. n
44 E lle vivoit mal avec .le p r in c e font'
44 ép ou x, e t fit lit à p a r t , e t lo rfq u ’il v o u -
44 lo it en tre r le matin ch ez elle, il trou voit
44 ordinairement les portes fermées.— Dan s
44 la b e lle faifon e lle fit .mettre fon lit à
44 cou ch e r au b alcon d u .palais d’hiver du
“ coté de la riviere, il y ayoit cependant un
44 éc ran pou r c a ch e r c e lit , mais du fécond
44 étage des maifons voifines du palais on
44 pou voit tou t d é co u v r ir.” Ebau.cheÿ -&c,
p . 139, t i c .
44 tp the p r in c e h e r huiba^id,” fays,
Mànftein, 4,4 h e had .the b eil he a r t and
44 the b éil temper inaagjnàblç, w jth a ll the
44 intrepidity o f cou rag e th a t cou ld have
“ been wifjied in m ilita ry affairs :bu.t too
44 timid , too em b a r ra iffd , in affairs o-f ftate.
44 He had .come too y o u n g in to Ruffin,
44 where he had undergone a -thoufand
44 crofles from the duke o f G ou rlan d, who
did pot lo y e t ’lim, and who c ften tr,eaf ed
v ery h a r ih ly .” Memoirs , p. 31 y .
the
I V A N ’ S F A M I L Y . 57
the defigns o f Elizabeth: but the following anecdote, re-
corded by Bufching, will perhaps'difplay, in the ftrongeft <— J—/
light, her mild and indolent charailer. During her confinement
in the fortrefs o f Riga, the prince o f Brunfwick frequently
blamed her for having difregarded the information
ihe daily received concerning the attempts o f the oppofite
pa rty : one day in particular he vehemently reproached her
for rejecting his advice to arreft Elizabeth ; adding, that, had
that advice been followed, ihe and her family would not have
been involved in their prefent misfortunes. “ It may be fo,”
returned the princefs with great indifference, “ but I ihall
“ never repent o f my conduit; and it is better as it is, than
“ to have preserved our fovereignty by ihedding a deluge o f
ie blood
Befide Ivan, Ihe left four children, two fons and as many
daughters, who were confined with their father in the mo-
naftery o f Kolmogori, a place ftrong in itfelf, and, for greater
fecurity, furrounded with palifadoes. T h e archbifhop and
monks were removed to fome houfes in the village. The
monaftery is near the church to which the inhabitants retort.
No centinels appeared on the outfide; but within
guard was mounted by ioldiers, not in uniforms, but dreffed
like common peafants; fo that no perfon, who had not
been previoufly informed o f the fait, would have fufpeited
that ftate-prifoners o f any corifequence had been there confined.
An Englilh gentleman who paffed a few years1
ago through Kolmogori, in his way to Archangel, went
frequently to the church, in order, i f it were poflible, to obtain
a fight o f thefe illuftrious ;perfons; hut they were fo
clofely confined, that he never fucceeded in his attempts to
* Bu f. H if. M a g . v o l. X. p . 32. .B u fch in g had th is an e cd ote from a favou rite maid
o f h on ou r who attended .the regent in h e r confinement.
Vol. II. . 1 - fee