botik Jtjjjj with'pens and paper, the count, in order to prevent any
i— „— > difcovery, was obliged to deftroy all his writings, the ainufé-
ment and labours o f fo many years.
He had always fupported hirnfelf with the expectation of
'recovering his liberty at the acceffion o f .Peter HI. ; but he
was no fooner informed o f that event, than, with the a g i tation
natural to a perfon in his fiate, he began tô dread that
his expectation Was ill-founded. ' He fniFered during feveral
■weeks the molt alarming anxiety, perpetually fluctuated
between hope and fear; and Was often heard tô declare,
that thefe few weeks appeared to him mudi longer than
all the former years o f his confinement. At length, on
the morning o f the n t h of February, 1762, the long èx-
peCted meffenger arrived from Peteriburgh with the order
for his releafe. Munich, Who happened to be erigfcgëd in
■his prayers, did not perceive him ; and his wife made figris
to the meffenger not to diftufb him. Ùpóri being informed
o f his recall, he was fo affeCtéd as to faint aWay ; hut
fóon recovering, he fell down upbri his knees, and in the
moil fervent manner offered up his thanks for fiais change
in his iituation. On the 1 9th he departed froiii Pelim, add
arrived at Peteriburgh on thé 24th o f March, in thè fame
fheep-fkin drefs which he had Worn in his pfifon. On
the 31ft he was admitted to an audience by the èftì-
peror : Péter, after hanging round his neck thè order o f St.
Andrew, and reftoring him to his aiuient rank, Paid to him,
■“ I hope that your advanced age will ili 11 permit ÿbù to ferve
“ me.”— Since your majefty,’’ replied the ebufit âtthè: cónci
ufion of a longfpeêch, “ has raifëd me from dark nefs iittò
“ light, and retailed me from Sibèria to proftrate myfelf
■“ before your throne ; I ihall always be dibit Willing to ex-
“ pofe my life in your fervice. Neither a long baniiliment
“ from
a from the throne o f majeily,.nor the climate o f Siberia, CIIIJAP-
“ have been able to damp, in the fmalleft degree, that fire»— .— >
“ which formerly ihone with fuch lultre for the intereils o f
“ the Ruffian empire, and the glory o f its fovereign.”
M u n i c h e n jo y e d t h e f a v o u r a n d p r p t e C l io n o f P e t e r I I I ,
a n d C a t h a r in e I I . ; a n d d i e d .014 th e . 1 f r th o f Q C lo b e r * 1 7 6 5 , ,
in th e. 8 3 d y e a r b f h i s ag,e.
C H A P .