BOOK -could not brook retiring into Courland. He accordingly pre-
X I '
- - ■ vailed upon the emprefs, on her death-bed, to appoint her great
nephew, prince Ivan, her fucceffor, and himfelf regent, until
the prince had attained the age of feventeen ; and he managed
this whole tranfaftion with fo much art, that he feemed only to
accept the regency at the earneft requeft and recommendation of
Marlhal Munich, the Chancellor Ofterman, and the principal
Ruffian nobility, as it were for the good of the -empire, and not
to fatisfy his own ambition.
Having thus fecured the regency, to the exclulion of Anne,
the mother of the young emperor, the firft aft of his power in
that capacity, was to obtain for himfelf a clear revenue of
500,000 * roubles per annum, and the title of Imperial High-
nefs.
But the power which he had thus acquired by intrigue, he
attempted to fecure by repeated afts of arrogance, perfecution,
and cruelty. Piquets were placed in the ilreets to prevent commotions.
The numerous Ipies which he entertained brought
him vague accounts of contemptuous expreffions, and ill-formed
plots. Such numbers were arreited, that fcarcely a day palled
in which perfons fufpefted were not imprifoned and tortured in
order to force confeffion. But inftead o f difarming the envy and
jealoufy of the natives, who were difaffefted at being governed
by a foreigner, he increafed his own unpopularity by the haugh-
• j£ . 100,000, according to the value o f a rouble o f that period.
tinefs
tinefs of his demeanour, and treated even the parents of his c H A p.
fovereign with the moll extreme brutality. ■ „■
It was natural that prince Anthony Ulric and the princefs
Anne, the father and mother of the infant emperor, Ihould be
difaffefted at being fet alide, and a foreigner preferred to the regency
j and Anthony Ulric, who was a prince of great fpirit,
even exprefled his difapprobation in the ftrongell: terms to the
regent himfelf.
The duke of Courland, fufpefting that the prince was forming cabals
again!! his government, called on him early one morning unex-
peftedly, and without being announced 51 your highnefs,” he faid,
“ does not deal fairly with me j for you promifed to inform me if
any difaffefted perfons caballed again ft me, and you now know what
intrigues are carrying on againft me.” “ I know not,” replied the
prince, that any thing is now in agitation which will be detrimental
to the emperor and the country." “ I will take care,”
returned Biron, “ to place this empire in fuch a fltuation, as no
other perfon is capable' of doing; for I am neither deficient in
knowledge or in power.” “ The nobles mull affift you,” faid
the prince, “ and you mull all be accountable to the emperor.”
“ Am I not regent,” replied Biron, jg with abfolute authority ?
•Such affertions, fir, may occalion great commotions; and your
highnefs muft know, that whenever faftions arife, the emperor and
the country are in danger; and what muft be the inevitable con-
fequence, if you and I ihould be at variance ?” “ A maffacre !”
Vox.. IIL P p returned