The advantages offered to foreigners, added to the induce ment of an unlimited religious toleration, contributed to people those vast deserts, which, in many parts, required only cultivation, to become the sources of animal life and happiness. Twelve new colonies, comprehending more than 6000 families, were already established on the borders of the Volga. To facilitate the communication and commerce with China, endeavours were used to form a cultivated tract through the regions which separated the two empires."

The inhabitants of the newly acquired provinces having solicited to have their taxes remain on the former footing, Catherine, with a liberal policy, granted more than their request, and reduced their imposts to the half of their existing rates. Various other regulations were also established, which had for their end the security and happiness of the subject. The attention paid to the increase and improvement of the navy bespoke the design of government of advancing speedily into the first class of maritime powers. But of all the projects of Catherine, that of joining the remote and inland Caspian with the far distant Frozen ocean was the most stupendous: this plan, if ever executed, will exhibit an extraordinary instance of human industry.

Though incessantly occupied with great designs, Catherine nevertheless found time for amusements; if constant in her ambition, she was fickle in her attachments; by those who admire her as a sovereign, she cannot be defended as a woman. While she continued to lavish benefits and dignities upon Potemkin, her inclinations had already selected another object. Zavadoffsky, a young Ukrainian, was favoured in private with the smiles of the empress. At first appointed her secretary, he was shortly after openly preferred. This arrangement gave occasion at court to a singular scene. It had been the invariable custom for the discarded favourite, when superseded by a rival, to receive orders to travel, and these orders, without excepting the ferocious Orloff, had been as invariably obeyed. Potemkin only presumed to contemn them. On the day after he had received this command, with which he at first affected a compliance, he repaired to the palace, and, with great tranquillity, placed himself opposite to the empress, as she was sitting down to cards. Catherine, without appearing either

discomposed or offended by his boldness, presented him with a card from the pack, observing, at the same time, that he always played with fortune: his departure was no more spoken of; he preserved his posts, his honours, and his interest, and from the lover became the friend of the empress. If the Ukrainer possessed the art of pleasing, Potemkin knew how to render himself useful; his talents, more analogous to the genius of Catherine, uninterruptedly preserved their ascendent.

Prince Orloff, presuming too suddenly on the disgrace of his rival, hastened to Petersburgh, whence, having made his appearance and kissed the hand of his sovereign, he as hastily returned to Moscow. The courtiers were perplexed between the two favourites, to determine which was the happy lover; they could not be persuaded that Potemkin would surrender his interest in the affections of his mistress; they neglected to consider that love is with most men, after the first periods of youth, silent in the presence of ambition.

The party of Panin, whose habitual indolence had nearly degenerated into apathy, was solicitous that the grand-duke should lay claim to the throne, of which he was the rightful heir; but the moderation of Paul, and his reverence for his mother, impeded their views in his favour. Catherine was not on this subject free from inquietude, though she mistrusted the power of the prince rather than his inclinations. These fears were observed by the king of Prussia, who failed not to apply them to his own benefit. Aware of the effectual support which it was in his power to give to the duke, he used his advantage to bend the empress to his purposes. To preserve the friendship of Frederic, Catherine hesitated not to make many sacrifices.

The grand-duke had a friendship for count Razumoffsky, in whom he placed an entire confidence: the empress, acquainted with the enterprising spirit of the count, was alarmed at this intimacy, which she determined to break. With this view, she availed herself of some symptoms of intelligence which she had remarked between the count and the grand-dutchess, to infuse suspicions into the mind of Paul. But the prince, unwilling to distrust his consort or his friend, withdrew not his kindness from the latter, while to the former he recommended a more cautious behaviour. The grand-dutchess, however, whether already disposed to favour Razumoffsky, or piqued

by the restraints laid upon her, continued privately to correspond with the count. It was even believed, that, from vindictive motives, she entered into political intrigues against the empress. Whatever might have been her views, a premature death precluded their development. She expired in childbed, and the circumstances of her fate reflected some imputations on the conduct of Catherine.

The czarina, overwhelmed by this event with real or pretended grief, retired with the duke, whom a sincere affliction had seized, to Tzar-sko-selo. After the sorrow of Paul was somewhat calmed, he found, in searching among the papers of his deceased consort, letters from Razumoffsky, which he carried in wrath to his mother, whom he conjured to avenge herself upon a man who had thus dared to violate her commands. The empress yielded in part to the instances of her son; but, unwilling to punish with too much severity the son of a man to whom she was in a great degree indebted for the crown, contented herself with banishing him to Venice, under the title of her envoy-extraordinary. The count hesitated not to accept a mission, the motives of which were but too apparent. After remaining at Venice some time, he was appointed minister at Naples, where he resided when Paul, travelling into Italy, passed through the place, when the count was forbidden, on pain of death, to appear before him.

About this period (1776), prince Henry of Prussia, commissioned by his brother to confer with the empress on the affairs of Poland, made a second visit to Petersburgh. In a conversation which took place between them, respecting the obstacles which still opposed themselves in Poland to the confederate powers, the prince, in reply to some objections raised by Catherine, thus expressed himself: Madam, there is one sure method of obviating every difficulty; a method which may perhaps, on the account of Poniatoffsky, be displeasing to you. Nevertheless you would do well to approve it, since a compensation may be offered to that monarch more valuable than a tottering throne: the remainder of Poland must be partitioned.' The ambition of Catherine was gratified by the idea, and the annihilation of Poland was determined.

The death of the grand-dutchess had left the empire without a successor to Paul, a matter of too much importance to be subject to the control of punctilio and form. The obsequies

of her daughter-in-law were scarcely performed, when Catherine employed her thoughts on the selection of a new consort for her son. She informed the prince of Prussia, that, for this purpose, she had cast her eyes on his niece, the princess of Wirtemburgh Stutgard. This lady was already betrothed to the hereditary prince of Hesse-Darmstadt; but her uncle, judging the alliance with Russia to be more advantageous, scrupled not to take measures for dissolving the contract.

Frederic entered with facility into the views of his brother, regardless of the attachment which subsisted between the young people: availing himself of his ascendency over the mind of the prince, he persuaded him that his duty and reputation combined to demand of him the sacrifice of his passion Every difficulty thus removed, the grand-duke was invited to pay a visit to Berlin, that he might judge in person of the qualifications of the lady.

Satisfied with these arrangements, Catherine made preparations, with her usual magnificence, for the departure of her son. Marshal Romantzoff was recalled on this occasion from his government in the Ukraine, and appointed to attend the duke to the court of Berlin: 'It is only,' said the empress, 'to the friendship of prince Henry, and to the most illustrious supporter of my throne, that I can consent to trust my son.'

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It was to the close of summer when the duke, accompanied by prince Henry, quitted Pertersburgh: Catherine appeared much affected by their departure, and addressed to the travellers on their journey several letters. Paul received at Berlin the honours due to the heir of the Russian empire. He was presented by prince Henry to the king, who met them at the entrance of his apartment. At the conclusion of a speech studied for the occasion, the duke expressed his pleasure in having the opportunity of beholding the greatest of heroes, the admiration of the age, and the astonishment of posterity." 'Instead of which,' interrupted the king, 'you see, my prince, a hoary-headed valetudinarian, who could never have wished for a superior happiness to that of welcoming within these walls the hopeful heir of a mighty empire, the only son of my best friend, the great Catherine.' The Prussian monarch then turning towards Romantzoff, welcomed politely the conqueror. of the Ottomans.'

After half an hour's conversation with Frederic, the duke

was conducted to the presence of the queen and the assembled court, among the ladies of which he beheld the princess of Wirtemburg. Prince Henry having, in the name of the empress of Russia, demanded in form the hand of the princess, the marriage contract took place on the same day. An extraordi nary court, attended by the foreign ministers and every person of distinction, followed, when the whole company supped with the queen in great magnificence, and dined with her on the ensuing day. Feasts, entertainments, and military spectacles, succeeded. The troops of Frederic, to the delight of marshal Romantzoff, performed in their manœuvres an imitation of the battle of Kayal, when a complete victory was gained by the Russians over the Ottomans. Prince Henry afterwards accompanied the grand-duke to Rheinsburg, where he entertained him four days with scenes of festivity equally elegant and splendid. After quitting Rheinsburg, Paul took leave of the royal family, and, laden with presents, returned to Petersburgh. Thither the princess soon followed him, and, having embraced the Greek religion with the usual formalities, adopted the name of Maria Feodorovna, and gave her hand to the duke. The marriage was celebrated with solemn pomp. Twenty years after, the imperial pair ascended together the throne of Russia.

Catherine having given to her son a second consort, extended the bounds of her empire, and extinguished the flames of rebellion, might at length be expected to repose in tranquillity; but quiet was little suited to her restless and enterprising temper. Sacrificing to distinction, and thirsting for fame, when her armies had ceased to astonish Europe with their conquests, she aspired to other triumphs. Her brilliant acts of munifi cence, her encouragement of the sciences and arts, her liberalities to foreigners, and her numerous internal institutions, were re-echoed from court to court, and celebrated in every nation. The civilization and improvement of Russia, regenerated by Peter the Great, made rapid advances during the reign of Catherine: by legislation and the erection of schools she completed the plans of her great predecessor, and carried them to an extent upon principles, and in a period so near his own, which it was not possible for him to conceive. Directed VOL. IL

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