# An Account of the Dispute between Russia, Sweden & Denmark, and Great Britain/Chapter 1

AN ACCOUNT
OF THE
DISPUTE
BETWEEN
RUSSIA, SWEDEN & DENMARK,
AND
GREAT BRITAIN.
Character and anecdotes of the Emperor Paul I. of Ruſſia.
IN order to explain the reaſons that could actuate the Northern Powers to league ⟨themſelves⟩ at this juncture againſt Great Britain, and ſet aside and violate Treaties ſolemnly ratified; or ⟨before⟩ we ſtate what the right of ſearching Neutral Veſſels is grounded on; how neceſſary it is for every ⟨nation⟩, but particularly Britain to adhere to it, and what engagements really were broken by theſe powers, ⟨it⟩ will he neceſſary to give a ſketch of the hiſtory of ⟨the⟩ Emperor Paul I. of Ruſſia.
One of the greateſt crimes charged againſt ⟨Catharine⟩ was her conduct to Paul, in whoſe right ſhe ⟨governed⟩ Ruſſia thirty-five years. In his infancy, he ⟨ſeemed⟩ poſſeſſed of ſenſe, activity, a diſpoſition for the ⟨ſciences⟩, and ſentiments of order and justice; but all ⟨theſe⟩ periſhed for want of cultivation.—She could not ⟨bear⟩ him, kept him at a diſtance, ſurrounded him with ⟨ſpies⟩, held him in reſtraint, expoſed him to every kind ⟨of⟩ humiliation ; and while her favourites, inferior to ⟨her⟩ ſon in years, governed Ruſſia, and wallowed in ⟨wealth⟩, he was living retired, inſignificant, and in ⟨want⟩ of neceſſaries. Thus ſhe ſoured his temper, and ⟨rendered⟩ him capricious and miſtruſtful, ſavage and ⟨cruel⟩. Not ſatiſfied with depriving him of the ​affection and prerogatives he ought to have enjoyed as a ⟨ſon⟩ ſhe reſolved to take from him likewiſe the rights ⟨and⟩ pleaſures of a father. His wife came almoſt ⟨every⟩ year to lie in at Tzarſko-ſelo, and left her ⟨children⟩ there in the hands of ſtranger. They were ⟨brought⟩ up under Catherine; neither father nor mother ⟨having⟩ the leaſt concern in their education, or ⟨authority⟩ over their conduct. Thus ſhe ſtrove to wean ⟨the⟩ hearts of theſe children from parents they ⟨ſcarcely⟩ knew.
It was generally ſupposed that Catherine ⟨intended⟩ to proclaim Alexander, the preſent emperor, heir to ⟨the⟩ crown, but death took her by ſurprise, and a ⟨horrid⟩ ſhriek which ſhe gave as ſhe expired, was the ⟨dreaded⟩ ſound to proclaim Paul emperor of all the Ruſſias.
Some favourable regulations made by Paul on ⟨aſcending⟩ the throne tended to raiſe a confidence in ⟨the⟩ public, which was ſoon done away by the ⟨childiſh⟩ whimſical, and impolitic conduct he pursued. ⟨The⟩ numerous anecdotes which his conduct has given (illegible text) to, ſhew him to have been impetuous and ⟨cowardly.⟩ It would be cruel now to enlarge on theſe, let the ⟨following⟩ ſuffice as a ſpecimen.
Paul had taken a ſingular averſion at round ⟨hats⟩ and iſſued an order to take them away, or tear ⟨them⟩ from the heads of those who wore them. This ⟨occaſioned⟩ ſome ſcandalous ſcenes in the ſtreets, and ⟨particularly⟩ near the palace. The ſoldiers of the po(illegible text) ran up to the paſſengers ſnatched off their hats, ⟨and⟩ beat thoſe who not knowing the reaſon attempted ⟨to⟩ defend themſelves. An Engliſh merchant go(illegible text) through the ſtreet in a ſledge, was thus ſtopped, ⟨and⟩ his hat ſnatched off; ſupposing it a robbery, he ⟨leapt⟩ out of his ſledge, knocked down the ſoldier and ⟨called⟩ the guard. Inſtead of the guard, arrived an ⟨officer⟩ who overpowered and bound him, but as they ⟨were⟩ proceeding to the police he was fortunate enough ⟨to⟩ meet the coach of the Engliſh miniſter, who was (illegible text)ing to court, and claimed his protection.
Charles Whitworth, made his complaint to the ⟨⟩ ​Emperor, who, conjecturing that a round hat might be the national dreſs of the Engliſh, ſaid, that his order had been miſconceived, and next day it was publiſhed in the ſtreets and houſes, that ſtrangers who were not in the emperor’s ſervice, or naturalized, were not comprized in the prohibition.
Another regulation, requiring German harneſſing to be used for horſes, occaſioned ſuch disguſt that the officers came to the parade on foot. One day an officer walking in the ſtreets in a large peliſſe, gave his ſword to his ſervant, intending to put it on, and take off his peliſſe when he came near the palace.—Unfortunately before this took place, the emperor met him, and in conſequence he was reduced to the ranks, and his ſervant made an officer in his place.
One day as Paul was riding through the ſtreets of Peterſburgh, his horſe ſtumbled with him; he alighted immediately, held a ſort of council with his attendants, and the horſe was condemned to receive fifty laſhes with a whip.—Paul cauſed them to be given on the ſpot, before the populace, counting himself the ſtrokes, saying, "There, ſir, that is for having ſtumbled under the emperor."
One day travelling, he recollected ſomething, and ordered the coachman to return, "Presently, your highneſs," ſaid the coachman, the road is here too narrow."—"How raſcal," cried Paul, "turn immediately!" The coachman, inſtead of anſwering haſtened to a ſpot where it was poſſible to comply: Paul however, ordered his equerry to arreſt and puniſh the rebellious coachman—the equerry aſſured him he would turn in a moment; Paul flew into a paſſion with the equerry alſo: "You are a pitiful ſcoundrel like himſelf," ſaid he, "Let him overturn the carriage, let him break my neck, but let him obey me." During the diſpute the coachman ſucceeded in turning, but Paul had him chaſtiſed on the ſpot.
His cowardice was no leſs conſpicuous. When the Britiſh Government ſent admiral Dickson to ​Copenhagen to demand an explanation, on the affair of ⟨the⟩ Freya frigate, the magnanimous Paul had a ⟨conſtant⟩ look out kept from the maſt head of a war ship ⟨at⟩ Cronſtadt, leſt our fleet ſhould ſurprise him in Petersburgh, intending on their coming in fight to ⟨retreat⟩ into the country.
No wonder that the cunning Buonaparte ſhould avail himſelf of the chance of ſetting so whimſical ⟨a⟩ man at variance with his beſt friends; with ⟨thoſe⟩ whoſe commerce had been advantageous to Ruſſia ⟨in⟩ a very great degree; and who, as we ſhall ſhew too(illegible text) Russian produce, which they might have had at home.—No pains were ſpared to cajole Paul and gain his favour. Couriers followed each other in quick ſuccesſion from Paris to Peterſburgh. Plans were ⟨formed⟩ to draw the whole North of Europe into a quarrel ⟨with⟩ us; and as there is never a difficulty in finding a ⟨bone⟩ of contention with thoſe who are bent on differing ſo they eaſily found one; and the inconſiſtent Paul, ⟨the⟩ sworn enemy of regicides and democracy, with Sweden and Denmark in his train, caught by the deceitful lures of Buonaparte, seemed anxious to lend all ⟨their⟩ might to work our ruin.