Literary cadet, and Saturday evening bulletin. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1826-1827, 1826-08-12

fortune were to be striking: the very day
on which they were married, the Russians
laid siege to Marienburg. The unhappy
soldier had now no time to enjoy the well
earned pleasures Of matrimony he was
called off before consummation to an at
tack, from which he was never after known
to return.
In the mean time, the siege went on with
fury, aggravated on one side by obstinacy,
on the other by revenge. The war be-
tween the two northern powers at that
time was truly barbarous /; the innocent
peasant and the harmless virgin often shar-
ed the fate of the soldier in arms. Mari
enburg was taken by assault; and such was
the fury of the assailants, that not only the
garrison, but almost all the inhabitants,
men, women, and children, were put to the
sword. AT length, when the carnage was
pretty well over, Catharna was found hid in
an oven.
She had been hitherto poor but still was
free: she was now to conform to her hard
fate, and learn what it was to be slave !;
in this situation, however, she behaved with
piety and humility; and, though misfortunes
had abated her viyacity, yet she was cheer
full. The fame of her merit and resigna-
ton reached even Prince Menzikof, the
Russian General; he desired to see her,
was struck with her beauty, bought her
from the soldier, her master, and placed
her under the direction of his own sister.
Here she was treated with all the respect
which her merit deserved, while her beau
ty every day improved with her good for
tune.
She had not been long in this situation
when Peter the Great, paying the Prince
visit, Catharina happened to come in with
some dry fruits, which she served round
with peculiar modesty. The mighty mon
arch saw, and was struck with her beauty.
He returned the next day, called for the
beautiful slave, asked her several questions,
and found her understanding even more
perfect than her person.
He had been forced, when young, to
marry from motives Of interest; he was
now resolved to marry pursuant to his own
inclinations. He Immediately enquired
the history of the fair Levonian, who was
not eighteen. He traced her through the
vale Of obscurity, through all the vicissi-
tudes of her fortune, and found her truly
great in them all. The meanness of her
birth was no obstruction to his design;
their nuptals were solemnized in private;
the Prince assuring his courtiers, that vir-
tue alone was the properest ladder to a
throne.
We now see Catharina, from the low,
mud-walled cottage, Empress of the great
est kingdom upon earth. The poor solita-
ry wanderer is now surrounded by thou
sands, who find happiness in her smile.
She who formerly wanted meal, is now
capable of diffising plenty upon whole
nations. To her fortune she owed part
of this pre-eminence, but to her virtues
more.
She ever after retained those great
qualities which first placed her on a throne;
and while the extraordinary prince, her
husband, labored for the reformation of his
male subjects, she studied, in her turn, the
Improvement of her own sex. She altered
their dresses, introduced mixed assemblies,
instituted an order of female knighthood;
and, at length, when she had greatly filled
all the stations of empress, friend, wife, and
mother, bravely died without regret-re-
GREETED by all.