Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1844-07-06
THE IMPERIAL FIANCEE.
A Story Of Catherine II, and Peter ILL.,
Translated from the French of Virginia Foa,
BY a Young Lady.
CHAPTER I.
A YOUNG GIRLS LETTER.

YOUNG GIRLS LETTER.
Moscow, july %, 1744.
Ny Cousin THAT you are young, hand
some, the heir TO the empire of Russia, an,
aware of all your advantages, is. entirely to-
much for a poor girl like me. Allow me t,
return TO the obscurity whence The goodness
Of the Empress Elisabeth has Brought me. lie
me retire to the Stettin, and take back m
old name of Sophia Augusta, the name giver
me by my mother, while you give to the happy
woman who is TO be your choice, the name o
Catherine Alexiowna, which is to belong tc
the future empress Of Russia.
Believe me, cousin, this is no childish ca.
price, nor the result Of pique, caused by your
behaviour. No! Remember our first inter
view, and you will understand my motive for
| this determination for in the midst of the Ger.
emory of our betrothtnent, had |, the future
companion of your life. a thought, a word, a
look, from you? Let mo tell you, then, what,
as a witness and party concerned, you are per-
haps ignorant of.
Brought up by my mother Jano Elisabeth
of Holstein, my only amusenents have been
the study of languages, and long walks and
rides in the neighborhood of Stettin. NV hor-
ison, as you know, was limited and | wished
for nothing beyond.
A command fromthe empress suddenly chan.
ged my destiny. One morning the Prince
Christian Augustine, of Anhaltzerbt, my hon
CURED father, sent for me, and announced to
me that / was to be sent to Moscow with nv
mother, there to be betrothed to Peter the
Third, son Of Charles Frederic, Duke of Hols-
tein, Gottorp, and of Anne, eldest daughter of
the Gar, Peter the First. | bowed my head
in submission and my mother and set out
the next day. When one is but fifteen years
old, change Of place is always agreeable. |
was going to see the court, a fine city, and Gu
riosity held my mind open and apt to receive
with eagerness all the pleasures which were
offered to it.
The day Of our betrotIment CAME. was
to see, for the first time, the man who was to
be my master; my husband and believe me,
cousin, it was not merely curiosity which agi-
tated my heart, it was fear-a presentiment
which | bad never before known. was In
fact struck with a sort of terror, when the en-
press placed my hand in yours, saying, Gath
crime Alexiowna, | betroth you to my heir, Pc.
ter the Third" | did not dare for some time
to raise my eyes to your face. Iexpected to
find in my future husband the terrible majesty
of a king united to the gracious indulgence of
a husband. Judge of my astonishment, when
my mother whispered in my ear, "Don't be so
pale look at him - l obeyed, and saw, for
give me, cousin-I saw chiId-not one like
myself full Of timidity and frankness, but a
child, already an emperor in his arrogance,
and not taking any notice of me, except by do
ing all he could to make me feel my own in
f~eriority. It was too much for my heart that
evening | felt my first sorrow,
Cousiu kD1uv NOT vvhnfhar f~aa1ip1. ~ p.;Jo
and ambition may ever come in future TO
choke my resolution, but now, when | am
still nothing but a young girl-now, I refuse
the hand of Peter the Third and ths empire
of Russia.
1t is in literature and study Of the arts, that
she who was lately baptized under the nam
of Catherine, will seek her future glory and
happiness. Be happy, cousin,
CATHERINE ALExIowNA.
This letter was given to an officer of the
imperial palace, to be Immediately delivered
to the prince and the girl who, with the care
~Iessness of a child, had refused an empire,
went, with a very serious air, to seek her mo-
Their.
II am in great trouble" said she to her
"do you remember the poor Frenchman, Mr..
Marcel, who taught me my first French lesson.
six years ago, at Stettin Mr.. Brasdorf in
forms me that the poor man is living behind
the Kremlin in the greatest poverty, with his
daughter and he himself has had a paralysis
in his limbs. sent him money by Mr.. Bras
dorf but he refused to accept it, saying he
was not a beggar. What am / to do? have
been thinking that if you have no objection,
madam, l will resume my French lessons with
him tomorrow"
"But, my dear Catherine, you would be OBJ
liged to go to him for your lessons and ] have
no doubt but what you must pay him very
high"
II do not mind that. l should like to begin
to day."
"WeIl, do so. Let Madame Brasdorf go
with you. But how is it that you ask me no.
thing of the prince, your betrothed husband! !"
"Why should I trouble myself about him,
when he will not trouble himself about me I"
replied Catherine, b~lushing to her ears.
aMy daughter answered the princess mild
ly, "you must not judge too hastily. 1t is true,
you have not heard from Peter for a month.
But you know he is not his own master, and
perhaps"
"Iknow how it is, exactly but let US leave
the subject of Peter and his empire, before
they leave me. in their turn"
catherine, Catherine ?' added her mother,
laughing, "you will be very much surprisedin
a few days, when you will hear something
that you have no idea of now. But go | see
you are impatient to be gone. Go and see
what you can do for your old master.
Catherine did not wait to be told a second
time; and any who had met little girl, very
plainly dressed, and her face entirely covered
with a brown hood, in company with an old
woman, in the streets of Moscow, would never
have taken her for the future empress Of all
the Russias-she whom VoItaire afterwards
called the great Catherine.