The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1856-05-14
From Smusker's. History Of Catkarins III
THE COURT OF CATHERINE III.


| cence of the empire over which 1t ruled, a
once gave it grandeur and pre-eminence.- -
That empire was equal, in superficial extent
10 all the other kingdoms of Europe combin.
ed; extending from the Baltic to the Black
Sea, and from the dominions of Maria. Their.
esa far into the untrodden deserts of Tarary
Its capital, planted on the marshy shores OF
the Neva, by the magic wand of the great
Peter, had grown up into s,upendous mass
OF palaces, temples, and citadels, whose glld.
ed spires of mingled Asiatc and European ar
chitecture, pierced those northern heavens,
and gliltered in the morning and evening sun.
Under this dominion, were assembled nations
of many distant climes and kindreds: Cos
sacks of the Don, Calmucks, Poles, Circas.
slams, Sibefians, Tartars, Germans, and Rus
slams; while the DEGREES of the Great EN-
press were received, and obeyed with rever-
ence, by one fourth of the inhabitants Of the
civilized globe.
Her cour, itself could vie, in lavish splen.
dour, in feminine beauty, in princsly wrath,
in illustrious names, in manly genius, and in
its courliers of.high and noble birth, with the
proudesi among men. There, as a fit centre
TO so magnificent thyong, was the mighty
Empress herself a woman of high and dar-
ing spirit, who had vsntured boldly into the
most desperate and perilous vicissiiudss Of
fortune. BY The charms of her viii, and the
briiancy of her genius, she had proved her.
self an equal andsa worthy associate of the
most illustrious personages of the age: Of
Frederick the Great, of Voltaire, of Euler, of
Diderot. BY the comprehensive energy of
her mind, she had won the palm in states.
manship, and stood among the first legisla.
tors of the times. She had uniformly lri-
umphed in the dangerous game of war and
even the ancient capital of the Roman EN-.
pire in The East, the Queen of cities, the ad-
miratlon ofhe whole world, hersefh had trem.
bled on her hills, at'lhe mighty name of the
sovereign before whose invincble legions,
the children Of The Prophet had so often fled
in battle. There, surrounded her, W. re- men
and women of illuslrious name, talents and
character: Gregory Orlof, remarkable from
his immense stature and daring mind who,
when in the prime of his vigorous manhood,
had aided 10 crush the life from the tremb.
ling frame of the expiring and imploring Pc.
ter who long had iriumphed as the cherish
ed lover of his grateful sovereign and who
had astonished foreign countries by the reck-
less extravaganza of his expenditure, while
travelling 10 assuage the fierce fibrss of his
soul, when he saw his place usurped by a
more graceful and fascinating lover. Now,
his lofty head whiened with the frosts of age,
he still presented bold and daring front-a
worthy representative of the rude and .gigan-
| tic Genius of the North; with those checker
ed fortunes, his history and his life had been
SO long and so closely identified. There was
The beautiful, the accomplished, the roman
tic Princess Dashkoff; at first the intimate
and bosom friend Of the Empress, before she
had assembled the throne; who had staked
her life upon the throw, which was to win or
lose crown; who in the hour of victory had
shared The equal joy of her triumphant friend,
and now, after various vicissitudes, and the
full experience of the pleasures and sorrows
Of ambition, of love, and of friendship, was
calmly reposing in the enjoyment Of her fame,
her recollecuons, and the affection of her
sovereign. Among that group were 10 be
seen the aged Panin, grown gray in the ser
vice Of his honored mistress the csivalrous
and daring Alexus Orloff. whose vigorous
arm had destroyed the perllous conspiracy
of Pugatschef; the veteran Marshal Munich,
who during The sixty five years of his active
life, had served MORE soveregus, had fought
more battles had won more victories. and
had experienced more of the grandeur and
the liltleness, the changes and The vicissi.
tudes Of fortune, than all the generals then
in Europe combined. There was the re-
nowned Romanzoff, who had destroyed the
boasted armies of The Sultan on many an en-
sanguined field, and caused the blood OF The
infides TO flow in torrents, on many trium-
plant plain. There was Prince Galiizin, the
elegant courler, and the accomplished states.
man and lastly, though moi least was the
eccentric Potempkin, an engine in human
nature; possessed Of great talents and great
foibles; capable of wisely governing empires,
incapable of governing himself; enjoy ing ev-
cry qualification which iavshed millions
could bestsw, and yet, unsaiisfed and dis
pleased able TO oveneach every other states
man and diplomatist in Europe, and ye, hun.
self deceived by his own vala de ehambre.--
There were collected, by the munifcence
Of The Empress, men distinguished in every
science and every art; poets, historians, phi.
losophers, artists, soldiers, courtiep, and prel-
aies; who, though some of their names have
since descended 10 the shades of oblivion, in
lheir. own day stood high in contemporary
distinction and renown.
| Many distinguished foreigners were then
attracted BY the splendour of the court of 81,
Petersburg, aud honored it with their pres,
ence. Among these was therenowned Ouch
ess of Kingston. In l777. ihe waves of the
Gulf OF Finland waited her magnificent yachl
to the quays of the Neva. This lady wal
celebrated for her great beauty, her wit, he
luxury, ber excenttici.ies, and her amo.ou.
4 adventures. She was attended by Garnosky
at that time her favorite. Her distinction il