The free citizen. (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1875-10-02
CHARLOTTE or BRUNSWICK.

if"IptFS LTHIHfiNr
CHARLOTTE or BRUNSWICK. y
One of the saddcst tragedies, if il be
one, one OF the Stranycst mysteries, if it
be one, dimly recorded in historic an
mails, Is that of the Princess Charlotte
Sophia, ofl'runswick. The story, though
an old one, is still but little known, even
III the dominions Of the empire. The
new light which Il recent Russian writer
has let in upon the facts has induced aus
to recall them ut the present time.
On the 18th OF January, 1859, the Car
Ictcr the Great WAS married, somewhat
against his will, 10 Ewdokija Fcodorowna
Lapuchln, the daughter of Il powerful
Russian noble. On the 18th of February
OF the iollowin" year, his eldest child.
Alexis Pctrowitsch, was born and ban
tizcd. 20
Owing to the absence of maternal c;ire
Peter, having quarrclcd with his Spouse
over Il serious affair." had banishcd her; to
Il convent very soon after marriage-jthc
prince Alexis was left to himself, IND
until his thirteenth year, was almost
wholly neglected. During this internal
his mind lost all sense of dccency Ind
respect, and his unrestricted mode of''iy-
ing cntailcd upon him some of the W rst
OF habits. When. AT length, hc was en-
trusted to the care Of learned Germ an
Henry lluySscn, he made but small BRO
grcSS in the way of Improvement. EuRIid
and algebra were found to be i'll suitcd
to his wild and williul nature. But "hc
poor tutor combatted with the diihsul
tics "f his 1lH:sitlu.s ,.h"ut to,, y-ars, nT,ss.
then surrendered his princcly pupil in
disgust. III.
Meanwhile, the ear who seems not to
had taken secretly unto himself anothct
spouse, the daughter of poor woman.
and already famed us much for her mod
est department rs for her attractive
beauty. Nothing was more common in
Russia, and in all the Asiatic Kingdoms
than marriages between sovercigns and
their subjects; but that an impoverished
stranger, who had been discovered amid
the ruins of a plundcrcd town, shduld
become TIC absolute sovereign Of that
very empire into which she was led }ap-
tive, is an incident which fortune and
merit have never before produced in the
annals of the world The charming cap
tive, whose name was Martha, thus be-
came, after her elevation to rank, Cath
arinc |. of Russia.
1t was quite naturalFthat the future
empress should wish to secure to her own
children the right Of succession to the
throne. TO reach this end, she poisoned
the mind of the ear against his eldest
son, in consequence of which, Herr
lluysscn was ordered to give an account
of the intellectual progress Of his pupil.
OF course the report which he made was
unfavorablc; whcrcupon the tutor was
sent back to Germany, and the prince
was banshcd into the interior of Russia.
Here the latter dcmcancd himself with so
much unrcason that his imperial sire
resolved to marry him forthwith.
An ambassador Was sent to Germany
intrustcd with the delicate mission of
reporting on the charms Of all the high
born naidcnS of the Rhinc-land The
list was forwarded to the court, and the
creme de- In rIrmr, hcing selected by the
car, were hom"rcd with invitations to
appear personally before him. OF course
he reserved the right of rejecting all
bidders.
In this matrimonial game money was
no object; but beauty, grace, and mental
culture, were everything. Those who
were 50 fortunate as not To be chosen
were returned to their mamma.;, bearing
the gifts Of diamond necklaces and rings,
as compensation for their trouble. FIis
inajesty'5 choice fell Upon the Princess
Charlotte Sophia, of Brunswick Wolfcn-
buttel, daughter of Duke Louis, the
head OF a branch line of the reigning
house Of Brunswick. Accordincly' the
nuptlais were celebrated mt Targow. in
the palace Of the queen of Poland, on the
10Th of October, I'LL. The bridegroom
was in his twcnty-sccond year, the bride
in her eighteenth.
The Princess Charlotte was one of
those soft and dreamy beauties with fair
blue eyes, and head full of romance, so
often met with in Germany. At the
time of her marriage she was little more
than child in years, and none the less
SO in manners an modes of thought.
Alexis, on the contrary, was wholly given
up to low, sensual pleasures, and mean.
vicious company. At their earliest in
tcrview he had CONCEIVED an antinthy
to his bctrotbcd, and had no desire at all
to marry
As might have been expected under
such circumstances, there was no love
wasted betwrcnthe young couple. From
Q state Of Indifference the prince lapscd
INTO one of savagcry, and on every occa-
sion he did not hesitate to act toward his
wife in the most brutal manner. When,
at length, he received into his Da1aca q