Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1883-05-24
Peter the Great and OrloiY.
Harper's Magazine.

harper's Magazine.
Peter the Great is a many-sided figure,
and such huge one that to view him
from all points would involve the max
ing of very considerable circuit. II
would be easy to show that he was a
coarse scnsualist, and he had undoubt.
edly many of the tastes of more bar
barian. He drank to excess, and de-
lighted in such practical okes as serv-
ing up live rats and mice in dish pie
covered over with the usual paste.
When he was i'm England, his favorite
exercise consisted in charging with a
wheelbarrow trimly-out quickest
hedge, which had Mt one time formed
the Joy of its garden-loving proprietor.
He not only sentenced to death, but
apparently himself killed the disaflect-
ed son whom he had thrown into prison,
and who persisted there.
Ifyou inquire in tho museum of the
Hermitage at Petersburg who carved
those wooden figures, who turned those
ivory ornaments, who made that pair
of boots, who built the boat, the answer
is always, 1.-THE Tsar Peter" Inquire
further who reformed the old Salvonic
alphabet by introducing into it the
| the symbols of sounds peculiar TO the
Russian language; who altered the con-
stitution of the Russian Church SO rs to
make the Tsar of Russia, in lieu of the
Patriarch of Constantinople, its head;
who established factories in Russia;
who forced the Russian mobiles. willing
or unwilling, TO accept the duties of
state service. under pain of losing their
privileges; who formed the Russian
army; who created the Russian navy;
who built st. Petersburg-"thew window"
as some one has said, "from which Rus
STA looks out upon Europe;" who first
led Russian levies with success against
trained European troops; who among
formally recognized by Europe
as Emperor" who among the
Tsars and Emporers commenced that
unceasing var againt Turkey, which,
beginning with defeat, a capitulation,
and the nearest approach to the person
al surrender of the Tsar, has at length
brought Russia up to and beyond the
Balkans, and placed her, but for the
political attitude Of other powers and
the stategical position of Austria, with
in easy reach of Constantinople, who
with Russian ships first navigated the
Caspian; who with Russian troops first
made war upon Persia; who sent out
the first Russian expedition against
Khiva with Instructions to its chief to
dispatch from Khiva military, naval,
and commercial agents disguised as
traders" to India? In every case, the
Tsar Peter. 's .t
Whether Peter was what is called
good need scarcely be considered,
and certainly cannot be decided EX-
horted on his death-bed to repent of
some very bad actions which he had
undoubtedly committed, he said that
God would Judge him, not 10y isolated
deeds, but by the general tenor of his
life. He was far more remarkable for
energy in every possible direction than
for piety or any sort of moral quality.
He did not, however, like killing the
wrong man; and when he was decapi-
tating with his own hand the rebellious
strelitzers, or ''archers," who, detesting
his innovations from the West, had,
during his absence from Russia, risen in
instruction against him, he hesitated
TO strike one bold young soldier who
advanced gayly towards the block. ex-
claiming: Make room herer' and
kicking on either side the fallen heads
which stopped his way. "This man will
be of use to me-" thought Peter. He
spoke a few words to him, pardoned
him, and gave him commission in one
of the regiments that he was forming.
The forgiven one proved worthy of
his pardon. His name was Orloff. and
his descendants have often shown the
same reckless daring which, as exhibited
by the founder of the family, made so
striking an impression on the mind of
Peter. The Russian system of govern
ment has been described as "despotism
tempered with assassination, and the
Orlofls. as il mindful of their ancestor in
his mutinous days, have not always
ranged themselves on the side of des-
potism. But, on the whole, they have
served the Russian government faithful
ly and unscrupulously; now burning the
Turkish Aeet in the bay of Tehesme.
trough agency Of newly invented
fire-ships, taken into action by English
captains; now, the more surely TO betray
her, protesting the most ardent affection
for the unfortunate Princess Tarakanoff,
who was TO be delivered by her pretend
cd lover INTO the hands of her enemy
the Empress Catharine; now, under the
Emperor Paul, starting, at the head of
force of Cossacks and horse-artillery,
on an expedition to Khiva, with British
India as final objective.