Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-11-18

nailed before the windows OF his sister
Sophia's cell aud the arm of one to he
wall of it, the note last sent her by its
owner fixed in its stiffened fingers, there
to remain until it fell to the floor. The
Streltzi were crushed forever and
Peter set about his reforms. lie
brought from England an army OF en-
gineers allured by fine promises that
were never kept. Indeed, they were
so closely watched as to be wholly pris-
oners, and their pay, that money might
not help them to escape, barely pro-
vided sustenance for the body. They
we're set at work. Then Peter sought
the sea. With an army of $4,000 men,
he invaded Sweden to acquire path
to the Baltic. Sweden, then ruled by
AMBITIOUS CHARLES XII,
met him with but $4,000 men and in
binding storm put Peters great army
to rout, and took so many prisoners that
their own number was exceeded, so the
soldiers were released and only the Of
ticers were kept captive. Peter was the
laughing stock of Europe. II expected
this. said Peter, "but by and by they
will teach us how to defeat them. Let
those laugh who win." And this was
true, and showed the dominant trait OF
Peters character. The war went on
until the Russians, winning in skir-
mish, caused Peter to remark, I'VE
have got SO we can defeatth two to one,
soon we shall be able to do so with even
numbers" Flushed with success, Char
les invaded Russia with 60, 900 men,
and Peter, with surprising wisdom,
adopted the policy that proved SO fatal
to Napoleon one hundred years after.
He evaded battle and led the enemy
further into his desolate empire until by
cold, famine and disease they were re-
duced to $4,000 men. Charles was
begged to retreat by his generals, but,
fool hardly, declined to be advised, and
at the battle of Pultova met with anni-
hilation. Not daring to return to Swe
den, he fed away to the realms of the
Sultan, and Peter had gained foothold
on the sea. The founding of st. Peters
burg followed-a glorious triumph of
wonderful will.power. He ordered
something like 10000 men, criminals
and others, to the marshy spot by the
Neva, and ordered them to work. But
with what? They had no tools; well,
with anything, with their hands. So
they began, scooping up the earth, car
rying it in their caps and aprons, Sleep
ing and lying in the oozy soil. How
much better it would have been to have
prepared tools. But Mr.. Stoddard said
this wasn't Peters style. He was
INFECTIOUS AND IMPATIENT,
And the first year saw the foundation
OF St. Petersburg laid on the bones of
100, 600 men, who had perished in the
work. Mr.. Stoddard showed the st.
Petersburg of to-day in many aspects,
and in all its magnifcence of structure,
and passed to Peters reforms. He dis
liked the frowsy boards and long. .skirted
coats of his people; imposed tax on the
boards of the wealthy, and finally sta
toned barber and o tailor at every
turn in the street to cut off boards and
skirts from all passers-by. This was the
least of his changes. The Russian
women were much in the same condition
as the inmates of the Ottoman harem.
They appeared veiled in the streets, and
possessed no personal liberty whatever.
Peter gave great parties, and the mobiles
brought their ladies to attend under an
imperial edict, danced French and Pol
ish dances. and prisoners of war were
brought from their captivity to show
them how to perform. More than this,
every noble was compelled to give three
parties week, at which the guests must
wear European costumes, and in this
way was reversed the social life of Rus.
sia. The people did not welcome these
changes. Custom and superstition tied
them down, and the church further im-
peded progress. The Patriarch of the
Greek Church had about as much power
as the Gear. Peters patience stood this
hampering until the prelate died. Then
he virtually became Patriarch himself by
neglecting 10 appoint successor, and
finally turned the Office into ridicule by
making his aged court fool into bur-
lesque Patriarch, ending the farce by
marrying him to gay and buxom wi
dow, with festivities lasting three days,
in which the guests drank so immoder-
ately that many died. Passing over
Peters war with the Turks, Mr.. Stod-
dard gave the audience view of his
wife Catherine, Livonian peasant girl
captured in Swedish camp, for several
years the mistress of the Russian whose
prisoner she became, and next the com.
panion and wife of the Car. The por-
trait was not pleasing; it showed little,
fat dark woman, with small eyes, black
hair plastered to her forehead
in ''montagues" aud few external
evidences of either wit or intelligence,
though she had both, and what was
more, the power to control her bear of
husband. Once when enraged Peter
smashed with his fist Venetian glass at
her side, ,exclaiming: Thus could crush
the choices object in my palacel" without
showing that the reference applied to
her, the lady answered coolly: "Pray,
and how would that improve your pal.
ace?" With such methods she kept
him in hand, and by her wit and bold
ness saved him many defeats, and once
his kingdom. The Cars second tour
of Europe with his wife and the amaze
ment they created in the refined capi.
tails of Paris and Berlin, was aptly de-
tailed by the lecturer, who then turned
to the closing, bitter years of Peters
life, after dwelling for moment on his
vast curiosity, which suffered nothing to
pass him until he could understand it.
Thus, in his ship-building he knew how
to direct everything in vessels con-
structiop, from cannon to a SAIL His
navy, though, was now thing created.
He did this simply by ordering every
noble to build and equip vessel at his
own expense. When in Paris, Louis
XIV, having died, Peter desired to see
Nine. de Maintenon, and was taken to
her room where she lay in bed. He
pulled the curtains to one side that he
might look the better, stared diligently
for moment, then pulled them together
again as if disappointed, and went away
with never a word. Among the causes
which darkened his closing years, was
the conduct of his son Alexis, by Peters
first, unworthy wife, who was wretch
ed princeling, and whose possible sue
cession was a constant source of anxiety