The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-01-14

We come lastly TO m aspect OF Cathsrine's
private life which cannot he wholly over-
looked and to which the author OF this book
devotes a chapter. There is a mass OF legends
in regard to the love affairs of Catherine, but
most OF them prove upon sharp scrutiny to
have but little foundation in fact. There we're
no orgies at her court. On the contrary By
comparison with that OF her predecessor. it was
orderly dscorous almost austere. Amours
she unGuestionably had; but they were not
debassd by promiscuity. Rather ought they
TO be described as a succession Of quasi-mari-
tai relations. At her court as at almost
every other contem porary court In Europe.
the regime OF favorites prevailed: the differ
ence Was that. in her case. the favorites were
men. while in the other cases. they were
women. Such favoritism as Catherine prac-
tised was by no means tho reign OF sensuaiity
pure and simple bllndly reaching after pleas
ures ever new. There was m OF hod in her NJ adj
ness; she made OF favorltism an institution.
1t 10 an extraordinary fact that no sooner was
an object OF her favor chosen than she tried to
make OF him vertabls he pm ate to train him
to be OF service TO the State What Is per
haps equally extraordinary. she succeeded
in many instances. 1t is no less note
worthy that she remained a faithful
and Jealous friend OF those whom she had
ceased to love. Such was the experience OF
Orion; OF ratiomkine; OF PoniatoWski whom
she was SO far from forgetting that she made
OF him . king OF Poland. There is some
thing masculine IN this attitude, but il 10 not
TO be inferred that, 50 long as the ardor OF her
affection lasted-And It might last for years
she was not peculiarly feminine in the sense
OF exhibiting the most sensitive and wAtchful
jealousy The fAvorits is never suffered 10
leave the palace except at tho side Of his
august mistress The cage is splendid. but it
is carefully guarded; the Impress takes
precautions against accidents such as the
far from TeAssuring Antecsdents Of the
chosen ones might lead her to fear il is
for this reason among many reasons that the
present bographar gives no credit to the sto-
Tiss that Teprese .-c tho favors OF Catherine
as shared by casual corners ami goers
We may add thAt II tho fayoFite Is
watched no watches her, Hs does his best
to guard against the danger OF an unfaithful-
ness. even accidental. which would put him In
competition with rival perhaps capable OF
supplanting him. His power. which. SO long
as 1t lasts. Is great is employed in a super
vision not less rigorous than that Of Cath
crime herself To rscur for a moment 10 the
measures taken by Catherine. Nc may point
out that a fsYorits's slightest movements
were subjected to an inyarisbls routine and
10 a minute scrutiny. He could par no visits.
accept no invitations Once ONLY was Mamo-
non permitted to go to a dinner AZ the Compile
de seEur's. Even then Catherine became IN
easy, and the French Minister aud his guests.
on rising from table. saw the Lmpress's coach
under the windows; ii was moving slowly
backward aud forward with . persistence
which betrayed the distress Of the nomsn-
tlTily abandoned lady.