New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-07-03
AN UNFORTUNATE PRINCE.
THE pREARY YOUTH OF PAUL. SON OF
EMPRESS CATHERINE II. OF RUSSIA.

III. s~of,p ann
Dimitri de Benkendorf 12mo. PIP. Az 'a'i'''i"
Levy Paris. -,
Paul l OF Russia is chiefly known 10 the gen
ersl reader Of history as the perpeua,or "a .
startling anachroalsm. Having oeei n"''e'e'
by Napoleon into an alliance ne cha'e"ee' "
personal combat the monarchs Oh Hui0p' -
should onpose these twin sons Of destiny. Such
Homeric herosm shown at the DAWN VI INV p
ant century ia enough to entitle him to some
little attention from unwilns r""' -
ve,rs Of re,gning were short and his oppo'-
.,.. o.. f,r,hor performances were few, for
the cord Of the consprators effected VIVA.
Ca,,,r,n. ,n her wisdom evidently intended, ana
the crown of the Russas was soon On '"e ~
of tho famous E,mpress's grandson AleNahuei.
"pr,nce charming and despot nnpiacaoe'
Pan, T Ia Z problem that cannot be soi'eu ny
the ordinary methods by which most hihs' ~
measured Reason is powerless 10 CAPTAIN
contradictions of his character ihes ea'e Wv
vague suspicion that the accioei,' y. -.
cheated the madhouse of one OF 's ,'
Paul however was certainly not i'S 49,,
ing the time covered by this DOOM "a
Kobeko In IL only the story or fa"' 'o =,
10 the time of his acce ;sion to the 'h'o'i7
.na ha was sane enough during that periou -
wos only when his absurd vanity, roughly '
nressad within bounds by his coh'e'''p' "o"'
mother was released from restraint an" we
notjc power was put in his hands tha' HIS "."N
wits went astray GATHERINGS treatment u ~.
son is pictured as harsh and unnio'hefH
author however, is quite eNlueh''' O" ~
of the young Czarewiteh. ,o
you will have the appearance oi one va"
,ou,s % my will who carries out my wishes ana
who does instantly that Whlch 'e
hin, said Catherine to her son, when ne com.
rurore in which one of her orders would place
H., 7, L. this obscure position when ne oc-
,,,,.s ia NJ Kohekos pages. 1t was q haru anu
,r,,,rc ono and would undoubtedly have proheh
A.. ,,r,t og q better man than PAU, lot IL
.oart q contemptuous thrusting into the pach-
,ro,,nd an enforced idleness a banlsnmeh' i'oiii
,,h,,. ufe while courtier after courier eie-
,otao 70 the eouivocal position OF "favorite OF
Her Majesty lorded 1t over her own son. ao'
did not bear 1t with any great 1oru'uoe' .o' -,
incurred his complaints with embarrassing lam
ness into the ears Of all who wouid 'is'en ~ ".'
H,s life from his earliest years was caicuia'eu
TO develop his vain, oversensitNe anu mo-,
nature He was orphan from INC ms"
Catherine never had chance 10 love mn, 10
her son. for on the day Of his birth ne was ''"e,
away from her by Empress Enzapeth' WIN 'ooA
o,,rs,o ~ his nurture rearing and educatloh
"Pebteew (his teacher).' says M. hopeho "
troaucea in the education of his pupil siheu-
lar system A journal was printed reia'ihe
necIally 70 the Grand-duke. and ne hau u ie"U
Il. Under the caption Petersburg all HIS ueeu'
and uoisdeeds were enumerated. lie was ''''ue
TO believe that copies Of this journal "e'@ va
culated throughout Europe
7, yyos not unnatural that In a court consul
tuted like GATHERINGS the young Grand-ouhe
should have a love affair among MS earliest ca
neriences Imitation is a strong racuity aiiioiie
children At the age of IL, as set lorth III 'iio
Journal OF Porochine, one Of his precep'ors ""'
was deeply enamoured Of Vera fschosioAo"
one of the little maids Of honor OF the Empress.
The story of this Irritation is one OF the pi'sn'e's
and most interesting episodes IN the oooh' GU
made his preceptor his conidant informing nm
., the state of his affections in the following
..r,.tico, exnression: "PAUL:Vera Simeon:
Anna" Simeon was the name of the teacher ana
,,asu,nablv Anna was some fair lady who was
&C SECURE in the possession of his affections as
ut,,a Vera was of little Pauls. Catherine her-
ea,r was too busy with her own Kaleidoscope
lova affairs 10 pay much attention 10 faui D.
1.-THE relations of the Empress and her son con-
t;nued to be icy Paul at the age OF ten years
avowed that nothing was more EMBARRASSING
and painful to him than to go to see the EN-
press"
Some wears later in a plate Of sausages set De-
fore him at, supper he found some bits or broken
glass He rose from the table and taxing 'he
plate and carrying 1t to the Empress ne 'oiu
her in his wrath that he found in the accident
the evidence of a desire to destroy him.
put Catherine apparently never had any desire
IN resort to the methods established by Russian
historical precedents of getting rid OF an neon
venient prince or ruler. Secure In her own power
she did not take Paul quite so seriously as 'Ha'
She moreover had no motive 10 90 So ior' az
oord;ng 70 the Russian law of succession at the
time she could nominate her own successor
Her fayortes were all-pow rful in public AFFAIRS
but her son was never consulted Ihere Is ho
aoubt that Catherine entertained mean opln-
ton NJ his abilities "She never talked with him
ohout nuh,jc affairs On May H. 1888, she did
hornen m sneak to him of the occupation OF
crmea and Dish affairs. The Czarewitch was
>, srrnr,sed that he wrote In his notebook This
rroof ri confidence is so much the more precious
"a me- as It is the figst and most surprising.
The Empress had allowed Paul couple OF
regiments as his own guard. He played soldier
with these regiments and developed, or though'
he developed, not only passion Tor military
affairs. but skill in them He finally tried 10
force his way into public life on the martial size.
In the second war with Turkey. In 1851, he sought
his mothers permission TO go to the front. She
refused it. however; her reason being, apparent
w. that his presence would embarrass the nus
STAR commander. The next year IN the war with
sw,den she acceded to his mportunate demands
n. was soon recalled, however and the fact OF
his presence in the army carefully kept out
of all official documents. 1T was said." relates
NJ Kobeko, that the Empress spoke only with
raillery of the part which the Grand-duke took
in the Swedish campaign. Despite the military
and diplomatic cares which the year 11SS brought
her, the Empress continued to compose plays for
her private Theatre de HERMITAGE and she set to