New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-12-17

r.arkable young woman. even Win her drunken
little husband whose mind remained that Of
bad child. There is curious story told Of the
one order of the Empress which the young man
dared to disobey - H.
This was order conveyed by Nine. Ch9g9kogs
that he should take bath AS above az 9 9nin99S
he abhorred bath, he Immediately and denaiilyJ
a asagf Il f bs R andaeY he was tod that his re-
fusal was act Of disobedience to her imperlsa
majesty, but he replied that he ought not TO be
asked to do what was 50 repugnant 20 his nat9re,
that it unsuitable to his constitution, and mat
it would certainly Kill him if he were Compelled
to take a bath. To that Nine. Chogl0koya stern!y
answered that the Empress would Know nov -
punish his disobedience: on when m a oaFSL q
passion he called out y should Ike g see % ad
that he would be sent to the fortress frightened
70 abuse Ts Nine Chogiokova who naughty quilted
the threatening that she would repeat al t9L
was moved by his fears for nothing more was said
about the bath and ne vas ail9%ea 70 ff r. saws
that his imperial highness was insuPportaOle oF
ing summer
As time went on the Empress Elizabeth grew
to despise more and more the brainless and
drunken boor she had made her heir-so much,
it is said that she could not endure his presence
more than fifteen minutes at a time. Ii was
thought that she might disinherit him in favor
of the little Grand Duke Paul. GATHERINGS eldest
child. but death came before she could carry
this intention into effect-ff indeed she had it,
We need not recount the extraordinary ways
in which Peter made himself hated by his people
after the popularity induced by his abolition OF
torture and the recall of IL, 0C0 state prisoners
from Siberia had faded The plot which ended
in his death after Catherine had assumed sole
power is carefully and wildly described By Mr.
MoIIoy. Was the young Czarfna prTyy TO the
murder of her husband? Frederick says that
she was not-that she learnt the fact with
ring Elqf
the world would say about her. However that
may be- the semfranis of the North had fairly
entered upon her great career as the ruler of
denseIy ignorant, primitive people whom she de-
termined to civilize. F. I'M the first, the author
says, cit was plain to her that this giant task
must be undertaken by herself, not only unalded
but against the prejudices of a people naturally
indoent haters of Innovations suspicious OF for
eigners; against mobiles who, despising all learn
ing could with few exceptions neither write nor
read and who, tenacious Of the power for life
or death over their serfs, looked with hostility
on changes that might undermine it or their
ancient privileges: against the priesthood. who
were watchful of encroachments on their CONTROL
against counselIors and ministers who were
greedy for themselves and Indifferent to the
masses; and with the fear forever before. her
eyes of a mutinous army" Her eighteen years
OF study, of omnivorous reading Of philosophy
and history, bore their fruit and she devised re-
forms and improvements which her ally, Fred
erick, pronounced worthy of great man Vol
taire found her the chief person in the world
Dfderot discussed with her the profoundest po-
IticaI subjects. She transformed St Petersburg
from nest of rotten wooden houses into city
Of palaces. She collected books and famous
pictures. Above all, she eInphaticalIy ruled her
people She immoral she was power
ful-how immoral Mr.. MolIoy tells without
qualifications. She was at the end of her life an
old woman of the kind which the imagination
does not to dwell. She never had any real
religious fafth-her own inexorabIe viii filled her
horizon. Such as she was, she did for Russia
what more womanIy woman perhaps could not
have done.