The Washington herald., 1912-08-11

Il II not surprising that Csar Nicholas
10 "raving mad over the clandestine
publication At Paris of the secret diary
OF his ancentress. Empress Catherine the
Great Of Russia. and that ne has forbid
den the importation of the book into his
|resim. which. quite naturally. did mot
prevent the much-sought- after spicy vol
ume from being smusgied into St Pc
tersburg and its contents to be devoured
in court and society circles.
Readers have It from the great En-
press own pen that she was hated by
her husband. disliked by Empress Eix-
abeth. and for long time kept a pris-
oner In her own palace. The great Cath
crimes Journal discioses much that 10 new
In her married life and of the doings of
the Court of Elizabeth.
Catherine was a German, Princess
OF Anhalt. When sixteen years Of age
she was chosen by Empress Elizabeth
as the wife Of Grand Duke Peter. heir
to the throne OF Russia. She believed
that poor German princess of q small
principally would be modest and eco
nomical, but she soon saw her mistake.
Catherine no sooner became q Rus
sian grand duchess than she developed
great curiosity in everything that went
on at court and an aptitude for the Sec
ret affairs OF state. Sha did not conceal
her scorn for her husband and his want
Of wit. His delight, she says in her
diary. was to get drunk and to make
love to the ladies-in-waiting. He pre-
ferred the ugiiest and most stupid OF
them. the young Princess Worontzoff. He
would spend hours daily playing at SOL
diers. which he kept near him in separ-
ate rooms. He smelt so strong OF wine
and tobacco that his company was in
supportable and she was relieved when
the Empress at last arranged for sepi
arate apartments for the pair.
II cannot be said that the young An
halt princess found at the Muscovite
court Of her day anything worth pat
ternins after. The Empress Elizabeth
herself had her lovers. So varied were
her favorites. that certain women made
large fortunes through them. In her
youth Elizabeth had longed to wed Louis
XIV OF France, and she never got over
her disappointment OF being refused by
him. History tells us how she got even"
with him, in the Seven Years War,
fought between Frederick the Great OF
Prussia and the Empress of Austria,
Maria Theresa. Her predecessor was
strong ally OF the French and Austrians,
making the campaigns Of 'le petit Mar
quis de Brandenbourg'' anything but
easy. But no sooner had Catherine as
cended the throne at Moscow when her
,~4. 81 al
Of battle to turn about and give succor
to the Prussian army, whom but the day
before they had so fierceiy attacked -
In her old age Empress Elizabeth
somewhat regulated her conduct by mar
rying secretly her faithful Cossack lover.
Gen. Razumofsky, but she continued to
favor others. especially her prime min
Ister, the beautiful Count Ivan Shuva-
or. Incidentally she was not above an
occasional intrigue with a palace ser
want OF fine figure. 1t is also afirmed In
the diary. and in the memoirs of Prince
as well. that Elizabeth's
friend. Gen. Tshulkor. for weeks at
time never left her private apartments.
But. fearing that he might reveal her
secrets she had him poisoned one day
while he was asleep.
The young grand duchess. who was
iisliked by her husband and the En-
press. admits that she was for that rea-
son led to console herself in her own way.
She relates that her very first lover was
he gay and careless Prince Leo Naru.
shkir, whom she afterward married to a
niece of Razumovsky. She tells us that
she was attached to Lee. but he after |
ward got under the influence OF the grand |
luke and became very uncivil toward
ler Then Leo fell from favor, but he |
lcted as her intermediary with other ad-
nirers. His successor was Count Ponia- |
owski, a Pole. afterward the last King |
II Poland. The grand duchess fell in love |
With him when he visited the Russian |
.ourt as Polish ambassador. But Pom |
atowski was afraid Of Siberia and held |
,ack for months.
At last his admiration for Catherine |
vercame his timidity and they used TO
meet secretly. Catherine. dressed as a
nan. would slip out OF her private apart
nents with him and go TO his rooms: at
ther times they would meet at the rooms
4 the British consul. Sir Thomas
who also was credited with
eing her friend. though ne denied It.
The grand duke finally found 1t out,
nd Poniatowski was half crazy with
error, but the husband only laughed.
What a fool you were not to take me
lto your confidence sooner" was all he
aid. Elizabeth also heard of the affair
nd was not so pleased. Poniatowski
eft st. Petersburg. This hurt Gather
1e's felings very much. When she be.
anne Empress later on Catherine made
i'm her tool and thus was enabled, with
he aid OF Prussia and Austria, to par
tion Poland. that great semi-republic
Thich. like the Ireland of last century,
'as unable TO stand prosperity. and ruin
d herself through internal Guarrels be-
ween her grandees, every clan of which
ad It's own choice for king when II came
, campaigning for the historic con-