New-York tribune., 1912-03-14
Catherine a HohenzoIlern7


Emperor Nicholas is Just now in bad
odor with students of history. for II has
recently become known that shortly before
the death Of Biloassoff the car caused
him TO conSign TO the flames the greater
norton Of his monumental work on Cathe,
r,ne the Great. as we'll as all of his notes
In connection Herewith. Nicholas had
given the historian free access to all sorts
Of archives. both of the Department OF
FOREIGN Affairs and Of the imperial house,
and the manuscript for the work 10 which
BHaasgof had devoted Q number of years.
vas Sufficient to constitute at least ten fat
Volumes
Ultimately the Emperor came 10 the con
Cgston that the work, even If printed lri-
yateIv as a matter Of record for the
archives OF the imperial family, would be
50 harmful 10 the dynasty. in view Of the
danger that at some future time il might
he made public. that he induced the his
tolan 10 destroy almost the whole Of his
magnue opus. 1t is said that Nicholas was
present at the burning, relying on no
one else 10 see that il was actually de
stroyed He is known 10 have richly re-
warded Plbassoff, as the latter left far
larger fortune than that with which he was
credited But It broke the mans heart and
resulted in his death not long afterwards.
That Nicholas from political point OF
view, was wholly justified in this course Is
beyond an question, for Catherine the
Great, although one Of the most notable
figures in Muscovte history who contrib
Ute1 SO largely not alone to the grandeur
of the empire but also 10 the progress and
enlightenment Of the people by attracting
10 her court the most eminent foreign sci
enuSts. lreratteurs, poets. artists and phi
losophers Of the eighteenth century, was
extremely dissolute-had, in fact, no morals
al all This. taken in conjunction with the
nature OF her marriage 10 Peter III, has al
ways left very grave doubts as 10 the pa
teIuity Of her son and successor, Emperor
Paul, many Of her contemporaries ascrib-
ing il 10 her favorite, SoltikOf.
Il is believed that in his efforts to give
an historically exact portrayal Of Catherine
and I'm his eudeavor 10 show that her i'm
moraIties were I'm kocIing with the spirit OF
No axe, and almost the only blot on her
Otherwise glorious reign, Bilbassoh was
obliged 80 emphasize the complete idiocy Of
her consort TO such an extent as virtually
w prove IIct IdAl WAS not the SOH q
Peter, and therefore not a RomanOn.
Another and very interesting feature cf
bibaSsoffs work is said to have been that
contained the absolute proofs Of the truth
oi The rImor also referred to at some
!ehgth by the historian Eugene label in
DIS latest work., that Catherine the Great
was natural daughter OF Frederick the
NFeat, TO whom in her younger days she
oo'e most extraordinary resemblance
40" marked was this resemblance can be
seen by comparing the pictures and min
"loIes OF Frederick the Great I'm his
youth with those Of Catherine at the time
" her marriage.
certain II is that Frederick manifested an
almost fathery interest in securing for her
'ne hand Of the greatest matrimonial catch
VI MS day, namely Peter III. Of Russia,
a1o That the Empress and the Prussian
monarch had the same artistic and scIen-
1H' tastes and fondness for the compan-
"hshp Of brilliant foreigners.
'-z moreover, it is known that Frederick the
*'ieot during his memorable STAY at the
'uft Of the Saxon king, Augustus the
p'hs' became infatuated with the Irin-
Jeanne Of AAnhalt Zerbst (nee Prin-