Western Enquirer

MISCELLANEOUS.

CATHERINE I, WIFE OF PETER THE GREAT.

The history of this female, who was exalted from a low station to the imperial throne of Russia, is known to many. Catherine was in the humblest capacity, that of servant, when she attracted Peter's regards. When she became his wife her influence over him was unbounded: not from the solidity of her judgment, or the brilliancy of her wit; but from the sweetness, pliability and equanimity of her temper. His companion in all his wars and expeditions, she alone knew how to assuage the ferocity of his temper; her gentle forbearance, her soothing tones, almost invariably served to allay his wildest transports of rage. The influence she possessed she never abused, and used it only for purposes of mercy and benevolence, and many a miserable wretch owed his life to her interference.

Catherine had once nearly fallen a victim to Peter's resentment; she was suspected of intimacy with one of her chamberlains, a very handsome young man of the name of Mons. Peter, in order to be convinced of the truth, pretended to leave Petersburg for the purpose of passing a few days at one of his summer villas, and while he secretly returned to his winter palace in town, he sent a page with a message to his wife, as from the country. By finesse, he surprised Catherine in an arbour with Mons; his sister Madame Balke, a lady of the Bedchamber being stationed without on the watch. The Czar struck Catherine a blow with his cane, and without speaking a word he repaired to the apartment of Prince Repnin, assuring him that he would make a public example of the Empress. Dissuaded from this, he sentenced Mons to lose his head, and pending this, his sister to the knout.

Siberia, when she had received the punishment of the knout he conveyed Catherine, after the execution of the chamberlain, in an open carriage under the gibbet to which his head was nailed. Without any change of countenance she said: "Pity so much corruption should be found amongst courtiers."

When Catherine succeeded to the empire, after the death of Peter, she enjoyed the good will of her people by her mild and gracious conduct towards them. She reduced the capitation tax, removed the gibbets from the public places, and had the criminals interred who remained unburied. She recalled the exiles from Siberia, and paid all the arrears due to the troops; but averse to business she abandoned herself to pleasure, she drank immoderately of Tokay wine, of which she was extremely fond, this aggravated a cancer and dropsy, with which she was afflicted, and took her off in the thirty-ninth year of her age. Without the smallest pretensions to beauty, her person was nevertheless engaging; her light hair she dyed black; her form in youth, was finely turned and peculiarly delicate, but she grew extremely corpulent as she advanced in years. She was unable to read or write; and her daughter was always obliged to sign her name to all despatches. Sensible, good tempered, and ever willing to oblige, Catherine never forgot a benefit. She had been before her marriage protected in the family of Gluck, and when Wurmb, who had been tutor to Gluck's children, presented himself before her, after her exaltation, she said, "What, thou alive still!? I will provide for thee," and she gave him a handsome pension. Gluck had died a prisoner at Moscow: Catherine did all she could for his distressed family: she pensioned his widow, made his son a page, portioned his two eldest daughters, and appointed the youngest to be her maid of honor.

* This circumstance is contradicted by some historians, and probably very justly. It scarcely appears credible, that a monarch, himself so rigidly observant of conjugal faith, should have pardoned a breach of it in his own wife. The most likely story is, that Mons and his sister Madame Balke, were punished for 'bribery' and 'corruption;' offences, then considered and treated as capital crimes.