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THE

OR,

UNIVERSAL MISCELLANY.

AUGUST 1783.

Enriched with the following truly elegant ENGRAVINGS:

1. A fine HEAD of the EMPRESS of RUSSIA, from a Painting in the Poffeffion of his Excellency the Ruffian Ambaffador.-2. A moft delightful VIEW of the Weft Front of BLENHEIM, the Seat of his Grace the Duke of MARLBOROUGH.

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Printed for HARRISON and Co. No. 18, Paternofter.Row; by whom Letters to

the EDITORS are received,

HE firft Article in the Contents of the prefent Number will be a fufficient Answer to P. P. I.'s polite Enquiry.

We are greatly obliged to Stella, for tranfmitting us Mrs. Brooke's beautiful Ode to Fame; as well as to Amicus for Dr. Dunkin's excellent Poem on Small Beer; both inserted in the present Number.

We shall with Pleafure receive the proffered Correfpondence of O. S.

The Lines on the Prince of Wales's Birth-day, by S. S. are well meant, but they are too incorrect for Publication.

The Ode from Dublin, on the fame Subject, has confiderable Merit; but it falls fo infinitely fhort of the Cambrian Bard's elegant Compofition inferted in the present Number, that Hibernia would appear to great disadvantage.

The Verfes addreffed to Mr. Perfect would be confidered as a perfect Puff.

Clockwork's good-humoured Letter came to Hand; and he may reft affured that we feelingly participate in every Pang he has fuffered; the Repetition of which we hope and believe he will never again experience.

The Epithalamium to Mr. S. and Mifs E. F. is very fenfible, as every Thing must be from the Pen of the truly ingenious Author; but it's intereft is confined to the Circle of Friends for whofe Amusement it was evidently compofed. The Bagatelles by another Hand, inclosed in the fame Packet, are all of them on Subjects either too old or too trifling.

The Review tranfmitted us by Candor, is fenfible, and moft probably juft; but the Work to which it relates is unknown in London, and is at any rate of too confined a Nature to merit the Attention of our Readers.

The Cantata from the Haymarket is evidently a juvenile Performance; but the Defign is certainly new, and there are fome Flashes of Genius difcernible in the Compofition, though it is upon the whole much too imperfect for our Mifcellany.

The Commiffioner, a Poem, will be inserted in our next.

The Articles communicated by G. H-r, chiefly Epitaphs, are much too trifling.

Sir John Barleycorn's Addrefs to the poor Poet, and the Sketch which accompanied it, are not without fome Degree of Humour, but it is of too vulgar a Species. We fhall have no Objection to hear from this Gentleman when his Genius is fublimed into more polished Regions.

The Effay on Happiness has no Novelty to recommend it, but the Compofition has confiderable Merit.

The Evils of which L. P. 2. complains, will probably be handled in the new Paper of the Touchstone.

The Epigram by W, is wholly deftitute of Wit, even were the Subject of fufficient Importance to entitle it to our Notice.

The Elegy to neglected Genius came too late for the prefent Number

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CATHARINE II.

EMPRESS OF RUSSIA.

THIS great princefs, who is the daughter of the late Chriftian Auguftus, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbft, was born the 2d of May 1729; married to Peter III. grandfon of the celebrated Peter I. ufually distinguished by the appellation of Peter the Great, the ift of September 1745; and proclaimed fole Emprefs of all the Ruf. fias, on the depofition of her husband, July 9, 1762. Her maiden name was Sophia Augufta; but, on her marriage with the late Emperor, fhe affumed that of Catharine Alexiewna.

It will be expected that we should give some account of the furprizing revolution which placed the Empress on the throne of this mighty empire, though the transactions are perhaps too recent to be difpaffionately investigated by thofe who have had the beft opportunities of being able to difcufs them with hiftorical fidelity: little more, we apprehend, can on this occafion be looked for from us, than a difplay of fuch reafons as were publicly given by the court of Ruffia on the occafion, the authenticity of which we by no means feel ourselves difpofed to question.

It is faid that this unhappy prince brought with him to St. Peterburgh all the illiberal prejudices of a fo

reigner; he openly avowed his contempt of their religion, their manners, and their laws; and was on the point of commencing a war with Denmark, for the recovery of his Holstein dominions; he had perfonally ill-treated and injured the Emprefs, and his imprudence and folly had long alienated every heart: the Emprefs, though likewife a German, had in the mean time ftudied the language of the Ruffians, affiduously conformed to their customs, and expreffed on all occafions the utmost zeal for the Greek church. This being premised, the grand event we are about to mention will feem lefs extraordinary than it might otherwife appear.

The revolution was for fome time in agitation, and perfons of every rank embarked in the defign. To provide against the confequences of a difcovery, each of thefe perfons had an able spy always near them, that if one should be feized, the others might have timely notice. The wisdom of this precaution was juftified by the event: M. Paffick, lieutenant in the Preobazeníky Guards, through the imprudence of one of his men, was taken into cuftody on the 8th of July 1762. The fpy acquitted him felf of his duty, and the confpirators faw they had not a moment to lofe. Princefs Datfchkow, at whofe house

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the principals ufually met, fent a poft chaife to Peterfhoff for the Emprefs, who arrived at Petersburgh in difguife, escorted by Prince Orloff, major of the guards, about seven in the morning.

Papers were inftantly pofted up at the corners of ftreets, and in all public parts of the city, importing that religion was defpifed, the Clergy were difgraced, the true Ruffians op preffed, ftrangers exalted, and the ftrength of the nation wafted in the quarrels of other countries; for all which evils there was but one remedy. While the people were bufy reading thefe papers, the guards proclaimed the Emprefs, and immediately the ftreets echoed with the acclamations of Long live Catharine " the Second!'

She was then proclaimed fole reigning Emprefs, and Sovereign of the empire of Ruffia; and the feveral officers, ecclefiaftical, civil, and military, took the oaths of fidelity to her Imperial Majefty, and to her fon, the Great Duke Paul, her lawful heir. The authority of the new fovereign being established in the capital, and more troops affembled, every paffage leading to the Emperor's refidence was carefully guarded; the Prince of Holstein, the fenator Woronzoff and his daughter, Adjutant Gudowitz, Secretary Wolkow, with other known favourites, were fecured; and, about fixat night, the Emprefs, dreffed in the ancient uniform of the guards*, fetout for Peterhoff, at the head of 15,000 men, to feize the perfon of her hufband. As he had arrived at the palace about noon, with an intention to dine there, he was furprized at not finding the Emprefs; and, being informed that he had fet out for Petersburgh, he difpatched feveral expreffes, one after another, (who were all flopped and detained) to know the reafon of her absence, At length, however, fome grenadiers, difguifed as peafants, found means to escape and in

form the Emperor of what was paffing in the city. As foon as he received this intelligence, he embarked in one of the imperial yachts for Oranienbaum, which is fituated on the fhore of the Gulph of Finland, hoping to reach the fortrefs of Cronftadt, which is nearly oppofite, and where he would have been out of danger. This place, however, the Emprefs had taken care to fecure; and, when the yacht approached, he was defired to keep off, and the guns were pointed to fink him. He had feveral ladies in the veffel; and their terrors increafing his own, he returned to Oranienbaum, without attempting to land. It was afterwards reported that thefe guns were not loaded.

The Emprefs, in the mean time, continued advancing; and when the was at a little diftance from Peterfhoff, fent the Emperor word that all refiftance would be vain, and that he would do well to fubmit if he wifhed to prevent worfe confequences. The old Felt Marechal Count Munich, who had been newly recalled from his long exile in Siberia, was with him at this critical emergency, and gave him the only advice which could poffibly have faved him; he implored him to go boldly and meet the Emprefs, charging the guards, on their allegiance, to obey him as their fovereign, and offered to lose his own life in his defence. Peter, however, had not fufficient magnanimity and greatnefs of mind to embrace this conduct: but, confulting only his fears, he threw himfelf on the ground burst into all the impotence of tears, and conditioned barely for his life, and paternal dominions of Holftein. He was accordingly conducted to the pa lace of Peterfhoff, were he figned his refignation of the throne. Several covered waggons were in the mean while provided, which took different roads, that it might not be known where the depofed prince was con fined; and this mighty revolution,

In the palace of Peterhoff, there is a painting of the Emprefs, as the appeared on this occa cafion, booted, and fitting aftride a white horfe, with an oak bough in her hat, the infignia of her adherents.

which transferred the greatest empire on earth, was effected in a few hours, almoft without confufion.

The following Manifefto was publifhed at Petersburgh on the occasion.

CATHARINE, BY THE GRACE OF
GOD, EMPRESS AND AUTOCRA-
TRIX OF ALL THE RUSSIAS, &c.
&c.

OUR acceffion to the Imperial throne of all the Ruffias, is a proof that God himself directs thofe hearts which act fincerely, and with good -intentions,

We never had any defign or defire to attain the Imperial power in the manner in which the impenetrable views of the Almighty have placed us on the throne of Ruffia. Our dear country, immediately upon the death of our beloved aunt Elizabeth Petrowna, of glorious memory, all true patriots (now our faithful fubjects) lamenting the lofs of fo tender a mother of her country, placed their only confolation in obeying her ne phew, whom the had named her fucceffor, that they might fhew thereby a part of their gratitude to their deceased fovereign; and, though they foon perceived the weakness of his genius was too narrow to rule fo vaft an empire, they hoped he would be fenfible of his own infufficiency, and in the mean while they befought our affiftance in the government.

But when abfolute power falls to the share of a monarch who has not virtue and humanity enough to confine it within just bounds, it becomes a fruitful fource of the moft fatal evils; this our country foon experienced, and with terror beheld herfelf fubjected to a prince who, be ing enflaved to the most dangerous paffions, thought only of gratifying them, without any concern for the welfare of the empire,

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During the time when he was Great Duke, and heir of the Ruffian throne, he frequently caufed the bittereft chagrin to his auguft aunt and fovereign, as all our court knows; reftrained, however, by fear, in her

fight, he ftill kept up fome appearance of decency; but, in his heart," he confidered the affection the fhewed him, as a relation only, as an infupportable yoke. Nor could he fo well conceal his fentiments, as not even then to fhew, in the eyes of our faithful fubjects, the most prefumptuous ingratitude; which manifefted itfelf Tometimes by perfonal contempt of the Emprefs, and fometimes by an avowed hatred of the nation. At last, preferving no bounds, he rather chofe to give a loose to his paffions, than to conduct himfelf like the heir of a mighty empire. In a word, not the fmallest remains of any fenfe of honour were to be found in him. What were the effects? He was no fooner affured that his aunt and

benefactress drew near her end, than he refolved in his heart to dishonour her memory. His ingratitude reached fo far, that he furveyed with an eye of fcorn her body expofed in the coffin; and, when the neceffary rites obliged him to approach the corpfe, his looks were thofe of joy, and he even fhewed his ingratitude by words. Nor would her obfequies have been at all worthy fo great and magnanimous a fovereign, if our tender refpect, cemented by the ties of blood, and the extreme affection which the had borne us, had not made us think it our indifpenfible duty to take care that they were properly regarded.

'He imagined, that he owed his abfolute power not to the Supreme Being, but to chance alone; and that he held it not for the good of his fubjects, but for his own pleasure. Joining, therefore, licentioufnefs to power, he made all the alterations in the ftate which the weakness of his genius fuggefted, for the oppreffion of the people. Having effaced from his heart all traces of the orthodox Greek religion, (though he had been fufficiently inftructed in it's principles) he first endeavoured to destroy the true religion fo long established in Ruffia, forfaking the houfe of God, and the public devotions; infomuch that feveral of his subjects, (moved

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