Encyclopaedia Britannica, or, a Dictionary of arts, sciences, and miscellaneous literature : enlarged and improved. Illustrated with nearly six hundred engravings > Volume 5, BUR-CHI

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itherinf. nearer to that Byzantium, on which {he had fo eagerly
fixed her eye, by a whole campaign, than at the com¬
mencement of hoftilities.
Having concluded a final treaty of peace with the
Turk, on the 9th of January 1792, by which the ri¬
ver Dnieiter became the boundary of the two empires,
and was to be navigated by both, the emprefs had
more time to apply her attention to European politics.
Part of Poland had been difmembered and partitioned
during the year 1772, not only in contravention to the
general rights of nations, but in direct oppofition to
the moft folemn treaties on the part of Rufiia, Pruffia,
and Auitria. The revolution which took place in that
ill-fated country on May 3. 1791, and which afforded
the profpedt of a happy and liable government to the
remains of the republic, was the fignal of its annihila¬
tion. The imperial and royal fpoilers feized this op¬
portunity to fall once more in concert on their prey,
which they forced to expire under their talons, and
they have fince cut it into fhares, and attempted to
disfigure it by new names, left it fhould one day be
reclaimed by the lawful owners. After this infult to
humanity, Staniflaus, whom pofterity may acknow¬
ledge as an unfortunate, but furely not as a great
king, was forced foon after to abdicate, and allowed
to retire into obfeurity with his miftrefs, his children,
and a penfion.
Another great object bad for fome time engaged
the attention of Catherine and her cabinet. This was
the French revolution •, an event pregnant with confe-
quences that involved the claims, or, more properly
fpeaking, the exiftence of all the fovereigns of Europe.
With a treafury nearly exhaufted by the war with the
Ottoman Porte, which was not then terminated, and
at a diftance from the feene of action, the emprefs could
not well engage in the contelt j but fire readily enter¬
ed into the coalition, and foon after fubfidized her late
enemy the king of Sweden j but that enterprifing
prince met his fate, on the night of the 16th of March
1792, by the hand of an alfaffin.
Notwithftanding this fmifler event, the head of the
Greek church, compaffionating the fate of the pretend¬
ed father of the Chriftian world, promifed to exert her-
felf for the reftoration of Avignon to the holy fee.
She alfo launched forth a menacing manifefto againit
France, and prepared for a new war.
The emprefs has hitherto been contemplated in her
public character. It may not be amifs now- to fix our
eyes on the individual j to pay fome attention to the
fox of the fovereign, and, viewing majefty as it were
in an undrefs, behold the woman lurking behind the
princefs.
It might have been fuppefed, that in the neighbour¬
hood of the Hyperborean regions, the pafiions, if not
dormant would be at lealt moderate, and that the men
would confequently be temperate, and the women
«halte. The contrary, however, is the cafe : and it
is left to the philofopher to determine, whether the
double windows and heated rooms of St Peterfburgh,
added to an affectation of oriental manners, be not to
the full as critical, in refpect to female virtue, as the
climate of Naples and Turin. Certain it is, however,
that, during the reign of Catherine II. no remarkable
increafe of indecorum took place, and that any occafion-
al indiferetions appear to have made but little itnpref-
fion on the public mind.
Count Gregory Orloff, diftinguifiied in Ruflia by
the appellation of Gregorevitfch, was one of the hand-
fomelt men in the north. Gratitude and affeCtion both
confpired to procure him a favourable reception at
court: and from an obfeure condition he foon rofc to
the higheft offices of the ffate^ which he, in fa£t, go¬
verned. His opinion in the cabinet was liftened to
with deference, and he was invefted with the fupreme
military command. Still higher honours awaited him.
The emprefs-queen was folicited to grant him a diplo¬
ma of prince of the empire it was next in contempla¬
tion to decorate him with the titles of duke of Ingria
and Carelia, and the chancellor Beftueheff a£tually pro-
pofed to the emprefs that he fliould be admitted as the
partner of her bed and throne. But this fcheme was
blaited by the interferenee of Count Panin j who, not
content with his own remonftrances, invoked the inter-
pofitiou of Razumoffsky and Vorontzoft, and found
means to divert Catherine from her purpofe..
Soon after this the conduct of Orloff began to give
diffatisfadtion: for he abfented himfelf from court 5
went but feldom to the palace j refided principally in
the country j and, being extremely addidted to hunt¬
ing, dedicated whole weeks to the chafe of the bear.
Panin, who had frequently experienced his arrogance,
deemed this a happy opportunity to procure his dif-
grace. He accordingly introduced a young officer
named Viflenflcy, who, being diredted by the artful
minifter, behaved in fuch a manner as to give reafon
to believe that he wrould foon reign uncontroulled.
Pride, however, on this occafion fupplied the place of
affedtion, and Orloff fuddenly altering his condudt, his
rival was difmified with fuperb prefents, and invefted
with an employment that required his relidence in a re¬
mote province.
A new favourite foon after made his appearance in
the perfon of Vaftiltfchikoff, a fubaltern in the guards,
and advantage was taken of the abfence of Orloff to
introduce him at the hermitage. This officer was
young and handfome } but nature, which had been la-
viffi to his perfon, feems to have been at no pains with
his mind. Pie was immediately appointed chamber-
lain to the emprefs, enriched with fplendid prefents,
and treated with the moft flattering attention. In the
mean time Gregorevitfch, who had been appointed to
treat with the Turkiffi plenipotentiaries relative to a
peace, on hearing of this unexpedted event, inftantly
returned to the capital from Fokthiani, but was arreft-
ed at the gates of Peterfburgh, and ftripped of all his
employments. He, however, experienced the impe¬
rial bounty, and received, as a recompenfc for his lub-
miffion, the fum of 100,000 rubles in hand, a penfion
of 150,000 more, a magnificent fervice of plate j and,
to crown the whole, an eftate, with 6000 peafants upon
it, was made over to him.
Vaffiltfchikoff, during 2 2 months, enjoyed all the
diftindtion belonging to the reigning favourite ; but
at the end of that period he alfo found occafion to la¬
ment the inconftancy of fortune. This young man had
conducted himfelf with great prudence, for he had ne¬
ver abufed his influence. He poffeffed none of that
haughtinefs fo common to upftar^s y and he did not ap¬
pear
Catherine.