CATHARINE I., Empress of Russia, was originally by name Martha Rabe, and was the posthumous daughter of John Rabe, a Swedish quarter-master in Livonia. Her mother died in 1685, when she was but three years old. Left hopeless and destitute, a parish-clerk took compassion on her, and supported her, and a Lutheran clergyman in Marienburg, afterwards received her into his house as an attendant on his children. In 1701, she married a Swedish dragoon, who next year was called to active service; and Marienburg being taken by the Russians, she became for some time the mistress of gen. Bauer; and afterwards entering the service of the princess Menschikoff, she attracted the notice of Peter the great. In 1703, she went over to the Greek church, and took the name of Catliarina Alexiewna. After being for some years the emperor's mistress, she was privately married to him in 1711; the marriage was publicly avowed in 1712; she was proclaimed empress in 1718, and was crowned at Moscow in 1724. She bore eight children to the emperor, all of whom died in childhood, except two daughters, Anne and Elizabeth, the latter of whom was afterwards empress of Russia, and the former married the duke of Holstein, and was the mother of the emperor Peter III. When Peter the great and his army seemed entirely in the power of the Turkish army on the Pruth in 1717, C., who was with him, sought an interview with the grand vizier, and, by employ ing her jewels to bribe his attendants, succeeded in procuring the deliverance of the Russians. Her conduct on this occasion excited so much admiration and gratitude in
the emperor, that he resolved to appoint her his successor. Yet in the end of the year 1724, she became the object of his displeasure and suspicion, on account of an alleged intimacy with a chamberlain, whom he caused to be beheaded. Menschikoff, who bad always been attached to her interests, was at this time in disgrace. But she had con trived in a great measure to recover her position, when, on 28th Jan., 1725, Peter the great died. His death was kept secret as long as possible, that everything might be arranged for her possession of the throne; and the archbishop of Pleskow came forward and declared before the troops and people, that the emperor, on his death-bed, had declared her alone worthy to be his successor. The hostility and hesitation of the nobles were at once overcome, and C. was acknowledged as empress and sole ruler of all the Russias. Under Menschikoff's directions, the affairs of government went on well enough for a time; but the empress ere long began to yield to the influence of a number of favorites, addicted herself to drunkenness, and lived such a life as could not fail to hurry her to the grave. She died, however, unexpectedly, 17th May, 1727.