When firmly seated upon the throne, Catharine proved herself worthy of the high destination, and her reign was one of the most brilliant in the annals of time. Her private character seems to have been excellent, excepting the outrage she did to her sex and to morality by openly adopting in succession, a number of declared favourites. The chief events of her life are related in the articles Catharine II. France, Britain, Prussia, and Poland; some others will be noticed under Sweden and Turkey.
Among the most memorable events of Catharine's reign are to be enumerated, the establishment of a new code of laws for her dominions, however badly they were administered; the maintenance of a seven years war with the Turks; the unexpected and extraordinary destruction of the Turkish fleet at Tchesme by the Russian fleet under the command of Count Alexei Orlof, but chiefly directed by the counsels of our countryman Admiral Greig; the division of the em pire into vice-royalties; the visit of the emperor Joseph to Russia; the establishment of public schools throughout her realms; the erection of the justly cele brated monument of Peter the Great; the capture of the Krimea; the receiving under her protection the dominions of Heraclius II. tsar of Kartalinia and Kachetia; the institution of the imperial Russian aca demy; the repair of roads throughout the empire; the establishment of a loan bank for the accommodation of the nobles and the burghers; her visit to the south of Russia and to the Krimea, the capture of part of the Kuban, and of all the territory between the Boog, the Dnester, and the Black Sea, from the Turks and their adherents, after a series of victories; the obtain ing of various advantages over the Swedes both by sea and land, and then the conclusion of a peace; her participation in the dismemberment of Poland after a successful but cruel war; the conclusion of a treaty of defensive alliance between Russia and Great Bri tain in 1795; the successful invasion of the Persian territories and her subsequent defeat: and, finally, her sudden disease, which was followed by death.
Catharine the II. died on the 9th of November,1796, and the grand duke Paul, or rather Pavel Petrovitch, was seated on the throne in the fortieth year of his age, totally ignorant of the duties he had to perform, in consequence of having been obliged by his mother's will, to pass much time in obscurity and retirement. His politics and general conduct were very blameable. In consequence of his extraordinary actions, by many he was reckoned a fool and a madman, while others have spoken of him as a misguided man of uncom mon penetration, genius, and rectitude, whose grand plans were not allowed to develop themselves; and which were calculated to have rendered him one of the brightest ornaments of his country. The chief
political events of his life were his differing with Eng land in 1797; his contrivance to become grand master of the order of St. John of Jerusalem in 1798; the sending of a Russian army under field-marshal Suva, rof to join the Austrian army in Italy; and his decla ration of war against England.
The progress of Suv:trof, his extraordinary success over Moreau, and his recal by his imperial and whim sical master, equally astonished Europe.—Vide ITALY, AUSTRIA. and BRITAIN.
Paul's conduct became daily more and more singu lar and tyrannical. The demi-barbarous but brave Suv.rof is supposed to have fallen a victim to his caprice, and the ataman of the Kozaks, the celebrated Platoff, had nearly shared a similar fate. Others in power and favour had suffered sudden and great rever ses, and no individual could lie down to quiet rest, as he knew not what might be his fate before the dawn of day. The regulations of the emperor with respect to dress and salutations, and the exercise of his police in seeing his errors executed, would fill volumes with ridiculous anecdotes, and have been a great source of amusement for travellers. Dr. Clarke's works are peculiarly rich on these subjects, which are highly absurd and amusing.
Some of the nobles who had suffered private inju ries, and who persuaded themselves that they would render a most important service to their country, con spired and effected Paul's death in the most deter mined and barbarous manner, while in his new palace of St. Michael, and on the Ilth March, O. S 1801.
Early on the following morning, Alexander was proclaimed emperor of all the Russias, and ascended the throne in his 24th year, beloved by all classes of his subjects. Mildness and forbearance were the cha racteristic of the first acts of his government. He arrested the power of the senate, and recalled those who were innocent from banishment. He cultivated the friendship and entered into amicable arrangements with the states of Europe, and he adopted every mea sure which might procure advantages to his empire. Some of the most remarkable deeds of his commenc ing reign, were his taking off the embargo which had been laid by Paul on British vessels; his entering into a treaty of commerce with Sweden; his guaranteeing the sovereignty of Malta to the knights of St. John of Jerusalem; his proclamation of the union of Georgia to the empire; his sending two vessels round the world on a voyage of' discovery under the command of Captain Krusenstern; and the emancipation of the Jews from the shackles under which they had long groaned, and allowing them various privileges.