| Show CATIr ARINE 11 II of OV hussla RUSSIA in the year 1762 catharine became empress of russia around herwede her were gathered the chief conspirators men coarse ill educated and risen from the lowest ranks of the people in whose society she complained that shim could find no pleasure yet to whose aid she was indebted for all she was her subjects were discontented and rebellious she visited moscow the ancient seat of the aza czars azars but her ilfe life ilfe life was threatened and she bhe Tastily hastily returned to st petersburg even there she found herself surrounded by conspiracies against her power and her person the european monarchs looked coldly upon the parvenu empress who now wielded the uncertain sceptre tre which believed i to have won by a barbarous and dreadful crime crimcy and from her dangerous danger ous oua eminence tharine catharine Ga beheld herself everywhere surrounded by a thousand terrors which might have appalled any nature less resolute than her hen jerown he lown rown danger however only seemed to draw out her ber wonderful gen genius lusTor tor TOP com corn mand maid and her fierce ambition guided her to a course of policy that made her the most potent mon moni i archon aroh arch of her time she bhe crushed disco discontent li at home with unparalleled vigor the ancient nobility of russia who hated and despised the german usurper and her low born courtier sat length bet be toe t came her willing slaves the countless legions of bishops and monks monkey whom she had offended and treated with ignominy when they had ceased tobel tabei useful to her hid themselves overawed over awed and helpless in their cells her asplen did victories and contests won for har hac a popularity among her subjects such as none other predecessors but peter the great hid had possessed abroad the monarchs mon archa ot of europe were soon adon over dver mastered by her hw frederick the great courted her favor joseph II 11 of austria austila became a willing instrument in accomplishing her most unscrupulous designs george III ili of england sank into her jhen ally dissolute louis XV vainly strove by feeble diplomacy to check the stately progress of the new semiramis Catharine became the master intellect of europe of all her vast designs that upon which her chief energies were expended was to make russia acknowledged as on one e of the civilized nations of the ther time jAli phillia of Bla hla cedon had labored with fieroe fierce untiring ng zeal to make his native eking kingdom 0 Greek reek so catharine lived to make R russia I 1 a european she was resolved tv to be received naf ast a peer ingot that assemblage of crowned bia hia heads ids caste was still inclined to look down upon the barbarous empire which the great peter had brought into notice and she prepared to take an equal place among the Haps burgs the bourbons and the if she had not been an empress cath arine might perhaps have won a higher glory as an author her love for letters was intense and lasting she sought the correspondence and friendship of almost every eminent literary man 09 0 the da day slie she wrote to voltaire in serhis term of sincere admiration and und strove in vain to allure him hint to st t petersburg with didelot she was more successful and nd the philosopher condescended descended con to give a portion of his time to a visit to he faithful empress ress their conversations eions s vena nera olag anu and philosophical and dider DItl erod eroc ot beem seem to have found a far fat more agreeable friehe in catharine catharino Cathar lne ine than the sarcastic i voltaire m id hia hla his bid admirer and persecutor frederick Cat catharine barine was was always pro profuse filse in her liberality to literary men mon she purchased library at a considerable saba in arder to 0 o provide a dowty dowey for fo his daugh daughter tei tel allowing bina him to retain thelise the use of it fir ille iilo and settled upon him a pension as her librarian arian ariah she wished to induce the historian histo flan fian robertson bertson Bo by munificent offers to write an account of her hei reign her court couri was vas yas filled with men mert lagl nce and learning of science and art every form of bf mental montal excellence found in her a friend she abe establish established et academies or societies of learning and science silence and lavished hr hgr revenues in itt seeking to awaken the intellect of bif her people poets musicians philosophers actors and artists sprang up under her care careful tull fiAl patronage an and she succeeded at last in ih making st petersburg illustrious as one of the intellectual centers of t europe il harpers magazine |
