History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 20Carlyle, Thomas
History
History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 20
Carlyle, Thomas
Frederick II, King of Prussia, 1712-1786; Prussia (Germany) -- History -- Frederick II, 1740-1786; Social problems
Yes, Doctor, that Lady in black is the Czarina; and has come a drive
of twenty miles this morning; and done a great deal of business in
Town,--one day before the set time. In her remote Apartment at Peterhof,
this morning, between 2 and 3, she awoke to see Alexei Orlof, called
oftener SCARRED Orlof (Lover GREGORY'S Brother), kneeling at her
bedside, with the words, "Madam, you must come: there is not a moment to
lose!"--who, seeing her awake, vanished to get the vehicles ready. About
7, she, with the Scarred and her maid and a valet or two, arrived at the
Guards' Barracks here,--Gregory Orlof, and others concerned, waiting to
receive her, in the fit temper for playing at sharps. She has spoken a
little, wept a little, to the Guards (still only half-dressed, many of
them): "Holy religion, Russian Empire thrown at the feet of Prussia; my
poor Son to be disinherited: Alack, ohoo!" Whereupon the Guards (their
Officers already gained by Orlof) have indignantly blazed up into the
fit Hurra-hurra-ing:--and here, since about 9 A.M., we have just been in
the "Church of St. Mary of Casan" ("Oh, my friends, Orthodox Religion,
first of all!") doing TE-DEUMS and the other Divine Offices, for the
thrice-happy Revolution and Deliverance now vouchsafed us and you! And
the Herr Doctor, under outburst of the chimes of St. Mary, and of the
jubilant Soldieries and Populations, sees the Czarina saluting to right
and left; and Priests, with their assistants and crucifixes ("Behold
them, ye Orthodox; is there anything equal to true Religion?"), walking
before her Hackney Coach.
"On the one step of her Coach," continues the Herr Doctor, "stood
Grigorei Grigorjewitsh Orlow," so he spells him, "and in front of
it, with drawn sword, rode the Field-marshal and Hetman Count
Kirila Grigorjewitsh Rasomowski, Colonel of the Ismailow Guard.
Lieutenant-General (soon to be General-Ordnance-Master) Villebois came
galloping up; leapt from his horse under our windows, and placed himself
on the other step of the Coach. The procession passed before our house;
going first to the New stone Palace, then to the Old wooden Winter
Palace. Common Russians shouted mockingly up to us, 'Your god [meaning
the Czar] is dead!' And others, 'He is gone; we will have no more of
him!'"--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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