Duration of the war with Sweden--Catharine--Her origin--Destitution--Her kind teacher--Dr. Gluck--She goes to Marienburg--Her character--Mode of life at Marienburg--Her lover--His person and character--Catharine is married--The town captured--Catharine made prisoner--Her anxiety and sorrow--The Russian general--Catharine saved--Catharine in the general's service--Seen by Menzikoff--Transferred to his service--Transferred to the Czar--Privately married--Affairs on the Pruth--The emperor's danger--Catharine in camp--A bribe--Catharine saves her husband--The vizier's excuses--A public marriage determined on--Arrangements--The little bridesmaids--Wedding ceremonies--Festivities and rejoicings--Birth of Catharine's son--Importance of the event--The baptism--Dwarfs in the pies--Influence of Catharine over her husband--Use which she made of her power--Peter's jealousy--Dreadful punishment--Catharine's usefulness to the Czar--Her imperfect education--Her final exaltation to the throne It was about the year 1690 that Peter the Great commenced his reign, and he died in 1725, as will appear more fully in the sequel of this volume. Thus the duration of the reign was thirty-five years. The wars between Russia and Sweden occupied principally the early part of the reign through a period of many years. The battle of Pultowa, by which the Swedish invasion of the Russian territories was repelled, was fought in 1709, nearly twenty years after the Czar ascended the throne. During the period while the Czar was thus occupied in his mortal struggle with the King of Sweden, there appeared upon the stage, in connection with him, a lady, who afterward became one of the most celebrated personages of history. This lady was the Empress Catharine. The character of this lady, the wonderful and romantic incidents of her life, and the great fame of her exploits, have made her one of the most celebrated personages of history. We can, however, here only give a brief account of that portion of her life which was connected with the history of Peter. Catharine was born in a little village near the town of Marienburg, in Livonia.[1] Her parents were in very humble circumstances, and they both died when she was a little child, leaving her in a very destitute and friendless condition. The parish clerk, who was the teacher of a little school in which perhaps she had been a pupil--for she was then four or five years old--felt compassion for her, and took her home with him to his own house. He was the more disposed to do this as Catharine was a bright child, full of life and activity, and, at the same time, amiable and docile in disposition, so that she was easily governed.