died. The Grand Chancellor, Count Bestoujeff, foreseeing his death, had
advised me to ask the Grand Duke to give the place to a certain M.
Stambke. At the commencement of spring we went to Oranienbaum. Here our
mode of life was the same as in previous years, with this exception,
that the number of Holstein troops, and of adventurers who were
appointed as officers over them, was augmented year by year; and as it
was impossible to find quarters for them in the little village of
Oranienbaum, where at the first there were no more than twenty-eight
cottages, tents were pitched for these troops, whose number never
exceeded 1300 men. The officers dined and supped at court; but as the
number of ladies belonging to the court, together with the wives of the
gentlemen, did not exceed fifteen or sixteen, and as his Imperial
Highness was passionately fond of grand entertainments, which he
frequently gave, both in his camp, and in every nook and corner of
Oranienbaum, he admitted to these entertainments, not only the female
singers and ballet-girls of his opera, but also a great many women of
the middle class, of very bad character, who were brought to him from
St. Petersburg. As soon as I was aware that these singing women, etc.,
were to be admitted, I abstained from attending, under pretext at first
that I was taking the waters, and the greater part of the time I took my
meals in my own rooms with two or three persons. I afterwards told the
Grand Duke that I was afraid the Empress would be displeased if I
appeared in so mixed a company; and, in fact, I never went when I knew
that the hospitality was general, and therefore, whenever the Grand Duke
wished me to come, none were admitted but the ladies of the court. At
the masquerades which the Grand Duke gave at Oranienbaum, I never
appeared otherwise than very simply dressed, without jewels or
ornaments. This, too, had a good effect with the Empress, who neither
liked nor approved of these _fêtes_ at Oranienbaum, which really became
orgies; and yet she tolerated them, or at least did not forbid them. I
was informed that her Imperial Highness said, "These _fêtes_ give no
more pleasure to the Grand Duchess than they do to me; she goes to them
dressed in the simplest manner possible, and never sups with the crowd
admitted to them." I occupied myself at this time at Oranienbaum in
building and planting what is there called my garden, and the rest of
the time I took exercise either in walking, riding, or driving, and in
my own room I read.
In the month of July we heard that Memel had surrendered on terms to the
Russian troops on the 24th of June, and in August the news arrived of
the Battle of Gross-Jægersdorf, won by the Russian army on the 19th of
that month. On the day of the _Te Deum_, I gave a grand entertainment in
my garden to the Grand Duke, and to all the most distinguished people at
Oranienbaum, at which the Grand Duke and all the company appeared very
gay, and very much pleased. This diminished for the moment the pain
which the Grand Duke felt at the war which had just broken out between
Russia and the King of Prussia, for which ever since his boyhood he had
felt a singular inclination. This at the first was natural enough, but
in the end it degenerated into madness. At this time the public joy at
the success of the arms of Russia obliged him to dissemble his real
sentiments, which were that he saw with regret the defeat of the
Prussian troops, which he regarded as invincible. On that day I had an
ox roasted for the masons and laborers at Oranienbaum.
A few days after this entertainment we returned to the capital, where we
occupied the Summer Palace. Here Count Alexander Schouvaloff came one
evening to tell me that the Empress was in his wife's room, and that she
had sent word to me to come there and speak to her, as I had desired
last winter. I went without delay to the apartment of the Count and
Countess Schouvaloff, which was at the end of my own apartments, and
found the Empress there quite alone. After kissing her hand and
receiving her embrace in return, she did me the honour to say, that
having been informed that I wanted to speak to her, she had come to-day
to know what it was I wanted. It was now eight months and more since my
conversation with Alexander Schouvaloff on the subject of Brockdorf. I
replied to her Imperial Majesty that last winter, seeing the way in
which M. Brockdorf acted, I had thought it necessary to speak of it to
Count Alexander Schouvaloff, in order that he might apprise her Imperial
Majesty of it; that he had asked if he might name me as his authority,
and that I had told him that, if her Imperial Majesty wished it, I would
repeat to her all that I knew. Thereupon I related the story of
Elendsheim as it had taken place. She seemed to listen to me very
coldly, then she asked me for details of the private life of the Grand
Duke and of his associates. I told her with the greatest truth all that
I knew of them, and when, with regard to the affairs of Holstein, I
entered into some details which showed her that I was well acquainted
with them, she said to me, "You seem to be well informed in regard to
that country." I said very simply that that was not a difficulty, as the
Grand Duke had ordered me to make myself acquainted with them. I saw
from her countenance that this confidence made a disagreeable impression
on her mind, and generally she appeared to me unusually close during
this conversation, in which she questioned me, and made me talk,
scarcely saying a word herself, so that this interview appeared to me
rather a kind of inquisition on her part, than a confidential
conversation. At last she dismissed me quite as coldly as she received
me, and I was very little pleased with my audience, which Alexander
Schouvaloff recommended me to keep quite secret, which I promised him to
do, and indeed there was nothing in it to boast of. On my return I
attributed the coldness of the Empress to the antipathy with which, as I
had long been informed, the Schouvaloffs had inspired her against me. It
will be seen as we proceed what a detestable use, if I may venture to
say so, they persuaded her to make of the private conversation.
Some time after this we learned that Marshal Apraxine, far from
profiting by his success after the capture of Memel and the victory of
Gross-Jægersdorf, to push onwards, was retiring with such
precipitation, that his retreat resembled a flight, for he threw away or
burned his carriages and spiked his guns. No one understood these
operations: his friends, even, could not justify him, and on that
account it was suspected that there must be some foul play. Although I
do not myself know to what exactly to attribute the precipitate and
inconsistent retreat of Marshal Apraxine, never having seen him since,
yet I think the cause of it may have been that he received from his
daughter, the Princess Kourakine, always connected by policy, though not
by inclination, with Peter Schouvaloff, from his son-in-law, Prince
Kourakine, and from his friends and relatives, very precise news of the
health of the Empress, which was constantly getting worse and worse. At
this time it began generally to be conceived that she had very violent
convulsions every month, regularly; that these convulsions visibly
enfeebled her faculties; that after every convulsion she was for three
or four days in a state of weakness and exhaustion which resembled
lethargy; and that during this period she could not be spoken to on any
subject whatsoever. Marshal Apraxine, perhaps thinking the danger more
urgent than it really was, did not judge it advisable to advance farther
into Prussia, but thought it best to make a retrograde movement, in
order to draw nearer to the frontiers of Russia, under pretext of want
of provisions, foreseeing that, in the event of the Empress' death, the
war would be brought at once to a close. It was difficult to justify the
proceedings of Marshal Apraxine. But such may have been his views, and
the more so as he believed his presence necessary in Russia, as I have
already mentioned, when speaking of his departure. Count Bestoujeff
informed me, through Stambke, of the turn which the conduct of Marshal
Apraxine had taken, and how the Imperial Ambassador, and that of
France, loudly complained of it. He begged me to write to the Marshal,
as being his friend, and join my persuasions to his, to induce him to
retrace his steps and put an end to a flight to which his enemies gave
an odious and injurious interpretation. I did write to him, and informed
him of the reports current at St. Petersburg, and of the difficulty
which his friends found in justifying the precipitancy of his retreat,
and begged him to retrace his steps and fulfil the orders he had
received from the Government. This letter was sent to him through
Bestoujeff, but I received no reply to it. Meanwhile General Fermor,
Director-General of Works to her Imperial Majesty, came to take leave of
us on his departure from St. Petersburg. We learned that he was
appointed to the army. He had formerly been Quarter-master-general to
Count Munich. The first thing which he asked for was to have with him
his _employés_ or superintendents, at the board of works, the Brigadiers
Reaznoff and Mordvinoff; and with them he set off for the army. These
were soldiers who had scarcely ever done anything but make contracts for
building. On his arrival he was ordered to take the command, in place of
Marshal Apraxine, who was recalled, and who, on his return, found at
Trihorsky an order to await there the commands of the Empress. These
were long in reaching him, because his friends, his daughter, and Peter
Schouvaloff moved heaven and earth to calm the anger of the Empress,
fomented as it was by Counts Voronzoff, Boutourline, John Schouvaloff,
and others, who were urged on by the ambassadors of the courts of Vienna
and Versailles, who were anxious to have the Marshal brought to trial.
At last, commissioners were named to examine him. After the first
interrogatory, the Marshal was seized with a fit of apoplexy, of which
he died in about twenty-four hours. In this trial, General Lieven would
assuredly have also been included. He was the friend and confidant of
Apraxine. I should have had an additional grief, for Lieven was
sincerely attached to me. But whatever friendship I may have had for
Apraxine and Lieven, I can swear that I was entirely ignorant of the
cause of their conduct, and even of their conduct itself, although a
good deal of trouble was taken to circulate a report that it was to
please the Grand Duke and me that they had retreated instead of
advancing. Lieven occasionally gave very singular proofs of his
attachment to me; among others, the following. The Ambassador of
Austria, Count Esterhazy, gave a masquerade, at which the Empress and
all the court were present. Lieven, seeing me pass the room where he
was, said to his neighbour, who was Count Poniatowsky, "There is a woman
for whom a fellow might take some blows of the knout without
complaining." I have this anecdote from Count Poniatowsky himself, since
King of Poland.
As soon as General Fermor had assumed the command, he hastened to fulfil
his instructions, which were precise. He instantly moved forward, in
spite of the rigour of the season, and occupied Königsberg, which sent
deputies to him on 18th January, 1758.
During this winter I suddenly perceived a great change in the behaviour
of Leon Narichkine. He began to be disrespectful and rude; no longer
visited me except unwillingly, and talked in a manner which made it
evident that some one was filling his head with prejudices against me,
his sister-in-law, his sister, Count Poniatowsky, and all who held to
me. I learned that he was constantly at the house of John Schouvaloff,
and I easily guessed that they were turning him against me, in order to
punish me for having prevented his marriage with Mademoiselle Hitroff,
and that they would certainly go on until they had led him into
indiscretions which might be injurious to me. His sister-in-law, his
sister, and his brother were equally angry with him on my account, and,
literally, he conducted himself like a fool, and took delight in
offending us as much as he could, and that, too, while I was furnishing,
at my own expense, the house in which he was to live when married. Every
one accused him of ingratitude, and told him that he had no interest in
what he was doing; in a word, that he had nothing whatever to complain
of. It was evident that he was a mere tool in the hands of those who had
got possession of him. He was more regular in paying court to the Grand
Duke, whom he amused as much as he could, leading him on more and more
to courses which he knew I disapproved of. He sometimes pushed his
incivility so far as not to reply when I spoke to him. To this very hour
I cannot conceive what could have offended him, for I had literally
loaded him with favours and friendship, as also all his family, from the
first moment I knew them. I fancy he was also induced to cajole the
Grand Duke, by the advice of the Schouvaloffs, who told him that the
Duke's favour would be more advantageous than mine, since I was in ill
odour both with him and the Empress, neither of whom liked me, and that
he would interfere with his own prospects if he did not detach himself
from me; that as soon as the Empress died, the Grand Duke would put me
into a convent; and other such like statements which the Schouvaloffs
made to him, and which were reported to me. Besides, they showed him in
perspective the order of St. Anne as the symbol of the Grand Duke's
favour. By these and such like reasonings and promises, they obtained
from this weak-minded young man, all the little treacheries they
wished; indeed, they made him go not only as far, but even farther than
they wished, although now and then, as will hereafter be seen, he had
his fits of repentance. He also endeavoured, as much as possible, to
alienate the Grand Duke from me, so that his Imperial Highness
manifested an almost continuous ill-humour towards me, while he again
renewed his connection with the Countess Elizabeth Voronzoff.
In the beginning of the spring of this year it was rumoured that Prince
Charles of Saxony, son of Augustus III, King of Poland, intended to
visit St. Petersburg. The prospect of this visit appeared no pleasure to
the Grand Duke, for many reasons. In the first place, he feared that it
would be an additional restraint upon him, as he did not like that the
course of life which he had traced out for himself should be in the
least disturbed. In the next place the house of Saxony stood opposed to
the King of Prussia, while a third reason may have been that he feared
to suffer by comparison; if so, this, at all events, was being very
modest, for the poor Prince of Saxony was a mere nonentity and wholly
devoid of education. Except hunting and dancing, he knew absolutely
nothing, and he told me himself that in the whole course of his life he
never had a book in his hand except the prayer-books given to him by his
mother, who was a great bigot. The Prince, in short, arrived at St.
Petersburg on the 5th of April, in this year. He was received with much
ceremony, and a great display of magnificence and splendour. His suite
was very numerous, and he was accompanied by many Poles and Saxons,
among whom there was a Lubomirsky, a Pototsky, a Rzevusky, who enjoyed
the appellation of "_the handsome_," two princes, Soulkowsky, a Count
Sapieha, the Count Branitsky, since Grand-General, a Count Einsiedel,
and many others, whose names do not now occur to me. He had a kind of
sub-governor or tutor with him, named Lachinal, who directed his conduct
and his correspondence. The Prince took up his residence in the house of
the chamberlain, John Schouvaloff, which was recently finished, and on
which its owner had exhausted his taste, notwithstanding which the house
was tasteless and inconveniently though richly furnished. There were
numerous paintings, but the greater part were only copies. One of the
rooms was ornamented with tchinar wood, but as this wood does not take a
polish it had been varnished; this turned it yellow, but of a very
disagreeable hue, and, this being pronounced ugly, they sought to remedy
it by covering it with very elaborate carvings, which they silvered.
Externally, this mansion, though imposing in itself, resembled in its
decorations, ruffles of Alençon lace, so loaded was it with ornament.
Count John Czernickeff was appointed to attend on Prince Charles, and
the Prince was provided with everything he required at the expense of
the court, and waited on by the servants of the court.
The night preceding the day of Prince Charles's visit to us, I suffered
so severely from a violent attack of cholic, with such looseness of the
bowels that they were moved more than thirty times. Notwithstanding
this, and the fever consequent upon it, I dressed the next morning to
receive the Prince of Saxony. He was presented to the Empress about two
o'clock in the afternoon, and, upon leaving her, was presented to me.
The Grand Duke was to enter a moment after him. Three arm-chairs had
been placed side by side along the same wall, the centre one was for me,
that on my right for the Grand Duke, and the one on my left for the
Prince of Saxony. The task of keeping up the conversation devolved
entirely upon me, for the Grand Duke had hardly a word to say, and the
Prince had no conversational powers. In short, after a brief interview
of a quarter of an hour's length, Prince Charles arose to present his
immense _suite_ to us. There were with him, I think, more than twenty
persons, to whom were added, upon this occasion, the Polish and Saxon
Envoys who resided at the Russian Court, together with their employés.
After half an hour's interview the Prince took leave, and I undressed
and went to bed, where I remained three or four days in a very violent
fever, at the end of which I showed some signs of pregnancy. At the end
of April we went to Oranienbaum. Before our departure we learnt that
Prince Charles of Saxony intended to join the Russian army as a
volunteer. Before leaving for the army, he went with the Empress to
Petershoff where he was _fêted_. We took no part in these festivities,
or in those given in the capital, but remained at our country-house,
where he came to take leave of us, and then departed on the 4th of July.
As the Grand Duke was almost always in very bad humour with me, for
which I could find no other reasons than my not receiving either M.
Brockdorf or the Countess Voronzoff, who again was becoming the reigning
favourite, it occurred to me to give a _fête_ to his Imperial Highness
in my garden at Oranienbaum, in order, if possible, to mitigate this
ill-feeling. A _fête_ was a thing always welcome to his Imperial
Highness. Accordingly, I ordered an Italian architect who was at that
time in my service, Antonio Renaldi, to construct, in a retired spot in
the wood a large car capable of containing an orchestra of sixty
persons, singers and instrumentalists. I had verses composed by the
Italian poet of the court, and set to music by the chapel-master,
Araja. In the large avenue of the garden was placed an illuminated
decoration with a curtain, opposite to which a table was laid out for
supper. On the 17th of July, at the close of day, his Imperial Highness,
and all who were at Oranienbaum and numerous spectators from St.
Petersburg and Cronstadt, assembled in the gardens which they found
illuminated. We sat down to table, and, after the first course, the
curtain which concealed the grand avenue was raised, and in the distance
the ambulatory orchestra was seen approaching, drawn by twenty oxen,
decorated with garlands and surrounded by all the dancers, male and
female, that I had been able to get together. The avenue was
illuminated, and so bright that everything could be plainly
distinguished. When the car stopped, it so happened that the moon stood
directly over it--a circumstance which produced an admirable effect and
took the company quite by surprise; the weather, besides, was most
delightful. The guests sprang from table, and advanced nearer to enjoy
more fully the beauty of the symphony and of the spectacle. When this
was ended the curtain dropped, and we sat down again to table for the
second course; after which a flourish of trumpets and cymbals was heard,
and then a mountebank cried out, "This way, ladies and gentlemen; walk
in here, and you will find lottery tickets for nothing." At each side of
the curtained decoration two small curtains were now raised, displaying
two small shops brightly illuminated, at one of which tickets were
distributed gratis for a lottery of the porcelain it contained; and, in
the other, for flowers, fans, combs, purses, ribbons, gloves,
sword-knots, and other similar trifles. When the stalls were empty
dessert was served, and afterwards came dancing, which was kept up till
six the next morning. For once in the way, no intrigue or ill-will
occurred to mar the effect of my _fête_, and his Imperial Highness and
every one besides was in ecstasies. Nothing was to be heard but
laudations of the Grand Duchess and her _fête_; and, indeed, I had
spared no expense. My wine was pronounced delicious; the repast the best
possible. All was at my own expense, and cost from 10,000 to 15,000
roubles; it must be remembered that I had 30,000 roubles a-year. But
this _fête_ was near costing me still more dearly; for, during the day
of the 17th of July, having gone in a cabriolet with Madame Narichkine
to see the preparations, and wishing to descend from the carriage, just
as I placed my foot on the step, a sudden movement of the horse threw me
on my knees on the ground. I was then four or five months advanced in
pregnancy. I pretended to make light of the accident, and remained the
last at the _fête_, doing the honours. However I was very much afraid of
a miscarriage, but no ill result occurred, and I escaped with nothing
worse than the fright.
The Grand Duke, and all his coterie, all his Holstein retainers, and
even my most rancorous enemies, for days afterwards, were never tired of
singing my praises, and those of my _fête_, there being no one, either
friend or foe, who did not carry off some trifle or other, as a
souvenir; and as at the _fête_, which was a masquerade, there was a
numerous assemblage of all ranks, and as the company in the garden was
very mixed, and as among them were a number of women who could not
elsewhere have appeared at court, or in my presence, all made a boast
and display of my presents, which were, in reality, mere trifles, none
of them, I believe, exceeding a hundred roubles in value; but they came
from me, and every one was delighted to be able to say, "I received that
from her Imperial Highness the Grand Duchess; she is goodness itself;
she has made presents to every one; she is charming; she gave me a kind
smile, and took pleasure in making us all eat, dance, and divert
ourselves; she was always ready to find a place for those who had none,
and wished every one to see all that was to be seen. She was very
lively," etc.
In short, on that day I was found to possess qualities which had not
before been recognized, and I disarmed my enemies. This was what I
wanted; but it did not last long, as will shortly appear.
After this _fête_, Leon Narichkine renewed his visits to me. One day, on
entering my boudoir, I found him impertinently stretched on a couch
which was there, and singing an absurd song; seeing this, I went out,
closing the door after me, and immediately went in search of his
sister-in-law, whom I told that we must get a good bundle of nettles,
and with them chastise this fellow, who had for some time past behaved
so insolently towards us, and teach him to respect us. His sister-in-law
readily consented, and we forthwith had brought to us some good strong
rods, surrounded with nettles. We took along with us a widow, who was
with me, among my women, by name Tatiana Jourievna, and we all three
entered the cabinet, where we found Leon Narichkine singing his song at
the top of his voice. When he saw us he tried to make off, but we
whipped him so well with our rods and nettles, that his hands, legs, and
face were swollen for two or three days to such a degree that he could
not accompany us to Peterhoff on the morrow, which was a court day, but
was obliged to remain in his room. He took care, besides, not to boast
of what had occurred, because we assured him that on the least sign of
impoliteness, or ground of complaint from him, we would renew the
operation, seeing that there was no other means of managing him. All
this was done as mere joke, and without anger, but our hero felt it
sufficiently to recollect it, and did not again expose himself to it, at
least, not to the same extent as before.