in his gorgeous bed, whose velvet hangings, looped back with their
heavy ropes and tassels of gold, were the laborious offering of the
pupils of St. Cyr; the groups of princes in their gorgeous costumes,
dispersed over the vast apartment; the gilded cornices, the priceless,
the tapestried hangings, the richly-carpeted floor, the waste of luxury
on every side, the pride of man’s intellect and of man’s strength; and
in the midst, decay and death, a palsied hand and a dimmed eye.” For
a few moments there was unbroken silence. The king then requested his
great-grandchild, who was to be his successor, to be brought to him.
A cushion was placed at the bedside, and the little prince, clinging
to the hand of his governess, knelt upon it. Louis XIV. gazed for a
moment upon him with mingled anxiety and tenderness, and then said
impressively, “My child, you are about to become a great king; do
not imitate me, either in my taste for building, or in my love of
war. Endeavor, on the contrary, to live in peace with the neighboring
nations; render to God all that you owe him, and cause his name to be
honored by your subjects. Strive to relieve the burdens of your people,
in which I have been unfortunate enough to fail; and never forget the
gratitude that you owe to Madame de Ventadour.”
Louis XV. caused these last words, addressed to him by his grandfather,
to be inscribed on vellum, and attached to the head-cloth of his bed.
Words to which his life for fifty years was but a hollow mockery. The
following days were ones of agony to the expiring king. His intervals
of consciousness were rare and brief. Mortification extended rapidly,
and toward midday, on the 31st of August, his condition became so
much exasperated that it was found necessary to perform the service
for the dying without further delay. The mournful ceremony aroused
him from his lethargy, and his voice was heard, audibly and clearly,
mingled with those of the priests. At the termination of the prayers,
he recognized the Cardinal de Rohan, and said calmly, “These are the
last favors of the Church.” He then repeated several times, “_Nunc et
in hora mortis_”; and finally he exclaimed, with earnest fervor, “O,
my God, come to my aid, and hasten to help me!” He never spoke again;
his head fell back upon the pillow, one long-drawn sigh, and all was
over. The spirit of Louis XIV. had passed the earthly veil, and entered
the vast unknown. An immense concourse had assembled in the marble
court at Versailles, anticipating the announcement of his death. The
moment he breathed his last, the captain of the body-guard approached
the great balcony, threw open the massive windows, and, looking down
upon the multitude below, raised his truncheon above his head, broke it
in the centre, and, throwing the fragments down into the court-yard,
he cried sadly, “The king is dead!” Then, instantly seizing another
staff from the hands of an attendant, he waved it joyfully above his
head, and shouted triumphantly, “Long live the king, Louis XV.!” And
a multitudinous echo from the depths of the lately-deserted apartment
answered as buoyantly, “Long live the king!”
Thus, on the 1st of September, 1715, in his palace, at Versailles, died
“one of the world’s most powerful monarchs, Louis of Bourbon, Louis
the Great, Louis the God-given, Louis the _Grand Monarque_, Louis the
worn-out, unloving, and unloved old man, of magnificent Versailles.”
And when Massillon, called to preach the funeral sermon of Louis XIV.,
as he looked upon the magnificent draperies and insignia of royalty
around him, and thought of the title the deceased king had borne during
his life, he began his discourse, with the simple and striking words,
which amazed the pleasure-loving courtiers of Versailles, “God alone is
great, my brothers.” And now, after two hundred years have rolled away,
at this present time, in this nineteenth century, after the scaffold of
Louis XVI., after the downfall of Napoleon, after the exile of Charles
X., after the flight of Louis Philippe, after the French Revolution,—in
a word, that is to say, after this renewal, complete, absolute,
prodigious, of principles, opinions, situations, influences, and facts;
standing upon the terrace of magnificent Versailles, and looking upon
those scenes, where, for so many years, he was the central light and
figure,—we bid a last adieu to Louis XIV., the _Grand Monarque_,
greatest of all the Bourbons.
PETER THE GREAT.
A.D. 1672-1725.
“No true and permanent fame can be founded, except in labors
which promote the happiness of mankind.”
CHARLES SUMNER.
ONE thousand years ago, Russia was inhabited by disunited, Slavonic
tribes, who were frequently at war with each other. Then Scandinavian
tribes were called in, and the Russian nation grew from the two centres
of Novgorod and Kíef. Christianity was introduced from Constantinople.
Trade had been commenced with the west of Europe, when the whole
country was over-run by the Mongols and Tartars, and the people were
obliged to submit to their yoke. The country had been divided into
various Russian states, which were not ruled directly by the Mongols,
but became vassals. These states were each governed by its own prince,
who were all subject to Tartary. One state after another was at length
swallowed up by the Grand Duchy of Moscow, and the autocracy was
established; which, after freeing Russia from the Mongol yoke, reached
its highest development, under Iván the Terrible, in 1533. The death of
Iván gave a blow to autocracy, and brought the nobility into power. In
1598, nearly the whole of the Russian people were reduced to serfdom,
which was an institution then first legally established. Then came a
period, called the Troublous Time, when pretender vied with pretender,
and the son of the king of Poland was crowned Czar of Moscow. Finally,
the Poles were turned out, and young Michael Románof was elected Czar.
Then followed continual wars with Poland and Sweden. In the reign of
Alexis, in 1645-76, an arbitrary government was formed. Henceforth,
the Czar managed all matters, both great and small, according to his
own will and pleasure. The Czar Alexis was of a gentle and amiable
nature, and was called by his subjects, “The most Debonnair.” But his
good qualities, in the end, rendered him one of the worst sovereigns
of Russia; for he was entirely in the hands of wicked men, who, as
his favorites, exercised all the power, and, in reality, governed the
country.
[Illustration: PIERRE I.]
Then arose the dissent in the Russian Church. The Patriarch, Nikon,
undertook the correction of all the printed and manuscript copies
of the liturgy; and by a decree of an Ecclesiastical Council, the
corrected books were ordered to be the only ones used, and the command
was given that all others should be destroyed. This measure excited
the greatest hostility. It seems strange that passions should be
roused, and people be found willing to suffer martyrdom, for such
seemingly unimportant questions,—as to whether the name of Jesus should
be pronounced, “Isus,” or “Yisus”; whether, in a certain portion of
the morning service, the word “Hallelujah” should be repeated twice
or thrice; and whether the sign of the cross should be made with the
two fore-fingers extended, or with the fore-fingers and the thumb,
as denoting the Trinity. But such was the case; and so great was the
commotion, that arms were resorted to by the Court, at Moscow, to
enforce these innovations; and some of the most obstinate opposers
were even executed. In the east of Russia, the inhabitants of whole
villages shut themselves up in their houses, and setting fire to them,
perished in the flames, rather than accept a new, and what they called
a diabolical, religion. The government was at length successful,
however, and revised service-books were introduced into the churches.
At the present day, nearly one-half of the Russians belong in spirit,
if not openly, to the Dissenters; and the reconciliation between
them and the official church has only been accomplished by relaxing
the rigor of the laws of persecution. During the reign of Alexis,
the father of Peter the Great, much importance was attached to the
length and fulness of the Czar’s title. An accidental omission of a
single word or letter from this long and cumbrous official title was
considered an act of personal disrespect to the prince, almost equal
to high treason, and was punished far more severely than many terrible
crimes. The shortest title of the Czar that could possibly be used,
and which it was necessary to repeat every time that the Czar’s name
was mentioned in document, petition, or discourse, was “The Great Lord
Czar and Grand Duke Alexis Micháilovitch, of all Great and Little and
White Russia Autocrat.” The complete title contained one hundred and
twenty-three words, which we have not space to give. Alexis, having
lost his first wife, in 1669, married for his second wife Natalia
Narýshkin, who was a ward of Matvéief, the chief minister of the Czar.
Their meeting was in this manner: One evening, when the Czar was at
Matvéief’s house, the wife and pretty ward of the prime minister came
into the room, bringing the usual refreshments of cups of _vodka_,
the caviare, and smoked fish, which are eaten by the Russians before
dinner or supper. The widowed Czar was struck by the pretty face of
the tall, shapely, black-eyed girl, and, on going away, said to
Matvéief that he would find a bridegroom for his pretty ward. It was
the custom, when the Czar was in want of a bride, for all the Russian
maidens, of suitable position and beauty, to assemble at the palace
on a certain day, that a bride might be chosen from their number for
the prince. Word was now sent to Natalia Narýshkin to appear with the
other maidens, and it was soon reported that she was the chosen bride.
The daughters of the Czar objected to so young a step-mother; but, in
spite of opposition, both political and from his family, Alexis was
married to Natalia, on the 1st of February, 1671. The Czar had several
daughters of his first wife still living, and two sons, Theodore,
who was very infirm and sickly, and John, or Iván, who was almost
blind, and had a defect of speech, and was nearly an idiot. But his
favorite child was Peter, the son of his second wife, Natalia, who
was born June 9, 1672. The birth of Peter was hailed with great joy,
and Alexis ordered a most splendid ceremonial in honor of the event.
Then came the christening. The ceremony was performed at the Cathedral
of the Annunciation; and the infant Peter was borne to the church in
a cradle placed on wheels, while the priest most venerated for his
sanctity sprinkled the path with holy water. The next day after the
christening the feast occurred. The expense and account books, which
have been preserved, show that on this occasion the tables were loaded
with large pieces of sugar-work, representing eagles, swans, and other
birds, larger than life; also representations of the Muscovite arms
and a model of the Krémlin, the palace of the Czar, and also a large
fortress with cannon. One of the first ceremonies after the birth of a
Russian prince was what was called “taking his measure.” The measure
of Peter was taken on the third day after his birth, and was performed
in this manner: a board of either cypress or linden-wood was cut the
exact length and breadth of the child, which in his case was nineteen
and a quarter inches long and five and a quarter inches broad. Upon
this board a picture, representing the Holy Trinity, together with
the Apostle Peter, was painted by a famous artist. This birth-measure
of Peter was carefully preserved, and now hangs over his tomb in the
Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, in the fortress at St. Petersburg.
A nurse and governess were then selected for the infant Peter; and
he had a special staff of dwarfs who should be his companions and
servants. The infant prince had his own apartments, some of which were
hung with leather, stamped with silver, and others with fine red cloth;
while the furniture was covered with crimson, embroidered with blue and
yellow, and the walls and ceilings were decorated with paintings.
The curious books of accounts enumerate some of the articles ordered
for him in the first years of his childhood. Among them were “cradles
covered with gold-embroidered Turkish velvet; sheets and pillows
of white silk; coverlets of gold and silver stuffs; coats, caps,
stockings, and shoes of velvet, silk, and satin, embroidered with
gold and pearls; buttons and tassels of pearls and emeralds; a chest
for his clothes, covered with dark blue velvet, ornamented with
mother-of-pearl; and a miniature carriage, drawn by ponies, in which
he was taken out to drive. Among his toys were musical instruments
of various kinds, and all sorts of military equipments.” Peter grew
rapidly. He was able to walk when six months old. Being the pet of his
parents, he accompanied them in all their excursions and visits. When
he was three years of age, he was presented with a small carriage
drawn by four ponies, in which he was driven by the court dwarfs, and
he began to take part in the public processions of the court. One scene
is thus described: “Immediately after the carriage of the Czar, there
appeared from another gate of the palace the carriage of the Czarina.
In front went the chamberlains with two hundred runners, after which
twelve large snow-white horses, covered with silk housings, drew the
Czarina. Then followed the small carriage of the youngest prince, all
glittering with gold, drawn by four dwarf ponies. At the side of it
rode four dwarfs on ponies, and another one behind.” The presentation
of Peter at court is thus described:—
“The door on one side suddenly opened, and Peter, three years old, a
curly-headed boy, was seen for a moment, holding his mother’s hand, and
looking at the reception.”
[Illustration: THE KRÉMLIN OF MOSCOW.]
At this time, there were a dozen princesses living at the palace,—the
sisters and the aunts and the six daughters of the Czar Alexis. All
were unmarried. They were forbidden to marry any below their own rank;
and since the Tartar invasion, only two attempts had been made to
marry a Russian princess to a foreigner. None of these princesses,
except Sophia, who had shared the lessons of her brother Theodore, had
more than the rudiments of an education. Most of the princesses were
disposed of by placing them in convents. Natalia, the mother of Peter,
having been brought up by a Scotchwoman, had seen more of society than
the other royal ladies; and she was allowed a greater degree of freedom
than had been vouchsafed to her predecessors, who had been rigidly
secluded within their own apartments.
In 1676, the Czar Alexis died, and the throne descended to his
eldest son, Theodore. It was the custom in Russia for the relations of
the Czar’s wife to have great power at court; and when Theodore came to
the throne, the Miloslávsky family, who were his mother’s relations,
assumed great power, while the family of Peter’s mother, the Czarina
Natalia, lost their influence for the time.
Both Theodore and Iván were feeble and sickly children, while Peter was
strong and robust. But the law of descent was inexorable, and on the
death of Alexis, Theodore became Czar. As he was only fourteen years
of age, the administration of the government was left to the ministers
of state. Now his sister, the Princess Sophia, who was very ambitious,
formed schemes for getting the power into her own hands. She therefore
so devoted herself to the care of Theodore, who was sick most of the
time, that she gained complete ascendency over him; and she met all the
courtiers, who came to visit the sick Czar, with such affable manners,
and showed such intelligence, that she won a strong party of the
nobles over to her support. There was in Russia, at this time, a very
powerful body of troops, which had been organized by the emperors as
an imperial guard. These troops were called the Streltsi. The Princess
Sophia paid great attention to the officers of these guards, and thus
gained their good-will. Theodore soon after died, and named Peter as
his successor, passing over his brother Iván, as his many infirmities
rendered it impossible for him to reign. It is probable that it was
through the influence of some of the nobles who were opposed to Sophia,
that Theodore was induced to name Peter as his successor. Peter,
although but ten years of age, was proclaimed emperor by the nobles,
immediately after Theodore’s death. Sophia now determined to resist
the transfer of the supreme power to Peter. She secretly engaged the
Streltsi, or guards, on her side. She caused a report to be spread,
that the late emperor had been poisoned, and that the Narýshkins had
murdered the Czarewitz Iván, and that the Narýshkins wished to kill all
the royal family. Thus were the relations of the Czarina Natalia, the
mother of Peter, accused of desiring the death of all the children of
the first wife of Alexis, that Peter might gain the throne. Such was
the falsehood that the Princess Sophia is said to have originated in
order to secure the power. The cry then arose, “To arms! Punish the
traitors! To the Krémlin! Save the Czar!” A general alarm was sounded.
The Streltsi, fully armed, advanced from all sides towards the Krémlin,
and surrounded the palace, demanding the Czarewitz Iván. The Czarina
Natalia was advised to go out on the red staircase with the Czar Peter
and the Czarewitz Iván, that the Streltsi might be convinced of the
falsity of the rumor. Trembling with terror, Natalia took by the hand
her son and stepson, and accompanied by the nobles, went out upon the
red staircase. “Here is the Czar Peter and the Czarewitz Iván!” cried
the nobles, to the mob below. “There are no traitors in the royal
family!” The Streltsi placed ladders against the rails, and some of
them climbed up to the platform where the little Czar stood. Peter
looked at them without blanching, or showing any signs of fear. But
even this did not quiet the disturbance, and the Streltsi burst into
the palace. Natalia took Peter and fled for safety to the monastery of
the Trinity. The soldiers pursued her even into the sanctuary, and to
the foot of the altar; but there the sacredness of the spot arrested
their vengeance, and they left their victims with sullen oaths. In
the meantime, the commotion in the city continued for several days,
and the brother of the Empress Natalia, and others of her friends,
were slain. At last a compromise was effected, and it was agreed that
Iván should be proclaimed Czar in conjunction with his brother Peter,
and that the Princess Sophia should be regent. Sophia, knowing that
Iván, the poor idiot, would be but a tool in her hands, endeavored in
every way possible to prevent her half-brother Peter from becoming so
intelligent and energetic that he would take the power away from her.
She therefore caused his teacher to be dismissed, and commenced to
carry out her plan to ruin the bright and talented boy, by taking away
from him all restraint, and indulging him in every pleasure and whim.
Peter was now established in a household of his own, at a palace in
a small village some distance from Moscow, and Sophia selected fifty
boys to live with him as playmates. These boys were provided with every
possible means of indulgence, subject to little restraint. It was the
intention of Sophia that they should do just as they chose, so that
they would all grow up idle, vicious, and good-for-nothing; and she had
also the hope that Peter might so impair his health as to bring him to
an early grave.
[Illustration: PETER SAVED FROM SLAUGHTER BY HIS MOTHER.]
But Peter had already been too well instructed, or possessed too much
native good sense, to fall into this snare, and instead of giving up
his studies, he even contrived to turn his companions into scholars
also. He organized a kind of military school, where they practised the
evolutions and discipline necessary in a camp. He caused himself to be
taught to drum, so that he could execute all the signals used in camp
and on the battle-field. He studied fortification, and set the boys
to work with him to construct a battery in a regular and scientific
manner. He learned the use of tools, and the wheelbarrow he used in
making the fortification was one he made himself.
As he grew older, he continued to introduce higher branches of military
art into the school, and he adopted the uniforms and equipments for
the pupils, such as were used in the military schools of other nations
of Europe. The result was, that when he was eighteen years of age, and
the time came for him to leave the place, the institution had become
a well-organized and well-appointed military school, and it continued
in successful operation for a long time afterwards. So this wicked
plan of the ambitious Sophia had completely failed. The energy and
talent that Peter had displayed caused many of the leading nobles to
attach themselves to his cause, by which means he was finally enabled
to depose Sophia from her regency, and to take the power into his own
hands. But before this took place, we must note a still more wicked and
evil design of the ambitious princess.
The party of nobles who now espoused Peter’s cause thought it
expedient that he should marry, and the councillors accordingly chose
for his wife, Eudoxia Lopúkhin, a young lady of noble birth. The
Princess Sophia did all in her power to prevent this match, but she
was unsuccessful, and the marriage took place in February, 1689. It
was thought that a good stay-at-home wife would be likely to keep
him from taking his long excursions for military manœuvres, and for
ship-building, of which he was so fond. But he had scarcely been
married two months before he started off again for his boat-building on
Lake Plestchéief. Here he immediately set to work with his carpenters
to complete the boats, and he wrote to his mother as follows:—
“To my most beloved and, while bodily life endures, my dearest little
mother, Lady Tsaritsa and Grand Duchess Natalia Kirílovna. Thy little
son, now here at work. Petrúshka, I ask thy blessing, and desire to
hear about thy health; and we, through thy prayers, are all well, and
the lake is all got clear from the ice to-day, and all the boats,
except the big ship, are finished, only we are waiting for ropes; and
therefore I beg your kindness that these ropes, seven hundred fathoms
long, be sent from the artillery department without delaying, for the
work is waiting for them, and our sojourn here is being prolonged.”
And again he writes:—
“Hey! I wish to hear about thy health, and beg thy blessing. We are all
well, and about the boats, I say again that they are mighty good, and
Tíkhon Nikítitch will tell you about all this himself. Thy unworthy
Petrus.”
Peter with his young wife resided in a country palace a few miles
from Moscow. This place was called Obrogensko. Meanwhile, the Russian
government had been engaged in the Crimean War.