Successes of Peter the Great.--Return of Charles XII. into his own
dominions.
[Sidenote: 1713.]
Peter, while he was following the course of his conquests, completed the
establishment of his navy, brought twelve thousand families to settle in
Petersburg, kept all his allies firm to his person and fortunes, not
withstanding they had all different interests and opposite views; and
with his fleet kept in awe all the sea-ports of Sweden, on the gulfs of
Finland and Bothnia.
Prince Galitzin, one of his land-generals, whom he had formed himself,
as he had done all his other officers, advanced from Elsingford, where
the czar had made his descent, into the midst of the country, near the
village of Tavasthus, which was a post that commanded the gulf of
Bothnia, and was defended by a few Swedish regiments, and about eight
thousand militia. In this situation, a battle was unavoidable, (Mar. 13,
1714.) the event of which proved favourable to the Russians, who
entirely routed the whole Swedish army, and penetrated as far as Vaza,
so that they were now masters of about eighty leagues of country.
The Swedes were still in possession of a fleet, with which they kept the
sea. Peter had, for a considerable time, waited with impatience for an
opportunity of establishing the reputation of his new marine.
Accordingly he set out from Petersburg, and having got together a fleet
of sixteen ships of the line, and one hundred and eighty galleys, fit
for working among the rocks and shoals that surround the island of
Aland, and the other islands in the Baltic Sea, bordering upon the
Swedish coast, he fell in with the fleet of that nation near their own
shores. This armament greatly exceeded his in the largeness of the
ships, but was inferior in the number of galleys, and more proper for
engaging in the open sea, than among rocks, or near the shore. The
advantage the czar had in this respect was entirely owing to himself: he
served in the rank of rear-admiral on board his own fleet, and received
all the necessary orders from admiral Apraxin. Peter resolved to make
himself master of the island of Aland, which lies only twelve leagues
off the Swedish coast; and, though obliged to pass full in view of the
enemy's fleet, he effected this bold and hazardous enterprise. His
galleys forced a passage through the enemy, whose cannon did not fire
low enough to hurt them, and entered Aland; but as that coast is almost
surrounded with rocks, the czar caused eighty small galleys to be
transported by men over a point of land, and launched into the sea, at a
place called Hango, where his large ships were at anchor. Erenschild,
the Swedish rear-admiral, thinking that he might easily take or sink all
these galleys, stood in shore, in order to reconnoitre their situation,
but was received with so brisk a fire from the Russian fleet, that most
of his men were killed or wounded; and all the galleys and praams he had
brought with him were taken, together with his own ship. (Aug. 8.) The
admiral himself endeavoured to escape in a boat, but being wounded, was
obliged to surrender himself prisoner, and was brought on board the
galley where the czar was, navigating it himself. The scattered remains
of the Swedish fleet made the best of their way home; and the news of
this accident threw all Stockholm into confusion, which now began to
tremble for its own safety.
Much about the same time, colonel Scouvalow Neuschlof attacked the only
remaining fortress on the western side of Finland, and made himself
master of it, after a most obstinate resistance on the part of the
besieged.
This affair of Aland was, next to that of Pultowa, the most glorious
that had ever befallen the arms of Peter the Great, who now saw himself
master of Finland, the government of which he committed to prince
Galitzin, and returned to Petersburg (Sept. 15.), victorious over the
whole naval force of Sweden, and more than ever respected by his allies;
the stormy season now approaching, not permitting him to remain longer
with his ships in the Finlandish and Bothnic seas. His good fortune also
brought him back to his capital, just as the czarina was brought to bed
of a princess, who died, however, about a year afterwards. He then
instituted the order of St. Catherine, in honour of his consort,[95] and
celebrated the birth of his daughter by a triumphal entry, which was of
all the festivals to which he had accustomed his subjects, that which
they held in the greatest esteem. This ceremony was ushered in by
bringing nine Swedish galleys, and seven praams filled with prisoners,
and rear-admiral Erenschild's own ship, into the harbour of Cronstadt.
The cannon, colours, and standards, taken in the expedition to Finland,
and which had come home in the Russian admiral's ship, were brought on
this occasion to Petersburg, and entered that metropolis in order of
battle. A triumphal arch, which the czar had caused to be erected, and
which, as usual, was made from a model of his own, was decorated with
the insignia of his conquests. Under this arch the victors marched in
procession, with admiral Apraxin, at their head; then followed the czar
in quality of rear-admiral, and the other officers according to their
several ranks. They were all presented one after another to the
vice-admiral Rodamonoski, who, at this ceremony represented the
sovereign. This temporary vice-emperor distributed gold medals amongst
all the officers, and others of silver to the soldiers and sailors. The
Swedish prisoners likewise passed under the triumphal arch, and admiral
Erenschild followed immediately after the czar, his conqueror. When they
came to the place where the vice-czar was seated on his throne, admiral
Apraxin presented to him rear-admiral Peter, who demanded to be made
vice-admiral, in reward for his services. It was then put to the vote,
if his request should be granted; and it may easily be conceived that he
had the majority on his side.
After this ceremony was over, which filled every heart with joy, and
inspired every mind with emulation, with a love for his country, and a
thirst of fame, the czar made the following speech to those present: a
speech which deserves to be transmitted to the latest posterity.
'Countrymen and friends! what man is there among you, who could have
thought, twenty years ago, that we should one day fight together on the
Baltic Sea, in ships built by our own hands; and that we should
establish settlements in countries conquered by our own labours and
valour?--Greece is said to have been the ancient seat of the arts and
sciences: they afterwards took up their abode in Italy, from whence they
spread themselves through every part of Europe. It is now our turn to
call them ours, if you will second my designs, by joining study to
obedience. The arts circulate in this globe, as the blood does in the
human body; and perhaps they may establish their empire amongst us, on
their return back to Greece, their mother country; and I even venture to
hope, that we may one day put the most civilized nations to the blush,
by our noble labours and the solid glory resulting therefrom.'
Here is the true substance of this speech, so every way worthy of a
great founder, and which has lost its chief beauties in this, and every
other translation; but the principal merit of this eloquent harangue is,
its having been spoken by a victorious monarch, at once the founder and
lawgiver of his empire.
The old boyards listened to this speech with greater regret for the
abolition of their ancient customs, than admiration of their master's
glory; but the young ones could not hear him without tears of joy.
The splendour of these times were further heightened by the return of
the Russian ambassadors from Constantinople, (Sept. 15, 1714.) with a
confirmation of the peace with the Turks: an ambassador sent by Sha
Hussein from Persia, had arrived some time before with a present to the
czar of an elephant and five lions. He received, at the same time, an
ambassador from Mahomet Babadir, khan of the Usbeck Tartars, requesting
his protection against another tribe of Tartars; so that both
extremities of Asia and Europe seemed to join to offer him homage, and
add to his glory.
The regency of Stockholm, driven to despair by the desperate situation
of their affairs, and the absence of their sovereign, who seemed to have
abandoned his dominions, had come to a resolution no more to consult him
in relation to their proceedings; and, immediately after the victory the
czar gained over their navy, they sent to the conqueror to demand a
passport, for an officer charged with proposals of peace. The passport
was sent; but, just as the person appointed to carry on the negotiation
was on the point of setting out, the princess Ulrica Eleonora, sister to
Charles XII. received advice from the king her brother, that he was
preparing, at length, to quit Turkey, and return home to fight his own
battles. Upon this news the regency did not dare to send the negotiator
(whom they had already privately named) to the czar; and, therefore,
resolved to support their ill-fortune till the arrival of Charles to
retrieve it.
In effect, Charles, after a stay of five years and some months in
Turkey, set out from that kingdom in the latter end of October, 1714.
Every one knows that he observed the same singularity in his journey,
which characterized all the actions of his life. He arrived at Stralsund
the 22d of November following. As soon as he got there, baron de Gortz
came to pay his court to him; and, though he had been the instrument of
one part of his misfortunes, yet he justified his conduct with so much
art, and filled the imagination of Charles with such flattering hopes,
that he gained his confidence, as he had already done that of
every other minister and prince with whom he had entered into any
negotiations. In short, he made him believe, that means might be found
to draw off the czar's allies, and thereby procure an honourable peace,
or at least to carry on the war upon an equal footing; and from this
time Gortz gained a greater ascendancy over the mind of the king of
Sweden than ever count Piper had.
The first thing which Charles did after his arrival at Stralsund was to
demand a supply of money from the citizens of Stockholm, who readily
parted with what little they had left, as not being able to refuse any
thing to a king, who asked only to bestow, who lived as hard as the
meanest soldier, and exposed his life equally in defence of his country.
His misfortunes, his captivity, his return to his dominions, so long
deprived of his presence, were arguments which prepossessed alike his
own subjects and foreigners in his favour, who could not forbear at once
to blame and admire, to compassionate and to assist him. His reputation
was of a kind totally differing from that of Peter the Great: it
consisted not in cherishing the arts and sciences, in enacting laws, in
establishing a form of government, nor in introducing commerce among his
subjects; it was confined entirely to his own person. He placed his
chief merit in a valour superior to what is commonly called courage. He
defended his dominions with a greatness of soul equal to that valour,
and aimed only to inspire other nations with awe and respect for him:
hence he had more partizans than allies.