Page:A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country (1804).djvu/248

234 the court preacher Dove, who at that time little thought his illustrious disciple would so suddenly afterwards adopt the faith of another church.

Elizabeth, empress of Russia, proposed to the king of Prussia a marriage between his sister and her nephew, the young duke of Holstein, whom she had adopted. But Frederick was not fond of the changes of religion required in Russia on such occasions, and declined the offer, but pointed out the princess Sophia of Zerbst, as a relation of the grand-duke (their grandfathers were brothers), and this proposal met with the empress's full approbation.

The princess of Zerbst accordingly repaired to Petersburg, where she was cordially received. Her daughter, who was handsome, and endowed with all the graces of youth, immediately made a forcible impression on the heart of the young grand-duke; and as he himself was at that time good-looking and well made, the attachment became reciprocal.

But while magnificent preparations were making for their nuptials, the grand-duke was attacked with a violent fever, and a small-pox of a very malignant nature soon made its appearance. The prince did not fall under the violence of this disease, but the metamorphosis was terrible. He not only lost the comeliness of his face, but it became for a time distorted and almost hideous.

Notwithstanding the precaution of her mother, who had forewarned her of the change, Catharine could not revisit the grand duke without feeling secret horror; she was artful enough, however, to repress her emotion, and running to meet him, fell upon his neck and embraced him. But no sooner retired to her apartment, than she fell into a swoon, and it was three hours before she recovered the use of her senses. The