Page:A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country (1804).djvu/253

Rh of the friends of Bestucheff, with count Ivan Schuvaloff at their head; which the grand duchess secretly seconded with all her power. Animated by the two-fold motive of ambition and fear.

The other party was headed by the senator Vorontzoff, brother of the new grand chancellor, and father of the emperor's mistress. Guided by him, Peter resolved to assemble the troops at the instant the empress should close her eyes, cause himself to be proclaimed emperor, repudiate the grand duchess, declare her son illegitimate, and publicly marry his daughter. All things seemed to favour the success of this enterprize; but while perpetual intrigues and agitations filled the court of the dying monarch, count Panin, who afterwards filled, for many years, the place of prime minister, undertook to reconcile all their opinions. He devoted himself entirely to Catherine; but saw the dangers with which she was surrounded, and accordingly resolved to bring about a revolution, that Peter might ascend the throne; but that the power might be secured to his wife and son. He persuaded the heads of Catharine's party, that they were too daring; and Peter Schuvaloff, in his turn, who was ill, saw the grand duke, and told him the ideas entertained of his future conduct; assuring him, if he repudiated the grand-duchess and married Romanovna, he would dishonour his memory for ever. The grand duke, in an indecisive manner, denied that he intended this, and promised to forget all the machinations formed against him.

The empress had been so prejudiced against Peter, that she was alarmed with the idea that he might poison her, and had denied him and the grand duchess admission into her apartment ever since her illness. This, among