day
nor night, summer nor winter. He had no employment, no amusement, no
food for thought, absolutely nothing to mark the passage of the weary
hours. The mind became paralyzed and almost idiotic by such enormous
woe. Such was his doom for twenty-four years. He was born in 1740, and
assassinated under the reign of Catharine II., in 1764. The father of
Ivan remained in prison eleven years longer until he died.

From this tragedy let us turn back to the reign of Elizabeth. It was
the great object of this princess to undo all that her illustrious
father had done, to roll back all the reforms he had commenced, and to
restore to the empire its ancient usages and prejudices. The hostility
to foreigners became so bitter, that the queen's guard formed a
conspiracy for a general massacre, which should sweep them all from
the empire. Elizabeth, conscious of the horror such an act would
inspire throughout Europe, was greatly alarmed, and was compelled to
issue a proclamation, in defense of their lives.

"The empress," she said in this proclamation, "can never forget how
much foreigners have contributed to the prosperity of Russia. And
though her subjects will at all times enjoy her favors in preference
to foreigners, yet the foreigners in her service are as dear to her as
her own subjects, and may rely on her protection."

In the mean time, Elizabeth was prosecuting with great vigor the
hereditary war with Sweden. Russia was constantly gaining in this
conflict, and at length the Swedes purchased peace by surrendering to
the Russians extensive territories in Finland. The favor of Russia was
still more effectually purchased by the Swedes choosing for their
king, Adolphus Frederic, Duke of the Russian province of Holstein, and
kinsman of Elizabeth. The boundaries of Russia were thus enlarged, and
Sweden became almost a tributary province of the gigantic empire.

Maria Theresa was now Empress of Austria, and she succeeded in
enlisting the cooeperation of Elizabeth in her unrelenting warfare with
Frederic of Prussia. Personal hostility also exasperated Elizabeth
against the Prussian monarch, for in some of his writings he had
spoken disparagingly of the humble birth of Elizabeth's mother,
Catharine, the wife of Peter the First; and a still more unpardonable
offense he had committed, when, flushed with wine, at a table where
the Russian embassador was present, he had indulged in witticisms in
reference to the notorious gallantries of