o. He had even, during the war, secretly
written letters to Frederic expressive of his admiration, and had
communicated to him secrets of the Russian cabinet and their plans of
operation. The elevation of Peter III. to the throne was the signal,
not only for the withdrawal of the Russian troops from the Austrian
alliance, but for the direct marching of those troops as allies into
the camp of the Prussians. Thus sudden are the mutations of war; thus
inexplicable are the combinations of destiny.

Elizabeth died in the fifty-second year of her age, after a reign of
twenty years. She was during her whole reign mainly devoted to sensual
pleasure, drinking intoxicating liquors immoderately, and surrendering
herself to the most extraordinary licentiousness. Though ever refusing
to recognize the claims of marriage, she was the mother of several
children, and her favorites can not easily be enumerated. Her
ministers managed the affairs of State for her, in obedience to her
caprices. She seemed to have some chronic disease of the humane
feelings which induced her to declare that not one of her subjects
should during her reign be doomed to death, while at the same time,
with the most gentle self complacency, she could order the tongues of
thousands to be torn out by the roots, could cut off the nostrils with
red hot pincers, could lop off ears, lips and noses, and could twist
the arms of her victims behind them, by dislocating them at the
shoulders. There were tens of thousands of prisoners thus horridly
mutilated.

The empress was fond of music, and introduced to Russia the opera and
the theater. She was as intolerent to the Jews as her father had been,
banishing them all from the country. She lived in constant fear of
conspiracies and revolutions, and, as a desperate safeguard,
established a secret inquisitorial court to punish all who should
express any displeasure with the measures of government. Spies and
informers of the most worthless character filled the land, and
multitudes of the most virtuous inhabitants of the empire, falsely
accused, or denounced for a look, a shrug, or a harmless word, were
consigned to mutilation more dreadful and to exile more gloomy than
the grave.

CHAPTER XXIII.

PETER III. AND HIS BRIDE.

From 1728 to 1762.

Lineage of Peter III.--Chosen by Elizabeth as Her Successor.--The
Bride Chosen for Peter.--Her Lineage.--The Courtship.--The
Marriage.--Autobiography of Catharine.--Anecdotes