empress here could tread upon verdant lawns
and gravel walks beneath luxuriant vegetation, listening to bird songs
and partaking of fruits and flowers of every kind.

In this artificial Eden the empress often received Henry, the Prussian
prince, and matured her plan for the partition of Poland. The
festivities which dazzled the eyes of the frivolous courtiers were
hardly thought of by Catharine and Henry. Mr. Richardson, an English
gentleman who was in the family of Lord Cathcart, then the British
embassador at the Russian court, had sufficient sagacity to detect
that, beneath this display of amusements, political intrigues of great
moment were being woven. He wrote from St. Petersburg, on the 1st of
January, 1771, as follows:

"This city, since the beginning of winter, has exhibited a
continued scene of festivities; feasts, balls, concerts, plays,
and masquerades in continued succession; and all in honor of, and
to divert his royal highness, Prince Henry of Prussia, the famous
brother of the present king. Yet his royal highness does not seem
to be much diverted. He looks at them as an old cat looks at the
gambols of a young kitten; or as one who has higher sport going
on in his mind than the pastime of fiddling and dancing. He came
here on pretense of a friendly visit to the empress; to have the
happiness of waiting on so magnanimous a princess, and to see,
with his own eyes, the progress of those immense improvements, so
highly celebrated by Voltaire and those French writers who
receive gifts from her majesty.

"But do you seriously imagine that this creature of skin and bone
should travel through Sweden, Finland and Poland, all for the
pleasure of seeing the metropolis and the empress of Russia?
Other princes may pursue such pastime; but the princes of the
house of Brandenburg fly at a nobler quarry. Or is the King of
Prussia, as a tame spectator, to reap no advantage from the
troubles in Poland and the Turkish war? What is the meaning of
his late conferences with the Emperor of Germany? Depend upon it
these planetary conjunctions are the forerunners of great events.
A few months may unfold the secret. You will recollect the signs
when, after this, you shall hear of changes, usurpations and
revolutions."

In one of these interviews, in which the dismemberment of Poland was
resolved on, Ca