an airy flighty kind of lady, high-paced,
not too sure-paced,--weak evidently in French grammar, and perhaps in
human sense withal:--but they have a Daughter, Sophie-Frederike, now
near fifteen, and very forward for her age; comely to look upon, wise to
listen to: "Is not she the suitable one?" thinks Friedrich, in regard to
this matter. "Her kindred is of the oldest, old as Albert the Bear;
she has been frugally brought up, Spartan-like, though as a Princess
by birth: let her cease skipping ropes on the ramparts yonder, with
her young Stettin playmates; and prepare for being a Czarina of the
Russias," thinks he. And communicates his mind to the Czarina; who
answers, "Excellent! How did I never think of that myself?"

And so, on or about New-year's day, 1744, while the Commandant of
Stettin and his airy Spouse are doing Christmas at their old Schloss
of Zerbst, there suddenly come Estafettes; Expresses from Petersburg,
heralded by Express from Friedrich:--with the astonishing proposal,
"Czarina wishing the honor of a visit from Madam and Daughter; no doubt,
with such and such intentions in the rear." [Friedrich's Letters to
Madam of Zerbst (date of the first of them, 30th December, 1743), in
_OEuvres,_ xxv. 579-589.] Madam, nor Daughter, is nothing loath;--the
old Commandant grumbles in his beard, not positively forbidding: and
in this manner, after a Letter or two in imperfect grammar, Madam and
Daughter appear in Carnival society at Berlin, charming objects
both; but do not stay long; in fact, stay only till their moneys and
arrangements are furnished them. Upon which, in all silence, they make
for Petersburg, for Moscow; travel rapidly, arrive successfully, in
spite of the grim season. ["At Moscow, 7th (18th) February, 1744."]
Conversion to the Greek Religion, change of name from Sophie-Frederike
to Catherine-Alexiewna ("Let it be Catherine," said Elizabeth, "my dear
mother's name!"--little brown Czarina's, whom we have seen):--all this
was completed by the 12th of July following. And, in fine, next
year (September 1st, 1745), Peter Federowitz and this same
Catherine-Alexiewna, second-cousins by blood, were vouchsafed the
Nuptial Benediction, and, with invocation of the Russian Heaven
and Russian Earth, were declared to be one flesh, [Ranke, iii. 129;
_Memoires de Catherine II._ (Catherine's own very curious bit
of Autobiography;--published by Mr. Herzen, London, 1859), pp.
7-46.]--though at last they turned out to