four years; so that she died; leaving him only a
poor small Peter II., who is now dead too, and that matter ended all
but the memory of it. Some accounts bear, that she did not die; that she
only pretended it, and ran and left her intolerable Czarowitz. That she
wedded, at Paris, in deep obscurity, an Officer just setting out for
Louisiana; lived many years there as a thrifty soldier's wife; returned
to Paris with her Officer reduced to half-pay; and told him--or told
some select Official person after him, under seven-fold oath, being then
a widow and necessitous--her sublime secret. Sublime secret, which
came thus to be known to a supremely select circle at Paris; and was
published in Books, where one still reads it. No vestige of truth
in it,--except that perhaps a necessitous soldier's widow at Paris,
considering of ways and means, found that she had some trace of likeness
to the Pictures of this Princess, and had heard her tragic story.

Ludwig Rudolf's second Daughter is dead long years ago; nor has
this fable as yet risen from her dust. Of Ludwig Rudolf's other two
Daughters, we have said that one, the eldest, was the Kaiserinn;
Empress Elizabeth Christina, age now precisely forty; with two beautiful
Daughters, sublime Maria Theresa the elder of them, and no son that
would live. Which last little circumstance has caused the Pragmatic
Sanction, and tormented universal Nature for so many years back!
Ludwig Rudolf has a youngest Daughter, also married, and a Mother in
Germany,--to this day conspicuously so;--of whom next, or rather of her
Husband and Family-circle, we must say a word.

Her Husband is no other than the esteemed Friend of Friedrich Wilhelm;
Duke of Brunswick-Bevern, by title; who, as a junior branch, lives on
the Apanage of Bevern, as his Father did; but is sure now to inherit the
sovereignty and be Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel at large, he or his
Sons, were the present incumbent, Ludwig Rudolf, once out. Present
incumbent, we have just intimated, is his Father-in-law; but it is
not on that ground that he looks to inherit. He is Nephew of old Anton
Ulrich, Son of a younger Brother (who was also "Bevern" in Anton's
time); and is the evident Heir-male; old Anton being already fallen into
the distaff, with nothing but three Grand-daughters. Anton's heir
will now be this Nephew; Nephew has wedded one of the Grand-daughters,
youngest of the Three, youngest Daughter of Ludwig Rudolf, Sovereign
Duke that