MEMOIRS OF TI1E PRINCESS DASCHK.AW,

Tun Princess DASCHKAW was a daughter of the Wonolsnossr fluffily; and was personally distinguished during her time, not only in Russia, but in Europe, and by men of genius as well as by` courtiers. Her godmother was the Empress ELIZABETH ; her god. father was ELIZABETH'S nephew, afterwards PErEn the Third : she was married at fifteen to the Prince DasetneAw : she was an inti- mate friend of the infamous CATHERINE the Second, without, as she asserts, suspecting the vices of the modern MESSALINA ; and her sister was the mistress of CATHERINE'S husband, the ill-starred PETER. " Foreign libellers," as the Princess calls them, accused her of being a tool and emissary of CATHERINE ill the plot which dethroned the Emperor, to consign hint to confinement and after- wards to strangulation by the hand of the brother of his wife's minion. T110 Princess says herself that CATHERINE was ignorant of the plot, which was concocted by her (the Princess) ; having originated in the brutality of PETER and his want of patriotic feeling; and being consummated by the accidental arrest of one of the conspirators, which terrifying the others, drove them into action. On the success of the coup d'état whichI C

p_acec. salsa on the throne, all was halcyon days at first, and the gratitude of the Empress was great : but " Put not your trust in princes." If their own hearts were less inconstant or ungrateful, their ears are con- stantly assailed by the creeping creatuses, " venomous and low," that infest a court. The Princess was coldly looked upon; the loss of regal favour was aggravated by the death of her bus- band ; and, to divert her mind, she procured permission to travel. Throughout the greater part of Europe she was received with dis- tinction ; and returning to St. Petersburg, found the Empress mollified. This, however, lasted but a little while : the Countess again set out on her travels ; and remained some time at Edin- burgh, to educate her son, whom she had placed under ROBERT.. sop.: the historian. Making another and a more extensive tour or. the Continent, she returned to Russia,—again to be received into favour, and to be made Director of the Academy of Arts and Sciences; which, according to her own account, she administered with wonderful success. At last, wearied out with grandeur, and oppressed by family misfortunes—both her son and daughter having married unfortunately—she retired from public life. But even her departure was not without a curious instance of the uncertainty of court favour. Having supped with CATHERINE, who in company was all graciousness, the Princess followed the Empress when she withdrew, to take her private leave— .

" On entering her apartment, what was my astonishment wino, in place of the serene countenance which had beamed on me all the evening, and instead of the expected affectionate adieu, I was met with a look which o Mud much discomposure, and even anger. I wish you, mouton, a good journey,' was all she uttered."

In the short interval between the social and the secret meeting, some favourite had made the Empress acquainted with a false report that Princess Dsseutsaw had left one of her daughter's debts unpaid. Monarchs cannot be supposed to know by intui- tion the truth or falsehood of what is told them ; but it seems singular that they never learn to suspect the liars by whom they are surrounded. Self-conceit is perhaps at the bottom of their credulity: they suppose no one would dare to dupe them.

After withdrawitig from the court of CATHERINE to her own estates, and an occasional visit to Moscow, only one particular in- cident varied the litb of the Princess DASCHKAW. On the acces-

sion of PAHL she was ordered into a kind of' banishment at one ot her son's villages. About the tyranny of this a cry is raised by the sufferer ; but it appears to us one of the most just and dignified things which PAUL did. The officer charged with his order told the Princess that "lie had come, in obedience to the commands ot the Emperor, to signify his Majesty's pleasure that she should re- turn instantly into the country, and there recollect the epoch of 1762 "—the year of his father's dethronement and murder.

The origin of this autobiography, and indeed of the whole of

the volumes before us, was this. In the course of her visits to England, Princess atscintsw Nailed an intimacy with a near re- lation of Mrs. BRADFORD, the editor. In consequence of the death of a brother, change of scene was recommended to this lady, then Miss Wir,mor ; and she went on a visit to the Princess ; became so great a favourite as to be called her daughter ; and eventually persuaded her to write these Memoirs, To the gift of the manu- script the Princess added a variety of letters from CATHERINE, DIDEROT, VOLTAIRE, and other names of distinction, which form in the publication before us an appendix to the Memoirs. These are followed by a lively but somewhat diffuse account, by the editor, of her journey and her residence with the Princess ; after which appear the gems of the volume, the letters which a sister of Miss WD,reor wrote during a visit she paid to Russia. In these we have not only a very animated sketch of society at Moscow, and of the mode of living amongst the Russian nobles of the period, (18054) but a much nearer and more characteristic view of the Princess, however slight, than she herself furnishes in her own auto- biography. And, to do Cann:ems justice, her favourite appears to have been an oddity,—possessing some indescribable charm, a sort of fascination, when she chose, but generally vehement, self- willed, and too plain-spoken for a court and courtiers, if not for any place. Instead, however, of attempting to draw her character with insufficient materials, we will gather together some of the most striking traits, and let them speak fir themselves. This is her own account of the origin of the plot to dethrone PETER. II It MIS announced, about the middle of December, (17610 that the Em- press Elizabeth could not live many days. At that tune I happened to be much indisposed, and had even been confined to my bed; but, regardless of any danger excepting such as might infect the Grand Dutehess when the reigniug Sovereign was no more, I got up on the 20th of the month at mid- night, and having wrapped myself in furs, we drove towards the Wooden Palace on the Moiku, where lier Majesty and the rest of the Imperial Family were then resident. Alighting from my carriage at some distance from the palace, I walked to a link back vestibule in that wing of it which was occupied bV their Imperial Highnesses, in loqies of reaching unperceived the Grand Dutchess's apartments. By a most fortunate accident, which saved me perhaps from some disastrous mistake, as I knew nothing of this part of the palace, I met the Grand Dutchess's first j■,,mme-de-ehambm' Katherine Ivanovna. Raving made myself known, I begged to be inunediately conducted to her Im-

perial Highness. ' She is in bed,' was the reply. It matters not,' said I,

• the business which brings inc is ut.gent, and I must speak with her to-night,' The fieone-de-ekombre, who knew me well, and my attachment to her mis- tress, notwithstanding the unseasonableness of the lionr, made no further hesi- tation, but led the way to her apartment. The Grand It tehess knowing that I was ill, and therefore not likely to expose myself to the cold of such a rigorous night, and the difficulties of gaining admitt we into the palace, coulil lier senses when she heareme announced. For heaven's sake,' exclaimed slw, if she is really iiea, hit her be instantly admitted.' I found her, us 1 uttered, in bed ; but before I could utter a word, • My dearest Princess,' said she, betbre you tell me what brings you out at such an extra- ordinary hour, endeavour to varm yourself; yots are, indeed, too negligent of your health, which is so precious to Prince Daschkaw and myself.' She then bade in get into hed, and having well muffled up my feel, she at length allowed me to speak. ' In the present state of things, Madam,' said when the Empress bas but a few days, perhaps a very few hours to live, I can no longer endure the idea of that uncertainty in which an approaching event may involve your Ivelffire. Is it not possible to make some provision against the impendine danger, and to avert those clouds which are ready .to burst over

your heed In the name of Heaven, place your confidence in me ; I am worthy of it, and will prove myself more so. !hive you thrilled any plan, or taken any precautions which may insure your safety ? Deign to give me your orders, and to direct me.'

'"flie Grand llutthess, bathed in tears, pressed my hand against her heart. am gratethl to yoa, my dearest Princess,' replied_she, • Iwymid all power of expression ; awl it is with the most perfect confidence and truth that I declare to you I have hirmed no sort (Arlan ; that I can attempt nothing, and that I believe it only remains ltr me to meet with courage whatever may happen. I

thetefore 111VrA.11. to God Almighty, and place my only hope in his pro- tection." Stadion' ' said I, ' your 'friends must act for you. As to 111 .yiji: I Inter zeal vital:0to inflame them till ; and 'that is the sacrifice 1 am sot really to make ?' In the name of Heaven, Princess,' said she, think not of exposing yourself to danger in hopes of counteracting evils which are, in truth, without a remedy. 'Were you on my account to draw on Vourself mis-

fort uses, that indeed would subject me to everlasting regrets.' All that I can say at pre-ent, Madam,' replisd ' is, that I will ta;ke no step which can en-

danger your safety ; be the peril what it may, let it light on me. Though a Ulna (ley:shin in your cause lead me to the scaffold, you shall never be it victim.' file Grand Dutchess would have continued, and was warning me against the inexperience and enthusiasm of my age and character, when, in- terrupting her, I kissed her hand, and assured her that I would no longer ex- pose eitlsr if us to any risk by prolonging this interview. She then cordially embrace,: me, and after remeiniug, some moments in each other's arms, mu- tually adected. I rose from the bed; and, leaving her much agitated by what had pas-1, I hastened, with all the courage and strength I had, to retrace the way haek to iii carciage."

This boldness, or wilducss, or whatever it may be called, dis- played by a girl in her teens, however it might qualify her for rash undertakings, and to play the part of scapegoat to more cautious persons, was not likely to make general friends or to improve by years. When Miss WILMOT first reached Russia, in 1803, she heard very unpremising accounts of the Princess in the social circles of St. Petersburg.

"She was represented to me as a most cruel and vindictive person, violent io her temper, and deist ruetire of the happiness of every creature who was unffir

Innate !lough to approach her. I was told that she lived in a castle situated in it dreary solitude, far removed from the society of any cis ilized beings, where she ‘e"' till Po`yerthl, and so devoid of principle that she would invariably break open and reed the letters which came to me and those I sent to my friends, taking care to suppress any that might he i'li,pleasing to her. In a word, I created n sort of interest amome my new acquaintances which was quite alarming. and 1 wu: repeatedly warned against putting ni:;self into the power

of a tyrant. from it would he a specks of miracle if I escaped. ".isI he.e si voine fano both English and Russians, I could at best only suppose It eva.:geration of mite truth, and enough remained to terrify me."

'fhis is a sketch of her by Miss Wiastofs sister, at her estate at Troitskoe.

"III the midst of this immense establishment, and in the centre of riches and honours., I wish ymii were to see the Princess go out to take a walk, or rather to look over her subjects. An old brown greatcoat, and it silk handerchief n iota hi r neck, worn to rags. is her dress; and well it may he worn to rags, for die ha: worn it eighteen years, and will continue to wear it as long as she lives, bei-aa,,e it klouged to cier friend Mrs. Hamilton. There is an originality in her appearance, in -her manner of speaking, in her doing every description of thing, it ii neli dietinguishes her from every creature 1 ever knew or heavd of. She helps the neteons to build walls, he assists with her own hands in making the roads, she feed, the vows, she composes music, she writes for the press ; she talks oat loud in the church, and corrects the priest if he is nut devout ; she talks out load at her little theatre, and puts in the performers when they are out in their parts; she is a doctor, an apothecary, a surgeon, a farrier, a car- penter, n magistrate, a lawyer; in short, she daily practices every species of Incongruity ; corresponds with her brother, who holds the first post in the empire; with authors, with philosophers, with Jews, with poets, with her son, with all her relatives; and y et uppears as if she had her time a burden on her /lauds. She gives me continually the idea of her being a fairy; and I protest it is not jokingly that I say so, for the impression never quits me for a mo- ment. There is a marvellous contradiction, too, in her speaking like a child, in her broken English, and with her unaccountable expressions, unconscious as she seems whether she is speaking French, English, or Russian, mingling them in every Sentence. She speaks German and Italian equally well ; but her pronunciation is not clear, which takes front the pleasure I have in her conver- sation."

Another touch, by the same writer, of the chameleon-like nature of her mind.

"1 hare, since I came here, often thought what a task it would be to attempt to draw the character of the Princess Daselikaw. For my part, 1 think it would be impossible. Such are her peculiarities and inextricable varieties, that the result would only appear like IL whisp of human contradictions: "Pis the stuff we are all made of, to be sum; but nevertheless, nothing is more foreign from the thing itself than the raw materials of which it is made ; and wo betide individuality the moment one begins to generalize. You will always conceive her a piece of perfection, when you take my experience of her ; just as you would suppose Europe a paradise if you never lived out of Italy, and judged of the rest accordingly. But she has as niftily climates to her mind, as many splinters of insulation, as many oceans of agitated uncertainty, as many eTltnas of destructive fire, and as many wild wastes of blighted cultivation, as exist in any quarter of the globe. I confess it seems to me she would be most in her element at the helm of the state, or generalissimo of the army-, or farmer- general of the empire. In fact, she was born for business on a grand scale; which is far front irreconcileable with the life of a woman who at eighteen headed a revolution, and who for twelve years afterwards governed an academy of arts and sciences."

Her manners seem to have been exceedingly stately, when she chose; or rather, she exacted an amazing degree of deference from persons of her own rank.

" During supper, Princess Daschkaw frequently talked to me in English, and then translated every thing into Russ fur the benetit of the widow, embel- lishing all I said to a marvellous degree ; for I was astoilidted at finding the most commonplace observatious of mine received, by virtue of toy interpreter, with amazement and admiration of countenance on the part of the audience. These things I mentioo, to give you some notion of this dear Princess ; and though she uniformly hell...yes to 4.3 i thie manner; she exacts a sort of defer- ence, which surprised me excessively at first, from every one else around her. For example, no man, whatever be his rank, and however covered with deco. rations, presumes to sit down in her presence without being desired—a per- mission not always granted; for I have seen half-a-dozen princes stand throughout it whole visit. Once I saw several bowed out of the room when she got deadly tired of them ; and after giving them her hand to kiss, they disappeared.

"It never seems to enter her head or heart to disguise a sentiment or im- pulse of either ; and therefore you may imagine what a privileged sort of mortal she makes herself The truth is sure to come out, whether agreeable or disagreeable, and lucky i sh

t is that e has sensibility mid gentleness of nature, for it she had not she woulul be a public scourge."

ller son had married a person of inferior station, and then wrote to ask his mother's consent ; to which she gave this princely reply.

" When your ffither wished to marry Countess Catharine Worontzoff, he drove post to Moscow to gain his mother's consent. You are already married; I have known it some thne ; and I also know that my mother-in-law was not more deserving than myself to have a friend in her son."

These :Memoirs contain many curious characteristics of the man- ners of the Russian Court and the characters of the Russian Sove- reigns during the lest Lentury ; of which the two most striking points are the gross brutality and r r Aligacy in vogue. The dr. cumstance of her sister having been mistress to the Emperor PETER calls no remark from the Princess. PGTER himself never deemed it necessary to disguise the connexion when speaking to her. On one occesion he said, (he appears to have been a good-natured person,) " t1v child, you would do well to recollect that it is much safer to deal whit honest blockheads, like your sister and myself, than with great wits, (meaning his wife.) who squeeze the juice out of the orange and then throw away the rind." On another occasion he spoke thus; which certainly merited a better return than the loss of crown and life- " The Emperor, as soon as 1 had appeared in his presence, began to address me on a suleeet which seemed very near his heart, and in a iflintier which confirmed all my snsIkions and alarm on account of the Empress. He spoke in a low voice mod in h.ilf sentences, but in terms uneiptivs,%.:!.■ expressive of his intentions to d'esphiee her, as be indicated the Empu . 1 to raise Ro- manor/ha, as he :a:a, speaking of my sisti.r. to the throne. Having thus declared himself, he proceeded to give me some salutary cautions. ' if, my little friend,' said he, ' you will take my advice. pay a little more attention to us; the time may collie when you will have good ressen to repent of anv negli- gence shown to your sister ; believe me. it is for y stir interest alone 17 speak ; you have re 0; her way of makire- yourself of' any consequence in the world than by stink ing her disposition, and striving to gain her countenance and protection.' '1 When one of the Oneorrs, under a cloud, met the Princess on her travels with her son, he was so struck with the appearance of the latter, that he predicted everywhere anti without disguise, that he would become " litvourite on his return ; and made two or three oars to the Princess, as a regular mulct. of business, to bring his interest to bear in contributing to the resolt. Whell they returned to Russia, l'oreamm, supposed to be en the wane, con- ceived the young Prince Dasenaaw likt.lv to be his successor, and sent a courtly agent to discuss probabilities and come to terms with the mother, as a thing of course. When the Empress of' PAUL wished to procure permission thr the Princess Dascnaaw to return from banishment, she, after fitiling herself applied to the female fitvourite ; and, taking the young Grand Duke MICHAEL with them, they set out together to the Emperor ; who declared both the ladies irresistible, and granted this GRACIOUS PARDON OF A nEsrola The letter of Prince Kourakin was in these terms- " Madam and very dear Aunt—I esteem myself very happy in announcing to you, that. the Emperor has commanded Inc to inform you that ymi are at liberty to visit your estates, change the place of your abode :wording to your wishes, and even to visit the capital when the coiut is absent from it ; but if the court is there, you may occupy any country place nearest to it."

There are some very disgusting accounts of the punishments to which the nobles were doomed by the caprice of the Emperors; which we pass, to find room for a sketch of the elite of the society formed under such circumstances, as it appeared even to the eye of a young but travelled Englishwoman.

"The luxuries and magnificence which surround us when the gloss of novelty is over, soon lose their effect ; and the unnatural hours which are kept tend sadly to spoil the enjoyment one might expect. I will not enter into any particular detail, because 1 have gone precisely the same circle which is regis- tered in M.'s letters. The effect left upon my imagination is that of having flitted among the ghosts of the eourt of Catherine. Moscow is the imperial political Elysium of Russia. All those whose power existed in the days of Catherine and of Paul, and all those who are discarded, or conceived to be . superannuated by Alexander, here in this lazy, idle, magnificent Asiatic town, hold an ideal consequence, awarded by courtesy alone ; for all the effective in- fluence has long since passed as an inheritance to their successors, who bask in the sunshine of the existing court, and rule the realm at Petersburg. Never- theless, the ruffled, decorated phantom of Prince Galitzin, Grand Chamber- lain in the reign of Catherine, retains its orders, its stars, and its ribands, which, added to the weight of fourscore years and ten, bend it double to the ground. It wears on its bones its key of diamonds, its bag and embroidery, and all its glittering baubles, and receives the homage of its brother ghosts, who in former days shared with it the honours of the state. "Another of these gaudy revenants is Count Ostroman, Grand Chancellor of the Empire during the same period. The orders of St. George, of St. Alex- ander Nelfsky, and St. Volotlimer, hang over it in red, blue, and various- coloured stripes. Eighty-three years have frozen in a pyramid on his head ; and his gibbering skeleton rattles in his coach and eight with outriders, dines with his Hey dues behind his chair, and exacts the same etiquette from cour- tesy which was awarded him by right in his effective days of Imperial favour. "Count Alexis Orloff, who was Grand Admiral in the time of Catherine, is richer than any prince in Christendom, and revels in Asiatic luxury. The hand which strangled Peter the Third is covered with its recompense of bril- liants, amidst which the portrait of Catherine smiles in eternal gratitude. This is another of our Moscow ghosts; and another is General Koriskoff, a surviving favourite, who may be called a diamond vision, and who, in the midst

• of wrinkles, cherishes the remembrance of that past distinction which drew on

him the envy of his country. Prince B—, Prince and other con- spirators of 1762, and of later times, trundle about their paunches and Wei- olisni, their SWOrd5 and bags, and all the insignia of their former greatness. In short, the grandees—and in this circle, alas! we only move—are, as I said be- fore, of another world ; and yet the same important gossip of court fully, the same vanity, the same puffed-up pride, the same ostentation sways them, and creates their happiness or misery, as if the grave did not yawn beneath their tottering feet to menace them, as it hourly does, with an earthly oblivion of their brocaded existence.

" I confess I am heartily sick of the name of the Great Catherine, from this group of displaced place dotards; for she is praised uniformly with a reference to their own Services.

" These specimens of the Muscovites are mingled, to be sure, with wives and daughters and granddaughters, beautifully dressed, sitting in gilded bou- doirs, with slaves dancing before them, burning perfumes, and handing sweat- meats to their visiters; and though a sort of French exterior is universal, and the French language the language of society, the dress the same, and the yc.ungsters educated by French mademoiselles and French abb4s, yet they are for the most part neither well-bred nor agreeable women, but obviously imita- tors; and, as such, overacting the externals, without having the slightest pre- tension to that soothing suavity of manner so generally prevalent and pleasing in France. When the Moscow women have eyed you from head to foot, have kissed you four or six times instead of twice, recommended themselves to your eternal friendship, told you, in a riotous tone and abrupt expression, that you are charming, inquired the price of each article of your dress, and speculated on the (willianey of the next assembly of the nobles, there is nothing more to be hoped for. There scarcely seems to be an idea beyond this, except to abuse the vulgarity of the Russian jewellers, and to praise the perfection of the French."