CHP Rio NiT'C LE 
the Crimea was declared indepen- 
dent of the Porte, a large tract of 
country between the Bog and the 
Dnieper, was ceded to Russia, be- 
sides several islands restored, with 
free navigation in all the Turkish 
seas, including the passage of the 
Dardanelles, privileges granted to 
the most favoured nations, and 
Stipulations in favour of the inha- 
bitants of Moldavia and Wallachia. 
In 1782, she concluded a commer- 
cial treaty with Portugal, and, in 
1783, with the Danes; and, 1782, 
founded the order of Wladimir. 
In 1783, she opened a communica- 
tion with both Indies. In 1784, 
she granted free trade to the coasts 
of the Euxine sea, and took a jour- 
ney to the Crimea. In 1787, she 
endeavoured to establish an East. 
India trade, ordered the geography 
of her empire to be explored ; esta- 
blished three new universities 1786, 
-and, among other exertions in fa- 
_vour of the arts, purchased the 
Houghton collection of piétures 
1779, and Mr. Lyde Brown’s col- 
leétion of antique statues. War 
was again declared with the Porte 
1787. She had an interview with 
|. the emperor of Germany at Cher- 
_ 8on,and with the king of Poland 
atKiow, the same year: the for- 
mer joined her in the war with the 
Turks. In 1788, war was de- 
clared against Sweden; and the 
Russian troops entered Poland by 
force, and demanded quarters and 
forage. In this war her Imperial] 
Majesty possessed herself of Ocza- 
kow, with the slaughter of only 
12,000 men. ‘The war between 
Russia and the Porte still continu- 
ing, Great Britain, whose medi- 
ation had been rejeéted by the for- 
mer, began toarm’in 1791, in de- 
fence of the latter. Peace was at 
length signed that year between 
[43 
the two rival powers, the Porte 
making large cessions of territory 
to the empress ; and between Ruse 
siwand Sweden 1791. After the - 
attack of the Thuilleries, and de- 
position of Louis XVI. on 10th 
Aug. 1792, the empress recalled 
her ambassador from France, and 
ordered the French ambassador to 
quit her capital in eight days. 
Whatever be the moral character 
of this great princess, she always 
exerted the most surprising talents 
and abilities: Russia has been ex= 
alted toa pitch’ of grandeur and 
cultivation which Peter the Great. 
can only be said to have begun, 
Her rapid progress from weakness 
and barbarism to civilization and a 
mighty state, with dominions ex- 
tended by every effort of political 
skill and artifice, has been most 
astonishing. Providence, whose 
ways are beyond the reach of hu- 
man reason or conjecture, permite 
ted Catharine II. to make this use 
of her usurped dominion, and to 
anticipate, by the removal of a 
weak consort, by means unwar- 
ranted by every principle of justice 
and humanity, that most impor- 
tant of al] revolutions in the his- 
tory of human kind, the civiliza- 
tion of so large a portion of the 
buman race, and the cultivation of 
the wildest and most untrodden 
desarts. For whom of her succes- 
sors it may be reserved to annihilate 
the Ottoman power is not for us 
to say. Heronly son and successor 
to the crown, Paul Petrowitz, was 
born Ot. 1, 1754, married Oét. 1, 
1776, to the princess Sophia Do- 
rothea of Wirtemburg Stutgard, 
who, after her conversion to the 
Greek religion, took the name of 
Mfria Federowna, and by whom 
he has three children. 
When 
