ELIZABETH PETROWNA ELIZABETH. 



845 



ners. She was educated with the greatest care, at 

 the court of her aunt, afterwards the electoress Sophia 

 of Hanover, and, at the age of 19, she married duke 

 Philip of Orleans, from reasons of state policy. She 

 was without personal charms, but her understanding 

 was strong, and her character unaffected, and she 

 was characterized by liveliness and wit. It is to be 

 regretted, that she exercised no more influence on 

 the education of her children. Her second son was 

 afterwards known as regent. Madame de Mainte- 

 non was her implacable enemy, but Louis XIV. was 

 attracted by her integrity and frankness, her vivacity 

 and wit. She often attended him to the chase. She 

 preserved the highest respect for the literary men of 

 Germany, particularly for Leibnitz, whose corre- 

 spondence with the French literati she promoted. She 

 died at St Cloud, in 1722. She has described herself 

 and her situation with a natural humour, perfectly 

 original, in her German letters, which form an inte- 

 resting addition to the accounts of the court of Louis 

 XIV. The most valuable of her letters are contained 

 in the Life and Character of the Duchess Elizabeth 

 Charlotte of Orleans, by professor Schutz, Leipsic, 

 1820. 



ELIZABETH PETROWNA, empress of Russia, 

 daughter of Peter the Great and Catharine I., was 

 born in 1709, at the time of her father's greatest 

 prosperity and glory. After her accession to the 

 throne, in 1741, it was asserted that Catharine I. had, 

 by her will, appointed her eldest daughter. Anne 

 (wife of the duke of Holstein), successor of Peter 

 II., and, after Anne, her younger sister, Elizabeth; but 

 this is not proved, and it is not probable that prince 

 Menzikoff would have permitted such a will. The 

 nobles and the senate, after the death of Peter II., 

 chose Anne, duchess dowager of" Courland, daughter 

 of Ivan, and niece of Peter I. She settled the suc- 

 cession to the throne in favour of the young prince 

 Ivan, son of her niece, Anne, who was married to 

 Antony Ulrich, duke of Brunswick, and who, after 

 the death of the empress, caused herself to be pro- 

 claimed regent during the minority of her son. 



Elizabeth, naturally inactive, and more prone to 

 pleasure than ambition, appeared alike indifferent to 

 a 11 political projects. She endeavoured, however, to 

 conciliate the guards, and chose her favourites among 

 their officers. Neither the regent nor her husband, 

 who had the command of the troops, took measures 

 against a revolution. A party was, therefore, formed 

 for Elizabeth, daughter of Peter the Great, to whose 

 name so many glorious recollections were attached. 

 The princess did not oppose the attempt made to 

 place her on the throne, and submitted to the advice 

 of Lestocq, a surgeon, who was eager to distinguish 

 nimself. The marquis of Chetardie, the French am- 

 bassador, whose person and manners had prepossessed 

 Elizabeth in his favour, saw in the proposed revolu- 

 tion only an opportunity of securing to France an 

 ally. Sweden, dissatisfied with the cabinet of Peters- 

 burg, was persuaded to declare war against Russia. 

 The conspiracy, however, might easily have been 

 discovered. Lestocq was incautious. The regent 

 was warned of the plot ; but the natural goodness of 

 li er disposition gave admission to no suspicion. Eliza- 

 beth easily succeeded in quieting her with protesta- 

 tions and tears. The conspirators, however, were 

 not without anxiety, and Lestocq urged the imme- 

 diate execution of the project. Observing a card on 

 Elizabeth's table, he drew upon it a wheel and a 

 crown, saying to the princess, " This or that, madame ; 

 one for you, or the other for me 1" This decided 

 Elizabeth ; the conspirators were immediately inform- 

 ed of it, and in a few hours the conspiracy was ready 

 to break out. The husband of the regent, being 

 informed of the danger, urged her to take measures 



for their safety ; but Anne would not credit the re- 

 ports. They were both seized while asleep, Decem- 

 ber 6, 1741, and, with their son, were carried to the 

 palace of Elizabeth ; at the same time, Munich, 

 father and son, Ostermann, Golof kin, and others were 

 thrown into prison. Anne and the prince Antony 

 Ulrich were afterwards transferred to an island in the 

 Dwina, near the White sea, and Ivan tib the castle of 

 Schlusselburg. Elizabeth caused herself to be pro- 

 claimed empress. Munich, Ostermann, and others 

 were condemned to death ; but Elizabeth made a 

 display of her clemency, by commuting their punish- 

 ment for exile to Siberia. Lestocq was made first 

 physician of the court, and president of the medical 

 college, with the title of privy councillor ; but he 

 afterwards fell under her displeasure. Bestuscheff, 

 who had been minister under Anne, and whom Les- 

 tocq had caused to be appointed chancellor, enjoyed 

 great influence. Peace was concluded with Sweden, 

 at Abo, in 1743, by the interposition of France. In 

 1748, Elizabeth sent aid to Maria Theresa, in Ger- 

 many, by which she hastened the conclusion of the 

 peace of Aix-la-Chapelle. 



In the mean time, a conspiracy was formed against 

 her, in which, among others, Lapoukin and his wife 

 (distinguished for her wit and beauty) were engaged ; 

 but the plot was discovered, and the wife of Lapoukin, 

 in whom the empress saw a dangerous rival, with her 

 husband and son, and the wife of Bestuscheff, receiv- 

 ed the punishment of the knout ; the ends of their 

 tongues were cut off, and they themselves were exiled 

 to Siberia. 



Elizabeth took part in the seven years' war, on 

 account of some raillery of Frederick the Great 

 respecting her person. The grand prince Peter, 

 duke of Holstein-Gottorp, nephew of the empress, 

 and her acknowledged successor, was, on the other 

 hand, much attached to Frederic. The war was not, 

 therefore, prosecuted with much vigour by the Rus- 

 sian generals, who desired to secure the favour of the 

 heir to the tlirone. But this was soon perceived ; the 

 general, Apraxin, was removed, and his place sup- 

 plied by Fermor, and the chancellor Bestuscheff was 

 exiled to Siberia. The Russians now advanced into 

 Germany. Soltikoff afterwards succeeded Fermor, 

 and defeated Frederic at Kunnersdorf. Berlin and 

 Colberg were taken ; but, notwithstanding this, no 

 decisive result followed. 



After languishing for several years, Elizabeth died, 

 December 29, 1761, at the age of 52, after a reign of 

 twenty years. She founded the university at Moscow, 

 and the academy of fine arts at Petersburg. She also 

 paid much attention to the completion of a code of 

 laws, which was begun under Peter I. It was not, 

 however, finished. She had promised to abolish ca- 

 pital punishments under her reign ; but punishments 

 more cruel than death were, nevertheless, allowed to 

 be inflicted. She shed tears at the miseries of war, 

 yet, during her reign, the fields of battle were 

 drenched with the blood of her subjects. Mild, 

 gentle, sometimes generous, she was too indolent to 

 prevent the arbitrary conduct of her ministers. Her 

 ruling passion was love ; and she used to say to her 

 confidants', " I am only happy when I am hi love." 

 She wished to be considered the greatest beauty in 

 the empire, and tlu's vanity, like that of Elizabeth of 

 England, often produced terrible consequences. Her 

 licentious indulgences were sometimes disturbed by 

 superstitious fears, which she endeavoured to quiet 

 by devotional practices. By the field-marshal Razu- 

 mofsky, she became the mother of two sons and a 

 daughter (the princess Tarakanoff). See Leclerc's 

 Histoire de la Russie moderne. 



ELIZABETH, CHRISTINA, wife of Frederick II. 

 of Prussia, princess of Brunswick - Wolfenbutlel. 



