34 THE SEA. 



detail, some account of them, derived from the best authorities.* They have a distinct 

 bearing- on our subject, not merely because one of Peter's leading- objects was the study of 

 ship-building- and maritime affairs, but because his studies led to an immense increase m 

 Russia's naval power. Previously, in fact, she could hardly be said to have had any at all. 



In many published accounts the Czar is represented as a mere youth at the period of 

 his visit to the dockyards of Holland and England. The fact is that he was twenty-five 

 years of age, and had already served in two campaigns. Indeed, it may be said that the 

 latter campaign, in which he conquered Azoff, partly by the assistance of foreigners and 

 ships built by foreigners, was the means of opening his eyes to the superiority of the 

 Western Europeans over his own barbarous subjects. Resolute, ambitious, and intelligent, 

 he determined that his people should not remain half savages. Influenced by such motives, 

 he dispatched, in 1697, sixty young Russians, selected out of the army, to Venice and 

 Leghorn, under orders to make themselves instructed in everything pertaining to the arts 

 of ship-building and navigation; forty more were sent to Holland for the same purpose, 

 and his own voyage had largely the same object. " It was a thing," says Voltaire, 

 unparalleled in history, either ancient or modern, for a sovereign of five-and-twenty years 

 of age to withdraw from his kingdom for the sole purpose of learning the art of government." 

 It happened that Peter was not as yet represented at any of the foreign courts, and he 

 therefore appointed an embassy extraordinary to proceed, in the first instance, to the 

 States-General of Holland, while he would accompany it simply in the character of an 

 attache. The three ambassadors were General Le Fort, a native of Geneva, who had been 

 of immense service to the Czar, and was now his confidential friend; Alexis Golowin, 

 Governor of Siberia ; and Voristzin, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. With 

 secretaries, attaches, pages, and guards, the retinue numbered 200 persons. Their passage 

 through Germany was a grand carouse, and the hard drinking for which the Russians are 

 still noted, was very much observed. At one of these bacchanalian debauches, the Czar, who 

 was a hot-headed man, took such violent offence at something said by Le Fort, that he drew 

 his sword and ordered him to defend himself. " Far be it from me," said Le Fort; "rather let 

 me perish by the hand of my master." Peter had raised his arm, but one of the retinue dared 

 to interfere, and caught hold of it. Peter's anger was of short duration ; he displayed, says 

 Voltaire, " autant de regret cle cet emportcment passager qu'Alexandre en eut da meurtre de 

 Clitus" and immediately asked Le Fort's pardon, saying, " that his great desire was to reform 

 his subjects, but he was ashamed to say he had not yet been able to reform himself." 



Having reached Emmerich, the impetuous and youthful monarch left the embassy, 

 and proceeded in a boat down the Rhine, not halting till he reached Amsterdam, "through 

 which," says one authority, u he flew like lightning, and never once stopped till he arrived 

 at Zardam,f fifteen days before the embassy reached Amsterdam." One of his small party 



4fc 



* The principal authorities are " The History of Peter the Great, &c.," by Alexander Gordon, who was 

 several years a major-general in the Kussian service, and was son-in-law of the General Patrick Gordon who 

 may be said to have once saved Russia to the Czar ; " Histoire de Pierre le Grand," by Voltaire ; and the " Life 

 of Peter the Great," by John Barrow, F.R.S., &c. A modern French writer has given a catalogue of ninety-five 

 authors of some little note who have treated of Peter's life. 



t This name is spelled by the various authorities in many ways ; sometimes it is Zaardam. 



