Peter the Great

Conditions of success in life--The selection of agents--Building a house--Secret of success--Peter's youth--Le Fort and Menzikoff--Merchants of Amsterdam--Le Fort in the countin...

Condition of Alexis--The two tribunals--Their powers--The Czar calls for a decision--His addresses to the two councils--Deliberation of the clergy--Their answer--Their quotation...

Objects of the tour--An embassy to be sent--The emperor to go incognito--His associates--The regency--Disposition of the Guards--The embassy leaves Moscow--Riga--Not allowed to...

Sophia at the height of her power--Military expeditions--The Cham of Tartary--Mazeppa--Origin and history--His famous punishment--Subsequent history--The war unsuccessful--Sophi...

Birth of Alexis--His father's hopes--Advantages enjoyed by Alexis--Marriage proposed--Account of the wedding--Alexis returns to Russia--Cruel treatment of his wife--Her hardship...

Peter begins his proposed reforms--Remodeling the army--Changes of dress--The officers--New appointments--Motives and object of the Czar--Means of revenue--Mysterious power--The...

Invasion of the Swedes--Their progress through the country--Artificial roads--Pultowa--Fame of the battle--Situation of Pultowa--It is besieged--Menzikoff--Manoeuvres--Menzikoff...

Continuation of the war--Stratagems of the Swedes--Peculiar kind of boat--Making a smoke--Peter determines to build a city--The site--Peter's first visit to the Neva--Cronstadt-...

Duration of the war with Sweden--Catharine--Her origin--Destitution--Her kind teacher--Dr. Gluck--She goes to Marienburg--Her character--Mode of life at Marienburg--Her lover--H...

Parentage of Peter--His father's double marriage--Death of his father--The princesses--Their places of seclusion--Theodore and John--Sophia uneasy in the convent--Her request--H...

Peter's unlimited power--Extent of his dominions--Character--His wishes in respect to his dominion--Embassy to China--Siberia--Inhospitable climate--The exiles--Western civiliza...

Peter compares the shipping of different nations--He determines to visit England--King William favors Peter's plans--Peter leaves Holland--Helvoetsluys--Arrival in England--His...

Precautions taken by the Czar--His uneasiness--His fury against his enemies--His revolting appearance--Imperfect communication--Conspiracy--Arguments used--Details of the plot--...

Death of little Peter--Excessive grief of the Czar--The Czar shuts himself up--Device of his minister--Subsequent reign--His plan for the succession--Oath required of the people...

His father's manifesto on his return--Interview between Alexis and his father--Anger of the Czar--Substantial cause for Peter's excitement--Grand councils convened--Scene in the...

Alexis resolves to escape--Alexis makes arrangements for flight--Secrecy--Alexis deceives Afrosinia--How Alexis obtained the money--Alexander Kikin--Alexis sets out on his journ...

Progress of the war--Peter's fleet--The King of Sweden's successes--Peter wishes to make peace--The reply--Plan changed--Mazeppa and the Cossacks--Plans for reforming the Cossac...

Origin of the war with Sweden--Peace with the Turks--Charles XII--Siege of Narva--The frontier--Plan of the campaign--Indignation of the King of Sweden--Remonstrances of Holland...

Troublous times in the family--Peter's first governor--His qualifications--Peter's earliest studies--His disposition and character--Sophia's jealousy of him--Her plans for corru...