Jan.-July 1762.

less consent to a little supplementing from Two other Eye-witnesses of credit. The first and principal is a respectable Ex-Swedish Gentleman, whom readers used to hear of; the Colonel Hordt above mentioned, once of the Free-Corps Hordt, but fallen Prisoner latterly;— whose experiences and reports are all the more interesting to us, as Friedrich himself had specially to depend on them at present; and doubtless, in times long afterwards, now and then heard speech of them from Hordt. Our second Eye-witness is the Reverend Herr Doctor Büsching (of the Erdbeschriebung, of the Beyträge, and many other Works, an invaluable friend to us all along); who, in his wandering time, has come to be "Pastor of the German Church at Petersburg," some years back.

What Colonel Hordt and the Others saw at Petersburg (January-July 1762).

Autumn 1759, in the sequel to Kunersdorf,-when the Russians and Daun lay so long torpid, uncertain what to do except keep Friedrich and Prince Henri well separate, and Friedrich had such watchings, campings, and marchings about on the hither skirt of them (skirt always veiled in Cossacks, and producing skirmishes as you marched past), — we did mention Hordt's capture;43 not much hoping that readers could remember it in such a press of things more memorable. It was in, or as prelude to, one of those skirmishes (one of the earliest, and a rather sharp one, at Trebatsch,' in Frankfurt-Lieberose Country, 4th September 1759'), that Hordt had his misfortune: he had been out reconnoitering, with an Orderly or two, before the skirmish began, was suddenly surrounded by 200 Cossacks,' and after desperate plunging into bogs, desperate firing of pistols and the like, was taken prisoner. Was carted miserably to Petersburg,—such a journey for dead ennui as Hordt never knew; and was then tumbled out into solitary confinement in

43 Suprà, vol. v. p. 534.

Jan.-July 1762. the Citadel, a place like the Spanish Inquisition; not the least notice taken of his requests for a few Books, for leave to answer his poor Wife's Letter merely by the words, "Dear one, I am alive;"—and was left there, to the company of his own reflexions, and a life as if in vacant Hades, for twenty-five months and three days. After the lapse of that period, he has something to say to us again, and we transiently look in upon him there.

The Book we excerpt from is, Mémoires du Comte de Hordt (second edition, 2 volumes 12mo, Berlin, 1789). This is Bookseller Pitra's redaction of the Hordt Autobiography (Berlin, 1788, was Pitra's first edition): several years after, how many is not said, nor whether Hordt (who had become a dignitary in Berlin society before Pitra's feat) was still living or not, a ‘M. Borelly, Professor in the Military School,' undertook a second considerably enlarged and improved redaction;—of which latter there is an English Translation; easy enough to read; but nearly without meaning, I should fear, to readers unacquainted with the scene and subject.4 Hordt was reckoned a perfectly veracious, intelligent kind of man: but he seldom gives the least date, specification, or precise detail; and his Book reads, not like the Testimony of an Eye-witness, which it is, and valuable when you understand it; but more like some vague Forgery, compiled by a destitute inventive individual, regardless of the Ten Commandments (sparingly consulting even his file of Old Newspapers), and writing a Book which would deserve the treadmill, were there any Police in his trade!

Wednesday, 6th January 1762, Hordt's vacant Hades of an existence in the Citadel of Petersburg was broken by a loud sound: three minute guns went off from different sides, close by; and then whole salvos, peal after peal: "Czarina gone overnight, Peter III. Czar in her stead!" said the Officer, rushing in to tell Hordt; to whom it was as news of resurrection from the dead. Evening of same day, an Aide-de-Camp of the new Czar came to announce my liberty; equipage waiting to take me at once

"Memoirs of the Count de Hordt: London, 1806: 2 voll. 12mo,-only the first volume of which (unavailable here) is in my possession.

Jan.-July 1762.

'to his Russian Majesty. Asked him to defer it till the fol'lowing day;-so agitated was I.' And indeed the Czar, busy taking acclamations, oaths of fealty, riding about among his Troops by torchlight, could have made little of me that evening.45 Ultimately, my presentation was deferred till Sunday,' January 10th, that it might be done with proper splendour, all 'the Nobility being then usually assembled about his Majesty.'

'Waited, amid crowds of Nobility, in the Gallery, accord'ingly. Was presented in the Gallery, through which the Czar, 'followed by Czarina and all the Court, were passing on their way to Chapel. Czar made a short kind speech ("Delighted 'to do you an act of justice, Monsieur, and return a valuable 'servant to the King I esteem"); gave me his hand to kiss: 'Czarina did the same. General Korf,' an excellent friend, so kind to me at Königsberg while I was getting carted hither, and a General now in high Office here, 'who had been my introducer, 'led me into Chapel, to the Court's place (tribune de la Cour). 'Czar came across repeatedly' (while public worship was going on; a Czar perhaps too regardless that way!) 'to talk to me; 'dwelt much on his attachment to the King. On coming out, 'the Head Chamberlain whispered me, "You dine with the "Court." Which, of course, I did.

'Table was of sixty covers; splendid as the Arabian Tales. 'Czar and Czarina sat side by side; Korf and I had the honour 'to be placed opposite them. Hardly were we seated when the 'Czar addressed me: "You have had no Prussian news this long "while. I am glad to tell you that the King is well, though "he has had such fighting to right and left;-but I hope there "will soon be an end to all that." Words which everybody 'listened to like prophecy! (Peter is nothing of a Politician). "How long have you been in Prison?" continued the Czar. "Twenty-five months and three days, your Majesty." "Were you well treated?" Hordt hesitated, knew not what to say; but the Czar urging him, confessed, " He had been always rather 66 badly used; not even allowed to buy a few books to read." At 'which the Czarina was evidently shocked: "Cela est bien bar'bare!" she exclaimed aloud.' 'I wished much to return home

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45 Hermann, Geschichte des Russischen Staats,

V.

241.

Jan.-July 1762.

' at once; and petitioned the Czar on that subject, during coffee, in the withdrawing rooms; but he answered, "No, you must "not, not till an express Prussian Envoy arrive!" I had to stay, therefore; and was thenceforth almost daily at Court,'— but unluckily a little vague, and altogether dateless as to what I saw there!

6

Bieren and Münnich, both of them just home from Siberia, are to drink together (No date: Palace of Petersburg, Spring 1762). -Peter had begun in a great way: all for liberalism, enlightenment, abolition of abuses, general magnanimity on his own and everybody's part. Rulhière did not see the following scene; but it seems to be well enough vouched for, and Rulhière heard it talked of in society. As many as 20,000 persons, it is counted, have come home from Siberian Exile:' the L'Estocs, the Münnichs, Bierens, all manner of internecine figures, as if risen from the dead. 'Since the night when Münnich arrested Bieren' (readers possibly remember it, and Mannstein's account of it1), the first time these two met was in the gay and tumultuous crowd which surrounded the new Czar. "Come, bygones be "bygones," said Peter, noticing them; "let us three all drink

66

together, like friends !"—and ordered three glasses of wine. 'Peter was beginning his glass to show the others an example, 'when somebody came with a message to him, which was delivered in a low tone; Peter listening drank out his wine, set 'down the glass, and hastened off; so that Bieren and Münnich, 'the two old enemies, were left standing, glass in hand, each 'with his eyes on the Czar's glass;-at length, as the Czar did not return, they flashed each his eyes into the other's face; ' and after a moment's survey, set down their glasses untasted, and walked off in opposite directions.'47 Won't coalesce, it seems, in spite of the Czar's high wishes. An emblem of much that befel the poor Czar in his present high course of good intentions and headlong magnanimities!-We return to Hordt:

The Czar wears a Portrait of Friedrich on his Finger. Czar 'Peter never disguised his Prussian predilections. One evening "he said, "Propose to your friend Keith" (English Excellency here, whom we know) "to give me a supper at his house tomorrow 47 Rulhière, p. 33.

46 Suprà, vol. iii. p. 252.

Jan.-July 1762.

"night. The other Foreign Ministers will perhaps be jealous; "but I don't care!" Supper at the English Embassy took place. 'Only ten or twelve persons, of the Czar's choosing, were pre'sent. Czar very gay and in fine spirits. Talked much of the 'King of Prussia. Showed me a signet-ring on his finger, with 'Friedrich's Portrait in it; ring was handed round the table."4 This is a signet-ring famous at Court, in those months. One day Peter had lost it (mislaid somewhere), and got into furious explosion till it was found for him again.49 Let us now hear Büsching, our Geographical Friend, for a moment:

Herr Pastor Büsching does the Homaging for Self and People. ** 'In most Countries, it is Official or Military People that ad'minister the Oath of Homage, on a change of Sovereigns. But ' in Petersburg, among the German population, it is the Pastors ' of their respective Churches. At the accession of Peter III., 'I, for the first time' (being still a young hand rather than an old), 'took the Oath from several thousands in my Church,'and handed it over, with my own, in the proper quarter.

'As to the Congratulatory Addresses, the new Czar received 'the Congratulations of all classes, and also of the Pastors of the Foreign Churches, in the following manner. He came

6

walking slowly through a suite of rooms, in each of which a 'body of Congratulators were assembled. Court-officials pre'ceded, State-officials followed him. Then came the Czarina, ' attended in a similar way. And always on entering a new 6 room, they received a new Congratulation from the spokesman of the party there. The spokesman of us Protestant Pastors 'was my colleague, Senior Trefurt; but the General-in-Chief ' and Head-of-Police, Baron von Korf' (Hordt's friend, known to us above, German, we perceive, by creed and name), ‘think'ing it was I that had to make the speech, and intending to 'present me at the same time to the Czar, motioned to me from 'his place behind the Czar to advance. But I did not push for'ward; thinking it inopportune and of no importance to me.'— Neither did I share the great expectations which Baron von Korf and everybody entertained of this new reign. All people now promised themselves better times, without reflecting (as 48 Hordt, ii. 118, 124, 129. 49 Hermann, v. 258.

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