that Le Fort fpoke good Ruffian. To which the Ambaffador replied, that he had a genius to learn any thing: for when he came to me, faid he, he fpoke the German but ill and, tho' I have only two perfons in my train that fpeak the German, he now fpeaks as well as either of them. He did not know one word of the Sclavonian (of which the Ruffian is a dialect) when he came into Courland, and yet your Majefty fays he speaks good Ruffan. Le Fort, at the first hearing thefe commendations, withdrew to a diftant part of the room; which modeft behaviour did not a little increase the Czar's good opinion of him. At present he took no more notice, and only called to him to bring him a glafs of wine. But, the next time the Ambaffador came to court, the Czar told him, he had a defire to have Le Fort about him, and afked if he would part with him? The Ambaffador replied, that the exchange was too advantageous to Le Fort, that he wished him too well, and had too great a regard to the commands of his Majefty, Rot to confent to it. Accordingly Le Fort entered into the Czar's fervice, the next day, in quality of his firft interpreter; and foon became fo great a favourite, that he was carried with with him wherever he went, continually asking him about the customs and policy of the courts of Savoy, France, and Denmark, which he had seen, and other foreign affairs. And, amongst other things, difcourfing one day on the King of Denmark's life-guards, the Czar afked him what he thought of his ? "Your guards, and all your Majefty's foldiers, faid Le Fort, are fine well-made men, who want nothing but to be well difciplined, and cloathed in a proper manner." In particular, he objected against their long coats, as inconvenient and unbecoming a foldier. Couldft thou let me fee, faid the Czar, fome cloaths that are more convenient? Le Fort promised to do his endeavours, and in two days time appeared at the Czar's levee in the regimentals of a Captain of the guards;

which altered him in fuch a manner, that his Majefty did not know him ti!! he spoke, but was much approved of by him. And in two days after he returned to the fame place in the dress of a private centinel: upon fight whereof, the Czar declared he would have fuch for a whole company, who fhould be disciplined after the foreign manner.

M. Le Fort with great diligence executed his Majesty's orders; and, having engaged all the taylors, found among the foreigners, to clothe fifty of the talleft and handsomest Strelizes, and others that had fome military knowledge; he marched at their head with beat of drum to the palace-gate, one morning, a little before the Strelitzes mounted guard.

The Czar coming to the window was much furprized, but highly pleafed with the fight: and, after he had feen Le Fort give them their first lesson of military exercife, he enlifted himfelf in their company to learn the fame, and ordered a fuit of cloaths to be made for himself, as for a private centinel and from this time he rejected all luxury and unmanly pleafures, to which his predeceffors had been addicted, and led an active life, continually labouring for the good of his country. He even defcended fo low as to take the meaneft poft in his army, that of a drummer, ftrictly forbidding his Captain to remember him as Czar. In which poft he ferved with all due fubmiffion; lived upon his pay, and lay in the tent of a drummer, till promoted to the degree of a ferjeant, which was not till he had deferved it, in the judgment of his Officers, whom he threatened to punish, if they fhould judge too favourably of him. By this procedure, he gave his Nobility to understand, that birth alone was not enough to intitle them to military preferments. And the hardfhips and low employments he went through himself, feemed to give him the ftronger right to demand a strict obfervance of their duty in his fubjects.

His

His Majefty, capable of every thing, foon excelled in this exercife, and was thus afting the part of a life-guardman, while his brother John, more agreeable to his natural weakness, maintained the port of a Czar; and, willing to have all his troops difciplined in the fame manner, he commanded Captain Le Fort to enlist all the foreigners he could get. By thefe means he foon raised a confiderable corps, all commanded by foreigners, and difciplined after the German manner, whom he employed, in that time of peace, in mock battles and fieges; to teach them experience without lofs of blood, and to keep in action that agility and courage which were the prelude of future

victories.

any

M. Le Fort having thus put it in the power of the Czar to encourage foreigners, and they finding it worth while to leave their own countries, there foon appeared in Ruffia an infinite number of all nations, especially Germans, Scots, and French; not only Officers and experienced foldiers for his army, but men skilful and expert in every profeffion. And in all his proceedings this great and good man was generous and difinterefted to that degree, that he never accepted of the leaft prefent from those he put into employments; but yet by his merit, his fervices, and other juftifiable and honourable means, he acquired immenfe riches, which he poffeffed without envy from the Ruffians, who looked upon him as their father, and loved him. He faved the lives of an infinite number of Boyars, and other rich perfons, to whom the Czar would have given the Knout, or beheaded with his own hands: when he was about to do this, many times on trifling occafions, Le Fort would prefent his own head or shoulders to him, bidding him cut or ftrike there, but spare the innocent perfon. Which generofity made the Czar fo fenfible of his barbarity, that he would take him in his arms, and kifs him, and fometimes the trembling victim, whom he was the minute before ready to facrifice to his wild

paffion. In fine, he in all things ftu died the interest of his master, and his fubjects: and, to take away all jealoufy from the Ruffians against the foreigners he had introduced into the country, he would recommend fuch of the natives to the Czar for preferment, whom he himself, or fome of thofe foreigners, had taken pains to qualify for the most profitable employments. His own merit was fixed on the folid bafis of fuch honour and integrity, that he feared no rivals. Of which we can't defire a stronger proof, than his care to prepare and make fit Menzicoff for the great pofts he afterwards enjoyed, who was just then taken into favour from the dregs of the people. This new favourite, when first taken notice of by the Czar, was no more than a ballad-finger, and fervant to a pastry-cook, whose bufinefs was to cry about the streets a fort of puffs and cakes made of minced meat: but from this low degree, and from one of the pooreft, he, in time, became one of the richest subjects that ever was in Ruffia; obtained the title of a Prince, and built palaces more magnificent than thofe of the Czar himself.

As the poor boy cried his pastry a bout the streets, he fo diverted the Czar with one of his fongs, that his Majefty ordered him into his prefence, and asked him if he would fell his pies, and his basket; and how much he would have for them? The boy immediately replied, that he had a right to fell his pies; but for his basket he muft afk his master's leave, before he could dispose of it to any body elfe: but, as every thing belonged to his Majefty, he needed only to lay his commands on him. This reply pleafed the Czar fo much, that he immediately ordered him to come to Court, with a promise of his favour. Here his firft employment was but very mean: but the Czar, frequently converfing with him, foon difcovered his intrinfic worth, and placed him near his perfon, and made him groom of his bed-chamber. He was very hand

fome

fome in his perfon; tall and well-fhaped. And, at his firft admiffion into the Czar's fervice, he lifted himself into M. Le Fort's company of foldiers; and behaved in that fituation fo much to the good liking of that General,that he inftructed him in knowledge and kill enough to command armies; which he afterwards undertook with the greatest fuccefs, and became one of the braveft and most victorious Generals in the Ruffian fervice.

About the fame time that the Czar began the reformation of his army, an accident happened, that put his Majefty on a new pursuit still more difficult than the former. A fmall English veffel, which he faw floating on a lake at Ifmaeloff, one of his pleasure-houses, where it had long laid abandoned and ufelefs, revived in him the fpirit of his father Alexis, and gave him the notion of a fleet, though at that time he had no place to use it except the White fea. And M. Le Fort, among other things about shipping, fo ftrongly laid before him the advantages that the maritime powers of Europe reaped from their naval affairs, that he immediately refolved to build a fleet of fmall fhips on the lake Perislausky, and caufed now and then mock-fights to be performed thereon: on which occafions he acted and commanded as a Seacaptain, and added that title to all his others.

Thus improved under the good and wife inftructions of M. Le Fort, his Council advifed him, at the inftance of the Emperor of Germany, the Poles, and the Venetians, to declare war with the Turks and Tartars, in the year 1694. And, in confequence thereto, having engaged in his fervice several Hollanders for that purpofe, he commanded feveral gallies and other veffels to be built and equipped on the river Veronis, which with fome open boats of the Coffacks, who inhabit about 700 Rufs miles on the Tanais or Don, he employed next year in befieging Azoph, fituated at the mouth of the last mentioned river, where it falls into the Palus Mæotis: which im

portant place he had certainly carried in the year 1695, his firft campaign, had it not been for the treachery of one Jacob, a foreigner, employed in the Ruffian artillery, who, to be revenged of a certain Boyar under whom he served, for keeping back his pay, nailed up the cannon on the batteries entrusted to his care, deferted in the night, and incited the enemy, reduced to the utmost neceffity, and ready to capitulate, to make a bold fally; by which they threw the Mufcovites into great confufion, and flew fo many, that they were forced foon after to leave the place for that year, and to turn the fiege into a blockade. However the Czar, who in this expedition entered himself as an Enfign only, though he had an army of between 90,000 foot, and 20,000 horfe, well difciplined troops, was every-where during the fiege; faw every thing done himself, and made remarks on what had happened. And the accounts of whatever he performed himself were greatly exaggerated all over Europe: which gave the world an idea of him quite different from what had been conceived of any of his predeceffors, and began to raise hopes of him, which were afterwards fully accomplished.

Czar John died foon after Peter's return to Moscow, in February 1696, and left three daughters, one of which is that illuftrious princefs Anne Joannowna, who now fways the Imperial fceptre of Ruffia. Of whom a late writer gives us this favourable idea, that, though he loved his fifter very much, yet her reigning jointly with him and his brother did fo little please him, that upon all occafions he rather fided with his brother than with her. And his great regard for the welfare of the Empire made him often say, that, when his brother Peter fhould come of age, he would refign the whole power and the throne to him. His own widow has faid, that, when the once told him the Czar Peter flighted Princefs Sophia too much, his infwer was, 'She is my own fifter, but has used Peter fo ill, fhe does not deferve we

fhould

should look upon her; and, if you speak ill of him, I shall deem you to be his fecond enemy. The welfare of the whole Empire depends on him, which I am bound to fet a greater value upon, than even upon you my deareft wife."

The Czar was not idle during the winter. The prodigious preparations made in his valt dominions for recruiting his army, remounting his cavalry, and fupplying his magazines, intimated plainly, that he was refolved to try the fate of another campaign before Azoph. But the expeditious manner in which he furnished himself with a fleet, by having veffels built on the river Occa, carried over land to the Don, and conveyed down that river together with thofe from Veronitz, furprized all the world.

It was on board of this fleet he embarked to block up Azoph, while his army befieged it a fecond time.. He waited the arrival of the Turkish fleet behind a small island near the bar, which came as they had done the laft year to throw fresh fuccours into the town, and to fupply them with provifions, men, and money. And, as foon as the enemy appeared, the Czar made a fhew, of retiring before them; but, when he had drawn them a little way up the river, he fell upon them, and took and funk feveral of their veffels; and, upon making a fecond attempt with small veffels and boats, he beat them back over the bar. Which fo difcouraged the garrifon, who were greatly diftreffed by General Gordon, a Scotchman, that commanded, and carried on the fiege with great refolution by land, that they were obliged, on the 28th of July, to furrender upon condition of being allowed to march out of the place without their arms, and to deliver up Jacob the treacherous Engineer to be punished according to his crime and for which he was afterwards broke alive upon the wheel at Moscow, after having been three times tortured on the pine.

:

It is worth obfervation, that as the ground about Azoph did not admit of

carrying on trenches, and 300 pieces of cannon upon the works continually demolished the Mufcovite batteries, General Gordon contrived a rolling parapet, which with a multitude of hands, and about three weeks labour, he brought to perfection. It was begun at a good distance from the place, and by the continual application of 30,000 men, who were relieved every four hours, it came gradually forwards, the men behind throwing up the fandy earth from the bottom, and others toffing it to one another upon ftages, cill the uppermost threw it quite over the top. They brought it at laft within half a musket's fhot of the walls, which it every-where overlooked to the aftonishment and terror of the befieged : from whence the walls were fo ferved with small shot, that the Janizaries durft not appear; and the continual fire from the Ruffian mortars, now fecured, reduced the whole town to afhes. It was faid, that out of 12,000, which compofed the garrifon at the beginning of the fiege, not above 1300 marched out of the town, at the time it was furrendered.

Great was the joy on this happy event. The notice of it to foreign Courts obtained for the Czar an offenfive and defenfive alliance with the Emperor of the Romans, Venice, and Sweden. And, when he returned to Mofcow, he received the compliments of all the Boyars upon his victory, who laid the whole fuccefs on his Majesty's great conduct on board the fleet.

By the reduction of this important place, he opened a paffage into the Euxine or Black fea; and, being thereby alfo convinced of the great advantage of a maritime force, he refolved to eftablish a navy, that should not only fecure his conquefts, but enable him to meet and oppofe the Turks in the Black fea: and determined to have a fleet of forty men of war, ten ftorefhips and bomb.veffels, twenty large gallies and galleafles, and thirty half gallies, and other veffels, built and equipped with all things neceffary to put to fea, within the space of three years.

But

But the course he took to inftruct him. felf and his fubjects in the art of navigation is fo very furprising, that it will hardly gain credit with pofterity. Befides the ufual taxes paid for the fupport of the war, he obliged feveral of his richeft Boyars to build each of them a fhip at his own expence; allowing them the honour of giving their own names to the veffels fo built, He also impofed a tax on every monaftery, city, and town, Merchant and Gentleman, in every diftrict throughout his dominions, in proportion to their revenues and eftates, towards the charge of this undertaking: and order ed that every one's proportion fhould be doubled, if their fhip was not com-. pleted by the appointed time. As for his own part, reflecting on the inconvenience of having no veffels but from trangers, or thofe built by fuch in his own dominions, he refolved on a way to remedy that for the future; and de clared his intentions to travel, while this fleet was preparing; and appointed falaries to many of his young Nobility, whom alfo he commanded to travel into different parts of Europe to learn the mathematics, navigation, engineering, and fuch other parts of knowledge, as might contribute to his grand defign; though fome of them obeyed with great reluctance; and what was intended for the real benefit of the whole nation was interpreted in a bad fenfe, and made a fubject of much difcontent, and improved by the feditious into a plot to take away his life. For, while the Czar was bufied in lay ing the foundations of glory and greatnels for his fubjects, they, refifting their own advantage, were confpiring against his life. The building of fhips, which had never been known in Ruffia before, and the obliging the Boyars and Gentlemen to travel, were looked up on as terrible grievances; the former entailing a charge upon them beyond

the common tax, and introducing great numbers of foreigners; the latter being a means to corrupt the re ligious principles of the young travellers. Thefe, with fuch like infinuations, were judged highly criminal, and made ufe of by Princefs Sophia's friends, who wanted again to be at the head of the ftate, to disturb the peace of the government, and, if poffible, to overthrow it. Which they proposed to effect in this manner: It was refolved by the confpirators to fet fome houfes on fire in the night, and when the Czar came, as it was always his cuftom to appear in perfon at fires, to extinguish them, to affaffinate him amidst the confufion. Then to join the Don Coffacks with their party; to release and crown Princefs Sophia; to recal Prince Bafil Galliczin from Siberia, and make him Prime Minister; and to restore the Strelitzes to their ancient ftation. The execution of this defign was committed to three great Boyars, a chief Colonel of the Don Coffacks, and four Captains of the Strelitzes, and appointed for the fecond day of February, 1697. But two of the Captains, touched with horror at the thoughts of their wicked engagement, went and threw themfelves at the Czar's feet, and confeffed the whole confpiracy, as he fupped at M. Le Fort's the night before. And the Czar, hearing it without any visible emotion, rofe immediately from table, and went directly, accompanied by fome faithful friends, to the house of John Siekler, a chief confpirator; feized him and the reft without any noife or refiftance, and carried them to prifon, where they confeffed their crimes, and received fentence from the whole body of Boyars, to have their legs and arms cut off, and then their heads; which was accordingly executed upon them on the fifth of March, in the great market-place before the castle.

C

To be continued. ]

OCCASIO