into my hands, and ever since I have not ceased to read them, and I have desired no books which were not as well written as yours, or as instructive. But where can I find such? I return continually to the creator of my taste, as to my dearest amuscment. Assuredly, sir, if I have any knowledge, it is to you that I owe it. I am reading, at present, your essay upon general history, and I should like to learn every page of it by heart."

Besides reading the works of Voltaire, she learned the Russian language, which is the most difficult of the European tongues. At the same time, her public conduct, as the Imperial princess, presented the strongest possible contrast to that of her husband. He affected to despise Russian manners; she affected to prefer them. He was a violent drunkard; her conduct was irreproachable. He took no care to conciliate the good will either of the nobles or of the people; she, on the contrary, was affable to all, both high and low, and preserved the dignity proper to her rank and destiny. While he, therefore, remained in his original insignificance, she ever grew in importance and popularity.

For nine years their marriage was unfruitful, but at the end of that time she gave birth to a prince, who was afterwards the Emperor Paul, and perished by assassination. Five years after, their second child was born, a daughter, who lived but two years. Seventeen years after her marriage with Peter, the Empress Elizabeth died, leaving her husband the heir to the ⚫ throne.

It now appeared that the unfortunate Peter, who was then wholly governed by one of his mistresses, had resolved to repudiate his wife as an adulteress, and to place upon the throne the companion of his debaucheries. Many authors assert that Catherine had been indeed false to her husband; but, upon considering all the facts in the case, I find the probabilities tend strongly toward her exculpation, and the best authorities agree in believing that Peter was the veritable father of Catherine's children. Aware of the intention of her husband, Catherine and her adherents resolved to prevent its execution by setting aside Peter himself.

Unpopular with the army, of which he disdained even to wear the uniform; unpopular with the nation, because he was an idolater of Frederick the Great, it was not difficult for an able and popular princess to defeat his purpose and seat herself upon his throne. On the decisive day, when Peter was drunk in a chateau, twenty-four miles from St. Petersburg, Catherine appeared in the capitol, went to the Church of Notre Dame, and was there, with the consent of the Archbishop, proclaimed Empress of Russia. The people in the streets saluted her as their empress. She mounted a horse, clad in the uniform of the Imperial Guard, placed herself at the head of a body of troops, and invested the chateau in which her husband was residing. He yielded without an effort. Having abdicated the throne, he was confined as a prisoner in a neighboring castle, where, a few days after, he died. It is commonly supposed that he was murdered, but this is not certain.

Having attained the supreme authority, it cannot be denied that, upon the whole, Catherine II. used it for the advantage and glory of Russia. One of her first acts was to recall from Siberia a great number of exiles, and to restore to their honors and rank many persons who had been unjustly deprived of them by her predecessor. She enriched all those who had taken a leading part in raising her to the throne. She published severe edicts against the corruption of the public functionaries. One of her first acts after her coronation was to abolish torture throughout the empire. Soon she began to establish institutions of learning. She invited foreigners to the country, especially those who were skilful in agriculture. She founded a great number of cities, and embellished others. She opened a direct overland commerce with China, and negotiated valuable commercial treaties with England, France, and Austria. She established a simple code of laws for the empire, which is still the basis of the interior government of the country. She enabled the serfs to purchase their freedom, and to buy portions of land. She caused canals to be dug, created new fleets, and sent out expeditions of discovery. She was one of the first monarchs of Europe to introduce the practice of vaccination; to conquer the superstitious prejudices of the people, she caused

herself to be vaccinated. It was Catherine who created the Russian Academy of Arts and Sciences, and set on foot a kind of geological survey of the empire. She established libraries. After the death of Voltaire, she bought all his books and manuscripts, and they are still to be found in St. Petersburg. She sent gifts of money, as well as friendly appreciative letters, to the philosophers and literary men of other countries. She raised the celebrated equestrian statue of Peter the Great. She watched with intelligent care the education of her grandchildren. Her letters to Voltaire, which I have before me at this moment, are sprightly, witty, graceful, and wise.

"TOLERANCE," says she, in one of them, "is established among us. It is part of the fundamental law of the empire; no one in Russia can be persecuted for opinion's sake. We have, it is true, some fanatics who, from want of being persecuted, burn themselves; and if the fanatics in other countries would do as much, it would be no great harm; the world would be all the quieter for it, and honest men would not be molested for their religion. These, sir, are the sentiments which we owe to the founder of this city (Peter the Great), whom both of us admire."

She was not less successful in war than in peace. Under her reign immense provinces were added to Russia, and the fleets of Russia gained their first victories.

I shall not relate the scandals which appear in so many books respecting this illustrious woman. The common belief is, that she had a new lover about every three months, who was then dismissed with gifts and pensions. One author informs us that she expended in this way, during her reign, a sum of money equal, in our present currency, to two hundred millions of dollars. Lovers she may have had; but when I read her pleasant, innocent, and high-bred letters to the great men of her time, and when I run over the catalogue of the immense and solid benefits which she bestowed upon her country, I find it impossible to believe that she ever abandoned herself to systematic debauchery.

The Count Ségur, who resided for some time at her court, gives us this description of her person and manners:

"Majestic in public, pleasant and even familiar in society, her gravity was agreeable and her gayety decent. With an elevated soul, she showed but little imagination, and her couversation was only brilliant except when she spoke of history and politics. Then her character gave importance to her words. It was the imposing queen, as well as the amiable friend, who spoke. The majesty of her brow, and the carriage of her head, as well as the loftiness of her glance and the dignity of her demeanor, appeared to increase her stature, although she was not tall. Her nose was aquiline, her eyes were blue, with black eyebrows, and the expression of her countenance was exceedingly sweet and attractive. In old age, to conceal the increasing magnitude of her body, she wore flowing robes and large sleeves, similar to the ancient costume of the Russian ladies. The whiteness and brilliancy of her complexion she preserved to the close of her life. Inconstant in her passions, but not in her friendships, she governed Russia on principles fixed and unchangeable. She never abandoned a friend, nor gave up a project."

She died in November, 1796, aged sixty-seven, in the thirtyfourth year of her reign, and was succeeded on the throne by her son, Paul I.

CONFUCIUS.

THE writings of Confucius are the Chinese Bible. Three hundred and sixty millions of the human race derive their spiritual nourishment from them, and venerate their author as the wisest and best of men. During the last few years, the life and works of this Chinese sage have been much studied in France, and a translation of his principal work is about to appear, executed by one of the best Chinese scholars in Europe. This author has also given to the French public a more minute and correct account of the life of Confucius than any previously published; so that we have now the means of understanding something of the man and of his doctrines.

The name of Confucius, as near as we can express it by English letters, was Koung-Fou-Tseu, which is said to mean Reverend Master Tseu. If the syllables are pronounced in the French manner, they sound something like Confucius, and probably suggested that name. The sage was born five hundred and fifty-one years before the Christian era, and the Chinese authors are unanimous in saying that he was descended from an emperor who reigned over China four thousand four hundred years ago. They do not state, however, the precise rank or condition of his family at the time of his birth; but relate that when the boy was three years of age he lost his father, and that his mother devoted herself to perpetual widowhood in order to live only for the child, which, she said, God had given her in answer to her prayers. The same writers vaunt the filial piety of the boy, which in China is considered chief among the virtues. They tell us that he avoided the noisy sports of his young friends, and gave himself to the prac