them were married *, and were just come from their travels in France, Italy, and England. Gregory, unable to bear the fight of an allpowerful rival, absented himself again without delay.

Bobrinfky too about this time returned to Petersburg. This darling fon, whom the em prefs had by Gregory Orloff †, feemed destined to arrive at the first dignities of the empire. But the bad habits he contracted on his travels rendered useless the tenderness of his mother, and the care fhe had beftowed on his education.

Catharine, on seeing Bobrinsky arrived at an age fit for making the tour of Europe, had wifhed to give him in charge to fome perfon whofe fagacity, learning, and prudence, rendered him worthy of fo much confidence. In order to find fuch a man, fhe applied to count Betzkoï, marshal of the court, director of the imperial corps of cadets, and a flatterer of uncommon affiduity. Betzkoï, who thought of

Gregory Orloff had married the young countefs Zinovieff, his niece, maid of honour to the emprefs. He had no children by his marriage. Alexius had only a daughter, who was afterwards married to the fon of the minifter Panin.

+ Catharine had also by Gregory Orloff a daughter, whe either died young, or is living in obfcurity.

little elfe than the advancement of his family, and who imagined that the natural fon of Catharine would neceffarily make the fortune of whoever fhould ferve him in the capacity of governor, affured the emprefs that lieutenantcolonel Ribas, his fon-in-law, was the fitteft perfon for filling that office. The empress believed him. Bobrinsky, at that time gentle, modeft, docile, quitted Ruffia under the tutelage of Ribas, and returned to it with that perversity of manners and infolence, which he could not fail to acquire from the leffons and the example of his licentious tutor *.

Though

* Ribas, who became vice-admiral of the galley-fleet tationed at Nicolaëf, on the Euxine, was born at Naples, of a fpanish family. His father, who was called Boujon, was a farrier at Barcelona. When the spanish army marched into Italy for the establishment of Don Carlos, Boujon performed fome petty services to general De Los Rios, which procured him his attachment. Being come to Naples, he fent for Ribas'; and Los Rios, who was appointed minister at war, employed him in his office. Young Ribas was made fub-lieutenant in the regiment of Sania. Some little affair about passports and patents obliged him to quit Naples. He made for Leghorn, where the fquadron under the command of Alexèy Orloff was then at anchor. The admiral, who had reason to know him to be a very ignorant, and not very scrupulous man, gave him a brevet of lieutenant of one of the ships, and employed him to commence the ftratagem that was practifed on the unhappy daughter of Elizabeth. He afterwards fent him off to Petersburg

Though extremely afflicted at the deviations of Bobrinsky, the emprefs long bore with them like an indulgent parent. But feeing that the presence of this thoughtless youth would expose her too often to confusion, she determined to fend him into a fort of exile at Reval.

On her journey to Mohilef, the emprefs. had obferved that the people of White Ruffia, who for the most part profeffed the romifh religion, were strongly attached, not only to that faith, but to the jefuits. Confidering afterwards that there was no great danger in permitting these monks to live in a corner of her vast dominions, whereas, on the other hand, it would be advantageous to her to flatter the opinion of the inhabitants of the new provinces, fhe ap

with tidings that the victim was fallen into his hands. Ribas, being arrived at Petersburg, was regarded with favourable eyes by the daughter of count Betzkoï, and they were married. He was at the fame time appointed lieutenant-colonel, and affiftant to his father-in-law. After having attended Bobrinsky through France and Italy, he was promoted to the ranks of brigadier and colonel of the carabineers. At the fiege of Otchakof, prince Potemkin made him chef-d'efcadre. Shortly after he commanded the galley-fleet on the Danube and was raised to be viceadmiral. It may cafily be conceived what fort of a seaman he was.- -We have been rather circumftantial in this note, in order to fhew by what means advancement might be fome times obtained at the court of Catharine.

pointed

pointed Shezronchevitch, a native of Poland, to be catholic archbishop of Mohilef, to whom she gave as coadjutor a jefuit named Beniflaufsky.

At the fame time she granted leave for the establishment of a feminary of jefuits, the direc tion of which was committed to father Gabriel Denkievitch, appointed vicar-general of his order.

Beniflaufsky was fhortly after difpatched to Rome, in quality of minifter from the court of Ruffia. On requefting of the pope the establishment of the jefuits, he delivered to him, on the part of the emprefs, a letter, which, from respect to the greek chriftians, fhe difavowed in the gazette of Petersburg †, but which was not, therefore, the less written by her own hand. The following are a few fragments of it :

"I know that your holiness is greatly embar"raffed; but fear ill agrees with your character. "Your dignity cannot coincide with politics, whenever politics are injurious to religion. "The motives by which I have been led to

grant my protection to the jefuits are founded "on reafon and equity, as well as on the hope "that they will prove useful to my people.

*Formerly an excellent officer in the pruffian fervice: morcover, a very worthy archbishop.

4 See the Petersburg gazette of the 20th of April.

"That company of peaceable and harmless "men fhall live in my empire, because, of all "the catholic focieties, it is the best qualified

to inftruct my subjects, and to infpire them "with the fentiments of humanity and the true principles of the religion of Chrift.

"I am refolved to fupport these priests "against any potentate whatever; and in fo . doing I only fulfil my duty, fince I am their fovereign, and regard them as faithful, useful, "and innocent fubjects. I am the more defirous "to fee four of them invefted with the power "of administering confirmation at Mofco and "at Petersburg, as the two catholic churches "of thofe cities are committed to their care. "Who can tell whether Providence may not "have decreed thefe pious men to be the inftru"ments of that union, fo long devoutly defired, "between the greek and roman churches? "Your holiness may banish every fear, as I will fupport with all my power the rights which "you have received from Jefus Chrift."

The ambaffadors of France and Spain, amazed at feeing at Rome a minifter accredited by the court of Ruffia, took various measures for dif covering what might be the object of these negotiations. The pope himself informed them of it, and afked them what anfwer he should

make.