In 1773, Catharine married her son to the eldest daughter of the Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt; and in the following year, the advantageous peace with Turkey, and the great reputation the had acquired throughout Europe, placed her apparently at the summit of prosperity. But she was, nevertheless, kept in continual dread of losing her throne and her life. Threats of assassination were constantly thrown out against her; but she appeared in public, as usual, with a calm and composed demeanour.
Vassiltschkoff had, for nearly two years, filled the place of favourite with great success, but suddenly he was ordered to Moscow. He obeyed the mandate, and costly presents rewarded his docility. Orloff returned as suddenly, was received into favour, and reinstated in his former posts. Catharine, however, refused to banish, at the request of Orloff, Panim, her minister of foreign affairs, in whose ability and integrity she could entirely confide.
In 1773, a man resembling Peter the Third was persuaded to personate him; the priests, opposed to Catharine's liberal policy, circulated everywhere the report that the murdered emperor was still living. The spirit of rebellion spread over the whole country, and it was only by the greatest firmness and energy that it was quelled. Soon after this, Orloff was superseded by Potemkin, an officer in the Russian army, who accompanied Catharine to Moscow. Here he attempted, but in vain, to induce her to marry him. She spent the next few years in carrying on the internal improvements of her country, and perfecting the government. The Poles, once conquered, she treated with a generosity and justice which put Austria and Prussia to shame. At this time Potemkin exercised an unlimited influence over the empress. In 1784, he succeeded in conquering the Crimea, to which he gave its ancient name of Tauria, and extended the confines of Russia to the Caucasus. Catharine, upon this, traversed the provinces which had revolted under Pugatscheff, and navigated the Wolga and Borysthenes, taking great interest in the expedition, as it was attended with some danger. She was desirous, likewise, of seeing Tauris; and Potemkin turned this journey into a triumphal march. Two sovereigns visited Catharine on her journey—the King of Poland, Stanislaus Augustus, and Joseph the Second, Emperor of Austria. Throughout this royal progress of nearly one thousand leagues, nothing but feasts and spectacles of various kinds were to be seen.
Still pursuing her scheme of expelling the Turks from Europe, and reigning at Constantinople, Catharine, in 1785, seized on the Crimea, and annexed it to her empire. In 1787, the Porte declared war against her, and hostilities were continued till the treaty of Jassy was signed, January 9th., 1792, which restored peace. She indemnified herself by sharing in the dismemberment of Poland, which kingdom became extinct in 1795, She was on the point of turning her arms against republican France, when she died of apoplexy, November 9th., 1796.
Though as a woman, the licentiousness of her character is inexcusable, yet as a sovereign, she is well entitled to the appellation of great. After Peter the First, she was the chief regenerator of Russia, but with a more enlightened mind, and under more favourable circumstances. She established schools, ameliorated the condition of the serfs, promoted commerce, founded towns, arsenals,
