Volume 3

The Percy anecdotes / collected and edited by Reuben and Sholto Percy [pseud.].

Date:
pref. 1868
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Percy anecdotes / collected and edited by Reuben and Sholto Percy [pseud.]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    leaving the carriage with the servant at Ville- juif, where he wrote four letters to his friends, including one to his wife, he entered the forest alone, where a few hours afterwards he was found dead ; killed, as is supposed, in a duel, though with whom for ever remained a secret. The Double Elopement. The gallant Admiral Rodney had two elope- ments in his family at one time. His second son had long courted Lady Catherine Nugent, and though he had the good fortune to succeed in the favourable opinion of the lady, yet he could make no impression on the mind of the eccentric and facetious Earl Nugent, her father. The young parties therefore deter- mined on a trip to Scotland, where a Vulcan is always found ready to forge the chains of Hymen. While these lovers were in pursuit of the completion of their wishes, the second daughter of Lord Rodney was prevailed on to follow the example of her brother, and in a few days afterwards set out on the same journey, stimulated by the same motives, with Captain Chambers, of the Guards, son of Sir William Chambers, the architect. They had not proceeded far on their journey when they met Mr. Rodney and his lady, returning to town from Gretna Green. The rencontre much disconcerted both parties; an explanation, however, soon took place. Mr. Rodney de- clared he would not interrupt their journey, and doubted not but that a reconciliation with his father would soon be effected. The news of the double elopement reached Lord Rodney at the same time ; and he was soon reconciled, observing that his own family was the only crew that he had been unable to govern, and expressing a hope that his daughter would never mutiny under her new commander. Peter the Great. The joy which Peter the Great felt at the birth of his first son, by the Empress Catha- rine, was only equalled by his affliction on the deatfi of the child, at the age of two years. On the birth of the infant—whom Peter, in a letter to Field-Marshal Scheremeteff, called a recruit sent from God—he ordered the whole army to rejoice. When the child died, the czar burst into tears, and abandoned himself to a despair from which the most fearful con- sequences were apprehended, until they were averted by the care and unremitted attentions of Catharine, and the ingenuity and firmness of the patriotic senator Dolgorucki. The czar had shut himself up for three days and three nights in his closet, without seeing any person, not even his beloved Catharine. He lay on his camp bed, took neither victuals nor drink, nor could he be diverted from his grief to attend to the most important affairs. The course of justice was suspended, the dis- patches of ambassadors and generals were un- answered, and the most important operations of war were at a stand ; the functions of the senate, admiralty, and the college of war, were all suspended ; and a solemn stillness, accompanied with terror and suspense, reigned at court. No person, however, was so much to be pitied as the Empress Catharine, who, besides the loss of her son, seemed threatened with that of her husband, who gave her no answer, let her knock at his door, or call as loud as she could. She sent in the night to the senator Dolgorucki, of whose fidelity and favour with the czar she had already had so many proofs, entreating him to think of some means of drawing the czar from his retreat, and extricating the empire from the danger it was in. Dolgorucki gave her assurance that things should change the next day and the czar be restored to his people. The next morning Dolgorucki sent letters to every senator, commanding his attendance at court, by order of the czarina, to assist in recovering the czar from his grief. The senate accordingly assembled at the palace, and marched to the door of the room in which the czar was lying. Dolgorucki knocked loudly at the door of the apartment without receiving any answer. At length he called to the czar that he must open the door, for that he was attended by the assembled senate to lay before his majesty matters of the utmost consequence to the interests of the empire. The czar now rose and approached the door, but still made no answer, on which Dolgorucki cried out, ‘ The business, sire, admits of no delay, and your majesty must open the door immediately, or we shall be obliged to break it open and force your majesty to exertion to save the throne and the empire.’ When the czar heard this he opened his door, came out, and looking the senators in the face, then turned away from them muttering, ‘What is it that causes this disturbance of my rest?’ ‘It is, sire,’ replied Dolgorucki, ‘ that through your wonderful absence from us, and through your long and useless la- mentations over a child, whose life is fled and cannot be recalled, that the whole king- dom is falling into confusion ; all the affairs of the state stand still; the most favourable operations of our arms, both by sea and land, are suspended ; trade and commerce languish ; and your so often depressed enemies resume spirits from your having relinquished the cares of the government; so that unless you re- sume those cares the states of the empire must of necessity elect another monarch.’ This remonstrance brought the czar to his wonted presence of mind, and he promised the senate that he would rouse himself and meet them on the next day. He then went immediately to the czarina, and embracing her very kindly, said, ‘ Now, Catharine, it is enough, and we will no longer complain of what we ought never to have forgotten was the will of God.’ The emperor detained the whole of the senate to dinner, and joined so freely in the conversation as gradually to disperse that air of grief in which his face was shrouded, lit