The Daughter of an Empress

Meanwhile, Elizabeth had made herself absolute mistress of the imperial

palace. Hastening to the throne-room, she had taken possession of the

throne of her father, and administered the oath of allegiance to the

guards surrounding her.

They lay upon their knees before her, these cowardly instruments of

despotism; they bowed their heads in the dust, and these four or five

thousand slaves, to which number the followers of the empress already

amounted, swore fealty to Elizabeth, ready to strangle the regent

and the young emperor at her command, or to serve her the same if,

peradventure, the regent should regain a momentary power.

While the guards were doing homage in the palace, Grunstein and

Woronzow, by Lestocq's command, led their men to Munnich's and

Ostermann's, and both were imprisoned; with them, a great number of

leading and suspected persons, who, perhaps, might have been disposed to

draw the sword for Anna Leopoldowna. Lestocq had thought of every

thing, had considered every thing; at the same time that he entered the

regent's palace with Elizabeth, he sent to the printer the manifesto

which proclaimed Elizabeth as empress. With the appearance of the sun

in the horizon, Elizabeth was recognized as empress in the capital, and

soon after throughout the whole empire. Who were they who recognized

her? It was not the people, for in Russia there are no people--there are

only masters and slaves. Elizabeth had become empress because fortune

and Anna Leopoldowna's generous confidence had favored her; not the

exigencies of the people, nor the tyranny of her predecessor had

called her to the throne, but she had attained to it by the cunning

and intrigues of some few confederates. She had become empress because

Lestocq was tired of being only physician to a poor princess; because

Grunstein thought the position of under-officer was far too humble for

him, and because Alexis Razumovsky, the former precentor in the imperial

chapel, found it desirable to add to his name the title of count or

prince!

When St. Petersburg awoke it heard with astonishment the news of a new

revolution. From mouth to mouth flew this astounding announcement: "We

have changed our rulers! We are no longer the servants of the Emperor

Ivan, but of the Empress Elizabeth! A new dynasty has arisen, and we

have a new oath of allegiance to take!"

At first only a few ventured to spread this extraordinary intelligence,

and these few were tremblingly and anxiously avoided; it was dangerous

to listen to them; people fled from them without answering. But as the

rumors became constantly louder and more significant, as at length their

truth could no longer be doubted, as it became certain that the regent

and her son were dethroned and Elizabeth was established in power, all

the doubting and anxious faces were, as by an electric spark, lighted up

with joy; then nothing was heard but the cry of triumph and jubilation;

then was Anna Leopoldowna loudly cursed by those who had blessed her on

the preceding day; then was the new Empress Elizabeth loudly lauded by

those who yesterday had smiled with contempt at her powerlessness.