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THE PRINCESS TARAKANOVA

[Illustration: THE PRINCESS TARAKANOVA.

    _“The only art her guilt to cover,_
      _To hide her shame from every eye,_
    _To give repentance to her lover,_
      _And wring his bosom--is to die.”_]




                                  THE
                          PRINCESS TARAKANOVA

                   A Dark Chapter of Russian History

                      TRANSLATED FROM THE RUSSIAN
                                  OF
                           G. P. DANILEVSKI
                                  BY
                           IDA DE MOUCHANOFF

                          WITH FOUR PORTRAITS

                               New York
                            MACMILLAN & CO.
                    LONDON: SWAN SONNENSCHEIN & CO.




CONTENTS.


    INTRODUCTION                                 ix-xxviii

                             Part I.

                  _DIARY OF LIEUTENANT KONSOV._

     CHAP.                                            PAGE

        I. TEMPEST-TOSSED                                1

       II. MY IMPRISONMENT                               6

      III. IMPORTANT NEWS                               13

       IV. I SEE THE PRINCESS                           21

        V. MY INTERVIEW WITH THE PRINCESS               27

       VI. THE PRINCESS ASKS ME TO ASSIST HER           33

      VII. I CONVEY A LETTER                            41

     VIII. I DELIVER A LETTER                           50

       IX. WE WILL BEFRIEND HER                         60

        X. IS THE COUNT A TRAITOR?                      66

       XI. THE DEPARTURE FROM ROME                      82

      XII. THE PRINCESS SEEKS MY ADVICE                 89

     XIII. THE “MARRIAGE”                               96

      XIV. TREACHERY                                   104

       XV. REMORSE                                     109

      XVI. THE BOTTLE CAST INTO THE SEA                114

                            Part II.

                       _RAVELIN ALEXEEF._

     XVII. EKATERINA AT MOSCOW                         125

    XVIII. THE PRINCESS AT ST. PETERSBURG              129

      XIX. THE HISTORIOGRAPHER MILLER                  137

       XX. MILLER’S REPLY                              144

      XXI. ORLOFF AND THE PRINCESS                     152

     XXII. ORLOFF’S INTERVIEW WITH THE PRINCESS        159

    XXIII. ORLOFF AT MOSCOW                            168

     XXIV. THE PRINCESS WRITES TO THE EMPRESS          177

      XXV. FATHER PETER ANDRÉEF                        183

     XXVI. THE VISITORS’ QUEST                         188

    XXVII. A LATE VISITOR                              196

    XVIII. BAPTISM                                     202

     XXIX. CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION                   208

      XXX. “WHAT IF THE CAPTIVE BE INNOCENT?”          213

     XXXI. RELEASE                                     218

    XXXII. “A ROSE AND A MYRTLE”                       227

    XXIII. PAVEL PETROVITCH AND THE ENCHANTER          237

    XXXIV. A MYRTLE LEAF                               243

     XXXV. FIFTEEN YEARS AFTER                         249




INTRODUCTION.


_Gregory Petrovitch Danilevski was born at Danilovki, an estate in the
government of Kharkov, on April 14th, 1829. He died last winter at St.
Petersburg, on December 6th. His childhood over--it was spent partly
on the estate of his grandfather, near Dontsov, partly on the estate
of Petrovski--he became a student first of the Muscovite Institute for
the nobility, afterwards of the University of St. Petersburg, leaving
the latter, in 1850, as graduate in jurisprudence. In 1848, during his
studentship, he was presented with a silver medal at the meeting of the
Philological Institute for his composition on Poushkin and Kriloff._

_From 1850 to 1857 he served in the ministry of public instruction,
at first under Noroff, afterwards under Prince Viazimski. During this
period he visited Finland and the Crimea, and worked, by commission
from the Archæological Society, on the archives of the monasteries
of the governments of Kharkov, Koursk, and Poltava, and, at the
suggestion of the historian Oustrialoff, wrote a description of the
famous battlefield of the last-named place. In 1856, at the instance
of the Imperial admiral, Constantine Nicolaievitch, he was sent to
the south of Russia to write a description of the Sea of Azov, the
Dnieper, and the Don. In the following year he resigned his official
appointment. Thereafter, for twelve years, he lived at Petrovski,
his own favourite estate in Kharkov, from time to time, however,
paying visits to Poland, White Russia, Volhynie, and Podolia, and
sailing down the Volga, Don, and Dnieper. Made in 1859 deputy of the
committee of Kharkov for improving the condition of the peasantry, he
was instructed four years later, by Golovinin, the minister of public
instruction, to inspect and to report on the condition of 200 national
schools in the government of Kharkov. During the first three years of
the establishment of the rural police courts he served by election.
Despatched to St. Petersburg in 1868 as a deputy by the government of
Kharkov, he had the honour of being presented to the emperor. From 1867
to 1870 he held the post of honorary justice of the peace. Finally,
in 1869, on the institution of the official organ, “The Government
Herald,” he was appointed senior assistant to the chief editor. This
post he occupied eleven years._

_His historical novels have created quite a sensation in Russia by
reason of their originality, their fascination, and their truthfulness
to history and to nature. Among the more celebrated of his numerous
works, besides the novel of which a translation is here presented, are
“Merovitch” and “Freedom.” As Danilevski has, hitherto, been unknown in
England, some remarks on his writings will be of interest._

_With regard to the sad history contained in this book, it is evident
that the author had exceptional information on the subject of his
narrative, for he is not over-careful to conceal his opinion of the
strong probability of the Princess Tarakanova’s claims being legitimate
as well as ~bonâ-fide~, and of Orloff’s real character being greatly
different from the popular estimate of it as expressed in the lines
under the count’s portrait. It is not known how the remarkable diary
which constitutes Part I. of this work came into Danilevski’s hands;
but there is ground for the conjecture that it came to him, with other
papers, from his grandmother. A curious fact, too, is the circumstance
that Danilevski’s governess was a lady of the name of Pchelkina.
However this may be, my husband, Colonel de Génie de Mouchanoff, was
informed by Danilevski himself that the diary as published is almost
word for word as written by Konsov, and that the details concerning
the subsequent history of the captive were obtained by him from
authentic official documents._

_Nevertheless, Danilevski’s view is not the popular one. Schébalski and
Solovieff in dealing with this subject write as follows:--_

_“When Russia was involved in the war with Turkey some evil-minded
persons availed themselves of the opportunity to bring forward
pretenders to the throne. They set rumours afloat to the effect that
Elizabeth, after her secret marriage with Count Razoumovski, had a
daughter, and that this child was she who was known by the name of
Princess Tarakanova._

_“The adventures of this Pretender form a very interesting page in
Russian history, and have given rise to many novels and tales. They
have now, however, lost much of their mysterious interest, thanks to
the extracts printed from the procés of Princess Tarakanova, not long
since published in one of our historical reviews. Still, it is an
ascertained fact that the Princess spent several of the years of her
youth abroad, and that she led a luxurious though retired life. Very
likely the tie between this person and the Russian Empress may have
been known to political intriguers, and have suggested to them the idea
of using this Pretender as an instrument for raising a revolution
in Russia. There is every reason to believe that Prince Radzivill,
the leader of the confederation of Radomski, educated a young girl
with this object in view; but whether this girl became the future
Tarakanova, or some other person, is to this day, and most probably
will remain eternally, unknown._

_“What is really ascertained is that a young girl of very humble
origin, a native of Prague or Nuremburg, endowed with the most
marvellous beauty, clever and enterprising, but of extremely equivocal
conduct, shone from the end of the year 1760 till the beginning of
1770 at Berlin, London, and Paris, lavishly spending on her dress and
pleasures the money which she had levied on her admirers. With every
new residence she changed her name. In Paris she was the “Princess
Wladimirskaya,” a native of Russia, but brought up, it was said, in
Persia, as mischief was feared at the hands of her enemies in Russia,
where, so she alleged, she had great possessions. We are bound, indeed,
to believe that her charms were extraordinary; for notwithstanding
her conduct, several highly placed personages, in both France and
Germany, sought her hand. One of these was actually a reigning Prince
of the German Empire. In 1773, the mysterious adventuress was on the
point of accepting the hand of this prince, but postponed the matter
under pretence of starting for Russia to arrange her affairs, and then
suddenly disappeared. In the spring of 1774 she turned up at the other
side of Europe--at Venice._

_“It was then that her political ~rôle~ really began. As early as 1773
she had had relations with several Poles, who had left their native
land shortly after the conspiracy of Baski, and it is not unlikely
that it was at this time that the programme of her future actions
was arranged. The Princess Wladimirskaya was to take the name of the
“Princess Tarakanova,” set sail for Constantinople on a ship which
Radzivill had offered to equip, and there explain to the Sultan her
pretensions to the Russian throne. It was evidently the opinion of her
advisers that her appearance on the Danube at the very moment when
Pougachoff was raising a rebellion on the Volga would increase the
difficulties of Ekaterina’s position, and would be taken advantage of
by Turkish politicians. As a matter of fact, in the summer of 1774, the
Princess Tarakanova and Prince Radzivill, accompanied by a numerous
suite, did set sail for Constantinople. But they stopped at Ragusa,
wishing to ascertain beforehand what kind of reception they were likely
to meet with at the hands of the Sultan. Unfortunately for them, great
changes had taken place. The overtures of the Princess were not only
declined: she was even invited to give up all thought of her visit._

_“Separated from Radzivill, but not from her political ~rôle~, the
Princess went first to Naples and then to Rome. At the latter city she
tried to bring to her side all the most influential cardinals, and even
the Pope himself, promising that in the event of her accession to the
throne she would do all in her power to establish the Catholic faith in
Russia._

“_During all these ~péripéties~ Count Orloff Chesmenski was, as we all
know, in Italy. Of course he lost no time in writing full particulars
concerning the false Tarakanova to Ekaterina, from whom he received
orders to steal the Pretender, and so cut off the intrigue at the
very outset. Orloff surrounded the Princess with spies, and, through
his emissaries, tried to inspire her with confidence in himself.
The words of the emissaries seemed very credible to the Princess.
Gregory Orloff was then in disgrace, and it would be no very unlikely
circumstance if his brother turned into a secret enemy of the empress,
and joined in the intrigue. Orloff placed boundless credit at her
disposition; and by giving himself out as a man deeply outraged by the
government, persuaded the “Countess Selinski,” as the Princess then
called herself, to come to a ~rendezvous~ with him at Pisa. Here he
surrounded her with all possible homage. Balls and ~fêtes~ succeeded
each other in swift succession. He made believe to fall in with her
plans, and eventually offered her his hand. Nevertheless, he was only
awaiting an opportunity to arrest her, without causing any scandal. He
had not long to wait. One day the Countess Selinski expressed a wish
to visit the Russian squadron, then stationed at Livorno. Orloff gave
orders for preparations to be made for a magnificent reception of the
countess, and arranged splendid naval manœuvres. He himself, with her
suite, accompanied her on board the man-o’-war. The manœuvres began;
the cannon fired; sails were unfurled; the ships sailed out into the
open sea; and the unfortunate Pretender, at the end of a journey, found
herself shut up in the fortress of Petersburg. Here, it is said, she
languished till 1776, when she was drowned by the rushing of the waters
into her prison. But this is not true. Historical documents prove that
she died of the same illness from which she was suffering when she
came to Russia, and which, of course, made rapid strides during her
confinement in the damp dungeon._”

_Remarkable as is “The Princess Tarakanova,” it is not regarded in
Russia as so fine a work as “Merovitch.” This work has attracted
universal attention, for it describes one of the most interesting
epochs of Russian history. The mysterious and melancholy account of the
unfortunate prince-martyr, the victim of troublous times, is all the
more interesting as it is founded on historical documents. Written with
great ~entrain~ and truthfulness, the novel on its publication created
quite a sensation. It originally appeared in 1875, under the title,
“The Imperial Prisoner” but its sale was prohibited. In 1879 it was
again printed, by order of the emperor._

_“The whole canvas of the novel,” says Danilevski, “such as the life
and infatuation of Merovitch, the customs and manners of the period,
many details of the reign of Ekaterina and the attempt of Merovitch,
are taken from the diary and reminiscences of my great-grandmother,
and of my grandmother, who was ~Fräulein~ at the court of Peter III.
Many things I took down from the lips of my uncle, the eldest son of
my father’s mother,--a born Rosslavleff, who, together with Orloff,
as every one knows, played so conspicuous a part in the ~Coup-d’État~
which placed Ekaterina on the throne. But in all that belongs to
history, I have, of course, strictly adhered to authentic documents
from the Imperial archives. I have also had access to the archives
of the citadel of Schlusselburg, to the official documents of the
council of Archangel, and I have visited the celebrated dungeon of
the unfortunate Prince Johann Antonovitch, and the birthplace of
‘Merovitch.’”_

_“Merovitch” is thus a detailed account of the ~Coup-d’État~ which
placed Ekaterina on the throne of Russia, and of the conspiracy and
attempt to put Johann Antonovitch on the throne, which was his by
right._

_An officer named Merovitch penetrated into the citadel above referred
to, and hoping to surprise the sentinels and throw them off their
guard, read a proclamation, trusting to be able in the confusion to
facilitate the escape of the unfortunate prince. But long before strict
orders had been given (it is supposed by Ekaterina) that at the first
attempt at escape on the part of the prince he was to be killed on the
spot. This command was strictly carried out. When Merovitch entered the
prince’s cell, he found only the dead body of the unfortunate martyr._

_Ekaterina II. plays so important a part in the events described in
these novels that some particulars of her life and character may not be
out of place._

_She was born in the year 1729, at Stettin. Her father, a general in
the Prussian service, and the governor of this town, inherited by
the death of his cousin, the Prince of Zerbst, a small principality,
situated on the borders of the Elbe, between Prussia and Saxony._

_Her mother came of the house of Holstein. Princess Sophie Augusta of
Anhalt-Zerbst was therefore distantly related to her future husband.
She came over to Russia in her fourteenth year with her mother, and
was at once instructed in the Russian faith and tongue. The following
year, 1745, having been baptized into the Greek faith under the name of
Ekaterina Alexéevna, she was united to the heir of the Russian empire._

_Her husband on his accession to the throne excited the discontent of
the nation by publishing a great number of ukases, which, although in
themselves most humane and wise, yet, owing to the uncivilized state
of Russia, were in their nature far too premature. Above all, he
outraged the national feeling by the treaty which he concluded with
Prussia on April 24th, 