meat: generally employed to fignify nice and luxurious food. fallible against the caterpillars feeding on cabbage, and perhaps may be equally ferviceable againft thofe that infeft other vegetables. Sow with hemp all the borders of the ground where the cabbage is to be planted; and, although the neighbourhood is infefted with caterpillars, the space inclofed by the hemp will be free, as not one of the vermin will approach it. CATERPILLAR-EATERS, a fpecies of worms bred in the body of the caterpillar, and which eat its felh. Thefe are produced by a certain kind of fly that lodges her eggs in the body of this animal, and they, after their proper changes, become flies lise their parents. Mr Reaumur has given us, in bis Hiftory of Infects, fome very curious particulars respecting thefe little worms. Each of them fpins, itfelf a very beautiful cafe, of a cylindric figure of a very frong fort of filk; in which this animal fpends its state of chryfalis; and they have a mark by which they may be known from all other animal productions of this kind, which is, that they have always a broad ftripe or band furrounding their middle, which is black when the reft of the cale is white, and white when that is black. Mr Reaumur has had the patience to find out the reafon of this fingularity. The whole thell is fpun of a fik produced out of the creature's body; this at firft runs all white, and towards the end of the fining turns black. The outfide of the cafe mult neceffarily be formed firft, as the creature works from within: confequently this is truly white all over, but it is tranfparent, and fhows the pun or black filk through it. It might be fuppofed that the whole infide of the fhell fhould be black; but this is not the cafe: the whole is Ehioned before this black filk comes; and this is employed by the creature, not to line the whole, t to fortify certain parts only; and therefore is al applied either to the middle or to the two ends ting the middle, or a blacknefs at both ends, leaving the white in the middle to appear. It is tot uncommon to find a fort of fmall cafes, in garden walks, which move of themfelves; when tad are opened, they are found to contain a small ying worm. This is one of the fpecies of thefe Caterpillar-eaters; which, as foon as it comes out of the body of that animal, fpins itself a cafe for to transformation, and lives in it without food till Last change comes on; when it becomes a fly like hat to which it owed its birth. CATERTHUN. See CATTERTHUN. CATERVA, or in ancient military writers, CATERVARIUS, a term ufed in fpeaking of the Gaulish or Celtiberian armies, denoting a body of 6acd armed men. The word is alfo frequently fed for a party of foldiers in diforder. To CATERWAUL. vn. [from cat.] 1. To make a noife as cats in rutting time. 2. To make day offenfive or odious noife.-What a caterwalne do you keep here? If my lady has not called up her fteward Malvollo, and bid him turn you out of doors, never truft me. Shak. Tavel. Night. CATES. n. f. (of uncertain etymology; Skiner imagines it may be corrupted from delicate; which is not likely, becaufe Junius obferves, that the Dutch have kater in the fame fenfe with our ater. It has no fingular.] Viands; food; dish of VOL V. PART I They by th' alluring odour drawn, in hafte Fly to the dulcet cutes, and crouding hip Their palatable bane. Philips With coftly cates the ftain'd her frugal board, Then with ill gotton wealth fhe bought a lord. Arbuthnot CATESBIA, the LILY-THORN: A genus of the monogynia, order, belonging to the tetrandria clafs of plants; and in the natural method ranking under the 28th order,, Luridæ. The corolla is monopetalous, funnel-shaped, very long above the receptacle of the fruit; the ftamina are within its throat; the fruit a polyfpermous berry. There is only one fpecies, viz. the CATESBÆA SPINOSA, a native of the island of Providence, discovered by Mr Catesby, who ga thered the feeds, and brought them to England. It rifes to the height of 10 or 12 feet, and is covered with a pale ruffet bark; the branches come out alternately, and are garnished with fmall leaves refembling thofe of the box tree, coming out in clusters, all round the branches at certain diftances; the flowers hang downward, and come out from the fides of the branches: they are tubulous, and near 6 inches long, very narrow at their base, but widening upwards towards the top, where the plant is divided into 5 parts, which fpread open, and are reflexed backward. They are of a dull yellow colour. This plant is propagated by feeds which must be procured from the country where it grows. The feeds must be fown on a hot-bed, and are to be treated in the fame manner as other tender exotics. CASTESBY, a village in Northamptonshire, CATESMORE, near Stamford, Lincolnshire. CATFIELD, a town near Hickling, Norfolk. (2.) CAT-FISH, in ichthyology. See SQUALUS. (1.) CAT-GUT, a denomination given to small ftrings for fiddles, and other inftruments, made of the inteftines of fheep or lambs, dried and twisted together, either fingly, or feveral together. Thefe Tare fometimes coloured red, fometimes blue, but are commonly left whitish or brownish, the natural colour of the gut. They are alfo ufed by watch-makers, cutlers, turners, and other arti ficers. Great quantities are imported into England, and other countries, from Lyons and Italy. (2.) CAT-GUT, a kind of canvas for ladies work. CATH, a town of Afia, in Kowarefm. CATHÆRETICS, in pharmacy, medicines of a cauftic nature, ferving to eat off proud flesh. CATHAI, the name given by the Europeans to China, on their first discovery of it. CATHARI, or in ecclefiaftical writers, anCATHARIANS, cient Chriftians, who made profeffion of greater purity in difcipline and fanctity of life than others. The title was chiefly given to the feet of NOVATIANS. (1.) CATHARINE, ST, a virgin of Alexandria, Q celebrated spikes, and traversed with a sword stained blood. (6.) CATHARINE, ST, ORDER OF, an orde ladies of the first quality in the Ruffian court, ftituted in 1714, by Catherine wife of Peta Great, in memory of his fignal efcape from t Turks in 1711. The enfigns of this order an red crofs, fupported by a figure of St Cathar and fastened to a scarlet ftring edged with 5he on which are infcribed the name of St Cathari celebrated for her learning, as well as piety, who is faid to have suffered martyrdom, under the emperor Maximin, about A. D. 236. Her body being afterwards difcovered on Mount Sinai, gave rife to the order of Knights of St Catharine. See § 5. (2) CATHARINE, ST, another famous faint of the church of Rome, born at Sienna, in 1347, who is better entitled to a place in an Encyclopædia, as an authorefs, than either as a faint, prophetefs, or miracle-worker, though the is highly celebrated in all these characters. Indeed the monks feem to have exhaufted not only the powers of credulity, but even of invention itself, by the ftories they tell us of this lady. They not only relate, that fhe was fo early devoted to piety as to become a nun of the order of St Dominic at 7 years of age, and that the faw numberlefs vifions, and wrought multitudes of miracles before fhe was grown up to be a woman, but that the converfed face to face with Jefus Chrift, and was actually married to him in form! With fuch celeftial influence we need not wonder, that fhe was able to bring a bout a reconciliation between Pope Gregory XI. and the people of Avignon, in 1376, even after he had excommunicated them; or that in 1377, fhe fhould have prevailed on him to re-establish the pontifical feat at Rome, 70 years after Clement V. had transferred it to France. She died April 30, 1380, aged 33, and was canonized by Pius II. in 1461. Her works are, 1. Revelations; printed at Cologne, 1553: 2. Dialogues on the Providence of God; in Latin: 3. An Oration upon the Annunciation both at Ingolstadt, 1385 and, laftly, 364 Letters to Popes, Gardinals, Kings, and Princes; Venice, 1506. (3) CATHARINE, ST, a third faint of the Romifh church, canonized by Pope Clement VII. She was born at Bologna, in 1413, and admitted a nun at Ferrara 1432. She was afterwards abbefs of a convent at Bologna, where he died in 1463. She wrote a book of Revelations, and feveral pieces in Latin and Italian. (4.) CATHARINE, ST, FRATERNITY OF, AT SIENNA, a religious fociety inftituted in that city, in honour of ST CATHARINE, (fee N° 2.) whofe wedding ring, faid to have been prefented to her by our Saviour, is ftill preferved as a valuable relic. This fraternity yearly endows a certain number of deftitute virgins, and has the privilege of redeeming annually two criminals condemned for murder, and the fame number of debtors, by paying their debts. (5.) CATHARINE, ST, OF M. SINAI, KNIGHTS OF, an ancient military order, erected for the affiftance and protection of the numerous pilgrims who went to pay their devotions to the body of St Catharine, on mount Sinai. See N° 1. Travelling being very dangerous, by reafon of the Arabs, an order of knighthood was erected in 1063, on the model of that of the holy fepulchre, and under the patronage of St Catharine: the knights of which obliged themfelves by oath to guard the body of the faint, keep the roads fecure, obfirve the rule of St Bafil, and obey their grand mafter. "Their habit was white, and on it were reprefented the inftruments of martyrdom whereby the faint had fuffered; viz. a half wheel armed with and the motto Pro fide & patria. CATHARINENSLAF. See CATHERINENSLE CATHARMA, in antiquity, a facrifice rally of fome criminal, in expiation for the pa *CATHARPINGS. n.. Small ropes in a l running in little blocks from one fide of the rad to the other, near the decks; they belong only the main fhrouds; and their ufe is to force fhrouds tight, for the ease and fafety of the ma when the fhip rolls. Harris. * CATHARTICALNESS. n.f. [from cathe tical.] Purging quality. (1.) CATHARTICK. CATHARTICAL [Series] Purging medicines. The vermicu or peristaltick motion of the guts continually on their contents, from the pylorus to the rec and every irritation either quickens that moti in its natural order, or occafions fome little in fions in it. In both, what but flightly adheres the coats will be loofened, and they will be m agitated, and thus rendered more fluid. By only it is manifeft, how a cathartic haftens i increases the difcharges by ftool; but where force of the ftimulus is great, all the appendaga of the bowels, and all the vifcera in the abdo will be twiched; by which a great deal will drained back into the inteftines, and made a of what they difcharge. Quincy.-Quickfilver p cipitated either with gold, or without addi into a powder, is wont to be strongly enough thartical, though the chymifts have not prove that either gold or mercury hath any falt, lefs any that is purgative. Boyle's Sceptical C ifry.-Luftrations and catharticks of the were fought for, and all endeavours ufed to ca and regulate the fury of the paflions. Dec. of P -Plato has called mathematical demonftrat the catharticks or purgatives of the foul. Ad (2) CATHARTICS. See MATERIA MEDICA (1.) CATHCART, an ancient parish of Sc land, in the counties of Renfrew and Lanark, chiefly in the former; fo named from the Cart, which runs through it. It is 4 miles and 2 broad; containing above 3000 acres, wholly arable. The foil is various, but fers and the crops of wheat, oats, and potatoes r abundant. Weaving, beaching, and paper fnutt manufactures are carried on. The line ca ries employ 16 men, and afford 6cco carts of barst lime annually. The population, in 1791, f by the rev. Mr Dow, in his report to Sir J. 5 clair, was 697, and had increased 198 fince (2.) CATHCART CASTLE, the ancient fert the earls of Cathcart, in the above parith, (N was formery a very strong fquare building brand fituated upon a very commanding fituation two of its fides completely defended by the to which there is a perpendicular defcent of at endous height; and the access to the other fide fat on either fide alfo called by the ancient fathers, eing very fteep. It was inhabited within thefe Affeffores Epifcoporum. The epifcopal authority years, but is now a ruin. did not refide in the bifhop alone; but in all the prefbyters. whereof the bishop was prefident. A cathedral, therefore, originally was different from what it is now; the Chriftians, till the time of Conftantine, having no liberty to build any tem ple: by their churches they only meant their affembles; and by cathedrals, nothing more than confiftories. (1) CATHEAD. n.f. A kind of foffil.-The lales with leaves in them, called catheads, feem confift of a fort of iron ftone, not unlike that hich is found in the rocks near Whitehaven in Sumberland, where they call them catfcaups. Foodward on Foils. (2) CATHEAD. n. [In a fhip.] A piece of ber with two thivers at one end, having a rope mda block, to which is fastened a great iron k, to trice up the anchor from the hawfe to top of the forecaftie. Sea Dict. (3) CAT-HEADS, two ftrong fhort beams of mber, which project almoft horizontally over he hip's bows on each fide of the bow-fprit; belike two radii which extend from a centre taen in the direction of the bow-fprit. That part the cat-head which refts upon the forecaftle, is turely bolted to the beams: the other part prolike a crane as above defcribed, and carries its extremity 2 or 3 fmall wheels or heaves of als or firong wood, about which a rope called CAT-FALL paffes, and communicates with be CAT-BLOCK, which alfo contains 3 fheaves. The machine formed by this combination of pulis called the Car, which ferves to pull the ncher up to the cat-head, without tearing the hp's fides with its flukes. The cat-head alfo ves to fufpend the anchor clear of the bow, en it is necefiary to let it go: it is fupported a fort of knee, which is generally ornamented th fculpture. See Plate LX. fig. 7. The catlock is filled with a large and ftrong hood, which atches the ring of the anchor when it is to be kawn up. CATHECU, in botany. See ARECA, N° 1. CATHEDRA, (Kade, Gr. a chair,] is ufed for, a profeffor's chair; 2. a preacher's pulpit; and ja bihop's fee, or throne, in a church. CATHEDRATIC DOCTOR, a title given to a profeffor in fome of the universities in Spain. CATHEDRATICUM, an annual tax of two fhillings, anciently paid by the inferior clergy, to their bishop when he vifited his diocefe. (1.) CATHERINE 1. EMPRESS OF RUSSIA, a woman whofe extraordinary rife from the lowest to the highest rank in life merits a particular relation. She was the natural daughter of a country girl; and was born at Ringen, a fmall village in Livonia. The year of her birth is uncertain; but from her own account, fhe was born 5th April 1687. Her original name was Martha, which the changed for Catherine when the embraced the Greek religion. Count Rofen, a lieutenant-colonel in the Swedish fervice, the proprietor of the village, fupported, according to the custom of the county, both the mother and the child; and was fuppofed by many to have been her father. She loft her mother when he was only 3 years old; and, as count Rofen died about the fame time, the was left in fo deftitute a fituation, that the parish-clerk of the village took her into his houfe. Soon afterwards Gluck, Lutheran minifter of Marienburgh, happening, to fee the orphan took her under his protection, brought her up in his family, and employed her in attending his children. In 1701, and about the 14th year of her age, the efpoufed a dragoon of the Swedish garrifon of Marienburgh: who, according to fome lived only 8 days with her, while others affirm, that on the morning of the nuptials, he being fent with a detachment for Riga, the marriage was never confummated. This much is certain, that the dragoon was abfent when Marienburgh furrendered to the Ruffians; and Catherine never faw him more. General Baur, upon the taking of Marienburgh, faw Catherine among the prifoners; and, being fmitten with her beauty, took her to his houfe, where the fuperintended his domeftic affairs, and was fuppofed to be his miftrefs. Soon afterwards the was removed into the family of prince Menzikof, who was no lefs ftruck Here aged trees cathedral walks compose, with her charms. With him fhe lived until 1704; And mount the hill in venerable rows; when, in the 17th year of her age, the became the There the green infants in their beds are laid. miftrefs of Peter the Great, and won fo much uPope. pon his affections, that he efpoufed her on the (2) CATHEDRAL. n.. The head church of a 29th of May 111. The ceremony was fecretly diefe.-There is nothing in Leghorn fo extra- performed at Jawerof in Poland, in the prefence nary as the cathedral, which a man may view of General Bruce; and on the 20th Feb. 1712, it wita pleafure, after he has feen St Peter's. Addif. was publicly folemnized at Petersburg. CatheCATHEDRAL, 2. See BISHOP, and CHURCH. rine, by the most unwearied affiduity and unreThe name feems to have taken its rife from the mitted attention, by the foftnefs and complacency manner of fitting in the ancient churches, or af- of her difpofition, but above all by an extraordisemblies of primitive Chriftians: In thefe, the mary livelinefs and gaiety of temper, acquired a FRISBYTERIUM; at their head was the bifhop wonderful afcendency over the mind of Peter. who held CATHEDRATICUS; and the prefbyters, who at times rendered him gloomy and fufpicious, and CATHEDRAL. adj. [from cathedra, Lat. chair of authority; an epifcopal fee.] 1. Epifpal; containing the fee of a bifhop.-A cathedral church is that wherein there are two or more prons, with a bishop at the head of them, that make, as it were, one body politick. Ayliffe. . Belonging to an epifcopal church. His confast and regular affifting at the cathedral fervice never interrupted by the fharpnefs of weather. Locke. 3. In low phrafe, antique; venerakold. This feems to be the meaning in the following lines. Q 2 railed raifed his paffions to fuch an height as to produce a temporary madnefs. In thefe dreadful moments Catherine was the only perfon who durft venture to approach him; and fuch was the fafcination the had acquired over him, that her prefence had an instantaneous effect, and the first found of her voice compofed his mind and calmed his agonies. From thefe circumstances the feemed neceffary, not only to his confort, but even to his existence; the became his infeparable campanion in his journeys into foreign countries, and in all his military expeditions. The peace of Pruth, by which the Rulian army was refcued from certain destruction, has been wholly attributed to Catherine, though the was little more than an inftrument in procuring the confent of Peter. The latter, in This campaign of 1711 against the Turks, having imprudently led his troops into a difadvantageous fituation, took the defperate refolution of cutting his way through the Turkish army in the night. With this refolution he retired to his tent in an agony of delpair, and gave politive orders, that no one fhould be admitted under pain of death. In this important juncture the principal officers and the vice-chancellor Shaffirof affembled in the prefence of Catherine, and drew up certain prefiminaries in order to obtain a truce from the grand vizir. Plinipotentiaries being immediately difpatched, without the knowledge of Peter, to the grand vizir, a peace was obtained upon more reafonable terms than could have been expected. With thefe conditions, Catherine, notwithstanding the orders iffted by Peter, entered his tent, and prevailed upon him to fign them. Catherine by her conduct on this occalion, acquired great popularity; and the emperor particularly fpeci fied her behaviour at Pruth, as one of the reafons which induced him to crown her publickly at Mof cow with his own hand. This ceremony was performed in 1724 and although designed by Peter only as a proof of his affection, was the principal caufe of her fubequent elevation. Her influence. continued undiminished until a fhort time before the death of the emperor, when, fome circumtances happened which occafioned fuch a cool hefs between them as would probably have ended in a total rupture, if his death had not fortunately intervened. The original caufe of this mifunder franding arofe from the difcovery of a fecret conection between Catherine and her firft chamber1 in, whole name was Mons. The emperor, who was fufpicious of it, quitted Peterburgh under pretence of removing to a villa for a few days, but privately returned to his winter palace in the ca pital. From thence he occafionally fent one of Lis confidential pages with a complimentary mef fage to the emprefs, as if he had been in the country, and with fecret orders to obferve her motions. From the page's information the emperor on the ad night, furprized Catherine in an arbour of the ganden with Mons; while his fifter, Madame Balke, who was first lady of the bed-chamber to the emprefs, was, in company with a page, upon the watch without the arbour, Peter, whofe temper, naturally violent, was now juftly inflamed, truck Catherine with his cane, as well as the page who endeavoured to prevent him from entering the arbour, and then retired without uttering a word either to Mons or his fifter. A few day after, thefe perfons were taken into cuftody, and Mons was carried to the winter palace, where to one had admiflion to him but Peter, who hintaf brought him his provifions. A report was at the fame time circulated, that they were imprifoned tr having received bribes, and making their infiens over the emprefs fubfervient to their own merce nary views. Mons being examined by Peter a the prefence of major-general Ufchakof, and thres tened with the torture, confefled the corruptia which was laid to his charge. He was beheaded his fifter received five ftrokes of the knout, and was banished into Siberia: two of her funs, wh were chamberlains, were alfo degraded, and f as common foldiers among the Ruffian troops Perfia. On the day fubfequent to the execut of the fentence, Péter conveyed Catherine in 4 open carriage under the gallows, to which wa nailed the head of Mons. The emprefs, with changing colour, at this dreadful fight, exclaim "What a pity it is, that there is fo much a ruption among courtiers!" This event happe ed in the end of 1724; and as it was foon follow ed by Peter's death, and Catherine upon her ceflion recalled Madame Balke, it has been pected, that the hortened the days of her la band by poifon, But notwithitanding the crit fituation for Catherine in which he died, and fubfequent elevation, this charge is totally of tute of proof: for the peculiar fymptoms of laft illnefs fuficiently account for his death. Whe Peter was yet lying in his laft agonies, ferde pofite parties were caballing to difpofe of the crown. At a confiderable meeting of the pr pal nobility, it was fecretly determined, on the moment of his diffolution, to arreft Cather and to place Peter Alexjowitz upon the thro Baflevitz, apprifed of this refolution, repaired in perfon to the emprefs, although it was alrea night. "My grief and confternation," repl Catherine, "render me incapable of acting f felf: do you and prince Menzik of confult to ther, and I will embrace the meafures which you thall approve in my name. Balevitz, finds Menzik of afleep, awakened and informed him the prefling danger which threatened the emph and her party. As no time remained for long co liberation, the prince inftantly feized the tre fecured the fortrefs, gained the officers o guards by bribes and promifes; alfo a few of t no ility, and the principal clergy. Thefe parts zans being convened in the palace, Catherine her appearance: the claimed the throne in of her coronation at Mofcow; fhe expofed th effects of a minority; and promifed, that, " far from depriving the great duke of the c he would receive it only as a facred depot, be reftored to him when the fhould be united, sa another world, to an adored hubad, whem Le was now upon the point of lofing." The puls tic manner with which he uttered this addres and the tears which accompanied it, added to e previous diftribution of large fums of money jewels, produced the defired effect; at the of this meeting, the remainder of the night employed in making the necellary preparations infüre her acceffion in cafe the emperor's de Peter at length expired in the morning of the 28th Jan. 1725 This event being made known, the faate, the generals, the principal nobility and cergy, haftened to the palace to proclaim the new fovereign. The adherents of the great duke, femed fecure of fuccefs, and the friends of Catherine were avoided as perfons doomed to de-, truction. At this juncture Baffeyitz whispered to One of the oppofite party, "The emprefs is miftres of the treasure and the fortrefs; he has gainover the guards and the fynod, and many of the chief nobility; even here the has more followers than you imagine; advise therefore your freds to make no oppofition as they value their heads." This information being rapidly circulaed, Baffevitz gave the appointed fignal, and the two regiments of guards, who had been gained by a largets to declare for Catherine, and had already furrounded the palace, beat to arms. "Who has dared (exclaimed prince Repnin, the Commander in chief) to order out the troops with out my knowledge "I, (returned general Butlin, without pretending to difpute your au., thority, in obedience to the commands of my moft gracious miftrefs." This fhort reply was followed by a dead filence. In this moment of figence and anxiety Menzikof entered, precedg Catherine, fupported by the duke of Holfein. She attempted to speak, but was prevented by fighs and tears from giving utterance to her words: at length, recovering herfelf, "I come e faid,) notwithstanding the grief which now o verwhelms me, to affure you, that, fubmiffive to the will of my departed husband, whofe memory will be ever dear to me, I am ready to devote my days to the painful occupations of government, antil Providence fhall fummon me to follow him." Then, after a fhort paufe, fhe artfully added, "If the great duke will profit by my inftructions, perhaps I fhall have the confolation, during my wretched widowhood, of forming for you an emperor worthy of the blood and the name of him whom you have irretrievably loft." "As this ht, replied Menzikof, is a moment of fuchi mtance to the good of the empire, and requires Be not mature deliberation, your majefty will permit us to confer, without reftraint, that this Whole affair may be tranfacted without reproach, as well in the opinion of the prefent age, as in that of pofterity." "Acting as I do (anfwered Cathe Te), more for the public good than for my own advantage, I am not afraid to fubmit all my con Cerns to the judgment of fuch an enlightened affembly: you have not only my permiflion to con fa with freedom; but I lay my commands upon you all to deliberate maturely on this important bject, and I promise to adopt whatever may be the refult of your decifions." At the conclufion of thefe words the affembly immediately retired to another apartment and the doors were locked. It was previously fettled by Menzikof and his party that Catherine fhould be emprefs; and the guards who furrounded the palace with drums eating and colours flying, efectually vanquished oppofition. The only circumftance, theretore, which remained, was to give a juft colour to her title, by perfuading the aliembly, that Peter intended to have named her his fucceffor. For this Menzikof demanded of that emperor's fecretary, whether his mafter had left any written declara-` tion of his intentions? The fecretary replied, "That a little before his laft journey to Mofcow he had deftroyed a will; and that he had frequently expreffed his defign of making another, but had always been prevented by the reflection, that if he thought his people, whom he had raifed from a state of barbarism to an high degree of power and glory, could be ungrateful, he would not expofe his final inclinations to the infult of a refufal; and that if they recollected what they owed to his labours, they would regulate their conduct by his intentions, which he had dif clofed with more folemnity than could be manifefted by any writing." An altercation now began in the affembly; and fome of the nobles having the courage to oppofe the accellion of Catherine, Theophanes abp, of Plefcof, called to their recollection the oath which they had all taken in 1722, to acknowledge the fucceffor appointed by Peter; and added that the fentiments of that emperor delivered by the fecretary were in effect an appointment of Catherine. The oppofite party, however, denied thefe fentiments to be fo clear as the fecretary chofe to infinuate; and in fted, that as their late monarch had failed to nominate his heir, the election of the new fovereign fhould revert to the tate. Upon this the abp. farther teftified, that the evening before the coronation of the emprefs at Mofcow, Peter had de clared, in the house of an English merchant, that be fhould place the crown upon her head with no other view, than to leave her miftrefs of the em. pire after his deceafe. This atteftation being con firmed by many perfons prefent, Menzik of cried out, "What need have we of any teftament! A refufal to conform to the inclination of our great fovereign, thus authenticated, would be both unjuft and criminal. Long live the empreis Ca therine !" Thefe words being inftantaneously re peated by the greateft part of those who were prefent, Menzikof, faluting Catherine by the title of emprefs, paid his firft obeifance by kiffing her hand; and his example was followed by the whole affembly. She next prefented herself at the window to the guards, and to the people, who fhouted acclamations of "Long live Catherine!" while Menzikof fcattered amongst them handfuls of money. Thus (fays a contemporary) the emprefs was railed to the throne by the guards, in the fame manner as the Roman emperors by the prætorian cohorts, without either the appointment of the people or the legions. The reign of Catherine may be confidered as the reign of Menzikof, that emprefs having neither inclination nor abilities to direct the helm of government; and the placed the molt implicit confidence in a man who had been the original author of her good fortune, and the fole inftrument of her elevation to the throne. During her thort reign, her life was very irregular; he was extremely averfe to bufinefs; would frequently, when the weather was fine, pafs whole nights in the open air; and was particularly intemperate in the ufe of Tokay wine. Thefe irregularities, joined to a cancer and a dropfy, haftened her end; and the expired on the 17th May 1727, little more than two years after her ac4 ceffion |