Illustrated biography; or, Memoirs of the great and the good of all nations and all times; comprising sketches of eminent statesmen, philosophers, heroes, artists, reformers, philanthropists, mechanics, navigators, authors, poets, divines, soldiers, savans, etc . was suddenly surrounded on the banks of the Pruth, and hisarmy devoted to destruction. While he considered everything lost, his wife,Catherine, had recourse to stratagem, and by offering a large bribe to the grandvizier, she saved her husbands honor, and his army, and in consequence of thismeritorious action, the grateful czar establi
Illustrated biography; or, Memoirs of the great and the good of all nations and all times; comprising sketches of eminent statesmen, philosophers, heroes, artists, reformers, philanthropists, mechanics, navigators, authors, poets, divines, soldiers, savans, etc . was suddenly surrounded on the banks of the Pruth, and hisarmy devoted to destruction. While he considered everything lost, his wife,Catherine, had recourse to stratagem, and by offering a large bribe to the grandvizier, she saved her husbands honor, and his army, and in consequence of thismeritorious action, the grateful czar established the order of St. Catherine, intowhich women only are admitted. The defeat of the Swedish fleet near Hoi-stein, in 1714, and the subsequent treaty of peace with Charles XII., now ena-bled Peter to visit again foreign countries in pursuit of improvement and betterknowledge. In 1716, he was in Denmark, and after visiting the schools, pub-lic places, and curiosities, he passed to Hamburg, Hanover, Wolfenbuttle, andHolland, and the next year proceeded to Paris. In the capital of France, hewas received with great ceremony, and admitted a member of the academy ofsciences. Returned to Russia, Peter labored earnestly to reform and improve PETER THE GREAT. 231. Equestrian Statue of Peter the Great, at At. Petersbargh. 232 PETER THE GREAT. the character of his country. After breaking gradually to pieces the dangerousestablishment of the Strelitzes, he established a regular body of one hundredthousand troops ; he built a navy of forty ships-of-the-line ; he established col-leges, and schools of medicine, botany, and belles-lettres, in the chief cities ofhis dominions, and by purchasing pictures of value and celebrity from Italy, heintroduced a taste for painting and the fine arts among his subjects ; and tosupply resources for their gradual improvement, he made the largest possiblecollections of books and manuscripts in various languages, which were wiselydistributed where they could
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, booksubjectbiography, bookyear18
