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Updated: June 1, 2025
One day, when the talk ran on the size of one of his adjutants, he declared that a certain officer in the Russian army whom he named was taller still. After every one who knew the officer in question had contradicted Potemkin, he forthwith sent off a messenger with an order to bring back with him this officer, who was then eight hundred miles away.
Do this, and in a few months Austria will have changed roles with Prussia, and your enemies and mine shall be overthrown together." A knock was heard at the, door, and an officer entered. "How dare you interrupt me?" cried Potemkin, stamping his foot. "Pardon, your highness.
I know that Paul hates me, but I do not believe that Prussia is his ally; for it is clearly the interest of Prussia to conciliate me, and he is too wise to entangle himself in such conspiracies just at the expiration of our treaty." "Oh, you noble, unsuspecting woman!" cried Potemkin, ardently, "you know nothing of the egotism of the world.
He had been decorating himself with the cross of the Black Eagle, and had allowed the broad ribbon to which it was attached to trail upon the carpet. "It is well, Count Cobenzl," said Potemkin, greeting the minister, "that you did not come five minutes later, for you would not have met me at all." "Pardon me, I should then have had but five minutes to wait in your anteroom," replied Cobenzl.
Potemkin rose with the promptness of a well-trained slave, and said, humbly: "Imperial mistress, speak and, by the grave of my mother, I will answer truthfully." "What means your allusion to the Grand Duke Paul? Who are the enemies that sought to corrupt you? What are their aims?"
"He accompanied Bobrinsky in all his travels," says Massen, "and inoculated the prince with all the terrible vices he himself possessed." At a later period, as we have already said, he became an admiral and a favorite of Potemkin, the fourth of Catharine's lovers. It was a dark and dreadfully cold night. St. Petersburg slept; the streets were deserted and silent.
Potemkin heaved a sigh, and freeing himself from Catharine's arms, fell back upon the sofa, buried his face in his hands, and sobbed convulsively. "Why do you weep, Potemkin?" said Catharine, hastening to his side. "Why I weep!" exclaimed he. "I weep because of my own crime. Despair had well-nigh made of me a traitor.
Potemkin threw himself back, and in an attitude of thoughtfulness raised his eyes to the rich pictured ceiling above him. "I do not entirely understand the king," said he, after some time. "What does he mean by saying that he will try to make that possible which seems impossible?" "His majesty has learned that your highness is desirous of being created Duke of Courland.
The empress looked at the clock, which pointed to two. "It is exactly the hour I appointed to receive him." said she. "He must be in the anteroom." "Have I your permission to go to him?" The empress nodded, and Potemkin, drawing the key from his pocket, unlocked the door and disappeared. Catharine locked after him, and heaving a bitter sigh, said: "No more hope of rescue!
As Potemkin was a prince, Jones was at first disposed to flatter him extravagantly, but the commodore was by nature averse to being dictated to, particularly by those whom he deemed his inferiors, and it was not long before they began to quarrel.
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