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Article THE LIFE. OF PRINCE POTEMKIN. ← Page 2 of 6 →
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The Life. Of Prince Potemkin.
more intimately acquainted with him ; and the first interview secured to this new lover the superiority over all his rivals . WasielitschikofF was turned off , and OrlofF restored to favour ; but he became disgusting . * ' Potemkin alone could console her Majesty in secret , under the uneasy sensations occasioned by the war , the apprehensive fears inspired by the rebellion , and the vexatious misunderstanding that prevailed between the old favourite and the Minister Pauint
Potemkin grew presumptuous ; success increased his pride , of which he soon became the victim . One day , ' as he was playing at billiards with Count OrlofF , he inconsiderately boasted of the favour that he enjoyed ; and even asserted that it entirely depended upon him to remove from court such persons as were displeasing to him . OrlofF made a haughty l U
repy . pon this a quarrel ensued ; in the warmth of which Potemkin received a blow that occasioned the loss of an eye . This was not his only misfortune . Gregory OrlofF , informed of the affray by his brother , ran to the Empress , and requested Potemkin ' s removal from court .
Potemkin retired to Smolensk , his native place , where he remained almost a year in solitude , suffering much from his eye . f and his solitary exile from court . At one time he declared his resolution of turning monk ; at another pretended that he should become the greatest man in Russia . At length , in a sudden fit , he wrote to the Empress , beseeching her to think of him . Her Majesty immediately complied with his requestrecalledand laced him again in
, , p full possession of her favour . OrlofF had been for several days at the sport of the chace . His absence afforded an opportunity for installing Potemkin at the palace ; and on the return ofthe old favourite , no complaints and no reproaches could remove the new ascendant from his exalted situation .
i he Empress had succeeded in reconciling Potemkin with the OrlofFs , and exerted all her efforts to preserve peace between them . Though she had not now the smallest remains of siFeclion for Gregory OrlofF , nor perhaps even of gratitude , she still kept upon terms with him . As for him , ever jealous , not of the pleasures , but the honours of Potemkin , he requested permission to retire from court ; but to this
the Empress would not consent . She preferred the endurance of those scandalous scenes to which Orion" exposed her by remaining at court , rather than permit him to carry abroad a resenh ment , which mi ght not indeed be dangerous , b ' ut which circun > stances mi ght render alarming . She had still another motive for his retention : she entertained a hope that his presence would restrain the audacity of his rival . After having long opposed Panin to Orloii ; she now thought of using OrlofF as a foil to Potemkin .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Life. Of Prince Potemkin.
more intimately acquainted with him ; and the first interview secured to this new lover the superiority over all his rivals . WasielitschikofF was turned off , and OrlofF restored to favour ; but he became disgusting . * ' Potemkin alone could console her Majesty in secret , under the uneasy sensations occasioned by the war , the apprehensive fears inspired by the rebellion , and the vexatious misunderstanding that prevailed between the old favourite and the Minister Pauint
Potemkin grew presumptuous ; success increased his pride , of which he soon became the victim . One day , ' as he was playing at billiards with Count OrlofF , he inconsiderately boasted of the favour that he enjoyed ; and even asserted that it entirely depended upon him to remove from court such persons as were displeasing to him . OrlofF made a haughty l U
repy . pon this a quarrel ensued ; in the warmth of which Potemkin received a blow that occasioned the loss of an eye . This was not his only misfortune . Gregory OrlofF , informed of the affray by his brother , ran to the Empress , and requested Potemkin ' s removal from court .
Potemkin retired to Smolensk , his native place , where he remained almost a year in solitude , suffering much from his eye . f and his solitary exile from court . At one time he declared his resolution of turning monk ; at another pretended that he should become the greatest man in Russia . At length , in a sudden fit , he wrote to the Empress , beseeching her to think of him . Her Majesty immediately complied with his requestrecalledand laced him again in
, , p full possession of her favour . OrlofF had been for several days at the sport of the chace . His absence afforded an opportunity for installing Potemkin at the palace ; and on the return ofthe old favourite , no complaints and no reproaches could remove the new ascendant from his exalted situation .
i he Empress had succeeded in reconciling Potemkin with the OrlofFs , and exerted all her efforts to preserve peace between them . Though she had not now the smallest remains of siFeclion for Gregory OrlofF , nor perhaps even of gratitude , she still kept upon terms with him . As for him , ever jealous , not of the pleasures , but the honours of Potemkin , he requested permission to retire from court ; but to this
the Empress would not consent . She preferred the endurance of those scandalous scenes to which Orion" exposed her by remaining at court , rather than permit him to carry abroad a resenh ment , which mi ght not indeed be dangerous , b ' ut which circun > stances mi ght render alarming . She had still another motive for his retention : she entertained a hope that his presence would restrain the audacity of his rival . After having long opposed Panin to Orloii ; she now thought of using OrlofF as a foil to Potemkin .