n, the highest and most influential of all. Anna's
infatuation for this man made him the ruling spirit in her reign and
the Regent in the next, until he had his turn in disgrace and exile.
Added to the dissatisfaction on account of German ascendency was a
growing feeling that the succession should come through Peter, instead
of through Ivan, his insignificant associate upon the throne. Such was
the prevailing sentiment at the time of Anna's death (1740). The
Tsaritsa named Ivan, a grand-nephew, the infant son of her niece Anna,
her successor under the Regency of Biron, the man who had controlled
the policy of the administration during her reign.

This was only a brief and tragic episode. Biron was swiftly swept out
of power and into exile, and succeeded in the Regency by Anna, the
mother of the infant Emperor; then, following quickly upon that, was a
carefully matured conspiracy formed in the interest of Elizabeth
Petrovna, the beautiful daughter whose marriage with the young Louis
XV. had been an object of the great Peter's hopes.

In this connection it is well to mention that the terminations _vich_
and _vna_, so constantly met in Russian names, have an important
significance--_vich_ meaning son of, and _vna_ daughter of. _Elizabeth
Petrovna_ is Elizabeth the daughter of Peter, and _Peter Alexievich_ is
Peter the son of Alexis. In like manner Tsarevich and Tsarevna are
respectively the son and daughter of the Tsar; Czar, Czarevich, and
Czarevna being the modern form, and Czarina instead of Tsaritsa. The
historian may for convenience omit the surname thus created, but in
Russia it would be a great breach of decorum to do so.

By a sudden _coup d'etat_, Elizabeth Petrovna took her rightful place
upon the throne of her father (1741). In the dead of night the
unfortunate Anna and her husband were awakened, carried into exile, and
their infant son Ivan VI. was immured in a prison, where he was to grow
up to manhood,--shattered in mind by his horrible existence of twenty
years,--and then to be mercifully put out of the way as a possible
menace to the ambitious plans of a woman.

Of the heads that dropped by orders of Elizabeth it is needless to
speak; but of one that was spared there is an interesting account.
Ostermann, a German, had been vice chancellor to the Empress Anna, and
had also brought about the downfall of Biron the Regent. Now his turn
had come. He was taken to the place of execution with the rest;