y to relate them here.
As to Mazeppa, he made his escape too, with the King of Sweden, across
the frontier. The Czar offered a very large reward to whoever should
bring him back, either dead or alive; but he never was taken. He died
afterward at Constantinople at a great age.

One of the most curious and characteristic results which followed from
the battle of Pultowa was the promotion of Peter in respect to his rank
in the army. It was gravely decided by the proper authorities, after
due deliberation, that in consequence of the vigor and bravery which he
had displayed on the field, and of the danger which he had incurred in
having had a shot through his hat, he deserved to be advanced a grade
in the line of promotion. So he was made a major general.

Thus ended the great Swedish invasion of Russia, which was the occasion
of the greatest and, indeed, of almost the only serious danger, from
any foreign source, which threatened the dominions of Peter during the
whole course of his reign.

CHAPTER XIV.

THE EMPRESS CATHARINE.

1709-1715

Duration of the war with Sweden--Catharine--Her origin--Destitution--Her
kind teacher--Dr. Gluck--She goes to Marienburg--Her character--Mode of
life at Marienburg--Her lover--His person and character--Catharine is
married--The town captured--Catharine made prisoner--Her anxiety and
sorrow--The Russian general--Catharine saved--Catharine in the general's
service--Seen by Menzikoff--Transferred to his service--Transferred to
the Czar--Privately married--Affairs on the Pruth--The emperor's
danger--Catharine in camp--A bribe--Catharine saves her husband--The
vizier's excuses--A public marriage determined on--Arrangements--The
little bridesmaids--Wedding ceremonies--Festivities and rejoicings--Birth
of Catharine's son--Importance of the event--The baptism--Dwarfs in the
pies--Influence of Catharine over her husband--Use which she made of her
power--Peter's jealousy--Dreadful punishment--Catharine's usefulness to
the Czar--Her imperfect education--Her final exaltation to the throne

It was about the year 1690 that Peter the Great commenced his reign, and
he died in 1725, as will appear more fully in the sequel of this volume.
Thus the duration of the reign was thirty-five years. The wars between
Russia and Sweden occupied principally the early part of the reign
through a period of many years. The battle of Pultowa, by which the
Swedish invasion of the Russian territories