Memoirs of the Empress Catherine II.

PART I.

FROM 1729, THE YEAR OF HER BIRTH, TO 1751.

Fortune is not so blind as people think. Her movements are often the result of precise and well-planned measures, which escape the perception of common minds; still oftener are they the result of personal qualities, character, and conduct.

To render this more evident, I will propose the following syllogism:

Qualiti...