CATHERINE II Lot n° 9

(1729-1796) Empress of Russia. L.A.S., Kazan 30 May 1767, to Count Ernst von MUNNICH; 3 pages in-4; in French. Very beautiful letter to her minister about the translation of MARMONTEL's philosophical novel Belisarius, which she liked very much and undertook to translate with some of her courtiers during a trip on the Volga. Although she never hears anything about customs reports, those sent to her by the Count were very clear. So much the better, because she ordered him some works: obviously some copies of the Encyclopaedia, and "have him buy the Cabinet of Natural History that the little BUFFON recommends and have it transported to Petersburg so that when we arrive we will find it. We liked Belisarius and we translated it into Russian on the way I twelfth ".... She had all the chapters drawn by lot, which she, as well as many people of her court, applied to translate them. From the preface to the last chapter, she enumerates all the translators, of which she is a part: CHERNICHEW, KOSMIN, count Gregory ORLOF (5th chap.), NARYCHKINE (7th and 8th), "the ninth is by your very humble servant with the help of Mr. Kosmin", WOLKOW (10th, 11th, 12th), General BIBIKOF (13th), Prince Semeon MESCHERSKI (14th), Count Wolodimer ORLOF (15th), etc... "All the chapters have been drawn by lot, and the work is done, we read it now to see if the translation is correct and then we will print it and put at the head these words Translated on the Wolga. There are some who find fault with the diversity of the style of twelve different people, but I find that even this is a curiosity in this singular translation. Judge after that if Belisaire pleased us. I am very happy that the foreign ministers were satisfied with the trip they made with me"; but she regrets that they were not able to accompany her to Kazan: "It is something else than the shacks they saw, it is a big city that one takes very well for the Capital of a big Kingdom"... She will be back in Moscow between June 15 and 20.