parmi eux, ont été plus contens de leurs mœurs que among them, have been more contented of their manners than among them, were better pleased with their manners than de celles des anciens Moscovites. of those of-the ancient with those of the ancient Muscovites. Pierre Alexiowitz avoit reçu une éducation qui Peter Alexiowitz + had received an education which tendoit à augmenter encore la barbarie de cette † tended to to-augment tended to increase partie du monde. part of-the world. part of the world. still the barbarism of this Son naturel lui fit d'abord aimer les étrangers, avant qu'il sût à quel point ils pouthe strangers, before that he might-know to what point they wereknew to what a degree they strangers, before he voient lui être utiles. Un jeune Génevois nommé able to-him to be useful. might be useful to him. A A young Genevese named young Genevese named Le Fort, d'une ancienne famille de Genève, fils d'un Le Fort, of an ancient family of Geneva, son of a Le Fort, of an the son of a old family, marchand droguiste, fut le premier instrument dont merchant druggist, was the first druggist, was the first instrument of-which instrument il se servit pour changer depuis la face de la Moshe himself availed for to-change since the face of the Mushe made use of to change covie. Ce jeune homme, covy. This young man, the face of Mus envoyé sent covy. This young man, who had been sent père pour être facteur à Copenhague, father for to-be factor at Copenhagen, father par son by his by his quitta son quitted his to be a factor at Copenhagen, quitted his commerce, et suivit un ambassadeur Danois à Moscou, par cette inquiétude d'esprit qu'éprouvent commerce, and followed an ambassador Danish to Mos business, and followed a Danish ambassador to Mos Cow, by that inquietude cow, through that restlessness of mind which experience of mind which those toujours ceux qui se sentent 3 au-dessus de leur always those who themselves feel to-the above of their who feel themselves superior to their condition always état. -state. Il lui prit envie d'apprendre la langue Rus- Rus experience. He was seized with a desire to learn the Russian lan en citèrent la curiosité du Czar, encore jeune. Il cited the curiosity of-the Czar, still young. He of-him cited the curiosity of the youthful Czar. He became fut connu. was known. Il s'insinua dans sa familiarité, et He himself insinuated into his familiarity, and known to him. He insinuated himself into his familiarity, and passa bientôt à son service. Il lui parloit souvent passed well-soon to his service. He to-him † spoke often soon entered his service. He used frequently to talk to him des avantages du commerce et de la navigation; il of-the advantages of-the commerce and of the navigation; he of the advantages of commerce and navigation; he lui disoit comment la Hollande, qui n'eut pas la how to-him † said the Holland, which not had * the Holland, which possessed not the centième partie des états de la Moscovie, faisoit, par hundredth part of-the states of the Muscovy, † made hundredth part of the territory of Muscovy, by by by Il l'entretenoit de la politique méprisée. despised. He him† entertained of the policy despised province. He conversed with him on the refined raffinée des princes de l'Europe, de la discipline de refined of-the princes of the Europe, of the disclipine of policy of the princes of Europe, on the discipline of leurs troupes, de la police de leurs villes; du nomtroops, of the police of their cities; of-the num troops, on the police of their cities, on the infi their their bre infini des manufactures, des arts et des sciences ber infinite of-the manufactures, nite number of the manufactures, of-the arts and of-the sciences sciences arts and qui rendent les Européens puissans et heureux. which render the Europeans powerful and happy. which render the inhabitants of Europe powerful and happy. Ces discours éveillèrent le jeune Empereur, comme These discourses awakened the young Emperor, as as d'une profonde léthargie; son puissant génie, qu'une from a profound lethargy; his powerful genius, which an from a profound lethargy; his mighty genius, which a éducation barbare avoit retenu et n'avoit pu déeducation barbarous † had restrained and not had been-able tobarbarous education had cramped but could not truire, se développa presque tout-à-coup. Il résolut all-at-stroke. He resolved destroy, himself developed almost destroy, unfolded itself almost instantaneously. He resolved d'être homme, de commander à des hommes, et de of to-be man, of to-command to of-the men, to be a man, to govern men, and of and to créer une nation nouvelle. Plusieurs princes avoient a new. to-create Many princes + had avant lui renoncé à des couronnes, par dégoût pour before him renounced to of-the crowns, by disgust for him had renounced their crowns, from disgust at le poids des affaires; mais aucun n'avoit cessé d'être the weight of-the affairs; but any not + had ceased of to-be the burden of public business; but not one had ceased to be a roi pour apprendre mieux à régner. C'est ce que fit king for to-learn Pierre le Grand. Peter the Great. Il quitta la Moscovie en It is this that did vingt dix-huit, n'ayant encore régné que deux années, twenty eighteen, not having yet reigned than two years, ninety - eight, having reigned but two years, et alla en Hollande, déguisé sous un nom vulgaire, and went into Holland, disguised under and went to Holland, disguised under a a name vulgar, common name, comme s'il avoit été un domestique de ce même M. Le Fort, qu'il envoyoit ambassadeur-extraordinaire as if he had been a. domestic of this same M. as a servant of this Μ. Le Fort, whom he † sent sent ambassador ambassador general. extraordinary extraordinary Arrivé à Am Le Fort, whom he **auprès des États-généraux. to-the-near of-the States Arrived at Am to the States general. As soon as he arrived at Am sterdam, il se fit inscrire dans le rôle sterdam, he himself made to-inscribe sterdam, he got himself entered l'amirauté des Indes, sous le the admiralty of-the Indies, under the penters belonging to the admiralty of the Indies, under the nom de Pierre Michaëloff; mais communément on commonly one name of Peter Michaëloff; he was, however, commonly l'appeloit Peter-Bas, ou maître Pierre. Il travailloit him called Peter Bas, or master Peter. t He † worked called Peter Bas, or master Peter. He worked dans le chantier comme les autres charpentiers. in the dock-yard in the dock-yard as the other carpenters. like the other carpenters. Dans les intervalles de son travail il apprenoit les In the of his work he + learnt the learned those parties des mathématiques qui peuvent être utiles à parts of-the parts of the mathematics which are likely to be useful to mathematics which are-able to-be useful to un prince; les fortifications, la navigation, a prince; the fortifications, the navigation, a prince; l'art de the art of fortification, navigation, and the art of lever des plans. Il entroit dans les boutiques des to-raise of-the plans. He entered into the shops of-the drawing plans. He went into the workmen's ouvriers, examinoit toutes les manufactures; rien workmen, † examined shops, examined all the manufactures; nothing all their manufactures; nothing n'échappoit à ses observations. De-là il passa not † escaped to his observations. From-there he passed science de la construction des vaisseaux; il repassa science of the construction of-the vessels; he passed-again art of he then returned ship-building; en Hollande, vit tout ce qui pouvoit tourner à l'avan into Holland, saw all that which + was-able to Holland, and inspected whatever might to-turn to the advanturn to the advan tage de son pays. Enfin, après deux ans de voyages tage of his country. At-last, after two years of travels tage of his country. At length, after two years of travel et de travaux, auxquels nul autre homme que lui and of labours, to-the-which no other and labour, to which no man than he man but himself n'eût voulu se soumettre, il reparut en Moscovie, Muscovy, not might-have willed himself to-submit, he re-appeared in would have voluntarily submitted, he re-appeared in Muscovy, avec lui les arts de l'Europe. Des amenant leading with him the arts of the Europe. leading the arts of Europe in his train. Of-the |