It is not improbable that he himself really selected the lady. At any

rate, he controlled the selection, for Alexis was quite indifferent in

respect to the affair, and only acceded to the plan in obedience to his

father's commands.

The lady chosen for the bride was a Polish princess, named Charlotta

Christina Sophia, Princess of Wolfenbuttel, and a marriage contract,

binding the parties to each other, was executed with all due formality.

Two years after this marriage contract was formed the marriage was

celebrated. Alexis was then about twenty-two years of age, and the

princess eighteen. The wedding, however, was by no means a joyful one.

Alexis had not improved in character since he had been betrothed, and

his father continued to be very much displeased with him. Peter was at

one time so angry as to threaten that, if his son did not reform his

evil habits, and begin to show some interest in the performance of his

duties, he would have his head shaved and send him to a convent, and so

make a monk of him.

How far the princess herself was acquainted with the facts in respect

to the character of her husband it is impossible to say, but every body

else knew them very well. The emperor was in very bad humor. The

princess's father wished to arrange for a magnificent wedding, but the

Czar would not permit it. The ceremony was accordingly performed in a

Very quiet and unostentatious way, in one of the provincial towns of

Poland, and after it was over Alexis went home with his bride to her

paternal domains.

The marriage of Alexis to the Polish princess took place the year

before his father's public marriage with his second wife, the Empress

Catharine.

As Peter had anticipated, the promises of reform which Alexis had made

on the occasion of his marriage failed totally of accomplishment.

After remaining a short time in Poland with his wife, conducting

himself there tolerably well, he set out on his return to Russia,

taking his wife with him. But no sooner had he got back among his old

associates than he returned to his evil ways, and soon began to treat

his wife with the greatest neglect and even cruelty. He provided a

separate suite of apartments for her in one end of the palace, while he

himself occupied the other end, where he could be at liberty to do what

he pleased without restraint. Sometimes a week would elapse without

his seeing his wife at all. He purchased a small slave, named

Afrosinia, and brought her into his part of the palace, and lived with

her there in the most shameless manner, while his neglected wife, far

from all her friends, alone, and almost broken-hearted, spent her time

in bitterly lamenting her hard fate, and gradually wearing away her

life in sorrow and tears.

She was not even properly provided with the necessary comforts of life.

Her rooms were neglected, and suffered to go out of repair. The roof

let in the rain, and the cold wind in the winter penetrated through the

ill-fitted windows and doors. Alexis paid no heed to these things;

but, leaving his wife to suffer, spent his time in drinking and

carousing with Afrosinia and his other companions in vice.

During all this time the attention of the Czar was so much engaged with

the affairs of the empire that he could not interfere efficiently.

Sometimes he would upbraid Alexis for his undutiful and wicked

behavior, and threaten him severely; but the only effect of his

remonstrances would be to cause Alexis to go into the apartment of his

wife as soon as his father had left him, and assail her in the most

abusive manner, overwhelming her with rude and violent reproaches for

having, as he said, made complaints to his father, or "told tales," as

he called it, and so having occasioned his father to find fault with

him. This the princess would deny. She would solemnly declare that

she had not made any complaints whatever. Alexis, however, would not

believe her, but would repeat his denunciations, and then go away in a

rage.

This state of things continued for three or four years. During that

time the princess had one child, a daughter; and at length the time

arrived when she was to give birth to a son; but even the approach of

such a time of trial did not awaken any feeling of kind regard or

compassion on the part of her husband. His neglect still continued.

No suitable arrangements were made for the princess, and she received

no proper attention during her confinement. The consequence was, that,