The Recompensing

Meanwhile, Elizabeth had made herself absolute mistress of the imperial
palace. Hastening to the throne-room, she had taken possession of the
throne of her father, and administered the oath of allegiance to the
guards surrounding her.

They lay upon their knees before her, these cowardly instruments of
despotism; they bowed their heads in the dust, and these four or five
thousand slaves, to which number the followers of the empress already
amounted, swore fealty to Elizabeth, ready to strangle the regent
and the young emperor at her command, or to serve her the same if,
peradventure, the regent should regain a momentary power.

While the guards were doing homage in the palace, Grunstein and
Woronzow, by Lestocq's command, led their men to Munnich's and
Ostermann's, and both were imprisoned; with them, a great number of
leading and suspected persons, who, perhaps, might have been disposed to
draw the sword for Anna Leopoldowna. Lestocq had thought of every
thing, had considered every thing; at the same time that he entered the
regent's palace with Elizabeth, he sent to the printer the manifesto
which proclaimed Elizabeth as empress. With the appearance of the sun
in the horizon, Elizabeth was recognized as empress in the capital, and
soon after throughout the whole empire. Who were they who recognized
her? It was not the people, for in Russia there are no people--there are
only masters and slaves. Elizabeth had become empress because fortune
and Anna Leopoldowna's generous confidence had favored her; not the
exigencies of the people, nor the tyranny of her predecessor had
called her to the throne, but she had attained to it by the cunning
and intrigues of some few confederates. She had become empress because
Lestocq was tired of being only physician to a poor princess; because
Grunstein thought the position of under-officer was far too humble for
him, and because Alexis Razumovsky, the former precentor in the imperial
chapel, found it desirable to add to his name the title of count or
prince!