After the death of Lontskoi, and shortly before her own death, Catherine seems to have much liked Momonof; but he fell in love with one of her maids of honour, Princess Schteherbatof, and had private interviews with her. This was soon reported to the empress; and she once, unperceived, caught him actually kneeling before her. The next day she suggested to Momonof a marriage with the rich Countess Bruce, as if to know what effect such a proposal would make on him. Momonof, after some hesitation, threw himself at the empress's feet, and openly avowed his attach ment for the princess. The next day they were married, and set out for Moscow, with orders not to visit St. Petersburg. Catherine, however, never forgave Princess Schteherbatof for having deprived her of Momonof's society, and planned secretly a merciless vengeance. Momonof had the imprudence to relate some curious particulars of his love affair with the Empress Catherine; and his lady, who hated Catherine, divulged them immediately with a levity injurious to the sovereign, and amplifying, it is said, many things. Momonof and his lady had one night gone to rest, when the master of the police of Moscow entered their apartment with six men in women's attire, and a written order of the empress. They seized the babbling lady, and having stripped her entirely of her nightclothes, flogged her terribly with rods, in the presence of her husband, whom they compelled to kneel during the ceremony. Such a barbarous violation of domestic privacy could only happen in Russia, and gives some idea of the manner in which that country is governed.
The choice of her imperial majesty was not always bestowed on educated men. Once a simple trumpeter attracted her attention, and speedily became a general. In the latter part of her life, the empress threw aside all restraint, and shortened her life by the most disgusting excesses. She died November 6, 1796.
It is stated that Catherine lavished nearly fifty millions of pounds sterling on her love affairs, and demoralized for centuries the whole Russian nobility.
Some Eussians, however, refused the place of favourite, in spite of all the substantial advantages derivable from it. Among them was Prince S. Dolgoruki.
Such was the woman on whom sordid writers have lavished their flatteries; but if there have been women on the throne, who have disgraced it by their vices, there have been, as there are still, others, who are examples of domestic virtue, and who have been ornaments to their station.
See Life of Catherine II., 3 vols.; Authentic Memoirs of Catherine II.; Life of Catherine II., by Costera; Pierre III. et les Amours de Catherine; Dzieta Niemeevioza, &c.