Return to town. The chevalier W[illiams] departs. Count P[oniatowski] returns as the minister from Pol[and] toward the end of 1756. The assignations continue on the same footing. The intrigues of Brockdorff and the Holstein entourage, a number of officers from this country in the Grand Duke’s chambers. What he thinks of Russia, his lies; the Elendsheim affair, my opposition to his arrest; he is arrested just as Holmer had been, without evidence, with neither an accuser nor an accusation; my views on this subject. Beginning in 1757. Continuation of the Grand Duke’s affairs with Madame Teplova, with Countess Vorontsova, with the Princess of Courland, the danger she risked; Marshal Razumovsky’s affair with Madame Naryshkina; Lev N[aryshkin’s] promise, how they wanted to marry him off and how he . . . How we went one day . . . to Marshal Razumovsky’s home one day during Lent, and how . . . Departure for the country, Pechlin’s death, Stambke’s arrival. In the month of July news of the capture of Memel by the treaty of June 24th. In the month of August, news of the battle of Gros Jägerndorf, which had occurred on the 19th of the same month. I held a party in my garden on the day of the Te Deum, which consisted of a large dinner, and a roast ox for my garden workers and for the masons, who were building a man-made mountain. In the autumn, conversation with the Emp[ress] at the Summer Palace. Retreat of Marshal Apraksin, which has the appearance of flight. Why. Sinister explanation. His difficulties, my letters at the request of the Grand Chancellor. The Marshal does not answer. Winter of 1757. Beginning of 1758, the dispatch of Fermor, capture of Königsberg on January 18th. Marshal Apraksin is taken to Triruki. His trial, his death. General Lieven, mixed up in this affair. His devotion to me, what he says about this to Count Pon[iatowski] at Count Esterhazy’s masked ball. Arrival of Prince Charles of Saxony. New pregnancy. How he was received, the Grand Duke barely honors him, hardly talks to him; the Princess of Courland’s part in this. Prince Charles joins the army. Departure for Oranienbaum, the party that I give there for . . . the effect of this party.163 His Imperial Highness reattaches himself to Countess Vorontsova, he increasingly shuns me; the party I give at Oranienbaum, the effect of this party. How Lev turns his back on me in the spring of this year, how he attaches himself to the Grand Duke, how his sister-in-law and I whipped him. The Empress’s suffering over the Battle of Zorndorf; it is declared won; the truth was that both sides were beaten, the Te Deum is not sung until the third day, our troops however sang it on the battlefield. The Emp[ress] on the Battle of Zorndorf. Count Schwerin, the adjutant general of the King of Prussia is taken prisoner. Fermor gives Lieutenant Captain Grigory Orlov the order to take this prisoner of war to Petersburg.164 The Empress goes from Peterhof to Tsarskoe Selo; what happens to her on September 8th, the day of the Virgin’s Nativity, how I learn about it.165 Return to town. I do not appear in public, believing that I am close to giving birth; I am off by a month; what Lev N[aryshkin] comes to tell me about my pregnancy in October. Why I had my big bed removed and thereafter only slept in my little bed and this in another room. October, news of the recall of Count P[oniatowski]. Count Bestuzhev’s anger about this, my delivery in December,166; celebrations of this, fireworks on January 1st, 1759. How Peter Shuvalov brings me the plan for the fireworks, where I hide my company and how I receive him. During carnival three weddings at court, disastrous weddings of L[ev] N[aryshkin], of Strogonov, and of B[uturlin];167 bets about these, who of the three would first be cuckolded. Arrest of Count Bestuzhev,168 of my jeweler Bernardi, of Elagin, Adadurov; Shkurin’s secret contacts, which fail. The Grand Duke no longer comes into my chambers. Discovery of Stambke’s and Count Pon[iatowski’s] secret contacts with Count Bestuzhev, dismissal of Stambke; the affairs of Holstein are taken from me, someone named Wolff is brought in, they are given to him. The Grand Duke is made to fear speaking to me during the Bestuzhev affair. How I wanted to go to the Comédie Russe and how they wanted to keep me from going there, how I wanted to write to the Emp[ress] about why they wanted to keep me from going. I am warned that there is talk of dismissing me, my decision concerning this. I demand to be dismissed. I write of this to the Empress, what this letter contained; I say that I am sick and no longer go out. I am alone in my chambers, I read five volumes of the Histoire des voyages with the map on the table and the Encyclopédie for my amusement. The Empress has me informed that she wants to speak to me. The Grand Duke learned of this, he became jealous of it and demands to be present at this conversation. How this conversation took place.169 The Empress’s conduct, her words, her actions, the Grand Duke’s conduct on this occasion, mine, how I began upon entering. What the Empress said to me while approaching her toiletry table, what I replied to her. She dismisses us, what Alexander Shuvalov comes to tell me on her behalf. How I reply. How she sends Count Vorontsov to me a short time later. The Prince of Saxony returns to Petersburg after the Battle of Zorndorf,170 how he had fled to Landsberg; because of his cowardice, the Grand Duke does not speak to him, nor does he wish to have anything to do with him. There is talk of making Prince Charles Duke of Courland, the Princess of Courland makes the Grand Duke angry at Prince Charles; third engagement of the Princess of Courland with Cherkasov. How the Grand Duke wanted to go to Holstein, what he did to this end, what was done, how I was told about it; what I said, what Count Vorontsov told me about it, this should be put at the end of 1759. Departure for the country;171 before this second conversation with the Emp[ress] in private, the Empress’s decision about my situation.172; This was the day following Prince Charles’s visit to our residence, what Count P[oniatowski] said to me rather loudly upon departing was heard, I think, by Brockdor f, who was quite near us. I take the waters, where I stay. How Count P[oniatowski] is arrested leaving my residence.173 Brockdor f speaks of killing him. Lev N[aryshkin] advises giving him to Count Ale[xander] Sh[uvalov], who hands him to his son-in-law and leaves for Peterhof. Ivan Sh[uvalov] advises him to have him released, which he does. Ale[xander] Sh[uvalov] comes the following day to tell me what happened overnight, I knew nothing of it, the Grand Duke comes to my chambers, speaks to me, they had appeased him because they did not want any rupture, he proposes that I see, demands that I see Countess Eliz[abeth] V[orontsova]. She comes to my chambers, I remain in bed all day, quite overcome. The evening of the following day, I receive from Alex[ander] Sh[uvalov] a note from the Empress, written in the hand of Ivan Sh[uvalov] and signed Eli[zabeth], in which she begs me not to be distressed and to come to Peterhof for the feast of St. Peter as if nothing had happened. I reply to this and show her my heartfelt gratitude. I go to Peterhof. During the St. Peter’s day ball, Count Rzewuski says to me: my friend asked me to tell you that by the channel of La Grelée and that of Count Branicki, everything is arranged and that this evening he hopes to have the pleasure of seeing you in the Grand Duke’s chambers. Now, he had never been there. I replied to Count Rzewuski: tell your friend that I find this conclusion completely ridiculous and that [a mountain has given birth to a mouse].174 Back from [supper] I went to bed without hearing discussion of anything. Between two and three in the morning I heard the curtain of my bed being drawn and I awoke with a start; it was the Grand Duke, who told me to get up and follow him; whom I find in his chambers.175 There we all are, the best friends in the world. How until Count P[oniatowski’s] departure, the Grand Duke spent two and three evenings per week in my circle and drank my English beer; so that as a result of this episode and that of the following winter there was no trust to be had in His Imperial High ness in anything, and things took such a turn that it was necessary to perish with him, by him, or else to try to save oneself from the wreckage and to save my children, and the state.‡