Jacob Abbott 
Peter the Great 

The circumstances under which Peter the Great came to the throne form a very remarkable — indeed, in some respects, quite a romantic story. The name of his father, who reigned as Emperor of Russia from 1645 to 1676, was Alexis Michaelowitz. In the course of his life, this Emperor Alexis was twice married. By his first wife he had two sons, whose names were Theodore and John, and four daughters. The names of the daughters were Sophia, Catharine, Mary, and Sediassa…