AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

823
3ml9c
1840
v.

CENTRAL CIRCULATION BOOKSTACKS

The person charging

this material is responsible for its renewal or its return to

the library from which it was borrowed
on or before the Latest Date stamped
below. The Minimum Fee for each Lost

Book

is

$50.00.

Theft, mutilation,

and underlining of books are reasons

and may result in dismissal from

for disciplinary action

the University.

TO RENEW CALL TELEPHONE CENTER, 333-8400

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

<M

When

1 1 1995

renewing by phone, write new due date below

previous due date.

LI 62

Digitized by the Internet Archive

in

2011 with funding from

University of

Illinois

Urbana-Champaign

http://www.archive.org/details/czarivanvassiliv03smal

THE CZAR.

THE CZAE
IVAN VA3SILIVITCII, THE TERRIBLE.
BY THE

Al'TIIOH

OF

MANUELLA, THE EXECUTIONEIt'S DAUGHTER, A STORY OF

MADRID;*' "ANTUNIO FUSCARINI," &c.

IN

"

3$

THREE VOLUMES.

bin ber 3icifien tjeur unb ^tjuntg

S?einc$>

anb

lidjen CSrbS bem'tgig

S^ab ocn nyemot ntd}tg erbetn nod) gcEfjaufyt

S5in in ncunen otte

em

@i)ii[t getaufft.

* " Mauvais vers allemands composes a ce que l'on assure par lui

meme."

Karamsin.

VOL.

III.

NEW EDITION,
(WITII PORTRAIT.)

EDWARD SMALLWOOD,

BOOKSELLER AND PUBLISHER,

17,

OLD BOND STREET, LONDON.

MDC'.CXL.

PREPARING FOR PUBLICATION

KUSSIA,
FROM THE DEATH OF IVAN

IV.

BY THE AUTHOR OP

'THE CZAR, IVAN VASSILIVITCH," "MANUELLA, THE EXECUTIONER'S DAUGHTER," "ANTONIO FOSCARINI,"

J.

Cunningham, Printer, Crown.court,

Fleet.street.

&c.

8,"

THE CZAR.

CHAPTER

I.

" Ilpretendait enfin avoir un esprit profondement politique,

en detruisant par systeme, a des epoques determines

une sorte de

vain pretexte qu'elles etaient dangereuses pour

souverain

obscures

et

avec

froid calcul, les families les plus illustres, sous le

le

pouvoir

en elevant a leur place des families nouvelies et

en portant sa main exterminatrice jusque sur le

temps a venir."

Karamsin.

If the suspicion of Ivan was well founded,

if,

indeed, his

first

and beloved

wife,

virtues were so pre-eminent that her

canonized and

enrolled

of the Russian church,

some incentive

But

if

VOL,

name was

amongst the

was

whose

saints

really poisoned,

to- his atrocities

is

explained.

those insidious ministers of his throne

III.

THE CZAR.

who

breathed in his ear, for party purposes,

that she

day

late,

sacrificed,

did they discover, -when too

that they

had roused an ungovernable

fiend,

and

spirit

of vengeance which

in their turn, victims to that

fell,

had conjured up

whose

they

to abet their

The Tcherkessian

ful

triumphed

yet

for

had been thus

own

princess, his

themselves
evil designs.

second wife,

fanned the revenge-

sinister propensities

disposition of the Czar, died unloved

unregretted ; but

now he

and

circulated the report

himself that she had been poisoned by his

enemies for private purposes, and he made

it

a convenient plea for butchery.

The dangerous
sapped the

last

pleasures of inconstancy had

remains of virtue.

abominable retreat

licentiousness
ing.
it

The

ties

the fortress of

revelled to

In that

the slobode

excess to

of nature were trampled

was the den of a beast

rushed from his retreat to

surfeit-

upon

and the ogre only

fall

unexpectedly

THE CZAR.
on

prey

his

innocence and loveliness could

not escape.

The

fickle

became weary

appetite of Ivan

even of the banquets of the slobode.

also his

morality

of fancied religion

fits

and

to Russia that

in one of these

He had

even

aped

whims announced

he would again enter the holy

bonds of marriage, and, as we have seen, the

chosen victim was Marfa Sabakin.

But who can doubt

justice

It

the power of retributive

pursues us to the far ends of the

earth; snatches from us our guilty joys even

when we deem them

secure

within

and wc awake from our lethargy of

we

are but dust

Avenger.

our grasp,
sin, to find

and ashes in the hands of the

Thus the

fairest rose

which he had

gathered, the prize of the land, in

its

scarce

opening bud of beauty, he had clasped to his

heart;

and the lovely

flower,

nipped by the

blast of death, folded its fading leaves over the

adder that had crept to

its

core,

and already

THE CZAR.

drooped

its fair

was bearing

The dying

head.

to the

tomb the

bride of Ivan,

last earthly

hope

of the Czar.

The monarch was conning over the

secret

charges which had been collected through the

instrumentality of Theodore BasmanofF against

the metropolitan.

had been found

thing in

human shape

to traduce, for gold, the holy

man, and the hour of Philip was come.

knew
sion

the

foul asper-

would obtain no credence from the mul-

titude,
it

monarch that the Jew^s

Well

cost

and though rankling

him a

in his

struggle to give

it

own

breast,

belief.

But

he had long entertained enough of hate for

the patriarch to seek to destroy him, and the
plausible

means were now,

his possession.

powered

Alexis

for the first time, in

BasmanofF was em-

to degrade the prelate in the presence

of his congregation, and then to incarcerate

him

for

life.

A solemn stillness

reigned in the palace

when

THE CZAR.

Maluta Skuratoff presented himself before the

He

Czar.

received from his majesty's hands

the wonted

list

for the executions of the day.

names of

It consisted of the

former wives,

the relatives of his

who were supposed

to have an

interest in the demise of Marfa, before her

kinsfolk could

The

tioner.

and

to

own

claim the booty of the execu-

instructions were to be

prompt,

show no mercy.

Maluta took charge of the document, and

then solicited a hearing of his majesty.
Czar, whose grief seemed for the

somewhat

allayed

by

moment

The
to

be

this dispatch of business,

allowed his favourite to address him.

" Thy unworthy

a clue

exists

slave has tidings of import

by which w e may
T

discover the

assassin of the Czarina.'*

"

My

master.

only friend," kindly interposed his

" Thou

art faithful,"

Czar, laying his hand

upon

continued the

his shoulder,

" for

THE CZAR.

10

thou hast no friend to share thy thoughts or

The world

duties.

thee,

nor

Speak

!"

il

It

we

fear

hates

but we love

thee,

treachery

at

thy hands.

has strangely come to pass, most mighty

Sovereign, that the lady

whom, but

yesterday,

thou didst bestow upon thy

in thy bounty,

slave in marriage the reputed daughter of the

Boyar Basmanoff, turns out

of a

"

common

What

to

be the offspring

boor."

then

Have

iv e

not wived the child

of a trafficker, lovelier far than the fairest princess of the land r'

"

I repine

not at the discovery, omnipotent

master, but rather rejoice, since,

by some yet

unravelled mystery, enough has transpired to

awake suspicions of the

happiness.

mother of

fell

enemy

to

thy

Beseech your majesty, the lawful

my

wife has raised the surmise that

the foe to thy peace

is

under

this very roof.

THE CZAR.
She prays

11

be brought into the presence of

to

thy royal bride, of the merchant Sabakin, and

the Boyarinia BasmanofF."

"

We

sayest,

the

though

We

list.

there's not a

Be

good Maluta.

love thee,

see to

first

moment

rant of an enemy.

as thou,

business of

be busy, Maluta, busy

shall

fleeting fast for ever,

the

it

of that precious

but

The

seals the

life,

now

death-war-

fiend shall not escape

me, though Russia become one vast desert,

A very feast,
The

Maluta, have

I in store for thee.

bier that supports the corpse of

my

mur-

dered bride, shall be borne from the palace

to the vault over the bodies of Russia's best
nobility
{<

Short-sighted fools

of their empress.
too,
it

to sport with the

But we

will

have our sport,

good Maluta, and right royal sport

be.

We

life

shall

have toys and pastimes good, have

we not ? See to

it,

and spread the baubles

market-place of the Kitaigorod

what

in the

sayest

THE CZAR.

12

Some dozen

thou ?

scaffolds,

and

boiler be suspended,

stir

eh

and see the

well the faggots.

Ha! ha! ha!"

Maluta echoed the horrid laugh.

" What
merry

thinkest,

We

funeral.

ceremony

good Maluta ?

make

I must

we

thing

they

must humour

But away, thou hast work

them, Maluta.

monarch

chief of the

Marfa's executor, poor

are impatient for her spoils

and

thee

be a

'twill

go pray

for

my

wife."

directed his steps to the

And

the

chamber of

the dying bride.

Maluta SkuratofF found time, before he

dis-

patched his duties, to return home, and an-

nounce the success of his mission

who had

solicited access to the palace.

Our former
it

was,

to the females

now

acquaintance, Youry, for such

in the garb of her

own

sex,

and

recognised as the mother of Katinka, had not

been
child.

idle

in

relating her adventures

to her

deep hatred of the family of Basma-

THE CZAR.
noff was shared

13

By

by mother and daughter.

the former, for the long bereavement of her

child

by the

the heartless conduct

latter, for

of the Boyarinia, and her dismissal from hearth

and kin

in so

summary

a manner.

may well

It

be conceived, that the Lady BasmanofF received

mercy from them,

little

as they scanned her

conduct in every particular, magnifying her

period

of affairs,

time, the

of the
so

At

under the influence of malice.

sins

name

Youiy heard,

first

of Sabakin coupled with that

new Czarina the

obscure,

the

for

this

her

origin of

election

Marfa being

had been

bruited

generally as " the beauty of Novogorod ;" but

the mother of Katinka started,

first

met her

ear.

train

when

the

name

of thoughts suc-

ceeded, the result of which was an application

to her son-in-law, to obtain admission to the

presence of the royal bride.

That morning, however,

it

was reported,

the young Czarina was dangerously

b 2

ill;

and

THE CZAR.

14

mysterious whispers were spread by some, that

she was bewitched, and expiring under the
baneful operation of sorcery; by others, that

she was poisoned

belief, that

whilst

concurred in the

all

she was past recovery.

strange concatenation of ideas presented

itself to

the

women.

Katinka recalled to mind

the excitement of the Boyarinia,

Sabakin was proclaimed

bride

the

when Marfa

Czar's

elected

her dark and mysterious hints,

sovereign's early

widowhood and now,

the

her

in

hatred for the haughty woman, whose every

feeling

had been

sacrificed

at

the

shrine of

ambition, she fashioned those half-intelligible

words into meaning of

import; and

fearful

the result was a confidential communication

to

Maluta Skuratoff,

in obtaining for his

the palace.

in order to interest
wife's

him

mother access

to

This information w as, moreover,

r

of the highest importance to himself, as he

perceived at once

that the hour had arrived

THE CZAR.
work the

to

fall

15

the long-detested

of

and

haughty house of BasmanofF.

Maluta having acquainted

his wife

and her

mother with the Czar's gracious accordance of

their request,

a troop

masterly
the

full

mounted

horse, and, followed

by

of his blood-hunters, completed, in

style,

the executions of the day, to

satisfaction

imperial master.

of Ivan Vassilivitch, his

THE CZAR.

16

CHAPTER
" Basta

Per

dir, ch' io

saper, clie

II.

son amante,

ho gia nel petto

Questo barbaro sospetto

Che avvelena ogni piacer;

Che ha cent 'occhi, e pur travede
Che il mal finge, il ben non crede
Che dipinge nel sembiante
:

I delirj del pensier."

" In her eye

To burn

there hath appear'd a

fire,"

the error that these princes hold

Against her maiden truth."

The

Czarina was conscious of her approaching

eath

and

its

certainty

had the

effect

of in-

vigorating her faculties, even of enlivening her.

Life seemed to

balance

its

existence

havenowno charm left to counter-

sorrows.

The shortened span

had embraced many

of her

blessings, whilst

THE CZAR.

17

the close was brightened with anticipations of

The devotion and

happiness.

love of her fel-

low-creatures had accompanied

infancy

her

through

the hand of her sovereign would close

her eyes in death

yet there was a void

an

undefined longing for a destiny, dimly seen in

perspective, to

Her pure

which she had been denied.

spirit

turned with a lingering fond-

ness to the few beings in

joys were centred,

throne

ere

whom

her worldly

she had ascended a

and from out that

memory

all

little

circle

her

fondly clung to the English maiden,

the counterpart of her spotless mind, the friend

after

her

own

heart,

though but the friend of

a day.

To

desire

was

to give

law to the household of

the Czar, and a conveyance, with a numerous

bring

escort,

to

palace,

followed

to prepare her
her.

Grace Wilmington to the

speedily the messenger

for the

sent

honour that awaited

THE CZAR.

18

Grace mourned in her soul

for the

Czarina, and prepared to obey the

But her

father

dying

summons.

was by no means happy that

any fresh cause should give occasion

for the

repetition of her former visit to the empress.

Sir

Thomas Randolph entered

as

the order

from the palace was received, who, on witnessing the distress visible on the countenance of

Wilmington, anxiously, and with the freedom

of an old friend, urged

mind.

him

Master Walter, in

his daughter's

to

unburthen his

his apprehension of

was tempted

risk,

at

to disclose the cause of his uneasiness,

reveal to Sir
visit of

Thomas

length

and to

the purport of the late

the officer of the Opritchnina, Theodore

Basmanoff.
It required all the

self-command of the am-

bassador to conceal from his countryman his

own

feelings,

which were acutely sensible of

the danger of Grace.

tranquillity of

Assuming an outward

mind, conscious at the same time

THE CZAR.
that evasion from the

19

commands

of the Czar

was impracticable, he endeavoured

fears of the physician,

and having

to allay the

partially suc-

ceeded, he furthermore suggested the propriety

of acquainting Grace with the overtures of the

Czarevitch previous to her departure for the

contending that, though

would

palace

pel in

some degree the innocent charm of her

young mind,

it

for the future

it

dis-

would place her on her guard

and her own caution, combined

with theirs, would serve more surely for her

protection.

The suggestion of Sir Thomas was

approved by the parent,

tired to

communicate with

who

immediately re-

his daughter, whilst

the ambassador returned to his hotel, with one

thought, one terror, absorbing every other in

his

breast, the peril of that lovely being, for

whose

safety he

be a willing

And now
to

his

now

felt

that

life

itself

would

sacrifice.

another thought of danger came

feverish

mind.

Were

it

possible

THE CZAR.

20
that the

could be listened to

mount,

of the depraved prince

proposition
?

Could ambition sur-

mind of Grace,

in the unsophisticated

the pure principles imbibed in youth

Could

she lend an ear to the seducing prospect of

a crown, and forget the substantial joys that

awaited her in a more humble union ?

Yet such were the agonizing

sible.

Impos-

reflections

which incessantly tormented him.

Dr. Wilmington had seated himself near to
Grace, and his conversation, as he regarded her

with

all

mother's

" She

a father's

affection, reverted to

last request.

almost with her last breath/'

said,

continued the doctor, that

child should

wealth

her

<(

she wished her

eschew the paths of ambition and

that moderate in her desires, her virtue

alone might fix the lover of her

own rank

that her inclinations might not be thwarted

in that choice

which

a Methinks,

if

is

for life."

she had lived,

should have

THE CZAR.
loved

her

lessened

as

my

21

and

yourself,

my

for

grateful affection

have

not

yet

indul-

gent father."

" Thou

art

young,

my

child,

and knowest

not the power of other affections.

paramount

love, which,

the heart.

ennobles

if false

is

to every other, invades

and

If true

There

loyal, it sanctifies

and base,

it

and

turns to poison

every joy.

" Hear me,

my

child.

What

shouldst thou

think of one, a mighty prince, 'whose power

secondary only in this

gratify his passions,

of Heaven and
living

to

great realm, who, to

would trample on the laws

man who, before the altar of the

;

God, has sworn, but a few days by-gone,

honour, protect, and love his

wife,

is

and even now would send her

vent, that he

to a con-

might wed another?"

" If such a one

forsworn,

new-made

exists,

when he vowed

assuredly

he was

love," said Grace.

THE CZAR.

22

" What

if this

prince, forsworn, as thou hast

said, yet heir to a

and

to prove

mighty throne, did woo thee,

his love

divorce his bride, to

to

make

kingdom in her stead?"

u Nay, father, 'twere
shadow

to

thee,

did offer to

thee heiress of his

be the heiress of a

the possessor of short-lived greatness,

and of early widowhood."

" But

to

be raised from a plebeian rank

sort with princes

son,

to

to

have a court, maybe a

whose birthright were a crown."

" Would

offended

Heaven

bless

that

union ?w

"

I will

be more explicit with thee," said the

doctor, drawing nearer to Grace.

vitch did, as thou

since,

f The Czare-

may est know, some few days

espouse a wife in third nuptials, Ins

former wives,
veil, still

whom

living.

he had forced to take the

But yesterday,

his

gaze encountered a young and lovely

wanton
girl,

and

THE CZAR.
new-made vows,

straight forgetful of his

divorce

to

wife,

this

23

offers

she consent to

if

wed

him."

" O!

there,

lives

father,

one would give

consent?" inquired Grace, with that virtuous

simplicity so characteristic of her disposition.

" Thou

young,

art

ledge of the world.

live to learn its

veil

my

is

much

it

thou shouldst

But soon

or late the

from thee must be rentj

villany to guard against.

daughter, the Czarevitch

tures for thy hand.

know-

child, in the

'Tis pity

wisdom.

which hides

there

my

What

Learn,

has made over-

answer

shall I give

the prince ?"

Grace was seated

arms resting on
to him, in

views.

all

at her father's feet, her

his knees,

and gazing upwards

the usual calmness of their inter-

The prelude of the conversation had

not awakened any apprehension that she was

at all personally concerned in the matter

and

thus taken by surprise, her countenance was

THE CZAR.

24
for a few

moments

was labouring

blank, as her comprehension

to believe her father's

words.

But, as the certainty of the veracity of the only

being

had

she

learnt to

confide

on her mind, her whole person trem-

flashed
bled,

whom

in

and she turned very

Her emotion

pale.

not escape the doctor's

did

arm around

her,

At length she

tre-

observation, as he placed his

and caressed her cheek.

mulously spoke.

" Would

you,

my

dear father, see

me wed ?

would you have me love the prince ?"

"

have no voice but for

my

child's

hap-

piness."

"

And would you

not counsel your poor

child?"

u Aye,
say,

to

surely,

shun
be

the

this

my

beloved

ill-assorted

honoured

wife

and
offer.

of

than the wretched consort of an

prince."

would
Better

plebeian,

unworthy

THE CZAR.

25

Starting up, the lovely daughter of Walter

Wilmington threw her arms round her parent's

neck, and wept for joy as she kissed his fore-

head again and again.

crowd of various

feelings

had succeeded

each other rapidly in Grace's breast.

the dreaded Czar

perhaps

Perhaps

their safety,

might

have operated with her father to support the

proposition of the Czarevitch.
yet indefinite

feeling arose

from the

germ of preference which had

heart's election,

moment her

first

words of her parent.

life

bosom heaved with

to

owe

earliest

sealed her

young

had magnified the danger, and

for a

seemed

But a strong

seemed

to

hang upon the

Now

her grateful

gratitude for a

life

that

a double debt to her venerable

father.

At
hoofs,

door,

this

moment

the trampling of horses'

and the noise of carnage wheels

warned them that the escort was

at the

waiting:.

THE CZAR.

26

Wilmington
vehicle,

and his

and were

palace of the Czar.

daughter

entered the

quickly conveyed to

the

THE CZAR.

CHAPTER

33omdtu<>,
autfjour of

"

ty}e JjaO

mud) mtsc&ccfe

III.

ItbeD in
:

27

pomp, anb beene

JjaD conbcgcti mucjj trca=

t\)Z

counterg/* Horsey's Observations.

" Le banquet

nuptial fut lermine par des funerailles

Sure out of

Haifa expira

peut-etre yictimc dc la mechancete des

hoinmes, peut-etre aussi cause infortunde dc la perte de tant

d'innocens." Karamsin.

The

ready caterer

for

the

Czarevitch

had

duly apprised that prince that the English

physician and his daughter were again sum-

moned

to the palace,

and on the passage of

Grace Wilmington through the ante-chamber

of the Czarina, she found

with the young Basmanoff.

him

stationed there

THE CZAR.

28

She no longer met with

indifference

audacious stare of the licentious

Czar, but drew her veil more
her.

son of the

round

closely

She now knew her danger,

the

for lawless

was the land, and powerless the subject

would have avoided the encounter of the

privi-

leged ruffian, for confidence was gone.

had no

Crime

The

no protection.

barrier, innocence

she

presumption of the Czarevitch was somewhat

by the proximity

restrained

empress,

mourning

and
;

more

that the protecting

by the

so

hand of

dying

gloom

surrounding

the

still

of the

of

reflection

his father's bride

was waxing cold and powerless, whence he

gladly foresaw that

soon be

at his

impediment

the

mercy.

English

girl

would

These formed the only

to his passion,

and

to these

Grace

owed, in a measure, her uninterrupted access

to the apartment of the empress.

With what saddened

girl

feelings did the lovely

enter the presence of the dying bride of

THE CZAR.
Since her

Ivan.

29

last interview,

the fatal effects

of the assassin's deed were awfully manifest;

and

she

as

courage,

to

summoned

her aid her best

to

behold again those

altered

but

once beautiful features, that had so wonderfully

won her

Heaven

invoked
sufferer,

and

admiration

love,

mercy

for

now hurrying

to

The envenomed drug,

she

silently

on the

gentle

an untimely grave.
that circulated in the

veins of the Czarina, like the treacherous

that administered

world.

was not apparent

it,

Its insidious

hand

to the

course had steered clear

of the tell-tale surface, and her transparent skin

still

wore a healthy, though

But

pallid hue.

her flesh had frightfully wasted away, and the

small hand, extended for the

homage of Grace,

was greatly attenuated.

Every thing around her spoke of death

Jew looked on with

like

the

through

VOL.

fixed
its

III.

grin

empty

the

his never-ceasing smile,

of

sockets,

mask,
the

admitting,
fires

of

an

THE CZAR.

30
inward

The high-born matron,

hell.

of the household

of the empress,

yet stationary, her

eye

cognisant

chief

restless,

of

every

movement, watching the dying, yet following

the living, stood there, ever ready, shorn of

her figured roundness a moving spectre!

All

was death-like but

maiden,

now on

the verge of the tomb.

smile of love and pleasure,

extended

that

heaven-born

the

hand,

Grace kissed

as

played

on

her faded

cheek, like that of a blooming infant on

parent's

grave,

unconscious of

its

its

bereave-

ment.

There was a partnership of soul between

the English maiden and the Russian bride,

which, in their pure thoughts, disarmed the

sepulchre of

other was
to

its

made

terrors, for each felt that the

for

Heaven, and they hoped

meet again.

"

My

sweet

friend,

Czarina, as Grace

"

gently

spoke the

bowed her head

to catch

THE CZAR.

31

the faintly spoken words of the expiring

" thou
they

art

me

tell

and oh

beautiful,
I

how

girl,

gentle

was so; the eye of greatness

rested on me, and I withered from that hour

my

yet did
in

repose,

me

mercy, spared

its

Had Heaven,

sovereign love me.

could

my

for

country's

have lived a short space, to

dry the tears of the oppressed, to stem the

of blood, to

torrent

subjects, to instil into the breast of the

the love of justice and mercy

had
vain,

my

been elevated to

not

and

name.

future

My

acknowledge
felt

a mother's

born feelings of

God hath

given

blessed be the

their
care.

my

oh

would

does not

mother

then

all

in

bless

Russia

should have

But vain the .new-

heart!

and he

name

Czar

the throne

generations

children

me

my

deserve the love of

it

may

hath

not be

taken away,

of the Lord."

Exhausted with the

effort of speaking,

she

paused.

THE CZAR.

32

" Friend of
thou content
ordained

it,

my

heart," replied Grace, " be

Heaven,

and though

in its

wisdom, hath so

to mortal eyes, Russia

shall lose in thee her brightest

whose gentle

star

ornament, the

and benign influence

light

should conduct her to happiness, yet will the

savour of thy virtues remain around thy Czar,

and impel him

reign

and

to deeds

shall

worthy a great sove-

not the emanation

of thy

universal love raise a worthy successor to thy

greatness

"

A hero

hero has

arisen,

my

beloved Grace.

Bring hither thine ear," and her cheek almost

touched the

comes

her dying friend.

lips of

for Russians regeneration.

him, the wise, the prompt, the bold

" He

have seen

In one

hand, the diadem of the barbarian foreigner;

in the other, the sword of victory.

would
vain

fain aid

my wishes.

be done."

him

in

Oh

My heart

the glorious work.

God, thy

will,

In

not mine,

THE CZAR.
They parted

for

33

in sadness,

life,

but not in

despair, like those travellers, -whose goal

is

the

same, yet -whose burthen impedes some, while

others push on with the elastic step of youth,

and

are but the

panions.

Marfa looked

nignity on her friend

for a season,

com-

avant-couriers of their

with

angelic

be-

she bade her farewell

and Grace,

in tears, slowly left

the palace.

The Czar entered

the apartment of his bride

as the English girl left

of her as she past

but not unmindful

it,

he turned a momentaiy

thought upon her even in the midst of his

grief.

But now, maddened by the conviction

an unerring blow
happiness, a

him.

had

struck

at

his

sudden change had come over

His eye sparkled as formerly, his step

had recovered some of

countenance
bride

been

that

its

its

past firmness, his

wonted appearance.

was irrecoverably

lost

Yet

his

perishing beneath

THE CZAR.

34

Had he

his eye.

ceased to love the resigned

No but

victim of treachery?

he had com-

menced her revenge, and he now snatched a

moment from

the slaughter of his slaves, to

whose

refresh his heart with the sight of her

wrong had goaded him

was agony

It

human
by

race

torn

traitors.

maid

and

to massacre.

see

to

from

the loveliest
life

demon

from
loved

demon avenged

of the

his arms,

dying

the

her.

Anon, he

turned to depart, impatient for the extermination of his foes,

when Sabakin, our good

merchant of Novogorod, accompanied by a

female of the plebeian order, was announced,

and Ivan remembered

the

munication of Maluta

Skuratoff.

the

with
seat

latter

to be

summoned

important

to

his

com-

Ordering
presence

the party announced, he resumed his

by the couch of his

When

bride.

they entered the presence,

as if the Boyarinia

it

seemed

Basmanoff had awakened

THE CZAR.
from a long lethargy,
intently fixed

that

all

steadfast

Youry.

its

was so

for her glance

upon the female who

entered,

was gathered in one

latent fire

look

35

upon her

Her memory,

features.

It

in its activity,

was

traced

back long years of eventful times, to which

those features were assimilated, and in which

the possessor of them had borne a conspicuous

part.

Meanwhile, the usual prostrations

feet of the

at

the

Czar were gone through, and the

strangers awaited the sufferance of his majesty

to enter

upon the subject of

Vassili Sabakin availed

their

mission.

himself of that per-

mission, to approach his long adopted child,

his

beloved Marfa.

inhaled her breath,

He
as

away the enemy of her

it,

bent over her, he

if

he

would snatch

existence, or

imbibe

that he might share the fate of her

who

had thrown a heavenly

over

for years

his path; his inexpressible grief

light

overwhelmed

THE CZAR.

36
him, and

was only

lie

recalled to himself

by

the voice of the Czar.

et

woman

Speak,

Czarina; and

flower, thy

slave,

shall

life

of thy

presence

bear this drooping

make amends

my

dost delay

and true her

for every

revenge."

sovereign

gracious

must stand

in

the love I

moment thou

"Most

here,

thy stoiy have the stamp of

let

by

truth, or,

ready

is

thy

The Lady Basmanoff

story.

before thee, for

my

narration doth

pertain to her."

commanding motion of the hand of Ivan

brought the Boyarinia

" Look

in

my

face,

full

before them.

proud lady

Dost thou

not remember

me ?

came

to thee

a hireling slave, clad in

attire,

but such as

now

mean not

as

when

male

seem, a woman, and

a mother ?"

The undefined

now

recollections of the Boyarinia

took a more tangible shape, and her coun-

tenance became at once intelligent.

THE CZAR.
u

Mill

aid

37

thy memory, lady

sixteen years agone

the Boyar,

thy husband,

was Voyvode of Novogorod.

became a

mother the day thou gavest birth

and

of one

"

of the twain, thy infant daughter

(t

twins

to

received, as nurse, the charge

Remembrance

sayest truly,

and

serves
I

recall

now

'tis

me now.

Thou

thy features/' ob-

served the Boyarinia, with trepidation.

" Hideous disease,"

" displayed

my own
child
it

itself in

was a loathsome

humble

for
lot,

death.

the

nurse,

thy infant, and to save

from infectious contact,

back to thee.

marked

continued

Thou

didst

spectacle,

brought thy

disown

and

it

In thy power

it,

for

seemed
over

my

thou didst enforce an unjust claim

and didst outrage nature

"
by exchanging thine
to

mine

(t

offspring,

Save your majesty

to this the Boyarinia

has since confessed," interrupted Maluta, " for

when

it

pleased

my

mighty lord
c 2

to

bestow her

THE CZAR.

38

supposed daughter upon his unworthy sen-ant,

did she publicly disown her, not relishing the
alliance with
((

me."

Methinks, proud lady

served the Czar,

daughter our

"

that,

empress,

\" sarcastically

ob-

had we made thy

thou

not

hadst

so

readily confessed the subterfuge."

The

Boyarinia

sank

at

the feet of his

majesty, imploring forgiveness.

A faint,

reached the ear of Ivan,

soft voice

beseeching the mercy of the autocrat towards

the suppliant.

" Thou hast thy prayer," was the response

of the Czar to the prostrate lady

by

" but know,

Russians law, the adopted child hath a legal

claim with the lawfully begotten

so

we pro-

nounce, that thou do share thy son's inheritance

with

Maluta's

bride.

We

have our honest subjects wronged.

to

the

it,

Maluta!

fair division

B asm anoff estate."

will

And

not
see

with thee of

THE CZAR.

39

" Your gracious mercy, Czar,

again
as

!"

let

me

hurriedly interposed the

summary

this

roused her

fears.

changeling

may

implore

Boyarinia,

wealth

distribution of her
(<

Beseech your majesty

still

live,

in that case appertain to three, unless

did

my

the

and by your ma-

jesty's decision, the division of the estate

serted child were wronged.

would

my

Good woman,

afflicted offspring survive that

desay,

horrible

disease ?"

" She did

"

speak

atone for
thee

all

[" said

she lives

where

!"

of penance shall

life

wealth shall pour

its

gifts

upon

the agitated lady, as Bomelius op-

portunely came to her support.

"

my

was poor.

The labour

only support.

Thy

needed ceaseless
charitable souls,

me from the

care.

of

my

daughter's

hands was
suffering

heard that there were

and found one who released

charge, adopted thy discarded child,

THE CZAR.

40
who, in that

fearful

paid the penalty of

she grew in

for

disease,

seemed to have

future bodily affliction,

all

and beauty, rare to

grace

see."

The

eagerness with which

listened to the last passage

to behold.

the

Boyarinia

was almost painful

Exhausted with her

scarcely able to support herself,

vigils,

she was

and the Jew

sustained her in his arms.

"
left

heard no more of her, for her benefactor

Novogorod

some days

to inhabit a distant province,

since,

when

in

till

consequence of the

proclamation of the emperor of his intended election, the

name

of Sabakin

first

reached

my

ear.

sought out the benefactor of former years.

Behold

him here

The

daughter, Marfa Sabakin,

the Russias

sudden

protector

thy

of

now empress

of

all

\"

silence succeeded these

a breath was heard.

words

not

But the death-stricken

THE CZAR.
had

raised herself with

effort,

and fixed her eyes,

bride of Russia's Czar

almost superhuman

whence shone a beam of

the Boyarinia.
seat

Sabakin,

41

celestial light

The Czar had

the

nurse,

risen

were

upon

from his

motionless

even Maluta was rivetted to the spot.

The Boyarinia had

last

closed her eyes as the

words of the nurse were uttered, but her

features were drawn, her lips compressed, as

if

the stroke of death had converted

them

to

endless fixedness.
It lasted,

however, but a short space.

mind had been stunned, and now burst

The
forth

the ungovernable tide of anguish and despair.

Bomelius supported her, and made an

to release himself, but in the

effort

sudden convulsion

of her frame her fingers had gyved him with

the iron force of a warrior's gauntlet.

She has opened her

eyes,

and that trembling

wretch shrinks beneath her

terrible

glance.

THE CZAR.

42

"With a maniac's strength she has seized his

In her convulsive and concentrated

throat.

power, the

Jew was

lifted

off his

and

feet

dashed to the ground, half dead with fear and

strangulation.

"
it

gave the drug

but that villain

for her \" said the Boyarinia,

horror-stricken gaze

" Gave

still

prepared

fixing her

upon the Jew.

preparedwhat?"

cried the Czar,

in a voice of thunder, as he sprang forward

" The poison

!"

continued the Boyarinia, in

the same even tone of voice,

still

gazing on the

prostrate form of Bomelius.

shrill

protracted scream was heard, faintly

dying away, which penetrated into the souls of

the witnesses of that scene, and which long

rang in the memory of those who survived.

It

was the herald of a departing

ened from that abode of

Russia's

guilt.

spirit fright-

The throne of

Czarina was again vacant

the

dis-

THE CZAR.
consolate heart of Ivan was
for Marfa, the

deeming

more

widowed

43
for ever

gentle, the beautiful, the

spirit of a crime-stained court

re-

was no

THE CZAR.

44

CHAPTER

"Au moment ou
disait la

aitre le

IV.

Philippe, revetu de ses habits sacerdotaux,

messe dans

le

temple de l'Assomption, on voit par-

Boyard Basmanoff, tenant un papier

a la

main accom-

pagne d'une troupe d'Opritchniks armes

"

II

eonjura pour la derniere

Russie.

Le

prince,

au

lieu

fois le tzar d'avoir pitie

de

lui

repondre,

fait

un

de la

signe a

ses soldats, qui se saisissent de Philippe, l'entrainent et le

jettent

dausun cachot charge de

Whilst

the events

fers."

we have

Karamsin.

just related were

passing in the palace, the congregated flock of

the metropolitan were receiving from the lips

of their pastor the word of hope and promise,

in the temple of the

was

Assumption.

Mourning

in their hearts for the dying bride of Ivan.

THE CZAR.
They had

45

suffered themselves to look forward

to a brighter

day

for the virtues of

Marfa had

been echoed through the land, as the voice of

their redemption from destruction.

of her fading

life

The

were death to their hopes,

whilst the avenger was abroad again,

desolate their hapless city.

himself subdued
his

But

He

The

making

patriarch

was

he had exhausted prayer for

unhappy country,

in his ceaseless

vigils.

a few days past, his hopes had revived.

had proclaimed

to Russia a saving angel,

now

in the gentle being

His

tidings

last

hope rested on the influence of her

loveliness

and virtue

the wasting pulse of

life

and despair alone

re-

destroyed that hope,

mained.

The man

means of

safety,

ordinations

dence

hastening to decay.

and

of

of

God saw no

and looked forward

an all-wise,

to the last

to

to

the

unerring Provi-

he held out the promise,

the cheering ray of salvation.

Muscovites clung

mortal

him

The wretched

in their

sorrow

they

THE CZAR.

46

crowded the cathedral ; night and day he bestowed his

benediction,

returned

by invoking

head.

it

As

if

they

felt

he was singled out

and

the

multitude

upon

blessings

some

his

secret dread that

for destruction,

sembled around him to share his

they as-

moments,

last

to hear his last words.

The metropolitan was arrayed

tifical

was on

robe, the white mitre

able head

in his

pon-

his vener-

the golden image of the holy gate,

the insignia

of

his

ecclesiastical

rank,

was

suspended to his breast, the pastoral crook

was

in his

hand

he had arrayed himself for

death in his earthly honours.

The tramp
sentiment of
increased
terrified

of horses was heard.

came with the sound,

evil

upon the

ears of the people.

preas

it

The

congregation looked upon each other,

then upon the patriarch.

In him they beheld

the calm of resignation, as he pronounced the

words

" Behold

my

hour

is

come."

THE CZAR.

47

The Basmanoffs appeared

Armed

to the teeth

sealed

Alexis

BasmanofF held

warrant for the apprehension of

Advancing

Philip.

chancel.

was the numerous escort

of the Opritchnina.
the

in the

to the centre of the tra-

peza, he ordered Ins son to read aloud the

decree.

"By command

clergy, Philip

is

the sanctuary,

and the

degraded from the rank of

At a

high priest."

of the Czar

signal,

invaded

satellites

the metropolitan, tore

seized

from his person the sacred badge of his

and, casting over

him a

office,

coarse cassock, he

was

driven from the cathedral with brooms, and led

to the presence of the Czar.

On

his

way, the

multitude was in vain kept at bay by the

escort

they pressed around, unmindful of the

danger to

life

implored his

they kissed his garments, they

last,

blessing

and the holy man

imparted hope to his bereaved

pointed

to

heaven,

and

bade

flock,

as he

them

direct

THE CZAR.

48

prayers to a higher power than earth

their

possessed.

The Czar watched from

arrival of the expected troop

At

nina.

the

Kremlin the

the

of the Opritch-

length, a vast multitude approached

Kremlin.

struck

blessings,

invoking

thousand voices,

upon

They were

his ear.

bestowed upon his subject and that subject

was the hated

Philip.

Ivan gnashed his teeth,

muttering curses.

From

the

first,

the insinuation of the

had not influenced him, and

his

Jew

suspicious

breast had acquitted the prelate of the execrable

deed
that

but

it

galled

was the popularity of the holy man

him.

He

felt

how much

Philip

merited the love of his fellow-men, whilst he

himself deserved their execration.

It

was the

virtues of the prelate that goaded

him

to hate,

to destroy

and now that he had trumped up a

case of defamation, purchased from a perjured

THE CZAR.

49

wretch, he could forbid his slaves to

mourn

for

him, to bless his memory.

In the presence of his mortal judge, the

prelate appeared with that sublime, calm dignity,

which

and the

beyond the reach of the

is

him on

It placed

base.

servile

proud emi-

nence; the accusers seemed the accused, the

judges what they were, the delinquents.

deigned no reply to their

false charges,

He

even to

the last; the weal of his fellow-men was the

desire of his heart,

and

his last

words were an

exhortation to Ivan to spare his people.

As he

turned to his accuser, his judges, the Basmanoffs, and other minions of the Czar, they
quailed beneath his

eye,

and the monarch,

unable to speak, as the sentence of imprison-

ment

for life

was pronounced upon the metro-

politan, gave the signal,

and

his satellites, seiz-

ing the prelate, loaded him with chains, and

dragged him

to the

dungeons of the Kremlin.

THE CZAR.

50

The

dangerous

mounted

difficulty

and the hated

now

was

prelate,

sur-

doomed

to

the dungeon-cell, Mas so far a step nearer to

The despot wished, yet trembled;

eternity.

u but the day would come" whilst he detested

more than ever the

slaves that

had dared to

love their faithful pastor.

"With renovated fury he sprung to horse,

followed by the dreaded shout of his extermi-

nating legion,

who

galloped off in his suite, the

ready instruments of slaughter.

But the people who bowed

were not resigned to the

loss of their venerable

pastor.

They surrounded

finement

prayed.
longer in

to his cruelties

the place of his con-

night and day they watched, they

Threats,

executions, held

them no

awe ; and Ivan, the universal

minator, dared not yet take the solitary

Philip.

exterlife

of

His sanctity had a charm which he

trembled to

invade.

In

this

dilemma, he

THE CZAR.

51

caused the prelate to be at once removed from

the

Kremlin

to

the

monastery

distant

of

Otrotch.

The

successor of Philip was a being calcu-

lated to

bend

will to cloak his

abominations.

screen his

to

enormities,

was

to the despot's

invested, in the usual form, with the

He

badge

of prelacy, the image of the golden gate, and

the white mitre.

But the congregation assem-

bled to witness the imposing ceremony was

very limited.
their hearts

tained

of

Philip

was

in their

and a mournful

when

memory,

silence

was main-

his successor ascended the chair

the chief of the church, at the

when

in

moment

the felicitations of the people are heard,

and answered by

his blessing,

and an invo-

cation for the prosperity of the Czar concludes

the ceremony.

At

pomp

that instant, big with

all

of a wealthy church,

the triumph and

circumstance

5"--'-

52

THE CZAR.

occurred, -which, from

results,

demands a

its

important and direful

rigid scrutiny

and we are compelled

throughout

to retrace our steps to

the hotel of the English embassy, and to the

dwelling of Walter Wilmington.

THE CZAR.

CHAPTER
"

On evitait

" She

is

comme

V.

celle

d'une bete fauve dans

Hist, de Russie, &c.

put in the ground,

up

alive,

to the neck,

till

she

Crull's Muscovy.

dies."

"

sa rencontre

du rut."

la saison

53

On

lui avait

noue autour de la

tete,

et

du

col,

un linge

blanc

" Elle

etait

gardee par trois ou quatre soldats, qui avaient

ordre de ne lui laisser rien donner, a boire ni a manger, qui

put

lui

prolonger la vie."

Stfomclhtg j&ogtet).
cut

footm
tlje

tutt

fogre

examiners focre

"53c(ng

racket), f)te iacfec ant>

fofjipS, f)c

confesses mote t&ait

toilling

t\)e

lEmpcrour sl)oulO

Horsey's Observations.

fenoto."

The news

of the death of the

the Russias was

boom

Oleakius.

officially

Empress

announced.

of all

The

of the mighty bell of Ivan Veliki,

solemn and measured knell, proclaimed to

VOL.

III.

in
all

THE CZAR.

54

Moscow

the departure of the soul of the short-

lived maiden-bride of Ivan.

None wept

the

young Czarina with more

unfeigned regret than Grace Wilmington, for

she,

at

bewailed the

least,

loss

of

Marfa,

divested of her attributes of sovereignty

her was

to

caused the

revealed

the

villany

that

and

had

death of the amiable and lovely

being,

whose

peace,

and even happiness, to her blighted

'

virtues held forth a promise of

'

country.

The

city of

Moscow

contained another true

heart, that treasured the

image of that empress

He

had

malady,

had

with more than a subject's iove.

awaited

the

progress

of

her

haunted the vicinage of the palace day and

night, for one cheering

The

first

word of hope in

vain.

rumour of Maria's death reached him

in the palace-yard.

The morning

It

was Koltzo.

that succeeded the day of her

demise, the Krasnoi Kriltzo was thronged with

THE CZAR.
people,

who, in procession, were

the steps

which separated by a

who were descending,

in

chamber was open

state

55

ascending

railing those

equal order.

to the multitude.

The
It

was lighted with torches, day-light being excluded,

and the apartment was hung with

black drapery.

In the centre was raised a platform, breasthigh

at each of the four

comers, a

pillar

sup-

ported a lofty dais, or canopy, from which was

suspended a festooned drapery of cloth of gold

and in each compartment was an escutcheon,

bearing the arms of Ivan Vassilivitch, Czar,

embossed in gold.
1

Around the platform were

three steps, which were ascended, one

by one,

by the weepers; upon that platform reposed

the inanimate form of Marfa, Czarina of Russia.
i

It

as

was her motionless hand they came

it

lay

upon a

zibelline fur, equalling in its

whiteness the unsunned

Sibir.

to kiss,

snow of the vales_of

THE CZAR.

56

The crowd progressed

pay the

last

making

their

in solemn order, to

tribute of respect

to

the dead,

entrance and exit at different

doors; a guard of the Haiduks was stationed

along the passages.

prevailed,

wail

Decorum and

silence

which was only interrupted by the

of the

professional weepers,

collected at the

head of the

bier.

who were
Smoking

censers wafted an incessant fragrance around-

them.

Marfa was dressed

the

for

grave, in the;

The'

habit of the religious order of St. Basil.

Redeemer's cross lay in her hand, the smile of

innocence reposed on her
a sleeping flower on the
the

first

lips,

she looked

bosom of

night,

ray of light would recall to

The weepers

for

the

dead,

many

which

life.

according to

custom, poured forth their lamentations

this time

like

but

truths were mingled in their

lugubrious and wild chaunt.

Many

half-suppressed

sigh

was heard,

THE CZAR.
many
grief

a tear glistened in the eye, but their

had no time

poured
but

57

and each

in,

display;

for

the throng

successive

visitor

had

momentaiy and hurried glimpse of

Once

the dead.

there

was a pause, and the

A warrior

thronging multitude were stopped.

knelt beside the corpse

with fervour on that

his

lifeless

lips

hand.

were pressed

He

heeded

not the pressure of the crowd, nor the signals

to pass on

his brain

lections of the past

was busy with the

his

recol-

heart was bankrupt

and Koltzo, the Cossacque, was borne from

the bier of the virgin empress by the attendants.

The

air recalled

his

senses;

fleeting

but, heedless of surrounding objects, he passed

on.

Desolation was around

their victims.

the scaffolds and

He was now

in the slaughter-

house of the Czar the place of execution.

A troop

of horsemen galloped past

him with

wild and lawless shouts, headed by Ivan.

The Czar was mounted on a superb

charger.

THE CZAR.

58

His kolpack, of the black

-wolf-skin,

was bor-

dered with lamine of gold, that waved with

every breath, like the softest plumes.

His

purple robe, surcharged with gold embroidery,

was fastened round

his waist

by a

sash, or

from which were suspended two long'

girdle,

knives, and a dagger pointed at each end

his back
giliano,
staff,

was hung an arm

and

his right

in length,

in gold

this

at

Cesto Vir-

hand grasped an

upwards of a cube

by a knob wrought

like the

iron

surmounted

was the hunt-

ing dress of Ivan.

Like shadows before the sun, the Muscovites

disappeared at his approach

they fled before

the huntsman like frightened deer.

At

the

end of the square was a group, ap-

farther

parently awaiting his approach, and the troop

dashed forward, laughing and shouting.

The

point at which the Czar and his blood-

hounds

halted,

was a newly-dug grave; the

party surrounding

it

consisted of a

body of the

THE CZAR.

59

Strelitz soldiers, evidently iu attendance

on the

Boyarinia Basmanoff, who, lacerated to

the

bone from the application of the knout, her

body enveloped

a coarse

in

white

cloth,

bandage of the same bound round her head,

stood awaiting in horror the completion of her
sentence, which

was

to

be buried to the chin

the newly-made grave,

in

and there

expire amidst the pangs of hunger

under the surveillance of a

The
her,

strict

and

left

to

thirst,

guard.

Czar's arrival was the signal to seize

and she was

at once lowered into the pit,

in a standing posture, whilst the grave-diggers

shovelled in the earth and carefully packed

it

around her.

Gregoriovna thought not, at that awful moment, of him

who

stood to witness the execu-

tion of her sentence

her retributive reflections

were in the past, and limited were the powers

of

human

vengeance, compared with the curse

THE CZAR.

60

own

of her

tures of the

conscience.

body

was mercy,

were the tor-

a span in their duration

her fears were beyond

trembled to die

What

the

grave,

and she

even her protracted suffering

for she dared not think of

an here-

after.

The avenger now turned

to other work.

In

the centre of the square was kindled an enor-

mous
object

was

To an

fire.

now

his

iron

beam was chained an

scarcely to be recognised, so

much

outward semblance changed by the

scorching heat

but the punishment was not to

end with the day.

It

was Bomelius. The exult-

ing shout of Ivan recalled him the assassin to

himself.

He

opened his eyes, which had been

closed from excruciating torture; they

met the

savage grin of his tormentor.

tc

Mercy, mercy

\"

exclaimed the Jew, " and

I will reveal to thee secrets that shall save thy

life.

Traitors surround thee

the dagger of the

THE CZAR.
regicide

and thy

safety shall be the reward."

was the only key

It

vation

Save me, save me!

unsheathed!

is

61

to his heart

self-preser-

and Ivan ordered the torture to be sus-

pended.

A frightful outline

was lowered from the

stake,

of the

human form

and the Czar ap-

proached the hideous object.

" Traitors

now

are

in thy presence,

Czar

the instigators of the treason of Novogorod

live

all but the

manoffs.

guilty have perished, the Bas-

Suffer

me

to

regain

strength,

recover breath to divulge, and thou shalt

to

know

all-I faint."

" Eemove the wretch!" exclaimed the Czar;

u the
all

torture shall be deferred

and then the faggots

light the unbeliever to his

The

half-roasted

Jew

we

will

shall blaze

know

again to

tomb."

Avas

conveyed back to

prison.

Once more the Czar spurred

D 2

his charger to

THE CZAR.

62

the grave of the Boyarinia.

upon the
faction

infanticide

on

Kremlin

paused to gaze

and with a smile of

his countenance,

to feast

He

satis-

he returned to the

and to pray.

THE CZAR.

CHAPTER

QS

VI.

" The monkey one day getting loose, got into a church that
was near where the ambassador lived, and threw down some
of the pictures which were placed on a shelf in the church,

being the Russian

for they

shelf."

way

it

not to hang up the pictures of saints,

reckon that not honourable, but to place them on a

Perry's State of Russia.

" This monkey one day got into one of the Muscovite
churches, hard by the English resident's house, and tumbled

down some

VTe now

of their saints."

arrive at

Crull's Muscovy.

one of those solemn passages

of history which, engraven upon the memory,

are in themselves of such importance, that the
annalist

appears as the mere amanuensis of

destiny and events.

Our

old acquaintance, Jocko,

was no longer

64

THE CZAR.

a mere dependent

upon favour ; he had claims

on the consideration of the domestic

coterie of

Wilmington, that were a passport to the highest

estimation of the ambassador and his secretary,

and consequently of the whole

was with Grace, more

monkey had
scious of

it,

particularly, that

curried favour, and

that

it

But

suite.

it

the

was so con-

must be confessed he did

somewhat presume, well knowing that a smile

from his patroness would always disarm the
anger of Sir Thomas,

when provoked by

his

mischievous propensities.
Tubervile had

Master
standing

in

the

recovered his

also

estimation

of

the

doctor's

daughter,

having

appreciate

the

whims and

oddities of her favourite Jocko,

and

in

learned

to

truth the secretary's talents and acquire-

ments were no mean acquisition

party.
tial

to the social

His profound knowledge of the

bodies, his interesting calculations

tion,

distance,

celes-

on mo-

and magnitude, combined with

THE CZAR.

65

the growing interest they took in his prediction

now

of an eclipse of the sun,

obtained for him at

tion.

all

fast

approaching,

times respectful atten-

This gifted individual had withal that

modesty which pertaineth

to learning,

and was

ever unobtrusive, whilst the reputation of his

learning had gone abroad.

The Muscovites were

heard to say that the outlandish star-gazer was

gifted with supernatural

powers

and the day,

the hour of the approaching eclipse, which had

been rehearsed from

lip to lip,

was ominously

repeated, and they kept at a respectful distance

from the vicinage of the Englishman.

The

secretary's

reputation

as

sorcerer,

coupled with the conviction of Jocko's demonocracy,

acquired for

respectful reverence,

mundane power
to repel

English party a

the

more

effectual

than any

that could have been exerted

an insidious enemy.

The

party, thus

screened by an imaginary rampart, were comparatively safe amidst the turmoil of massacre.

THE CZAR.

66

On
the

the eve, however, of the inauguration of

new metropolitan, an event befell them which

caused no inconsiderable alarm to the guests at

Walter Wilmington's.
ally dejected; the

Grace,

who was

Jocko had been unusu-

day had passed in tears with

deeply affected by the fate of

the empress, and her affection seemed to have

been participated by the monkey.

he was missing.
parture.

The

was no where

None had

hotel

become

noticed his de-

was searched

in vain

Pug

to be found.

Certainly, next to those

formed~her

All at once

little

human

beings

who

world of society, Jocko had

essential to the domestic circle of the

lovely hostess.

Ever

since he

had scared away

the obnoxious messenger of the Czarevitch, he

had

risen in importance in an inverse ratio to

beauty.

He was

moreover the

of the friendly neighbours,

faithful

Mercury

and during the

short hours of absence, the bearer of sundry

communications from the embassy;

and had

THE CZAR.

6?

been dignified with the cognomen of u Queen's

Messenger," although the contents of the bag
of embassy were not always diplomatic, for

sometimes

it

contained gloves, and ribands,

and occasionally some of those scented pomades

and aquatics, then so very recherche

a de-

gradation to which the despatch bags of a more

modern epoch were

To

certainly never reduced.

allay the anxiety of Grace, the

household

of the ambassador were dispatched in

direc-

Meanwhile Pug, who with true philo-

tions.

sophy was determined

devils

all

to

shake off the blue-

whatever kindred the Muscovites might

suppose him to have with them

had

prome-

naded the well-known roofs which had so long

sheltered him, to take the

air,

and

for

some

reason had prolonged his ramble more than

usual.

more

The night was

silent

than

calm, the streets were

ordinary

that

day the

slaughter had taken place in the Kitaigorod;

and

as his glance peered over the vicinity, lie

THE CZAR.

68

was induced

wander

to

further.

Ascending and

descending from house to house, the adventurer,

unnoticed, reached the boundary wall of the

Kremlin, and hence he took a commanding view

of the prospect of the

murdered
city,

of

lifeless

masses of the

the somnolent watchers of the

drowsy from the exertions of the day;

of

the scaffolds, where, in their last convulsions,

up

the expiring victims were yielding

breath.

It

travelled

was a new scene even

their

for

our

monkey, and no doubt he noted with

due precision the mutability of human

affairs,

congratulating himself on his more favoured

race.

as if

The moon shone unclouded and

bright,

no crimes had darkened the theatre of

her splendour.

All was silent as death, or

semblance, sleep

and nothing moved but one

small object, rolling to and

revolving
asleep, yet

upon
was

Pug grew

its

its

centre.

fro,

yet seemingly

The guards were

this object in incessant motion.

bolder;

his

curiosity

knew no

THE CZAR.
limits

view.

69

vaulting to the ground, he took a closer

Even then

silver light in

a ray of the

its

added brightness, and two human

eye-balls glared full

head it was

moon shed

upon him it was a

the buried Boyarinia.

living

Even now

had almost passed away, the

vision of

a fiend in one big throe of horror,

commu-

that

life

nicated strength of suffering, and she uttered

an appalling shriek.
Startled from their sleep, the watchers be-

held the apparition of a demon, and

fled,

whilst

the alarm, spread to the distant sentries, was

answered by the clang of their halberds on the

triangular iron alarums suspended in the courts

of every house in

Moscow.

Whilst the report spread that

nic Majesty,

was

his Sata-

Jocko decamped as rapidly as

said personage were at his heels,

security, clambered
dral,

it

and

if

the

for greater

up the walls of the cathe-

gained admission at the belfry, and lower-

ing himself into the body of the church, took

THE CZAR.

70

refuge for the night in the shrine of the Ikonostas of the ancient cathedral of the Kremlin.

The

light of the

moon

supplied

vision of the miraculous images.

Pug with a

Enshrined in

gold were the Ethiopian features of the Virgin

of Jerusalem, but the profane visitor held her

beauty in

reverence

little

nor did he heed the

sacred nail, the remnant of the robe of the

the right

Virgin,

hand of

St.

Andrew, or the

embalmed head of Gregory the Theologian;

and much was
on the

his

lost

upon him

silver labels of

in the inscriptions

each immaculate treasure

learning not having extended to the old

Sclavonic.

He

ascended the patriarchal chair, whence,

having extended his glance upon the deserted

chancel,

he climbed a four-pillared

wooden

canopy, which surmounted the pulpit, to take

a wider survey.

Although we are prepared

to admit that the

bodily energies and capabilities of monkies are

THE CZAR.
considerable,

and possess

71

high,

prove that they have been

authority

known

to

to

undergo

great fatigue, as well as to perform astonishing

feats of strength,

yet even

come exhausted, and

so

Feeling drowsiness
relished

much

monkey may be-

fared with our friend.

it

over him, he

stealing

the security of his

elevated

Ensconcing himself, therefore, as

position.

comfortably

as

the

of the wooden

carving

canopy would permit, and

effectually concealed

from view, he resigned himself to the enjoy-

ment of a

and undisturbed

sleep, as innocent

as ever blessed the eyelids of a monkey.

The day

broke, bright as ever, over the vast

city,

laying bare the deeds of

was

still

unconscious of

man

all.

but Jocko

The opening of

the gates, the preparation for the ceremony

of the inauguration

with

all

siastical

The

the

of a

pomp and

new

metropolitan,

circumstance of eccle-

magnificence, was by

him unheeded.

clergy of a hundred parishes were there

THE CZAR.

72
a

and lighted

lamps

thousand

candelabras

blended with the beam of day, and clouds

of incense were wafted to the vaulted roof.
It

new
when

was

at that

patriarch

solemn moment when the

ascends the

chair,

pontifical

the innumerable bells at once break the

imposing silence to proclaim the

Pug awoke.

The loud sound

election, that

of the anthem,

the acclamations, and the ringing of bells,

" Burst his bonds of sleep asunder,

And
Is

it

roused

liirn like

a rattling peal of thunder."

a dream? thought Jocko, or reality?

and peeping through the carved

that

frieze

bordered the canopy, he took a cautious survey

of

men and

things.

A vast throng was

him, a moving parterre of

human heads

though he was some time making

vation,

we

beneath

are not prepared to say that phre-

was

was about

but

his obser-

nology was then a monkeyiana science.

silence

resumed,

for

the

But

metropolitan

to address the congregation.

The

THE CZAR.
was

pastoral crook

gently as he

73

in his hand,

commenced

he bent forward, the

he waved

his discourse,

lofty mitre

it

and as

of the high

church dignitaiy, studded with costly gems,

and resplendent with

moved

tantalizingly before Jocko,

paw

but,

adornments,

and almost

Once, indeed, he protruded

within his grasp.

his

lavish

its

to snatch at the dazzling head-dress

fortunately,

the attempt had not been

noticed, for the congregation faced the metropolitan, whilst

Pug was

But monkeys,
confess

it,

much

after

as

in the rear.

all,

and we are bound

we have laboured

their

discretionary

powers,

under

such control,

and

draw further inference of

since they are equally

are

in this

to

prove

not always
instance

their affinity to

frail,

to

we

man,

oftentimes as im-

prudent, and as frequently prone to mischief.

The

pastoral

wand

still

waved

to

and

fro,

most provokingly, before the eyes of Jocko;

at length

it

reposed against the canopy.

The

THE CZAR.

74
impulse was

irresistible,

drew

leisurely

it

and the paw of Pug

out of the hand of the pa-

triarch.

We

hear the reader exclaim,

priest let

But

it

it

go ?"

(C

Why

did the

Aye, there^s the rub.

The

was a superstitious age.

prelate

was surrounded by the^immaculate and miracleworking images, and there was nothing
to his knowledge, 'twixt

The miraculous

roof.

living,

him and the vaulted

ascension of his

wand

palsied his hand, paralysed his frame, choked

his utterance,

and

he stood as

if

turned to

stone.

The congregation had witnessed

the ascen-

for the paraconcealed Jocko they

sion without detecting the cause

pet of the canopy

were

electrified.

miracle

still

Some shouted

a miracle

but the majority were in conster-

nation.

Noav,
if

it

had entered the brain of Jocko

that,

once in possession of the pastoral hook, he

THE CZAR.

75

could fish therewith for that object of his admagnificent cap.

the metropolitan's

miration,

The thought and

the deed were one.

Finding

himself in undisturbed possession of the rod,

he extended the hook to a convenient knot in

the mitre, and the bare head of the unresisting
priest

was suddenly exposed, as the episcopal

moment

the

congregation, subdued, overcome with the

om-

crown swung mid-air.

At

that

nipresence of the supernatural cause of miracles,

prostrated themselves

when,

having hooked his game,

secure

it,

Such

and

his

a Babel

now

" The

devil

exclamation

the

monkey

contrived to

was never seen nor heard as

groans, hisses,
!

form was exposed to view.

the interior of the cathedral

of shouts,

lo

now

presented

and imprecations.

the devil !" was the predominant

and many gave themselves up

for lost, invoking every saint; and, in the full

conviction that their last hour was come, pite-

ously

made more

sincere confession

of their

THE CZAR.

76

peccadilloes than they

had ever before troubled

their ghostly advisers with.

Meanwhile some had hastened

for succour,

and soon arrived with a troop of archers

when they
ing with

appeared,

with becoming
their

civility

be

it

known,

the Muscovites never

saints, the

not being considered honourable

such worshipful company.

havoc which ensued.

intentions,

which

shelf

images or pictures of

like treatment

to

for

relics,

but

effected a land-

upon the

his treasure

supported the holy

hanged

Pug had

Sad was the

Perceiving their hostile

Jocko soon discovered that his best

friends were his heels,

and observing a means

of escape from the shelf through an adjoining

window, he pursued his

in such haste

sacrilegious

course

and trepidation, that innumerable

were the arms,

legs, heads,

and bones of im-

maculate saints that rattled on the pavement

of the chancel, as they were dislodged to give

him

free passage, to the scandal of the

good

THE CZAR.

77

Muscovites, whilst, with more success than he

deserved. Jocko effected his escape from the

church.

But danger awaited him without and

:

now we come

to

an

illustration of

one of the

innumerable advantages which the race of Jocko

possessed over man.

The

philosopher, Hel-

vetius, has maintained that the

human hand

developes the faculties, fashions the object of

thought, and

On

mind.

is

in toto the

his authority,

mainspring of the

how

superlative

must

Man

pos-

be the attributes of the monkey.

sesses

but two

this gifted race has four,

and

each answering the purposes of foot and hand.

Thus endowed, Helvetius goes

far to

man

But we

If

is

the inferior animal.

Pug had been

for a

moment

prove that

sanctified as a

worker of miracles, his escape at

miraculous.

With

digress.

least

was

surprising agility he climbed

the domes, the chains, the crosses, then lowered

himself from roof to roof, from house to house,

and

in that

VOL.

III.

labyrinth

of edifices,

steeples,

78

THE CZAR.

minarets, and spires, soon effected his retreat,

distancing his pursuers,
cealing himself

away.

till

and

effectually

con-

the hue and cry had died

THE CZAR.

CHAPTER
"
liez,

II les fit

jeter (les Juifs)

disant que

c'e'tait

pour

VII.

du hnut en bas pieds and poing3

mieux baptiser." Relation

les

DE TOUT CE QUI REGAKDE LA MOSCOVIE

"
tres,

Le medecin Bomelius,
fut brule

vif

]f9

Paris, 1G87.

cet odieux instigateur des

place

sur la

meur-

publique de Moscou."

Kabamsin.
"

Au moins ce

fils

denature (Theodore Basmanoff) ne sauva

point sa vie par le parricide

fut supplicie avec les autres."

il

Idem.
"

On

versait alternativcment

de l'eau bouillante

et

de

l'eau glacee sur le corps de ce malheureux, qui expira dans

Les autres furent egorges, pendus

d'horribles souffrances.

ou haches en morceaux."

Idem.

Axother morning

of massacre had

upon Moscow.

The

dawned

Basmanoffs were im-

mediately incarcerated on the discovery of the

THE CZAR.

SO

such was the sweep-

guilt of the Boyarinia, for

ing system of retributive vengeance; that kith

and kin shared the destiny of the condemned.

A fearful fate,

was expected, awaited the pre-

it

sent family, without other

known crime than

that of being allied to the murderess

of the

Czarinia.

The Czar had snatched

a few hours' repose,

and with the dawn was up and prepared

First he proceeded

the business of the day.

to

take

features

create in

momentary glance

a
of

his

him

bride

more

for

the

at

sight

the

faded

seemed

to

insatiate thirst for blood

and vengeance.

He

marshalled the

Bomelius

still

way

existed.

to

the prison where

Restoratives had been

administered, and the wretch had sufficiently

recovered his speech to be intelligible, though

each syllable was accompanied with groans.

Much

he confessed

and poured into the ear

THE CZAR.

81

of the despot a fearful tale of treason

promised the

lives

of the

first

it

com-

Boyars of the

Thus, even in death, the unsated

realm.

vil-

lany thirsted for blood, and hundreds perished

by the most

refined torture.

But these

sions sufficed not to save his

him

roasted, Ivan adjudged

own

confes-

Half-

life.

to perish in the

flame.

Of

those compromised by the confessions of

the Jew, were Alexis and Theodore Basmanoff.

The

father

and son were ordered

to the place

of executions, there to await the arrival of the

Czar.

Mounting
lites

to

horse, the

monarch

led his satel-

where another scene was preparing,

quite in keeping with the task he

himself.

As they approached

Moskva, the bridge over

people, and strange as

it

it

the

had

allotted

bank of the

was thronged with

may appear,

the crowd

priests, in

com-

pany with the Jewish residents of the

city,

was exclusively composed of

THE CZAR.

82

men, "women, and children, who were bound

hand and

foot,

and guarded by an army of the

Strelitz.

With

the sword of the executioner suspended

over them, the Israelites were undergoing the

Each

ceremony of recantation.

individual hav-

ing gone through the Greek ritual, denouncing

the heresy of their forefathers by spitting over
their

shoulder,

were awaiting the autocrat's

superintendence of the Christian

rite

of bap-

tism.

A gleam of satisfaction

spread over the coun-

tenance of Ivan, as he reined in his charger

before that multitude of the creed

the murderer of his bride.

and race of

His glance seemed

to devour the Jewish multitude, encircled, like

a beaten preserve,

by

his blood-hunters.

signal, the ranks of the soldiery

along the banks of the

were extended

river, whilst the

Opritch-

nina stationed themselves on the bridge.

now began

At

And

the immersion, which the profane

THE CZAR.

83

despot facetiously styled "effectual baptism."

Fast as the

satellites

could perform the task,

the poor Jews were thrown from the bridge

into the river

and where the sturdy struggler

burst his bonds, and rose to the surface, the

weapons of

inhospitable shore, bristling with

destruction, proclaimed their

tuous waves,

doom

now foaming from

the tumulthe death-

struggles of the drowning multitude, in a few

minutes subsided into calm, and the waters

flowed in tranquil stream over the holocaust of
victims sacrificed to a tyrant's revenge.
It

was a moment of wild and horrid joy to

the throned assassin, that picture of wholesale

murder.

The

passionate farewell of lovers, the

frenzied gaze of mothers, as they beheld their

little

ones launched into eternity,

of age, and

all

the despair

the thousand pangs of nature,

strained to bursting, crowded into one fleeting

moment

of time, the sufferings of generations.

THE CZAR.

84

Then

rose the hoarse laugh of the murderer

might

in his

the

might of the destroyer in

Alas

defiance of his Creator.

now

multitude
sacrifice

memory

bethought

overshoot
Israelite

none

survived

no bonds were sundered

to recall the
ster

extinct

for the little

its

of the past

himself,

mark; none

community.

the

none lived

The mon-

extermination

may

lived to regret the

Unsated, he spurred his

charger to the place of executions.

The
and a

fagots were crackling

lofty flame

brightest glare

glance

when he

arrived,

towered high and red in

its

like a jubilee the scene met his

the myrmidons of power surrounded

the gibbets, beginning their preparations for

torture.

Yet none but the

spectacle were there;

spectators.

the city.
all

solemn

actors in this awful

no audience no mere
stillness

reigned over

Horror-stricken, the citizens fled in

directions, hiding themselves, as if the ex-

THE CZAR.
termination of the

human

race

85

had commenced.

Arrived at the foot of the scaffolds, accom-

panied by the Czarevitch, Ivan looked around

in astonishment;

none were there to witness

to approve.

At once

the drums were beat to call the in-

Growing impatient, he

habitants, but in vain.

now

dispatched his guards in

followed himself to
bition, ensuring

all

directions,

summon them

them

safety

dared no longer disobey

and

to the exhi-

and mercy.

They

leaving their hiding

places, trembling with fear, they assembled

on

the place of executions, and in a few minutes,

at the

sound of that dreaded

voice, the walls,

the roofs of the houses were covered with spectators.

" People of Moscow," exclaimed the Czar,

" you are come to witness tortures and executions

but

Answer me

it

is

the punishment of traitors.

Does

my

sentence appear just

e 2

THE CZAR.

BG
(S

Long

live

the Czar, our lord and master ?'

was the reply of the ignoble

" Hoida, hoida

\" -was

Opritchnina, and the

race.

the awful

amen

of the

work began.

In the space of four hours, the Czar and

his son,

his

assisted

troop,

by the expert Maluta, and

slaughtered two

hundred human

beings.

Again and again the fiend

surveyed

the

dying and the dead, followed in his rounds

by

his faithful guards, brandishing their reek-

ing sabres, and glorifying the justice of their

chief.

Further detail

is

too revolting for the

page of our day.

Meanwhile, of
one

still

fellow-man

it

was

that concourse, there

lingering in protracted torment

him no sympathy

whom

all

for

existed in the breast of his

was Bomelius.

his hellish instigations

the stake, had enough of

life

The

sufferers,

had brought to
left to

pour

ini-

THE CZAR.

87

precations on his head, coupled with groans.

This was reserved as the

final

scene in the

murderous tragedy we have feebly attempted

to describe.

Around and around the burning

Ivan

pile,

The Jew

galloped in a frenzy of exultation.

was roasted with such a nice calculation cf

what

life

can endure, yet be sensible

the torture

may have been some

of,

that

expiation of

his guilt.

In sight of the

sufferer,

was an object that

next drew the attention of Ivan;

Boyarinia, yet alive

it

was the

and beside her were the

BasmanofFs, bound with thongs, and under a

strong guard.

u Well, lady

\"

said the Czar, as

he marked

the Boyarinia, gasping and fainting, her parched

lips

bleeding for

sated yet

lack

Will not

allay thy thirst

all

of

moisture.

the blood of

So friends

I"

" Not

my

bride

he remarked,

THE CZAR.

$8

observing her husband and son

been but sorry

my

Pole,

let

my

for

young, Theodore,

we

wife robs

and you must needs plot with

bride,

mund, the

if

The

traitors.

" ye have

for

me

Sigis-

Thou

crown.

Ho

art

What

such high game.

thee have more wing?

of

there,

unloose his bonds.

u Thou wilt be

But the

wilt.

faithful

Aye,

old one, I fear,

know thou

incorrigible

is

so do thou rid us of him," continued Ivan, pre-

senting

We
the

him a

knife.

hope

the

sequel.

committed

But
the

historian
if

deed

is

in

Theodore
ascribed

to

error

in

Basmanoff
him,

to

rescue himself from destruction, the parricide

escaped not his doom.

down,

his

Ere the sun went

mangled body dangled on one of

the gibbets.

Ivan himself was glutted

In

after times,

for the day.

the spot where the bodies

THE CZAR.

89

were heaped was consecrated, and expiatory-

monuments were
eventful massacre.

raised,

which

attest

that

90

THE CZAR.

CHAPTER
" On
pour

VIII.

de profession qui pleurent a gage

a des pleureuses

la veuve, et qui a force d'exercer l'art

de pleurer, ont

acquis l'adiesse de contrefaire les gestes et les

de

" Son

cercuei!, place

au convent des religieuses de I'As*

cension, a cote" de ceux des

est,

pour

la

post^rite,

Thy

un

deux premieres epouses de Jean,

objt

d'attendrissement

et

de

Karamsin.

pt-iiibles reflexions."

"

mouvemens

Picart, Religion des Grecs.

douleur."

la plus vive

Jermak, sleeps

dust,

But Russia

shall erect

still

and calm,

on high

Thy pyramid, and shall embalm

Thy name with flowers and poetry

A pile of gold, -which thy good spear

Won from Siberia, shall she rear
'.

What

said

I,

thoughtless one

what dream

Has passion in its sleep created ?

Where is his fane ? the dust of him
Is lost his grave unconsecrated,

Unknown."

Dmitriev's

Poem

of Jermak, translated by

Ivan, the morning

for the

solemn

rite

after

Bowring.

the massacre, prepared

of the funeral of his bride.

THE CZAR.

pomp surrounded

Imperial

came a

First

91

priest,

bearing

royal

bier.

the banner of

departed.

saint of the

the tutelar

the

He was

succeeded by four young women, professed

weepers, employed
exhibiting

vagant

all

on

such

the outward

On

grief.

line of caloyers

occasions,

symptoms of

extra-

each side of the way, a long

extended ; at intervals of a few

paces, priests advanced with measured

steps, their voices raised to scare

And now

spirit.

and

and slow

away the

evil

approached a numerous body

of the higher church dignitaries in their sacerdotal

robes,

perfumes

was the
coffin,

Over

it

with

and

smoking

censers, wafting

in the midst of a fragrant cloud

bier bearing the

made out

body, in an open

of a solid block of timber.

was a canopy of cloth of gold, quartered

with the arms of the Czar ;

pillars, carried

And now

by four

it

rested

upon four

priests.

appeared the Czar, supported by

THE CZAR.

92
the

on

Czarevitch

metropolitan on his

his

and followed by

left,

the Princes and Boyars

guard of the

Strelitz

and the new

right,

of the

all

The

court.

and of the Opritchnina

closed the procession.

Ivan was aifected even to tears

for the

The

moment

his grief

was

excessive.

funeral cortege took the direction of the

place of executions, where yet the unsepultured

dead attested the

atonement

as the

wife

terrible sacrifice
for the

by the Czar,

murder of

young

his

but there was yet a revenge unsated, and

in that

hour

it

The

was to be accomplished.

Boyarinia, the mother and the murderess, yet

lived,
last

for her

dying gaze a

look on her child.

As
she

and he reserved

the procession came

still

up

to the spot

where

remained nearly ingulfed in earth,

Ivan ordered

it

to halt,

placed on the ground.

and the

coffin

There reposed

to be

all

that

THE CZAR.
remained of the
victim of her

fruit of

her

93

womb,
and

ambition;

the innocent

there,

now

death-blanched cheek, were

on that

visible

the

accusing spots of poison.

The Boyarinia, now

had closed her
her,

eyes, for

sinking in death,

fast

agony had seized upon

and the searching beams of the mid-day

sun had scorched

her

But the

eye-balls.

sudden burst of the anthem

the

for

dead,

issuing from the voices of a thousand priests,

recalled her to consciousness
eyes,

and beheld her murdered

A wild,

she opened her

child.

a horrid shriek burst from her lips

the last vital chord was

soul of the infanticide

snapped

and the

was summoned

to the

tribunal of the Searcher of hearts.

The

procession again

moved on

vent vaults of Vosnesensky

the

to the con-

chaunt was

resumed.

u Howl the deep dirge

Russia's royal bride

for

we weep

o'er

TIIE CZAR.

94

" She was a lovely

from the

worthy

celestial

had strayed

star, that

firmament;

we were no

longer

to possess.

" Heaven saw, and recalled the soul of the

beautiful to

its

native realms of light.

" From the regions of the

blest, Spirit of

the tenant of the grave, hear our prayer

" Thou of the starry galaxy of

akin to angels, hear our sighs/

And

saints,

thou

thus the mournful chaunt continued,

in varied apostrophe to the dead

and accord-

ing to the fashion of the day and the land,

inquiring the
quitting this

motives of the silent clay

for

life.

In the crowd of mourners, for

all

Moscow,

notwithstanding the terrible visitation of the

Czar, had ventured to follow to
the body of their beloved

its

last

abode

Czarina, was one

whose manly form seemed now bowed down

by overwhelming

affliction.

His grief was too

big for utterance; he joined not in the loud

THE CZAR.
wail of the people,

who

95

loudly proclaimed, with

noisy lamentation, the virtues and loveliness of

He had

the departed.
lasting

remembrance of that beauty and good-

ness in his inmost heart

loss

silently treasured the

and the irrecoverable

had overcome the daring

spirit

of that

warrior with woman's weakness.

The body, with

its

now conveyed and

head of the

placed within the gold

of the trapeza.
coffin

lighted torches,

accompanying canopy, was

rail

throne was erected at the

long trains of priests, bearing

formed an avenue from the

gates to the holy doors of the Ikonostas.

The

solemn dirge was renewed during the performance of the service of the dead.

After a pause,

the Czar was assisted from his seat, and sup-

ported as he ascended the throne, placed at the

head of the bier ; he pressed a reverential kiss

upon the cold

lips of his

departed bride, and

was borne out of the church

in

an agony of

THE CZAR.

96

Then such

grief.

steps,

as were near,

mounted the

and crossing and recrossing themselves,

took a

censers

now

wafted clouds of incense

of the

voices
strains

The smoking

last farewell of the dead.

choristers

swelling in

the

loftiest

the blazing torches seen through that

atmosphere of gloom ; the mitred priests towering in their magnificent robes;

aspect of the solemnity, pride,

and grandeur

all

wore an

of the Greek church.

In the midst of that loud burst of

voices, there

was one who

silently,

human

and almost

unnoticed, gained access to the bier.

He

bent

forward and pressed the forbidden salute on

the lips of Russia's departed hope.
rior

struggled with himself;

his

The warheart

still

lingered round the coffin in which reposed that

lovely form
self

with a strong

effort

he tore him-

away, and was soon lost to the astonished

gaze of the bystanders,

who

recognised, in his

THE CZAR.

91

manly person, the once formidable outlaw, but

now honoured ambassador

of the conqueror of

Siberia.

Blighted in hope, seared in heart, maddened

with the past, reckless of the future, the brave

hetman hastened from

his

his

country, to rejoin

companions in arms, on the banks of the

Irtisch, bearing

with him, as a present of his

sovereign to the brave Yermak, a splendid iron

cuirass,

the

imperial eagle

richly

embossed

thereon in gold, in proof of his high satisfaction,

and approval of the hero's transcendent

achievements.

Attended

by

his

faithful

troop,

Koltzo

rapidly traversed the intervening provinces of

Russia,

surmounted the Uralian mountains,

and the long enduring steeds of the

indefati-

gable Cossacques bore their riders to the tents

of their general.

a The merchants of Bukharia were expected

THE CZAR.

98

When Yermak

"

at

"

fugitive

te

appearance in the desert of Vagai, to intercept

"

their passage

Isker.

Koutchoura had dared

on that

" embarked, and

**

river,

set out at the

entire day,

to

make

he immediately

head of

He

sacques to encounter them.

" duiing the

that the

learnt

fifty

his

dis-

Cos-

sought them

but neither

fell

in with

a the caravan nor any

traces of the

enemy.

"

and prepared

to pass

in tents, leaving his boats

moored

He

retraced his steps,

u the night
ei

to the shore, near the

"

It

is

there

that the

u course towards the

mouth

of the Vagai.

Irtisch,

directing its

divides

east,

" streams, one of which flows on

" windings ; the other,
"

canal, since called

" have been cut

at

Yermak

by a

but which must

some remote period.

" of the labour of man.

two

in tortuous

in a straight line,

" banks, smoothed by time, had

" the

into

left

Its

no vestige

In this place, south of

river, is observable,

in the midst of the

THE CZAR.
"

valley,

an elevation which, according to a

" well-credited
habitation

61

labour of young
It

was destined

tradition,

"

11

99

and formed by the

king,

of a

for the

girls.

was among these monuments of an age,

"

lost in the labyrinth

et

queror of Siberia must have perished.

" from

whom any

" country has

" a victim

certain

originated,

to his

" quence of

of time, that the con-

He

knowledge of that

must have perished,

own imprudence,

the conse-

Yermak was

inevitable destiny.

" not ignorant of the proximity of the enemy,

u

yet,

without taking any precaution, without

ee

placing any sentinels, and as

"

life,

selves to

(t

if

wearied of

he and his comrades abandoned them-

them

profound slumber.

in torrents

The

rain

fell

on

the noise of the wind and

" the waves contributed

to lull the Cossacques,

" whilst the enemy lay on the opposite bank of

" the

river.

Their spies having discovered

" a fordable passage,

silently

approached the

THE CZAR.

100

a camp of Yermak.

They beheld

his warriors

" sleeping upon the ground, and took from

" them their

and

firelocks

cartouch-boxes,

" which they presented to their king, as a proof

" of the
" the

with which he might overpower

The

invincibles.

" leapt
ee

facility

He

for joy.

lost

porting his soldiers

not a

moment

" of
ce

Two alone

by the din of arms, by the

one

who, roused

himself,

" wounded, sprang from his

the

slain.

escaped from the massacre

whom was Yermak

trans-

Yagai

the

across

" Cossacques were surprised and

"

Koutchoum

heart of

cries

sleep,

of the

and beheld

" death surrounding him.

"

He

succeeded in repelling with his sword

" his assassins, and then plunged into the deep

" and stormy waters of the Irtisch
"

fatal iron cuirass,

but the

the gift of Ivan, bore

him

" down, and before he could reach his boats,

" he sank to

rise

no more."

Koltzo sold his

life

dearly

such was the

THE CZAR.

101

havoc his good sword made ere he

when

fell,

that

the fury of the assailants of the Cos-

sacque had subsided,

it

was succeeded by a

feeling of idolatrous veneration for the

mighty

dead.

Wonderful properties were ascribed by them

to the remains of the Cossacques

their arms,

their dress, their bones,

were believed to possess

a miraculous power;

and

supposed to heal the

would impregnate

if

sick.

touched,

were

These fanatics

their di-ink with the earth

of their graves as a specific, or wear the dust

as a talisman.

Thus was

Siberia lost to Russia for many-

succeeding years

but Yermak, Koltzo, and

" That handful of Muscovia's men,"

had wrought a passage through the snowy

deserts,

and the successors of Ivan Vassilivitch

secured the conquest.

VOL.

III.

THE CZAR.

102

CHAPTER
" On

salt

palement

que

IX.

les Itusses et plusieurs autres nations, princi-

les septentrionales, ont conserve la

des repas funebres et

il

n'arrive

coutume de

s'enivre en cette occasion a l'honneur des morts."

suit

faire

que trop souvent qu'on

Picart,

la Religion des Grecs.

" Les sujets ne doivent avoir que

'*

II est

les restes

de lcur maitre et

Hist, de Russie, Reduite, &c.

seigneur."

reconnu que

les

esclaves d'autres esclaves."

In the Granovitaia

femmes en Russie sont reellement

Le Comte de Fortia

Piles.

Palata, yclept the audience

chamber, on the evening of the funeral of his

Czarina, the Czar was once more enjoying the

company

of his

favourites,

around a table

loaded with the varieties and luxuries of that

age.

Upon

a raised platform, at the upper end,

THE CZAR.

103

was seated the Czar, and

in order of rank, the

household.

Roasted swans and

officers of his

peacocks adorned that part of the table

ranged in succession, were tureens of

sterlet

and

rice

soup

fish

and,

and lamb pies ; sour crout

and pork ; sundry roasted meats, and a variety

of soups and dishes of inferior note.

Wines

of choice and various selections.

the spiced Usvarez, a

compound

and honey, was the favourite

But

of beer, wine,

cordial

although

the Nalivka, a strong spirituous beverage, pro-

nounced

irresistible in

certain age, found

dandy

those days

many

ladies of a

admirers amongst the

guests.

The

Czar, after some liberal potations, ap-

peared himself again.

was now,

Wine, sparkling wine,

as of yore, the source of inspiration,

and the hitherto

their

by

wonted

silent guests burst forth in all

hilarity.

The

ribald jest

was

bandied, and profligate mirth resounded again

in the halls of mourning.

THE CZAR.

104

There was one guest whose eagle eye observed the senseless and brutal throng

and

as

frequent libations drowned the reason and fired

the blood of beasts in
difficult for

shape,

it

was not

to pass the goblet almost

un-

One draught he knew must come,

touched.

enough

him

human

in itself to

steal

away the wits of the

strongest there, and he reserved himself for the

Feared, but respected by

inevitable visitation.

his competitors for courtly favour, the superior

of the young, handsome, yet ambitious

tact

courtier, preserved

him from danger

added to

which, sobriety ever gave him a decided advantage over the besotted revellers of the Kremlin.

Yet none

knew

so jovial, none so witty as he.

his value,

and kept

He

his ground.

Ever an eye on the movements of the Czar,

he readily discerned the rising passion, the
glance

of

suspicion,

and forewarned,

ever

escaped the danger.

The BasmanofFs,

the GvozdofFs, and other

THE CZAR.

105

minions, had had their day

had

sunshine of favour,

proved too hot for

it

Godounoff, the new favourite

Boris

them.

till

basked in the

and future Czar, played

game with

his

skill;

kept within the rays of sovereignty, but ap-

proached not too nearly

its

burning centre.

His ready wit pleased the Gzar, ever enlivened

his banquets,

voice

and

manly and melodious

his

was often taxed

for a song.

" shiver of bread" was now presented

him, as a mark of the monarch's esteem.

courtier instantly stood up,

of

all

The

and answered

" Czar, our lord and great prince,

Godounoff,

to

Russians,

returns

Boris
thee

thanks."

Now flowed the wines

and Cheriunikina

Malieno, Amarodina,

and Ivan drank deep.

But

deeper was his discontent, and no smile came

to the surface.

He

looked around for other

stimulants than the feast.

The happy coun-

tenance of Godounoff encountered his glance,

THE CZAR.

10G

and was instantly followed by the imperial com-

mand
The

for a song.

favourite again stood

Czar
All

And

up

there are traitors around thee

armed with the murderer's

if I

How

knife

revealed, 'twould astound thee

near thou art losing thy

life.

Ivan was indolently listening to the

notes of the song; but he
his

now sprang from

seized the dagger at

seat,

side,

and

singer,

who

his

The

looked daggers around him.

either did

first

not, or pretended not, to observe

him, continued
They

are here, and they sap

Arouse

Once

thee, great

yield

And

thy

Czar

all

thy power

and they die

them the treacherous hour,

might thy revenge they

a Now, by the holy

saints

defy.

proclaim them,

and ere we quit the banquet, their heads

answer

for their rebellion."

shall

THE CZAR.
The bold

107

songster, however, heedless of his

song

monarch's agitation, continued his

At

my voice,

Come
Confess

Melancholy, bold traitor

forth from the breast of the

when

Czar

didst ever, man-hater

Restore the bright day thou didst mar

Ivan was yet undecided whether to laugh

The

or to frown.

singer continued, with a firm

voice
And thou,

silent felon,

deep Sorrow,

Out, out sneaking thief from thy nest!

To-day

is

thine

own let to-morrow

Bring sunshine and hope to the breast.

Ivan had resumed his seat; and as

if

the

words of the song had had a magic power, a

smile illumined his countenance.

The

courtiers

around him, who had been shaking with fear

at the portentous

as

though

their

commencement of the
lives

stanzas,

had depended on the

sequel, joyfully reflected the smile of the Czar,

THE CZAR.

108

in

the

magnifying mirrors of their counte-

nances.

And

thou,

Thy

unhanged

rebel, Despair,

wiles and thy freaks are

Avaunt, thou foul

fiend,

Nor approach thou

to

all

from thy

known

lair,

Muscovy's throne

The corpulent Boyars shook

again, but in a

very different way from that of the beginning

Their master had condescended

of the song.
to laugh.

Pack

off

Since

Away

all

when was

to the

From

ye knaves

poor

leave no (races

a palace your haunt

know your places,

the breast of the sovereign avaunt!

Ivan roared with laughter, and the

of

his

courtiers

working away

kept

like so

were found actually

particularly those

to

loyal

many
weep

fat sides

accompaniment,

bellows; and some

tears of joy,

more

who, with sincere repentance,

THE CZAR.
had

suffered their

hair

109

grow

to

for

having

recently incurred signs of the Czar's displeasure,

and whose

were rather below par,

lives

existing in

some measure

Mahomet's

coffin, 'twixt

after the fashion of

heaven and earth.

Meanwhile the monarch quaffed the nectar

of the feast, and soon the

From

the tablet of memory, the

draught erased

insidious

thought, and

caught his blood,

Ivan Vassilivitch was the

rose to his brain.

tyrant again.

fire

left,

in

past ennobling

all

prominent characters,

dis-

appointment, suspicion, and revenge.

" Heaven shuns me

with

me

Then

I sack for joys,

are

we

since

Angels
quits

'tis

art henceforth banished,

shall

be

jects is

pastime.

more

this earth will

Love

bliss

my

sub-

My

of

curse be on

it

Shall they have felicity which I cannot share

I

and sensual

The meanest

blest than I.

not stay

mine own.

thou

my

will

have the power to destroy, to punish their

presumption, Let the slaves look to

F 2

it !"

Rais-

THE CZAR.

110

ing his voice, the monarch thus addressed his

guests

Now

iC

trickster,

will

we make

Time

right merry.

is

and cheats us of our reckoning and

Nomoreomt fill the

our joys.

At the

cup."

word, every guest replenished his goblet to the

brim

and as the Czar

carried his to his lips,

each tossed the contents of his

throat,

and reversing

placed

it,

own down
upside

it

his

down

on the table before him.

"Now

will

the fairest

we know from each

woman,

i:

by

you who

is

opine, in this our

Godounoff, speak

first"

Gracious Czar,

my

may

Moscow.

glorious city of

thou the

as ye

of

choice.

My

my

opinion have I proved

wife, methinks,

is

of the

fairest."

" Now, by
oath she

What
little

is

St.

Serge

but that

not, I should be

sayest thou,

my

son?

can take

wrath with thee.

Hast thou no

jewel in thine eye which thou dost covet?

THE CZAR.

We

are in the vein to

Ill

pleasure thee: speak

thy wish."

" Nay, and you would know our meaning,"

resumed the Czar ; a

learn,

What

carousal for your sakes.

frolic

we hold

Let each one name the

mind ; and be she mother, widow,

(so

this night

say ye to the
fairest of his

wife, or

maid

she clash not with our imperial choice), our

trusty guards shall bring her this night to his

embraces."

"

A glorious project !"

exclaimed the Czare-

vitch.

" Worthy of a Czar," responded Skuratoff

" such a

revel will stand

on record, an instance

of thy might, great prince

'twill

be a sport for

kings."

" Have

all

agreed ?"

* All all! " responded the

" Then now to work.

guests.

Each take

a troop

with him at nightfall, and seize his prize in the

name

of Ivan Vassilivitch."

THE CZAR.

112

" Maluta,
monarch

have need of thee," said the

"

my

from

diversion

choice
these

is

made.

gloomy thoughts/' he

added, in a low voice, inaudible to

all

but the

" Thou knowest

Opritchnina.

officer of the

require

Wilmington ?"
" The court physician
precious

life,

he who saved thy

Great Czar, when sickness had

almost destroyed

" The same

it ?

he has a daughter."

" Of most delicious beauty

!"

grinned

Ma-

luta.

" Dost know the house ?"

ct

Adjoining the ambassador's."

" Right.
(i

may

trust thy

management ?"

Doubt not your unworthy Maluta !"

" At

nightfall be it," rejoined Ivan, in a con-

fidential tone.

"

await thee in the chamber

of jewels."

Whilst these instructions were given to Skuratoff,

the Czarevitch -was in earnest colloquy

THE CZAR.
with Viazemsky, the favourite

113

who had

suc-

ceeded the younger Basmanoff, as caterer and

purveyor to his highness, for the result of which

conference

we must

next chapter.

refer

our readers to the

THE CZAR.

114

CHAPTER

"

II se

couchait pour dormir la

X.

teste

sur

un

couvrait avec tant d'adresse qu'on l'aurait

homme au
r

lit."

Histoire des Singes

coussin et se
pris

pour un

Paris, 1752.

" Les favoris du prince, Viazemsky, Maluta Skuratoff,

Griazno'i, a la tete

de la legion des elus, enfoncent les maisons

d'un grand nombre de seigneurs, de negocians, enlevent

femmes connues par

The

leur beaute."

les

Karamsin.

inmates of the residence of the British

embassy, and of the abode of Doctor Wilmington, were plunged into horror

tion

by the Czar's wholesale

subjects.

From

beyond descripdismissal of his

their contiguity to the place

of executions, the groans of the sufferers were

always in their ears.

It

would be

difficult to

THE CZAR.

115

had

describe the effect these constant butcheries

on the gentle Grace.

that

all

So great was her dismay,

her usual avocations were forsaken, and

ceaseless prayer for the victims of the tyrant's

fury seemed
stant

now her

sole occupation

agony of excitement began

in her appearance

the rose was

The

to soothe,

con-

be evinced

forsaking her
still

doctor, in despair, confided his

parental anxieties to his friend, Sir

who devoted

this

becoming

cheek, and her graceful form

slighter.

to

Thomas,

himself with unremitting attention

and

allay, if possible, the distressing

fears of the amiable girl.

Whether the ambas-

sador possessed more than ordinary powers of

consolation,

or whether

the manly tones

his voice inspired confidence,

tend to decide with certainty

terrors of

of

we cannot prebut assuredly the

Grace were more speedily and effectu-

ally allayed

by

Sir

Thomas Randolph than by

the most unwearied efforts of the doctor, albeit

esteemed right learned and well

skilled.

From

THE CZAR.

116

these

were drawn by the

We

many happy

circumstances

now

politic

return, in

inferences

ambassador.

some amazement,

to the

prolonged absence of our friend Jocko, which

was a source of no small anxiety

more

particularly to Grace,

to his friends,

who, with that

tribute peculiar to her sex, the

power of

at-

self-

tormenting, began to fancy that he had been

sacrificed to the

well-known hatred and

entertained towards

fear

him by the Muscovites.

These painful surmises amounted almost

certainty as night approached,

poor Pug

From

still

and the

to

fate of

remained involved in mystery.

a series of sorrowful reflections on the

massacres which had that day been perpetrated,

Grace was roused by a gentle tapping

casement.
that,

Our

at the

readers will not be surprised

with thoughts thus occupied, she did not

on the instant

rise to ascertain

nature of the visitant

for,

of horrors of which she

the cause or

from the succession

had been witness and

a;

THE CZAR.
hearer, her

mind had

lost

117

much

of

its

tone

but on a repetition, accompanied by a well-

known

cry, she joyfully

approached the window

and admitted the truant Jocko, who immediately

leaped into the apartment, performing- a thou-

sand gleesome tricks and

antics, as if rejoicing

to find himself again in security beneath the

roof of his kind friends, after the innumerable

perils

he had encountered in his peregrinations.

When

the ambassador and his secretary took

was

their leave for the night, Jocko, as usual,

left

behind, not without some secret satisfaction

on the part of
the

Sir

Thomas, who

monkey was an

felt

that even

additional security to the

lady of his thought, owing to the superstitious fears of the Russians.

sooner

by a

left

The party had no

the house than they were succeeded

visitor

of a very different character,

messenger from the palace, who acquainted

Wilmington that
ately required,

his attendance

was immedi-

and without suffering him

to

THE CZAR.

118

wait on his ambassador, to claim protection for

he was hurried

his daughter in his absence,

away under pretext of pressing danger.

may

It

that

we

edify

some of our readers

to

know,

are not singular in our appreciation of

the varied talents of the simia genus, since

are borne out

monkeys

by

(i

a profound author,

are equal

we

that

even to the complicated

operations of the toilette

and Stedman has

advanced, in his description of Surinam, that

the operation of washing and dressing was a
fashion that had been generally

adopted by

them, which accounts, in some measure, for

many

the opinion that they have in

left far

the

behind the more benighted portion of

human

race, in their rapid progress

civilization

and refinement.

undoubted

fact, attested

man,

respects

that,

by an

whenever in

emulate the luxuries of

Indeed,

it

is

an

erudite French-

their

man

towards

power,

they

and that one of

them having been accommodated with a bed,

THE CZAR.
was observed

to lay his

head upon the pillow,

and cover himself with the

tact

we

119

clothes, with all the

and delicacy of a gentleman.

And when

consider that for a long period beds were

despised by the Russians, and that at the time

of our story the use of them was in fact almost

unknown,

it

would go

race of Jocko

was

prove that the

far to

at that time distinguished

for superior refinement.

Master Pug,

after his return

on the evening

already alluded to, had ensconced himself in a

quiet nook of his mistresses boudoir, spite of

the terrors of the flagellations he had frequently

undergone

for invading

the precincts of the

sanctum sanctorum of Mistress Grace.

One by

one he observed her remove her ornaments and

outward garments, until the unconscious and

whose notions of propriety

delicate-minded

girl,

would not have

suffered her to

" Unveil her chastity

to the

moon,"

THE CZAR.

120

was almost denuded before the

intrusive brute.

Grace had retired to an inner apartment and

sunk upon her knees

and with

protection of her Maker.

engaged, that Master

and

It

was whilst thus

Pug came forward from

as noiselessly as a nocturnal

took possession

thief,

the cheer-

an innocent heart, implored the

ful fervour of

his retreat,

all

of

the

young

lady's

vacated seat before her Venetian mirror, and

by the
with

light

many

still

burning before

it,

donned,

a grimace of satisfaction, the femi-

nine adornments and garments that lay around

him.

It

was

thrown over

at this crisis,

all

and when Jocko had

the ermine roquelaure, or robe

de chambre, of the young lady, that the daring

emissaries of the Czar dashed into the sanc-

tum

whilst Pug, unconscious of their purpose,

and with a view

quent

to escape detection

flagellation,

of the fur.

The

and conse-

hid his head in the folds

intruders, not doubting

his

identity as the fair object of their pursuit, nor

THE CZAR.

121

waiting to reconnoitre, lest the outraged master

of the house should surprise them, instantlycast

an immense schoub, or bear-skin cloak,

over their supposed victim, to

for help,

posed

and in a moment the

fairy -like

stifle

light

any

cries

and sup-

burthen was borne away in the

arms of a lusty Opritchnik.

From

the dark recess where she had knelt

for prayer,

Grace had been recalled from her

pious aspirations to witness, in motionless and

speechless astonishment, the intrusion of the

daring villains.

At

a glance she comprehended

the plot and the mistake

and

ere she

rose

from that posture of supplication to the Author

of

all

mercies, her inmost soul poured forth the

silent,

but deep-felt, thanksgiving for that Pro-

vidence which had so miraculously saved her

from impending danger.

The vanity

of dress inherent in Jocko

was

but the temporary salvation of the young lady,

inasmuch as the departure of the Czar's emis-

THE CZAR.

122

saries facilitated the

entrance of those of the

who came on

Czarevitch,

a similar errand, for

the difficulties of their entre had been removed

by the
left

first

party; even the doors had been

wide open by them in their hurry.

She was yet on her knees, and scarcely

suffi-

take precautions for her

ciently collected to

further safety.

Alas

it

was but a moment's

steps were heard

they

respite.

approached

Foot-

they

in-

vaded her apartment.

Terror denied her speech
victim was borne

away

and rapidly the

in the

satellites of the Czarevitch.

arms of the

THE CZAR.

CHAPTER

" Neque viros unquam omnino

modo abluere. Oleo tamen ex
mensibus

ad ha3c

quam

XI.

lavare, sed

non

villosa,

manus tantum-

lacte confecto ter saltern

singulis ungi, et pellibus deinde

uti,

123

abstergi.

tenuissimus, ipsos reque atque uxores.

ditissimis inter eos, et

Veste

sed e glabris maceratisque pellibus

iis

Exceptis forte

quidem paucis, qui

lineos gestent

usum eos, quiplurimura

habeat pecoris, ac reliquas opes his propemodum esse similes.
Caudam insuper habere omnes, tarn viros quam mulieres,
amictus.

Nee item lectorum

novisse

supra clunes, canina*, similem, nisi quod major

densior." Etesias.

George

See Photij Bieliothec

Tubervile,

w with

sit,

et pilis

Galileo's

glasse,"

was again upon the roof of the ambas-

sador's

hotel,

watching the progress of the

blazing star, which had

ing magnitude.

It

now

must,

acquired an amaz-

however, be con-

THE CZAR.

124

fessed, that

with

all

the intensity of his interest

in the meteor of the skies,

it

was never,

till

those hours of wonted conviviality at Wilmington's

had passed, that he resumed

mical observations, and herein

was manifest,

as his

gallantry

his

admiration of Heaven's

wonders always gave place

who

his astrono-

to the lovely being

illumined her sphere with the soft and

gentle light of her virtues.

It

was whilst thus engaged that night,

iC

quiring

in-

whether there be generation and cor-

ruption, as

some thinke, by reason of

aethereale

comets," that his attention was withdrawn to

that which was passing in the court-yard of the

adjoining house of Dr. Wilmington

lights of

and the

heaven enabling him to distinguish the

party then leaving the house, he recognised his

friend Walter, not without secretly

condemning

the impropriety of leaving Grace unprotected

in

such portentous times.

studies,

But resuming

his

he again applied himself to the inspec-

THE CZAR.

125

He was

thus busily en-

tion of the comet.

gaged,

when

to the

spot.

his notice

was once more attracted

dark group surrounded an

which they were bearing away in

object,

The moon favoured

arms.

his

their

observation,

and he recognised the dress of a female.

In

considerable

hurried

down from

George

alarm,

his observatory,

Tubervile

and

hastily

The

apartment of Sir Thomas.

entered the

ambassador was in deep thought.

The

recent

events in the metropolis, the enormities com-

mitted with impunity by the barbarians

fulfilled

the

awakened

decrees

of

throned

serious reflections,

who

ruffian,

which concerned

the lovely daughter of the physician.

The abrupt appearance

of his secretary, who,

in a hurried manner, disclosed the cause of his

suspicions, roused Sir

Thomas

to a

keen sense

of the danger of the object of his thoughts

his heart.

Goaded by the dread of intended

violence, he seized his sword,

VOL.

III.

of

and giving the

THE CZAR.

126

command

passing word of

to his

household to

follow, rushed into the street with Tubervile.

At

that

moment, a group of horsemen dashed

past him.

form

One supported

it

was the voice of Grace

pursue was defeated

ineffectual attempt to

by

a female

which was half suppressed,

shriek,

revealed the truth

An

in front

the rapid speed of the horsemen.

The am-

bassador and his secretary had only time to

make

a plunge^

which struck the sword of one

of the guardsmen out of his hand, and wounded

another.

by

The weapon was

instantly secured

Tubervile.

At

that hour the Czar

private chamber.

He

had

retired to his

lay apparently in volup-

tuous ease, in a noble apartment of the

lin.

But

that seeming repose

of previous excitement.

to his

result

He was

luxuriating in

Soon

his emissaries

anticipation of enjoyment.

would bring

was the

Krem-

arms the beautiful object he

had desired that beauty

his fickle

and

disor-

THE CZAR.

127

dered imagination had dressed up in more than

earthly graces.

Far from the despot was the thought of her

outraged

Accustomed

purity.

to

the blind

submission of slaves, the devotion of lovely

woman's heart was,

and only consideration.

Indeed, the pas-

sive obedience of his subjects

every indulgence,

awe

for the

mind, the

throne self-gratification the

inheritance of a
first

to his perverted

had authorised

every excess.

An

habitual

majesty of the Grand Dukes of

Muscovy had not decreased with

the

new and

imposing name of Cassar ; body and mind were

serfs to his will

and the readiness with which

his subjects kissed the rod that chastened

the

sword that was

proved, more than

all

lifted

destroy

has

the theories of philoso-

phers and politicians, that

tined to

to

them

man was

ever des-

be harnessed, either from fashion,

habit, or circumstances, the only difference in

THE CZAR.

128

the fate of nations being, as to whether one or

more hold the

At

reins or

draw the curb.

a distance from the Czar, and at the en-

trance of the apartment, two of his body-guard

awaited his law.

rich

drapery, elegantly

ornamented, and corresponding with the magnificence of the saloon, curtained

ample

folds, the

this,

with

its

door-way, on which the senti-

nels kept a watchful

To

off,

and steady gaze.

the autocrat's eye was

now more

frequently turned, as the appointed hour for

the arrival of the English girl was approaching.

Often had his sycophant panders been expected

but now more intense was the expec-

tation of the

The

mighty Czar.

large

drapery thus suspended was at

length seen to move.

drawn on one

side.

The

folds

were slightly

The Czar sprang from

his

seat.

His emissaries now made their appearance,

THE CZAR.

129

supporting a burthen, which seemed to struggle

in their arms.

They advanced

carefully,

and

depositing their load, removed a large fur cloak,

which concealed the object

they

bore,

and

which gently suffered itself to be lowered to

the ground.

The Czar waved

his hand,

and the slaves

disappeared from the apartment.

Before him lay the lovely being which his

arms would now

his passion,

encircle.

he yet stood

In the intensity of

aloof, like

an epicure,

whose pampered appetite has been awakened,

and gazing on the banquet before him, prepares,
yet delays, to enjoy the feast.

costly

and magnificent cloak of ermine

enfolded the charms of the victim at his feet,

who

scarce

seemed to move.

To

the bashful-

ness and modesty of her sex and age, the Czar

naturally attributed that reserve

those features from his view.

tory,

which veiled

More peremp-

perhaps, would have been his addresses

THE CZAR.

j3Q

with his countrywomen.

feeling

which he

define, but which prohimself could scarcely

unacknowledged respect
bably arose from an

influenced his
for the British character,

towards the English

girl.

conduct

A consciousness

of

subject, perhaps, shook

the outrage to a foreign
the libertine
for a moment; but

his purpose

apprehension, and seizing

soon subdued that
the timid creature,
the cloak which concealed
and the excited glance

removed

it

in an instant,

of the Czar

fell

upon Jocko.

THE CZAR.

CHAPTER

" The

cliurcli

was

XII.

purified with the extraordinary

of sprinkling of holy water, and prayers

made

to the saints,

the church."

131

on

and the Devil was conjured

were

to go out

of

Perry.

" They keepe them very

carefully, holding

them

tures of God, because they have their hands

human

ceremony

this occasion

creatures."

to

and

be creafeat like

Gasfaro Balbi's Voyage to Peru.]

Sir Thomas Randolph's position

at

the

court of a barbarian, where the envious enemies

of his country were ever on the alert to thwart

him, was one of considerable

merited

the

admiration

and

difficulty.

He

reward of his

country for his enduring patience, under the

THE CZAR.

132
insolent pride
ally,

and the exacting claims of an

whose cunning

proverbial to this day,

is

and which was then not checked by even the

courtesy of civilized

The

life.

polished manners and honourable bear-

ing of the ambassador, secured the respect even

of those

who were

thereof, or

unable to explain the cause

to understand the nature

of that

seemingly magic influence which he possessed

His

over their grosser natures.

honour,
their

and

modest

unwilling

course baffled

firmness,

commanded

His

undeviating

esteem.
their

crooked

constantly looked for some

something

behind, which

deavoured to discover
Sir

Thomas

late

more

for

policy.

They

hidden motivethey

in

vain en-

while thus at fault,

progressed, and they found, too

then*

plans,

that

his

than a match for their

intrigue.

affability, truth,

honesty was

cunning and

THE CZAR.
But the present

133

Grace overcame

clanger of

the well-practised equanimity of Sir Thomas.

In the

many

trials

he had undergone,

in

which

unprovoked, unmerited indignities, and scarcely

concealed insolence, had drawn largely on his
stock of endurance, he

had

still

been upheld by

the strongest sense of duty to his country, and

the contempt which he

felt,

as a gentleman, for

the puerile attempts of those

who sought

to

degrade him.

His prudent resolves gave way before the

The ambassador was

present peril of Grace.

forgotten

the

man,

alone,

the colour forsook his

and acted

felt

cheek, and fled to his

heart.

He

seemed

to feel a father's responsibility,

a brother's honour, nay,

devotion

the

name

more

it

was a

lover's

alone was wanting to the

passion which his heart confessed.

He had witnessed

the abduction

G 2

and a secret

THE CZAR.

134

conviction that the guardians of the honour of

the subject were the violators,

The agonising thought

mind.

came

to

his

annihilated his

dearest hopes.

Meanwhile, Wilmington was hastening home,

having gone through the ceremony of a mock
consultation, got

up

to detain him, during the

outrageous mission of the Opritchnina to his

house.

On

his way, however, he

sundry

been

citizens, that the Czar's emissaries

had

visiting divers dwellings, with the odious

intent already alluded to.

wretched

beings,

He

who were

bereavement of wives,
as

had gathered from

sisters,

saw, moreover,

bewailing

the

and daughters,

they wildly accused Heaven of

its

visi-

tation.

With

a heart saddened for the misfortunes

of his fellow-creatures, a shudder

came over

him, as he thought of his only child ; and

felt

THE CZAR.
that

when

his

subjects,

135

the sword of the tyrant

it

hewed down

was mercy, when compared

with the ruffian's outrage of that night's profanation.

On

What

ee

was open.

his arrival the gate

can this mean ?" exclaimed the doctor, as his

He

heart sank within him.

no

light,

no sound

passed the court

The inward door was

His step quickened

open.

over the apartments.

shouted.

No

swiftly

a Grace

he ran

Grace

voice answered him.

" he

"Grace!

Grace " he repeated ; but his voice now died

!

away, for hope had

Rushing out of
countered

Sir

fled.

his deserted abode,

Thomas,

Tubervile,

he en-

and the

household of the ambassador.

"

Sir

Thomas

!"

said

Wilmington, in a voice

that pierced the heart of his

daughter

is

stolen from

command your protection

my

hearers,

"

my

roof! I claim, I

for her

I"

THE CZAR.

136

Thomas answered

Sir

shook

not,

but

his

he [inspected the

violently, as

hand

flints

and

priming of a pair of pistols.

{i

Answer me

my

of

now, the sacred charge

for

departed wife

the

in

is

power of a

ravisher."

" Follow "

!

It

cried the ambassador.

was midnight when our

friends arrived at

the grand square of the Kremlin.

rending sight encountered them.

was

filled

up

every avenue.

with troops

heart-

The square

the Opritchnina blocked

Loud

jokes and laughter

passed from squadron to squadron, as groups

of wretches, in despair, were giving vent to
their misery.
(i

own

My life, my
;

home,

but

my

chattels,

my

sons, were

wife, the partner of

whom God,

he has no right to

in
!

my

all

his

honest

sanctity,

had given me,

Her

he might have

life

claimed, but not her honour \"

THE CZAR.
"

Ha

nina.

ha ha

\"

By

Nicholas

**

St.

137

shouted the merry Opritchour good master

if

has made choice of her, think thyself thrice

honoured, though

doubt

somewhat dainty ; and

would take thy
"

My

child

it,

for the

question

Czar

much

if

is

he

leavings, brother."

my

child !" vociferated another,

whose voice would have melted a heart of stone,

" have mercy
spare her

let

me

villains, let

The butt-end
on the head

pass

me

spare

have way

her

But man is selfish

fell

!"

of a cross-bow answered

stunned, he

him

to the ground.

in affliction as in pleasure

the despair of these wretched beings was un-

heeded; Sir Thomas thought only of Grace;

Wilmington heard only the imagined

cries of

his child.

Sir

Thomas had

pass- word

it

given to his followers the

was "Elizabeth;" the rendez-

vous, the church of the Assumption.

He

led the way.

" Space

for the

ambassa-

THE CZAR.

133
dor of England

Opritchnina

\"

he

cried, to the first of the

who stopped

his passage.

u Would your ambassadorship awake our

Czar from his slumbers ?" asked an

officer

of

that distinguished corps.

11

Has your

sovereign insured your head?"

added another.

And

the squadron joined in the merriment

of their leaders.

At

that

moment

a shot was heard, followed

by a tumult of many

voices,

observed gathering outside

and
the

soldiers

were

palace,

and

pointing their matchlocks towards the roof.

Immediately all eyes were strained to discern,

between them and the coming dawn, the outline of the object of their curiosity.

Was
dome

it

a dream ?

Something moved on the

of the private chapel of the Kremlin.

leap from the minaret to the roof, discovered to

the searching glance of Sir

Thomas

cemible form of the monkey ; and

the dis-

for a

mo-

THE CZAR.
ment he shuddered,

as shots

were

139

fired in

quick

succession, on the appearance of his favourite.

A faint

hope, however, arose in his breast.

He remembered
by

secret

that the palace communicated,

passages

buildings of the

underground,

with

the

Temple; and that the cata-

combs were a known means of

access to the

private chapel of the Czars.

Leaving Wilmington to the protection of

Tubervile and his followers, Sir

Thomas hur-

ried into the cathedral.

That night the new metropolitan was

offi-

ciating in the numberless masses for the de-

parted Czarina.

The church had been

purified with

holy

water after the catastrophe of Jocko's

visit.

Their saintships were set up in their respective

places,

and exorcisms had been performed to

keep the devil out of the Temple, in a

fashion,

that effectually quieted the qualms of the ortho-

dox priesthood.

THE CZAR.

140
Sir

Thomas

glided along a shaded aisle of

the Temple as he sought the entrance to the

catacombs.

path

it

light suddenly

came from the

vaults.

broke upon his

Guided by

its

beam, he rushed into the mysterious labyrinth.

THE CZAR.

CHAPTER
"

II etait

141

XIII.

capable de porter des fardeaux assez lourds.

Hist, des Singes.

" La

tortora innocente

Palpita per timor,

Se

il

sibilo risente

Del serpe
D' intorno

When

insidiator
al

nido."

Jocko escaped from the intended em-

braces of the Czar, he soon discovered that

any thing but a kindly disposition towards him

had succeeded the discovery of

The blasphemous

his

disguise.

execrations of the tyrant had

roused the attendants and guards, so that his

life

was

in jeopardy.

But

before the sentries

THE CZAR.

142

could intercept his progress, he had scaled the

framework of a high casement, the upper part

of which formed in the
easily

opened

to escape.

manner of folding-doors,

to his pressure,

He

and suffered him

gained the vast extent of roof

of the Kremlin, hut not before an arquebus had

sent an ineffectual messenger to arrest his progress.

It

would have been a

to have followed
tion,

him

in his

difficult

now

matter

elevated posi-

and although a legion was dispersed in

various directions with orders to secure him,

the diversified elevations of terraces, domes, and.

cupolas, favoured his escape,
cealing and protecting

shots of his pursuers.

effectually

con-

him from the random

Pug

at a glance sur-

veyed his danger, and made for that asylum

which has often protected delinquents of more

Christian pretension

the church.

A long nar-

row roofing connected the palace with the

ancient edifice of Spass-na-boru.

and

gaily gilt cupola offered a

slender

means of de-

THE CZAR.
scent.

Having gained a

143

footing.

Jocko suffered

himself to slide clown one of the buttresses

which surrounded the base of the minaret,

when he caught

a glimpse of the Czar's guards-

men, looking upwards, evidently awaiting his

Ere he was perceived, a small

appearance.

window

aperture or

him
the

to

enter.

Czar,

It

which,

in the building

enabled

was the private chapel of

before

as

described,

con-

nected the palace, by means of a subterranean

passage through the catacombs, with the old

cathedral.

Alighting on the Greek cross,

Pug

down

and

quietly lowered himself

thence to the

ajar,

He now commenced

floor.

journey of discoveries
attracted

to the altar,

a large portal, somewhat

his attention.

approaching steps next met his

in that quarter

around.

now
to

The sound of
ear.

Deterred

from escape, he hurriedly groped

small door, with a grating above,

attracted his observation.

the bars,

his

Climbing up

a faint light was visible.

He

THE CZAR.

144
endeavoured to

The

strength.

open

but

it,

it

opposite door was

resisted his

now thrown

open, and a light was diffused round the chapel;

when Jocko made

a last desperate effort,

the impediment gave way.

discovered,

and with

He had

and

not been

usual sagacity, he

his

closed the door after him.

He

scended

The
him

He

quickly advanced.
a flight of steps

cautiously de-

which lay before him.

increasing light from the vaults enabled

to

make

proached

his further way.

Nearer he ap-

man man,

prototype, his

but

his

tyrant and persecutor, was even there, and he

shrank in the darkness to make observation.

The

figure that first

ary.

A lamp

met

his view

displayed the face.

was

station-

The

glassy

eye seemed to be rivetted on the monkey, and

the hue that overspread the features had something in

it

so appalling to Pug, that even the

immovability of the personage before him terrified

him the more.

He

neither stirred nor

THE CZAR.
breathed

145

the death-like stillness around seemed

to have extended its influence to our volatile

traveller.

cased in

glass,

monkey,

ci-devant

might have

and

stuffed

rivalled

Jocko's

fixed gravity.

At length

a shriek, which seemed to

come

from the direction of the private chapel, which

he had just quitted, roused him.
again,

came

It

and a tremor shook the very jaws of

Jocko.

He

crawled along, as

feelings

if

endued with human

and with powers of reason,

to the place

whence the sounds proceeded.

But

fear

was strongly upon him.

he approached.

" Spare

Again he

O spare me

"Thou

Slowly

listened.

for

shalt be spared,

my father's sake !"

my sweet one, for

him, for me," answered a man's voice.

love shall be to thee

" In

this

voice of a

"

My

and thine a fortune/'

hour of tribulation," continued the

young

girl, in

a language

unknown

THE CZAR.

146

companion j " send clown thy mercy,

to her

God
It

to a poor sinner's

need

I**

was the voice of Grace Wilmington.

tones, though in

terror,

came

Jocko with a sense of joy

Its

to the ear of

of

He

safety.

he sprung towards his benefactress.

leapt,

His

pleasure, however, received a sudden check.

In

a small retiring room, beyond the chapel, he

witnessed her struggles in the arms of one of
that hostile race,

and

terrified

his mistress,

who had

him

lately so often beset

comprehended

danger to

and grinned vengeance on her

enemy.

The poor
the

girl,

ravisher,

in an ineffectual struggle with

was yielding gradually

The

superior strength.

cumbered himself of
fairly

libertine

his sabre

out of his possession, the

bound

seized the

his

to

had disen-

but ere

it

monkey

was
at a

weapon, and flourished

it

before him.

Never was

saint

or sinner

more

effectually

THE CZAR.

147

subdued by an apparition of the unnamed.

staggered back a few paces

presence of mind, Jocko,

posed to share

this

but

he

if

who may

He

lost his

not be sup-

weakness of the human

species, lost not his advantage.

The

vault he had just

left

was

He

refuge from the present danger.

his strength,

exerted

at her dress, to increase

The shining weapon he had made

her speed.
free with,

by pulling

at least a

he was in no humour to relinquish.

Slowly he urged on the bewildered

girl,

before

the terrified sight of the paralyzed and superstitious

Russian.

He

gained the door, and

then the descent, before the ruffian could collect

his

bewildered senses.

But soon

a shout of

alarm was heard, and voices responding.

shout seemed to recall the

young

girl.

progress in the vault.

in

of the

She began to struggle from the

grasp of Jocko, as he

coming

faculties

That

still

made

a continued

At length her

fair

hand

contact with the monkey's hairy

THE CZAR.

148

limb, she woke, as from a dream, in the sanc-

tuary of her father's house, and gazed in won-

derment around.

A lamp,

embalmed bodies of
life,

suspended over the

saints, in the attitude

of

diffused its light over a ghastly exhibition

of mortality.

She believed that she had

velled in sleep, like a somnambulist,

tra-

and that

her faithful Jocko had followed her to protect

her from harm, and was

from danger.
progress,

now

forcing her

away

She mechanically favoured

his

and imagined that the panorama of

death around was some phantom of her unquiet

slumbers.

The shouts which had

continued, followed
vociferation.

ried his

terrified

her were

now

by oaths and boisterous

They came

companion on

nearer.

another

Jocko hurstep,

and the

tortuous passage would conceal them from view.

A voice

louder than the rest was heard in a

tone of command.
It reached the

ear the

recollection of poor

THE CZAR.
Grace.

149

At once the consciousness of

dangers she had passed returned.

ceived

she

that the

felt

all

She per-

monkey was seeking

She sprang forward

her preservation.

the

but

immediately in her path was placed one of those

shrivelled inhabitants of the vaults, over

ashy features
limbs

barely

whose

the light of the lamp, and her

fell

supported

Jocko endeavoured

her

sinking

frame

drag her on in vain.

to

steps were fast approaching

The

a light poured in

upon them from the torches of the pursuers.

score of

guardsmen were

their leader, one

by

visible, following

one, as the width of the

passage would not admit of more.

retired with

Jocko behind the

whose appearance had

Grace had

mummied

saint,

terrified her.

Brutes, as well as men, are sensible of the

approach of danger
with the
it.

latter,

and the former, equally

evince alacrity to escape from

Jocko, not feeling himself sufficiently secure

VOL.

III.

II

THE CZAR.

150

in his present hiding place, yielded to his fears,

and

hastily crossed the path of the pursuers,

bearing before him, as a shield, to protect

him

from such missiles as he had been made

feel-

ingly to appreciate, the whole, but easily carried

mummy,

behind which he had ensconced him-

self.

"

A fig for the

quebus

will

so black
ee

"

Be

for

make

and

devil

warrant ye this ar-

a hole in his skin, be

it

ever

fireproof."

cautious

how ye

advance," said another;

aught we know, he

may have

turned off

into one of these side-vaults."

" For aught we know, indeed, brother, he

may have

taken a

lodging in

thy unholy

body, considering the preference of his black

majesty for favourite haunts."

They had now approached the

spot where

Jocko was concealed, and, according to custom,

bent their heads before the sainted

mummy.

THE CZAR.
But what was

when the

The body
moved

;.'

amazement and

their

was observed

relic

151

of the dead

to

horror,

move forward

saint

undoubtedly

but the bodies of the living warriors

of his Czarine majesty most certainly ran, and

instantly disappeared

whilst Jocko, in posses-

sion of the field, boldly

moved

on, effectually

concealing himself behind the dried parchment

shield already described.

The panic which took

possession of the body-

guard, effectually cleared the catacombs of the

whole troop, and again

silent

all

abodes of the dead.

was

The

in those

still

fears of

Jocko

having vanished with the heroic guards, he

returned to Grace,

The

who had remained

friendly pair were

now

passive.

enabled to proceed

with more dispatch on their further way.

The tumult

in the vault

had alarmed the

congregation in the Temple, occupied in nightly

masses for the soul of the departed Czarina.

THE CZAR.

152

The movement

of Sir Thomas, who, before they

could prevent him, had penetrated into the

mysterious catacombs, had roused the indignation of

it,

all

the pious Muscovites

and who were scandalized by

who

witnessed

this intrusion

of the heretic, which Mas contrary to their

laws,

and which,

mission.

It

in that day, forbade his ad-

was a scandal not

Their dismay increased,

to

be endured.

when they beheld

him emerge from the vaults, bearing

in his

arms

a young female, and they would have fallen

upon him

in their wrath,

had not

his appear-

ance been succeeded by that of the dreaded foe

of the

human

race, for

such was the character

they ascribed to Jocko.

Horror seized them

at the apparition.

rage gave place to terror,

tion, the

as,

without obstruc-

Englishman, supporting

effected his exit

Their

his burthen,

from the Temple in

safety.

Wilmington, during his absence, had under-

THE CZAR.

153

He had

gone inexpressible torture.

in

vain

essayed to obtain admittance at the palace in

of court

capacity

his

that night

and

The entre

physician.

was denied

to all but the revellers

He

rejoined Tubervile, but

their victims.

the pen has not power to describe the agony of

the parent.

It lasted

but a few moments.

The

pass-word was heard, and in an instant every

Englishman within
It

was

Sir

daughter

its

sound flew

Thomas, bearing

of

Wilmington,

to the rescue.

in his

and

arms the

followed

by

Jocko.

The joy of Wilmington was silent it had

no words.
lowers.

Not

so with Tubervile

and

his fol-

hearty cheer from true British lungs

welcomed the escape of

their

countrywoman,

and forming a guard around the party, they

proved

trusty

gathered at the

menaces and

escort.

call

The

crowd had

of the priests, and with

execrations

accompanied them

154

THE CZAR.

home, making divers attempts to destroy Jocko

but being ever good-humouredly repelled by
his protectors,

Tubervile.

headed by the gallant George

THE CZAR.

CHAPTER
" Ce

qu'il

155

XIV.

y a de certain, c'est que le tzar permit aux Lu

un temple a Moscou." Karamsin.

theriens d'avoir

"

II avait

permis aux Luthenens et aux Calvanistes d'avoir

des eglises a Moscou.

II est

vrai qu'il les

i'autre cinq ans plus tard, soit

parce qu'elles excitaient

" Si spiega

The mob

le

mancy

braler l'une et
soifc

mecontentement du peuple."

assai, chi s'arrossisce, e tace."

forbore,

however, from an attack

upon the house of the embassy.

for those

fit

par crainte du scandale,

secret

awe

possessed of the powers of necro-

restrained

them

but their fury required

a vent, and the church of the Lutherans was

now the

object of their hatred.

towards

it.

They proceeded

THE CZAR.

156

The

pastor, however, domiciled near the spot,

was warned

and

in time,

protection of the

British

He

fled.

sought the

ambassador, whilst

the Temple of his faith was

burnt to the

ground.

But the English

by the me-

party, roused

mean time

naces of the populace, were in the

in great alarm.

Sir

Thomas was

in painful

meditation.

He had
tiful

long been convinced that the beau-

daughter of his friend had become indis-

pensable to his happiness.

He

recalled the

preference which, spite her retired

Grace betrayed

for

his generous breast

him

in look or

warmed with

manner,

word ; and

gratitude for

the return of his ardent affection, which, in the

modesty of

his true regard for the lovely girl,

he was often prone

The
to

him

to despair of.

doctor supported his child, as she. clung

in the tumult of her feelings.

aged years in that night of

He had

fearful suspense.

THE CZAR.
But

energies were

his

15?

not subdued, and he

addressed the representative of his country in

a calm but solemn tone

"

My noble

friend !" said

Wilmington, grasp-

ing with one hand that of Sir

Thomas with
Grace

fervour, whilst the other pressed

breast, "

am

beholden to thee for

much

Our

safety

at

is

an end in

but

thy friend-

I will lay claim to greater proofs of

ship.

to his

Moscow

but

Providence watches over us, and favours our

virtuous exertions.

home

for

Moscow.

The

my
I

but

child

claim

Thomas, there

Sir

this

demand

agitation of Sir

is

till

it

as a right."

we

no

leave

Thomas was extreme

tear started in his eye.

" The queen, your mistress," continued Wilmington, " did, at the earnest request of the
Czar, appoint

me

physician

to his

The term has expired I claim

Twice

in

my stay I

majesty.

my

conge.

have restored him to health,

THE CZAR.

158

In return, he would rob

The

of honour.

to

Wilmington

the

contract

Thomas made no

Sir

doctor,

me

to give

after

is

of more than

life

broken."

answer, but motioning

him a

many

private hearing,

fond

and

assuring

caresses to his child, supported her to a couch,

and then rejoined the ambassador.

The

conference was

opened

at

first

with

much seeming embarrassment and emotion on

the part of Sir Thomas.

unnerved by

and

at length

forth

all

The

doctor appeared

the anxiety he had undergone,

gave vent to his feelings, called

by the generous sentiments of

After some

moments

his friend.

of extreme excitement, he

returned to Grace.

who was not

at all of a

romantic or sentimental turn, and

who had

All this while Jocko,

borne his

perils

truly admirable,
tive safety,

with a degree of equanimity

now

conscious of his compara-

was giving

loose to

an extraordinary

THE CZAR.
ebullition of joy, with
Still in

tions.

many

demonstra-

frantic

possession of the sword of the

Czarevitch, he brandished

no small

159

around him, to the

it

peril of his best friends

his martial prowess

and when

had abated, he sprang upon

his master's shoulders, sent aloft his cap

and

plume, then gave Tubervile a turn, twisting his

ruffles

to the rules of

in direct contradiction

fashion,

and now he crouched

at the feet of

Grace, twitching her dress, to recall her to a

participation in his delight.
Sir

Thomas would have

interfered,

but Grace

was suddenly awakened to the presence of her

little

friend,

and one sweet word from those

lips

disarmed his wrath.

Tubervile had been

called

away, and Sir

Thomas, glancing around, found himself alone

with the lovely

girl,

he seized her hand.

" One word, sweet Grace

Vouchsafe

me a

hearing," said the ambassador, in a tremulous

voice.

" In these moments of anguish to thy

THE CZAR.

1G0

gentle spirit, the events of the few last hours

must plead

my

for

rash

But pardon,

suit.

gentle one, as thou dost love thy spotlessness,

my

thy father's honour, pardon

My heart, my love

sion.

worship thee as

me

to

and

than

is

my honour,

thine,

thine

all

the which

is

dearer

me, sweet Grace

Trust

life.

abrupt confes-

thou thinkest 'twere possible in thee,

if

when I have more deserved

thy regard,

requital in

it,

now

to

make me some
the

let

name

of

England's ambassador shield thee as his ho-

My

noured wife from harm.

Grace

hide not that face which

heart, like the glorious sun,

desolation

!"

emotion the

and

Sir

little

Grace
is,

which

sweet

to this fond

veiled, leaves

Thomas pressed with deep

hand

Avhich trembled in his

own, but was not withdrawn.

c:

Heed not

the abruptness of

my

my

affections,

me

at this time to

from harm,

my
my

respect,

dear

Grace!

fears,

urge

Grace!

my

entreaty;

embolden

suit, to shield

thee

be mine,

THE CZAR.
this hour, this

entertain

moment

no love

thought.

am

for

Though thou mayst

me, mine has no

selfish

thy slave, and do thou use

as a servant, in thy

The

161

need

me

!"

beautiful tresses of the lovely girl, in

their then disorder,

were a happy

veil to

her

blushes.
iC

My love

my name

Accept

my

of
is

shall hallow thee,

devotion.

quieted

sweet Grace

to time we'll leave the proof

And when

thy gentle heart

when England's shore

is

the proud

bulwark of our sacred home, then, only then,

will I

assert a

Thy

husband's right.

father

gives consent.

The emotion of Grace was almost

witness

painful to

an epoch of life had been crowded into

the last few hours

of existence

her over-

wrought brain had laboured with her

till it

Sir
all

confused her thought

Thomas had
that

terrors

but the tones of

recalled her to a vivid sense of

had passed.

Gradually she gave way j

THE CZAR.

162

and when the ambassador named her

consent, her head drooped

and she burst

The

upon

his shoulder,

into a flood of tears.

voice of George Tubervile

and before

father's

Sir

was heard,

Thomas could resume

the

self-

possession and dignity of his character, the

lovers

doctor,

were confronted by his secretary, the

and a stranger, whose appearance was

of the clerical order.

Tubervile cast a wistful glance at the confidential position in

parties,

which he had surprised the

and on any other occasion would have

made due apology

for the intrusion

but that

morning was not one for punctilio and ceremony,

and though

Sir

his secretary

Thomas looked

as if he

wished

on the top of Greenwich obser-

vatory, the youth's business entirely related to

the hemisphere of his friends on this occasion,

and whatever were

his passing reflections

on

certain probabilities connected with certain perceptibilities,

with as

much

delicacy as he could

THE CZAR.
command, he appeared not
dromi of

terrestrial

163

however much

affinities,

own

they might eclipse his

heed the pro-

to

light.

" Sir Thomas, by your leave,"

" methinks the Czar of

affected nonchalance,

Muscovy

will declare

said he, with

war against the

territory

of our hotel, for here comes to claim your protection the pastor of the
lieges of his majesty

Sir

Lutheran church ; the

having burnt him out.

Thomas advanced

to receive, with

Eng-

lish hospitality, the prelate.

"
ter

My

and

mand

welcome, respected
store as

my

sir,

and such

shel-

roof affords, pray you com-

and, lest a sense of obligation should

burthen you, in the name of

speedily will I acquit

you

all

present right

thereof, so

you be

willing to favour us."

few confidential words passed between

them, in which joined Master Wilmington, and

then did the ambassador issue orders for the

THE CZAR.

164
attendance of

all

the English officers

of his

household.

The summons was promptly obeyed

and

then and there, in the presence of approving

friends, with the fervent blessings of every loyal

heart,
all

Him

and the invocation of

blessings flow," were Sir

" from

whom

Thomas Randolph

and Grace Wilmington made one.

Grace then withdrew, attended by her

who

father,

enjoined her to seek repose, and her hus-

band returned

to wait

The banquet was

on

his guests.

spread,

having asked a blessing,

all

and the pastor

did freely partake

of the good cheer.

George Tubervile soon recovered

his

posure, though somewhat discomfited

com-

by the

and tak-

ing upon himself the responsibility of

summon-

departure, as he styled

it,

of Grace

ing into the presence every individual of high

or low degree of the household,

who

boasted an

THE CZAR.

165

English name, he commanded every goblet to

be

filled to

the brim, and

was about

to

make

an eloquent speech, rich in elaborate tropes

and elegant metaphor, when

conflicting

emo-

tions suffused his breast, flushed his cheek

tear started in his eye,

and

he could pro-

all

nounce, as he gave the toast, was

<(

The ambassadress

of England."

mighty cheer rent the

hall

it

echoed

far

and wide, from the stout lungs of loyal English-

men

it

shook the desetnik of the

tioned at the gate,

matchlocks ;

it

who

started

Strelitz sta-

and primed

their

reverberated in the chamber of

Grace, and awoke the

Lady Randolph from

one of the happiest dreams

enlivened her slumbers.

that

had ever

THE CZAR.

166

CHAPTER XV.

" Jean Basilowitz

fit

ambassadeur Italien qui

clouer le chapeau sur la tetS d'un

s'etait

couvert en sa presence."

Relation de la Moscovie, 1687.

" This Juan Vasilowiag nail'd an embassador's bat

" Le

fier

Anglais (Randolph) offense de cette injure, se

couvrit sur le

"

to his

Collins.

head."

He

champ." Karamsin.

not only put on Ins hat, but cockt

it

before

him."

Crull.

The

night of debauch and profligacy was at an

end.

The

brilliant

sun, bright and cheerful, held

course over the vast city.

mockery of the misery of man,

beams

reflected

on the

its

As

its

if in

smiling

glittering spires

and

THE CZAR.

]/>7

minarets of the thousand churches of Moscow,

seemed

to call

humanity

But the unsated

to

life

and hope.

destroyer was

hand.

at

Bursting from the precincts of the palace, a

of horsemen appeared, headed

troop

by the

Each trooper sup-

Czar and his worthy son.

ported before him a female.

Defenceless and

subdued, the victims of lust were passive, and

The

insensible to insult.

wife's

honour and

the mother's pride were extinct, in them, and

beams of the sun

the

fell

on cheeks that

blushed to meet them.

The

cortege advanced in order as the

narch led the way.

That

to ravish innocence, were

life

servile crew,

now ready

they had rendered worthless.

ster advanced, each

whim

prompt

to take the

As

the

mon-

one speculated on the next

of their master.

But Ivan
city

mo-

left this

additional

work of

fero-

undone, and having paraded the victims

round the walls of the

city,

and, for pastime,

THE CZAR.

168

set fire to the farms

Which happened

to

of the disgraced Boyars,

lie

in

nated their servants and

path, extirmi-

his

cattle

restored, with

a mockery of attention and consideration, every

female to her home, where

many

died of shame,

or expired from the brutal treatment they had

received.

But

the despot

the assassin of womankind,

could not forget the bitter disappointment he

had

received

in

encountering

the

hideous

form that substituted the lovely Grace Wilmington.

In vain he endeavoured to chase

from his mind the demon-shape that met his

amorous gaze,

llage fired his eye.

his quivering lip, bleeding

from the unconscious

infliction of his teeth, evinced his

His suspicious glance,

as

His cheek,

it

inward wrath.

rested on the coun-

tenances of his companions in licentiousness,

Seemed
sion

to detect there a lurking sneer of deri-

and the vent

his choler found,

was

extermination of his prostrate subjects.

in the

THE CZAR.

169

The worthy Czarevitch was

at

emulating the deeds of his parent.

unknown

to

both

how

similar

side

his
It

was yet

had been

their

disappointments, and each fearing the other's

opinion, was

little

disposed to that mutual con-

fidence which usually took place on the

succeeding a night of

morrow

accompanied with

feast,

quaint remark and jokes upon their companions,

and

their victims.

It

was long past the hour appointed

reception of ambassadors,

returned to the palace.

been, that not
attendants, the

and the high

till

the monarch

So abstracted had he

he perceived the train of

pomp of the

military assembled,

dignitaries of state

awaiting, did he recall to

the day

when

mind

and church

the business of

and with increased mortification did

he perceive this neglect of his duties.

ing the steps of the
in

for the

hall, a

Ascend-

throng of Boyars,

gorgeous array, made homage as he passed.

Entering the chamber, he

first

perceived Sir

THE CZAR.

170

Thomas Randolph

who

standing near the doorway,

gave the customary salute on his approach.

The arm

of a female was drawn within his

own

her person was covered from head to foot with

The Czar appeared not

a white veil.

to

have

an indescribable emotion

noticed them, but

pervaded him, and his brow lowered in deeper

frown.

The Boyars, who had

know

lived long

enough to

the meaning of every look of the Czar,

turned pale.

Right and

His majesty ascended the throne.

left

the dignitaries resumed their

seats, covered, according to

high caps of fur.

custom, with their

The Czarevitch took

at the foot of the throne.

his place

solemn silence

reigned ; the favourite Viazemsky, and even the

buffoons, were mute.

The Conte Moriano,

a stripling diplomatist,

Czar from an Italian

state,

This youthful representative of a small

state,

on a mission

to the

was presented.

THE CZAR.

I7l

was possessed of conceit rather proportionate

to his estimation of himself, than his master's

power ; and

as the

Boyars remained covered in

the presence of their Muscovite sovereign, the

Conte took a similar license to wear his own

beaver.

Now

it

happened that the

had enlightened the Czar as

power of

Italian princes,

tected the

manded

ambassador's

Jesuit, Possevin,

to the states

and

and when Ivan deomission,

he

com-

his approach.

"Thy name?"
ee

The Conte Moriano,

colonel of the

late

guard, and minister plenipotentiary, as your

majesty doth know.

My

master greets you

with professions of regard, and

offers of

sup-

port by land and sea."

There Mas a smile on the

lips of Ivan.

" Thy master's

doth merit our re-

liberality

quital.

What

alliance

with this great and mighty prince?

say ye, Boyars

Shall

we form

THE CZAR.

172

Here, by true vouchers, have we proof that the

territories of the

the

Po even

something

duke reach from the banks of

to the sea

less

whose area measures

Moscow

than that of

The ambassador

felt

city

!"

uneasy, and forgot he

wore his beaver.

The Czar continued

" The land forces of

this

amount

to the formidable

fighting

men!

" Now, wisehead,"

same sovereign

array of fivescore

said his majesty, as

he

overheard the buffoon, Griaznoi, laughing to

himself, " unless thou

show good cause why

thou dost forget the august presence of the

ambassador, the noble Conte Moriano, shall

we

scourge thee for thy presumption ?"

" Save your servant, Ivan Vassilivitch, methought the ambassador Mas

late colonel of the

duke's forces ?"

" And what an he were ?"

" Please your majesty,

have heard that a

THE CZAR.

173

commander-in-chief, once upon a time, led the

van of his army ; and not deigning

to count the

numbers, called out to them to march four

a-breast

whereupon he was answered by the

We

trumpeter,

drummer/

Now, with your

methinks

this

are

only

three

with

the

majesty's leave,

must have been the general of

the land forces of the royal Italian duke."

The

smile of the Czar saved the buffoon.

a Count Moriano," resumed the autocrat,

" we should have courted the

alliance of the

duke, thy master, none the less for his humble

sway.

But be

it

known

to thy

most noble am-

bassadorship, that in proof of our admiration

of thy greatness, in approaching our presence

wearing thy beaver, though the same be deemed

an affront in thine own country, we do adjudge

thee to continue henceforward the

new

thou hast adopted.

nailed to his

head

Maluta, see

it

fashion

The

Italian fell

VOL.

III.

upon

his knees

but ere a
1

THE CZAR.

174

moment had
will

of an

elapsed, the ready ministers to the

autocrat were provided with

the

necessary implements.

Ere the

fatal nail

was driven

of the Italian, a woman's

and, at the same

into the brain

shriek was heard

moment,

Sir

dolph rushed forward to arrest the arm

to strike.
Italian

'Twas too

late

the

Thomas Ranlifted

beaver of the

ambassador shadowed the brow of a

corpse.
Sir

Thomas Randolph shuddered. He turned

from the body, and the approving smile of a

servile

The

assembly met his indignant eye.

eyes of the Czar twinkled as he chuckled

with joy at the terrors he imagined he had

inspired in the breast of the Englishman.
Sir

Thomas, with a sweeping glance of ab-

horrence and indignation, which comprehended

all

the assistants in the horrid tragedy he had

witnessed, fixed

and proud

on the Czar a look of calm

defiance.

His breast heaved with

THE CZAR.
the honest emotions

humanity extinguished

175

of his
in

Outraged

soul.

him every

feeling of

respect for the detested monster in whose pre-

sence he stood.

vated to

His commanding

figure, ele-

height, he advanced

its full

with a firm and determined step

two paces

and whilst

his eye encountered that of the Czar, slowly

and placed

raised his hat,

it

on his head

and,

as if to confirm his defiance of the murderer,

he struck down the crown thereof, to fasten

the covering more firmly on his brow.

The

the look, the bearing of the

action,

British

ambassador, asserting the rights

of

humanity, stepping forth from the limits of

diplomatic rule,

and proclaiming the law of

nature, impressed the bystanders with an over-

powering astonishment

Boyar stood up
lifted to

his

seat,

at his audacity.

Each

the hatchets of the guard were

strike.

The Czar himself

rose from

stung by the bold defiance of the

Englishman.

THE CZAR.

1/6

" Rash man

thou not

what meanest thou?

Seest

thy feet the consequence of pre-

at

Knowest thou not the

sumption?

fate

that

depends not on

thee.

awaits thee?"
ce

Czar, I

The

know my

representative

mighty queen,

fate

of

defies

Elizabeth,

thy threats.

not, thinkest thou, revenge her

Should

my

head be

own, as well

tthine

who have

England's
"Will

she

ambassador?

perilled here, then look to

as all these

mighty Boyars,

so approvingly looked

daughter of an ambassador.

on during the

The sacredness

of kings belongs to the person of an ambassador.

He
as

is

protected by the law of nations, as well

by the

this

laAV

of God.

inexperience.!

The presumption of

youth might have excited

thy pity, not thy vengeance."

The

autocrat had shrunk back into his seat,

awed by the

The

speaker's eloquence.

tyrant had

moments of magnanimity,

which have puzzled his contemporaries and

THE CZAR.
historians.

Brilliant,

1/7

though evanescent, they

have served as a pretext for panegyric, and

have thus enabled them to hand down to posterity

some redeeming

Amazement was

traits in his character.

depicted on the faces of the

The Czar, with

Boyars.

a reproachful expres-

and look, turned towards his

sion of voice

counsellors and subjects, exclaiming

" Which of you would dare to do

me V

Then turning

Thomas, with a

to Sir

countenance reflecting for the

ments which,

if lasting,

this for

moment

had rendered

his

senti-

name

glorious in future ages, replied

u Has

Sir

Thomas Randolph any

to complain of,

injustice

which may touch the honour of

the representative of our well-beloved

Elizabeth of England?
not

we

are

Speak

more ready

to

freely,

sister,

and say

punish insolence

than to do justice to merit."

At

these words Sir

Thomas Randolph, who

THE CZAR.

178

had hitherto maintained

now

his

proud

attitude,

gracefully took off his hat, with that ad-

mirable dignity which was natural to him, and

made

obeisance to the Czar.

ing a group of persons

Then approach-

who had remained

in

the background, he again advanced, supporting

On

a lady Von his arm.

either

of

side

were Master Tubervile and Wilmington.

him

When

within a few steps of the throne, he consigned

the lady to the care of his companions, and

bending his knee, thus addressed Ivan

" Great Czar

complain.

on

have, indeed, whereof to

Last night, some miscreants, bent

villany, did forcibly enter the dwelling of

an Englishman, and in his absence

did,

his honest roof, purloin his daughter,

and bring

her into your palace

from

when, by a miracle, as

it

doth appear, her rescue came, and saved her

from a

honourable

fate all

think upon.

men would

dread to

Tis justice I demand, that, for

THE CZAR.
this flagrant

179

breach of law, the offender

may be

brought to punishment."

The Czar coloured with

self-accusing guilt

but as the ambassador did not name the sufferer,

and only advanced that a

to the palace,

girl

was brought

he quickly concluded that some

English merchant's daughter, and not Wilmington's,

had been thus used.

Readily conceiving

that he could not be implicated in the nefarious

transaction, the Czar stoutly attested that, if
Sir

Thomas would make known

and the accused,

the accuser

justice should be done,

what-

ever might be the rank of the parties.

A gleam of satisfaction

spread over the manly

countenance of the ambassador, as he bowed,

and

rising

ward the

from that kneeling posture, led

lady,

for-

and again addressed the autocrat s*

" The British maiden thus insulted, and who

besought the protection of the representative
of her country's sovereign, was Grace, daughter

THE CZAR.

ISO
Walter

of

court, but

At

Wilmington,

now

physician

your

at

Lady Randolph."

the

the announcement of her name, Grace

tremblingly

the

lifted

veil,

and, more beautiful

than ever, stood before the Czar.

Ivan, with the full consciousness of his
dastardly scheme for the
creature,

was exasperated

own

ruin of the lovely

at the

development of

and met with uneasi-

further projects of villany,

ness the innocent blush of the Englishwoman.

His suspicious mind was impressed with the

conviction that some faithless subject had en-

deavoured to cheat him of his prey.

tained, however, sufficient

the part of innocence

main-

composure to enact

and granted a semblance

made

of protection, and

He

show of

justice, to

the English ambassador's wife.

" Now, by
thee

righted;

ruffian

lurks,

St.

Serge

and

we

if

will

in

fair lady, will

we

see

our dominions the

straightway drag him

THE CZAR.
forth,

1S1

and make such example of the miscreant

as shall forewarn all future evil-doers."

Before that vast assembly, where a thousand

eyes were fixed on her beautiful countenance

wonder and admiration, the conscious

in

who had come

now felt

girl,

there roused with indignation,

her self-possession forsake her. Within

a few paces' length she espied

the villain

who had

seized

was the Czarevitch.

and recognised

upon her person it

Her tongue

faltered,

refused to give utterance to her charge.

and

Her

limbs shook, and overcome with honest shame,

she

fell

into her father's arms.

Whilst

this

was passing, Master Tubervile

had not been an

of an

officer

idle

spectator.

The

features

of the guard had rivetted his

attention, whilst the Russian's eye sank before

his

own.
Impelled by a chivalrous

spirit,

he bent his

knee before the sovereign.

(i

Grant

me

your patience, mighty prince

I

THE CZAR.

182
Last night

was

it

my

chance to be within hear-

ing of the lady's scream,

when

bearing

her

was overpowered by

numbers

in attempting her rescue

away.

the villains were

and there

stands, in presence of your majesty, the leader

of that lawless troop."

Ci

Now, Athanasius Yiazemsky,

lest

thou

disprove the words of this cavalier, by the blood

of St. Nicholas

thy

shall

life

pay the

forfeit

of

this outrage."

The

wily Russian

felt

that his only chance of

safety lay in his effrontery,

and without hesita-

tion, calling all the saints of

Russia to witness,

stoutly denied the charge.

The Czar glanced

Yiazemsky.
the

at Tubervile,

and then

at

His discrimination readily noted

confidence of the

one, and detected the

guilt of the other.

"

How

decide
plain."

is

this ?"

he observed.

without witness

" Shall we

The lady

shall ex-

THE CZAR.
But

it

may

1S3

not be wondered at that a being

so formed for retirement should be overpowered

by the presence of
Unable

courtiers.

and a crowd of

a sovereign

to proffer

word from a

confused sense of indignation and shame, her

became suffused with blushes, her eyes

face
filled

with tears, and the father and husband

withdrew the lovely

the further end of

girl to

the apartment.

But Master George was

himself;

still

the

same measured and calm delivery of speech

characterised the

stripling

poet.

ordinary animation of feature or of

discernible,
e:

With

No

extra-

manner Mas

and he continued

all

deference to your majesty's su-

preme discernment,

hold

it

difficult to

The Prince

on such contradictory evidence.

Viazemsky doth contend that he

decide

is

innocent of

that of which I do accuse him, whilst I do

solemnly assert, he was the

ruffians to possess

my friend's

man who
daughter.

led the

Now,

THE CZAR.

184

my liege

customary, where gentlemen can-

'tis

not otherwise adjust their quarrels with their

who

feels

reparation.

So,

equals, that he

demand

himself in'ured shall

may

it

please

your

majesty, I do beseech the Prince Viazemsky

be commanded to appear against me, in mortal

combat

and, in the presence of this assembly,

give I unto thy subject, Athanasius Viazem-

the

sky, prince,

him

lie,

to encounter

and do now challenge

me, armed with sword and

dagger, Avhen, with

my

prove him a caitiff liar

sturdy weapon, will I

["

There was a general smile throughout the

assembly when
recapitulated

was a novel
mere

these

by the

words were carefully

interpreter.

In sooth,

it

sight for the Russians to behold a

stripling challenging a

bearded warrior

of the legion of the Opritchnina.

ful astrologer,

The youth-

however, was above the

height, but so slender, so delicately

the majority there would have given

common
fair,

that

him more

THE CZAR.

185

And

credit for wielding a distaff than a sword.

this

doubt of his warlike powers was materially

heightened by the apparel of Master George.

He was equipped in a white satin vest, the sleeves

of which fitted closely to his wrist.

doublet

chestnut brown, richly ornamented with

of

delicate embroidery,

ornamented
his

to correspond.

with precious

sword and dagger.

trunks were also white

stones,

belt,

sustained

His stockings and his

;

and

his garters

and

shoes of buff, were tied with white ribbons.

Altogether his
diced the

when no

effeminate

appearance

Boyars against his prowess

less

than

a personage

the

preju;

and

Prince

Viazemsky, one of the most sanguinary of the

legion of the Opritchnina,

was challenged by

him, their contempt for the young cavalier was

scarcely restrained,

and but

for the presence

of the Czar, would have exhibited itself in a

very general burst of laughter.

i(

He

says

most truly/3 quickly interrupted

THE CZAR.

1S6
the Czar,

who

did not wish a further expose

with the English ambassador,

noble

proposition."

Viazemsky

It

hath

we command

<e

and a right

our

consent.

thee to give the

foreigner satisfaction for that of which he ac-

cuses thee, this very hour; and prepare thyself forthwith,

arms."

for

we

will

view this feat of

THE CZAR.

CHAPTER
" Les Boyards, pour

187

XVI.

se vanger delay, persuaderent

au Czar

de luy donner un cheval sauvage a dresser, et l'ambassadeur

le fit

avec tant d'adresse,

tellemcnt, qu'il le

fit

lc

menagea

crever sous luy."

" This made them persuade

tire

si

bien, et le fatigua

Relation Clrieuse.

emperour

to give

him a wild

horse to tame, which he did, managing him with such rigour,

that the horse grew so tyr'd and tam'd, that he

dead under him."

fell

down

Collins.

" His swift and savage breed

Had

nerved him like the mountain roe;

With

And
His

Whilst
the

lists,

gasps and glazing eyes he lay,

reeking limbs immoveable,

first

and

last career is

done !"

the combatants were preparing for

the Czar was informed that a beauti-

ful horse, present

from a tributary khan, had

THE CZAR.

18S

his majesty

commanded

it

should

be led into the court before the palace.

Ivan

arrived

that

approached the casement to view the animal.

When

appeared, a

it

murmur

of admiration

ran through the assembled Boyars.

" In truth he was a noble steed,

Tartar of the Ukraine breed,

Who
Were

Wild

With

look'd as though the speed of thought

in his limbs

but he was wild,

as the wild deer,

and untaught

spur and bridle undefiled

'Twas but a day he had been caught;

And

snorting, with erected

And

struggling fiercely, but in vain,

In the

full

mane,

foam of wrath and dread,

The desert-born was

led."

The emperor was enchanted

a novel

of excitement was before him

instant

commands were

and on the

issued that the wild

horse should be caparisoned, for the

and mounted

source

in his presence.

first

time,

THE CZAR.
The

189

rider of the horse experienced, however,

wrong

that the saddle was on the

one, for

no

sooner had he vaulted into his seat, than he

was thrown.
Again the steed was secured; another
tempted, and met with a similar

fate.

at-

Ivan

looked on enraged not at the discomfiture of

his servants, but at the rebellion of the noble

animal to his will

and

turning to Godounoff,

whose courage and equestrian

skill

known, he commanded him

subdue the yet

to

were well

unconquered brute.

The
obey.

much

courtier turned pale, but prepared

Sir

Thomas Randolph advancing, gave

friendly counsel to the

on the mode of managing

which emanated from

being a
skilled in

to

right

his

chivalrous

young Russian

this

own

fierce

steed,

experience, he

knight,

and well

horsemanship.

Meanwhile a thought suggested

itself

to

the wily Russian, that the Englishman might

THE CZAR.

190

be turned to a better account than giving

advice

appealing therefore to his majesty, he

insinuated that from modesty alone he

was

induced to decline the honour, whilst such a

competent equestrian as the English ambassador -was present, who, doubtless, on such an
occasion,

would be proud

to exhibit his

ad-

dress in such august presence, to pleasure his

majesty.

The

which had prompted the kindly

feeling

interference of Sir

He

heart.

creature

offer

did honour to his

considered the safety of a fellow-

was

therefore,

Thomas

endangered

that he

could

any information,

give,

an additional security to

which might
the

slave

of

a monarches whim, he considered an act of

humanity.

But

finding

his generous

senti-

ments thus maliciously interpreted, he turned

a look of contempt on the minion, and answered

the ungrateful suggestion by stating that, in

the capacity of England's envoy, he came not

THE CZAR.

191

to instruct his majesty's subjects in the noble

art of

The

horsemanship.
allusion

of

GodounofF, however, was

quickly seized upon by the envious courtiers.

The chances were

countryman

in

feared lest his

summoned

to

against the success of their

mastering the

Each

steed.

own turn might come

the attempt,

to be

and the neck of

the Englishman was at least not equal, in their

estimation, to the value of theirs.

sneer was visible on the countenances of

the Boyars.
te

Methinks your majesty,"

the ambassador

is

most prudent.

country, doubtless, the breed

case horse

" that

said one,

is

In his

own

tamer, in which

and man are better suited

to each

other."

" Perhaps

my liege,"

ambassador who lords

royal

observed another, " the

it

so bravely in

presence, with his beaver on,

your

bold as

THE CZAR.

192

he looks, might nevertheless

hesitate ere

he

ventured to bestride your gallant steed."

These shafts of malice

unheeded by

fell

harmless and

Thomas, who was not to be

Sir

roused by the dastardly insinuations of

for

whom

men

he entertained no other sentiment

than contempt.

a Fain would we witness/'

said the Czar,

" a specimen of that horsemanship of England's chivalry, so

Sir

often vaunted in our ears.

Thomas, we would know

if

thy country

can produce aught that will compare with the

well-known

thou pleasure us

a Mighty Czar
dare

all

Wouldst
"
Wouldst thou dare

of our

skill

that

is

The

subjects.

subjects of

my

queen

honourable and possible.

accede to your majesty's request."

The

jealous Boyars enjoyed the anticipation

of the Englishman's discomfiture.

" Now, by the saints

will

we

witness thy

THE CZAR.
dexterity/' said Ivan

193

and turning

to the de-

lighted courtiers, he ordered the animal to be

brought again into his presence, before the

balcony which commanded the space in front
of the palace.

curb was attached to the head of the

noble animal, that

Of pure

now pranced

into the area.

Tartar breed, with distended nostrils,

the hoofs of the proud courser spurned the

All was

dust.

life

and

action.

smile of malicious pleasure

was

the features of Ivan, and of his courtiers.

Grace was

in utter dismay,

and

it

on

visible

But

required

all

the self-possession which was manifest in the

firm demeanour of her husband to restore her
confidence.

Sir

Thomas, having resigned her

to the charge of her father

vile,

and George Tuber-

descended the steps to the arena.

tation

was evident

Exul-

in the countenance of the

Czar, triumph in that of the Czarevitch, as he

regarded the wife of the ambassador.

The

soul

THE CZAR.

194

of the devoted wife was in her eye, as she

of the foaming

watched the rapid evolutions

beast,

and followed every movement of him

who was now

suredly his

more than

to her

life

was

life

and as-

in danger, as she surmised

from the whispers which escaped those who

surrounded her.

But those half-suppressed

and envy

are

no longer

has succeeded.

ejaculations of fear

a portentous

silence

Thomas Randolph,

Sir

at a

bound, vaulted upon the hitherto unconquered

brute.

Like the spectator of a

result

of

battle,

upon the

which defeat or victory depends,

Ivan started forward as he beheld the master-

power of the Englishman, and foresaw the

probable result of that
jects

At
with

skill to

which

his sub-

were unequal.
first

the brute was stupified, as

surprise for

it

were,

moment subdued, he

then attempted some slight

feints,

as

if

to

THE CZAR.
measure the power of his
struggle for freedom
fearful one,

rider.

195

And now

commenced

it

the

was

and the hopes of the envious

revived.

The
to

silent prayers of

Grace were addressed

Heaven.

The

steed, unable to

throw his

rider, tried

every means in his power to disencumber himself of his

unwelcome companion.

reared, or plunged, or whirled in

tions

In vain he

mazy

evolu-

darted on one side, and as quickly on

the other; rushed forward, and as suddenly

fell

galloped furiously, and

back;

mid- career.
self.

halted in

His rider seemed a part of him-

Deliberate

attentive conscious

of his

power, he suffered the animal to exhaust himself in

various attempts

all his

And now

in full

taught to

feel

master.

for freedom.

sweep round the arena, he was

the indomitable power of his

The strong

curb,

drawn by that steady

THE CZAR.

196

and

fearless

arm, threw him on his haunches.

Again he practised every

feint, strained

sinew,

and the scourge lashed

sides.

That dreadful curb was

Again

his

mad

career

his

every

foaming
powerful.

all

was stopped

at once.

His blood-stained jaws evinced his torment,

their

foam

his rage.

Wearied

at length, ex-

hausted, subdued, the proud steed, incapable

of further resistance, gradually succumbed, and

trembling in every joint, under the terrible

punishment he had received, seemed

to

acknowledge the domination of

tacitly

man

over

the brute creation.

That portion of the populace within the

precincts of the Kremlin that

had beheld the

achievement, had become intensely interested

in the result.

And when

rein to his steed,

Sir

Thomas gave

the

they followed in his track

with that impetus so inherent in mankind for

the love of the wonderful.

As

the horseman

THE CZAR.

197

passed with rapidity, their breath was sus-

pended, and a silence, almost awful, reigned

over the crowd, and in the palace.

And now

the admiration of the multitude

burst forth in tumultuous

shouts

for

once

they forgot the presence of their sovereign.

The mastered brute was

reined in before

the astonished Czar and his

Sir

Thomas could

alight,

"

court,
fell

and ere

down dead

under him."
Springing from his back, the ambassador
leapt the intervening space,

mounted the

steps

of the Krasnoi Kriltzo, and heedless of majesty,

forgetting the assembled crowd, rushed to his
bride,

who, agitated by fear and hope, anguish

and doubt, overwhelmed with gratitude

to Pro-

vidence for the safety of her husband, sank

into his arms.

VOL.

III.

THE CZAR.

193

CHAPTER

XVII.

" Poor Pug was delivered over to the secular power, who
" Collins's Russia.
him so severely, that

chastised

" The monkey was condemned, and by peculiar order from

the Patriarch, carried in public view as a criminal through the
streets.'

Perry's State of Russia.

&c.

" Vedutolo,
l'avvenire
tieri

"

contro

When

il

ncn
ii

&

principe sputo in terra

fosse data facolta di poter

suoi."

Sigismgndo Commentary.

the day came, and the

much darkened

as he

had given

Sun happened
out, the

ing gathered about the house, and

that they might

delibero che per

combattere a fores-

bum

mob

demanded

and tear him

be

to

the

fully as

same even-

the secretary,

to pieces."

Perry's

Russia.

The

whole population of Moscow appeared to

be in commotion that morning.

Strange ru-

mours were going abroad amongst

a multitude

THE CZAR.

199

prone to the marvellous in a bigoted age, and

blindly devoted to a superstitious priesthood.

The new metropolitan was

nearly in a state of

frenzy, for the second apparition of Jocko in

the temple appeared so miraculous, that

it

con-

firmed him in his suspicions that he was in

The populace, eager

verity the evil one.

ceive,

and too indolent

to re-

to investigate the matter,

added, by their fears, to his alarm, and propa-

gated with

much

dispatch the rumour of the

vicinity of the Devil.

Here was matter

for novel observation

learning of man, and

much to

when compared with

keys.

the

his disparagement,

community of mon-

For, even in that day,

we have

trovertible proof that the race of

fact deified.

on the

incon-

Jocko was

in

" In Peru/5 says a contemporary

of that age, " they keepe

" holding them

them very

carefully,

to be creatures beloved of

" because they have

their

hands and

God,

feet like

" humane creatures f and, again " The people

THE CZAR.

200

(:

<l

of apes/' as Philostratus has called them,

i(

no other than the pygmies immortalized by

" Homer, who,

in his

" that the male

line of that nation failing,

" Gerana became

their

K admired beauty, and

<{

were

Geranomaclria, relates,

queen

whom

shipped as a goddess."

woman

one

of an

the citizens wor-

Thus, the degrading-

opinion of this Muscovite, that the genus was

bedevilled, induces us to attribute such slander

to malice; for though Paul Jove ventured to

call certain liege

Lapones" men,

many

sceptics,

subjects
it

is

of the Czar " ultra

evident that there were

and Tyson has evidently classed

the Samoiedes and Laplanders with pygmies,

justly, as

he thinks, refuting the

traveller,

nevertheless asserts, that in voice and

who

manner

the nondescripts assimilated to monkeys.

But, whatever the conjecture

fact was, that the loyal citizens of

as

we have

may

be, the

Moscow were,

before related, in no very enviable

state of mind,

and

their increasing alarm

me-

THE CZAR.
naced with

fatal

201

consequences our esteemed

acquaintance, Jocko.
"Whilst the English party were in attendance
at the palace, a procession of all the

dignitaries

and

church

caloyers, in their official dress,

armed with flambeaux,

saints

and

were

relics,

progressing with becoming solemnity towards

the mansion of the ambassador, headed by the

new

metropolitan.

First

came a

priest with a basin, a ewer,

and

napkin, to remove impurity of contact with the

heretic.

Then

followed three more, each bearing a red

and white banner.

Next

in succession

were the

priests, in their

sacerdotal robes.

Four

acolytes followed, with lanterns fixed

on the tops of high poles.

Then came

a huge

cross,

borne upon an

horizontal one, each end of which rested

the shoulders of a monk.

upon

THE CZAR.

202

Next followed the images and

carried

And

relics, veiled,

on the heads of caloyers.

lastly,

the metropolitan

a dais sup-

ported over him, and hundreds of priests closing

the procession.

The household

of the embassy were in at-

Thomas

tendance on Sir

at the palace,

and the

few who remained behind, gave way before that

formidable multitude.
to the priestly

and placed

The

power

Jocko was surrendered

bound

hand and

in a cart.

procession resumed

way

its

of the

city,

to the place

common hang-

of executions, followed by the

man

foot,

armed with the iron knotted

knout.

novel scene was

mean time preparing

the court of the Kremlin.

for mortal combat.

The

Around,

lists

in

were opened

far as the vast

space would admit, were ranged the spectators.

All the troops in

Moscow were

present.

casements of the palace were crowded

The
an in-

THE CZAR.

203

tense interest was exhibited by the

assembly, for the achievement of Sir

subduing the
several there

humbled

in

spirit

had

immense

Thomas

in

of the wild horse, which

in vain essayed to master,

some measure their

silenced their sarcasm

and

self-conceit,

In

ridicule.

had
and

fact,

he

had inspired them with rather a higher estimate

of the prowess of his countrymen than they

were disposed to acknowledge, and they now

began

to respect the juvenile,

and almost

effe-

minate, appearance of George Tubervile.

At

a signal, a flourish of trumpets proclaimed

the appearance of the combatants,

from opposite sides ofthe arena.

who advanced
Appearances

were mostly in favour of Viazemsky.

Tis true,

he offered a better mark than Tubervile, from his

national and boasted rotundity of person
if

and

bravery had been measured by height and

width, he had certainly the vantage ground, as

he would have made two such as his antagonist.

He

wore a helmet and a

cuirass.

In his right

THE CZAR.

204

hand a

sabre,

in the

left,

a dagger pointed at

Tubervile, however, caused no

both ends.

little

astonishment in the spectators, when, having

divested himself of his jerkin, he presented

himself armed only with a rapier.

But a mos-

quito has sometimes the advantage over a bull.

The

first

attack of

and

Sir

Thomas, though conscious of

Viazemsky was tremendous

cretary's pre-eminence as a

his se-

swordsman, enter-

tained some slight misgivings as to the result.

Round

the arena Tubervile was driven by the

impetuosity

of his antagonist, maintaining a

wary and defensive

fight.

Viazemsky had made

several attempts to close with Tubervile, that

he might

avail himself of his

dagger.

But

at each attempt,

double-pointed

he

still

found

the ever-ready point of Master George's rapier

constantly at his breast.

The

rapid blows of his

sabre were parried with admirable coolness and

skill

by an arm which, though young, possessed,

from the temperance and practice of Tubervile,

THE CZAR.

205

a strength of muscle far superior to that of the

And now

voluptuous Opritchnik.

turned the

tide of war.

Viazemsky, encumbered with his helmet and

cuirass, perspiring at every pore, felt himself

necessitated to abate in

of his exertion.

some degree the violence

Tubervile, constantly availing

himself of every relaxation of his antagonist,

failed

not to take advantage of any opening,

and penetrating through the weakened guard of

Viazemsky, his rapier perforated the arms and
various fleshy parts of his foe.

It

was evidently

Tubervile's intention not to pursue

death.

With

him

the blood flowing from

to the

numerous

small wounds, the Russian's rage and desperation were

unbounded.

Again he exerted his

remaining strength, and endeavoured to close

with his antagonist, and was again punished.

The odds Mere now

evidently

against the

Russian, and general indignation towards the

Englishman

The Czar, who had

prevailed.

THE CZAR.

206

worked himself
spat

into a high state of excitement,

upon the ground, venting bitter execrations

and made a vow, that

against the Englisher,

for the future

no Muscovite should accept the

challenge of a foreigner.

By

Viazemsky, exhausted by his

this time

and by parrying the thrusts made upon

violence,

him by

his antagonist,

The

less resistance.

was gradually

cool courage

offering

and surpass-

ing agility of Tubervile remained unchanged.

A death-like
its

silence prevailed.

golden light unchequered by a cloud,

suddenly a
over the
seized

assembly,

upon the

Murmurs

when

darkness spread gradually

visible

it

increased.

spectators.

the hour predicted

It

panic

was the day

behold the eclipse

of ominous import began to rise in

the assembly.
to

The sun poured

They

declared the Englishman

be a sorcerer; that he carried a charmed

weapon.

Amidst loud

hisses

and

curses, the

seconds of the Muscovite removed their cham-

THE CZAR.
pion from the
alone.

He

All gave

207

Tubervile found himself

field.

sought an egress through the crowd.

way

before him, muttering impreca-

on his head.

In the palace was con-

fusion and dismay.

The Czar was overcome

tions

with

were

fright;

his

consternation

Each moment

inexpressible.

awe

and
it

grew

darker, and his apprehensions increasing with

every deeper shade, were fully shared by his

subjects.

cast

Suspicions and vindictive looks were

upon the English

hastened to withdraw.

who had

escorted

him

party,

and Sir Thomas

Collecting the servants

to the palace,

not with-

out some apprehension of the coming storm, he

formed them into a guard

return to his hotel.

for protecting his

George Tubervile and the

bride occupied the centre, whilst he himself

brought up the

rear.

On

all sides

he encoun-

tered in his progress dark and portentous looks,

and half-expressed menaces. In

this order

they

reached, in their road homeward, the place of

THE CZAR.

208

executions, where poor Jocko was

to expire, without judge or

condemned

jury, under the

merciless infliction of the knout.

Deserted in his utmost need, his grief was

mute, for no friendly face was there to heed his

He was

sufferings.

as

a martyr,

resigned,

secured to

the

and quiescent
stake, amidst

the exulting acclamations of the populace and

The

the fervent exorcisms of the priests.

thongs of the knout whistled in the

air,

a sudden cry of horror was heard;

raised

iron

when

the up-

arm of the executioner descended

not.

Deeper and deeper darkness spread over the

face of the sun.

All was confusion, horror,

and dismay.

The

day, accompanied

by

its

awful pheno-

menon, predicted by the Englishman, had

rived,

and

at

ar-

once that immense assemblage fled

before the apprehension of

in proportion to the crowd.

evil.

The panic was

The avenues to

the

place seemed scarcely wide enough to drain

it

THE CZAR.

209

of the motley groups -which rushed from thence

In a very few

like a tide in all directions.

seconds, the sole occupant of the square

was

our interesting, but doleful, friend Jocko.

At

this pass, a

group of individuals were hur-

rying across the area.

his party.
stake,

was

It

Sir

Thomas and

Perceiving a living creature at the

he galloped up with some of

his fol-

lowers to prevent the object of human suffering,

which he had not the power

to relieve,

encountering the sight of Grace.

from

But her quick

eye rendered useless the kind precaution, and,

recognising her faithful

alarm directed

all

Jocko, her shriek of

eyes to the spot.

With one

accord they proceeded thither; in an instant

the

monkey was

released,

this addition to their

and the party, with

company, hurried on, and

reached the hotel of the embassy in safety.

We
fate

cannot say that Grace was happy, though

had crowned her

heart's best

union with the ambassador.

hope

in

her

The events which

THE CZAR.

210

had brought about the marriage, had placed

Sir

Thomas

proceeding

a position "which rendered the

in

rather

the result

of

chivalrous

honour, than the impulse of affection alone.

She could have wished

totally

his overtures

had been

independent of any claims upon his pro-

tection.

Indeed, for once her sensitive imagi-

nation ran away with her judgment, and she

grieved over the supposition, that but for the

insult of the

Czarevitch,

Sir

Thomas would

never have come forward as her lawful protector

and as she tortured herself with so much

ingenuity, she concluded that she would rather

not have been his wife upon such terms.

was strongly inclined

to

She

be a sceptic as to the

sincerity of the love of Sir

Thomas, who, with

the delicacy and honour which belonged to his

character, strictly adhered to the conditions

had proposed

in

he

winning that immediate consent

which circumstances rendered so imperative.

In the retirement she enjoyed, so requisite for

THE CZAR.

211

the composed exercise of thought,

it

long before her love, exacting as

was, disco-

it

was not

vered in his ardent but respectful devotion,

all

the passion that the romantic expectation of

youth could

desire.

The night

of the wedding was not attended

with those household rejoicings usual on such

an occasion

for there

had been a gathering of

the populace ever since the eclipse had passed,

and the

streets

surrounding the hotel

were

crowded with an angry and threatening mob,

which nothing but the guard of honour,
tioned

by command

check.

" He

of the Czar,

sta-

had kept in

The embassy were alarmed.

is

the cause of our misery and misfor-

tunes," said one.

He

"He

has put out the sun," cried another.

has conjured up the

blazing star/"

exclaimed a third.

"

He

is

in fellowship with the Devil," ejacu-

lated a fourth

(t
:

Drown him

flay

him

burn

THE CZAR.

212

him

\"

were

the

summary

they kindly wished

fashions in which

dispose

to

of the poor

secretary.

" They
is

are

all

bewitched," said another ; "

it

the embassy of Satan !"

" The
tainty.

physic shop'

'

is

bedevilled, to a cer-

Hast heard that they dance with the

dead ?" mysteriously asked one, who had pried

once into Wilmington's studio when the win-

dow was opened, and

sported with
alluded to.

the

the breeze heedlessly

members

skeleton

" Death to them

Death

before
!"

was

echoed by the populace.

Whilst

this

was passing, a conference was

in

progress between the Czar and the metropolitan.

"

'Tis dangerous to interfere with the profane

heretics.

but

Twice have

in vain.

them

I exorcised the evil one,

Methinks the

evil spirit is

with

all."

Ivan's embarrassment was

extreme.

The

THE CZAR.

213

whole catalogue of the abominations of the

hell-

The

favoured foreigners was recalled to mind.

prophecy of Tubervile the account given by

his late minion, the

was brought away

related

younger Basmanoff, who

moving skeleton haunted the

that a

Then

abode of the English.

and constant

nocturnal

how he

swoon, and

in a

the comet, that

visitor

and

at

the

thought he turned his gaze, as the darkness

approached, towards the firmament.
there

brighter,

it

was larger

and

it

It

was

was nearer it was

his heart sickened at the

omen.

Then came

the vivid remembrance of the sub-

stitute for

Grace Wilmington

even more than witchcraft

disappointment
the evil one

the

his

and

this

was

the frenzy of his

awful domiciliary

visit

of

wonderful escape from an

actual embrace from the

enemy of souls, inspired

him with unspeakable

horror,

and he vowed

vengeance on the English party.

The new

metropolitan, however, was not a

THE CZAR.

214

man

to entertain
fears.

his

any idea capable of subduing

They had taken such possession

of him, that nothing but the departure of the

whole party could appease them, contending,

as he did, that they

had

baffled

the powers

of the church, and that their malign influence

was, consequently, all-powerful.

" Beseech your majesty,"

continued

trembling pastor, " leave them to their fate

the
;

to

contend with them, would be to draw down

new

evils

them

to depart forthwith, this very night

upon your anointed head.

Suffer

un-

hurt, unoffended."

Ivan

felt his

purpose of vengeance shaken.

The

terror of the priest

this

juncture

in

the

was

infectious.

conference

was

At

broken

upon by the sudden appearance of some

of the Boyars.

In a hurried manner they ac-

quainted then sovereign that a messenger had

arrived from the English embassy, requesting

a reinforcement of the guard

the

infatuated

THE CZAR.

mob

215

having proceeded to acts of violence, had

threatened to exterminate the ambassador and

his suite.
cc

The Lord deliver us from such a calamity

exclaimed the

prelate,

in

\"

great trepidation.

"Beseech your majesty, protect them from

harm,

or

your

insinuated

the

life

may

prelate,

be

"who

the

forfeit !"

superstitiously

trembled for his own.

The Czar
comet

was

at that

moment was gazing

at the

suddenly a conflagration in the heavens

seen.

The

fires

formed themselves into

shapes and figures like those of contending

armies.

A reinforcement

Ivan gave hurried orders.

was dispatched

to the guard.

The

back and dispersed the mob.

Strelitz

As

approached, and the citizens were

drove

the evening
all

at rest,

a train of waggons, with a numerous military

escort,

hotel.

drew up

at the gate of the

ambassador's

Before break of day the goods and

THE CZAR.

216

whole English party, with

chattels of the

Master George's

astrological

apparatus, and

spirit-raising machinery, together with

ghosts,

and,

"

last,

all

though not

walking

least,"

his

Satanic Majesty's grave representative, Master

Jocko himself, with the

less consequential per-

sonages of the English embassv, were

route" and

far

all

" en

beyond the boundaries of the

holy city of Moscow.

THE CZAR.

CHAPTER
*'

Le

La Gardie

de

fier

causa une

CI

XVIII.

celebrait ses victoires a Revel

il

frayeur aux Russes que, dans toutes lcs dglises,

telle

ils

instituerent des prieres pour conjurer le ciel de les sourer

de

la fureur

" Ce
"

de ce terrible ennemi."

qu'il

y a de certain c'est que Jean trcmblait

d'effroi

l'epoque ou le tzar, pouvant disposer d'une armee de

300,000 hommes, abandonnait lacbement ses possessions occi-

dentals

ou Allemands 6puises

a 26,000 Polonois

" Lay down

my

Never again

And

demi-

And
I

my

in

leave

me

have slain

Whom

warlike banners here,

to

wave

my red sword

bury

Chiefs

have

and spear,

first-born's grave

my work

I slain

Ivan,

is

done

'.

ye answer not

my

son !"

the Czar, ey Mrs. Hemans.

"The embassy from England was

"was

have conquered,

Thou, too, art mute,

Czar

et a

Karamsin.

morts," &c.

not, as the

perhaps induced to hope, accompa-

nied on their return by the comet.

That

fear-

THE CZAR.

218

fill

luminary had not yet reached

its

and each succeeding night beheld

increased

Nor were

fire.

blaze with

the signs wanting to

enforce the dangers prenoted

secretary.

it

perihelium,

by the learned

The Tcheremissians had

revolted,

and the insurrection was making rapid

The Crim-Tartar,

strides.

ever on the alert, threatened

another invasion, and roused the peaceful Nogai

tribes to rebellion

whilst the Siberian king,

Koutchoum, fanned the flame of

and ravaged with

fire

discontent,

and sword the environs

of the

Kama;

reprisal

which animated the wild Tcheremis-

sians,

and such was the

goaded as they were by the

the Russians, that

it

led to a

spirit

of

cruelties of

war of extermi-

nation.

Ivan trembled.

Tyrants are poltrons; and

sheltered in the fastnesses of the slobode Alex-

androffsky, he purchased with

forbearance of

But

the

Mehmet

Swede

the

largesses

the

Ghirei.

Pole

had

invaded the

THE CZAR.
Russian

territory,

and the

219
throne

was

in

danger.

Maluta Skuratoff had been dispatched on

a confidential
Otrotch.

mission to the

monastery of

There, in a narrow dungeon

pious and aged churchman

Philip,

the

cell,

the late

metropolitan, yet lived, occupied in constant

prayer for the conversion of the heart of Ivan,

and

for the repose of Russia.

The Czar had

not forgotten him, and his sanguinary favourite

was sent

The

to imjilore his benediction.

prelate read his sentence in the

ominous

appearance of the ready agent of his master's

will,
i(

and mildly answered

I

have long been preparing for death ;

the will of the Czar be accomplished

It
cell.

was

so.

Philip

I"

was found strangled

Skuratoff gave out to the

let

in his

monks

that

he had died of apoplexy.

" The holy men,

seized with horror,

dug the

**

czas.

prelate's grave

behind the high

altar,

where,

in the presence of his murderer.

**

sited

church, adorned \rith the glorious crown of

the illustrious

lepo-

chief of the

Russian

^martyrdom/*

To

die for virtue's sake, is the highest degree

of virtue in a mortal.

modern

more

Neither ancient nor

history exhibits an example of one

truly great.

Some few

years afterward?,

were conveyed to the monastery of

his remains

Solovky, and finally deposited in the Church

of the Assumption at Moscow, where to

<Jay that sepulchre is held in veneration

piou

this

by

all

ns.

Maluta SkuratofF was now ordered to the

seat of war,

where he

died,

though most unde-

!ng of the honour, the death of a soldier,

on the ramparts of

Vittenstein.

His blind

obedience to the will of a despot seems to have

beer,

his

neatest crime, as

it

led

him on

to

THE CZAR.

221

the perpetration of horrors beyond terrestrial

The

punishment.

slave

was

as the axe in the

hand of the executioner.

The Czar ordered

and an immense

his friend,

where

were burnt

alive :" a

cruelty, the

manes

in the slaughter of

time

to

mosity.

all

lire to

be kindled,

German and Swedish

the

"'all

Amidst

a magnificent funeral for

holocaust worthy, from

oi a

mortal

who had

its

revelled

mankind.

these

nourish

prisoners

public

cares,.

suspicion

Ever since

Ivan found

and private

his interview with

ani-

Master

Jocko, he had brooded over the ridicule which

attached

to

adventure

that

and

sufficient

proof had been elicited to apprize hini that his

own

son had sought to gain possession of the

English

girl,

and

growing aversion was har-

boured towards the Czarevitch:

ful breast a lurking hate

sense of his

III.

was engendered,

own disappointment was

to explanations

VOL.

in his revenge-

check

which might have exposed him

L

THE CZAR.

222

further ridicule,

to

wanted a

fitting

and

his

animosity only-

opportunity to burst forth in

unrestrained fury.

Viazemsky, meanwhile, as the reward of his

share in the abduction of Grace, and as a

removal of the disgrace which he had been the

means

of bringing

chivalry,

upon the

lustre of

Russian

had been seized by an order of the

Czar, and under the usual pretext of treason,

had been dispatched by the

infliction of refined

torture.

As

if

Heaven, wearied with the abominations

of the monarch, had driven him an outcast from

merciful protection, unforeseen calamities

its

were besetting him on every

"

Now

side.

sirrah," exclaimed Ivan, as

he was

unceremoniously intruded upon by a messenger

from the enemy's frontier

" What

news from

Vilna?"

" The Polish army

is

gaining ground.

city of Pskoff is at the last extremity."

The

THE CZAR.

223

Ivan gazed in breathless anxiety.

" Veliki-Louki

is

stormed, and levelled to

the ground," stammered the messenger, reading

the lowering countenance
ficiently well to

" Now,
person

St.

tremble for his

to the Pole

own

Nicholas protect us

in danger.

is

we

Czar

of the

suf-

safety.

our royal

Dispatch another envoy

accede to his terms,

safety is preserved," continued

so our

the monarch,

turning for approval to the Boyars.

" Great
nofF,

lord !" observed the fearless

Godou-

" thy messenger declares the enemy

will

hear of no truce, will receive no embassy, until

the Russian

"

We will implore
my

and bid
if

army has evacuated Livonia."

him to suspend

his

march,

envoys at the Polish camp submit,

need be, to pacify and conciliate the foe.

charge them to resent no humiliation.

not

Christians?

Should we

We

Are we

not forbear?"

added the royal coward.

Ah

another messenger

whence comest

THE CZAR.

224

thou? thy countenance bodes

enraged

trembling

yet

hurried into the

evil/

Ivan,

presence,

Boyar

as

and

said the

himself

cast

at his feet.

This

reception

^fearful

rendered the new-

comer speechless ; but Ivan's impatience grew

with his terror.

Already in his disordered

imagination the enemy was at the gates of the

Kremlin, and anxiety for self-preservation made

him

furious to ascertain the worst.

of rage and despair, he

commanded

In accents
the news-

bearer to speak.

w Great Czar

invades the land.

his possession.

the

Swede with rapid

strides

Lode, Fekkel, Habsal, are in

Narva

is

stormed, and seven

thousand of thy slaves have been put to the

sword.

" Led on by the Frenchman, De

la

the Swedes perform prodigies of valour.

gorod,

Yama,

Gardie,

Ivan-

Rossorie, are invested.''

In that hour, when the name of Russia was in

THE CZAR.

225

danger of being annihilated, the only thought

of the Czar was self ; and he

advanced

at the

who might have

head of an army as innumer-

able as that of Xerxes, gave himself

up

for lost.

In that hour he drained the cup of shame.

There

exists not, in the annals

of the world,

a record more dishonourable than the terms

which were signed by the pusillanimous Czar

of Russia.

But the trembling wretch possessed a bulwark

and

to his safety in a blindly devoted people

it

was reserved

and unassisted,

to

for the city of Pskoff, alone

oppose a barrier

to

the

advancing army.

In vain the devoted garrison entreated suc-

The Czar, with an army

cours.

of three hun-

dred thousand men, could not, in his terror,

spare

them any reinforcement,

lest it

weaken the immediate rampart around

person.

The

refusal

should

his

own

of Ivan gave glorious

immortality to the fame of the brave defenders

THE CZAR.

226

of PskofF, who, thus sacrificed, were the saviours

of their native land.

" Again

I"

exclaimed the monarch, as one of

his ministers approached in haste, bearing a

" More news, and bad

despatch.

Has.

that sad face.

upon me

ween, by

hell let loose every fiend

?"

Pskoff"
K Hold
I know what thou wouldst say;
!

the poltrons have opened their gates

to

the

enemy."
e:

Not

great Czar

so,

but without a rein-

forcement, ere long the city must yield.

garrison

is at

" So, the

The

the last extremity."

traitors

would have us leave our-

selves unprotected, to save their dastard lives.

Away no more
!

sellors ?

we

Shall

of the invaders

of this.

rear the Swede

flank?

What

say ye, coun-

place ourselves at the

Hangs not
in

front

To disband were

mercy

the Tartar on our

the

Pole on our

to fall."

THE CZAR.

227

For once the Boyars around ventured

silent

to

be

no approving murmur sanctioned the

Their indignation was mute, but evi-

appeal.

dent.

Ivan cast a withering look around him.

Czarevitch was at his

Even

feet.

the depraved, the licentious, the pro-

son of a debased

fligate

shame.

The

One

sire

was stung with

redeeming, one generous impulse,

a keen'sense of his country's degradation, roused

a latent spark of patriotism in the breast of the

Czarevitch.

u Great
Russia!

and

Sire!

mighty Czar

is lost.

and

Yield

I devote

the heroic city,

of

If Pskoff should

me

all

fall,

but an insignificant

fraction of the vast force that

thee,

lord

Suffer not the prayer of thy

people to go unheard.

Muscovy

now surrounds

myself to the salvation of

and the preservation of thy

crown."

Ivan started up.

In his grasp the

fearful

THE CZAR.

228

and weighty iron baton shook

gasped for breath.

like a rod.

The Czarevitch

look up in that terrible

moment

He

durst not

of silence and

thick-gathering wrath.

Never had the Boyars beheld the eyes of the

Czar

lit

up with such threatening

dilated eye-balls emitted sparks

fire

the

his livid lips

quivered, and the blood forsook his cheek.

At length

his surcharged breast

found vent

in words.
ie

Rebel

Parricide

Leagued with the ene-

mies of thy country and thy Czar, to dethrone

to destroy me

"

Unutterable rage choked his further utter-

The

ance.

iron club

was raised

in the

madness

of rage.

The Boyars rushed

to stop

its fall.

the interception of their bodies

tion.

In vain

strength.

Too

late

self-immola-

Ivan was nerved with a giant's

At one tremendous blow

vitch lay bleeding at his feet.

the Czare-

Horror seized

THE CZAR.
The

the spectators.

fury of Ivan instantly

His despair knew no

gave place to remorse.

He

bounds.

threw himself upon the body of

and endeavoured

his son,

to staunch the blood

flowing from his wound.

frightful

His shrieks were

exclamations the madness

his

229

of

despair.

The Czarevitch
his dying

dissolution near.

In

moments he gave testimony of

filial

felt his

reverence and love, worthy a better

kissed the

hand of

last breath

said,

<e

his murderer,

He

sire.

and with his

die a dutiful son

and a

faithful subject."

And
we

here

let

the reader bear with us, in that

are thus compelled to adhere to historical

truth, which, in this instance as well as others,

we should have been

silence,

The
is

had

it

to

pass

over in

been possible.

Him who

bolt of

fain

hath

said,

" Vengeance

mine," had fallen upon and severed the

link of

hope

affrighted,

l 2

it

fled for ever

last

from

THE CZAR.

30

The measure

the monster's breast.

now

crimes seemed

filled to

the brim.

of his

Heaven

had stripped him. one by one, of every joy.

Life from that hour
dictions.

was a

series of contra-

Remorse bowed him

was pursued by hideous

the slain.

Rest was

dered sleep."

to

earth;

he

visions, the spectres of

unknown

f<

he had mur-

lethargy succeeded to long

watchful nights, with the phantasms of a dis-

He shunned

eased mind.
it

the light of day, for

betrayed the lineaments of an infanticide.

The

retributive justice of Providence

may

overtake the ordinary sinner, that on earth he

may

expiate

and atone

those of Ivan

for his misdeeds.

were beyond

measurement of

requital,

and

all

earthly

But
ad-

fearful eternity

alone seems to hold out the just balance of

judgment on

the

unheard-of crimes of the

tyrant.

The

Czar, stained with the blood of his son,

prostrated with grief, with haggard eye

re-

THE CZAR.
mained by the body of
or sleep,

till

for

on

He

The

affecting.

The

amongst the tombs of his

was magnificent and

funeral

of a prince born to a

fate

who might have

throne,

virtue,

followed the corpse

and fixed upon the spot

foot,

his remains,

ancestors.

and

his victim, without food

his burial.

to the church,

had not

existed in happiness
father, violating

his

laws of nature, plunged him

pravity,

marks of

into

de-

Divested of

all

outward

royalty, habited in mourning, in the

garb of a

despairing

sinner,

piercing cries, beating his head

and against the

fturcall

first

the

and then into a premature grave, was

universally deplored.

iDeatl)

231

anD
of

gong luan.

Ivan

uttered

upon the

earth,

coffin of his ill-fated son.

u Hee was buried in Michala

Archangell church, in the Musco,

with
his

pounds; watched

iewels

tombe,
after

and

riches

valued

by twelve

at

put in
50,000

citizens

in

THE CZAR.

232

course, every night, devoted to his Saint Iohn

and Michael,
till

to keepe both

his resurrection."

body and treasure

THE CZAR.

CHAPTER
"

II lit

chercher en Russio

et

233

XIX.

en Lapoirie, des aslrologucs,

de pietendus magiciens, en rassembla environ soixante

"

On

assure que les astrologues lui avaient annonce qn'il

n'avait plus que quclques jours a vivre, c'est a dire, jusqu'au

18 Mars."

" They look not

And

like the inhabitants o' the earth,

yet are on't."

Every

calamity had befallen the devoted race

plague and famine had aided the tyrant's devastating hand.

harvest,

The parched

earth yielded no

and despair drove the wretched inha-

bitants to

crime

perpetrated

the greatest horrors Mere

goaded by want, " they murdered

each other to devour

human

flesh."

THE CZAR.

234

This famine spread with

The public

tilence.

concomitant pes-

its

streets

the

were strewed with dead bodies

revolution.

the

living

and threatening voices

breathed vengeance,

boded

highways

It

roused

the

prostrate

monarch.

The

merciless

rently borne
infanticide,

ruffian the

wretch,

appa-

down with remorse Ivan, the

was about

to

astound his subjects

with a display of moderation.

The Boyars were convoked

to receive the

He

new commands

in full assembly,

of then* monarch.

advanced with slow and infirm step, but

arrayed in

all

the splendour of his royal robes,

wearing his crown, preceded by the bearers of

the insignia of the throne;
nalia of his glory

He Mas

the parapher-

were displayed.

assisted to the regal chair, almost

fainting from debility.

of an ashy hue
less.

all

His countenance was

his leaden

eye seemed sight-

THE CZAR.
.

235

Various were the conjectures of his subjects

on the object of the convocation, which had not

yet transpired.

In a solemn but feeble voice,

Ivan broke the portentous

" The hand of

are

numbered

No

cell.

God

silence.

upon me

is

they must

longer able to

my days

end in the

cloister-

contend with the

cares of empire, anxious to quit

abdicate the throne of Russia.

its

pomps,

Boyars,

make

your election of a monarch worthy the charge,

that I

may

resign to

him

my

sceptre and

my

kingdoms."

sorry remnant of the bravest of his subjects

were there,

men whose

noble thoughts gave

credit to their fellow-creatures for virtue

truth.

They

and

trusted the words, believed in the

sincerity of Ivan

they thought him

dued by repentance, and were

now sub-

affected

by

this

pious resolve, this abjuration of worldly greatness.

Others there were

who

suspected the

THE CZAR.

236
hypocrite.
sions,

vile ministers to his evil

pas-

and ever ready instruments of his abused

power,
the

The

could not

man.

Yet

be

all

knew

they

deceived;

joined in one vociferous

prayer

" Abandon us

not,

Czar

We

would

whom God

have no other sovereign than he

hath anointed."

The

eyes of Ivan resumed their lustre

keen

and searching was the glance of the sovereign

as he

sought to test their fealty

none were

overlooked in that rapid survey.

At

first

entreaties,

he made a

feint of resisting their

but yielding

at length with

much

seeming reluctance, he consented to resume, at

their so earnest prayer, the

wearisome burthen

of a crown, whilst he marked for death those

who had been

But the
outward

least urgent.

sceptre,

the crown,

pomp and grandeur he

all

objects

of

banished from

THE CZAR.
his sight

237

and from that day assumed a mo-

nastic habit.

He

assisted at the masses for

the dead, endured penance, sent largesses to the

Greek patriarchs of Constantinople, Antioch,

Alexandria, and Jerusalem, to engage them to

pray for K the repose of the soul of the Czarevitch."

But how did he provide

his

own ?

Alas

for

the peace of

the murders were incessant

the halls of the slobode soon resounded again

with obscene mirth, though, we are

the

memory

Night

after night,

to shed tears.

Ivan tremblingly sought

He sought

the fiery brand in the heavens.

the hope that

night

it

in size,

that

of his son, in the midst of the

would often cause him

revels,

told,

it

it

in

was no longer there ; but each

acquired a deeper glow,

it

had increased

and he turned in despair from the por-

tentous si<m.

The
saries

witches, the sorcerers,

had hunted from

whom

their dens

his emis-

and caves

THE CZAR.

238
on the

northern

They were

arrived.

mansion of

sixty in

his favourite

number, and the

Belsky was assigned

There, dieted with

to their use.

had

of Muscovy,

confines

all

the exact

requirements of the superstition of the day,

and under a
further

commands

The chaman,

Mogul

guard, they awaited the

strict

of the monarch.

or witch of the Baskhirs

fortune-teller

the

the sorceress of Krasna-

yarsk, with her lofty plumes;

the

Tungusch

magician, her head surmounted by the horns of

the stag, with a tambour, four feet in diameter,

in one hand,

and a spear

in the other, presented

a motley assemblage of grotesque and savage

beings.

But the Chorinzienne,

surpassed them

and

all

or

Siberian witch,

in the ferocity of her looks,

in the extravagant

and barbarous costume

she wore.

In each hand she held a

scales,

cross, covered

and surmounted by a horse's

skull,

with

from

THE CZAR.

239

which depended innumerable small

Her

bells.

person was covered with a patched skin, the

worn

hair

From her

outwardly.

head, on

which she wore an iron helmet, surmounted by

a cross, hung an infinite number of appendages
representing serpents, rats, and toads, curiously
imitated with parti-coloured skins.

She had been driven

rest,

to

Moscow

with the

without any regard to her comforts

moreover, with the

inherent

aversion

rated,

throne.

She was

in

usurper of her

conquered race, against the

country^s

and,

at once incarce-

and put on the very lowest

diet

the

prescribed regimen of the professors of magic

would admit.
It

may

well be imagined that the principal

inducement to witchcraft in that benighted

age was to obtain, in idleness, the necessaries
of

life,

with as

practicable,

many

of

its

luxuries as

and consequently,

it

was

to

was
be

expected that the prophecies of these ladies

THE CZAR.

240

would be of good or

evil, in

proportion to their

expectations of reward.

With one

accord, the fair assembly awarded

to the Siberian the dignity of leader of their

respectable force, recognising the master-spirit

of witchcraft in her decided and undaunted

demeanour;

for,

of a verity, the termagant's

eye, filled with all the subtile juices of a bilious

temperament, in communion with a disordered

brain, acquired for her

an influence which they

voluntarily conceded to her.

The

Czar's

recourse to

insight into futurity

and seems

far

is

witchcraft for an

not to be wondered

at,

more pardonable than the de-

fence of that science penned

by the pedant

English king, James, at a later day.

presence of the divineresses awed Ivan.

The

They

boldly entered his presence as he lay upon a

couch, fearfully contemplating that part of the

firmament where the comet was blazing in

its

majestic and awful splendour.

all

THE CZAR.

211

The monarch was supported on

cushions,

his countenance indicative of inward torture.

His

entrails

body

to swell

were beginning to corrupt, his

:

boded that

all

life

was drawing

to its close.

The

practised

eye of the chief prophetess

took an undaunted survey of that feverish and

She marched towards

bloated countenance.

him with a measured

step, leading

on her fury

band.

As they formed

in a semicircle before the

monarch, a dead silence was maintained, for

king and courtiers were alike subdued.

The

eye of Ivan quailed before the searching gaze

of the witches, which was rivetted upon him.

Those

evil

matron

eyes,

carefully

influence should

from which the Muscovite

hid
fall

her

young,

upon and

lest

their

blight the sus-

ceptible beauty of youth.

No

one presumed to interrupt the wild mys-

terious chaunt.

Ivan had not power to move

THE CZAR.

242

As

or speak.

if

chained to that position, his

eye alone retained the power of action, and

turned in fear from the witches to the comet

from the comet to the witches.

The pro-

phetesses, conscious of their advantage in the

practised spell of their fixed glances, suffered

them not

for aninstant to

be diverted from the

Czar.

In a trembling voice, Ivan gave utterance to

his

commands.

" Ye hags
voices grate

At once

whose glances wither, whose

upon the

Creatures of

yon blazing

evil,

ear with fearful tidings

say your worst

what bodes

star ?"

the whole gang struck their tam-

bours, producing a sound deep and appalling.

Then
as

if

followed a jargon of mystical words,

another Babel had been visited with the

curse of tumultuous tongues.

The

Siberian sorceress,

restored, gave the cabalistic

when

silence

was

word of command,

! ;:

THE CZAR.
when

243

every voice joined in the following pro-

phecyIvan the dread

Thy sand

Yon

sped.

is

threatening star

Bodes death and war.

On
Is

thee

and

thine,

wrath divine

For mercy pray

Thy end
The

is

nigh

eighteenth day,

Czar

thou must die

This prophecy, in conjunction with the predictions

occasion,

and
fell

of Master

Tubervile,

was too much

debilitated frame

on a former

for the harassed

mind

monarch.

He

of the

into a death-like swoon, during

beldames were reconducted

which the

to their quarters.

THE CZAR.

244

CHAPTER XX.
" All the kings in Christendome have not

and

like riches

quantity of treasure." Horsey's Observations.

" Sa

bclle-fille s'etant

approchee du malade pour

lui

prodiguer de tcndres consolations, recula d'horreur, et s'enfuit

epouvantee dc sa lubricite

repentant

Etait-ce la un pecheur

Pensait-il au prochaiu et terrible jugement de

Dieu?
" Deja

Ies forces

du

tzar diminuaient sensiblement, et Ie

delire de la fievre egarait scs

sance,

il

voyait en imagination

il

Etendu sans connais-

idees.

appclait a haute voix le

fils

lui parlait

qu'il avait tue

avec tendresse

il

le

."

Karam&iw.

No

record was

inasmuch
liar;

as

now kept

of the assassinations,

custom had rendered them fami-

and the Muscovite had become supine

indifferent to scenes of bloodshed

and horror.

THE CZAR.
The Czar could
nate, but
jects

still

245

outrage, torture, extermi-

he could no longer astonish his sub-

even his annalists were weary of record-

ing the names of his victims.

But none of the

infernal instruments invented to tear piecemeal

pang equal

his slaves, could inflict a

which lacerated

own heart the memory of

his

His spectre-like shadow in

his beloved son.

the

dawn

of day was with

him

to its close

vanished not with the setting sun

at the
his lip

it

banquet

it

it

it

it

was there

held the cup of wassail to

whispered in the silence of solitude

placed the murderer's pillow, and remained

his ever wakeful

if

to that

guard through the night ; and

exhausted nature did sometimes close his

weary eyes in sleep

for a

few moments,

it

was

an age of suffering condensed in that short

space,

when memory

held

its

uninterrupted

sway.

From

his unquiet

VOL.

III.

couch he would

start,

and

THE CZAR.

246

seek in change of scene a change of thought.

The

icy

wind of Russians winter cooled not his

fevered brow.

heavy atmosphere seemed to press upon

him; an

impregnated the

offensive smell

air;

the effluvium of the charnel-house was in

it

it

bore an ensanguined hue.

Many
him

were the resources tried to procure

Music, to scare away thought-

repose.

voices in sweet
lerable

harmony

solitude

for silence

maddening.

Mas

Human

into-

forms

surrounded him; vacancy, where they came

not,

was

filled

up with the

The heavens were

spectre of his son.

a fresh cause of terror to

the murderer's gaze, for there the

beacon of his

fate

dazzling

blazed through the

long

wintry night.

At length he

clothed himself in sackcloth,

he took the monastic vow

derer

still.

The

but

was the mur-

death-scroll lay beneath his

THE CZAR.
names

pillow;

penned

for

247

morrows

the

slaughter,

for the executioner.

Sometimes he endeavoured to excuse himself

for

the murder of his son,

as its

or

instigator,

charging Heaven

cursing

Providence for

whom

having given him a son,

he was fated

to slay.

Acquiring some degree of consolation from

this palliation of the deed,

led

it

him to the

belief

that he was the aggrieved party, and his wrath

fell

in consequence

upon the

of the late Czarevitch.

came the

and family

His son's widow be-

object of his hate.

The heart-broken
incarcerated for
refuses to relate

drew

friends

life

relict

of the prince was

in a convent.

more of

Our pen

his crimes, for they

to a rapid close.

We

stop not to record the subsequent crimes

linked with the

joyfully

come

name

of Ivan the Terrible,

and

to the close of a reign which, for

'

THE CZAR.

248

some wise purpose, was permitted

to last so

long, a curse to his subjects.

The Czar was wasting

perceptibly.

His

limbs began to forget their functions, and he

was now conveyed from place

to

place in a

chair.

The chamber
resort.

of jewels was his

There he would

feast his last

favourite

and pre-

avarice. The untold treaheaps of gold the chests of jewels,

dominant passion
sure

the

were

his joy

and as he surveyed the masses of

wealth, stored in recesses, heaped in pyramids,

preserved in coffers
tion

to

it

was a constant

satisfac-

the misers heart, to reflect that no

monarch of Christendom possessed such vast

stores of riches.

At break

At noon

of day, the witches were consulted.

at

night

at

all

hours, messengers

were dispatched to them continually, from the

impatient, the ever restless Czar.

THE CZAR.

249

The eighteenth of March approached.

historians

precise

of the day agree with

time of the

The

us in the

of this pro-

fulfilment

phecy.

The comet was now

of fearful dimensions

it

illumined the whole hemisphere, colouring the

firmament with

The

its fire.

day, big with the fate of Ivan,

arrived.

He

lived,

but a fearful change had

come over him within the

last

few hours.

His person had swollen to a great

countenance exhibited
fluids of the

had

of the

signs

size, his

vitiated

body, yet was he apparently un-

conscious of the change.

All he hoped for,

all

he thought

of,

was the

of the sorcerers.

falsification of the prediction

Their death was predetermined

he would him-

self attend the auto-da-fe.

These prognosticators of
foreseen

that

evil

the 'eighteenth

should have

was

the

day

250
of their

THE CZAR.

own doom, and Godounoff was

patched with the exulting threat to the

-prophets.

disfalse

THE CZAR.

251

CHAPTER XXI.
" The soothsayers
constellations

day."

tell

him

that the heavenly planets

Horsey's Observations.

" Tout a coup

il

" Le Kremlin

tombe

et

ferme

des cris lamentables

We

important and
life

yeux pour

l'eternite'

grande nouvelle: on

et a Pinstant le peuple

poussa

quoi les attribuer ?"

now approach,"

traced the

les

retentit bientot de la

entendit crier le tzar n'est plus

and

would produce the emperour's death by such a

says the annalist, " an

solemn event

of Ivan,

After having

we behold

in his extra-

ordinary end a scene calculated to scare the

imagination, for the tyrant died as he had lived ?

Contemporary

tradi-

tions have not designated his last victims.

Can

exterminating mankind.

the CZAR.

2d2

one believe in the immortality of the soul, and

not tremble at such a death

" The continual delirium of rage and fear

remorse without repentance; his dreadful apprehensions of death

an impotent fury
to

crown

all,

the tortures of shame

in the reverses of

the gnawing

worm

war ; and

of infanticide

torments, the forerunners of hell, had exceeded

the measure of

human

strength."

Yet how can we account

for

what follows

the above, by the same writer, in the same

page?

" Christian charity reigned

in

all

hearts

forgetting the cruelty of the Czar, the citizens

prostrated themselves in the temples, offering up

their supplications for his recovery
families,

persecuted

widows, the orphans of innocent vic-

tims sacrificed to his fury, implored the mercy

of Heaven in his behalf

and he, on the

brink of the grave, was, by his

carried into the apartment

own command,

which contained his

THE CZAR.
treasures

....

The

jewels!

he contemplated his precious

fifteenth of

them with much

253

March, he showed

satisfaction to

an Englishman

named Horsey."

We

continue our statement in the words of

our countryman

" The emperour * * * * was carried every day

in his chair to his treasury.

before

emperour

the

beckoned to
stood

me

among

his

to follow,

One day
death),

and

the

prince

adventurously

the rest, and heard

his precious stones

{two days

him

He

and jewels.

call for

then held

discourse to the nobles about him,

Uasssilibittl)

t>te=

directing his eye

and speech most

tourge of

to Boris Godounoff, of the nature

gemmcg.

and properties of

the world-compassing

wayters to

make

his

loadstone

gemmes ;

of

(causing the

a chaine of needles therewith

touched), of the corall also, and turkesse, whose

beautifull colours (sayd he) layd

poysoned

with

inflammation,

on

you

my
see

arme
are

THE CZAR.

254

my

turned pale, and declare

&n

out
WLvl=

staffe royal (an

unicorne's

home, garnished with very

rornc's

Iwne

my

Reach

death.

faire

diamonds, rubies, saphires, eme-

cost

70,000

ralds,

marfe*.

and other precious stones

cost

it

70,000 marks sterling,

bought of David Gowell, of the Fulkers of

Augsburge), seeke out some spiders
his physician,
circle thereof
it

Johannes

upon the

one spider, and

presently

others

away from

another, which burst

without the

it alive.

It is too late

the diamond most precious of

powder
rubie

is

running

circle

will

it

not

Behold these precious stones

preserve me.

affected it;

and put within

table,

after

scrape

to

Esloff,

caused

it

Then he

the nature of the

uncleanenesse,

never

the

and memory

That emerald, of

rainbow,

points to

this comforts the braine

clarineth congealed blood.

and luxury; the

restrains fury

poyson.

other

all

is

enemy

to all

THE CZAR.
The saphyre

I greatly delight

255

in it preserveth

and encreaseth nature and courage

the heart

pleasing to

is

rejoiceth

the vitale senses,

all

sovereigne to the eyes, strengthens the muscles.

Hee

takes the onyx in hand, &c.

All these are

secrets

in nature, re-

God's wonderfull
vealed to

man's use and contemplation,

friends to grace
I

and

faint,

virtue,

and enemies

carry me away

till

as

to vice

another

In the afternoon, he peruseth over his

time.
will,

gifts

and yet thinkes not

him

father dares not put

in holy forme.
place,

to dye.

His ghostly

mind

of annointing

in

Hee hath been witched

in that

and often unwitched againe."

" He commands the master of the apotheke,

and the physicians,
solace

enquires the

sends his

favorite

their calculations.

a bath for his

to prepare

goodnesse of the signe

to

his

Hee

witches,

tells

know

them the empe-

rour will bury or burne them

all

and lyes; the day

is

illusions

to

quicke for their

comme he

is

THE CZAR.

256
heart-whole

as

as

ever he

"was
;

you know the

it

ends with the

answered) bee not so wrathful

day

is

come, and you know

sun-setting.

made

Hee

hasts

him

(they

sir,

to the

emperour

preparation for his bath about the third

houre of the day. The emperour therein solaced

and made merry

himself,

after his use,

came out about the seventh houre

well refreshed, sate

3Juan
ITassUtbitcJ)
lite tieatD.

and

down upon

Bedman
his,

to

sets

his

a favorite of

bring the

chesse-board,

his

chief favorite

men

shirt,

and linnen hose,

ward.

Great was the

act of

Eelsfeoi
ant)

33orug.

time

he

Fedorowich Godonow,

He, in

being then about him.

tjje

his bed, cals

Birkine,

others, with Boris

juppo<sct>

songs

Avith pleasant

his loose

fals

back-

and out-cry.

One

faints,

stirre

and

gowne,

sends for aquavitae, another

the

apotheke

for

and

vinegar

rose-water, with other things,

to

call

the physicians.

was strangled,

and

starke

to

and

Meandead.

THE CZAR.
Some show

of hope was

257

made

to

still

the

out-cry."

" He was

a goodly

man

of presence, well-

favoured, of a high forehead and shrill voyce

a right Scythian,
cruell

full

of readie wit and wisdome,

and mercelesse

his

owne experience

ruled state causes and affaires publike.

He was

sumptuously entombed in Michael Archangell

Church, where his memory

is

still

dreadful!,

though guarded day and night, they which

passe

by or heare

blessing

againe."

themselves

his

name, crossing and

from

his

resurrection

THE CZAR.

253

CHAPTER XXI.

" Lorsque ce tyran fut mort, on assure

que son corps

disparut aussitdt, et on ne le put jamais trouver."

Relation,

&c. de Moscovie.

" Les historiens ont eu l'impudeur d'ecrire

a adoucir

les

moeurs de sanation."

qu'il s'attacha

Histoire de la Russie,

EEDUITE, &C.

"

II

paraissait encore

redoutable

aux courtisans qui

le

regardaient sans oser en croire leur propres yeux, ni publier

sa mort
" L'histoire ne pardonne pas aux mauvais princes aussi
facilement que les peuples !"

The

Karamsix.

Colossus was overthrown

wreck inspired awe.

but even the

Yet the opinions of men

were mute before the judgment of God.

perstition

added

to their terrors, for

it

Su-

was said

.THE CZAR.

259

that the body of the deceased had suddenly

disappeared, and was never

We

are informed that there

of mourning.

wept

more heard

his loss

pressive of

was a

of.

show

loyal

It is recorded that Ins followers

that every countenance was ex-

woe; and that the metropolitan's

funeral oration proclaimed " that the sun of

Russia had set."

Inexplicable enigma

every

human

tie

He who had

severed

had sown dissension ; had

armed the destroyer of

his kin

whose myrmi-

dons violated the confidence reposed in them

by

his subjects, to entrap the

unwary, and thus

avail themselves of a pretext for

plunder

silenced the voice of complaint

by

death,

who
and

bade the sons of those he had sacrificed pledge

him

in

wine at the foot of the

the slaves bewailed his loss

orphan

the

mercy

for

A more

scaffold.

The widow

Yes,

the

condemned, implored Heaven's

Ivan
enlightened people would have drag-

THE CZAR.

260
ged

to the scaffold the

who, whilst he
race,

lived,

and when he

impure bsdy'of a despot,

was the scourge of

his

died, left his country a prey-

to the vengeance of the neighbouring nations

he had outraged.

Some

writers have advanced that he sought

to refine the

manners of the age

pen has been found

to proclaim

the hireling

him learned

and pious, magnanimous and brave, concluding, that the tears of his people

eulogium

were his best

They were the

tears of

slaves

Both metaphysically and morally, the character of Ivan

is

inexplicable.

i(

He was

hero of virtue in his youth," say some.

of

gave indications

his

"He

sanguinary disposi-

tion in his earliest years," say others; whilst

we

are taught to infer that his virtuous, his

exemplary

first

wife,

alone

restrained

him

from crime.

The only way

in

which we can explain

this

THE CZAR.

261

seeming contradiction of character,

from the

is

besotted ignorance and superstition of his sub-

who

jects,

attributed to their sovereigns a right,

hardly second to that of their God.

He

has been compared to Caligula, to Nero,

throned author of

to the

massacre

bygone
alone

St.

Bartholomew^

but even they, fearful meteors of

ages, have

been surpassed ; Ivan stands

unparalleled.

It is stated that

Alexander the Great

he emulated the fame of

" he who could command

an army of three hundred thousand men," yet

trembled before the Frenchman,
at the

head of a

loved justice"
nina.

jects"

tithe of that force.

!

De

la

yet established the Opritch-

" That he forbade excesses

in his sub-

yet presided over the drunken

the slobode.

Gardie,

" That he

orgies of

" That he detested adulation"

yet destroyed an elephant whose

necessity, not flexure,"

et

legs are, for

and would not bend

THE CZAR.

262

" That he loved the

him.

before

sciences"

yet

and

deprived an architect of sight.

" That he was pious"

was found the

pillow,

arts

yet, 'neath

his death-

scroll for the

morrow's

executions.

Ivan was a

legislator,

which he was the

and framed new laws,

first

to

He was

break.

accounted brave, but his renown was borrowed

from the courage of his blindly devoted Voy-

own cow-

vodes, too often sacrificed to his

ardice.

Shall

we

censure or praise the blind submis-

sion of a vast nation to the yoke of a relentless

despot

The answer

difficult for

who

men

to this query

is

not born to slavery

perhaps

for men

invest not mortals with the attributes of a

Supreme Being.
Tyrants such as Ivan, thanks to a merciful
Providence, appear but seldom.
like blazing beacons,

to

They come

warn man of those

THE CZAR.

263

rocks and quicksands on which, when- aban-

doned to

and

his

own

guidance, he

ever wrecked

lost.

The reader

will doubtless

moral from these pages

deduce his

but we

them without some comment

the

is

life

will

own

not close

That

though

of a tyrant be calamitous to his genera-

tion, it offers a useful lesson in after ages to

nations and to kings; and mankind, in their

horror of evils experienced, learn to love and

reverence virtue.

may, however, be conceded, with much

It

appearance of reason, that Ivan was made for

Russia in that day, and Russia for him.
subjects,
race,

proud of a sovereign of

their

His

own

soon forgot his enormities, and remem-

bered only that he was the conqueror of Kazan,

Astrachan, and Siberia.
over the

and

memory

They ceased

to

weep

of their slaughtered friends

families, whilst

they gloried in the great-

THE CZAR.

264

ness of their Czar, and exulted in the humiliation of nations to

which they were once

tri-

butary.
:fc

;j

$z

THE CZAR.

26c

CONCLUSION.
Little now remains

may perhaps

The reader

to be told.

inquire for

some of those who

have figured in the present story.

has been the

life

Our

task

of Ivan, and such persons as

were necessaiy to

its

development have been

brought forward.
Katinka,

the

adopted child of the Bas-

manoffs, lost caste

ratofF;

by her marriage with Sku-

and on the death of her husband, was

forgotten in the vulgar crowd.

Sabakin, the

reputed father of the Czarina, survived not long

his beloved Marfa.

Turn we now
fate

to those few friends

was more intimately linked with our

whose
story,

THE CZAR.

266

and

whom

in

patriotic

may have

the reader

interest

the

his bride, the doctor,

British

taken a

ambassador,

Master George, and our

adventurous acquaintance, Jocko.

Whilst the events relating to the death of

Ivan took place, our friends were progressing

on

their

homeward way,

to the sea-girt land

of freedom.

Much

rejoiced

was Master George.

sundry escapes had sharpened

native land

His

his relish for his

and firmly did he resolve

that,

once harboured in old England, no traveller's

boast should tempt him thence again.

The Lady Randolph had overcome "

spirit's

the

wound," which,

Czarevitch,

the

in the base attempt of

had been

inflicted

whilst

proudly conscious of her husband's love, the

past enhanced the future

and her

nobled by his rank, and more than

by

his

sentiments towards her,

life,

all,

en-

blessed

held out a

THE CZAR.

26?

cheering prospect on the journey; and the difficulties

of travelling in that age and country-

vanished before the ardent colourings of fancy,

and the romance of her young and

affectionate

heart.

If the Muscovite were delighted at the departure of Sir

Thomas Randolph and

his party,

it is

certain that the Englishers were overjoyed at the

prospect of being soon without the boundary

of his Czarine

They

dominions.

majesty's

were far on their way, in the direction of Yeroslav, before nightfall of the

day of their departure

from Moscow.

They then encamped, and

in the tent of the

ambassador, the Lady Randolph gave reception

to the doctor

and Tubervile.

Around the

social

board, more happiness was evinced than of late

had been

their portion.

The poet was happy

in

many brilliant

sallies,

which, however, were not too adulatory of Ivan

the

Terrible.

Their

anticipated

arrival

in

THE CZAR.

2GS

England

many

originated

pleasant

reminis-

cences of friends and country, and the hilarity

by many a

of the evening was heightened

heartfelt toast to those they loved

beyond the

sea.
i:

And

now, Master Tubervile,"

Thomas, " an

it

said

Sir

please thee to delight our ears

with some English ditty of thine

Muse

beseech thee to invoke the

own

poesy,

in our behalf,

with which we do entreat the kind companionship of thy voice."

Master George paused

for a

earnestly contemplating the

few moments,

moon,

as if to be-

speak her influence; and under that power,

which had
poets,

oft inspired so

commenced

the following

good old English measure

Adieu

many

planet-struck
song,

to the land of the slave,

Which

the rod of a tyrant has smitten

There's a land for the free and the brave,

And

that

is

the

home

of the Briton.

to

THE CZAR.
Let them glory

The scourge

in fetters

that

Let them crouch

The sword

We

Is ever
!

caress

is lifted to

flay

to the despot,

that

have tyrants,

And O

269

is

true,

and bless

brandish'd

'tis

them

to slay

them.

but their chain

entwined with sweet roses

if

they solace our pain,

Their kindness Elysium discloses.

And

the chain, the bright chain that

Of heavenly joys
For

'tis

And

wove by

the lock

is

is

the

the

omen

we

wear,

hand of the

fair,

secured by sweet

woman.

" Accept our thanks, Master Tubervile,

thy good song.
fancy

" thou

In truth, thou hast a ready

and methinks," added

art

more

as a poet in this

likely to

Sir

Thomas,

meet with thy deserts

Augustan age of

merry England, than thou didst

loger in the country from which

literature, in

as

an astro-

we now make

our escape.

VOL.

III.

for

THE CZAR.

270

The countenance
Her

piness.
to

all

radiant smile communicated itself

As

around.

on duty

of Grace glowed with hap-

for

at the door, to the consternation of his

majesty's loyal troops

for

Jocko, he posted himself

his

antics,

his

who formed

ever,

and continued

grimaces,

chatter, were, if possible,

their escort;

more shunned than'

and a wide area was preserved between

the tent of the English and the bivouac of the

military;

for

wheresoever his volatile excel-

lency presumed to extend his walk towards the

heroes of the Kremlin, so surely did those for-

midable defenders of Holy Russia suddenly

turn

tail,

with the exclamation of a late general,

" sauve qui peut

;" or, in plain

language, " take

to your heels."

After a prosperous journey, by

roslav, Vologda,

and Colmagro, to

the ambassador's party set

and with favourable

gales

way

of Ye-

St. Nicholas,

sail for

soon

England*

compassed

THE CZAR,
Cape, " where

North

the

swimming upon the

whales

and

in less

271
they might

sea the

Sperma

see

Cetae

than a month from the

day of their embarkation they were landed

at

Gravesend.

Thomas Randolph posted immediately

Sir

Greenwich,

to

where Queen Elizabeth was

then domiciled, and obtained instant audience.

The
fid

illustrious sovereign

servant with

all

welcomed her

faith-

becoming condescension,

the which his long and arduous services had

merited.

She would on the instant hear

own account

of his

negotiations

et

his

with her

right well-beloved cousin, Ivan Vassilivitch."

Sir

Thomas

delicacy, the

earnest

did deliver, with

truth and

all

burthen of his mission

fixed

was the attention of the queen.

and

He

touched upon the grievances of her subjects,

whereat the sovereign waxed exceeding wroth.

" Now, by God's blood the Vandal hath the

!

THE CZAR.

272
best of

it,

seeing the coast of

yet but a sorry

mark

Muscovy

is

for the broadsides of

as

my

good ships."
Sir

Thomas

dwelt

upon

the

straits

to

which the good Doctor Wilmington had been

reduced, and with

much

politic

caution ven-

tured to relate the circumstance of his hasty

marriage.

Fortunately for the ambassador the event

was coupled with the mighty achievements of

Jocko, which so delighted her royal ear, that

it

counterbalanced her maidenly aversion to the

of her favourites;

nuptials

and her hearty

laugh at the abduction of the monkey instead

of the maid, did quite obliterate

brance of displeasure;
reprisals

in

all

remem-

sooth, these

were

worthy the Russian's prank, and again

her royal mirth broke forth in unrestrained

laughter.

When

she

had

somewhat recovered her

THE CZAR.
queenly

much

composure, she did express herself

interested

commanded

the parties,

in

presence

the

and

the

of

straight

the

lady,

least,

of tho

tremblingly the lovely bride

of Sir

secretary, and,

renowned

More

273

though

traveller,

last

not

Jocko.

Thomas approached her majesty

of

England

than she had the throne of the mighty autocrat of Russia.

Elizabeth

The

appealed

greatness and glory

both to the

heart

understanding;

these

sovereign with

claims to patriotic

qualities

invested

of

and
the

gratitude

and admiration, and Grace bent her knee with

reverence.

The maiden queen

did not

much

relish the

beauty of her subject, which, in the opinion of

some, might be deemed equal,
to her

if

not superior,

own, and such conclusion did not exactly

square with her notion of that which was her

royal due; yet did her better judgment soon

THE CZAR.

2/4
the

forth

drive

demon

envy,

gracious smile she extended her

and with a

hand

to receive

Lady Ran-

the almost reverential salute of the

dolph.

" Odds pettikins

Ambassador,"

Master

exclaimed the maiden sovereign, " thou hast

made

dispatch

for,

by God's

light

thou hast

not only cared for our foreign, but our

sendee.

An'

home

do not deceive myself, thou

wilt

soon present us with another loyal guardian of

our throne."

Poor Grace would have given worlds

to

have

concealed her embarrassment.

u
of,

'Slife

for

Good

but there

nought

to

be ashamed

one who bears the name of Randolph.

Thomas, we
"
the font/

Nor

is

Sir

did the

promise;

*'

with thy lady to

magnanimous queen

neither

services of the

will

did she

fail

forget her

to requite the

good Doctor Wilmington, who

THE CZAR.

275

received the appointment of physician to her

Master Tubervile,

household.

at a later day,

was knighted; and Jocko was pensioned

off

on the public purse.

We

conclude with the honourable testimony

borne by one of his contemporaries, to the

whom

worthy

of the

character

a better or

more

ambassador, than

loyal subject lived not

in her majesty's wide dominions.

"

git Zijomas

He had

beene employed in

many seuerall embassies

iant)clpl).

to the peeres in Scotland;

Mary

of

Scotland,

after

thrice to

her

thrice

Queene

returne

from

Seuen times to lames the Sixt of

France.

Scotland ; thrice to John Basilides, emperour of

Russia

once to Charles the Ninth of France,

and againe
rewarded
lain's

to

Henry the Third.

this his

office

in

The queene

seruice with the

the

Chamber-

Exchequer, heretofore a

place of great honour and worth, the Master-

THE CZAR.

2JG

ship of the Post-horses, and some small land.

Neither could ambition, or the charge of

children,

occasion

greater wealth,

any

appetite

to the true

tented iniiide for

all

in

Cunningham,

him of

patteme of a con-

high and worldly men.''

THE END.

J.

many

Printer, Crown-court, Fleet-street.

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA

3 0112

HWMMmni

042045457