b o o k All thefe allegations, however, thus urged againft the
. / . pretenfions of Demetrius, could not efface the prepoffeffions
entertained by the generality of the Ruffians in favour of his
imperial defcent. A freffi infurredlion was hourly expedted;
and fome tranfient tumults took place, in which Vaffili
Shuifki narrowly efcaped deftrudtion. In this critical ftate
of affairs he had recourfe to the following expedient, for the
purpofe o f appeafing the public fufpicions. A rumour being
fpread, that the body of the young prince, formerly murdered
at Uglitz, had performed miracles; a deputation of
feveral bifhops and nobles was fent to that town to take up
the hallowed corpfe from the fepulchre, and to tranfport it
to Mofcow.
“ Upon opening the tomb,” relates Mr. Muller from the
Ruffian archives, “ an agreeable odour filled the whole
“ church : the body was uncorrupted, and the very clothes
“ entire; one of his hands grafped fome nuts that were
“ fprinkled with blood, and which the young prince had
“ been eating at the inftant of his affaffination. His relics
w were carried in great ftate to Mofcow : on their approach
“ to the city they were met by Vaffili Shuifki, the widow of
“ Ivan-Vaffilievitch II. and a large concourfe of people; and
depofited with much folemnity in- the cathedral of St. Mi-
“ chael. During the proceffion many, troubled with various
u diforders were miraculoufl-y reftored to health after the
“ body had been placed in the cathedral, thirteen fick perfons
“ declared themfelves to have been relieved of their com-
“ plaints by the interpoiition of the f a in tand the fame
u number were healed on the enfuing day
Let us contrail this account with the relation of the opposite
party.. “ On the 4th of June a difpute concerning De-
* S. R „ G . vol. V . p. 3; 1. “ metritis
i metrius arofe between the Strelitz and the people, who af- CHAP-
ferted that he was not an impoftor. The tzar and th e 1 . -
boyars cry out, The people fhall have ocular conviction
“ that the true Demetrius was killed at Uglitz ; his body is.
“ now removing to Mofcow, and has performed many ftu-
“ pendous miracles. The boyars procured a poor man’s
“ child, about thirteen years o f age, cut its throat, and having
“ committed it for a few days to the ground, conveyed it to
“ Mofcow, fhowed it to the people, and declared this was the
“ true Demetrius, whofe body, although fo long interred, was-
“ f t 11 uncorrupted, which the fooliih multitude, believed,
“ and were appeafed
The reader will judge which,of thefe two-accounts is moftr
likely to be true.
Thefe are the principal circumftances in the ad ventures-
of the perfon, who feated himfelf upon the Ruffian throne
under the name of Demetrius. His hiftory is greatly involved
in contradiction and obfcurity : unbiaffed, however,
by the prejudices of either party, let us compare with candour
their oppofite reprefentations; and endeavour to afcer-
tain, whether he were an impoftor, or the real ion of Ivan-
Vaffilievitch II.
They who contend that he was an impoftor, thus relate-
his hiftory. He was of the family of Otrepief; his real name
was George, which, upon his affirming the monaftic habit
in the fourteenth year of his- age, he changed into Gregory,,
and was generally known by the appellation of Grifka t
Otrepief: for feme time he refided at Sufdal,. and having-
afterwards wandered from convent to convent, he was con-
fecrated- deacon in the monaftery of Tchudof at Mofcow,.
* Fayerne in Schmidt Ruff; Gef. vol..I. little Gregory. He was called alfo Roilriga,.
i i 3 or-Deferter; from having quitted his cont
vjruka, in the Ruffian tongue, ..iignifies vent»..
whera