b o o k .entered Ruffia with an inconfiderable force, which encreafed
■ nl' i as he advanced; and although totally defeated, and almoit
defertedby the Poles, yet his array was foon recruited, and
became .more formidable than before his difcomfiture. Per-
firns of the firft diftinftion joined him from all quarters;
and the more he became perfonally known to the Ruffians,
the greater number of partizans flocked to his ftandard.
Nor did this feem owing to any want of popularity in Boris
Godunof, whofe adminiftration was greatly refpefted for its
vigour and wifdom; it rather proceeded from a general con-
viftion that .he was Demetrius.
When he was feated upon the .throne he did not aft like
an impoftor. Had he been one, he would fcarcely have
pardoned Vaffili Shuiiki, who had thrown doubts upon the
reality of his defcent. Inftead o f diibelieving, as he did, the
ftrongeft reports of an impending infurreftion, he would
have given a ready ear to the ilighteft rumours of plots and
machinations, and have taken every precaution againft them.
In a word, his general charafter was as thoughtlefs and in-
confiderate as it was open and fincere ; and, above all, his
freedom from fufpicion and jealoufy were incompatible with
the principles of an ufurper ijj
4. The conduft o f Maria Feodorofna muft be admitted as
fupporting the fame fide of the queffion. After having
* 46 Puis parlons,” fâys Margaret,-44 de
‘ fa clemence, envers un chacun après qu’i l
‘ fut receu en Mofco, et principalement
‘ envers Vacilli Choutfqui, lequel fut con-
4 vaincu de trahifon, &c. et mefmes fut le-
4 dit Demetrius prié par tou? les affiftans
4 de le faire mourir, veu qu’ il s4eftait tou-
4 jours trouvé perturbateur du repos pub-
‘ lie. Je parle comme ayant ouy et veu
‘ le tout de mes oreilles. Ce non obftant
‘ il luy pardonna, combien que Demetrius
u fçavoit bien que nul iï’ofoit afpirer à la
44 couronne que la dite maifon de Chouitf-
44 qui. Il pardonna auffi à plufieurs autres ;
44 car il eftoit fans foupçon,” p. 171.
44 Si il fe fut fenty coupable en aucune
4i chofe, ril euft eu jufte fujet de croire les ma-
44 china tions et trahifon s complottèes et tram-
4 4 mèes contre fa perfonne, des quelles il etoit
44 aifez adverty, et y euft pu remedier avec
44 grande facilité,” p. 174»
openly
openly acknowledged him for her fon, ilie is faid to have CHAP-
publickl-y difowned him. If both the avowal and denial were »■— . ' -
equally publick,they both might equally have been extorted
by fear ; and her teftimony muft be confidered as null. For
what credit can that woman deferve who could- at one
time admit a perfon to be her fon, and at another rejeft
him as fuch ? We may obferve, however, this difference,
that in the former inftance ffie owned him in perfon; in the
latter, ffie was not confronted with- him, but her anfwer was
brought by Vaffili Shuiiki *, who was moft interefted to
prove him an impoftor. It therefore follows, that i f (as
feems to be the-ca-fe) her avowal was publick, and her denial*
was not, the former is more to be depended upon than the
latter, an-d her teftimony muft be admitted in his favour t.
5. The very arguments advanced by the Ruffians to afcer-
tcin his impofture, ftrongly eftabliih the contrary pofition.
For how was the reality of his imperial defcent invalidated
by his being a forcerer, an heretic, or a mufician,,by his
predileftion to the Poles, not bowing to the image of St. Nicholas,
not bathing, eating veal; and fuch frivolous accufa-
tions J. Does not the adoption of thefe nugatory iniinua-
* Mr. Muller fays-, Vaffili Shuiiki took poned to io late a period ? and why was ihe
the trouble o f repairing himfelf to the convent., not confronted with the tzar, when he fo
Gab iich felbft die muehe. • repeatedly appealed to her teftimony as the
•j- Th e Ruffian authors aflert, that at the ftrohgeft proof o f his being the real Deme-
time when the relics were conveying to trius ? Haye we not.every reafon to con-
Mofcow, ilie publickly retraced the former elude, either that ihe did not publickly re-
teftimdny which ilie had given in his favour, trait her former aflev era tions in his favour;
upon their firft interview near Mofcow; or that, being in Vaffili Shuiiki’s power, (he
confeffing, that ihe had been induced by had been finally compelled to ait in fubfer-
threats, as well as from a defire o f procur- viency to his mandate ?
mg her liberty, to acknowledge an alien for % Many Ruffians, while they confefled
her fon. But .how are we certain that ilie that he was "the real fon 6 f Ivan Vaffilie-
really made this publick confcffion? Its vitch, denied his right to the throne, bp-
truth entirely refts upon the Ruffian papers, caufe his mother being the feventh.wife o f
which cannot beefteemedauthentickrecords, that tzar, he ivas1illegitimate. ' Margaret,
But why was her publick recantation poftr p. 17 1.
tions