b o o k rears. prince George Dolgorucki, their chief, ordered one of
■ ffl‘ ringleaders to be feized, and having condemned him to
be ftripped for the infli&ion of the knoot, an immediate in-
furrettion was the confequence; the executioners were tn-
fulted, and the prifoners refcued #. On the day fubfequent
to the interment of Feodor, the foldiers proceeded in a large
body to the Kremlin, and prefented a petition againft nine of
their colonels, who being delivered to them by the mimftry,
as the only means of appeafing. the tumult, they were publicly
whipped and difcharged t: Ivan Milolaflki inflamed
the difcontents of this mutinous body ; and though he was
confined to his chamber by a pretended ficknefs, he yet
contrived to hold feveral interviews with the ringleaders,
who aflembled at night in his palace. Sophia is alfo
accufed of being prefent at thefe meetings ; of diftn-
buting money to the principal infurgents ; and of exafpe-
rating. them againft the family of Nariikin. On the morning
of the 15th of May, a report being fpread that Peter
was not unanirooufly elefted, the drums beat to arms by
order of Ivan Milolaflki, and the Strelitz being tumultuoufly
aflembled, two perfons of his party entered their quarters,,
crying, “ The hour of vengeance is at hand, Ivan Alexie-
“ vitch is aflaffinated, and the Nariikins are matters of
“ Ruflia* Revenge the murder of the tzarovitch.-’ The
foldiers, being inflamed to fury by thefe exclamations,,
marched inftantaseoufly with drums beating and colours
flying to the Kremlin, tolled the great bell, furrounded the
palace, and demanded the traitors who had affaflinated Ivan,
although the tzarina immediately produced both Ivan and
* Gordon, p.. 70^ j, Ibid. p. 72 ; and Voltaire.
Peter,,
Peter, yet they were not appealed, but vehemently called
aloud for the execution of the Nariikins, whofe ambition and >— , i
tyranny would entail ruin upon their country ; adding, that
although Ivan had hitherto efcaped their machinations, he
was yet in danger of being aflaflinated at fome future period ;
and their fury was ftill further augmented by a rumour in-
duftriouily circulated, that Ivan Nariikin, the brother of the
tzarina, had feized the diadem and royal robes. In the midft
of this tumult, one. of the officers ventured to harangue the
foldiers : he allured them, that Ivan Alexeivitch was in perfect
fafety ; that all their grievances ihould be redrefled ;
and exhorted them to difperfe. This harangue feemed to
make a fenfible impreflion, and the tumult was fubfiding ;
when prince Dolgorucki imprudently threatened them with
the fevereft puniihment for their mutiny and rebellion : inflamed
by this ill-timed menace, they feized the prince,
hurled him into the air, received him upon their pikes, and
hewed his body to pieces. This aflaflination was but the
prelude to a more general maflacre, which took place in the
Kremlin, and in different parts of Mofcow, and continued
during three days without intermiflion. It would be need-
lefs, as well as fhocking to humanity, to enter upon a detail
of all the murders committed by this lawlefs rabble; it is fuf-
ficient to obferve, that not only the two brothers of the tzarina,
and a few others moft obnoxious to the infurgents, fell victims
to their fury, but feveral perfons, by no means unpopular,
were facrificed amidft the general confufion ; and as the foldiers
were roufed almoft to madnefs by intoxication, the
houfes of many citizens were plundered, and the city underwent
a general pillage.
In order to clofe this horrid fcene, the principal nobles
aflembled on the x 8th of May, and, by a compromife be-
F f f 2 tween