b o o k a n ( j determined to ereit a court of inquiry at his palace of
, m‘ preobraiheniki, where the inftruments of the queftion were
brought. The tzar himfel f examined the accufed, urged them
to confeffion, and ordered thofe who maintained filence to
be racked in his prefence. The cruelty of the tortures employed
on this occafion was inexpreffibly dreadful: human
nature ihudders at the recital, but it is neceffary to mention
them in a juftification of Sophia. Some of the rebels were
repeatedly whipped; others had their ihoulders diflocated by
a cord and pulley, and in that painful pofture received the
ftrokes of the knoot; many after undergoing the knoot were
roafted over a flow fire, the raw parts being expofed to the
flame * . Phyficians were prefent to afcertain the degree of
pain the unhappy convidts were capable of fupporting, and
to recover thofe who had fainted away, that the application
of freih tortures might recommence upon the renewal of
their ftrength. This dreadful inquifition was continued,
without the leaft intermiffion, through the whole month of
Odlober. Not only every fpecies of puniihment, the moit
refined which human cruelty could devife, was inflidled in
order to extort an aCcufation of Sophia, but promifes of pardon,
and even of great promotion, were offered for the fame
purpofe to the wretched fufferers even in the midft of the
At
witnefles to their infliition upon the Stre-
litz. Korb’s authority is alfo the more to
be depended upon in this inftance, becaufe
he ijpeaks highly in favour o f Peter, and
condemns the ambition o f Sophia. Gordon
alfo, though fo partial to Peter, informs us,
that the rebels were tortured and examined
in his prefence. Vol. X. p. 129.
44 Prima,fays Korb, in the 164th page of
his Diary, 44 poft adventum follicitudo de
44 rebtllione fuit j quomodo compofita?
44 duid
moft excruciating agonies +-.
* I t appears from Olearius, and other
travellers into Ruflia, that thefe tortures
were ordinarily ufed in that country for the
purpofe o f forcing eonfeffion.
-f- This account is extra-ited from the
Diary o f Korb, fecretary o f the Auftrian
embafly to Ruffia in the year 1697, and who
was prefent at Mofcow during thefe horrid
proceedings. He received information o f
thefe dreadful tortures from feveral German
officers in the fervice o f Peter, who were eye-
At length a few of the Strelitz, overcome by the feverity
©f the torments, or feduçed by hopes .of pardon and the >
promife of promotion, confeffed, that it was their intention
to fet fire to the fuburbs of Mofcow, to maffacre all foreigners,
to baniih or affaflinate the principal nobility, to
raife the tzarovitch Alexèy to the throne, and to appoint
Sophia regent during his minority ; while others declared
that the ringleaders had actually drawn up a petition, which
they intended to prefent to that princefe, praying her to accept
the adminiftration of affairs.
Although none of the rebels charged Sophia with being
acceffory to their infurredtion, yet Peter was fo prejudiced
againft her, that he put to the torture one of her female attendants
; and when no evidence of her guilt could, be proquid
animi tumultuantibns fuifiet ? qui-
bus auchoribus tantum nefas auft ? cùm
autem nemo eflet, qui ad omnia punita
accurate refpondere poiTet, his fu am ig~
norantiam, illisStreliziorum pertinaciam
Obtendentibus, omnium fiderà fufpeflam
habere & novae inquifitioni cogjtationes
fuas admovere coepit. Qui in vicinis va-
riis locis cuftoditi aflervabantur rebelles,
ii omnes per quatuoi; militum pretoriano
rum regi mina ad quaeilionem novam, Sc
torturam retrahebanrur. Bebrafchentfko
reduitis career, tribunal fuit, S&equuleus.
Nulla dies quaefitoribus vacua fafta aut
ne fafta, omnes ad torquendum idònei li-
citiquQ vili. Quot rei, tot kouttre,. quot
quaditores, tot carnifices. Princeps Feu-
dor Jurowiz Romadonowfki, quantum
c¡eteris feverior, tantùm praeftabat in-
quirehdi aptitudine.. Ipfemet Magmi».
Dux ob conceptam in fuos diffidentiam,
inquifitori» officio fun&us eft. Ipfe interrogatoria
ponebat, examinabat reos,
non confitentes urgebat, pertinacioris
etiam filentii St rei izios crudeli jubebat
ftibjici; torturae, jam multa fallì, de plu-
ribus quterebantur, quos tormentorum
exceflu» viribus,. mente, et ip&s vix non.
44 fenfibus deftituit, medicorum induftria
44 priftinis fuis viribus* per.-novos çruciatus
“ denuo enervandis cogebatur reftituere.
44 Tòtus menfis Oitober reorum tergoribus
44 per knuttas Sì ignes excarnificandis infu-
44 mebatur : nulla die à flagris, aut flaminis
44 fuère immunes, quàm qua wel rota fra ito s,
“ -ad furcam aitos, veli fecuri-s interemptos
44 vira ipfa reliquerat.”
And again, 44 Inaudita fuit adhibitae tor-
44 turæ immanità» : flagris fæviffimè cæfi, fi
44 pertinaciam filentit. nondum rumperent,
44 faucia reorum tergerà fame, Se tabo flu-
44 entia igni admovebantur, ut per lentam
44 cutis Si carnis morbpfæ. adultionem acuti
44 dolores, ad ima offium, Sc: ext irema fenfu-
44 um:cuna atrocitlìmis cruciaribus defeen-
44 derent. Hæc tormentorum viciffitudo
44 una Si altera vice repetebatur. Horrenda
44 vi fu, Si audit a tragædîa. Ultra- triginta
44rin aperti campi planitie funeftifiìmi cpllu-
44 cebant ignes,. ubi milerrimi inquifiti cura
4'4- ejulatu terribile torre bantur.;: parte ex
4)4 alia refonabantcrudeliilìmi flagrorum ic-
44 tus, ut ex jiKundiffimà terne viciniâ fæ-
4,4 villima. haminmn carneficina faita fit.”
Diawuna.Itineris in.Mofcoviam, Scc. p. .162,
enred