•43 T R: A V-E L S I N T O R U S ’S I A.
b o o k -During the courfe of the feveral meetings that were held
' ■ -J on occafipn, lylirovitch aftonilhed the committee by 1ms
-iniolent and.undauntedihehavioura at laft, however,-he was
.foiought in fome meafure to a fenfe o f his crime, by the rc-
prefentations o f the archbilhop o f Rotlof, and four nobles
■fpecially deputed for that purpofe ; and being-then again exhorted
to confefs if he had any other affoeiates o f his guili,
•he firmly replied, “ As -a man devoted to die, I folemnly
declare, that my confeflion contains all 1 kn ow : I call upon
•“ the Almighty to witnefs the truth o f this aflertion, and
to denounce his fevereft vengeance upon me in the next
. “ world, i f I have mifprefented any circumftance., or con-
“ cealed any accomplice.”
Being convitted o f high treafon, he was condemned to
dofe his head ; and the body, together with the fcaffold upon
which he was to fuffer, were ordered to be burnt upon the
fpot. This lente-nce was carried into execution on the 26th
o f September, in the large open fquare before the courts o f
juiticc in Peteriburgh. fie walked to the place-of execution
along the ftreets, filled with an innumerable concourle of
people, with an unconcerned air, and a fteady and affured
-countenance. Having mounted the fcaffold, he caft his eyes
around him with a look ..of indifference ; then croifed him-
ie lf, and without uttering a fingle word jS laid down his head
.upon the block, and dt was fevered from his body at one
itroke.
Mirovitch ¿lone-iuiiered capitally 5 his abettors were fub-
.jetted to different penalties, according to the degrees o f their
guilt. Pifkof, who was the moil criminal, wasfentenced torun
.the gauntlet t wel ve times through a line o f a thoufand men, and
be impr<?per t0 r em a rk ’ th a t Mir0TitCh was n o t P S g 'd , as ha s b e c a
his
II IS T O R Y | OF PR I N CE IVAN. 49
his five more immediate affoeiates ten times; they were then c h a p .
condemned for life to hard labour and imprifonment; a fen-.
tence' fcarcely lighter than death itfelf. It is needlefs to dif-
criminate the penalties impofed upon the others, which con-
fifted chiefly in the gauntlet, in degradation, and in condemnation
to ferve in diftant garrifons. It will be fufficient
to obferve, that fifty-five delinquents were involved in the
treafon o f Mirovitch : to: thefe muft be added Cafatkin and
Tchevaridfef, who were found, guilty o f holding treafonable
converfations with him; and NikitaDebedef, who was pu-
niihed for not having undeceived the foldiers by expofing
the faliity o f the imperial order which Mirovitch had forged.
Thefe are the principal fatts which I was able to collett
refpetting the life and death o f Ivan; and I have endeavoured
to ftate them, with perfett impartiality. The fame
regard to truth prevents me from concealing the reports'
\yhich were induftrioufly circulated, that the court not only
connived at, but even encouraged the attempt o f Mirovitch.'
The accufation is ftated in the following manner. Orders
were previoufly given to captain Vlafief and lieutenant Tche—
kin to deftroy Ivan, i f any attempt to releafe him ihould
be likely* to fucceed; and for the purpofe o f furnifliing
them with a pretence for difpatching him, Mirovitch was
privately mitigated to form a confpiracy in his favour. The
probability .of this accufation is founded on the following-
proofs. : . . i
I. That in the attack o f Mirovitch and his party on the
guards o f Ivan, not one perfon on either fide Was either
killed or wounded.
II. That the Condutt o f Mirovitch upon the failure o f his
projett, his daring and infolent behaviour under his trial,
. M P H and