b° ° k an(j his calm compofure at the place o f execution, are not
. ' , upon any other fuppofition to be accounted for.
III. That orders were certainly given to Vlafief and Tche-
kin for putting Ivan to death, and that they were as certainly
promoted for executing thofe orders.
I. With refpedt to the firft proof, we may readily allow
the fadt to have been very extraordinary; but by no meana
to be thought impoffible on account o f its Angularity. It'
is a well-known circumftance, that in the out-ikirts o f an
army large bodies o f light troops frequently approach clofe
to each other, and difcharge their fire without effedh And
i f this frequently happeus in the day time, its probability is
ftill further inereafed, when we confider that the rencounter
in queftion happened at two in the morning, and in the
midft o f a thick fog. The truth of this circumftance has-
been erroneoufly called in queftion : for I was informed at
Schluffelbu rgh, that almoft every morning in fummer a fog
precedes fun-ihine, which is naturally accounted for from
the very fituation o f the liland on which the fortreis ftands,,
in a marihy foil, and clofe to the largeft lake in Europe.
Nor is it extraordinary that the centinels o f Ivan, whcr
were but a few, and fome o f thefe few iheltered in the paf-
fage, and others probably behind the pillars o f the corridore,
ihould not be wounded by the random fhots o f the affail-
ants, wavering in their refolutions, and uncertain whether to
comply with, or difobey, the orders of their leader. With
refpedl to the party o f Mirovitch, the whole number did not
attack in a colledtive body t many o f them even conti-
nued at fome diftance; and they were all fo alarmed at the
unexpected return of their fire, that they inftantly difperfed,
and probably before all the guards had difcharged their
hnuikets. And even if they had, as they confifted only o f
eight
eight or ten, as the night was dark and the area large, it CI^ P-
. cannot be deemed furprizing that they miffed the affailants.«—
To a perion who has been upon the fpot, and examined the
pofition of the place, thefe circumftances and thefe fuppofi-
tions are far from appearing to be improbable : whereas, on
the other hand, i f we conclude the whole to have been concerted,
we muft allow that every individual, on both fides,
was previouily informed that the attack, as well as defence,
ihould be feigned; a cafe in itfelf impoffible, that a defign
of. fuch importance, and the mode o f accompliihing it,
ihould be entrufted to fo many, and thofe o f no higher rank
than common foldiers.
II. The fecond proof is drawn from the’cbndinft o f Mirovitch
upon the death o f Ivan, during his trial, and at the
place of execution.
In regard to his behaviour upon the death o f Ivan, it is
objected, that, inftead o f attempting to make any refiftance,
he calmly, and o f his own accord, delivered himfelf a pri-
foner. To this it may be anfsvered, that he had founded
all his hopes o f iuccefs upon obtaining poffeffion o f Ivan’s
perfon; the moment, therefore, that, thofe hopes were
fruftrated by the death of that prince, his fate was decided.
He had great difficulty in perfuading the foldiers to make
the fecond attack, when the prince was a liv e; what affift-
ance, therefore, could be expected from them when they
knew that he was dead 1 They had no other objeét than to
releafe Ivan, and had even been Unwillingly hurried on to
favour that attempt. Could Mirovitch fuppofe that they
would defperately affift him in attacking the officers, and in
forcing an efcape: and indeed whither could he efcape ? He
could neither conceal himfelf in the fortrefs, nor could he
eafily withdraw himfelf from the ifland. He had, therefore,
H a no