S4 T R A V E L S I N T O R D S S I A .
b o o k a n t s inftantly returned as foon as the forged order was read
. V’ ■ to them, and they returned with a loaded cannon. It follows,
therefore, that the officers and centinels found themfelves incapable
o f oppofition, and that Ivan rnuft have fallen into the
hands o f Mirovitch: they had, therefore, no other alternative
than to put him to death. Dreadful alternative indeed !
hut what they were obliged to embrace, for the prefervation
o f the publick tranquillity : i f they performed their duty in
this emergency, the approbation o f their fovereign, and
their fubfequent promotion, were the natural, and, I even
add, the juft confequences.
But furely the whole conduit o f Mirovitch, his afibciation
with Uihakof, their oath o f fidelity, the violent manifefto
againft the emprefs, together with his treafonable intercourfe
with Cafatkin and Tchevaridfef, are evident proofs that his
defign was not feigned; that it originated from h im fe lf;
and had been planned fome time before an opportunity offered
o f attempting it.
i: To fuppofe that the emprefs had formed the project o f
deftroying Ivan; that fire employed Mirovitch as the inftru-
ment o f that projeit; that fhe fecretly promifed him his
pardon; that (lie fuffered him to go to the place o f execution
fully fecure o f a reprieve; that fhe there deceived him ; that
fhe punifhed his afterdates, o f whofe criminality fire was her-
felf the immediate caufe, imply fuch a complication o f the
bafeft fraud and horrid barbarity, that we ought not to liften
to the imputation, were it founded even vipon fome degree o f
probable conjecture : whereas the proofs alledged amount to
nothing more than mere furmifes and vague conjectures;
and are totally refuted by the mbit valid arguments and in-
difputable teftimony.
3 I cannot
I V A N ’ S F A M I L Y . 55
I cannot clofe this hiftory without annexing the following
fhort account of Ivan’s family. His father Anthony Ulrick — v-^
was fon of Ferdinand Albert, and o f Antometta Amelia filter
o f Charlotte Chriftina, who efpoufed the tzarovitch AlexCy.
He was brother o f Charles late duke o f Brunfwick, and o f
that diftinguifhed general prince Ferdinand. Anthony Ulrick
was born in 1 7 1 4; in T733 was betrothed, upon his
arrival at Peterfburgh, to the prineefs Anne o f Mecklenburgh,
the prefumptive heirefs o f the Ruffian throne ; and on the
14th o f July, 173 9, the nuptials were celebrated with great
magnificence. On the day o f that ceremony * , “ who
“ would have imagined that their union would one day pro-
“ duce their greateft misfortune and that this prince was
called into Ruffia, not to ffiare a throne, but a pnfon, with
his confort ?
The mother o f Ivan, Elizabeth Catharine Chriftina, was
daughter of Charles Leopold duke o f Mecklenburgh, and o f
Catharine Ivanofna: fire was born in 1718; and m 17 31
invited to Peterfburgh by her aunt the emprefs Anne. Having
embraced the Greek religion, fhe was rebaptized by the
name o f Anne, and efpoufed in 1739 Anthony Ulrick.
Soon after the birth o f Ivan, ihe was not only excluded from
the throne, but even from any ihare in the adminiftration
o f affairs during her foil’s minority. This event was brought
about by the intrigues of Siren, who, upon the acceffion
o f Ivan, was declared regent. Having, by the affiftance o f
count Munich, arretted Biren, the prineefs Anne affirmed
the regency and title o f great-duchefs, and was upon the
point of declaring herfelf emprefs, when Elizabeth feizeti
the reins of government. O
* Monilein*s M em o ir? , p. 24.^
Upon