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€OXE’S TRAVELS IN RUSSIA. 785
‘ing, the Emperor fent one of his fuite to the governor, with an order of admiffion figned
by himfelf, was immediately received within the fortrefs, and conduéted to the Prince’s
apartment. Peter for a fhort time remained concealed, while his nobles and attendants
converfed with Ivan ; but he foon joined the company, drank a difh of coffee, and en-
tered into difcourfe with the Prince.
I endeavoured to colle& fome intelligence of what paffed at this conference; but the
information I received, even from perfons of good authority, was extremely various and
contradictory. Inftead, therefore, of detailing uncertain and difcordant anecdotes, lL
fhall fubmit to the reader a tranflation from Bufching’s account of this interview, which
muft be deemed authentic, becaufe he received it from Baron Korf, who was prefent.
‘In March 1762, Peter Ill. defirous of feeing Ivan, fet off early in the morning for
Schluffelburgh, accompanied by Baron Korf, Leff Alexandrievitch Narifhkin, and Vol-
kof. He travelled with poft-horfes, and kept his intention fo fecret, that it was noon
before his uncle Prince George of Holftein was made acquainted with his departure.
Peter afflumed the character of an officer ; and having fhewn the Governor of Schluffel-
burgh an order for admiffion, previoufly figned by himfelf, went, with his attendants, to
the apartment of Prince Ivan, which he found a wretched place, provided with the
meaneft furniture. His clothes were clean and in good condition, but extremely coarfe,
and he was remarkably neat in his perfon, as well as in his linen. He had the appear-
ance of an ideot, and {poke in a confufed manner. One moment he affirmed that he
was the Emperor Ivan, and the next, that the foul of that Emperor, who was no longer
alive, had migrated into his body. On being afked what induced him to imagine that
he was an Emperor, he replied, ‘he learnt it from his parents and the foldiers who
ae him.’ Being queftioned whether he recollected his parents, he anfwered in
the affirmative; and then bitterly lamented, that the Emprefs Elizabeth had always kept
them, as well as himfelf, in‘a wretched ftate ; adding, he well remembered that he and
they were formerly unHer the care of an officer, who was the only perfon that had ever
fhewn them any tendernefs or humanity. Korf inftantly demanding, whether he {till
fhould know this officer, ‘ I could not recolleét him at prefent,’: anfwered Ivan, ‘as if
is fo long ago fince I faw him, and I was then a child, but his name I have not forgot-
ten, it is Korf.? The General was greatly affected: Ivan had heard of the Great Duke
and his wife*; andas he repeatedly faid that he hoped again to be Emperor, he was afked
in what manner he would then behave to them; ‘I would have them both executed,’
returned the Prince. Peter was much fhocked; he determined, however}, to order
the conftru€tion of a {mall houfe in the fortrefs for the unhappy prifoner, and propofed
to treat him in a more humane manner. Prince George of Holftein even advifed Peter
to reftore the Prince to liberty, to fend him into Germany, together with his father,
Anthony Ulric, and the reft of his family, and allow them a handfome penfion; but
the Emperor did not feem to approve the advice {.”
To this curious account I am enabled to add an authentic anecdote. Peter had not
been long with Ivan before he became difpirited and fuddenly indifpofed; he accord-
ingly quitted the room, and went out into the air. ‘I feel myfelf now,” faid he, to
* Namely, Peter and Catharine.
+ We may colle& from thefe expreffions, that Bufching fuppofed the houfe within the {mall fortrefs to
have been conftruéted for Ivan, and not for the Emprefs ; but he was probably unacquainted with the cir-
cumftance, that lvan was removed to Kexhodm the beginning of June; this removal was perhaps occafioned
by the defign which the Emperor had formed, of confining the Emprefs in the fortrefs of Schluffelburgh.
When Peter vifited Schluffelburgh the fhell of the houfe was nearly finifhed.
t See Gefchichte des Ruffifchen Kayfers Johann, des Dritten, Bul. H. M. VI. p. 530, & feq.
VOL» Vis SH one
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