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COXE’s TRAVELS IN RUSSIA. 607
fedition, allayed by the fpirit and eloquence of Nicon, was again fomented by the ring-
leaders of the tumult, and broke into open rebellion; many of the inhabitants renounced
their allegiance to the Tzar, and propofed to deliver the town into the hands of the
King of Poland. The Prelate, however, undaunted by this change in their fentiments,
continued his efforts to bring them back to their duty ; his remonftrances and exhorta-
tions gradually prevailed; many flocked to his palace, defiring his interceflion with their
enraged fovereign ; and though the remainder of the infurgents blocked up the avenues
of the town, yet he contrived, at the peril of his life, to fend information to the Tzar.
Being armed, by a commiffion from Mofcow, with full powers, he, by a vigorous exer-
tion of authority, but without the effufion of blood, finally quelled the rebellion. ‘To
him was committed the trial of the rebels, and the difpofal of life and death; an office
which he executed with as much judgment as lenity. The leader of the fedition was
alone punifhed with death ; ten of his moft mutinous adherents were knooted and ba-
nifhed, and a few were condemned to a fhort imprifonment. Nicon nobly forgave the
outrage committed againtt his own perfon; and in chaftizing the public offence tempered
the feverity of juftice with the feelings of humanity.
He gained the refpeét of the inhabitants by the unwearied affiduity with which he
performed the funétions of his archiepifcopal office, and conciliated their affection by
acts of unbounded charity. He built and endowed alms-houfes for widows, old men,
and orphans, was the great patron of the indigent, the zealous protector of the lower
clafs of men againft the oppreffions of the great, and during a dreadful famine, appro-
priated the revenues of his fee to the general relief of the poor.
Nicon was no lefs confpicuous in the vigilant difcharge of his patriarchal office, to
which he was appointed in 1652, only in the thirty-ninth year of hisage. He inftituted
feminaries for the inftruiion of priefts in the Greek and Latin languages, and enriched
the patriarchal library with rare ecclefiaftical and claflical manufcripts, drawn from a con-
vent at Mount Athos. By a diligent revifal of the Holy Scriptures, and a collation of
the various editions of the Old and New Teftament, perceiving many errors in the
printed copies of the Bible and Liturgy ufed for divine fervice, he prevailed upon the
Tzar to fummon a general council of the Greek church at Mofcow, in which he pre-
fided. By his arguments, authority, and influence, it was determined that the mott
antient Sclavonian verfion of the Bible, was exact, and that the errors with which the
latter copies abounded fhould be correéted. He infpected and fuperintended the print-
ing of a new edition of the Sclavonian Bible, which was become extremely rare. He
removed from the churches the pictures of deceafed perfons, to which many of the
Ruffians offered a blind adoration; he ‘abolifhed a few ceremonies which had been
carried to a fuperftitious excefs: in a word, his labours tended more to the refor-
mation of the church, than the united efforts of all his predeceflors in the patriarchal
chair.
Nor was he folely diftinguifhed in his profeffional character ; but proved himfelf
no lefs qualified in a civil capacity. Although his ftudies were hitherto confined to
ecclefiaftical fubjeéts, and the reclufenefs of his former life feemed to impede the attain-
ment of political knowledge ; yet he was no fooner called to a public ftation, than his
abilities expanded in proportion as the objects which they embraced became more nu-
merous and important : his fagacity, fharpened by continual application, foon rendered
him matter of the moft intricate affairs, taught him to difcriminate the moft oppofite
interefts, and to adopt that decifive line of condué which marks the great and enlightened
ftatefman. Being confulted by the Tzaron all occafions, he foon became.the Bea
is
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