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COXE’S TRAVELS IN RUSSIA. 629
’ Atl his ations proved an extraordinary pronenefs to prefer his own precipitate refolu-
tions to the moft prudent advice, and to adopt the rafheft meafures. His fudden eleva-
tion rendered him infolent ; he was fo ambitious, that even the Ruffian empire appeared
too fall to fatisfy his luft of dominion, and he extended his views to the reduétion of
‘Turkey and Tartary. His ebriety and incontinence were his moft notorious vices, which
frequently expofed him in the eyes of the public. Befides the Princefs Irene, the daugh-
ter of Boris Godunof, all who pleafed him were facrificed to his defires, without the leaft
regard to rank or age *.
“ On his acceflion to the throne he was eafy of accefs, but gradually became fufpicious
of his fubjects; he had a foreign guard, and often refufed audience to the Ruffian no-
bility, when he admitted the Poles without referve. He feemed to fummon the privy-
counfellors only for the purpofe of turning them to ridicule. Ifa Rufhan lodged a com-
plaint againft a Pole, he could never obtain juftice, and infult was added to injury.
Probably this infolence was the chief caufe of his fubfequent misfortunes ; and his fall
would at leaft have been retarded, had he endeavoured to conciliate the affection of the’
principal nobles. But the circumftance which principally contributed to his lofs of po-
pularity, was the little reverence which he profefled for the ceremonies of the Greek
church, On his arrival at Mofcow he entered the two cathedrals with drums beating
and trumpets founding; he paid no refpect to the clergy ; he made no diftinction
between fafts and feftivals, would neither bow nor crofs himfelf before the facred’
paintings; he profaned the church by admitting foreigners at the time of divine
fervice, and ftill more by the number of dogs which followed him upon’ the fame «
occafion.
‘‘ He was not only fo much attached to the Polifh cuftoms and drefs as to’ prefer them
upon all occafions ;_ but he even ridiculed the Ruffian manners, and in every inftance
deviated from the examples of the Tzars his predeceffors. Inftead of fhowing himfelf to »
the people feldom, and only upon extraordinary occafions with a large retinue, he was’
accuftomed to traverfe the {treets with a few fervants; he commonly rode, and, as he’
was an excellent horfeman, was generally mounted upon the moft fiery fteeds ; he-
hunted frequently, had mufic at his repafts, never flept at mid-day, never bathed. Thefe’
trifling circumftances were regarded in fo ferious’a light, that the omiflion of them ren/
dered him the obje& of general hatred; and it was commonly reported, that the perfon -
who could fhow fuch a diftafte for the cuftoms- of his country, could never be defcended’
from the race of ancient fovereigns, It was an obvious inference, to confider the de-
fpifer of his fubjeéts as their enemy. Under fuch circumftances his deftruétion feemed
inevitable t; .and yet near a year elapfed before any tumult broke out. At length his:
marriage with a foreign lady clofed the feene; and it would have been.a wonder if he’
had continued any longer upon the throne.”
Having:
when Demetrius afcended the throne, and was a prefent from the Sophy of Perfia to Ivan Vaffilievitch 11.
S. R.G. Vol. v. p.335. Many fimilar ornaments employed at his coronation had been ufed by the former.
fovereigns, who were crowned with A fiatic magnilicence.
* Thefe parts of his condu& were alfo greatly mifreprefented. L’Evefque afferts, with great appear-
ance of probability, that thefe reports of his incontinence were not founded in truth ; and particularly denies
that the Princefs Irene was facrifced to his defires. Vol. iil. p..202.
+ Muller relates an’account of a match with {now-balls between the Ruffian foldiers and Poles; when-
the latter, at the command of Demetrius, filled the {now balls with fand’and ftones, by which the Ruffians-
‘(blave Augen undblutige Koepfe bekamen) received many black eyes and bloody heads. Such quae ee
cufatioas
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