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786 COXE’S TRAVELS IN RUSSIA.
one of his fuite, ‘ much refrefhed ; I was indeed, exceedingly fhocked, and very near
fainting.” | He then returned into the apartment, and renewed his converfation with
Ivan, with whom he ftaid near an hour.
Peter, it is faid, propofed to releafe Ivan from his imprifonment ; and as he had con-
ceived an idea that, perhaps, policy had induced the Prince to counterfeit idiotifm, for
the purpofe of difcovering the truth, he ordered a confidential perfon * to remain for
fome days in [van’s apartment. This perfon foon perceived that his behaviour was net
the effeét of diffimulation ; he at times talked wildly, as if he was really difordered in his
underftanding; and frequently with raptures afferted, that the angel Gabriel appeared
to him in vifions, and brought him revelations from heaven. Being afked by this pers
fon, why he imagined that he had once been Emperor, he replied, ‘I was told fo by
one of my guards, who looking ftedfaftly at me, burft fuddenly into tears; on my de-
manding the reafon, he informed me, that he, as well asthe whole nation, had formerly
taken the oath of allegiance to me as Emperor; and he then gave me the account of
my dethronement, and of the acceflion of Elizabeth.”
Peter, fully convinced that Ivan’s underftanding was difordered, foon relinquithed all’
thoughts of releafing him ; and afterwards ordered him to be fent by water to Kexholm,
a fortrefs fituated in afmall ifland where the Voxen flows into the lake of Ladoga. He
was conveyed acrofs that lake in a fmall open boat to a galliot, which lay at anchor to
receive him at fome diftance from Schluffelburgh. ‘The wind being boifterous, and the
water extremely agitated, he at firft trembled with fear, but in a fhort time became com-
pofed, although there arofea violent {torm, which the watermen could fcarcely weather.
The waves indeed ran fo high, that the boat was overfet, and the Prince was not faved
without the greateft difficulty. In the month of Auguft, Ivan was again removed from
the fortrefs of Kexholm to that of Schluffelburgh, by order of the Emprefs Catharine.
‘The carriage in which he was conducted breaking down near the village of Schluffel-
burgh, he was let through the palace covered with a cloak, and thus fettled again in his
former habitation f.
This unhappy ftate-prifoner was detained in the fame fortrefs until his deceafe, the
morning of the sth { of July, 1764. Two officers, Captain Vlafief and Lieutenant
Tchekin, were appointed for his guard, and {tationed in his apartment. In the fortrefs
was a company, confifting of near an hundred foldiers, of whom eight or ten ftood cen-
tinel in the corridore clofe to the door of his room, and within the paflage leading to it;
the reft were pofted in the guard-houfe, at the gate, and in different parts of the for-
trefs, under the command of the Governor. At that time the regiment of Smolentko
was quartered in the village of Schluffelburgh, and every week an hundred men relieved
the guard in the fortrefs, Vaffili Mirovitch, an under-lieutenant in this regiment, by
attempting to releafe Ivan, was the caufe of his death. He was grandfon of the rebel
of the fame name, who followed Mazeppa Hetman of the Coflacs, when he revolted
from Peter the Great, and joined Charles XII. in his ill-concerted expedition into the
Ukraine. Mirovitch had applied to the Emprefs to reftore the eftates of his grand-
father, which had been confifcated after the battle of Pultava; but meeting with a re-
fufal, as well in this as in other applications, he formed the defperate refolution of de-
livering Ivan, and replacing him on the throne. Being, however, without fortune or
connexions, the means he was enabled to adopt were inadequate to the rafhnefs of the
enterprize. ;
* Volkof, who was afterwards governor of Peterfburgh,
+ Thefe two curious circumiftances I received from Berednikoff himfelf.
$O.8. 16thN. S.
A few
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