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.COXE’S TRAVELS IN RUSSIA. 789
from all quarters. I was informed by a gentleman *, who was prefent on the occafion,
that he found it impoffible to defcribe the animated grief which appeared in the coun-
tenances, attitudes, and expreffions of the people at the fight of a Prince, who had once
been feated upon the throne, whofe misfortune only, and no crime, had occafioned
his imprifonment, and whofe wretched exiftence had been prematurely clofed by the
hand of violence. The concourfe at laft being fo great as to excite apprehenfions of a
tumult, the body was wrapped in a fheep-fhin, put into a coffin, and buried in an an-
tient chapel of the fortrefs, which is now demolifhed. ,
According to the information I received from thofe who had feen the body of Ivan,
he was fix feet in height, handfome, and athletic; he had {mall fiery eyes, reddifh
hair and beard, and a complexion uncommonly fair, though pallid from confinement.
The account of this wild enterprife, and of Ivan’s death was forwarded to Count
Panin, together with feveral copies of the manifefto, found upon Mirovitch, It con-
tained the moft virulent abufe and dreadful imprecations againit the Emprefs, who was
reprefented as an ufurper of the throne of which Ivan was the lawful fovereign; and
the copies were to have been diftributed as foon as the Prince fhould be refcued and
brought to the capital. Count Panin difpatched immediate intelligence to the Emprefs
in Livonia; who commanded Lieutenant-General Weymar to repair without delay to
Schluflelburgh, to examine Mirovitch and his aflociates. This information, together
with the confeffion of Mirovitch and his accomplices, was laid before a committee com-
pofed of five principal ecclefiaftics, the fenate, and of other nobles high in rank and office.
Mirovitch and his abettors, being removed to Peterfburgh, were examined at different
times before this committee, both feperately and together; and the refult of all thefe
enquiries tended to fhew, that Mirovitch had not been initigated to this attempt; but
had originally contrived the plot, and acted throughout the whole tranfaction folely
from himfelf. ~
During feveral meetings held on this occafion, Mirovitch aftonifhed the committee
by his infolent and undaunted behaviour; at laft, however, he was brought in fome
meafure to a fenfe of his crime, by the reprefentations of the Archbifhop of Roftof, and
four nobles {pecially deputed for that purpofe, and being again exhorted to confefs if
he had any affociates, he firmly replied, ‘* As a man devoted to die, I folemnly declare,
that my confeflion contains all I know. I call upon the Almighty to witnefs the truth
of this affertion, and denounce his fevereft vengeance upon me in the next world, if I
have mifreprefented any circumftance, or concealed any accomplice.”” Being convicted
of high treafon, he was condemned to lofe his head ; and the body, together with the
{caffold upon which he was to fuffer, were ordered to be burnt upon the f{pot. The
fentence was performed on the 26th of September, in the city of Peterfburgh. Miro-
vitch walked to the place of execution along the ftreets, through an innumerable con-
courfe of people, with an unconcerned air, and fteady countenance. Having mounted
the {caffold, hz caft his eyes around him with a look of indifference, then crofled him-
felf, and witiiout uttering a fingle word f, laid down his head upon the block, and it
was fevered fram his body at one ftroke.
Mirovitch alone fuffered capitally ; his abettors were fubjected to different penalties,
according to the degrees of their guilt. Pifkof, who was the moft criminal, was fen-
tenced to run the gauntlet twelve times through a line of a thoufand men, and his five
aflociates ten times; they were then condemned for life to hard labour and imprifon-
* Mr. Lieman.
$ It may not be improper toremark, that Mirovitch was not gagged, as has been falfely aflerted.
ment
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