1718. Ronchin, Colonel and Captain of the LifeGuards; Alexander Lukin, Captain-Lieutenant of the Stephen Saffonoff, Sub - Lieutenant of the Frederick Polonskoi, Lieutenant of the Guards; Drumant, Captain- Lieutenant of the Guards; Bucholtz, Lieutenant-Colonel; Frederick Metroffanoff, Captain of the Guards; Stephen Kafadawleff, Lieutenant-Colonel of Foot; James Backmeotoff, Colonel, and Commander of Prince Michael Schzerbatoi, Colonel; Artemi Zagyeskoi, Colonel; John Koftoff, Lieutenant of the Guards; John Bachmetoff, Lieutenant of the Guards; Bafile Jafikoff, Sub-Lieutenant of the Guards Bafchkoff Yegor, Captain Lieutenant of the Alexis Libin, firft Commiffioner; Cirile, Cirile Cziczerin, Judge of the Precause de Pomefny; Michael Argamakoff, Quarter-Mafter-General, Alexis Bibikoff, Captain- Lieutenant of the Bafile Titoff, Lieutenant-Colonel; Gabriel Kofloff, Lieutenant-Colonel; Nikita Skulskoi, Major; Cirile Pufchzin, Major of a Battalion of the Prince Frederick Golizin; Prince James Golizin; Nowokschzenoff, Sub-Lieutenant of the Bom- Bafile Iwanoff, Sub-Lieutenant of the Guards. Bafile Nowofilzoff, firft Commiffioner of War; Prince Affonafi Borjatinskoi, Gentleman of the ; Andrew Kolizoff, Gentleman of the Chamber 1718. 1718. Anifim Schezulin, firft Commiffioner. John Molckanoff, Diak; Simeon Iwanoff, Diak; Emelian Mawrin, Captain of the Guards; Bafile Jerfchoff, Vice Governor of Mofcow; The Affembly of the Clergy, and the Court of Secular Judges, having thus declared their Opinion in Writing, and pronounced a formal Sentence, condemning the Czarewitz to Death, a new Seffion was held on the fixth of July in the Morning, and the Czarewitz brought out of the Fortress into Court, under Guard, where he was obliged to repeat the Confeffion of his Crimes, and to hear the Sentence of Death figned by the Secular Judges read to him; after which he was fent back into Cuftody. The next Day, being Thursday the 7th of July, early in the Morning, News was brought to the Czar, that the violent Paffions of his Mind, and the Terrors of Death, had thrown the Czarewitz into an Apoplectick Fit. About Noon another Meffenger brought Advice, that the Prince was in great Danger of his Life: Whereupon the Czar fent for the principal Perfons of his Court, and caused them to ftay, till he was informed by a third Meffenger, that the Prince, being past Hopes, could not out-live the Evening, and that he longed to fee his Father. Then the Czar, attended by the forefaid Company, went to fee his dying Son, who, at the Sight of his Father, burst into Tears, and, with his Hands folded, folded, fpoke to him to this Effect: That he had grievously and heinously offended the Majefty of God Almighty, and of the Czar; that he hoped not to recover of this Indifpofition, and even if he fhould, yet he was unworthy of Life; therefore he begged his Majefty, for God's Sake, only to take from him the Curfe he laid upon him at Moscow; to forgive him all his heavy Crimes; to impart to him his paternal Bleffings; and to cause Prayers to be put up for his Soul. During these moving Words, the Czar and the whole Company almoft melted away in Tears: His Majefty returned a pathetick Anfwer, and reprefented to him in a few Words all the Offences he had committed against him, and then gave him his Forgiveness and Bleffings; after which they parted with abundance of Tears and Lamentations on both Sides. 1718. At five in the Evening came a fourth Meffenger, being M. Oczakoff, Major of the Guards, to acquaint the Czar, that the Czarewitz was extremely defirous' once more to see his Father: The Czar at firft was unwilling to comply with his Son's Requeft; but was at last perfuaded by the Company, who represented to his Majefty, how hard it would be to deny that Comfort to a Son, who, being on the Point of Death, might probably be tortured by the Stings of a guilty Confcience; but when his Majefty had just stepped into his Sloop to go over to the Fortrefs, a fifth Meffenger brought an Account, that the Prince was already TheCzareexpired. The very next Day, his Czarish Majefty caufed the following circular Letter to be sent witz dies. to 1718. to his Ministers abroad, with fome Account of the Czarewitz's Death, in order to prevent the falfe Reports which might be fpread about this tragical Event. 66 E have let you know, by our Refcript WE of the 26th of the laft Month, the criminal Steps which our Son Alexis has taken with regard to us, namely, his feditious Defigns, and the intended Revolt against us his Father and Mafter; and that we had fubmitted all that to the Confideration of the Clergy, and to the Judgment of our Council, the Senate, and the States Military and Civil: Who having, according to our Will, maturely examined and weighed this Affair, they have difcovered more and other Circumstances and Letters, by which it clearly appears, that he had entertained Designs of Revolting against us, and to make himself Mafter of our Throne during our Life, which is what he has publickly confeffed before us, after he had been convicted: So that our faithful Ecclefiaftical Subjects, to the Number of feven Archbishops, and four Archimandrites, or Abbots, with many other Ecclefiafticks of Diftinction, have prefented to us their Thoughts, whereby they have acknowledged, that according to the Divine Law, and the Canons of the Church, he is guilty of Death. And the faid Secular Judges, established by us, to the Number of one hundred and twenty-fix Perfons, after having fincerely examined and weighed the Enormity of the Crimes of our faid Son, pronounced Sen.. tence by Mouth and by Writing, that according to all Laws Divine and Human our faid Son |