The Trial of the Czarewitz, his Sentence and fud- T HE Execution of fo many confider- B to 1718. 1718 to the great Aftonishment of every Body, that all the Tortures made use of in that City, had not been fufficient to difcover the whole Truth of that Affair, nor would they have been able to draw more Light from the remaining Prisoners, had not the Mystery been unravelled by intercepted Letters, which were found fewed up in the Cloaths of certain Perfons. The Czar therefore faw himself neceffitated to establish a fecond High-Court of Juftice, and to this End to convoke the chief of the Ruffian Clergy with all poffible Speed to Petersburgh. They being all arrived in June, and the Czar having befides eftablished another Court confifting of fecular Perfons, viz. the Minifters, Senators, Governors, Generals, and the fuperior Officers of his Guards, his Majefty, for eight feveral Days, lay during fome Hours on his Knees, imploring God, with Abundance of Tears, to infpire him with fuch Thoughts as the Honour of his holy Name, and the Welfare of the Russian Nation required: And fo, on the 25th of June 1718, the Seffions of this Criminal Court were opened in the Hall of the Senate, whither his Czarish Majefty repaired, with the whole Body of the Clergy, and the Secular Judges, after first having caufed folemn Service to be performed in the Church of the Holy Ghost, to implore God's Affiftance in this weighty Affair. The whole Affembly having taken their respective Places at feveral Tables, the Doors and Windows were fet open in order to give free Admittance to all Sorts of Perfons. Upon this the Czarewitz was brought into Court, under the Guard of four Under-Officers; and upon his Appearance, his Majefty made a brief De claration claration of the Caufes, why he had called 1718. them together, and ordered the following Writings to be publickly read. HO' the Flight of the Czarewitz Alexis, and TH a Part of his Crimes be already known to the whole World, by the Manifefto which was published of them at Mofcow, on the Third of February of the prefent Year 1718, yet there are daily discovered fuch unexpected and furprizing Attempts, as far furpass what has been already published; and fhew with what Bafenefs and Villany the Prince endeavoured to impose upon his Sovereign and Father, what grievous Perjuries he committed against God, with the imaginary Illness he feigned, to prevent an Inquiry into his ill Practices, and the Discovery of his pernicious Intrigues. All this fhall be laid open with Perfpicuity and Order, by giving a full Account of the Matter from its first Beginning. The Czarewitz Alexis had hardly attained to the Age of Reason, before his Czarian Majefty, his Father, employed all Sorts of Means to form his Mind for managing the Affairs of the Government, and to inftruct him in the Art of War, as is related in the Manifefto of Mofcow. The fame Cares were continued for feveral Years, without any Benefit, or Progrefs. His Majefty expected his Amendment from Day to Day, by a Change of Conduct, and an Alteration of Manners; but obferving the Prince opposed himself to all his good Designs, he declared to him his Intentions by Writing, and demanded of him his last Refolution. Thus in the Year 1715, on the 11th of October, upon B 2 his 1718. his Return from the Funeral of the Princefs of the Crown, espoused to the Czarewitz, his Czarian Majesty went in Perfon to the Prince, and gave him the following Writing. A DECLARATION to my SoN. OU cannot be ignorant of what all the World is acquainted with, under how fevere an Oppreffion the People groaned from the Swedish Yoke, before the Beginning of the prefent War. By the Ufurpation of fo many maritime Places, which were neceffary to our State, they cut us off from all Commerce with the reft of the World, and we faw with Regret, that they had also caft a Veil before the Eyes of the Cleareft-fighted. You know very well what Pains it has coft us in the Beginning of this War, (in which God alone has led us, as it were by the Hand, and whofe Providence ftill conducts us) to gain Experience, and oppofe ourselves to the Advantages, which our irreconcileable Enemies had gained over us. We fubmitted to this Trial with Refignation to the Will of God; not doubting but that it was he who laid it upon us, till he had brought us into a good Way, and we were accounted worthy to prove by Experience, that the fame Enemy before whom we have formerly trembled, could alfo tremble in his Turn, and perhaps with a feverer Terror. These are the Advantages which, next to the Divine Affiftance, we owe to our Labours, and the Labours of our faithful and affectionate Children, our Subjects of Rufia. But But whilft I reflect upon the Profperity which God has heaped upon our Country, if I turn my Eyes upon the fucceeding Generation, my Heart is more fill'd with Grief at the future Profpect, than I enjoy Satisfaction for the past Bleffing, whilst I obferve you, my Son, to reject all the Means that may render you capable of governing well upon my Decease. I charge your Incapacity upon your Want of Inclination, as you cannot excufe yourself by any Defect in your Understanding, or Strength, as tho' God had not favoured you with fufficient Abilities. For tho' you are not of the most robust Complexion in the World, yet you cannot complain of a weak Difpofition. To talk of the Exercifes of the War is burthenfome to you, tho' it is by them we have 1 emerged from our former Obfcurity, and made ourselves known and efteemed by all the Nations around us. I would not advise you to make War without a lawful Caufe; all that I ask of you is to apply yourself to learn the Art of War. For it is impoffible to govern well without knowing the Rules of Military Difcipline, tho' it fhould be no otherwife ufeful than in the Defence of our Country. I could lay before your Eyes a great Number of Examples, to confirm you in the Truth of what I fay; but I fhall only mention to you the Greeks, with whom we are united in the Profeffion of the fame Faith. From whence came the Fall of their Empire, unless from the Neglect of Arms? It was Idlenefs and Indolence which weakened them, and made them 1718 |