"sure I should be acquainted with it" Then I am "satisfied," said the Emperor, and the governor withdrew. Before Paul retired to rest, he unexpectedly expressed the most tender solicitude for the Empress and his children, kissed them with all the warmth of farewell fondness, and remained with them longer than usual; and after he had visited the centinels at their different posts, he retired to his chamber, where he had not long remained, before, under some colorable pretext, that satisfied the men, the guard was changed by the officers who had the command for the night, and were engaged in the confederacy. An hussar, whom the Emperor had particularly honored by his notice and at tention, always at night slept at his bed-room door, in the anti-room. It was impossible to remove this faithful soldier by any fair means. At this momentous period, silence reigned throughout the palace, except where it was disturbed by the pacing of the centinels, or at a distance by the murmurs of the Neva, and only a few lights were to be seen distantly and irregularly gleaming through the windows of this dark colossal abode. In the dead of the night, Z— and his friends, amounting to eight or nine persons, passed the draw-bridge, easily ascended the stair-case which led to Paul's chamber, and met with no resistance till they reached the anti-room, when the faithful hussar, awakened by the noise, challenged them, and presented his fusee: much as they must have all admired the brave fidelity of the guard, neither time nor circumstances would admit of an act of generosity, which might have endangered the whole plan. Z drew his sabre and cut the poor fellow down. Paul, awakened by the noise, sprung from his sopha: at this moment the whole party rushed into his room: the unhappy Sovereign, anticipating their design, at first endeavored to entrench himself in the chairs and tables, then recovering himself, he assumed a high tone, told them they were his prisoners, and called upon them to surrender. Finding that they fixed their eyes steadily and fiercely upon him, and continued advancing towards him, he implored them to spare his life, declared his consent instantly to relinquish the sceptre, and to accept of any terms which they would dictate. In his raving, he offered to make them princes, and to give them estates, and titles, and orders, without end. They now began to press upon him, when he made a convulsive effort to reach the window : in the attempt he failed, and indeed so high was it from the ground, that had he succeeded, the expedient would only have put a more instantaneous period to his misery. In the effort he very severely cut his hand with the glass; and as they drew him back he grasped a chair, with which he felled one of the assailants, and a desperate resistance took place So great was the noise, that notwithstanding the massy walls, and thick double folding-doors, which divided the apartments, the Empress was disturbed, and began to cry for help, when a voice whispered in her ear, and imperatively told her to remain quiet, otherwise, if she uttered another word, she should be put to instant death. Whilst the Emperor was thus making a last struggle, the Prince Y- struck him on one of his temples with his fist, and laid him upon the floor; Paul, recovering from the blow, again implored his life; at this moment the heart of P- Z relented, and upon being observed to tremble and hesitate, a young Ifanoverian resolutely exclaimed, "We have passed the Rubicon: if we spare his life, before the setting of tomorrow's sun, we shall be his victims !" upon which he took off his sash, turned it twice round the naked neck of the Emperor, and giving one end to Z, and holding the other himself, they pulled for a considerable time with all their force, until their miserable sovereign was no more; they then retired from the palace without the least molestation, and returned to their respective homes. What occurred after their departure can be better conceived than depicted: medical aid was resorted to, but in vain, and upon the breathless body of the Emperor fell the tears of his widowed Empress and children, and domestics; nor was genuine grief ever more forcibly or feelingly displayed than by him on whose brow this melancholy event had planted the So passed away this night of horror, and thus perished a Prince, to whom nature was severely bounti crown. ful. The acuteness and pungency of his feeling was incompatible with happiness: unnatural prejudice pressed upon the fibre, too finely spun, and snapped it. 'Tis not as heads that never ache suppose, At seven The sun shone upon a new order of things. o'clock the intelligence of the demise of Paul spread through the capital. The interval of time from its first communication to its diffusion over every part of Petersburg, was scarcely perceptible. At the parade Alexander presented himself on horseback, when the troops, with tears rolling down their rugged and sun-browned faces, hailed him with loud and cordial acclamation. The young Emperor was overwhelmed, and at the mo ment of mounting the throne of the most extensive empire under heaven, he was seen to turn from the grand and affecting spectacle, and weep. What followed is of very subordinate consideration ; but perhaps it will be eagerly asked, to what extremity did the avenging arm of Justice pursue the perpetrators of the deed? Mercy, the brightest jewel of every crown, and a forlorn and melancholy conviction, that the reigning motive was the salvation of the empire, prevented her from being vindictive. Never upon the theatre of life was there presented a scene of more affecting magnanimity; decency, not revenge, governed the sacrifice. PZ was ordered not to approach the Imperial residence, and the governor of the city was transferred to Riga. As soon as Madame Chevalier was informed of the demise of her Imperial patron, she prepared, under the protection of her brother, a dancer, for flight, with a booty of nearly a million of rubles. A police of ficer was sent to inspect and report upon her property : amongst a pile of valuable articles, he discovered a diamond cross of no great intrinsic value, which had been given by Peter I. to a branch of the Imperial Family, and on that account much esteemed; it was to recover this that the officer was sent, who obtained it, after the most indecent and unprincipled resistance on her part. Passports were then granted to Madame Chevalier and her brother. Thus terminated this extraordinas ry and impressive tragedy. CHAPTER XV. Sir John Borlase Warren-The Polignacs-The parade The baneful effects of passion-The Emperor—A pickpocket-A traveller's memorandums—Unpugilistic bruisers Doctor Gutherie-Visit to the taurida palaceThe colossal hall-The winter gardens-The banquet— Prince Potemkin-Raw carrots-Flying gardens-The house of Charles XII, at Bender discovered. T was impossible for an Englishman to visit Peters Iburg when I did, without feeling a justifiable national pride in finding his country represented by one of her most distinguished naval heroes, who, to the frankness. and sincerity so peculiar to that character, unites the graceful attractions of the most courteous and polished manners. From the intrepid minister, and his elegant and enlightened lady, I experienced that urbanity and attention, which eminently distinguished their conduct, and endeared them to the Russian court and to their countrymen. The Emperor, in his private circles, has. often extolled the nautical skill and undaunted valor of Sir John Borlase Warren, and honored him with his friendship. In no period of those political storms which have so long shaken, and still continue to convulse, the continent of Europe, has the cabinet of Russia manifested a more propitious and cordial disposition to the cause and interests of Great Britain, than during the diplomacy of the gallant Admiral. The house of embassy, a noble mansion, in the English line, was fitted up with great taste, and the hospitality which prevailed in it was truly Russian. The parties which assembled there were very select and agreeable. Amongst the most frequent visitors I met the Duc de Polignac and several of the members of that illustrious house, who, from the highest rank, and an influence equal to that of their sovereign, have been cast into the regions of the north, by the terrible tornado of the French revolution, where, in the sensibility and munificence of the Emperor, they have found protection. The noble fortitude of the Polignacs, and particularly the heroic and affecting eloquence of one of the brothers before the tribunal of Bonaparte, created at this period a strong sensation in the public mind, and in no part of the world more forcibly than at Petersburg. In another age, when passion and prejudice shall repose in "the "tomb of all the Capulets," the calm investigating historian may perhaps, but in better language, describe their crime, as I have ever considered it, a conspiracy of Bonaparte against himself, to enable him to assume the imperial purple. : Sunday is always at Petersburg a day of great festivity, but it only manifests itself after the hours of devotion. On this day the parade is well worthy the traveller's notice it commences at ten o'clock, in that great area which lies between one side of the winter palace and the magnificent crescent, which formerly constituted the palace of Catherine's most cherished favorite Lanskoi; the men amounted to four thousand, and presented a very noble and martial appearance; their uniform consisted of a round hat, with only a rim in front, and green feather, a short green coat, buttoned tight round the body, and white duck breeches cut very high, so that no waistcoat is necessary. The belly of the soldier is tightly strapped in, for the purpose of giving an artificial breadth to the chest. With an exception to the English and consular guards, I never saw finer men in my life, nor greater neatness in dress and person. The Emperor |