COXe’s TRAVELS IN RUSSIA.

C 24

terity by the perpetration of one crime, has beenunjultly branded with infamy, even forthofe adtions which merit the higheft applaufe.

Boris Godunof was defcended from a Tartar anceftor, who came into Rufiia in 1329,and, having embraced Chriftianity, affumed the name of Zachary. From Simon Go-dun, one of his defcendants, the family was known by the furname of Godunof, andwas greatly diftinguifhed by the elevation of the perfonage now under confideratiort.

Boris, fon of Feodor Ivanovitch, a nobleman of the Ruffian court, was born in 1522,and'in the 20th year of his age appointed, by Ivan Vaffilievitch II. to attend his IonPrince Ivan: being fucceffively promoted to higher offices, and obtaining additional in-fluence by the marriage of his filter Irene with Feodor Ivanovitch, he was, upon that mo-narch’s fucceffion to the throne, created privy counfellor, mailer of the horfe, and in-verted with the foie direction of affairs.

Feodor dying without iffue, the election fell unanimoully upon Boris Godunof, whoowed his elevation to the high opinion which all parties entertained of his capacity andwifdorn ; to the influence of his filter Irene, and to the artful manner with which he af-fected to decline, while he was molt ambitious to poffefs, the crown. He deferved hiselevation by his confummate abilities and popular manners; and, for his political andc'ivil deportment, he is juftly ranked among the greatell ftatefmen of his age.

Happy would it have been for himfelf and country, had he united moderation andhumanity to thefe fplendid qualities. His perfecution of feveral noble families, whoflood in the u'ay of his ambitious defigns, and (till more the affaffination * of Demetrius,brands his character with indelible infamy. But while we admit and detefl in this in-ftance the full extent of his guilt, let notour horror at this crime induce us to mifrepre-fent his molt laudable actions. Let us not afl'ert, with his enemies, that to turn the at-tention of the people from the cataftrophe of the Prince, and to ingratiate himfelf intheir favour by an aft of public munificence, he purpofely fet fire to feveral parts of Mof-cow, that he might rebuild them at his own expence ! Nor let us, with equal abfurdityand injuftice, accufe him of privately inviting the Khan of the Tartars to invade Ruffia,that he might occupy the public with a foreign war, and acquire frefh glory by repellingthe enemy!

We may add to the lift of his fuppofitilious crimes, that he poifoned Feodor; for theTzar had long laboured under a declining date of health f; and, the year before hisdeath, requefted a phyfician from. England j. Even his paternal attention and un-bounded generofity towards his fubjefts during a famine, which foon after his elevationto the throne defolated Mofcow, was turned into an accufation againft him ; for it wasinfinuated, that from an abfurd delicacy, he would not permit foreigners to fupply theRuffians with corn, and that he joined feveral banditti in plundering the boufes of therich § ; calumnies ably and unanfwerably refuted by Muller. But the brighteft fplen-dour of abilities, and even the moft upright ufe of power, will not atone for the ill meansof acquiring it; and the time arrived, when Boris paid the price for the affaffination of

* This is not the proper place to inquire whether Demetrius was really aflaffinated, or whether he ef-caped ? for the crime of Boris was the fame, whether his orders were carried into execution, or eluded. Seethe next chapter.

Fletcher lays of Feodor, that he was inclining to a dropfy..

% As appears from a letter in the Ruffian archives.

tj Tins report, Mr. Muller conjectures, arofe from his compelling the bifhops and nobles, who had aperauity of corn, to difpofe of it to the poor at an under price, S. R. G. V.

Demetrius.