6a8
conformity to the manners of his fubjefts, and by a prudent deference to their civil andreligions ellablilhment. But his avowed contempt of the Ruffian cuftoms, and his publicncg!e£t of their religious ceremonies, foon alienated the affections of his fubjeCts, andprecipitated him from the throne as rapidly as he had afcended it.
Margaret, who had frequent accefs to the perfon of Demetrius, has Iketched his por-trait in a Ihort but lively manner.
“ He had no beard, was of a middle ftature, and of dark complexion, his limbs wereftrong and nervous, and he had a wart under his right eye. He was active, fpirited, andmerciful,-foon offended, and as foon appeafed ; liberal, ambitious, and defirous of mak-ing himfelf known to pofterity ; in a word, he was a Prince who loved hofiour, and re-commended it by his own example
If we Ihould allow that Margaret has concealed many of his defeats, and placed hisvirtues in the moff advantageous light, yet the acrimony and injultice which appears inmany parts of the following extracts from his character, as drawn even by Muller, themoff candid of his opponents, will prevent impartial perfons from giving implicit creditto the representations of his enemies.
“ The falfef Demetrius was of a middle fize, dark complexion, and had one armIhorter than the other. He would have been efteemed not deficient in u’ifdom, had henot been fo precipitate in his conduct, and had he conformed his behaviour to the difpofition and temper of his fubje&s. In Poland he applied himfelf to the fludy of lan-guages, arts, andfciences ; he converfed in Latin J and Polilh with fluency ; he was wellacquainted with hiftory, and particularly with that of Ruffia and the neighbouring king-doms , he was well verfed in rnufic, and pofleffed other liberal accomplilhments. Onaccount of his addrefs and good fortune in obtaining the crown, he was efteemed a margician. Warlike exercife and hunting were his principal amufements. He had fomeknowledge of engineering and artillery, was fond of calling cannon, and (hot with fuchikili as to furprize the moff dexterous markl'men. He was zealous to improve the dis-cipline of his army, for which purpofe he would often review his troops, inltrudt themin different manoeuvres, ftorm ramparts and fortifications; and as he was always fore-moft, and the moll eager among the aflailants, was often rudely handled in the fray.
“ Defirous to be efteemed a patron of jullice, he put to death feveral judges whowere convicted of iniquitous practices. But was not this mode of proceeding rather aproof of his inclination to cruelty ? and might it not arife from a defire of flriking terrorinto his fubjecls § ?
“ His munificence, for which he has been extolled, was both extravagant and ill-placed ; he heaped bounties upon Polilh muficians and other minions, and drained thetreafury by enormous expences ||. Like all voluptuaries he was fickle and impetuous.
Ml
* Margaret, p. r4i. f S. R. G Vol. v. p. 302, See.
$ Iiis underllanding Latin has been urged againft him as a proof that he was educated by the Jefuits-
Margaret, however, pofilively afierts, that he was not in the lead acquainted with that language. IItres certain qui’il ne parloit nullement Latin, j’en puts temoigner, moins le fcavoit il lire et eerire. Ibid -p. 163.
§ A fuppofition which (hews a ftrong difpofition in the oppofite party to mifreprefent the moll favourableparts of his conduit.
[1 The accounts of his extravagance were grofsly exaggerated. He is faid to have given orders for athrone of maffy filver, fupported by fix lions of the fame coftly materials ; and for a footftool of pure gold* * * §for the ceremony of his coronation, ftudded with fix hundred diamonds, fix hundred rubies, fix. hundredfapphires, fix hundred emeralds, fix hundred Turkifii ftones; all of a large iize, but fome of the latterwere as.big.as half a pigeon’s egg. It mud be remarked, that this footftool was already in the treafury
when