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difmayed however, with the menaces of his enemy, he perfifted * * * § in maintaining himfelfto be the real fon of Ivan Vaffilievitch II. and appealed to the teftimony of his mother,who refuted in a neighbouring convent. The firmnefs and confiftency of his affevera-tions made a confiderable impreffion upon many of the Ruffian foldiers, who peremp-torily declared, that rhey would protect him from all injury, unlefs Maria Feodorofnaformally renounced him as her fon. On this unexpefled declaration, Vaffili Shuifki,accompanied by fome Ruffian nobles of his party, repaired to the convent, and returnedinftantly with the following anfwer from the Princefs ; “ The real Demetrius was Haiti at Uglitz ; the perfon who at prefent affumes his name is an importer ; and I was con-ftrained by menaces to acknowledge him for my fon.” On the delivery of this meffage,the unhappy Monarch was inftantly facrificed to the fury of his enemies. Neither wastheir vengeance appealed by his death, but extended even to his inanimate body ; it waspierced with repeated wounds, ftripped and expofed for three days to the infults of thepopulace; it was then depofited in the public charnel houfe, and afterwards f reducedto allies, from a notion that the earth would be polluted by the interment of fo unholya corpfe.

The aflaffination of Demetrius was followed by a general tumult; the houfes offoreigners were pillaged ; and not only the Poles, who fell into the hands of the people,but even many Ruffians who wore the Poliffi drefs, were maffacred. Though this liateof anarchy lafted only ten hours, yet more than two thoufand perfons loft their lives.The dreadful feene was finally clofed by the ele&ion of Vaffili Ivanovitch Shuilki to thethrone of Ruffia. Manifeftos \ were immediately publilhed, in which the new Tzar juf-tified his conduct, and detailed the hiftory and fortunes of his predecelfor, whom hepronounced an adventurer, whofe real name was Grilka Otrepief. He aferibes to himan intention of extirpating the principal Ruffian nobility, and of introducing the RomanCatholic religion into Ruffia; accufes him of holding a correfpondence with the Popefor that purpofe; infinuates that he had even promifed to cede the provinces of Srao-lenlko and Severia to the King of Poland ; reprefents him as an heretic and a forcerer;difplays, in the rnoft odious colours, his averfion to the manners and cuftoms of theRuffians, his attachment to foreigners, and expatiates with much art upon every part ofhis chara&er which was mod likely to excite the public abhorrence. A few days after-wards a manifefto appeared in the name of the Tzarina Maria Feodorofna, in whichffie apologizes for having owned the impoftor for her fon, and again acknowledges thatthe real Demetrius was affaffinated at Uglitz; that the impoftor, at their interview nearMofcow, firft accofted her alone §., and threatened her and her family with the modcruel torments, if &e refufed to recognize him as her offspring.

* Mr. Muller fays, all the Ruffian writers declare, that he confeffed his impofture ; but it is certain thathe did not ; otherwife why did Vaffili Shuilki repair to the convent to obtain the Tzarina’s declaration,when his own confcffion would have been fully fufficient.

f It feems, by other accounts, that the body was firft buried without the city ; and that the multitudeflocked in crowds to the place. “ The common people believed that mufic was heard in the night, and thatfpedtres were feen hovering about the place where he was buried. For thefe reafons the body was dug up,and Ihot from the mouth of a cannon.” Schmidt R. Cx. vol. i. p. 362. The author of the Ruffian Im-poftor alfo writes, “ The people dug up his poor carcafe out of an obfeure grave, and after a repetition ofbarbarities upon him, they burnt the body, and fcattered the allies in the air,” p. 125.

f. Mr. Muller found thefe manifeftos in the archives of Tlherdin. S. R. G. 347, 364, 366.

§ Habe mil irh geredit ohne dafs jemand von den Hoiarne, oder atulern Lcuten, dabey feyn doerfen.S. R, G. vol. v. p. 367. Margaret, on the contrary, who was probably prefent at this interview, faysoxprefsly, “ apres conferences d’un quart d’heur, en prefence de tout les nobles et de ceux de la mile, See.P-I2 5.

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