_The prisoners expectations raised: a terrible disappointment: some of
the chief carried to prince Menzikoff's palace: their usage there.
Horatio set at liberty, and the occasion_.
Our captives had soon after a new matter of rejoicing: a Polander in the
service of Muscovy, who had been taken prisoner by the Swedes, and was
discharged and sent home, with a great number of others, by the
unparallell'd generosity of Charles XII. was one of the guards who now
did duty in the prison. It was often his turn to bring them their poor
allowance of provision; and having some pity for their condition, as
well as gratitude for a people who had used him and his companions in a
different manner, told them, that they might be of good heart, for, said
he, you will soon be set at liberty:--our emperor has enough to do to
keep his ground in Ukraina: Charles is as victorious as ever:--the
prince of the Cosaques, one of the bravest men on earth, next to
himself, has entered into an alliance with him:--king Stanislaus is
sending him succours from Poland:--a powerful reinforcement is coming to
him from Lithuania; and when these armies are joined, as I believe they
already are, nothing can withstand them:--you will hear the Swedish
march beat from this prison walls,--and perhaps see your present
conquerors change places with you; and, to confirm the truth of what I
say, continued he, I can further assure you that the czar, before I left
the camp, was in the utmost confusion:--his council, as well as army,
were at a stand, and he had twice made overtures of peace, and
been refused.
This was an intelligence which might well be transporting to the king of
Sweden's officers:--the thought; of seeing him enter Petersburgh a
conqueror,--of once more embracing their old friends and companions, and
of triumphing over those who had so cruelly abused the power the chance
of war had put into their hands, made them all, in their turns, hug and
bless the kind informer:--they also asked him several questions
concerning the generals; and each being more particular concerning those
they had the greatest interest in, received from this honest soldier all
the satisfaction they could desire.
As couriers were continually arriving from the army, there passed few
days without hearing some farther confirmation of their most sanguine
expectations; but at length the guard being again changed, they lost all
further intelligence, and were for several months without being able to
hear any thing of what passed. They doubted not, however, but as things
were in so good a disposition, every day brought them nearer to the
completion of their wishes; and it was this pleasing prospect which
addressed their misfortunes, and enabled them to sustain cheerfully
those hardships which, almost ever since the withdrawing of Edella's
bounty, they had laboured under.--Mattakesa, in the beginning of her
amours with Mullern, had indeed made him some presents, which he shared
with his companions; but either the natural inconstancy of her temper
making her grow weary of this intrigue for the sake of another, or her
circumstances not allowing her to continue such Donations, she soon grew
sparing of them, and at length totally desisted her visits at
the prison.
As, ever since the compassionate Edella had procured them to be
removed from the dungeon, they had enjoyed the privilege of walking on
the leads, and going up to the round tower, which being of a very great
height, not only overlooked the town, but the country round for a
considerable distance, they frequently made use of this indulgence, at
first for no other purpose than to have the benefit of the open air, but
now in hope of seeing their beloved prince at the head of a victorious
army approaching to give them liberty and relief.--But, alas! how
terrible a reverse of their high-raised expectations had inconstant
fortune in store for them.--One day as they were sitting together,
discoursing on the usual topics with which they entertained each other,
and endeavoured to beguile the tedious time, they heard a confused noise
as of some sudden tumult.--Tho' they had now been above a year in
Russia, none of them could speak the language well enough to be
understood, so could receive no information from the guard, even should
they have proved good-natured enough to be willing to satisfy their
curiosity, so they all run hastily up to the round tower, whence they
easily perceived the town in great confusion, and the people running in
such crowds, that in the hurry many were trampled to death in
endeavouring to pass the gates:--at a distance they perceived standards
waving in the air, but could not yet distinguish what arms they bore.--A
certain shivering and palpitation, the natural consequence of suspence,
ran thro' all their nerves, divided as they were at this sight, between
hope and fear; but when it drew more near,--when, instead of Swedish
colours they beheld those of Russia;--when, in the place where they
expected to see their gallant king coming to restore them once more to
freedom, they saw the implacable czar enter in triumph, followed by
those heroes, the least of whom had lately made him tremble, now in
chains, and exposed to the ribald mirth and derision of the gaping
crowd, they lost at once their fortitude, and even all sense of
expressing their grief at this misfortune:--the shock of it was so
violent, it even took away the power of feeling it, and they remained
for some moments rather like statues carv'd out by mortal art, than real
men created by God, and animated with living souls. A general groan was
the first mark they gave of any sensibility of this dreadful stroke of
fate; but when recruited spirits once more gave utterance to words, how
terrible were their exclamations! Some of them, in the extravagance of
despair, said things relating to fate and destiny, which, on a less
occasion, could have little merited forgiveness.
Unable either to remove from the place, or view distinctly what their
eyes were fixed upon, they stayed till the whole cavalcade was passed,
then went down and threw themselves upon the floor, where their ears
were deafen'd by the noise of guns, loud huzza's, and other testimonies
of popular rejoicings, both within and without the prison walls.--What
have we now to expect? cried one,--endless slavery:--chains, infamy,
lasting as our lives, replied another. Then let us dye, added a third.
Right, said his companion feircely;--the glory of Sweden is lost!--Let
us disappoint these barbarians, these Russian monsters, of the pleasure
of insulting us on our country's fall.
In this romantic and distracted manner did they in vain endeavour to
discharge their breasts of the load of anguish each sustained.--Their
misfortune was not of a nature to be alleviated by words;--it was too
mighty for expression; and the more they spoke, the more they had yet to
say.--For three whole days they refused the wretched sustenance brought
to them; neither did the least slumber ever close their eyelids by
night: on the fourth the keeper of the prison came, and told them they
must depart.---They endeavoured not to inform themselves how or where
they were to be disposed of; in their present condition all places were
alike to them, so followed him, without speaking, down stairs, at the
bottom of which they found a strong guard of thirty soldiers, who having
chained them in a link, like slaves going to be sold at the market,
conducted them to a very stately palace adjoining to that belonging
to the czar.
They were but eight in number, out of fifty-five who had been taken
prisoners at the time Horatio was, and were thrown altogether in the
dungeon, the others having perished thro' cold and the noysomeness of
the place, before Edella had procured them a more easy situation; but
these eight that survived were all officers, and most of them men of
distinguished birth as well as valour, tho' their long imprisonment,
scanty food, and more than all, the grief they at present laboured under
made them look rather like ghosts, than men chose out of thousands to
fight always near the king of Sweden's person in every
hazardous attempt.
They were placed in a stately gallery, and there left, while the
officer, who commanded the party that came with them, went into an inner
room, but soon after returned, and another person with him; on which,
the first of this unhappy string was loosed from his companions, and a
signal made to him to enter a door, which was opened for him, and
immediately closed again.
For about half an hour there was a profound silence: our prisoners kept
it thro' astonishment; and the others, it is to be supposed, had orders
for doing so.--At the end of that time the door was again opened, and
the chain which fastened the second Swede to the others, was untied, and
he, in like manner as the former, bid to go in.--In some time after, the
same ceremony was observed to a third;--then to a fourth, fifth, sixth,
and seventh:--Horatio chanced to be the last, who, tho' alarmed to a
very great degree at the thoughts of what fate might have been inflicted
on his companions, went fearless in, more curious to know the meaning of
this mysterious proceeding, than anxious for what might befal him.
He had no sooner passed the door, than he found himself in a spacious
chamber richly adorned, at the upper end of which sat a man, leaning his
head upon his arm in a thoughtful posture.--Horatio immediately knew him
to be prince Menzikoff, whom he had seen during a short truce between
the czar and king Charles of Sweden, when both their armies were in
Lithuania. There were no other persons present than one who had the
aspect of a jew, and as it proved was so, that stood near the prince's
chair, and a soldier who kept the door.
Horatio was bid to approach, and when he did so,--you are called hither,
said the jew in the Swedish language, to answer to such questions as
shall be asked you, concerning a conspiracy carried on between you and
your fellow-prisoners with the enemies of Russia. Horatio understood the
language perfectly well, having conversed so long with Swedes, but never
could attain to a perfect pronounciation of it, so replied in French,
that he knew the prince could speak French, and he would therefore
answer to any interrogatories his highness should be pleased to make
without the help of an interpreter.
Are you not then a Swede? said the prince. Horatio then told him that he
was not, but came from France into the service of the king of Sweden
merely thro' his love of arms.
On these words Menzikoff dismissed the jew, and looked earnestly on him;
wan and pale as he was grown thro' his long confinement, and the many
hardships he had sustained, this prince found something in him that
attracted his admiration.--Methinks, said he, since glory was your aim,
you might as well have hoped to acquire it under the banners of our
invincible emperor.
Alas! my lord, replied Horatio with a sigh, that title, till very
lately, was given to the king of Sweden, and, I believe, whatever fate
has attended that truly great prince, those who had the honour to be
distinguished by him, will never be suspected either of cowardice or
baseness.--It was by brave and open means our king taught his soldiers
the way to victory, not by mean subterfuges and little plots:--I cannot
therefore conceive for what reason I am brought hither to be examined on
any score that has the appearance of a conspiracy.
Yes, replied the prince feircely, you and your fellow-prisoners have
endeavoured to insinuate yourselves into the favour of persons whom you
imagined entrusted with the secrets of the government:--being prisoners
of war, you formed contrivances for your escape, and attempted to
inveigle others to accompany your flight.
That every tittle of this accusation is false, my lord, cried Horatio,
there needs no more than the improbability of it to prove.--Indeed the
cruel usage we sustained, might have justified an attempt to free
ourselves, yet did such a design never enter our heads:--we were so far
from making use of any stratagems for that purpose, that we never made
the least overture to any of the guards, who were the only persons we
were allowed to converse with.
How! said the prince interrupting him, were not your privileges enlarged
by the interposition of a lady?--Did she not make you considerable
allowances out of her own purse, and frequently visit you to receive
your thanks?--And were you not emboldened by these favours to urge her
to reveal what secrets were in her knowledge, and even to assist you in
your escape?--You doubtless imagined you could prevail on her also to go
with you:--part of this, continued he, she has herself confessed:--it
will therefore be in vain for you to deny it:--if you ingenuously reveal
these particulars she has omitted, you may hope to find favour; but it
you obstinately persist, as your companions have done, in attempting to
impose upon me, you must expect to share the same fate immediately.
In speaking these words he made a sign to the soldier, who throwing open
a large folding door, discovered a rack on which one of the Swedish
officers was tied, and the others stood near bound, and in the hands of
the executioner.
This sight so amazed Horatio, that he had not the power of speaking one
word;--till Mullern, who happened to be the person that was fastened
upon the rack, cried out to him,--Be not lost in consideration, Horatio,
said he; are we not in the hands of Muscovites, from whom nothing that
is human can be expected?--rather prepare yourself to disappoint their
cruelty, by bravely suffering all they dare inflict.
Hold then, said Horatio, even Muscovites would chuse to have some
pretence for what they do; and sure the first favourite and
generalissimo of a prince, who boasts an inclination to civilize his
barbarous subjects, will not, without any cause, torture them whom
chance alone has put into his power, and who have never done him any
personal injury.--By heaven, pursued he, turning to the prince, we all
are innocent of any part of those crimes laid to our charge:--time,
perhaps, if our declarations are ineffectual, will convince your
highness we are so, and you will then regret the injustice you have
done us.
You all are in one story, cried the prince, but I am well assured of the
main point:--the particulars is all I want to be informed of:--but since
I am compelled to speak more plain, which of you is it for whose sake
you all received such instances of Edella's bounty?--Whoever tells me
that, even tho' it be the person himself, shall have both pardon
and liberty.
Impossible it is to express the astonishment every one was in at this
demand: five of them had not the least notion what it meant; but
Mullern, Horatio, and that friend to whom he had shewn the letter of
Mattakesa, had some conjecture of the truth, and presently imagined that
lady had been the incendiary to kindle the flame of jealousy in the
prince's breast. The affair, however, was of so nice a nature, that they
knew not how to vindicate Edella without making her seem more guilty, so
contented themselves with joining with the others, in protesting they
knew of no one among them who could boast of receiving any greater
favours from her than his fellows, but that what she did was instigated
merely by compassion, since she had never seen, or knew who any of them
were, till after she had moved the governor in their behalf:--they
acknowledged she had been so good as to come sometimes to the prison, in
order to see if those she entrusted with her bounty had been faithful in
the delivery of it; but that she never made the least difference between
them, and never had conversation with any one of them that was not in
the presence of them all. Mullern could not forbear adding to this, that
he doubted not but the persons who had incensed his highness into
groundless surmises, were also the same who had hindered her, by some
false insinuations or other, from continuing the allowance her charity
allowed them, and for the want of which they had since been near
perishing.
Prince Menzikoff listened attentively to what each said, and with no
less earnestness fixed his eyes on the face of every one as they
spoke.--Finding they had done, he was about giving some orders on their
account, when the keeper of the prison came hastily into the room, and
having entreated pardon for the interruption, presented a letter to the
prince, directed for brigadier Mullern, and brought, he said, just after
the prisoners were carried out.
Menzikoff commended his zeal in receiving and bringing it to him, as it
might possibly serve to give some light to the affair he was examining.
Having perused it, he demanded which of them was named Mullern? I am,
replied the brave Swede; and neither fear, nor am ashamed of any thing
under that name.
Hear then what is wrote to you by a lady, resumed the prince, with a
countenance more serene than he had worn since their being brought
before him, and presently read with a very audible voice these words:
"That you have been so long without
seeing me, my dear Mullern, or hearing
from me, is not owing to any decrease in my
affection, but to the necessity of my affairs:--if
you have any regard for me remaining, I
conjure you, if ever you are asked any questions
concerning the frequent visits I have made
you, to say I was sent by Edella, and that I was
no more than her emissary in the assistance you
received from me:--add also, that you have
reason to believe her charity was excited by
her liking one of your company:--mention
who you think fit; but I believe Horatio, as
the youngest and most handsome, will be the
most likely to gain credit to what you say.--
Depend upon it, that if you execute this commission
artfully, I will recompence it by procuring
your liberty:--nor need you have any
scruples concerning it, for no person will be
prejudiced by it, and the reputation preserved
of
_Yours,_