I suppose, said the prince, as soon as he had done reading, turning to
Horatio, you are the person mentioned in the letter? Tho' I neither
desire nor deserve the epithets given me there my lord, replied he, yet
I will not deny but I am called Horatio.
Well, resumed the prince with a half smile, I am so well pleased with
the conviction this letter has given me, that I shall retain no
resentment against the malicious author of it.
He then ordered Mullern to be taken from the rack, which had never been
strained; nor had he any intention, as he now assured him, to put him to
the torture, but only to intimidate him, being resolved to make use of
every method he could think of for the full discovery of every thing
relating to the behaviour of his beloved Edella.--The other gentlemen
had also their fetters taken off, and the prince asked pardon of them
severally for the injury he had done them; then made them sit down and
partake of a handsome collation at that table, before which they had so
lately stood as delinquents at a bar.
The Russians are excessive in their carouses, and prince Menzikoff being
now in an admirable good humour, made them drink very freely:--to be the
more obliging to his guests, he began the king of Sweden's health in a
bumper of brandy, protesting at the same time, that tho' an enemy to his
master, he loved and venerated the hero: Horatio on this ventured to
enquire in what condition his majesty was; to which the prince replied,
that being greatly wounded, he was obliged to leave the field, and, it
was believed, had took the load toward the dominions of the grand
signior, some of the Russian troops having pursued him as far as the
Borysthenes where, by the incredible valour of a few that attended him,
they had been beat back.
The Swedish officers knew it must be bad indeed when their king was
compelled to fly; and this renewed in them a melancholy, which it was
not in the power of liquor, or the present civilities of the prince to
dissipate: they also learned that the generals Renchild, Slipenbock,
Hamilton, Hoorn, Leuenhaup, and Stackelburg, with the prince of
Wirtemburg, count Piper, and the flower of the whole army, were
prisoners at Muscow.
The misfortune of these great men would have been very afflicting to
those who heard it, could any thing have given addition to what they
knew before.--Prince Menzikoff was sensible of what they felt, and to
alleviate their grief, assured them that he would take upon him to give
them all their liberty, without even exacting a promise from them never
more to draw their swords against the czar, in case the king of Sweden
should ever be able to take the field again.
So generous a proceeding both merited and received their utmost
acknowledgments: but he put an end to the serious demonstrations they
were about to make him of their gratitude, by saying,--I pay you no more
than I owe you:--I have wronged you:--this is but part of the
retaliation I ought to make:--besides, added he laughing, Mattakesa
promised Mullern his freedom; and as she has done me the good office,
tho' undesignedly, of revealing to me her own treachery, I can do no
less than assist her in fulfilling, her covenant.
To prove how much he was in earnest, he called his secretary, and
ordered him to make out their passports with all expedition, that they
might be ready to depart next morning; after which he made them repose
themselves in his palace the remainder of the night; which being in a
manner vastly different from what they had been accustomed to of a long
time, indeed ever since their quitting Alranstadt, they did not fail to
do, notwithstanding the discontent of their minds.
Prince Menzikoff, being now convinced of the fidelity of Edella, passed
into her apartment, where the reconciliation between them took up so
much time, that it was near noon next day before he appeared: his new
guests had not quitted their chambers much sooner; but after reproaching
themselves for having been so tardy, went altogether to take leave of
the prince, and accept the passports he had been so good to order. As
they were got ready, he gave them immediately into their hands, and told
them, they were at liberty to quit Petersburg that moment, if they
pleased; or if they had any curiosity to take a view of that city, they
might gratify it, and begin their journey next morning. As it was now so
late in the day, they accepted his highness's offer, and walked out to
see a place which had excited so much admiration in the world, since
from a wild waste, in ten years time, a spacious and most beautiful city
had arose in the midst of war, and proved the genius of the founder
greater in civil than in military arts, tho' it must be owned he was
indefatigable in the study of both.
The officers of the king of Sweden were entertained with the same
elegance and good humour they had been the night before; and as they
were now resolved to quit the city extremely early, the prince took
leave of them that night, and in doing so put a purse of gold into the
hands of every one to defray the expenses of their travelling. This
behaviour obliged them to own there was a possibility of sowing the
seeds of humanity in Muscovy, and that the czar had made some progress
in influencing those about him with the manners he had himself learned
in the politer courts.