tent of their plans; but, such was their fanaticism, that they had determined to go the atrocious length of assassinating the Emperor. Fortunately, this shocking project was disconcerted by his Majesty's journey to the southern provinces; after which, distrust and disorder having crept in among them, most of the societies withdrew from the union, and suspended their sittings. There still existed to the last, however, one which had its committee of direction established at Petersburgh, and had at its head the Prince Trubetzkoi, one Ryleoeff, a retired sub-lieutenant and journalist, the Prince Obolensky, and other officers; another in the south, having its head-quarters at Toulczin, under the direction of Colonel Pestel; and a few others of less consideration, some of which had extended their branches even into Hungary.

Alexander had frequently received communications regarding those societies, and so positive that he could scarcely doubt their existence; and it has been affirmed, that shortly previous to his death, he issued from Taganrog an order for the arrest of the principal conspirators attached to the army of the south.

We come now to speak of the succession to the throne upon the death of Alexander. The Grand-duke Constantine, as the eldest surviving brother, (Alexander having died without issue,) was, according to the established order of succession, the undoubted heir. But he having, in 1823, determined to divorce his Grand duchess, Princess Ulrica of Saxe-Cobourg, and marry Jean Grusynska, afterwards Princess of Lowicz, the daughter of a Polish gentleman, he, in order to obtain the consent of his brother the Emperor, and the Dowager Empress, (who appears all along to have maintained an extraordinary ascendency over the minds of her

sons,) to those outre proceedings, entered into a family arrangement with them, by which he solemnly renounced his right of succession to the throne, in favour of his immediate younger brother Nicholas. Consequent upon that arrangement, the Emperor Alexander issued a manifesto, of date 16th August, 1823, in which he declared the Archduke Nicholas to be his heir-presumptive. Authenticated duplicates of this document were lodged at the time in the archives of the Directing Senate, of the Holy Synod, and of the Cathedral Church of the Ascension at Moscow. The conventional destination of the crown thus effected was unknown to all but the diplomatic circles in Europe; and the indiscreet appearance of the name of the Archduke Nicholas as heir-presumptive, in the Court Calendar of Berlin, (the consort of Nicholas being a daughter of the Prussian King,) excited at the time no little speculation.

Upon the receipt in Petersburgh of the intelligence of Alexander's death, the Archduke Nicholas, though perfectly cognizant of his own claims, with a generosity which has scarcely an example, refused to ascend the throne, and directed the Senate to take measures for having his brother Constantine, who was then in Warsaw, as Viceroy of Poland, proclaimed Emperor. He also took the oath of fidelity to Constantine in presence of the guards; and also caused it to be taken by them, the other troops, and the whole public functionaries then in the metropolis.

At Warsaw, the news of Alexander's demise had been received on the 7th December, two days earlier than at Petersburgh. Constantine, faithful to his engagements, at once dispatched his brother Michael, who was residing with him, with two letters, one to Nicholas, the other to

the Empress Mother, in which he freely and fully ratified his former renunciation of his right of succession, declaring it to be his unalterable resolution to adhere to that renunciation, and only requesting that he might be permitted to retain the title of Czarowitsch, with which his illustrious deceased brother had been pleased to honour his services.

These dispatches involved the Archduke Nicholas in no little perplexity, since they had been written and forwarded by Constantine, in ignorance of his having actually been proclaimed Emperor; and to avail himself of Constantine's renunciation under the circumstances, might appear to the people as taking advantage of a sudden and rash impulse of generosity upon the part of his elder brother. Nicholas, therefore, resolved to wait from day to day, to allow time to Constantine to recall his resolution; but Constantine continued inflexible; and a letter, by him, dated the 20th, was received, so full of affectionate attachment to his brother, whom he addressed as his sovereign, and so decisive in its tone, as to leave no doubt of the sincerity and unchangeableness of his purpose, as conveyed in his former letter.

Thus terminated this most remarkable contest; and on the 25th, Nicholas, his right being now undoubted, ascended the imperial throne, and was duly proclaimed. The same day, he issued a manifesto, in which he recapitulated at length the different documents on which his right was founded, taking care specially to notice the whole letters by Constantine, renouncing his right of succession; and, in conclusion, expressed his resolution, in all his public measures, to pursue the policy of the deceased Emperor.

These events revived the hopes of the conspirators who were in Peters

burgh. They reasoned among themselves, that it would be an easy matter to persuade the soldiers that it would be a solemn infraction of the oath which they had just taken to Constantine, to swear allegiance to Nicholas; and they resolved to assemble in front of the hall of the Senate, with all the soldiers whom they could gain over, and, occupying that position, to control the measures of government. It was believed by them that Nicholas, rather than have recourse to force, would renounce his rights, and enter into a negotiation with them; in which event they were prepared to demand, that national de'puties should be convoked from the different provinces; and that, for the conducting of affairs in the interval, a

provisional government should be established. In the meantime, they were to endeavour to instil doubts into the minds of the troops with regard to the reality of Constantine's renunciation, and to spread a report that he was advancing with the First and the Polish army, to extirpate those who should take the oath to Nicholas.

The day for executing their plot was the 26th, on which day the troops were to have the oath of fidelity tendered to them. The conspirators were on the ground; but their chief, Prince Trubetzkoi, betrayed irreso lution and fear, and infected the others with his feelings. The far greater part of the regiments took the oath without difficulty, though there were a few recusants, who were instantly put under arrest. Two battalions, however, proved refrac tory. One of these was the Moscow regiment; and Prince Ramstoffky, one of its chief officers, surrounded by others, harangued several of the companies, adjuring them to be faithful to the oath which they had taken to Constantine. "The Emperor Con

stantine," he said, "loves our regiment, and will reward it." The soldiers proceeded to load their muskets. At this juncture, an aide-decamp of the Archduke Michael rode up, and demanded whether they acknowledged his Imperial Highness for their commander? to which Ramstoffky replied, that he did not recognise his authority; and having thrown his sabre at the head of Major-General Friedricks, he marched off his rebellious troops, shouting, "Long live the Emperor Constantine!" towards the Senate-house. The spirit of revolt had communicated itself to the marine battalion, and the battalion of grenadiers, who also repaired to the Senate-house, where the mutineers amounted to about 1800, and were applauded by many among an immense number of civilians who had thronged to the place to watch events.

The insurrection had become truly formidable, when the Emperor Nicholas, with great resolution, put himself at the head of a battalion of the regiment Preobajensky, and, amid the acclamations of his people, advanced in the direction of the mutineers, determined not to employ force, if persuasion would recall them to their duty. The military governor of Petersburgh, Count Milaradowitch, who had made himself so famous in the campaign of 1812, presented himself to the mutineers, in order to address them, when he received a mortal shot fired from a pistol. The Emperor in vain implored them to yield obedience; in vain he appealed to their loyalty and patriotism, and promised pardon to all but the most guilty. They remained obstinate. His Majesty was speedily joined by a number of other regiments, who supplicated him to allow them to execute summary justice upon the rebels. He was also joined by the Archduke

Michael, who, having just arrived in the capital, had forced six of the companies of the Moscow regiment, which remained in their barracks, to take the oath, and advanced with them against their companions.

The clemency of the Emperor was not yet exhausted; but night was approaching, and there was a necessity for instantly crushing the rebellion. The artillery opened a destructive fire upon the rebels, and in an instant the place was cleared of them. The cavalry charged the feeble remains who fled, and pursued them in all directions. Patrols were dispatched to scour the streets; and in a few hours, upwards of 500 of the rebels were in custody. Those of them who bore commissions were conducted to the fortress. The Emperor returned to his palace, where, in his presence and that of his whole Court, Te Deum was performed in celebration of the return of tranquillity.

About midnight, Prince Trubetzkoi, who had sought an asylum in the hotel of his friend the Austrian ambassador, was delivered up, on the requisition of Count Nesselrode; and having been brought into the presence of the Emperor, fell upon his knees, and revealed the whole details of the conspiracy.

Next day, the Emperor appointed a commission of inquiry, for the purpose of more clearly unravelling the conspiracy, and reporting upon the different degrees of guilt of those who were implicated in it. But this did not restrain him from exercising, in the meantime, the noblest prerogative of a monarch, by pardoning and setting at liberty many whose youth, or the arts which had been practised upon them, extenuated the guilt of their conduct.

The same day, the Emperor reviewed the troops who had engaged in the insurrection, and had since

testified their repentance. "You have lost your honour," he said, "but I pardon you; try to recover it." The soldiers replied by loud huzzas. He also rewarded the troops who had remained faithful to him, by conferring upon them honourable distinction.

His Majesty lost no time in announcing his accession to all the foreign ambassadors, and conveying to them his assurances, that he would faithfully adhere to the policy of his predecessor. He also took the constitutional oath as King of Poland; and, in a proclamation addressed to his Polish subjects, he declared his resolution not to attempt any change in the institutions which Alexander had conferred upon them. He, by an ordinance, was pleased to continue Prince Joseph Zayazeck in the dignity of Lieutenant-General of Poland; and also the whole officers intrusted with the civil administration of that kingdom, in possession of their functions. At Warsaw, Te Deum was performed in honour of Nicholas' accession, and Constantine received in person the oath of fidelity to the new Emperor by the Russian guards; after which, he dispatched a letter of congratulation to his Majesty, abounding in professions of unalterable devotion to his service.

As a consequence of the discoveries made by government, numerous arrests took place, particularly in the southern parts of the empire, of persons of distinction, who were

or had been connected with the late secret societies. Among these were two brothers Mouravieffs, whom a company of officers, belonging to the society "Re-united Slaves," of which the Mouravieffs were members, rescued from confinement in the neighbourhood of Kieff, and who now endeavoured to seduce the regiment Tscherzigoff into rebellion. Their arts succeeded with six companies of that regiment, with which they overran the country, and which were joined by a troop, composed of members of the "Re-united Slaves" society. A detachment, under Lieute nant-General Rott, was dispatched against these fanatics, and came up with them on 13th January. Apostai Mouravieff, who commanded them, formed them into a square, and caused them to advance as friends towards the imperial troops, in the hope that they also might be disposed to join his standard. They were received with a fire of musketry, which broke their square; and a charge of cavalry completed their disorder; on which the rebels laid down their arms. Their commander was wounded by a mus ket-shot and the stroke of a sabre, and he and most of his officers and 700 privates were taken prisoners. Thus ended the only demonstration made in the provinces by a conspiracy which, most insane in its projects, was, in its composition, truly formidable to the peace of the em pire, and the safety of the reigning dynasty.

DURING the year, M. Mintziacky, the Russian charge d'affaires at Constantinople, continued to receive from the Porte almost daily promises that the provinces of Moldavia and Wallachia would be evacuated by the Turkish troops; but the measure, notwithstanding, remained unexecuted. The high powers of Europe having at length taken an interest in the affairs of Greece, concurred in remonstrating with the Porte against the continuance of a war, which had assumed the character of one of extermination. The most distinguished of these powers for their zeal in behalf of Greece were Great Britain and Russia; but all their arguments were replied to by the Porte by complaints as to the assistance which had been afforded to the insurgents by their respective subjects.

The Porte was still farther perplexed by some rebellious movements on the part of the Janissaries. The police having arrested several individuals of that body, suspected of plotting against the life of the Sultan, their officers stirred them up to mutiny; upon which their Aga and the Grand Vizier repaired to their barracks; and such was the influence of their authority, that they succeeded

VOL. XVII. PART I.

in arresting the principal insurgents, fifty of whom they caused to be strangled on the spot: the others were embarked in boats, and drowned in the Dardanelles.

The Sultan, in the meantime, amid all his embarrassments, displayed extraordinary activity in preparing for a new campaign. He issued the strictest orders for levying the new imposts throughout the provinces ; and to supply the poverty of the public exchequer, he advanced from his own private treasury 19,000 purses.

The outline of the plan of the new campaign was, that the insurgent provinces should be invaded by no fewer than four armies. The first of these was to be assembled on the Asiatic coast, embarked in European transports, and escorted by the Turkish fleet; the second, to be composed of troops disciplined after the European manner, was destined specially for the Morea, and placed under the absolute command of Ibrahim Pacha, son of the Pacha of Egypt; the third, to consist of troops scattered over Thessaly, Bulgaria, Romelia, and Macedonia, but since organized at Larissa by Redschid Pacha, who had been named Pacha of Janina, besides being invested with the title of Seraskier;

P