nner, so as to give it full legal validity as a measure of state,
would be taken on the following day.

It must be confessed that the agitation and anger which Peter now
manifested were not wholly without excuse, for the course which Alexis
had pursued had been the means of exposing his father to a great and
terrible danger--to that, namely, of a rebellion among his subjects.
Peter did not even know but that such a rebellion was already planned
and was ripe for execution, and that it might not break out at any
time, notwithstanding his having succeeded in recovering possession of
the person of Alexis, and in bringing him home. Of such a rebellion,
if one had been planned, the name of Alexis would have been, of course,
the watch-word and rallying-point, and Peter had a great deal of ground
for apprehension that such a one had been extensively organized and was
ready to be carried into effect. He immediately set himself at work to
ferret out the whole affair, resolving, however, in the first place, to
disable Alexis himself from doing any farther mischief by destroying
finally and forever all claims on his part to the inheritance of the
crown.

Accordingly, on the following morning, before daybreak, the garrison of
the city were put under arms, and a regiment of the Guards was posted
around the palace, so as to secure all the gates and avenues; and
orders were sent, at the same time, to the principal ministers, nobles,
and counselors of state, to repair to the great hall in the castle, and
to the bishops and clergy to assemble in the Cathedral. Every body
knew that the occasion on which they were convened was that they might
witness the disinheriting of the prince imperial by his father, in
consequence of his vices and crimes; and in coming together in
obedience to the summons, the minds of all men were filled with solemn
awe, like those of men assembling to witness an execution.

When the appointed hour arrived the great bell was tolled, and Alexis
was brought into the hall of the castle, where the nobles were
assembled, bound as a prisoner, and deprived of his sword. The Czar
himself stood at the upper end of the hall, surrounded by the chief
officers of state. Alexis was brought before him. As he approached he
presented a writing to his father, and then fell down on his knees
before him, apparently overwhelmed with grief and shame.

The Czar handed the paper to one of his officers who stood near, and
then ask