soon after found three of the proscribed in a church, to which they had fled as a sanctuary.  Notwithstanding the sacredness of the church, the unhappy lords were instantly hewn to pieces by the swords of the assassins.  Thus frenzied with blood, they met a young lord whom they mistook for Ivan Nariskin, the remaining brother of the mother of Peter.  He was instantly slain, and then the assassins discovered their error.  With some slight sense of justice, perhaps of humanity, they carried the bleeding corpse of the young nobleman to his father.  The panic-stricken, heartbroken parent dared not rebuke them for the murder, but thanked them for bringing to him the corpse of his child.  The mother, more impulsive and less cautious, broke out into bitter and almost delirious reproaches.  The father, to appease her, said to her, in an under tone, “Let us wait till the hour shall come when we shall be able to take revenge.”

Some one overheard the imprudent words, and reported them to the mob.  They immediately returned, dragged the old man down the stairs of his palace by the hair, and cut his throat upon his own door sill.  They were now searching the city, in all directions, for Von Gaden the German physician of the late tzar, who was accused of administering to him poison.  They met in the streets, the son of the physician, and demanded of him where his father was.  The trembling lad replied that he did not know.  They cut him down.  Soon they met another German physician.

“You are a doctor,” they said.  “If you have not poisoned our sovereign you have poisoned others, and deserve death.”

He was immediately murdered.  At length they discovered Von Gaden.  He had attempted to disguise himself in a beggar’s garb.  The worthy old man, who, like most eminent physicians, was as distinguished for humanity as for eminent medical skill, was dragged to the Kremlin.  The princesses themselves came out and mingled with the crowd, begging for the life of the good man, assuring them that he had been a faithful physician and that he had served their sovereign with zeal.  The soldiers declared that he deserved to die, as they had positive proof that he was a sorcerer, for, in searching his apartments, they had found the skin of a snake and several reptiles preserved in bottles.  Against such proof no earthly testimony could avail.

They also demanded that Ivan Nariskin, whom they had been seeking for two days, should be delivered up to them.  They were sure that he was concealed somewhere in the Kremlin, and they threatened to set fire to the palace and burn it to the ground unless he were immediately delivered to them.  It was evident that these threats would be promptly put into execution.  Firing the palace would certainly insure his death.  There was the bare possibility of escape by surrendering him to the mob.  The empress herself went to her brother in his concealment and informed him of the direful choice before him.