132 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1818. [Sept. 



400,000 of their brethren were 

 to regain the rights and dignity 

 of men. 



After the Te Deum, the Go- 

 vernor addressed the assembly in 

 an appropriate speech, declaring 

 the abolition of the slavery of the 

 peasants, by the decree of his 

 Majesty, at the request of the 

 nobility ; and announcing the plan 

 of the new ordinance relating to 

 the peasants. 



The clergyman then ascended 

 the pulpit, and held a discourse 

 in German, in which he showed 

 the point of view in which the 

 new constitution of the peasants 

 was to be considered, and the 

 importance of the present mo- 

 ment. He then addressed the 

 peasants in Livonian, announced 

 to them the benefits given them 

 by the emperor, saluted them as 

 freemen, and exhorted them to 

 gratitude to the Emperor, love 

 to their late masters, and a proper 

 use of their freedom ; recom- 

 mending them to pursue the path 

 of legal order and tranquillity 

 which each of them had now to 

 take. A solemn hymn concluded 

 this memorable ceremony. 



His Imperial Majesty, after 

 divine service in the church of 

 the Holy Trinity, went to the 

 Greek church, amidst the accla- 

 mations of the people, and heard 

 Te Deum performed. Mean- 

 time, the nobility, the public 

 officers, and the peasants, who 

 had been assembled in the 

 church, went to the castle, whi- 

 ther the Emperor repaired from 

 the church, and had the civil 

 officers and the nobility presented 

 to him. 



A scene then succeeded, which 

 represented the Russian Sove- 



reign in the fairest light as the 

 father of his people, or, as the 

 world in its infancy called 

 Princes, as the Shepherd of his 

 people. He caused the assembled 

 peasants to be brought before 

 him, and discoursed to them in 

 person, explaining what his good- 

 ness had given them, and the 

 proper use of it. The worthy 

 Deputy of the country. Count 

 Charles Von Meden, interpreted 

 the discourse of the Emperor, 

 who graciously heard the reply 

 of two of the peasants 



In the afternoon the Emperor, 

 at the invitation of the nobility 

 of the province, partook of an 

 elegant entertainment in the hall 

 of the Equestrian Order, which 

 was tastefully ornamented with 

 flowers and shrubs. During the 

 entertainment the Emperor gave 

 as a toast, " The welfare of the 

 Courland nobility," and Count 

 Meden in return proposed t]>e 

 health of his Majesty. Imme- 

 diately after the entertainment 

 his Majesty continued his journey 

 to Berlin and Aixla-Chapelle, 

 accompanied by the blessing of 

 all the people of Courland. 

 " Aix-la- Chapelle, Sept. 29. 



" Yesterday and the day pre- 

 ceding will constitute a remark- 

 able epoch in the annals of Aix- 

 la-Chapelle. Three powerful 

 monarchs, animated with the 

 same wishes for the repose of the 

 universe and the happiness of 

 their people, made their solemn 

 entry into the ancient city of 

 Aix-la-Chapelle. On Sunday, 

 about .5 o'clock in the afternoon, 

 his Majesty the King of Prussia, 

 our Sovereign, arrived first, and 

 was welcomed with all the de- 

 monstrations of the most lively 



joy 



