1802. } Cruel Punifbinent infliéted on Mr. Seider, by Paul I, 
bunal at Dorpat, to the following effect : 
“The Book licencers at Riga, having 
learned from an advertifement in the Dor- 
pat Newfpaper, that the Rev. Mr, Seider, 
Paktor in Randen, had in his poffeffion 
not only fufpicious but even forbidden 
books and Jent them to read, had made a 
report thereon to his Excellency, requett- 
ing him to give orders to the proper offi- 
cers of juitice to proceed to the Parfonage 
of Randen, and make out a lift of, and 
feal up, the circulating hbrary of Patter 
Seider, and to tranfmit the faid lift to the 
Board of Licencers at Riga.’’ I ftartied 
a little on reading this order, but withott 
being confufed, and, conducting M. Ren- 
nenkampf to my library, defired him to 
execute his office. ‘The good man afked 
me, with a lock of fympathy, whether I 
had not any thing to remove out of the 
way. But I replied, that, as, to the bet 
of my knowledge, I had not any prohi- 
bited or noxious book in my pofleffion, 
wifhed him to make out a lift of all with- 
out exception. He did fo, and had 
finifhed the lift about mid-day. We then 
fat down to dinner. 
In the afternoon M. Rennenkampf 
wrote an account of the whole pro- 
cedure, and had jult begun to execute 
the laf part of his commiffion by 
fealing up the books ;—when. fuddenly 
M. Tumanfky*, (Councillor of State, and 
Licencer at Riga) accompanied by the 
Secretary of the Board of Licencers, and 
by M. Brumer, Captain of the Circle, 
entered the apartment. They informed 
us, that they were come to examine my 
library.—On hearing this, M. Affeffor 
Rennenkampf faid: ‘¢ That has already 
been done by me; hereis the lift of the 
books; but-perhaps you, Gentlemen, 
have received other orders, &c.”> Noan- 
{wer was returned ; and the Secretary im- 
mediately began to write a new lift. 
Whilehe was thus employed, M. Tumanf- 
ky fat down to a collation which was 
ferved up tohim, and I walked quite un- 
concerned and inapprehenfive of danger 
towards the apartment of the curate, who 
refided atmy houfe, There I found Capt. 
Brimer; but on my entering he imme- 
diately Jeft the room. M. Joungna (that 
was the curate’s name) drew me afide, 
and, taking me by the hand, faid: **My 
dear friend, I have fomething to commu- 
nicate to you from Capt. Brimer: but do 
a 
* A moft curious portrait of this wretch is 
drawn by M. Kotzegvur, in his late in- 
terefting work defcribing his own exile inte 
Siberia. 
MonxTuHiy Mag, No, 86, 
~ 
A 
\ 
333 
not be alarmed.’’—** What is it? IT am 
prepared for the worft..”,—* You muft go 
to Peterfburg!’” On hearing this I was 
frightened ‘a little: but foon recovering. 
mytelf, was proceeding to inquire furth r 
of M. Joungna; when M. Brier him- 
felf returned.. He now fhewed me the or- 
der from Peterfburg, which M. Tumanf- 
ky had communicated to him. By com- 
mand of his Imperial Majefty it was ad- 
dreffed by his Excellency the Attorney 
General to M. Tumanfky, the Licencer 
at Riga, dire&ting him to proceed to Ran- 
den, to make outa lift of the library there, 
feal it up, and fend it and the proprietor 
to Peterfburg. It now appeared that, 
befides the information to the Governor 
General of Livonia, areport had likewife 
been fent to Peterfburg. I was again 
greatly fhocked ; however, confcious of 
the goodnefs of my caufe, I conceived 
that I had nothing to fear, and was only 
anxious, how to communicate the intelli- 
gence in the leaft alarming manner to my 
wife. I went to her, and told her all. 
She funk almoft lifelefs into my arms: 
but, as with the tenderelt fenfibility of 
heart fhe likewile poffeffes great ftrength 
of mind, fhe foon recovered from the 
fhock, went to M. Tumanfky, laid hold 
-of his hand to kifs it, and faid to him with 
a look moft exprefive of the agitation of 
her mind: I beg, Sir, you will not 
make my hufband unhappy.”” M. Tu- 
manfky affured her, in the moft folemn 
manner, that fle need be under no ap- 
prehenfion on my account; that the 
whole was done merely for form’s fake, 
and that I would be back again in four-. - 
teen days at the fartheft, M. Brumer 
giving her fimilar affurances, my wife bes 
came more tranquil, and went to pack up 
the neceflary cloaths and linen. I myfelt, 
I own it, was not apprehenfive of any 
danger: and how could I be fo, confci- 
ous as I was that 1 had committed no 
crime? [I fent for the parifh-clerk, and 
gave him the neceflary orders relative to 
the performance of divine fervice during 
my abtence.. In the mean-time the Secre- 
.tary had finifhed the lift of my books. M. 
Tumantky, the Licencer, read it through, 
and declared the following books prohi- 
bited and dangerous: viz. ‘* Lafontaine’s 
Power of Love; ‘*Spalding on the 
Deftination of Man ;°—-‘* On a Perpetual 
Peace; by Kant and Sonntags’’ (Upper- 
paftor in Riga).— To my inquiry, when 
and where thefe books had been prohi- 
bited, he returned no an{wer: and when™ 
I affured him, that, as far as my abilities 
enabled me to judge, I had not found any 
xx thing 
