S34 Cruel Punifbment infliéied on Mr. Seider, by Paull. [May 1, 
thing noxious or dangerous in them, he 
replied, that I muft refrain from all rea- 
foning on the fubject. | 
_ My books were then packed up in three 
chefis and fent to Dorpat, to be thence 
forwarded by -the po to Peterfburg. 
After fupper, the gentlemen all fet off for 
Dorpat. I followed them the following 
day, accompanied by my wife, As I 
drove through my fields, I caft a friendly 
farewell-look at the green undulating 
crops :—but, alas !, little did Ithen think, 
that I was taking leave of them for ever! 
When [arrivedat M. Tumanfky’s houfe, in 
Dorpat, I found feveral gentlemen of the 
law, members of the tribunals, aflembled : 
they unanimoufly affured me, that I had 
nothing to fear, and that they hoped foon 
tc fee me back again; for it appeared 
from the lift of my books (which feveral 
perfons in Dorpat had already perufed) 
that, at leait as far as it was known to 
the public, there were no prohibited ones 
among them, and that almoft all of them 
were read at Dorpat. 
_J now placed myfelf in my carriage ; 
and the courier whom the Attorney Ge- 
neral had fent for me from Peterfburg, 
and who had waited for me in Dorpat, 
feated himfelf at my fide. I paid for the 
poft-horfes out of my own pocket as far 
as Peterfburg, where we arrived on the 
third day after our departure from Dor- 
pat. We drove to the houfe of the At- 
torney General, His Excellency gave me 
a very gracious and friendly reception, 
and told me, that I had nothing to fear ; 
and that I might write to my wife, 
Another gentleman of diftinétion (who 
belonged to the Attorney General’s 
Office) laid to me: ‘* Be not afraid; you 
are in good hands; your bovks will be 
examined, and if any prchibited ones be 
found among them, you will be afked, 
whether you imported them in a clandef- 
tine manner, or bought them at a public 
fhop—wihether you purchafed them before 
or after the prohibition: and if you can 
properly juftify yourfelf, all the punifh- 
ment you have to apprehend, is, that the 
book will be confifcated.”” Such affur- 
ances could not fail to render mc tran- 
quil. 
By order of his Excellency I now wrote 
a Declaration, in which I faid every thing 
that I thought would tend to prove my 
innocence. This Declaration was imme- 
diately difpatched by a courier to Paw- 
Jowfki, where the Emperor then refided. 
His Excellency now returned to me, con- 
verfed with me ina moft gracious manner, 
and faid to me, that, as I could not re- 
i " 
main in his houfe, he would fend me to 
another place, where I would enjoy more 
convenience and tranquillity ;—and that 
he would there vifit me himfelf. I was 
now put into a boat, in which I was 
rowed a confiderable way on the Neva 5 
and when IJ landed, I found mylelf in the 
citadel. The courier, who had been fent 
along with me by the Attorney General, 
delivered a letter to the officer upon guard, 
who conducted me to a very clean apart- - 
ment, the furniture of which confifted of 
a bed, a-table, and a couple of chairs. 
Here they took from me whatever had the 
leaft appearance of being a dangerous in- 
ftrument: my razors, .{ciffors, combs, 
knee-buckles, my feal, and my pocket- 
book, with the money and bills centained 
in it.. They likewife feparated my fer- 
vant from me: but in other refpects I was 
well treated, only very ftrictly watched. 
With the utmoft impatience I here 
waited for the Attorney General.’ He 
came to me on the fame day, and faid to 
me with a mien full of benignity: ‘¢Mr. ~ 
Seider, be not alarmed, becau‘e I ordered 
you to be brought hither: it is onl the > 
word citadel that founds dreadful, As 
you are, at any rate, a prifoner till your 
affair can be inveftigated, it is better for 
you to be here than in any other part of 
the city.” I inquired, whether I had 
been brought hither by command of his 
Imperial, Majefty.——-His anfwer in the | 
affirmative, made me tremble exceflively. 
His Excellency, obferving this, faid : 
“Be more compofed and hope for the 
beft: the affair will undoubtedly take a 
favourable turn: you are now ‘{ufpected 
of having committed a crime, and mult 
with patience fubmit to a temporary 
finement. — To-morrow we may re- 
ceive a decifion from Pawlowfky, and 
then I fhall immediately have the plea- 
fureof announcing to you your liberation,.”’ 
He likewife gave me permiffion to walk 
in the garden of the citadel, and to write 
to my wife; of which latt indulgence, 
however, I declined availing my(elf un-, 
till I fhould have recovered my liberty. 
After his Excellency had lett me, I threw. 
~myfelf on my bed in an agony of grief, 
and by a flood of tears gave eale to my al- 
moft burfting heart. . . 
I paffed four-anxious days in the cita- 
del; fometimes agitated by fear, and then 
again cheered by hope, and confoling my- 
felf with the confcioufnefs of my inno- 
cence and the Emperor's love of juftice, 
On the fifth day, the officer on guard en- — 
tered my apartment, accompanied by a 
meflenger from the Attorney General 2 
au 
