1802.} Cruel Punifhment inflidied on Mr. Seider, by Paul I. 
unfettering of mewasa fign of my pardon 
and liberation. 
I entered the officer’s apartment. Here 
I found feveral officers, in filent mou ntul 
groupes. Their eyes were all directed 
wards me. After afew feconds had elapfed, 
oneof them, who feemed to be of a fupe- 
rior rank, gave a wink, when immeSiate- 
ly agrenadier {tepped up to me, and or- 
dered me to follow him. He conduéted 
me into the court of the Police-houle. 
Heavens! here a new {cene of terror pre- 
fented itfelf to my eyes. A party of 
foldiers form .a circle ; a word of com- 
mand refounds, and the circle opens—to 
receive me. ‘Iwo fellows, with terrible 
phyfiognomies feize me, and lead me into 
uw. One of them had a thick bundle 
under his arm: on feeing. it, I could no 
longer doubt of the dreadful certainty 
that they were taking me to the place of 
* 
execution :—** Ah! (fighed I to mylelf }~ 
they are going to inflict upon thee the 
moft terrible of punifhmentss§ The laft 
hour of thy life is now arrived!’* The 
circle of foldiers clofed behind me: I 
looked up! ail the galleries and ftairs of 
the court were filled with a great number 
ef people, and a thoufand fighs of com- 
paffion were wafted towards me through 
the air. I now went out into the ftreet. 
A troop of horfemen galloped up, and 
furrounded the party of infantry that in- 
circled me. The preceffion then moved 
flowly through the {treets, and I marched 
with a firm ftep in the midit of it. My 
tearful eye looked up towards heaven. 
God! I prayed not: I only fent up to 
thee my feelings, which thou underftoodtt, 
Omnifcient Searcher of Hearts! I had 
calt my eyes to. the ground, when I was 
interrupted by one of my conductors, who 
afked me for jome money. I had only a 
few copets in copper. 
indeed, in my pocket-bock a bank-note 
for five roubles; but to have taken this 
out, and given it to him, would have at- 
traéted too much attention. I therefore 
pulled out my watch, and flipped it into his 
hand, faying to him, as wellas I could, in 
the Rufiian language—‘* Do not ftrike 
hard :—ftrike fo that I may furvive.”’— 
* Vly, Vly,” was hisanfwer. The proceflion 
_ had jutt paffed a bridge, and I was again, 
raifing my thoughts towards heaven, when 
fuddenly an officer rode up, and ordered 
the foldiers to turn back. I began to 
augur well from this retrograde movement, 
-and ventured to whifper to myfelf— 
“© Perhaps thou haft received the Empe- 
ror’s pardon.”’ But foon the pleafing il- 
efion vanified. The fame officer gal- 
337 
‘ 
loped up to me, and afked me—** Have 
you communicated ?”” But betore I could - 
anfwer that I had not, he again rode off. 
Ah! thought I, they had forgotten to 
prepare thee for death! and my agony 
rofe to dreadful height. 
A few minutes after, I had agaia 
reached the Police-houfe, the Rev. Mr. 
Reinbold entered the room. I eagerly: 
afked him—‘* Is there no reprieve, no par- 
don?’ Hereplicd—** No. Your friends 
have made application in your behalf, but 
in vain. I have been fent hither to give 
you the Lord’s-fupper.’? He accordingly 
gave it me, and I received it with fenti- 
ments of veneration and devotion. I ob- 
ferved feveral officers in the room, who 
were converfing in the German language. 
T inquired of them whether I fhould fur- 
vive che punifhment that would be infli@- 
ed upon me. Mr, Reinbold anfwered, 
that he believed I would. One of the of- 
ficers likewife replied in the affirmative. 
Another faid—** Something fhould have 
been given to the Kuyt-majfter.” 1 an- 
{fwered—‘* I have given him my watch.’* 
—‘* That was unneceflary: you will, 
without that, be treated with lenity,”’ faid 
_an officer. 
There remained, 
I was now re-condu&ed into the circle 
of foldiers, and we again proceeded 
through the fame ftreets. When I had 
pafled the bridge, where the proceffion had 
before turned back, I was {co overpowered 
by the violence of my feelings, that I was 
on the.point of falling to the ground. [ 
began to walk with flower and tottering 
fteps ; but a wild cmyzau from one of the 
fellows at my fide, accompanied with a 
rude pufh, again drove me forwards. At 
Jatt the proceffion halted in an open place. 
Another detachment of foldiers, which 
were already on the fpot, formed a circle 
three-deep, I was led into it. In the 
middle ftood the dreadful flake; at the 
fight of it, I ftarted back with herror. 
No words were capable of exprefling the 
ftate of my foul at that moment. » An of- 
ficer, whom I fuppofed to be the com- 
mander of the party, and whom I after- 
wards heard addreficd by the name of the 
Executor, called the Kyut-majfer to him, 
and faid to him a few words with a very 
hignificant mien, to which the latter an- 
{wered with a Xopaino, and then went to 
unpack his inftruments of torture. In the 
mean-time, I went a few fteps forward, 
and faid, with my eyes and hands lifted 
up towards heaves—** Omnifcient God | 
thou knoweft that Iam innocent! Have 
mercy of my wife and child; blefs the 
-Emperor, and forcive thefe who have 
z a . 
borne 
