1802.].. Cruel Punifhinent inflited on Mr. Seider, by Paul I. 
at firt I did not pay much attention to it, 
but [ foon became weaker and weaker, 
and a feyer-hear attacked me. 
cian was fent for. He declared my com- 
plaint to be a ftroke of the pally, and fent 
in a report relative thereto. An order 
came to remove me ta the infirmary of 
the Police-houfe. My weaknels increaled 
fo faft, that the attendants were obliged 
to carry methither. They laid me on a 
bed, and a furgeon opened a vein. It 
was now evening. My brother-in-law 
ftood again at my fide. Iwas only able 
to {peak a few words to, him: I however 
Jearned from him, that the phyfician had 
declared I could not be tranfported farther 
without imminent danger. I myfelf con- 
fidered my complaint to be an inflamma- 
tory nervous fever, which, being accom- 
panied with cramps and painful convul- 
fions, would. foon put anend to my life. 
My brether-in-law could not, on account 
of my weakneis, converfe long with me, 
and therefore {on went away. 
It was now night, and an awful filence 
reigned around me. My mifery prefented 
itielf to my imagination in all its giant- 
magnitude ;—** What waft thou but a 
few days ago ({aid I to mylelf), and what 
art thou now? What is the caufe of thy 
dreadful fufferings ? Thou haft been con- 
demned and punifhed as a criminal! In 
what does thy crime coniit?. To the 
greateft malefactor the proofs of his guilt 
are exhibited, to convince him of the juf- 
tice of the punifhment infligted upon him, 
But on’thee they have paffed fenterice, 
without having given thee a hearing 
without having conviéted thee of “the 
fmallett tranfgreffion ! How cruel! God! 
as thou kneweit my innocence, how couldtt 
thou permit fuch an act of injuftice!’” In 
fuch lamentations I pafied the night, a 
prey to defpair, tortured with bodily. pa Hs 
ard {wimming in tears. *¢ In this wretch- 
ed enndition (thought I) thou wilt lie and 
fuffer without help, till death relieve thee, 
or till they drag thee away into exile! 
Every one will flee from thee as an out- 
cait from focicty, as a wretch branded 
with infamy 1” 
But [ was miftaken, 
morming two young men entered my 
apartment. ideavens! I difcovered them 
to be two of my former pupils, who fix 
years before had boarded in my noufe. 
*<O my friends, (faid I to them) you fee 
the man, who once guided your fteps into 
the paths of virtue, lying here himfelf as 
a. criminal and as a felon!”. They could 
nly an{wer with-tears, whigh however 
A. phyfi- ” 
Early the next 
339 
told me more than their moft eloquent 
words could have expreffed. They gave 
me fome money, and, fobbing, haltened 
out of che room. From that time, my 
apartment was never empty during the 
whole day. Perfons of both fexes and of 
all ranks vifited me, and fhewed me, by 
word and deed, their fincere fympathy 
with my misfortunes. Many of them had 
already known me in Livonia. They all 
aflured me, that my hard fate had caufed 
a great feniation in Peterfburg, and that 
powerful interceflion had been made in 
my behalf; and that my friends were ftiil 
endeavouring to obtain my pardon, and 
prevent my being fent into exile. 
The phyfician who has the care of the 
fick in the Police-houfe, likewife vifited 
me the next morning: he prefcribed fome 
medicines for me, and put a blifter on 
me. My brother-in-law foon after came 
to fee me. I requefted him to go to Li- 
vonia to my wife, and tell her that I had 
fallen fick in Peterfburg, and withed to fee 
her ; and that he would bring her with all 
poffible fpeed to Peterfburg, but entirely 
conceal from her my dreadtul fate. I in- 
tended that M. Reinbold fhould prepare 
her for the worft, and then conduét her to 
me, that I might converfe with her rela- 
tive to our domeftic arrangement, before 
fhe became entirely the partner of my mif- 
fortunes. My brother-in-law approved 
of my plan, and fet out that fame day for 
Livonia. Duriag his abfence, I had fre. 
quent vifits from perfons of every condi- 
tion. M. Reinbold came {ometimes twice 
a-day. Some Ruffian clergymen likewife _ 
came to feeme. My phyfician, a Ruffian 
and very benevolent man, did every thing 
in his power to remove the evil confle- 
quences of my diforder. He) converfed 
with me in the Latin and Tralian Jan-' 
guages. His name, if I miftake not, is 
Rebufoff, Every day he fent to the Go- 
vernor reports of the ftate of my health, 
in all of which he intimated that I was yet 
very weak and fick, Ah! the worthy 
kind hearred man knew that I was. ex- 
pecting my wife, and endeavoured thus 
to put off the time of my departure. 
This, however, arrived fooner than I ex- 
pected. I had recovered fo, far, that I 
could eat and drink with a good appetite, 
but {till was fo weak as not to be able to 
leave my bed, About the middle of the 
night of the eleventh day, after I had 
been brought to the infirmary, I heard a 
noife in my room. I ftirted up, and faw 
a man with a candle in his hand (tanding 
at my bed-fide, Staring wildly at him, 
J faid 
