Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-12-02
IVAN THE TERRIBLE.


From American Homes for November.
Precisely at what time the faithful and
affectionate subjects ofHis Majesty Ivan
TX, Gar of all the Russians, conferred
upon him his pet name, "The Terri
ble,' history neglects to inform us, but
we are left in no uncertainty as to the
appropriateness of the title, which is
now inseparably linked with his baptis-
NAL name. He inherited the throne at
the age of three years, land his early edu-
cation was carefully attended to by his
faithful guardians, who snubbed and
scared him in the hope that they might
so far weaken his intellect as to secure
q permanent control over him, and
through him govern Russia as they
pleased. They made a footstool of
him sometimes, and a football at others,
and, under their system Of training, the
development of those qualities Of mind
and heart for which he is celebrated
was remarkably rapid He was always
Ivan the terrified, and he became Ivan
the terrible before he was old enough
to have played reasonably good game
of marbles, OF to have become tolerably
expert in the art Of mumbling the peg.
Indeed, it would seem that the young
grand Prince was wholly insensible to
the joys and the other excellent sports
in which ordinary youth delight, and,
being OF an ingenious turn OF mind, he
invented others better suited to his
lastes and character. One of these
pastimes perhaps the first and sim
plest one of these devised by the youth
full genius consisted in the dropping
of cats, dogs and other domestic ami
mails from the top Of the palace TO the
pavement below, and sentimental his
torians have construed these interesting
experiments upon the law of gravita-
ton into cruelty. Another Of the young
Cars amusements was to turn half
famished pet bears loose upon passing
pedestrians, and it is the part of charity
to suppose that his purpose in this was
TO study the different phenomena
of fear. A less profitable way
he had of accomplishing the same thing
was by throwing, or, as youthful
Americans phrase it, ''shying'' stones at
passers by, -concealing himself mean
while behind screen. He cultivated
his skill in craftsmanship by riding over
elderly people, cripples and children.
An short, his boylsh sports were all OF
an original and highly interesting sort.
Having thus silenced the dictation of
Shuisky, the young Prince became the
ward OF the no less excellent Gluisky,
and was carefully taught that the only
way in which he could efiectually assert
his authority was by Furnishing. It was
made clear to his budding intellect, too,
shat the shortest, simplest, and alto
gether best way to get rid Of disagree
able people was to put them to death,
and throughout his life Ivan never for
got this lesson for a single moment.
Power, he was told, was worthless I'M
less it was used, and the only way in
which 1t could be really used was by
oppression. For three years no pains
were spared to teach him this system of
ethics and politics, and the young
Prince, in his anxiety to perfect himself
In the art Of governing diligently prac-
hced all these precepts.
Up to the age of Ii Ivan was under
she tutelage of council, of which the
Prince Shuisky was chief, and it was
this Prince who domineered over the
boy and made foot-stool and foot
ball of his body. At that age Ivan as
serted his liberty and his independence
IN very positive and emphatic way,
which even the Prince Shuisky could
rot misapprehend. The young Gar
was out hunting, accompanied by
s5huisky and other princes and boyards,
among whom was Prince Gluisky, a
r1Val OF Shuisky's, who was prejudiced
against that excellent gentleman. At
ss1ssuggestion, Ivan addressed his guard
ian Shuisky in language which the lat
/. ter deemed insolent. Shuisky replied
2ngrlly, and Ivan requested his dogs to
demonstrate with the Prince, which they
did by tearing him limb from limb.
When he was IL years of age he was
formally crowned Gar. The citizens,
ignorant of the truths of political econ
omy and the principles Of. governmental
science underlying the young Czar's
system, became alarmed and fred the
city one night. When Ivan awoke he
was terrified, being of an abnormally
~eryous temperament, and the appari-