The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1875-04-25
Ivan. the .IefribIe.:The Wickedest Man
the World Ever Saw,


Precisely ut what time the faith
full and affectionate subjects of his
Majesty Ivan ~, Gar of all the
Russias, conferred upon him his pet
name, tsThe Terrible" history ne
elects to inform us, but we are left
In no uncertainty as to ! the entire
appropriateness of the title, which
ls now inseparably linked with his
baptismal name. He inherited the
throne at the age. of three years,
and his early education was care
fully attended to by his faithful
guardians, who snubbed and scared
him, in the hope that they might
SO far weaken his intellect rs to
securs o, permanent control over
him, and through him govorn
Russia as they pleased. They
made foot-stool of him sometimes
and football ut others, md, under
their, system Of training, tho deve
iopment of those qualities of mind
and heart for which he is cele-
brated 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,
or to have become tolerably ex-
pert in the art of mumbling the
peg. Indeed, it would seem that
the young grand prince was who'll
~ insensible to the joys of these
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 tastes ! aud character. One of
these pastimes- perhaps the first
and simplest ono devised by the
youthful genius consisted in the
dropping Of cats, dogs and other
domestic animals from the top of
the palace to the pavement below,
and sentimental historians have
construed these interesting expert
ments upon the law. of gravitation
into cruelty. Another of the young
Cars amusements was to turn
half-fashioned pet benrs loose upon
passing pedestrians, and it is the
part of charity to suppose that his
purpose in this was to study the
physiological and physiognomical
phenomena of fear A less profit
able way lie had of accomplishing
the Same thing, was by throwing.
or as youthful Americans phrase it.
'sshying" stones at passers by, con-
cealing himself meanwhile behind
q screen. He cultivated his skill
in horsemanship. by riding over
elderly people, ;cripples and chill
dren. In'4short, his boyish sports
were all Of an original and highly
interesting sort. 4
Up to the age of 13, Ivan was
under the tntelage of council, of
which the Prince Shuisky was
chief, and it was this prince who
domineered over the boy and made
foot-stool aud II football of his
body. At that age Ivan asserted
his independence in a very positive
and emphatic way, which oven the
Prince Shuisky could not ,nisap-
prehend. The young Gar was
out hunting, accompanied by Shu-
isky and other princes and boyards,
among whom was Prince Gluisky,
a rival Of Shuisky's, who was pre-
JUDGED against TINT excellent GEN
tlemnn. At his suggestion. Ivan
addressed his guardian Shuisky in
language which the latter deemed
insolent. Shuisky replied angrily,
and Ivan requested his dogs to
remonstfate with the prince, which
they did by tenring him limb from
limb. IT
Having thus silenced the dicta-
tionl lofiShuisky, the young Prince
became the ward Of the no less
excellent Glnisky, and was carefully
taught that. the only way by which
ecntild effectually asserts authority
was by punishment. 1t was made
clear to bis budding intellect, too,
that the: shortest, SIMPLEST and
a!together,th best way to get rid
Of disagyeeable people, iwas7 toIput
them TO death, and throughout his
LIE Ivan never forgot this, lesson
fer o, single moment. Power, he
was told, was worthless unless it
was used; and the only wav in