The Worthington advance., 1880-10-07

THE EMPEROR IVAN IN 1870
Stories Of Queer Tyrant.
The commands OF this slightly vexa-
ious despot seemed at times to have
puzzled even his most faithful commls-
sloners, for on one occasion, having sent
for nobleman of Casan, called Plesh.
cave, (Which is. being interpreted, Bald }
the Vayod, mistaking tie name of the
word, sent for one hundred and fifty
bald-pated old men. More than eighty
or plncty, however, he could not get to
gether; so he sent them up speedily to
the palace with an apology that he re.
gretted he could find no more in his
province, and desired pardon tor the
short measure. The Emperor, astonished
at the sight OF so many old bald pates,
devoutly crossed himself: At last one
of the chief men delivered the letter,
and the Diack showed his Majesty the
copy of the letter he had sent to the Way
cd, and the mistake being found out,
the bald-pates were made drunk for
three days and sent home again.
On another occasion Ivan Vaslloidg
nailed a French Ambassadors hat to his
head for presumlng not to uncover in the
Imperial presence. Sir Jerome Bonzee.
the English Ambassador, coming shortly
afterward, nothing daunted by the tale
OF his unfortunate friend, put on his hat
and cooked 1t right jauntily before the
Emperor: who stcrnly demanded how he
dared SO to insult him, having heard how
he had chastised the Frenchman. Sir
Jerome was match for the Emperor, and
replied that (the Frenchman) had only
represented a cowardly King Of France,
"But H. SAID he, lam the Ambassador of
the invinclblc Queen of England, who
does not veil her bonnet or bare her
head to any prince living, and if anv of
her ministers receive affront, she is able
to avenge her own quarrel"
''Look you there" quoth Ivan Vasi-
loidg to his attendant Boyars, "there is
brave fellow, indeed, that dares do and
say thus for his mistress; which BOBBY of
you dare so much for me, your master?''
This made the men envy Sir Jerome, so
they persuaded the emperor to give him
wild horse to tame, which he did, and
so successfully he broke and tired him
out that the horse fell down dead under
him; and upon this asked his Majesty if
h. had any more horses to tame. Our
friend adds that after this the Emperor
much honored and loved "such daring
fellow as he was, and mad blade to
boot"
The "Love me, love my dog" princi-
pie seems to have had something to do
with this, if we may believe what our
historian relates, that this queer tyrant
actually courted the Virgin queen with a
view to matrlmony, and once, upon a
suspicion of treason, fortified Volgoda,
ano gathered all his treasures there, with
the intent of escaping tn England upon
extremity. II we may believe the follow
ing story, the ancient family of Sopotski
owed its wealth and position to the fol-
lowing quaint fancy:
When Ivan went through the country
he was iu the habit of accepting presents
from the rich and the poor. There hap
pened one day to be in his route good
honest bask shoemaker, who made shoes
OF bask for copeck a pair, but when the
Emperor came he was alta loss what to
give. His wife, a woman of ready wit
and reserve, suggests pair OF sopkyes,
or bask shoes. THAT IS no rarity,' quoth
the man; "but we have huge great tur-
nip III the garden: We'll give him that,
and pair of sopkyes too."
Great was his success; the Emperor was
delighted, and made all his followers buy
sopkyes at five shlllings a pair and wore
a pair himself. So began the wheel of
good fortune to turn Tor the Sopotskies.
tor he soon drove thriving trade and
left great estate behind him. Aud in
memory of this gallant it is the custom
of the Russians to throw all their old
sopkyes into a tree which
stood by his house. There was gentle
man, however, hard by, who, seeing the
turnip so graciously accepted and gener-
ously rewarded, bethought HIM OF like
success, and offered the Emperor brave
horse. But the Emperor, seeing through
his motives, gave him nothing in return
but the aforesaid great and mighty tur-
NIP, for which-as seems not improbable
he was both abashed and laughed at.
Ivan, following the habits of so many
Eastern desp"ts, delighted to 90 about
in disguise, and test and witness the feel
lngs OF the people toward strangers gen.
orally and the Imperial person in par
tlcular.
One night, in disguise, he sought a
lodging in village near the city OF Mos
COW, but in vain, for no one would let
him in; but at last one poor fellow,
whose wife was momentarily expecting
to become a joyful mother, opened his
door and admitted the apparently ex-
hausted beggar. In the course of the
night the child was born, and the va
grant, getting himself gone, told the
man he would bring him some godfa-
theirs next day. Accordingly, the next
day the Emperor and many of bis mobiles
came and presented the poor fellow with
a handsome largcss, and set on fire and
burnt up all the other houses in the vii
lage, playfully exho1ting the 1nhabi-
tants to charity and the entertainment of
strangers, and that 1t were good for them
to try how excellent it was to be out of
doors on cold winter night.
It was his custom to associate with
thieves and robbers in disguise. Once
he went so far as to recommend them to
rob the Imperial Exchequer, ''for'', said
he, II know the way to it." But, upon
this, in moment one OF the fellows up
with his fist and struck him hearty
good blow On the face, saying, "Thou
roguel Wilt thou offer to rob his Maj
esty, who is so good to us2 Let us 90
and rob some rich Boyar who has coz
zled his Majesty of vast sums.' Ivan
was nightly pleased with this fellow,
and at parting changed caps with him,
bidding him meet him next morning in
the Dravetz, place in the Court where
the Emperor was accustomed to pass by.
!"And there" SAID he, twill I bring thee