The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1886-11-19
THE TRUE STORY OF MAzEPPA,
Leading Facts in the Life OF the Rider
Celebrated In Poem, Painting aud the
Drama.

Leading Facts in the Life OF the Rider
Celebrated In Poem, Painting and the
Drama.
portrait OF Mazeppa, painted from
life has been discovered at Kief In South
ern Russia, and Is being engraved by the
Russian scAdemician, Demery Kow-
kosky.
1t VIII surprise nearly everyone who
hears that Mazeppa was q real living
man who could sit for his portrait-he
seems so like purely mythical being,
Ike Bellorophon or like one of the Ama-
IONS. Yet he was q real man and cut
quite figure In his part Of the world 400
years ago.
John Stephanovitch Mazeppa was a
Cossack, who made a successful war
upon the savage Tartars who desolated
Southern Russia, driving them back to
the Caspian.
This so recommended him to Peter the
Great that he invited the Coasack to
his court and covered him with honors
and gifts. But when Peter sent him
against the invading SWedes under
Charles XII he betrayed the Russian
and went over with his followers to the
enemy.
Peter defeated them both and drove
them into Turkish territory, whore.
fearing to fall into the hands Of his for
mer relentless master, MszepPa killed
himself.
He had before this hidden all the
treasures which he had amassed In
his wHrs and through gifts from those
he had served, In caverns In the hills
around Kief The portrait now discov-
cred was probably hidden ct this
time.
The incident by which we know him
actually did occur.
He was by birth COssack, but when
very young he was sent to servo as a
page In the court of the Polish King.
There his beauty and bravery won him
great favor. especially with the ls-
dies.
with one of them, the wife of a
certain noble, he was suspected Of too
great an intimacy and the Jealous hus-
band In revenge ordered him to bo found
naked to the back OF Is wild horse, that
had never been ridden. The horse Was
Tartar horse, from the Steppes, and
when loosed he rushed mAdly back TO
his native country with the unwilling
rider bound to his back.
Tho Cossacks received the unhappy
youth when nearly dead from eXhRus-
ton. and he grew up among them, re-
mArkable for strength and bravery.
Byron got his story out of NoltAires
Life OF Charles XII," and worked it
up Into his dAshing aud attractive
poem
A story so dramatic was at once seized
upon for adaptation 70 the stage and IL
was presented here as early as lS15 by
al Englishman named Hunter. He also
was very handsome man and made q
great stir In the town. This WGs 1T the
circus which ls now the Walnut Street
Theatre.
The picture OF MAzeppa bound 70 the
hVEse's back, which everybody knows SO
well, WAS painted 10y Horace ernct, one
ofthe groatest OF French artists. Nonet.
OF course, got lils ius piTatiOn from Byron,
TO whom we all owe whatever knowledge
We may have OF the brilliant COsSack
rider and soldier.
MdZcppas real motives for betraylng
Peter are not certainly known. The
Poles, who look upon him sS 4 hero
always have maintained that he had In
View the welfare OF the Polish nation,
and they point tO the fact that he stip-
ulated with the Swedish King for the
Independence OF Poland.
II this be tie truth, IL gives n certain
dignity to the act, but tho Russian story
runs more In accord with what other
Wise Is known OF him. They say that he
was led to go over 10 the enemy by the
Establishments OF a certain Polish prtn-
cess. This would better corI espond with
the est OF his Adventurous career.
Few men, however. who are simply
edventurers get their actions recorded
by q historian like Voltsire, and cele-
brated by a poet like Byron, and painted
by master like Vernet, and get to be
known Gy all school boys who speak the
English language, and all this not from
any act of doing, but one of suffering
merely Philadelphia Times.