The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1904-12-28
IVAN THE TERRIBLE.


Dnrbaric Cpnr who Loved 20 burn.
HuiI and To,iarc His Subjects.
Some of the reasons why Ivan, car
If ltussia, WIS called the Terrible
have been ret lid by w. Waliszewski In
his book Persons who dlspleased him
he would saw asundcr by the constant
rubbing of II rope around their waists or
sprinkle alternately with Ice cold and
boiling water. lie marked his sense OF
bad Jest by deluging the perpetrator
with boiling soup and then running
him through with knife. lie rebuked
an unmnnnerly envoy by summoning
n carpenter and ordering him to nall
the mans Int on his head. There were
also Wholesale orgies, ~ at the punish
ment of Novgorod, when he had hun
dred persons roasted over slow IRE
by n new and ingenious process ana
then run down on sledges into the river
to be drowned. At Moscow the car
had disappointment, There was TO DE
IL great execution of 800 victims VINO
had already been tortured to the last
extremity, aud loyal subjects had been
summoned to the function. ITO Ivan's
ast )nlshmeut the great square was
empty. The Instruments OF torture
that stood ready-thc stoves and red
hot pinchers and iron claws ana nee
dies, the cords. the great coppers full
of boiling wntcr-had failed to attract
this time.
''But there had been too much OF this
sort Of thing lately, and the execution
ers were growing too long armed. Ey-
cry man sought to hide deeper than
his ncighbor. The ear had to send re-
assuring messages all over the town.
Come nlongl Don't be afraid! Nobody
VIII be hurtv At last out OF cellars
and garrets the necessary spectators
were tempted forth, and forthwith
Ivan, lnexhaustlble and quite I'M
abashed, began a lengthy speech.
Could he do less than punish the trail
tors? But he had promised to be mer-
ciful, ana he would keep his word!
Out of the 800 who had been sentenced
1870 should have their liyes!' Torture
and execution were. however, In the
case of Ivan very much more than the
mere Instruments vi bhi puiit JuSs'N~'
They were his recreation aud delight.
As n boy his amusement was to throw
dogs down from the top of one OF the
castle terraces and watch their dying
agonics As man lie used TO go the
round of the torture chambers after
dinner. one of his first crimes was the
execution of his earliest friend, Feodor
Vorontsov. one of his last was the
murder of his own son.
According to Waliszewski, 1t was the
recognized thing in Russia for the up
per dog TO make things us uncomforta-
BILE for the under dog as knouts ana
slow fires could make them. So the
Terrible" only talked OF his subjects
in the language they could most readi-
~ understand Ivan was by no means
unpopular with the people. In many
ways he was an enlightened and pro-
gressive monarch. He took the first
steps toward the founding Of Russla's
great eastern empire. He made more
or less successful attempts toward POI
litinl and legal reform, and he had
certain gift of leadership and Instinct
Of craftsmanship which he used to the
best advantage. Personally he was
coward, as was shown at the siege OF
Kasan when he kept diligently to his
devotions in spite of the repeated en-
treaties OF his men to come out and
help them