tory proves that in this life we see but
the commencement of a divine government, and that "after death cometh
the judgment."

A humane monk, taking pity upon the unfortunate little Ivan, attempted
to escape with him. He had reached Smolensk, when he was arrested. The
unhappy prince was then conveyed to the castle of Schlusselburg, where
he was immersed in a dungeon which no ray of the sun could ever
penetrate. A single lamp burning in his cell only revealed its
horrors. The prince could not distinguish day from night, and had no
means of computing the passage of the hours. Food was left in his
cell, and the attendants, who occasionally entered, were prohibited
from holding any conversation with the child. This treatment,
absolutely infernal, soon reduced the innocent prince to a state
almost of idiocy.

Twice Elizabeth ordered him to be brought to Petersburg, where she
conversed with him without letting him know who she was; but she did
nothing to alleviate his horrible doom. After the death of Elizabeth,
her successor, Peter III., made Ivan a visit, without making himself
known. Touched with such an aspect of misery, he ordered an apartment
to be built in an angle of the fortress, for Ivan, who had now
attained the age of manhood, where he could enjoy air and light. The
sudden death of Peter defeated this purpose, and Ivan was left in his
misery. Still weary years passed away while the prince, dead to
himself as well as to the world, remained breathing in his tomb.
Catharine II., after her accession to the throne, called to see Ivan.
She thus describes her visit:

"After we had ascended the throne, and offered up to Heaven our just
thanksgivings, the first object that employed our thoughts, in
consequence of that humanity which is natural to us, was the unhappy
situation of that prince, who was dethroned by divine Providence, and
had been unfortunate ever since his birth; and we formed the
resolution of alleviating his misfortunes as far as possible.

"We immediately made a visit to him in order to judge of his
understanding and talents, and to procure him a situation suitable to
his character and education. But how great was our surprise to find,
that in addition to a defect in his utterance, which rendered it
difficult for him to speak, and still more difficult to be understood,
we observed an almost total deprivation of sense and reason. Those who
accompanied us, during this interview, saw how much our heart s