ar. He also enumerated
the various grievances which they suffered under Russian rule, and
endeavored to excite the animosity of his hearers as much as possible
against Peter's government.

He found that the chief officers of the Cossacks seemed quite disposed
to listen to what he said, and to adopt his views. Some of them were
really so, and others pretended to be so for fear of displeasing him.
At length he thought it time to take some measures for preparing the
minds of the men generally for what was to come, and in order to do
this he determined on publicly sending a messenger to the Czar with the
complaints which he had to make in behalf of his men. The men, knowing
of this embassy, and understanding the grounds of the complaint which
Mazeppa was to make by means of it, would be placed, he thought, in
such a position that, in the event of an unfavorable answer being
returned, as he had no doubt would be the case, they could be the more
easily led into the revolt which he proposed.

Mazeppa accordingly made out a statement of his complaints, and
appointed his nephew a commissioner to proceed to head-quarters and lay
them before the Czar. The name of the nephew was Warnarowski. As soon
as Warnarowski arrived at the camp, Peter, instead of granting him an
audience, and listening to the statement which he had to make, ordered
him to be seized and sent to prison, as if he were guilty of a species
of treason in coming to trouble his sovereign with complaints and
difficulties at such a time, when the country was suffering under an
actual invasion from a foreign enemy.

As soon as Mazeppa heard that his nephew was arrested, he was convinced
that his plots had been discovered, and that he must not lose a moment
in carrying them into execution, or all would be lost. He accordingly
immediately put his whole force in motion to march toward the place
where the Swedish army was then posted, ostensibly for the purpose of
attacking them. He crossed a certain river which lay between him and
the Swedes, and then, when safely over, he stated to his men what he
intended to do.

The men were filled with indignation at this proposal, which, being
wholly unexpected, came upon them by surprise. They refused to join in
the revolt. A scene of great excitement and confusion followed. A
portion of the Cossacks, those with whom Mazeppa had come to an
understanding beforehand, were disposed to go with him, but the rest
were filled