to make a journey into central Europe.
Before he went away he called to see Alexis, in order to bid him adieu,
and to state to him once more what he called his final determination.

Alexis, when he heard that his father was coming, got into his bed, and
received him in that way, as if he were really quite sick.

Peter asked him what conclusion he had come to. Alexis replied, as
before, that he wished to enter a monastery, and that he was ready to
do so at any time. His father remonstrated with him long and earnestly
against this resolution. He represented in strong terms the folly of a
young man like himself, in the prime of his years, and with such
prospects before him, abandoning every thing, and shutting himself up
all his days to the gloomy austerities of a monastic life; and he
endeavored to convince him how much better it would be for him to
change his course of conduct, to enter vigorously upon the fulfillment
of his duties as a son and as a prince, and prepare himself for the
glorious destiny which awaited him on the Russian throne.

Finally, the Czar said that he would give him six months longer to
consider of it, and then, bidding him farewell, went away.

As soon as he was gone Alexis rose from his bed, and went away to an
entertainment with some of his companions. He doubtless amused them
during the carousal by relating to them what had taken place during the
interview with his father, and how earnestly the Czar had argued
against his doing what he had begun originally with threatening to make
him do.

The Czar's business called him to Copenhagen. While there he received
one or two letters from Alexis, but there was nothing in them to denote
any change in his intentions, and, finally, toward the end of the
summer, the Czar wrote him again in the following very severe and
decided manner:

"Copenhagen, Aug. 26th, 1716.

"MY SON,--Your first letter of the 29th of June, and your next of the
30th of July, were brought to me. As in them you speak only of the
condition of your health, I send you the present letter to tell you
that I demanded of you your resolution upon the affair of the
succession when I bade you farewell. You then answered me, in your
usual manner, that you judged yourself incapable of it by reason of
your infirmities, and that you should choose rather to retire into a
convent. I bade you seriously consider of it again, and then send me
the resolution you should take. I have exp