"When I came back to Petersburg to my father from abroad, at the end of
one of my journeys, he questioned me about my studies, and, among other
things, asked me if I had forgotten what I had learned, and I told him
no. He then asked me to bring him some of my drawings of plans. Then,
fearing that he would order me to draw something in his presence, which
I could not do, as I knew nothing of the matter, I set to work to
devise a way to hurt my hand so that it should be impossible for me to
do any thing at all. So I charged a pistol with ball, and, taking it
in my left hand, I let it off against the palm of my right, with a
design to have shot through it. The ball, however, missed my hand,
though the powder burned it sufficiently to wound it. The ball entered
the wall of my room, and it may be seen there still.

"My father, observing my hand to be wounded, asked me how it came. I
told him an evasive story, and kept the truth to myself. By this means
you may see that I was afraid of my father, but not with a proper
filial fear.[1]

"III. As to my having desired to obtain the crown otherwise than by
obedience to my father, and following him in regular order of
succession, all the world may easily understand the reason; for, when I
was once out of the right way, and resolved to imitate my father in
nothing, I naturally sought to obtain the succession by any, even the
most wrongful method. I confess that I was even willing to come into
possession of it by foreign assistance, if it had been necessary. If
the emperor had been ready to fulfill the promise that he made me of
procuring for me the crown of Russia, even with an armed force, I
should have spared nothing to have obtained it.

"For instance, if the emperor had demanded that I should afterward
furnish him with Russian troops against any of his enemies, in exchange
for his service in aiding me, or large sums of money, I should have
done whatever he pleased. I would have given great presents to his
ministers and generals over and above. In a word, I would have thought
nothing too much to have obtained my desire."

This confession, after it was brought to the Czar by Tolstoi, to whom
Alexis gave it, was sent by him to the great council of state, to aid
them in forming their opinion.

The council were occupied for the space of a week in hearing the case,
and then they drew up and signed their decision.

The statement which they made began by acknowled