Bassewitz, agree, that she was greatly affected with his misfortunes.

"I have now before me the memoirs of a public minister, in which I find the following words : 'I was present when the czar told the Duke of Holstein that the Czarina Catherine had begged of him to prevent the sentence passed upon the czarowitz being publicly read to that prince. "Content yourself," said she, "with obliging him to turn monk; for this public and formal condemnation of your son will reflect an odium on your grandson."

"The Czar, however, would not hearken to the intercession of his spouse; he thought there was a necessity to have the sentence publicly read to the prince himself, in order that he might have no pretence left to dispute this solemn act, in which he himself acquiesced; and that being dead in law, he could never after claim a right to the crown.

"Nevertheless, if, after the death of Peter, a formidable party had risen in favor of Alexis, would his being dead in law have prevented him from ascending the throne ?"

"It appears then, from all that has been delivered on this subject in the preceding pages, that Peter was more the king than the parent; and that he sacrificed his own son to the sentiments of the father and lawgiver of his country, and to the interests of his people, who, without this wholesome severity, were on the verge of relapsing again into that state from which he had taken them. It is evident that he did not sacrifice this son to the ambition of a step-mother, or to the son he had by her, since he had often threatened the czarowitz to disinherit him, before Catherine brought him that other son whose infirm infancy gave signs of a speedy death, which actually happened in a very short time afterwards. Had

Peter taken this important step merely to please his wife, he must have been a fool, a madman, or a coward; neither of which, most certainly, could be laid to his charge. But he foresaw what would be the fate of his establishments and of his new-born nation, if he had such a successor as would not adopt his views. The event has verified this foresight: the Russian Empire is become famous and respectable throughout Europe, from which it was before entirely separated; whereas, had the czarowitz succeeded to the throne, everything would have been destroyed. In fine, when this catastrophe comes to be seriously considered, the compassionate heart shudders, and the rigid applauds."

Christian commentators, of more religious feeling than Voltaire, will, we are sure, go further, and declare that whether it be Herod or Philip II., Brutus or Peter the Great, this judgment of death passed by the father on the son is a horrid proceeding; and however the act may admit of palliation, it must be always looked on as a crime.

A MURDER DISCOVERED THROUGH THE

WIDOW'S AFFECTION.

THIS fine instance of the untiring ardor of a wife in her search for her husband, and in solving the mystery of his disappearance, is also interesting in another point of view. The case exhibits a pertinacity of justice in unraveling crime at a period-the reign of Charles II.—when it becomes all the more creditable, as showing that even then, whatever might be the political partiality of our judges, they were at least firm and resolute in doing their office between man and man.

The strange story, in the report handed down to us, is this. Thomas Kidderminster was the only son of Walter Kidderminster, of Tupsley, in the county of Hereford; and was at first a man of position, but being wronged out of his paternal estate by the intrigues of his step-mother, he was compelled, very early in life, to enter into the service of the Bishop of Ely, who employed him as his steward, till the commencement of the civil war, and the time when the prelate himself was committed to the Tower for his unshaken loyalty.

Mr. Kidderminster afterwards had the management of other gentlemen's estates in Cambridgeshire. At last, thinking it prudent to convert his property into money, and to endeavor to settle upon or sell his estate, which he claimed in Herefordshire, he sent his wife then enceinte, to London, and telling her he would return in about ten days, he departed from Cambridgeshire through Essex, with a number of writings, taking with him about five or six hundred pounds in gold.

Traveling in a bye-road, for safety Mr. Kidderminster took a guide with him; but, on reaching Chelmsford at night, he discharged him. Mr. Kiddderminster himself put up at the White Horse Inn, at Chelmsford, where it appears he had lain at other times, and was very well known; but there he was murdered on the same night, in April, 1654. The last place his wife heard of him was Cambridge. A report was spread that he was gone to Amsterdam, where she sent to inquire for him, but was assured he was not there. After some time, she heard he was at Cork, in Ireland; thither she also sent, and made a most diligent and exact search for him, both in Cork and Munster. Again there was a rumor that he was in Barbadoes, and again did she have inquiries set on foot at Barbadoes. She continued constantly carrying on investigations after her husband, till her sister, one day, in 1662 or 1663, reading the newspaper of the day, suddenly cried out, Sister, here's news of your husband!" The intelligence was in these terms :-"The bones of an unknown person, supposed to be robbed and murdered, are found buried in a back yard in Chelmsford. Whosoever can give information of any person missing, let them give notice to Mr. Talcott, coroner, in Feering, or to the constable of Chelmsford, or to Mr. Roper, bookseller, over against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleet Street." Upon Mrs. Kidderminster comparing the time of her husband's being missing, with the time in the newspaper of the supposed murdered body's lying concealed, it appeared to be extremely probable that it referred to him. She immediately went to Mr. Roper's, and by his advice set off for Chelmsford, and for want of conveyance went on foot with a friend.

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They proceeded on their journey as far as Stratford, where,

a little beyond the town, they lost their way, turning to the left hand of the road. At last they came to Romford, and, by that time being very weary, went into a house at the further end of the town, the sign of the Black Bull, where they accidentally found one Mary Mattocks, who lived at Horn Church.

Mrs. Kidderminster being now quite worn out, and not able to go on foot any further, inquired whether any horse could be hired in that town. Mrs. Mattocks being present, interposed, and answered that there was no horse to be hired, nor any convenience of coach or wagon to be had upon that day. They asked Mrs. Mattocks how far it was to Chelmsford; she answered fifteen miles. Mrs. Kidderminster asked her again, whether she knew Chelmsford. She replied that she did, very well; for she was born and bred there. "If she knew the White Horse?" "Very well, and one Turner, a very honest man, kept it; but he that kept it formerly was one Sewell, who, if he had had his deserts, had been hanged long ago, for there was certainly a gentleman murdered in the house."

Mrs. Kidderminster was induced to make further inquiry, and told Mattocks that her husband was missed much about that time. Mattocks informed her that the ostler who lived in Sewell's time at the White Horse, now lived at Romford. With an intention to gather from him what circumstances she could, she sent for him, but he refused to come; for the messenger having heard part of the discourse, communicated it to him, which made him unwilling to appear. Mrs. Mattocks then advised Mrs. Kidderminster to go to one Mrs. Shute, her aunt, at the sign of the Cock, at Chelmsford, and she could give her such intelligence as would answer her expectation. Upon this Mrs. Kidderminster and her friend resumed