other Christians of the neighbouring provinces, harassed by perpetual combats with the Turks and Persians, implored the protection of Russia. This was readily granted, and the kings and nobles of these countries soon saw themselves in security from the infidels by the help of the soldiers of the Czar. But Russia soon affected to discover that these semi-barbarous chiefs, far from cooperating to preserve tranquillity in their dominions, were, on the contrary, a perpetual source of quarrels and disturbances; and it being judged that their absence was essential to the prosperity of the country, they were removed to St. Petersburg or elsewhere, and the whole country reduced to be a province of Russia. Georgia was placed under the government of the Prince Tsitsianoff, a relation of the royal family of that country, but who had been long in the Russian service.

Maria, the widow of George, the thirteenth king of Georgia, who died at the commencement of this century, was allowed to remain at Tiflis, the capital of the country, with her children, in consequence of her great desire to end her days in her native country; but, not satisfied with this indulgence, she endeavoured to escape from the Russian power, by a secret plan which she carried on with great art. She was, however, closely watched by Tsitsianoff: knowing well her turbulent and decided disposition, he had advised the Russian government to oblige the Queen to leave Georgia; and in the mean time he neglected no means of information as to the steps she might take. By magnificent promises, he had gained over to his interest a Georgian noble, who was a follower of the Queen and admitted to her fullest confidence. This traitor, called by the Russians Kalatusoff, discovered to Tsitsianoff all that passed in the palace of Maria, and detailed even her conversations with himself and others.

In her plans of escape Maria was aided by the Pshavi, a courageous and formidable tribe from the mountains of the Caucasus, to the north-east of Tiflis. These mountaineers had chiefly composed the guard of the Kings of Georgia, and had always shown much attachment to the royal family. Acquainted with the Queen's design to

make her escape, they had determined to receive her, with her children, in the midst of their almost inaccessible mountains; and would probably have succeeded in this generous scheme but for the treason of Kalatusoff, who was unfortunately too much trusted by Maria.

The moment for her escape was arrived. Gadilla, a chief of the Pshavi, a man of extraordinary courage and of gigantic stature, was the person to whom the conduct of the affair was committed. He often came to Tiflis to concert with the Queen the plan of escape, and at last all was ready. Gadilla had ordered the men of his tribe to be at hand, and had apprised the Queen that they were in arms, and eagerly waiting her arrival in the mountains. Tsitsianoff was informed of all these circumstances by Kalatusoff; but, curious to see Gadilla, he had him arrested and brought before him. The Pshave was conducted to the hall, where he saw only the general and his Armenian interpreter, though Kalatusoff was also present, but hidden under the sofa. After the common salutation, the general demanded of Gadilla what was the motive of his coming to Tiflis, who replied that he came to buy salt. The general then said, "Do not conceal the truth; you have some secret reason for your arrival here." Gadilla answered, “No, I came only to buy salt." dilla," said the general," thy life depends on thy telling me the truth; and know that, if thou hidest it, I can order thy head to be struck off in a moment.' "Cut off my head!" said the Pshave, with a look of anger and contempt; "by whom, then? by that Armenian interpreter?" And then, with his hand on his dagger, he continued, "Have I not my dagger, which never leaves me ?" Tsitsianoff, seeing that menace was vain with this intrepid man, rose; and, approaching the Pshave, said with an air of mildness, and putting his hand on his shoulder, "Brave Gadilla, be not in a rage; no harm is intended you; only tell us the truth." But flattery and menaces were used equally in vain; and whilst the Pshave was stoutly denying everything, the general called Kalatusoff from beneath the sofa, hoping to confound Gadilla by the sight of a man in whose presence

"Ga

he had so often consulted with the Queen on the subject of her evasion. Kalatusoff addressed the Pshave: "Gadilla, it is useless to deny the motive of your visits to Tiflis. Was not I with the Queen yesterday when you came to announce that all was ready for her flight? that the mules were waiting at Kouki, and ready to transport her to the mountains?" The Pshave, with a look of cold contempt, said the whole was false, and nothing but lies. He was not allowed to continue. Six grenadiers rushed into the hall, seized his dagger, brutally struck him, and led him away to the fortress. As he was going, Kalatusoff had the meanness to strike him on the face, which called forth from Gadilla the proud menace, that, were he not disarmed, he would sacrifice them all to his vengeance.

Tsitsianoff sought no farther proof of the truth of the plot formed by the Queen. He felt more than ever how necessary her absence was to the welfare and tranquillity of the country, and her departure was fixed for the next day (April 1803). To give a kind of solemnity to her departure, it was ordered that General Lazaref, in full dress, accompanied by an Armenian interpreter, named Sorokin, should proceed very early in the morning with two companies of infantry to the Queen's palace, accompanied by military music, and then should order her to depart with them. Accordingly, early the next day, Lazaref, having presented himself before the dwelling of the Queen, entered without ceremony into her room. The Queen was already awake; she had learned, some time before, the cruel order that was to tear her from her country, and to the last moment she retained hopes of evading it. She was seated cross-legged, in the Oriental manner, on the mattress which forms the Georgian bed; and her seven young children, the eldest hardly seven years old, were quietly sleeping round her.

Lazaref addressed her by his interpreter in a disrespectful style, with these words: "Get up; we must depart.' The Queen calmly replied, "Why should I get up so early? Do you not see my children are all asleep round me? If I wake them suddenly, it will make them

ill. Who gave you such a pressing order?" Lazaref replied that it was Tsitsianoff. Maria replied merely, "Shame on Tsitsianoff!" In the mean time she had placed on her lap the pillow on which she had rested her head during the night, and under it her husband's dagger. Lazaref, seeing that the Queen was resolved not to rise until her children should awake, approached the cushion on which she was sitting, and, seeing her foot, which appeared from underneath the pillow, he stooped down, brutally endeavouring to seize upon it, and to pull her from her seat. Maria at the instant grasped her dagger, and plunged it into the left side of Lazaref with such force that the point came out on the opposite side. She then drew it out and threw it coolly at his face, saying, "Thus perish those who dare to add insult to injury!" Lazaref expired almost instantly. The Armenian interpreter, Sorokin, drew his sabre, and struck the Queen with it several times on the left arm, wounding her deeply in the shoulder. The Queen's mother, Helen, who also slept in the same apartment, awoke at the noise; and at the sight of blood she ran towards the Queen, embracing her closely. Four officers, alarmed at the tumult, also ran into the chamber; and, finding Lazaref in this state, they hastened to carry him into the open air. The whole house was soon filled with the soldiery, who tore the Queen from her mother's arms, beating her with the butt-ends of their muskets. She was dragged bleeding out of the house, and thrown with her children into the carriage prepared for her. During her passage through Georgia, and until they had passed the mountains, her carriage was guarded by a considerable armed force. Wherever she passed, the inhabitants eagerly came out to testify their regret at her departure, and with tears bade her farewell. One of her children, Heraclius, complaining of thirst, a Georgian brought a pitcher of water, and presented it to him; but a soldier beat him, and broke the pitcher. Gabriel, her second son, about six years of age, was heard to say, "Mother, why did you kill that soldier ?" The Queen answered, "To preserve your honour, my son." "Well then, mother," answered

the child immediately, "say it is I that have killed him, and then they will not hurt you."

Thus finished the kingdom of Georgia. The Queen Maria arrived in Russia, where she was confined in a convent to expiate her crime. She was afterwards released, and permitted to reside in the country. The traitor Kalatusoff received as his reward one hundred ducats and the rank of an officer. He obtained also the

situation of inspector of police in Carthalinia, a district of Georgia, where he died, miserable and hated by every one. Sorokin, who had brutally wounded the Queen with his sabre, was killed in a fight with the Lesgees in 1804. The general Tsitsianoff was assassinated near Baken, on the Caspian Sea, in the year 1806.

XIII. SIR JOHN VANBRUGH AS A MATCHMAKER.

THIS doughty knight, poet, dramatist, and architect, did many other things for the first Duchess of Marlborough besides building Blenheim. Whenever their humours did not clash, which, however, they did frequently, as the temper of neither of them was of the best, he seems to have been a sort of factotum to her Grace, and old Sarah regularly employed him in going the rounds of the nobility to make matches for her grand-daughters. The following letter, written by Sir John during one of these negociations, is copied from the Marlborough correspondence in the Coxe papers, which are now preserved in the library of the British Museum. This immense mass of documents was collected by the late Archdeacon Coxe to aid him in the composition of his Life of the great Duke of Marlborough. Besides the letter we are about to quote, in which the Duchess only is engaged, there are many others, written by or relating to the Duke, and which do not tend to show him off in a very heroic light. Though most of these are postillated by the archdeacon's own hand, that reverend gentleman did not quote them