In the mean time, Mazeppa cautiously made known his plans to the

leading men among the Cossacks as fast as he thought it prudent to do

so. He represented to them how much better it would be for them to be

restored to their former liberty as an independent tribe, instead of

being in subjugation to such a despot as the Czar. 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 with vexation and rage. They declared that they would

seize their chieftain, bind him hand and foot, and send him to the

Czar. Indeed, it is highly probable that the two factions would have

come soon to a bloody fight for the possession of the person of their

chieftain, in which case he would very likely have been torn to pieces