By a strange fatality, however, Mladanovicz did not make his appearance with the expected papers. Gonta, perhaps not without reason, attributed his absence to an evasion on the part of the palatine, relative to the donation of the villages. Mladanovicz, who was no stranger to the intended enrichment of Gonta, might have been jealous of losing even a small part of his master's possessions, and his bhnd devotedness might have made him forget that it is sometimes the soundest policy to be generous from interested motives. Nekrassa and the ortier members of the deputation had no sooner taken leave of Gonta with a favourable reply, than Basil, bishop of Tchegrine, of the Greco-Russian faith, suddenly came into the presence of the wavering chief-This ecclesiastic was the principal organiser of the rebellion, and he was aided in his godless design by two hundred priests, who were then sanctioning bloodshed and murder by their blasphemous preachings thi'oughout the Ukraine. Basil was the bearer of titles and presents for Gonta, and by high-sounding promises on the part of the Empress of Russia, he endeavoured to prevail upon him to declare himself against the Poles, to join Zelezniaque, and to deliver -up the town of Houmagne. He represented to him that the king of Poland was secretly favourable to the rebellion, and that he was borne out in this assertion by the conduct of Branetzki. Still all the insidious persuasions of this infamous prelate seemed incapable of alienating Gonta, who, in expressing his refusal, dwelt upon the bounty of the palatine his benefactor. At these words the Russian prelate, with Satanic joy beaming in his looks, informed Gonta that the palatine, whom he till now had deemed his benefactor, had been guilty of criminal conversation with his wife; and he placed before Gonta's eyes written evidences of the truth of his allegation. It is not known, and perhaps it never will be known, whether the letters which he exhibited to him, and which Gonta believed to be in the handwriting of his wife, were authentic or fabricated. That fac-similes of writing are sometimes undistinguishable from the genuine copy is well known. Authors vary in their statements relative to the production of the letters: we have heard the fact averred by many persons, and have read it in the Memoirs of Colonel Lagowski, who spent a part of his life in the Ukraine. After reading the letters, Gonta's countenance betrayed the anger that was raging in his heart: the inward struggle escaped not the scrutinising eye of the wily delegate, who scarce had time to renew his subtle persuasions, when Gonta declared against his country. The Cossacks under his command fraternised with the Haidamaques under Zelezniaque, in a small wood called Grekhova-lasek, rendered famous by this event. When the junction had been effected, the army of the rebels confessed them- selves, with their chiefs, on this spot, and received absolution from the Greco-E-ussian priests, arrayed in their sacerdotal robes, to carry on a war of extermination against their unoflfending fellow-creatures.
Gonta, by the abominable stratagem of pretending to re-victual the town, succeeded in taking possession of Houmagne at the close of day, and so artfully did he concert his plans, that Zelezniaque's forces gradually advanced, and seized the most important posts, while the inhabitants still believed themselves in safety. Mladanovicz had an interview with Gonta, whose treachery now became apparent, and to endeavour to soften his heart, he conducted to him, his (Gonta's) two sons, who had been confided to his care. The people flocked to the churches, in which mass was celebrated, that they might be prepared to meet the fearful doom which now appeared to be inevitable. We have before observed that the garrison was composed of a few feeble and infirm soldiers. All resistance was therefore vain. The inhabitants were ordered to bring out all their effects into the public squares and open places, to ransom their lives with all the property they possessed. These orders had not been fully executed, when Gonta murdered his two sons with his own hand. He then commanded that Mladanovicz should, in his presence, be transfixed with pikes through his body, and borne along by a party of the soldiers. Thus perished Mladanovicz in the most horrible agonies. The inhabitants, to the number of eighteen thousand, were put to the sword; and although the greater number of the nobles defended themselves with the courage of lions, all were massacred. The bloody orgies lasted three days. A few young females, on their conversion to the Greco-Russian faith, were saved, being purified with holy-water, and assigned by lot to the Hai'damaques.''