complaints made by the parties against each other, the power was on Peter's side. He repudiated his wife, and then shut her up in a place of seclusion, where he kept her confined all the remainder of her days. Besides the unfavorable inferences which we might justly draw from this case, there are unfortunately other indications that Peter, notwithstanding the many and great excellences of his character, was at this period of his life violent and passionate in temper, very impatient of contradiction or opposition, and often unreasonable and unjust in his treatment of those who for any reason became the objects of his suspicion or dislike. Various incidents and occurrences illustrating these traits in his character will appear in the subsequent chapters of his history. CHAPTER V. COMMENCEMENT OF THE REIGN. 1691-1697 Peter's unlimited power--Extent of his dominions--Character--His wishes in respect to his dominion--Embassy to China--Siberia--Inhospitable climate--The exiles--Western civilization--Ship-building--The Dutch ship-yards--Saardam--The barge at the country palace--The emperor's first vessels--Sham-fights--Azof--Naval operations against Azof--Treachery of the artilleryman--Defeat--New attempt--The Turkish fleet taken--Fall of Azof--Fame of the emperor--His plans for building a fleet--Foreign workmen--Penalties--His arbitrary proceedings--He sends the young nobility abroad--Opposition--Sullen mood of mind--National prejudices offended--The opposition party--Arguments of the disaffected--Religious feelings of the people--The patriarch--An impious scheme--Plan of the conspirators--Fires--Dread of them in Moscow--Modern cities--Plan for massacring the foreigners--The day--The plot revealed--Measures taken by Peter--Torture--Punishment of the conspirators--The column in the market-place Peter was now not far from twenty years of age, and he was in full possession of power as vast, perhaps--if we consider both the extent of it and its absoluteness--as was ever claimed by any European sovereign. There was no written constitution to limit his prerogatives, and no Legislature or Parliament to control him by laws. In a certain sense, as Alexander Menzikoff said when selling his cakes, every thing belonged to him. His word was law. Life and death hung upon his decree. His dominions extended so far that, on an occasion when he wished to send an embassador to one of his neighbors--the Emperor of China--it took the messenger more than _eighteen months_ of constant and diligent traveling to go from the capital to the frontier. Such was Peter's position. As to character, he was talented, ambitious, far-seeing, and resolute; but he was also violent in temper, merciless and implacable toward his enemies, and possessed of an indomitable will.