After listening to divine service he descended from his stall, prostrated himself before the Icon, and approaching the shrine of St. John the New, bent forward with great humility and kissed the sacred relics. It is said that at that moment his face was very yellow, and that the saintly shrine shook.
Then once more ascending his stall, he turned to the boyars and said:
"Most noble boyars! From the time I assumed kingship until this day, I have shown myself harsh towards many: I have been cruel, severe, shedding much blood. Only God knows how hard this has been for me, and how I regret it, but you, boyars, know that I have only been constrained thereto by the desire to end the various quarrels and disputes which aimed at the disturbance of the country and my destruction. To-day the state of affairs is different. The boyars have come to their senses; they have realized that the flock cannot exist without a shepherd as the Saviour said: 'They were distressed and scattered as sheep not having a shepherd.' Most noble boyars! Let us henceforth live in peace, loving one another like brothers, for this is one of the ten commandments: 'Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself,' and let us pardon one another, seeing that we are mortal, beseeching our Lord Jesus Christ"--here he made the sign of the cross--"to forgive us our daily trespasses as we forgive those that trespass against us."
Having finished this disjointed speech, he passed to the centre of the church, and after prostrating himself once more turned towards the people in front, and to the right and to the left of him, saying:
"Pardon me, good people, and you also, most noble boyars!"
"May God forgive you, your Highness!" they all replied, except two young boyars who were standing lost in thought, hidden by a tomb near the door, where no one paid heed to them.
Lapushneanu left the church, bidding the boyars come and dine together with him; he mounted his horse and returned to the palace.
"What do you think of it?" said one of the boyars, who, we have seen, did not extend his pardon to Alexandru Voda.
"I advise you not to dine with him to-day," replied the other.
And they mixed with the crowd. They were Spancioc and Stroici.