of feveral centuries, is totally filent. Only about the conclufion of the ninth century we begin to learn more of the events of the Slavonian nations refiding here, as well as farther to the north and to the east, as now a grand revolution happened with another Slavonian ftate, dwelling on the river Volkof northwards, and whose capital was Novgorod *.

"The hiftory of Novgorod, till the ninth century, is not lefs unknown than that of Kief. It feems to have always been commercial: by its fituation it was enabled to carry on an eafy commerce with the people refiding on both fhores of the Baltic; and the Emperor Conftantine Porphyrogenneta fpeaks of its commerce with Conftantinople in his days. This Slavonian ftate, it is probable, continued fome centuries as a republic, and was fo formidable to the furrounding nations, that it was grown into a common expreffion: Who fhall dare to oppofe God and Great Novgorod! Towards the end of the ninth century, however, it obtained a ruler, and was changed into a principality. From this time forward the accounts of Ruffian hiftory affume a more authentic form. Though the Slavonians in and about Novgorod composed a very confider able republic, and on various occafions were powerful enough to repel with impreffion the attacks and aggreffions of the neighbouring nations, yet their power alone was not always fufficient for the defence of their country. The Tfchudes and the Biarmians, two bordering nations, frequently made incurfions on the Novgorodian territory; and when, according to the then practice of war, they had ravaged and wafted wherever they went, returned laden with fpoil. Pirates, likewife, from the other fide of the Baltic, who in the northern language were called Varagians, not lefs frequently made defcents on their coafts, and infefted their country. As thefe Varages, however, were wont to enter into pay, and then fought against any to whom they were fent by their paymafters, they alfo came once to the affiftance of the Novgorodians for a ftipulated fum. But, as on this occafion they got more

accurately acquainted with the country, it pleased them fo much, that, after the termination of the war, when they received their difmiffion, fo far from preparing to go back, they made. difpofitions for abiding where they were. The leader of these Varages, Rurik, even built himself a town: his example was followed by two of his principal companions, who might also be his actual brothers, as they are called in history. These proceedings muft have appeared furprifing to the Novgorodians, as they naturally expected that the Varages, who had been taken into pay, now that the war was ended, and they had their wages, would reimbark and cross the sea to their home. It was not long before that spirit of independence by which the Novgorodians had always been actuated, manifested itself in the displea fure they fhowed at the protracted fojourn and the arrangements of these Varages, who, from being their mercenary troops, were now raifing themfelves into their fovereigns. They had recourfe to arms, in order to repel force by force. A famous Novgorodian, named Vadim, who had acquired by his feats in war the honourable furname of the Valiant, put himself at the head of the incenfed republicans. Rurik, however, and his companions were fo far favoured by fortune, that Vadim, and feveral of the chieftains who were with him, forfeited their lives in this attempt to deliver their country from thefe ambitious guests. Rurik, by this unfuccessful enterprise, and from the fear he had every where infpired, found his confequence increafed. He thought he might now venture farther than before, and fix his authority on a firmer bafis. He there fore removed his feat from the city of Ladoga which he had built, to Novgorod itself, fuppofing the people fuffi ciently humiliated for testifying their defire to admit him as their fovereign. The event confirmed his expectations; nothing more was attempted against him; and the hitherto free Novgorodian Slavi willingly acknowledged Rurik for their prince. On the death of his brethren and partners in the government, Sinaus and Truvor, which

"The word Novgorod, by its fignification, Newtown, implies the exiftence of an older town, the ruins of which are fuppofed to be thofe at a little diftance called Staroie Gorodiftfchè, old rubbish of a town."

3 G 2

happened

LVAN L. SUBDUES THE TARTARS, AND

UNITES THE PRINCIPALITIES.

"IVAN I. a covetous enterprifing prince, inftigated by his confort, a Grecian princefs, exerted all his faculties to deliver himself from the ignominious yoke of the Tartars, which feveral of his predeceffors had already ftruggled to fhake off, to reftore the authority and domination of the Grand Prince over the reft of the princes, to enlarge the borders of his empire, to reunite with it the parts that had been torn away by the neighbours, and to 'fettle the power of the Grand Princes on a firm and lafting foundation. At the age of only three-and-twenty years he afcended the throne in 1462, but with the courage and refolution of a man determined to execute what he deemed to be right and expedient. Indeed he fometimes, in the execution of his plans, employed means that bordered on injuftice and cruelty; but this he did in common with all conquerors.

moreover to refpect his authority. It was thofe of Kazan whom he pitched upon for the purpose of beginning, by their fuppreffion, the fubjugation of all the Tartars. Two campaigns undertaken against them, in 1460 and 1468, were not indeed fuccefsful; but the third, in 1470, terminated in an ac commodation very honourable to him, in virtue whereof, though the Khan was to remain prince of his own Tartars, yet to be dependent on the Grand Prince, and to accept his dominion as a fief from him. The Khan of the Golden Horde, who demanded the former homage and tribute, on the refufal of Ivan to comply with the requifition, and his not appearing in the horde on the citation of the Khan, penetrated, in 1477, into Ruffia: but Ivan dexterously took advantage of the abfence of the Khan and his warriors to make an attack upon the horde, and brought home with him confiderable fpoil. This determined the Khan to haften back from Ruffia; but in the mean time another Tartarian horde, on the retreat of the Ruffians, carried off the women and children, deftroyed the dwellings, and now fell upon the returning Khan himself, routed his army, and made an end of what was called the Golden Horde, from the ruins whereof the Kazanian and Krimean Tartars now greatly increased their numbers.

"His firft undertaking was not only to withdraw his allegiance from the Tartars, but to fubjugate, and, as far as poffible, to exterminate them entirely; and at the execution of this he laboured with unremitted affiduity. It is true they were no longer the old formidable enemy, as their power was very much divided; yet they were ever, as opportunities offered, making inroads into Ruffia, carrying off captives by thousands, deftroying towns and villages by fire, and frequently in fifted upon the homage of the Ruffian princes. Ivan refolved to put a ftop to thefe proceeding, coft what it would; he was determined to fet his empire in fecurity from the predatory expedi. tions of these hordes, and teach them

"Having fubdued the Kazanian Tartars, and freed himself from the Golden Horde, Ivan now turned his arms against the Poles and Lithuanians. He was every where fuccessful and victorious. From the Lithuanians he retook many places that had been rent by them from Ruffia. He likewife, in 1486, united, not indeed in the moft equitable manner*, the confiderable principality of Tver with the grand principality; and thus, as the reft of the feparate principalities had one by one been recovered by some of his ancestors to the grand principality, with the fole exception of that of Severia, which still had its peculiar fovereign, he united in his grafp the collective force of the whole Ruffian empire. He therefore was able to get on foot a great military force, which was the

"The fubjects of the prince of Tver having rifen in rebellion, applied for affiftance of the Grand Prince; Ivan readily complied with their request, and on that occafion united Tver with the grand principality."

more

"By means of an Italian, Ariftotle of Bologna, whom he took into his service as an architect, mint-mafter, and founder."

"He even caused the great bell, which was tolled when the people were to meet, to be conveyed to Mosco. It must be faid, however, that these popular affemblies were tumultuous enough. Was any one, for example, accused of fome grievous crime, the judges assembled at the sound of the great bell to hold a court of juftice, and the people appeared to execute the sentence. Every inhabitant with his grown-up fons, brought each two stones under their arms. If the culprit was condemned, lapidation followed; this done, his houfe was plundered and then pulled down, and the vacant spot was fold for the benefit of the corporation cheft.”

"Ivan, however, afterwards reftored to the merchants their liberty, but not their goods. The liberated merchants met with a ftorm on their voyage home in the Baltic, and most of them perifhed in the billows."

"A Ruffian had been burnt at Reval, according to the law of that country, for coining counterfeit money, and another for fome abominable crime. Several of the Ruffians thought that punishment too fevere; upon which they were

anfwered, that if the people of Reval should catch even the Grand Prince at that crime, they would burn him with no more hesitation than they would a dog.'

1519. The Tartars are reported to have made 300,000 prifoners on this expedition, the greater part of whom were fent to Kaffa in the Krimea, there expofed to fale, and purchased by the Turks, fo that Turkey was in a manner filled with Ruffian flaves."

"This title occafionally appears even earlier in the Ruffian hiftory; and it may have begun to come up before the Tartars; but during the paramount fovereignty of that people over Ruffia, no Grand Prince prefumed to take it on himfelf. The old Ruffian authors employ this title in speaking of the Greek emperors; likewife fome Tartarian rulers called themselves Tzars, and fo perhaps Ivan adopted that title after he had entirely conquered the Tartars. The Ruffian interpreters uniformly tranflate this word by emperor."

* Generally known under the name of Strelitzes, particularly on account of the share they had in the rebellion excited against Peter I. by his fifter Sophia, for which that monarch punished them with dreadful feverity. They were somewhat fimilar to the Janiffaries at Conftantinople, undifciplined like them, and more formidable on that account than for their bravery."

"Ivan, on his entering Kazan, after taking it by ftorm, fay the hiftorians, wept at the fight of the ravages that were made, and the heaps of the dead bodies. Now, certainly, that an Ivan with his hard and unfeeling heart, who would frequently caufe perfons to be murdered in cold blood, who was ever wantonly employing the moft cruel tortures, fome of which now on record are unexampled in horror, fhould be forced to fhed tears over a conquered city, may be confidered as a striking proof, that a town taken by ftorm must be a fight uncommonly dreadful and fhocking to humanity. Would, therefore, kings and queens, and their minifters in their cabinets, fo eafily put their fignatures to orders for ftorming towns, if it were poffible, immediately after the ftorming, for them to be conducted thither, and be ipe Stators of the havoc and cruelties committed ?”