The Land of the Black Mountain | Page 9

they could never forget the oath which
their forefathers had sworn for them.
Ivan, after several great victories, was left to end his days in peace. He
spent his years well in strengthening the land, both in the arts of war
and peace. In Obod, which is close to Rijeka, he erected a printing
press, some twenty years after Caxton had set up his in Westminster,
and though it was afterwards burnt by the Turks, still the remembrance
of it remains right glorious in Montenegrin memory.
The last Crnoievic relinquished his home for Venice. He had married a
Venetian wife, who, among the bleak mountains of the Katunska, was
pining for the sun and warmth of her native city. But before leaving he
laid down the lines for a powerful régime. A Prince-Bishop, or Vladika,
was placed at the head of affairs, but, to help him in his difficult task,
there was created a second office, that of Civil Governor, who was to
hold a subordinate position. This office was abolished in 1832 by Peter
II., on the treachery of the Civil Governor Radonic, who was found to
have intrigued with the Austrians.
From 1616 to 1696 the Vladikas were elective, and under their
quarrelsome rule Cetinje was twice burnt and phoenix-like rose again
from its ashes. The Turkish armies, though partially victorious, usually
met with disaster and ruin before reaching their own territory again;
and we read of one notable occasion when Soliman Pasha, with an
army of 80,000 men, had sacked Cetinje. On his way home he was

surprised by the two tribes of Kuc and Klementi, and annihilated. But
as time went on it became necessary from political reasons to change
the system of government from election to heredity, and the choice fell
on the Lord of Njegusi Danilo Petrovic, whose reign (1696-1735) is
chiefly memorable for the Montenegrin vespers of the Turks and
Turkish renegades, who had rendered so much assistance to Kiuprili
Pasha in one of his terrible invasions. But a crushing defeat of the
Turks in 1706 gave the land peace for thirty years.
In 1767 an adventurer named Stefan Mali sprang himself upon the land.
He claimed to be the murdered Peter III. of Russia, and easily imposed
himself upon the gullible Montenegrin. But he had the interests of
Montenegro sincerely at heart, and proved an excellent ruler. His
imposture was exposed by Catherine II., but owing to the weakness of
the Petrovic heir, the people determined to keep him as their ruler. He
fell a victim to the assassin's knife at the instigation of the Pasha of
Scutari. His successor, Peter Petrovic, the famous St. Peter of
Montenegrin history, was a firm and courageous ruler, who made his
influence felt throughout the courts of Europe. Austria, Russia, and
England did not scruple to avail themselves of his help and then, as
seems to be the Montenegrin fate, left him in the lurch. He defied the
armies of the great Napoleon, who came to fear him and his warlike
clan insomuch that he was even offered terms of friendship. But the
proud mountaineer would have none of it. He now turned his hand,
under the influence of Russia, which was then very real, to the
consolidation of the land, and slept in peace with his fathers.
His successor, Peter II., carried on the struggle with the Turks, who
proposed an increase of territory and a Turkish title in return for the
acknowledgment of suzerainty. "As long as my people defend me," was
the proud answer, "I need no Turkish title to my throne; if they desert
me, such a title would avail me little." War was the effect of this retort,
but the Turks gained nothing by it, and peace was soon made.
The danger of the power of Austria came now to be fully recognised.
After the Napoleonic wars, Austria had retained Cattaro and Spizza,
and trouble now broke out over some land near Budua. The

Montenegrins fell upon the Austrians, and fierce conflicts ensued, but
Peter, who had gained an extraordinary hold over his subjects, forbade
them to continue. Hostilities, however, continued in a desultory fashion
for some time.
Peter was followed by Danilo II., a weak ruler, but his reign is famous
for two events--the cession of the spiritual authority of the
Prince-Bishop to an Archbishop and the "Great Charter" of Montenegro.
Danilo's reforms, however, led the Turk again to attack his invincible
foe, only again to end in great disaster. But in the Crimean War
Montenegro, greatly to the disgust of the people, did not participate,
and in the Congress which followed Danilo was offered a Turkish title
and the hated Turkish protectorate. His willingness to accept this led to
the formation of a strong opposition party who demanded war. Fortune