their woorthies and braue champions was
either vtterly vnknowen or somewhat obscure, would ofte referre it
vnto their Gods themselues. So in these our dayes (to lette passe others)
the Turkish Emperour with great presumption boasteth himselfe to bee
descended of the Troian blood. Likewise the great duke of Moscouie, to
make himselfe and his predecessours seeme the more souereigne,
deriueth the beginnings of his parentage from the Romane Emperours,
yea euen from Augustus Caesar. Albeit therefore no man is so fonde as
to accept of this report for trueth, yet will wee briefly set downe what
the Moscouites haue written in their Chronicles as touching this matter.
Augustus (beleeue it who listeth) had certaine brethren or kinsfolkes
which were appoynted gouenours ouer diuers prouinces. Amongst the
rest one Prussus (of whome Prussia was named) had his place of
gouernment assigned vnto him vpon the shore of the eastern or
Balthick Sea, and vpon the famous riuer of Wixel. This mans graund
children or nephewes of the fourth generation were Rurek, Sinaus, and
Truuor, who likewise inhabited in the very same places. Whereas
therefore, at the very same time the Russians or the Moscquites without
any ciuill regiment possessed large and spacious territories towards the
north, the foresayd three brethren, vpon the perswasion of one
Gostomislius the chiefe citizen of Nouogrod, in the yeare since the
worldes creation (acording to the computation of the Greekes) 6370,
which was in the yeare of our Lord 572, were sent for, to beare rule.
And so ioyning their kinsman Olechus vnto them, and diuiding these
huge countreys among themselues, they laboured to reduce the
barbarous and sauage people vnto a ciuill kinde of life.
Sinaus and Truuor deceasing without issue, Rurek succeeded and left a
sonne behinde him named Igor; who not being of sufficient yeres to
beare rule, was committed vnto the protection of his kinsman Olechus.
The sayde Igor begate of Olha daughter vnto a citizen of Plesco (who,
after her husbande was slaine by his enemies, taking her iourney to
Constantinople, was there baptized by the name of Helena) a sonne
called Stoslaus, who fought many battels with the neighbour countreys.
Howbeit at length Stoslaus was slayne by his foe, who making a
drinking cup of his skull, engraued therupon in golden letters this
sentence: Seeking after other mens he lost his owne. He left behind him
three sonnes, namely Teropolchus, Olega, and Vulodimir. The which
Vulodimir hauing slaine his two brethren, became sole gouernour of
Russia, or (as the Moscouites call it) Rosseia, his owne selfe. This man
beginning at length to loath and mislike the ethnik religion, and the
multitude of false gods, applyed his minde vnto the religion of Christ,
and hauing taken to wife Anna sister vnto Basilius and Constantinus
Emperours of Constantinople, was together with his whole nation, in
the yeare of Christ 988. baptized, and imbraced the Christian religion,
with the rites and ceremonies of the Greeke Church, and his name
being changed, he was called Basilius.
Howbeit Zonoras reporteth that before the time of Vulodimir, Basilius
Emperour of Constantinople sent a bishop vnto the Russians, by whose
meanes they were conuerted vnto the Christian faith. He reporteth
moreouer that they would not be perswaded vnlesse they might see a
miracle: whereupon the said bishop hauing made his prayers vnto
almighty God, threwe the booke of the Euangelists into the fire, which
remained there vnconsumed. And that by this miracle they were moued
to giue credits vnto the doctrine of Christ, and to conforme themselues
thereunto.
The sonnes of Vulodimir were Vuiseslaus, Isoslaus, Iaroslaus,
Suatopolcus, Borissus, Glebus, Stoslaus, Vulzeuolodus, Stanislaus,
Sudislaus, and Podius who died in his childhood. Amongst the residue
all Russia was diuided by their father, who not being contented with
their portions, but inuading each other, were most of them slaine by
their mutuall contentions. Borissus and Glebus in regard of their holy
conuersation were registred for Saints, whose feasts are euery yeere
celebrated with great solemnitie vpon the twelfth of Nouember.
At length Iaroslaus only got the Souvereigne authoritie into his owne
hands, and left behind him foure sonnes, Vvlodimir, Isoslauus,
Weceslauus, and Vuszeuolodus.
The foresaid Vulodimir sonne of Iaroslaus kept his residence at the
ancient citie of Kiow standing vpon the riuer of Boristhenes, and after
diuers conflicts with his kinsmen, hauing subdued all the prouinces
vnto himselfe, was called Monomachos, that is, the onely champion.
This man (for I thinke it not amisse to report those things which their
owne Manuscript Chronicles make mention of) waged warre against
Constantine the Emperour of Constantinople, when he had wasted and
ouerrun Thracia, being returned home with great and rich spoyles, and
making preparation for new wars, Constantine sent Neophytus the
Metropolitane of Ephesus and two Bishops, with the gouernour of
Antiochia, and
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