The Grand Prince held unlimited power over the lives and property of all his subjects. The greatest lords were his slaves and, in addressing their requests to him, signed themselves by servile diminutives, instead of their real names. Herberstein declares "that in the authority which he wields over his subjects, the Grand Prince of Moscow easily surpasses all the monarchs of the known world: what his father began he has perfected."
His power was shown in the magnificence of his court. In his hunting expeditions he went out accompanied by hundreds of horsemen. He rode a richly caparisoned horse, and wore a splendid robe of cloth of gold; his white fur cap was adorned with jewels and golden plate-like feathers. From his girdle hung small knives and a dagger; behind him swung a stick a cubit long, with a thong and a gilded knob. Shig Alei, armed with bow and arrows, and Tartar princes with hatchets and clubs, rode in his train. Hundreds of men, dressed in black and yellow livery, held the Siberian hounds in leash, or bore purple and white falcons. Bear-baiting was a favorite sport, and hunting hares. He was thought to have done the best day's work who killed the greatest number of hares. "In the fields round about the city," says Bishop Paul, "is an incredible number of hares and roebucks, which it is lawful for no man to chase or pursue with dogs or nets, except only certain of the King's familiars and foreign ambassadors, to whom he giveth license by special appointment."
After the Prince had taken several hundred hares, he entered his hunting lodge and sat upon an ivory throne, while confections—coriander, anise-seed, and almonds, sugar and brandy—were served among his guests.
Basil received foreign envoys with great display. When an envoy, on his way to Moscow, readied the frontier, he was met by Basil's officers, who gave him housing, provisions, and equipage, but carefully watched his actions. He was conducted through the richest and most populous districts; in all places inns and shops were closed, and the chief citizens were required to be on the streets dressed in their costliest attire. At Moscow a palace of the Tsar was assigned him, and caterers provided him and his followers with bread, meat, fish, beer, mead, salt, pepper, onions, and all the delicacies of the season.
His first interview took place in the hall of the palace of cut stone, hung with magnificent tapestries. The Prince sat on his throne surrounded by young nobles, dressed in high fur caps, in kaftans of white satin, and armed with silver hatchets. After due salutation the Prince, saying, "Thou wilt eat bread and salt with us," led the stranger to the banqueting hall in another palace. In the middle of the hall stood a table laden with gold and silver plate, made by Asiatic smiths in Eastern forms. All the vessels which held the meat and drink, the salt-cellars and cruets, were of purest gold. The servants wore robes embroidered with pearls and gems. The dinners lasted many hours. Brandy was served round before the meal began. The first dish was usually roast swan, served with sour milk, pickled cucumbers, and stewed prunes. Then came other kinds of meats, served with malmsey and Greek wines.
The Grand Prince drank to the envoy's health, saying,—
"Thou art come from a great sovereign to a great sovereign; thou hast made a long journey. After receiving our favor and seeing the lustre of our eyes, it shall be well with thee. Drink and drink well, and eat well to thy hearty content, and then take thy rest that thou mayest at length return to thy master."
PALACE OF CUT STONE.
After the toast was drunk, the cup was turned upside down over the head, to show that it was empty. Drinking was carried to excess; it was felt to be a merry jest, "to make the envoy full." When the dinner was over the Prince dismissed his company, saying, "Now depart."
At the leave-taking of an envoy, the Grand Prince gave him a robe of honor trimmed with sable, and sometimes added other gifts. Basil gave Herberstein eighty sables, three hundred ermines, fifteen hundred squirrel-skins, a sledge and a fine horse, with white bearskin trappings, besides a quantity of unsalted fish in copper vessels.
Basil had diplomatic dealings with many countries of Europe and Asia. He made a sixty years' peace with Sweden, which was confirmed by the great Gustavus Vasa. He also made alliances with Livonia and the Hanse cities. Pope Leo X. tried to interest him in the union of the churches and the crusade against the Turks. Basil however kept on friendly terms with Sultan Selim and his successor, Solyman the Magnificent, as well as with Baber, the Great Mogul of India, the descendant of Timur.
How the Young Ivan
DISCOMFITED HIS GUARDIANS
Basil had no hesitation in leaving the care of his two sons, Ivan and George, and the government in the hands of his second wife, Helena. She was of Western origin and remarkable for her freedom of mind and for her accomplishments.
She straightway set to work to complete her husband's plans for the establishment of absolute empire. She threw his brothers into prison; she put down the plots of the princes and boyars; she met the Tartars and Lithuanians on the battle-field and came back with victorious arms; she surrounded a part of Moscow with walls. As there were few in whom she could trust she gave all her confidence to the "master of horse," who was charged with being her lover.
The old nobles were angry to see a woman, and especially a foreign woman, wielding the sceptre. They believed that her place was in the seclusion, of the Terem. If they could not keep her there by force, they could at least put her out of the way. Helena died by poison; the "master of horse" was starved to death, and his sister, the young Grand Prince's nurse, was banished to a nunnery.
Then there began a period of lawlessness; the supreme power became an object of ambition among the boyars, the descendants of Rurik and Gedimin. Chief among the rivals were the families of Bielski and Shuiski. Prince Ivan Bielski, who had the support of the Metropolitan, ruled in Helena's place for several years. Prince Ivan Shuiski headed a conspiracy among the boyars and men-at-arms and seized the regent by night and had him murdered. The Metropolitan escaped into the Grand Prince's chamber, but was followed and bound in spite of Ivan's cries for help. Ivan Shuiski soon after died, and the regency passed to three of his family, and more especially to Prince Andrew. These three nobles jealously watched the growing influence of Prince Vorontsof, and at last they fell upon him, struck him on the cheek, and tore off his robes and nearly killed him. The young Ivan sent the Metropolitan to beg them to desist; they heeded him not, but dragged the prince out to the stables, beat him ignominiously, and delivered him over to the guard.
In after years Ivan the Terrible thus described in a letter his stormy childhood and the impudence of his boyars:—
IVAN THE TERRIBLE.
"After the death of our mother, Helena, we were left with our brother George absolute orphans; our subjects did their own will, carried on the government lawlessly. They took no care of us, their sovereign, but busied themselves only in the gain of wealth and power, and began to war with one another. And what evil things they did! How they killed boyars and captains, the friends of our father! The houses, villages, and domains of our uncles they took for themselves. . . . They treated us and our brother George like strangers, like beggars. They granted us not even the necessities of dress and food. They treated us as it was unbecoming to treat children. One example: it chanced that we were playing and Prince Ivan Shuiski had the impudence to sit with his elbows leaning over the bed of our father and his leg stretched out upon it! What shall I say of our hereditary treasure? They pillaged everything and gave to their men-at-arms, and the men-at-arms were unworthy and dishonest. Out of the treasure of our fathers they stole vases of gold and silver and engraved upon them the names of their kinsfolk as though it were their inherited property. And it was known to all men. Then they rode about among the cities and towns and plundered the citizens without mercy, and such evils they did upon their neighbors as it is impossible to number. Of our subjects they made slaves, and, their own slaves they raised to be great lords. They thought they were ruling and ordering, but on the contrary there was misrule and disorder. For every one made boundless gain and no one spoke or acted except for gain."