inople when a host of priests,
monks, artists, and learned men fled from the extinct Byzantine
Empire, to find an asylum in Russia.

While nothing resulted from the Council of Florence, owing to the
opposition of members of the Greek Church, the fall of Constantinople
left a deep impression upon Russia, which chose to consider itself (p. 095)
as the heir to the Byzantine Empire. More than this, the influence of
the men who found a refuge in Russia, served to inoculate the country
of their adoption with the semi-oriental civilization which had
distinguished Constantinople from Western Europe. The time, too, was
propitious. Russia was gradually recovering from the blow of Tartar
rule, which had marred its progress during two centuries. Here was,
therefore, to all intent and purposes, a virgin soil, which promised
to yield a rich harvest to whatever principles were planted in it. It
might even regenerate the decaying elements of the Byzantine
civilization.

[Illustration: Ivan III] (p. 096)

XI--IVAN III, THE GREAT. (p. 097)

Vassili's eldest son Ivan was born in 1440. It is said that upon the
occasion of his birth, an old monk at Novgorod had a vision which he
reported to the Archbishop. "Truly," he said, "it is to-day that the
grand duke triumphs; God has given him an heir; I behold this child
making himself illustrious by glorious deeds. He will subdue princes
and nations. But woe to Novgorod! Novgorod will fall at his feet, and
never rise again."

Vassili, wishing to avoid the disputes incident upon the succession,
during his lifetime admitted Ivan as co-regent. Upon his father's
death, in 1462, Ivan was twenty-two years old. He succeeded without
the usual disturbances, and the first six years of his reign were
uneventful. In 1468, he gained forcible possession of his brother
George's estate, and allowed him to die in prison. When he heard of
his death,--he wept. Another brother, Andrew, was in his way, and was
flung into prison, whereupon Ivan called the Metropolitan and bishops
to his palace, wept some more, and confessed that he had been too
severe;--but he forgot to restore Andrew's property. When his third
brother, Boris, died, Ivan seized the estate and kept it; but he wept
some more.

This soft-hearted but tenacious gentleman found fault with his (p. 098)
neighbor, Michael of Tver, for entering into an alliance