changed embassies with most of the European Courts. He extended the
frontiers of his empire, but ruthlessly suppressed free thought. It
has been claimed that the Slav is fit only for an absolute government.
The history of Russia contradicts the statement. The idea of autocracy
was Asiatic and was imported with the Tartar yoke.

XIII--IVAN IV, THE TERRIBLE. (p. 111)

When Vassili died in 1533, he left two infant sons, Ivan and George,
the elder three years old. His widow, Helena Glinski, assumed the
regency. She was a woman remarkable for spirit and beauty, and showed
her courage in ruthlessly suppressing every attempt of high nobles to
contest her authority. She sent her husband's brother George to
prison, and let him die there. One of her own uncles, who had been in
her confidence, showed too much ambition and suffered the same fate.
Andrew, another brother of Vassili, tried to make his escape; he was
promptly brought back and placed in confinement. This caused an
unimportant war with Poland, ending in a truce in 1537. The Tartars of
Kazan and the Crimea were frequently defeated. But Helena was
cordially hated by the great nobles at Moscow; she was poisoned, and
died in 1538.

Ivan, the oldest son and heir, was then eight years old. It must be
placed to the credit of his mother that he had learned to read, for
the children were sadly neglected after her death, and it was the
boy's principal solace and occupation. In later years Ivan wrote of
this time, "We and our brother Iouri (George) were treated like
strangers, like the children of beggars. We were ill-clothed, cold (p. 112)
and hungry." What impressed the child especially, was that when
foreign envoys arrived he was placed upon the throne and the same
nobles who showed him such contemptuous indifference, were respectful
and even servile on such occasions. He noticed, too, that when these
proud nobles needed anything, it was necessary that the papers should
be signed by him. All this set the child thinking, and being a manly,
bright boy, he came to the conclusion that, after all, he was the real
master.

After many quarrels among themselves, Andrew Chouiski, the head of a
noble family, had become all-powerful; all important offices were
occupied by his favorites and friends. Ivan noticed it all, but said
nothing. He was thirteen years old when, after the Christmas
celebration of 1543, he suddenly summoned the boyard