add to his
bitterness, Prince Andrew Kourbski, a descendant of Rurik and a great
friend of Silvester and Adachef, permitted 15,000 Russians to be
defeated by the Poles with whom Ivan was at war. Kourbski deserted to
the King of Poland.

It appears that Ivan at this time feared for his life, for he withdrew
to a neighboring castle with his friends, servants, and treasures.
From there he wrote his abdication in two letters, one addressed to
the Metropolitan, the other to the people of Moscow. This action
struck terror among the nobles and the people. The former dreaded that
the people might rise and avenge the czar, and the people were afraid
that the nobles would once again usurp the government. The nobles and
priests consulted and decided to beg Ivan's pardon and to submit to
any punishment he might impose. Ivan consented to return to Moscow (p. 117)
but on his own terms. This was accepted. After his arrival in the
capital he established a special guard of one thousand men who had a
dog's head and a broom hanging from their saddles, to show that they
were ready to bite and ready to sweep the czar's enemies from off
Russian soil.

It was then that Ivan began to earn the surname of The Terrible, which
has clung to him ever afterwards. We have his own record in a letter
to the Monastery of St. Cyril, in which he asks the prayers of the
Church for the victims of his vengeance. He appears to have kept a
careful account, as we read, "Kazarine Doubrofsky and his two sons,
with ten men who came to their assistance;" "Twenty men of the village
of Kolmenskoe;" "Eighty of Matveiche." It amazes us to read,
"Remember, Lord, the souls of thy servants, to the number of 1,505
persons, Novgorodians." The boyards lived in a state of terror; few
among them knew how long they would keep their heads on their
shoulders. Neither rank nor title was a safeguard. The Archbishop of
Moscow was dismissed, and probably murdered. Alexander, George's
widow, and Ivan's sister-in-law, went to the scaffold. Prince Vladimir
and his mother, Ivan's uncle and grand-aunt, were also executed. It
was on this occasion that the "Novgorodians, to the number of 1,505
persons" were put to death, because Ivan suspected them of a plot to
open the gates to the King of Poland. In 1571, there was another
wholesale execution, in which several of Ivan's latest favorites were
victims.

The burden of his wrath fell upon the boyards. It may have been for the
purpose of