moujik was fined or sometimes whipped; but he might kill as many
slaves as he pleased, because they were his property.

The Russian infantry, so famous under the early Norsemen, had given
way to cavalry, in imitation of the Tartars. The Imperial Guard was
composed of 8,000 young nobles. The "men-at-arms" were mounted, but
received no pay beyond the revenue of their lands, which they held in
return for their military service. The army numbered about 80,000,
and, with a levy among the peasants, could be brought up to 300,000.
There was, besides, the irregular cavalry of the Don Cossacks, and of
the Tartars. Such infantry as there was, consisted of peasants from
the crown lands, churches, and convents; the national guard, and
foreign soldiers or officers.

[Illustration: Feodor] (p. 128)

XV--FEODOR, THE LAST OF RURIK'S DESCENDANTS. (p. 129)

Ivan the Terrible left two sons, Feodor, the son of Anastasia Romanof,
and Dmitri, a child, the son of his seventh wife. Feodor was neither a
strong-minded nor a very able man. He was married to Irene Godounof,
and, following the usual custom, his wife's relations held the
principal offices of the government. Gradually the czar's authority
passed into the hands of Prince Boris Godounof, Irene's brother, a
very ambitious and unscrupulous man. Wizards had foretold that Boris
would be czar, but that his reign would last only seven years, and he
did all he could to aid his destiny.

He first caused Feodor's half-brother, Dmitri, to be sent with his
mother and her relations to Ouglitch, where they would be out of the
way. He also caused the Metropolitan to be dismissed, and had a friend
appointed in his place. He aroused the higher nobles against him, and
then made an effort to make friends with the smaller nobility,--at the
expense of the poor peasants. According to law, these people were
free; that is, when the contract with a landowner expired, they could
move where they pleased, and the large owners could offer better terms
than those who held small estates. But without labor, the land was (p. 130)
worthless and Russia, at the time, was so sparsely populated, that
every hand counted. The object of the government was not to open up
new lands, so as to create prosperity, but to provide for its current
wants by seeing that the taxes were paid, and that the army was kept
up to its standard. How could the men-at-a