roes--Gabriel, Skylaf of
Novgorod, James of Polotsk, Sabas, who threw down the tent of Birger,
and Alexander Nevski himself, who with a stroke of the lance
"imprinted his seal on his face," 1240. Notwithstanding the triumph of
such a service, Alexander and the Novgorodians could not agree; a
short time after, he retired to Pereiaslavl-Zaliesski. The proud
republicans soon had reason to regret the exile of this second
Camillus. The Order of the Swordbearers, the indefatigable enemy of
orthodoxy, took Pskof, their ally; the Germans imposed tribute on the
Vojans, vassals of Novgorod, constructed the fortress of Koporie on
her territory of the Neva, took the Russian town of Tessof in
Esthonia, and pillaged the merchants of Novgorod within seventeen
miles of their ramparts. During this time the Tchuds and the
Lithuanians captured the peasants, and the cattle of the citizens. At
last Alexander allowed himself to be touched by the prayers of the
archbishop and the people, assembled an army, expelled the Germans
from Koporie, and next from Pskof, hanged as traitors the captive
Vojans and Tchuds, and put to death six knights who fell into his
hands.

This war between the two races and two religions was cruel and
pitiless. The rights of nations were hardly recognized. More than once
Germans and Russians slew the ambassadors of the other side. Alexander
Nevski finally gave battle to the Livonian knights on the ice of Lake
Peipus, killed four hundred of them, took fifty prisoners, and
exterminated a multitude of Tchuds. Such was the "Battle of the Ice,"
1242. He returned in triumph to Novgorod, dragging with him his
prisoners in armor of iron. The grand master expected to see Alexander
at the gates of Riga, and implored help of Denmark. The Prince of
Novgorod, satisfied with having delivered Pskof, concluded peace,
recovered certain districts, and consented to the exchange of
prisoners. At this time Innocent IV, deceived by false information,
addressed a bull to Alexander, as a devoted son of the Church,
assuring him that his father Yaroslaff, while dying among the Horde,
had desired to submit himself to the throne of St. Peter. Two
cardinals brought him this letter from the Pope, 1251.

It is this hero of the Neva and Lake Peipus, this vanquisher of the
Scandinavians and Livonian knights, that we are presently to see
grovelling at the feet of a barbarian. Alexander Nevski had understood
that, in presence of this immense and bru