ad. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1580. 



who not being of sufficient yeres to beare rule, was 

 committed unto the protection of his kinsman Olechus. 

 The sayde Igor begate of Olha daughter unto a citizen 

 of Plesco (who, after her husbande was slaine by his 

 enemies, taking her journey to Constantinople, was 

 there baptized by the name of Helena) a sonne called 

 Stoslaus, who fought many battels with the neighbour 

 countreys. Howbeit at length Stoslaus was slayne by 

 his foe, who making a drinking cup of his skull, 

 engraved therupon in golden letters this sentence : 

 Seeking after other mens, he lost his owne. He left 



[I. 222.] behind him three sonnes, namely Teropolchus, Olega, 

 and Vulodimir. The which Vulodimir having slaine 

 his two brethren, became sole governour of Russia, or 

 (as the Moscovites call it) Rosseia, his owne selfe. This 

 man beginning at length to loath and mislike the ethnik 

 religon, and the multitude of false gods, applyed his 

 minde unto the religion of Christ, and having taken 

 to wife Anna sister unto Basilius and Constantinus 

 Emperours of Constantinople, was together with his 

 whole nation, in the yeare of Christ 988. baptized, and 

 imbraced the Christian religion, with the rites and 

 ceremonies of the Greeke Church, and his name being 

 changed, he was called Basilius. 



Howbeit Zonaras reporteth that before the time of 

 Vulodimir, Basilius Emperour of Constantinople sent 

 a bishop unto the Russians, by whose meanes they 

 were converted unto the Christian faith. He reporteth 

 moreover that they would not be perswaded unlesse 

 they might see a miracle : whereupon the said bishop 

 having made his prayers unto almighty God, threwe 

 the booke of the Evangelists into the fire, which 

 remained there unconsumed. And that by this miracle 

 they were mooved to give credite unto the doctrine of 

 Christ, and to conform e themselves thereunto. 



The sonnes of Vulodimir were Vuiseslaus, lsoslaus, 

 Jaroslaus, Suatopolcus, Borissus, Glebus, Stoslaus, 

 Vulzevolodus, Stanislaus, Sudislaus, and Podius who 



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