ad. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1580. 



Daniel, Basilius, George, Andrew, Peter, John, & 



Constantine. Basilius reigned after his fathers death. 



This man disinheriting his sonne which was called 



after his owne name, because he suspected his mother 



of adulterie, at his death surrendred his Dukedome 



unto his brother George, who kept his nephewe a long 



time in prison. Howbeit at his death, though himselfe 



had two sonnes namely Andrew and Demetrius, yet 



being stricken perhaps with remorse of conscience, he 



bestowed the Dukedome upon his nephew Basilius. 



Against whom his two cousins bearing a grudge waged 



warre, and at length having taken him by a wyly 



stratageme they put out his eyes. Notwithstanding 



the Boiarens (for so the Moscovites call their nobles) 



continued their duetifull alleageance unto this their 



blinde Duke, whom for his blindnes they called Cziem- 



nox, that is to say, darke or darkened. He left a 



Ivan Vasilo- sonne behinde him called Ivan Vasilowich who brought 



wkh. the Russian common wealth, being before his time but 



obscure, unto great excellencie and renowme. Who 



that he might the better get all the superiority into 



his owne hands put to death so many sonnes and 



nephewes of the former Dukes as he could lay hold 



on, and began to take upon him the title of the great 



Duke of Vulodimiria, Moscovia, and Novogardia, and 



to call himselfe the Monarch or Czar of all Russia. 



The name of j-[ e brought under his subjection two principall cities, 



the Moscovites namel Plesco being the only walled citie in all Mos- 



first advanced. . J , XT ° , , . J c .» , • • 1 



covie, and Novogrod, both or them being in regard 



of traffike most riche and flourishing cities, and having 

 bin subject unto the Lithuanians for the space of 50. 

 yeeres before. The treasure of Novogrod was so ex- 

 ceeding, that the great Duke is reported to have carried 

 home from thence 300. carts laden with gold and silver. 

 He also was the first man that waged warre against 

 the Polonians and the Livonians : against Polonia he 

 pretended a quarell, alleaging that his daughter Helena 

 (whome hee had married unto Alexander the great 



188 



