7 
CARD’S HISTORY OF THE 
© With minds heated and enraptured by 
these gaudy, though, perhaps, not unmean- 
ing spectacles, they hastened their return to 
Vladimir. ‘To his anxious inquiries, on the 
events of their mission, they dispatched, with 
a disdainful impatience, their account of the 
Latin ceremonial; whilst they expagiated 
with a visible satisfaction, and with all the 
glowing colours of enthusiasm, on the various 
beauties of the imperial city of Constantino- 
ple. We thought ourselves transported into 
eaven, exclaimed they to their attentive 
monarch ; nor were they slow to believe, that 
a choir of angels came down each day from 
the skies, to join in the sacred song of the 
Greeks. Thus completely did the lustre of 
the Greeks eclipse all hopes of their conver- 
sion to the Latin church. When the curio- 
sity of the prince was sufliciently satisfied by 
their description, they implored his permis- 
sion to be initiated into the pleasures of reli- 
gious adoration at Constantinople. | 
«« No sooner had the boyars of his counsel 
perceived the propitious effects of this recital 
on the mind of Vladimir, than they instantly 
cried out, such was their abject credulity, or 
such.was their fawning obsequiousness, that 
the religion, which could be honoured by the 
‘praises of the sage deputies, and embraced by 
the pious Olga, must be worthy of implicit 
belief. 
«* But though Vladimir listened to the 
voice of reason, or rather to the dictates of his 
own inclinations, yet his conversion was re- 
tarded from the want of Greek priests. To 
demand them of the emperor was a species of 
homage, at the very idea of which his lofiy 
‘soul revolted; the barbarian therefore design- 
‘ed to sow, with his sword, that baptism and 
instruction which, to have possessed in a pro- 
per manner, he would have judged no less 
‘wounding to his dignity than disgraceful to 
his valour. This wild and eccentric plan 
was pursued with a persevering industry, and 
executed with a systematic spirit. / 
«© Promptitude and obedience must be in- 
terwoven in close contexture, to accomplish 
‘all expeditions of peril. These incentives to 
“success were not neglected by Vladimir. An 
immense army, composed from the flower of 
his empire, soon passed the Taurican Cherso- 
nese, and unfurled their banners under the 
lofty battlements of the ancient Theodosia, 
the modern Kafla. Before this place he is 
“said to have addressed the Almighty Power, 
in a speech worthy of himself, and his coun- 
iry, and his times. “Oh God! enable me 
‘to overcome this city, that from thence I may 
- transport priests ne christians into my do- 
minions, whose piety and learning may in- 
struct us in the true exercise of religious 
worship.’ 
«© He then attacked the city, unaided by 
any of the implements of assault, which so 
- essentially contribute to expedite the labours 
pfa siege. But his slow progress, andthe 
number of his gallant men, which he devoted 
.to death from bis proud and wanton caprici- 
REVOLUTIONS OF RUSSIA. 
283 
ousness, might have excited, ina less ignorant 
mind, some apprehensions, that his present 
conduct was considered as a direct violation 
of those moral and christian duties which he 
so anxiously wished to discharge. 
‘* After pressing the siege for six months, 
with an ineffectual vigour, the pagan began. 
to suspect, that he had adopted an expedient 
by no means favourable to his present con- 
version ; and, with the shame of relinquish- 
ing his enterprize, he now entertained the 
most serious fears, that he must also renounce 
the pious object which provoked him to it, 
if a perfidions citizen, or, as some more Fa= 
tionally declare, a priest had not. preferred 
the virtues of spiritual to temporal obedience: 
a letter fixed to an arrow, shot from the top 
of the ramparts,delayed his march and re 
warded his valour. Behind their camp, they 
learned from this aérial information, was a 
fountain, which alone enabled the besieged 
to taste, from its subterranean pipes, the re- 
freshing comforts of pure water. The te- 
Joiced Vladimir was not long in discovering 
and destroying this necessary support of a 
long resistance. The difficulties oF the en- 
terprize then vanished; the complaints of 
thirst were heard, felt, and soon remedied, 
by a general surrender. In possession of 
Theodosia, he saw himself master of the 
whole Chersonese. 
** By this victory his power was enlarged 
and his fancy gratified: but this inestimable 
gift of baptism formed not the sole object of 
his ambition: he aspired to mix his blood 
with the blood of the Czsars, by a marriage 
with the princess Anne, sister to the reign- 
ing emperors Basil and Constantine. His 
pretensions were enforced by the promise of 
conversion, and by the insolent threat, that 
Constantinople might soon expect the same 
fate as 7a soe should his reasonable de- 
mands be dismissed with contempt. After 
some affectation of delay, they consented to 
the first Seer since all maxims of state 
were annihilated ; all prepossessions lost ; all 
regard to purity of descent set aside, to con- 
firm their safety. Atthe same time, there- 
fore, and in the city of Cherson, the rites of 
baptism and marriage were solemnized by the 
christian Pontiff. The city he restored te 
his brothers-in-law; whilst abbots, priests, 
images, relics, holy books, and sacred vessels, 
were transported into Russia as rewards o 
this conquest and alliance, ‘ 
“« On his return to Kief, every indignity 
which could be devised by the imagination 
of Vladimir, was ofiered to those idols which 
he had so long adored; under the sagacious 
view of diminishing their estimation, and 
consequently of obtaining a more ready ac- 
qinganee to his devout example. Peroun, 
the god of thunder, and the most august of 
their divinities, at his despotic command, was 
tied to the tail ofa horse, and dragged through 
the streets of Kief; whilst twelve vigorous 
soldiers, during this woeful procession, bat 
tered, with clubs, the golden head and sd- 
