MODERN HISTORY. 181 



ways lived in harmony. This princefs embraced 

 :the Chriftian religion at Conftantmople, and was 

 baptized bv the name of Helena. Her Ion, 

 .however, did not follow her example. Jarapolka 

 reigned after his father SuetoQava, from the year 

 972 to 988. His brother Vladimire, or Wolo- 

 dimir, called Bafil, fucceeded him, and embraced 

 the Chriftian religion according to the rites of 

 the Greek church. From this point, the hiftory 

 of Ruffta becomes more luminous : for, 

 the doctrine of Oriftianity, the ui> of writing 

 was introduced among this people. From Wo- 

 lodimir or Bafil, to Bafil V. during 546 years, 

 that is, from 988 to 1534, we find a luccefii^n 

 of thirty-five fovereigns, who reigned in Rufiia 

 under the title of Great Dukes. John IV. or 

 I wan Bafilowir.z, the fon and fuc\ 

 Bafil, took the title of Tzar, or Czar, which his 

 fucceflbrs have continued to bear, and which, in 

 the Sclavonian -tongue, properly fignifies a king. 

 He aUb joined to Us titles that ot Povelitcla and 

 Samodertza, confervator or Ibvereign of all the 

 Ruffias. Foreigners call this prince the Tyiant, 

 but the Ruffians name him the Severe. He had 

 fix fuccefibrs, who contented themlelves with 

 the title of czar, till the year 1613, when Michael 

 Fedorowitz, of the hnufcof I' va, moi:: 



:hrone, and took the title of cz.:r, emperor, 

 and autocrator (or fovc reign conlcrvator) of all 

 Kuflias. This title of emperor is no longer 

 ilcd \\itli thric powerful mc-narchs. 1 

 JMichacl Fcderowitz there \vcre three < 



rf 



