EE teen Sy te re 
yaa) 
a ase 
~. 
a ABS st, 
ho Be BS. 
a ae ee 
706 
for the®Posadniks are cunning men, they 
wish to put you to the trial.” 
The Posadniks received him at the 
bottom of the stair-case of the Town- 
House, and accompanied him to the 
great hall. Wien arrived there, they 
wished to give him the place of honour ; 
but Basil thanked them, and seated lim- 
self at the bottom. On this the magi- 
strates, taking him under the arms, con- 
ducted him to the top of the tabie. 
At first the prince behaved with prus 
dence and modesty: at length however 
the wily Posadaiks having presented to 
him a goblet of wine, with these words, 
“het Aine empty this cup who loves 
the country of the Russians and great 
Novogorod !’ he could not refuse drinking 
its contents. The liquor’ soon began 
to operate, and the intoxicated Basil irri- 
tated the Posadniks by claiming homage 
and tribute to as their sovereign lord. 
A quarrel ensues; Basil retires to the 
castle ; the princess solicits forgiveness 
for the rashness of her son, but in vain— 
she is insulted with the appellation of | 
“an old woman.’ The magistrates as- 
semble the citizens, and attack the 
castle; Basil, aroused from his drunken 
slumber, seizes a large piece of timber, 
with which he puts the assailants to the 
rout. The Posadniks, finding every other 
means ineffectual to stop the dreadful 
carnage, Or appease the wrath of the 
young hero, agree to draw up an instru- 
mnent in writing, by which they resign 
their authority and subinit the city and 
territory of Novogorod to his willand plea= 
sure. They then request the intercession 
of his two companions, who, holding 
up the deed of resignation, exclaimed, 
“ Health to thee, Basil, son of Bogus- 
Jas, Prince of Novogorod, and Sovereign 
of Russia! The Posadniks have thrown 
‘ themselves at thy feet—themselves, their - 
city, and the whole of the adjoining ter- 
ritory, appertain to thee; thou art the 
absolute sovereign of Novogorod, and all 
its dependencies—-behold the act of sub- 
mission, and cease from slaughter, for 
thou art massacreing thy own subjects !” 
On this the young prince arrests his 
dreadful vengeance, and gives rest to his 
vigorous arm. He receives the instru- 
ment trom the Posadniks, and promises 
to them, and to all, pardonand indemnity. 
They then return to the city, singing 
and dancing, and Basil reigns: over 
WNovogorod. . His reign was fortunate ; 
comnierce began to raise her droop- 
ing head, and industry of all kinds 
flourished. 
Retrospect of French Literature —M wscellanies. 
The repose and: happiness 
of the people were never once disturbed 
either by civil dissensions, or by foreign 
wars; for all the world feared Basil, son 
of Boguslas, and his brothers in arms, 
Formuschka the Big, and Bogdanuschka 
the Little! 
* Geographie Phisique de la Mer 
Noire,” &c.—-The Physical Geography 
of the Black Sea, the Interior of Africa, 
and the Mediterranean, By A. Dourgau 
de Lamatre, Jun. » 
- The labours of Lamalle have obtained 
the sanction and the praise of the French 
Institute ; and he himself, treading in the 
same steps of Buffon, has aspired to the 
character not only of an original writer, 
but an able constructor of theories, cal- 
culated to explain the most abstruse 
phenomena of nature. This work is-ac- 
companied and illustrated by two maps, 
drawn by Buache, representing, 
1. The changes that have taken place 
in the inland seas, viz. the Caspian, the 
nee Sea, and the: Sea of Azof. 
2. A geographical exhibition of the 
ister parts of Africa, with which we 
are yet bat little acquainted ; ; and, 
3. The routes by which the Greek and 
Roman conquerors marched during the 
most memorable expeditions recorded in 
history. 
To enable him to enter on eee 
deep investigations, much previous study — 
as well as research became necessa- 
ry. He accordingly begins with Hero- 
dotus, and quotes other authorities in 
order to prove that at an early period of 
the world the Sea of Azof was far larger 
than at the present day; nay, that during 
the time of the.Antomines, it was but one 
half of its original. size. 
comparing the maps of Ptolemy and 
Pallas, he finds the diminution to be at 
this moment wonderful. abit 
But this is not peculiar to the lake or 
sea of Azof, for the Black Sea has ex- 
perienced a ‘similar change. 
A reference to Herodotus proves that it 
has decreased amazingly in length, and 
‘it seems pretty fairly made out that its 
breadth has been lessened in a still 
greater proportion. The loss of 100 
iniles since the time of Xerxes’ is a sin- 
gular phenomenon in an inland sea. In 
respect to the Caspian, its former figure 
and conformation are entirely lost. The 
Jazartes, which formerly flowed into 
it, now empties itself into lake Aral ; 
which has become a separate portion of 
water, and, foslowing 
be larger. 
After this, . 
the fate of the © 
