The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-05-18


not numerous; they are confined to terms sig
nifying articles OF clothing. and few other
names OF material objects. So far as
the infusion OF MonGol blood was con-
cerned. It did not affect the main body
Of tho great Russian people. and was
restricted to the Muscovte arstocracy.
Many OF the Russian princes contracted mar
risges with Mongol women, and some OF the
Murzes. or Tartar princes became connected
with the Russian boyars. Boris Godunoff. one
OF the most prominent noblos OF tho court OF
Ivan w. and afterward himself elected Gar
was OF Monaghan origin. We must boar in
mind however. that in minimizing the admix-
ture OF MonGol blood we have reference only
to the Great Russians, occupying the central
region. There are much stronger traces OF
Mongol intermixture In the Malo-Russians
or Little Russians. who inhabit tho southwest
ern part OF the empire. and who number about
100000. To them the well-known proverb
about the simultaneous existence OF MonRol
traits Is decidedly more applicable
| III.
In the way OF incidental reference we learn
q good deal about the Russian ofIshoot OF the
Greek Church. though we should have pre-
ferred to see the subject consecutivey treated
| In q separate chapter. 1t Is well known that
several fruitless efforts were made to bring the
|
fold and these efforts were encouraged by the
spread Of Catholicism in Little Russia, most
| OF which was long included In the Polish
! dominious. Isidore, the Muscovite Metropolis
| tan, was persuaded to accept the short-lived
| reconciliation between the Orthodox and Latin
Churches effected by the Council OF Florence in
1888. He was made Cardinal. and returned
to Russia. IN the scarlet gown OF his new ofIice;
but the people would not permit him to ofticiate
| In the cathedral. and the Gear. Basil, had him
| imprisoned In o monastery. The next Car.
| Ivan ILL.,. desired to marry Zoe niece of the
last Byzantine EMPEROR. who was living at
Rome. and who ostensibly was good Catho-
| lie The Pope. Sixtus w. approved of this
marriage. hoping by means OF it to unite the
Greek and Latin Churches. The BRIDE how
ever. who upon her marriage was called Sophia
seems to have changed her religion with her
name and the Pope's expectations we're I'M
fulfilled. Vigorous attempts were made In
the latter part OF the sixteenth century to con-
vert Ivan w. better known as Ivan the Ter
| rible) by the Jesuits. who had been exceedingly
successful in the Lithuanian possessions OF
Poland. But Ivan. like Henry VIII. defended
his own faith Justify against Jesuts on the one
hand and Pedestrians on the other. 1t was
Ivan who regulated the affairs OF the Russian
Church by the Stoglaff. or " Book OF u Hundred
Chapters" The aim Of this ecclesasticaI legis-
lation was to repress superstitious observ-
ances. and to set UP o higher standard for the
intellectual attainments and moral character
OF the clergy. Both the parish priests and
monks. however. long remained very ignorant.
In 1853 Ivan caused u printing press to be set
up at Moscow, but superstItious prejudice
proved too strong for the printers. who had
presently to betake themselves to vohynia.
q Polish province. where. in 1881. the first
Bible in the old Sclavonic language was
printed. There were no further attempts
at printing in Muscovy till the reign OF the Gear
Michael. about half a century later. The next
important event in the history OF the Russian
Church was the great revision OF the Bible.
carried out in the reign Of Alexis l645- 1876 by
Neon. the Patriarch who. observing that the
church books were full OF blunders caused by
ignorant copyists. procured number OF
Greek manuscripts from Mount Athos and
made them the basis OF anew translation. The
PRONUNCIATION. however. OF the revised Bible
caused great schism in the Russian Church,
a considerable section OF the people regarding
even tho errors OF tho old books with
superstitous veneration Thus arose the
so-called Raskolniks. or non-conformists,
Who Notwithstanding the severe persecu.
tons TO which they have often been
subjected now number upwards OF twelve
millions. For full account Of the Ras-
sects. the reader should turn to Mackenzie
Wallace or to Prince Kropotkine. The latter is
careful 10 point out that the Raskol, or great
schism Of the seventeenth century was 20
litical and social as well rs religious move
ment. 1t gathered under Its banner not only
those who accused the Patriarch Of Polish and
Latin tendencies, but also all those disposed
to revolt against serfdom. Capitalization, and
the suppression OF municipal life. 1t Is an in
I'LL,
Coakers. enjoy. as a rule. q greater degree OF
prosperity than their orthodox neiRhbors
and aio noted for truthfulness and honesty
In business and the ordinary conduct of
life, virtues which by no means char
acterize the orthodox Russian. The last note
worthy Incidents In the story OF the national
church took place In the reign OF Peter the
Great who abolished the patrlarchate which
had been established at Moscow since 1883.
The office OF Patriarch WINS now merged in that
OF metropolitan OF Moscow. and the ecclesas-
tics we're divided-a division that still exists
into the white clergy, or parish priests and the
black clergy, or monks. Peter the Great also
Gonceived the purpose Of placing the ecclesas-
teal revenues under the control OF the State
but the plan was not carried out until tho time
of Catherine ii.
Nv.
'i9 SouiiuohiS 'ahen ioi glauteu tno' 'Ho au-
tocratic power. now exercised by the house Of
Romanof, always belonged to Russian SOW
ereigns. The old Grand Dukes or Cars Of
MuscoVy were undoubtedly absolute monarchs
but 1t seems to have been due TO accident that
their power did not In the seventeenth CEN
tury. fall into the hands of land holding oil
Rarchy as was the case In the neigh boring
Sclavonic kingdom OF Poland. On the death OF
Feodore 1.-THE son OF Ivan W. in 1898, the long
line of Muscovite Princes came to an end.
One OF the Boyars. Boris GodunofI. was elected
by his follow nobies TO succeed him. The cir
cumstHnces were favorable to tho institution
OF constitutional limitations upon the
royal authority. and although 1t was