The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-27

Dukes letter and sixty sable skins. On Juno 1,
in 81. Peters Oh lrch, the Princess Sophia was
betrothod By proxy to John ILL.,, ana
twenty.throe days later che left Rome
for Moscow via Lubbock, the Baltic
Sea, Reval. and Tskoff. She arrived Mt
her destination on Nov. 10, escorted by the
Pope's lcgate and the ambassador sent by her
two brothers. In the eyes OF John ILL.,, this mar
riage made him the Immediate successor OF the
Byzantine cmrorors; IL was with this idea In
mind that he adopted tho Byzantine double
headed eagle as the coat OF arms Of Russia. 1t
was at this time. too, that n system Of etiquette.
modelled for the most part on tho Byzantine core.
monlal. was introduced at tho Muscovite court
Tho fact 10 to be noted that, in his allocutlon
to tho Grand Duke, John III, on tho day OF his
browning the metropolitan called him GLORIOUS
Gar and Autocrnt." Prince Serge points
out that In our day we can scarcely comprc-
hcnd the deep significance which the word
a%utocrat, or solf-ruler, must thon have had for
Russian cara, pronounced as IL was for the first
timo by the head OF the national Church, and re-
sounding after two hundred years Of humiliat-
ing s"ubjnEation. 1t WIS tho solemn recognition
OF tho only forcc which had proved to have the
power OF rcconstituting the national unity, the
only principle which had stood firm amid the
instability Of the other elements Of national life.
Stress 10 also laid upon the fact that under
John ILL.,, the contemporary OF Edward Nv. or
England, were opened the chief questions which
have determined the subsequent historical de-
ve!opment OF Russia BY throwing off tho Tartar
yoke he inaugurated an aggressive policy
against Asia Henceforth. not only will Rus
sa suffer from no now incursions from the
cast. but she will avert tho possibility Of their
renewal by rendering herself mistress OF tho
regions whence lnvasions had como. Tho up
ahot nj thta On of tvn ri turning pnlirv which led
In 1882 to the annexation Of Siberia by John. or
Ivan tho Terrible, we have ourselves seen whom.
In 1891, tho first rails OF the great Trans-Sibcrian
line were laid by the present Emperor, Nicholas
H.. at that time heir to the throne, and when.
later, Russia interposed between Japan and
China. The question Of the rcincorporation Of
the old Russian provinces on the western from
tier was handed over by John III. to his pos
terity MS ono OF the most difficult problems of
the national history. Its solution. postponed
from time to time by a continuous widening Of
interests. led eventually to the Swedish wars OF
Peter the Great, the conquest Of tho Baltic shores,
the foundation OF st Petersburg, the forma-
ton of the Russian feet, the occupation Of
the creator part OF Poland and the annexation
OF Finland. 1t was likewise under John nj.
that relations with western Europe wero ro-
sumed. An embassy was exchanged with the
German Emperor. Frederick w., who asked for
the hand Of one OF Johns daughters for his son
Macmillan. What, queries the author In q
foot note, would have become Of European his
tory had Macmillan l. married a Russian prin-
cess instead OF Mary Of Burgundy or greater
practical consequence were the embassies ex-
changed with Italian States. especially with
Venice. The Muscovite Grand Duke. wishing to
adorn his capital with stone buildings. sent to
Venice for an architect. Fiorabanti, called
Aristotelcs, was delegated for the purpose by
tho Dogo Marcello, and from this time
dates the queer architecture which the author
Of these lectures describes as the petrifcation
OF the old Russian wooden buildings. The chief
cathedrals, the beautiful white walls. and all
the splendor OF the goldcn-headed " Kremlin,
date from this reign. An earlier and important
episode in Moscow's relations with Italy had
been the participation Of tho Metrop Titan Isl
dore in the Ecclesiastical Council convoked by
Pope Eugenius ". In 143s at Florence. While
the grand ducal throne of Muscovy was occu-
pied by john U!.'s father. Rasi! the Gloomy. tho
Byzantine Emperor. John Paleologus. had
hoped for a reconciliation OF the Greek
and Roman Churches. which would help
to strengthen him against the advance OF
the Ottoman forces; he went to Italy and be-
came a jealous promoter OF the council. The
sessions began in the autumn, first at st.
Georges Church. In Ferara; presently they we're
transferred TO the Church OF 81. Maria Novella,
at Florence. On July 6. 1880. the close OF the
council was celebrated with a pontiical mass.
1t Is well known that the council had no practi.
cal result. the Eastern Churt hes refusing to rat
iy the decision OF their representative who had
recognized the Pope's supremacy. The Metro
p~olitan. Isidore. returning to Moscow, was de-
clarod apostatc and had to fee. He died In
Rome. n cardinal.