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

fore by the Greek brothers Cyril and Mcthodius.
Tho foci whence Christianity radiated over the
country wero inconsistencies; to these we owo tho
annals which reveal the beginnings OF Russian
history. The oldest Of those records 10 by Nos-
tor. who sets down the events which took place
between $50 and ITO; of tho Inst forty years
he speaks as AN eyewitness. 1t 10 to DO noted
that Nestor's narrative is writton In Russian,
preceding by II century tho first chronicle
in Fronch. that OF villehardouin, who died
in 1918; tho FIRST annals IN Italian belong to the
years 1247-l2GS. and ono OF the earliest chroni-
cles In German dates from the fourteenth cen
tury. Annals contemporary with Ncstor's worc
pcnned only in two languages, namely: Greek,
for the eastern empire. and Latin for tho rest Of
Europe. Prince Serge Wolkonsky tolls us that
so powerful is the impression made by the sim.
plicity and majesty OF Nestor's LANGUAGE,
joined with the absence OF literary effort and
of a personal element In his narrative. that n
few quotations from 1t, introduced in n page Of
modern Russian text, communicate a peculiar
dignity. According to ono Russian critic, the
style OF Nestor's annals could have arisen only
under the influence OF a close acquaintance with
tho Bible.
There was not only an historical and an &C.
; clesiastical literature in tho ante.Mongolian
period, but there was a development OF epic
poetry. The songs. however, were not com.
mitted to writing. much less to print, until q
comparatively recent period, whom they still
fingered on the lips Of the common people. Tho
writing down Of Russian epic poetry began. in.
decd. In the last century, but It had, at 6rst. no
great result: hardly more than twenty years
ago, however, q few jealous investigators dis
covered In tho northern provinces almost mex
haustible treasures of narrative verse. In the
course OF forty.eight days ono Hilferdine came
across seventy peasant singers, and wrote down
, moro than three hundred songs. This was in
the province Of Olonets, far in the north Of
Russia, while in tho province Of Kiev. In the
land of their birth, not one has been gathered.
1t is probable, as Prince Serge suggests,
that this migration Of the national poetry was
due to the political struggles which for so many
centuries were to torment Kiev and Moscow.
The most remarkable surviving example Of Rus.
sian epic poetry IN the ante-Mongolian period is
Tho Word About lgor's Fights which relates
the story of an unsuccessful expedition OF Prince
Igor in 11s5 against the Polovtsy. one of the
nomadic tribes necessarily menacinR the Rus.
SLAMS from the East. We are told that six and
a half centuries before Gogol dashed off his pic.
lures Of the South Russian steppes, the author
Of "Th Word About 1gor's Fights makes ono
feel their beauty. Wonderful. says Prince
Serge, are the descriptions Of the p~rairies, the
camp OF the nomads, the noise OF the grass when
the tents are moved. the creaking Of the wheels
like the noise of the swans wings. This poem
was discovered in 1898; the original. a manu-
script Of the fourteenth century, persisted in the
great fire at Moscow at the time Of Napoleon's
invasion. There 10 a consensus among Russian
critics that this epic Is but o fragment Of O whole
cycle Of military epopees.
HI.
The political power in the days before tho Tar
for domination UNA rAnraaant,t 10 t-,o IL.
ments. the socalled "veche,' which was the
peoples assembly. and the Prince. Their re-
spective relations were not sharply defined.
Much depended upon the personal character Of
the Prince; IL the latter was strong he controlled
the veche; II he was weak he was subordinated,
and often deprived Of power altogether. The
assembly had no regular organization; people
were called together by the ringing OF the church
bell; gathered on the public place. they decided
upon questions Of war and peace; there was no.
definite procedure. and discuss'cn often brought
on fsticuffs. In two towns. however. Novgorod
and Tskoff. the veche had grown into quite an
Independent political power. Under the depress-
ing influence of tho Tartar yoke the veche
gradually lost its Significance and died away
with the increasing absorption OF the minor
princedoms by Moscow. With regard to the
princes. 1t should be observed that, toward the
middle of the eleventh century, the descendants
Of Rurik had become humorous; each member of
the ruling family had his own apanaged princi.
pality, but the minor princes were seldom
satisfied, and 1t was a hard task for the
Grand Duke OF Kiev to keep them in order.
The situation became complicated In conse-
quence of the order of succession to the grand.
ducal throne. This did not pass to the eldest
son. but to the eldest member Of the family, gen.
orally. TO the late Grand Dukes brother, and
only after all the brothers had ruled came the
turn OF the eldest son. To this order Of sue
ccssion, by which uncles had precedence over
nephews, Is ascribed much OF the turbulent
activity of the so-called period of apanages."
1t is certain that only a few Grand Dukes
OF Kiev succeeded. through imposing thcir
authority upon the members OF their family,
In securing for the country intervals of
relative tranquility. Among these were Var.
oslav the Wise and Vladimir Monomah.
With the name of Yaroslav is connected
the first Russian attempt at juridical codihca-
tion. The features OF early Russian law are out
lined by Prince Serge Wolkonsky. In spirit, it
EXHIBITS a remarkable agreement with the
Frank and Anglo-Saxon laws. A pecuniary fine
Ia the punishment for all offences against the
person, even for murder. The lawgiver seems
to say: do whatever you like. but here is the
tariff Like tho ancient Swedish laws, the
Code OF Yaroslav legalized the so-called - blood
- hsN ah hoouoGll hiuy
be killed by the relatives of his victim. This
was abolished. however,. under Yaroslav's
children. Civil law and criminal law are
not clearly differentiated. yet o faint In.
dication OF a distinction can DO traced
In q few cases whore the crime Is punished with
a double fine. ono part going to tho sufferer in
compensation for his loss. the other part to the
Prince as satisfaction for the offence against
abstract morality. Property seems TO have had
q stronger guarantee than life. Rules for pecu-
mary transactions. commercial partnerships,
rights and oruer OF succession are firmly estab-
lished. Tho theft OF q horse is punished with
the loss of all rights. property. and liberty. An
Interesting precaution was taken TO assure tho
safety OF foreigners soJourning in the country.
To prove tho commission of crime against
a native. two witnesses were sufficient,
but no less than seven were required
when the accused person was a foreigner
or a Varegue. The privileged position accorded
to the Vareguo is compared by Prince Serge
to the Salic law, whereby the life of a Frank
was taxed the double OF q Gallo Romans life.
w