Russian empire. He reigned forty-three years, suppressed the
liberties of many independent regions, annexed states, checked the
Mongols, married a Byzantine princess, and so brought Greek culture
into Moscow. Ivan III. bequeathed his throne to a son Basil, who
made further addition to the dominions of Muscovy, and treated with
foreign princes. Herberstein, an ambassador to him from Germany,
has left a description of his court. Then followed the reign of
Basil's son Ivan IV., Ivan the Terrible, who was, when his father
died, a child of three years old. He was at first, from 1533 to
1538, under the care of his mother, Helen Glinska, a Pole. In 1543,
when a boy of thirteen, he broke loose from the tutelage of chiefs,
and caused one of them who had most worried him to be torn to pieces
by dogs. In 1547, at the age of seventeen, he was crowned, and took
the title of Czar (Caesar). He married a good wife, submitted to
the guidance of a good priest, Silvester, revised his grandfather's
code of laws, issued a code for the Church, conquered enemies upon
his borders, had desires towards the civilisation of the West, and
did nothing to earn his name of "the Terrible" before the year 1558,
five years after the setting out of Willoughby and Chancellor. His
cruelties continued from 1558 until his death, in 1584.

H. M.



THE NEW NAVIGATION AND DISCOVERY OF THE KINGDOM OF MUSCOVY
By the North-East in the year 1553: Enterprised by SIR HUGH
WILLOUGHBIE, KNIGHT, performed by RICHARD CHANCELER, Pilot-major of
the voyage. Translated out of the Latin into English.