had been chosen by Basmanov for this particular mission.

The news heartened Boris. At last he could denounce the impostor
in proper terms, and denounce him he did. He sent an envoy to
Sigismund III. to proclaim the fellow's true identity, and to
demand his expulsion from the Kingdom of Poland; and his
denunciation was supported by a solemn excommunication pronounced
by the Patriarch of Moscow against the unfrocked monk, Grishka
Otrepiev, who now falsely called himself Demetrius Ivanovitch.

But the denunciation did not carry the conviction that Boris
expected. It was reported that the Tsarevitch was a courtly,
accomplished man, speaking Polish and Latin, as well as Russian,
skilled in horsemanship and in the use of arms, and it was asked
how an unfrocked monk had come by these accomplishments.
Moreover, although Boris, fore-warned, had prevented the Tsarina
Maria from supporting the pretender out of motives of revenge, he
had forgotten her two brothers; he had not foreseen that,
actuated by the same motives, they might do that which he had
prevented her from doing. This was what occurred. The brothers
Nagoy repaired to Cracow publicly to acknowledge Demetrius their
nephew, and to enrol themselves under his banner.

Against this Boris realized that mere words were useless. The
sword of Nemesis was drawn indeed. His sins had found him out.
Nothing remained him but to arm and go forth to meet the
impostor, who was advancing upon Moscow with a great host of
Poles and Cossacks.

He appraised the support of the Nagoys at its right value. They,