Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Pages ...
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
654 COXE’S TRAVELS IN RUSSIA.
But while they thus fhook off the yoke of a diftant lord, they were unable to main
tain their authority over their own fubjeéts. Although the fucceffion continued in the
fame family ; yet, as the Dukes were elected by the inhabitants, they gradually bar-
tered, as the price of their nomination, all their moft valuable prerogatives. ‘They were
alfo fo frequently depofed, that, for near two centuries, the lilt of the Dukes refembles
more a calendar of annual magiftrates, than a regular line of hereditary Princes; and,
in effect, Novogorod was a republic under the jurildiction of a nominal Sovereign. The
privileges enjoyed by the inhabitants, however unfavourable to the power of the Dukes,
proved extremely beneficial to the real interefts of the town: it became the gveat mart
of trade between Ruflia and the Hanfeatic cities, and made rapid advances in opulence
and population. _ At this period its dominions were fo extenfive *, its power fo great,
and its fituation fo impregnable, as to give rife to a proverb, “* Who can refift the Gods
and Great Novogorod ¢ ?”
It continued in this flourifhing ftate until the middle of the fifteenth century, when
the Great Dukes of Ruffia, who flill retained the title of Dukes of Novogorod, having
transferred their refidence from Kiof to Volodimir, and afterwards to Mofcow, laid claim
to its feudal fovereignty; a demand which the inhabitants fometimes evaded by compo-
fition, fometimes by refiftance, but were fometimes compelled to acknowledge. At
length, in 1471, Ivan Vaffilievitch 1. having fecured his dominions againft the inroads of
the Tartars, and extended his empire by the conqueft of the neighbouring principalities,
afferted his right to the fovereignty of Novogorod, and enforeed his pretenfions by a
formidable army. He vanquithed the troops of the republic, and having forced the
citizens to acknowledge his claims, appointed a governor, who was permitted to refide
in the town, and exercife the authority formerly vefted in their own Dukes{. This
power, however, being exceedingly limited, left them in the entire pofleffion of their
moft valuable immunities: they retained their own laws, chofe their own magiftrates,
and the governor never interfered in public affairs, except by appeal.
Ivan, by m0 means contented with this limited fpecies of government, watched a fa-
vourable opportunity of extending his authority, and, in 1477, laid fiege to the town.
His defigns being abetted by internal feuds, the inhabitants were conftrained to fubfcribe
to the conditions impofed by the haughty conqueror. ‘The gates were thrown open ;
the Great Duke entered the place in the character of Sovereign, and the people, ten-
dering the oath of allegiance, delivered into his hands the charter of their liberties, which
unanimity would ftill have preferved inviolate. One circumftance, recorded by hifto-
rians as a proof of unconditional fubjection, was the removal of an enormous bell from
Novogorod to Mofcow, denominated by the inhabitants eerna/, and revered as the palal-
dium of their liberty and the fymbol of their privileges. It was fufpended in the market-
place; the facred found drew the people inftantly from the moft remote parts, and
tolled the fignal of foreign danger or inteftine tumult. The Great Duke peremptorily
demanded this object of: public veneration, which he called “ The /arum of {edition ;? -
and the inhabitants confidered its furrender as the fure prelude of departing liberty.
From this period the Great Duke became in effect abfolute Sovereign of Novogorod,
although the oftenfible forms of government were {till preferved: to enfure the obedi-
ence of his new fubjeéts, he tranfplanted above a thoufand of the principal citizens to
* Its territory extended to the north as far as the frontiers of Livon‘a and Finland, and comprifed great
part of the province of Archangel, and a large diftriG beyond the north wettern limiis of Siberia.
+ Quis contra Deos et Magnam Novogardiam ?
+ The government was fimilar to that of the German republics, who acknowledge the Emperor as their
lieye-lord, but are under the jurifdi€tion of their own magiitrates,
Mofcow,
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
