book title o f great-dukes. From that rivalry,, which ufually fub<*
>— 5_i lifts between contiguous ftates, the two nations were engaged;
in a feries of perpetual wars until 13,86, when the great-
duke Ladiflaus Jaghellon, having efpoufed Hedwige and
embraced the Chriftian religion, was raifed to the Polifh
throne, and reigned over both countries.
Ladiflaus foon became fo iincere a convert to the new religion,
which he at firit adopted from interefted views, that he
endeavoured to propagate its doCtrines among his idolatrous
fubjeCts-dn Lithuania. In fubferviency to this great work,
he ordered the hallowed.groves to be cut-down, the oracular
ihrine to be deftroyed, the facred fke to be extinguifhed, and
the ferpents worfhipped as Gods- by his fuperftitious fubjeCts
to be flain. A belief univerfally prevailed among the people,
that whoever profanely attempted to deftroy thefe objedts
of their worihip, would be itruck with inftantaneous death :
when the falfity o f this tradition was proved by the impunity
of thofe concerned in the fuppofed facrilege, the Lithuanians
flocked in fuch crouds to be converted, that the
priefts could only beftow feparate baptiftn on perfons o f dif-
tindtion ; but diftributed the multitude irLranks, and,.fprink-
ling them, with water, gave one chriftian- name to each rank
without diftinCtion of fex m Ladiflaus, having thus introduced
the Chriftian; religion into Lithuania, nominated his
brother Caftmir Skirgello governor of that duchy, and returned
to Poland ; but a civil war being excited by the
* “ J&gr& gens barbara* majorum fno- “ facro fonte tingere, nobiliorib'us tantum
“ rum religiones relinquebat. Sed cum “ hie honor habitus rr reliquum vero vulgu*
“ juffu regis facer ignis extin&us, templum “ turmatim diftributum, -a-ipft luftrali five
61 araque eius diruta & adytum, und'e ora- “ facra a facerdbtibus confperfum eft,unum-
“ cula a facerdote edebantur, everfum “ que nomen cuique turmse tam viroruitt
“ Vibias eflec, necatique ferpentes, & fuc- “ quam mulierum inditum.” Cromer*
14 eifi luci nulla cujufquam laifione,,,'&c. &c. p. *68#..
“ Std cum immenli laboris effet finguloa
ambition
ambition o f Alexander, furnamed Vitoldus, and by the dif- c h a p .
contents of the people, ftill attached to, -their Pagan rites, - / -
Lithuania was for fome time a fcene of tumult and.hoftility.
At length, by a compromife in 13 9 2 , V-itoldus.was appointed
great-duke, and Ladiflaus. contented himfelf with a refer-
vation of nominal fovereignty. .
In 1401 the nobles of ,Lithuania aflembled at Vilna, and"
entered upon an offenfi.ve and defenfi.ve alliance with the
king and republic of Poland..
In 14 13 it.was ftipulated, in a dierof-Poles and-Lithuanians
held in the town of, Ilrodlo, that, upon the demiie-
of Vitoldus, the Lithuanians ihould acknowledge no other
great-duke but the perfon, who was appointed, by the king,.,
and with .the. agreement of. the two-nations-; that, in
cafe Ladiflaus died without iffue, the Poles-ihould eleCt no -
king without the confent of Vitoldus and the Lithuanians ;
and that a diet, eompofed of r.ep,refentatives from both nations,;
Ihould meet whenever it was thought neceflaryy at Lublin-
or Parzow From the. demife of Vitoldus^ who expired
m 14 39 in the 80th year of his age, .the great-dukes were*
fometiines,, in conformity to. this compact, nominated by-,
the kings, o f Poland ; at other times, .in violation of it, by.
die Lithuanians-.. At length. Sigifmond I.-fortunately united ;
H his perfon the two fovereignties-, and was fucceeded in--
bothhy his fon.Sigifmond.Auguftus..
Hitherto the connection between the two nations- hath
been -more an alliance than an union; butSigifniond-Au-
guftus having no children* and being the only furviving-
male heir of the Jaghellon family, planned the union of-
Poland and Lithuania, left upon his deceafe the connection.
* - Dlugoffi.u8.Si Cromer....
ihould