Bii?K fr'v^ous aufterities; but employed great part of his re~
— ,— étirement in compiling a regular feries of Ruffian annalifts
from Neftor, the earlieft hiftorian of this country, to the
reign o f Alexèy Michaelovitch. He purfued this plan with
the fame zeal which had diftinguiffied all his other purfuits.
He compared and collated the numerous manufcripts, and,
after the moft diligent examination, he digefted the whole
colledtion in chronological order into a work, which is called
fometimes, from its author, the Chronicle of Nicon ; and
lometimes, from the place where it was begun and depofited,
the Chronicle of the Convent of Jerufalem. This compilation,
the labour of twenty years, isjuftly efteemed, by the
beft Ruffian hiftorians, as a work of the greateft ufe and
authority; and was confidered by its venerable author of
fuch importance to the hittory of his country,, that, in the
true fpirit of enthufiafm, he begins the performance by
anathematizing all thofe who fhould attempt to alter the
minuteft expreffion.
The innocent manner, however, in which he feems to
have paffed his time could not protect him from the further
perfecutions of his enemies, who were apprehenfive, that
while he retained the name of patriarch he might be rein-
ftated in his former dignity. Repeated complaints were
lodged againft him ; every difturbance, occgiioned by the
old believers, was made a matter of ferimis açcufation ; not
only his former conduit was difcuffed and arraigned, but
new crimes were invented to render him ftill more obnoxious..
He was accufed of writing to the patriarch of Conftanti-
nople in a difrefpeitful manner againft the tzar, of holding
a treafonable correfpondence with the king of Poland, and
of receiving bribes from the fame monarch.
The
The tzar, continually befet by the patriarch’s enemies, wais c h a p .
prevailed upon to proceed to the moft violent extremities ■ ^
againft him. With this view he convened, in 1666, a
general council of the Greek and Ruffian clergy at Mofcow,
who, after a fhort deliberation, formally depofed Nicon from
the patriarchal fee, and banifhed him to a diftant convent.
The principal caufe affigned for this depofition was, that
Nicon, having by his voluntary abdication meanly deferted
his flock, was unworthy to fill the patriarchal feat; a fuffi-
cient proof that the other crimes were malicioufly imputed
to him, circulated merely to prejudice the tzar, and to influence
the judges againft him: for i f he had been,
found guilty of a treafonable correfpondence, that alone
would have been a much better plea for his depofition and
imprifonment, than a trifling charge drawn from his volun_
tary abdication..
In conformity to his fentence, Nicon was degraded to the •
condition of a common monk, and imprifoned in the convent
of Therapont, in the government of :Bielozero. His -
confinement -was forfome time extremely rigorous,ffiecaufe,
eonfcious of his own integrity, he perfifted in a denial of
guilt, and refufed to accept a pardon for crimes which he -
had never committed. Upon the death of Alexey in i 676, .
Eeodor, probably at the mitigation o f . his -prime-minifter «
prince Galitzin,. the,patron and friend o f rgenius, permitted :
Nicon to remove to the convent of :St. .Cyril in the fame
government, where he enjoyed the=moft perfedt liberty.
Nicon furvived his depofition fifteen years. In 168 i s
he requefted and obtained, permiffion to return to the com, -
vent of Jerufalem, that he might end his; days in that fa- -
vourite fpot p.but, he.expired upon the road.near .Yaroilaf, .
m'!