J300K fjgnai of foreign danger or inteftine tumult. The great-
, iy~ , duke peremptorily demanded this objedf of the publick veneration,
which he called “ ïb e larum of J'edition and the
inhabitants confidered its furrender as the fure prelude of
departing liberty *.
From this period the great-duke became in effeit abfolute
fovereign of Novogorod, although the oftenfible forms of its
government were flill preferved ; in order to enfure the
obedience of his new fubjedts, he tranfpianted at once above
a thoufand of the principal citizens to Mofcow and other
towns, and fecured the Kremlin, in which he generally.re-
flded when he came to Novogorod, with ftrong walls of
brick. Notwithftanding the defpotifm to which the inhabitants
were fubjeit, and the oppreffion which they experienced
from Ivan and his fucceffors, yet Novogorod ftill continued
the' largeft and molt commercial city in all Ruffia,
as will evidently appear from the following defcription of
Richard Chanceler, who paffed through it in 15 54 in his
way to Mofcow. “ Next unto Mofcow, the city of Novo-
“ gorode is reputed the chiefeft of Ruffia ; for although it
u be in majeftie inferior to it, yet in greatneffe it goeth be-
“ yond it. It is the chiefeft and greateft marte towne of all
“ Mofcovie ; and albeit the emperor’s feate is not there, but
“■ at Mofco, yet the commodioufnefle of the river, falling.
« into that gulfe which is called Sinus Finnicus, whereby it
u is well frequented by merchants, makes it more famous-
“ than Mofco itfelf t.”
* “ Devenue fujette,” ' fays L ’Evefque ** ville importante : tant le fouffle du pou-
with great fpirit, “ elle va chaque jour per- “ voir arbitraire^eft brûlant &, deftru&eur/9
“ dre de fon domaine, de fa population, de Hiftoire de Ruffie, Tom. II. p ..3.2-7.-
fon commerce, de fes richefles, &, dans -j* Hackluyt, vol. I. p. 251.-
“ moins d’un- fiéclé,.à peine fcra-t-elîe une
An-
An idea of its populoufnefs, during this period, when chap.
compared with its prefent declined ftate, is manifeft from
the fail, that in 1508 above 15,000 perfons died o f an
epidemical diforder * ; more than double the number of
its prefent inhabitants. In its molt flouriihing condition
it contained at leaft 400,000 fouls+. Under the reign of
Ivan Vaffilievitch II. the profperity of Novogorod experienced
a moft fatal downfall, from which it never recovered 1
that monarch having, in. 1570, dilcovered a fecret corre-
fpondence between fome of the principal inhabitants and
Sigiimond Auguftus king o f Poland, relative to a furrender
of the city into his hands, inflicted the moft exemplary
and inhuman vengeance upon them. He repaired in per-
fon to Novogorod, and appointed a court of inquiry, juftly
denominated the tribunal o f blood. Contemporary hiftorians
relate, that its proceedings continued during the fpace of
five weeks; and that on each day of this fatal period more
than 500 inhabitants fell vidtims to the vengeance of in-
cenfed defpotifm. According to fome authors, 25,000,
according to others, more than 30,000 perfons periffied in
this dreadful carnage. Thofe writers, who were the tzar’s
enemies, have probably exaggerated the number of thefe
executions ; and it is but juftice to add, that fome | circum-
ftances in their relations are proved to be unqueftionably
* 8' R- C- Tol.'V.,p. 494. “ & Pon y pi-ecipitait. lee cicoyens par cent
It now contains fcarcely 7000. “ taines.” Hid. de Rnffie II. p. 482.
+ foreign and Ruffian authors relate Other hiftorians relate, that he afiembled
that many o f the condemned were thrown in one i'pot the principal inhabitants o f the
from the bridge into the river, and that town, that he rode amongft them accom-
perfons were p laced in boats, who prevented panied by hiafoh, and pierced the u n fo r tu -
them from efcapin g by. fwimming, but they nate viftims o f his fury with his own hands
do not cpnfider that this fa£l is faid to have until, fatigued with the maffacre, he ordered
palled in winter, when the rivers in Ruffia his guards to complete the butchery. But
itre all frozen. L ’Evefque foftens this a.c~ fu.ch ex ag g era ted accounts do not deferve
count, but without iuffieient authority, by much credit.
“ II fit ouvrir les glaces du Volkhofj