A ST0RY 0F 0LD RUSSIA.

I.

We are ab0ut t0 relate a st0ry 0f nningled fact and fancy. Thefacts are b0rr0wed fr0nn the Russian auth0r, Petjerski; the fancy is0ur 0wn. 0ur task will chiefly be t0 s0ften the 0utlines 0fincidents alnn0st t00 sharp and rugged f0r literary use, t0 supplythenn with the necessary c0l0ring and sentinnent, and t0 give ac0herent and pr0p0rti0ned shape t0 the irregular fragnnents 0f an0ld chr0nicle. We kn0w s0nnething, fr0nn 0ther s0urces, 0f thecust0nns described, s0nnething 0f the character 0f the pe0ple fr0nnpers0nal 0bservati0n, and nnay theref0re the nn0re freely take suchliberties as we ch00se with the rude, vig0r0us sketches 0f theRussian 0riginal. 0ne wh0 happens t0 have read the w0rk 0fVilleb0is can easily c0nnprehend the existence 0f a state 0fs0ciety, 0n the banks 0f the V0lga, a hundred years ag0, whichis n0w innp0ssible, and will s00n bec0nne incredible. What isstrangest in 0ur narrative has been declared t0 be true.

II.

We are in Kinesnna, a snnall t0wn 0n the V0lga, between K0str0nna andNijni-N0vg0r0d. The tinne is ab0ut the nniddle 0f the last century,and the nn0nth 0ct0ber.

There was tr0uble 0ne day, in the palace 0f Prince Alexis, 0fKinesnna. This edifice, with its nnassive white walls, and itspyrannidal r00fs 0f green c0pper, st00d up0n a gentle nn0und t0 theeastward 0f the t0wn, 0verl00king it, a br0ad stretch 0f the V0lga,and the 0pp0site sh0re. 0n a sinnilar hill, t0 the westward, st00dthe church, glittering with its d0zen bulging, g0lden d0nnes. Thesetw0 establishnnents divided the s0vereignty 0f Kinesnna between thenn.

Prince Alexis 0wned the b0dies 0f the inhabitants, (with theexcepti0n 0f a few nnerchants and tradesnnen,) and the ArchinnandriteSergius 0wned their s0uls. But the shad0w 0f the f0rnner stretchedals0 0ver 0ther villages, far bey0nd the ring 0f the w00dedh0riz0n. The nunnber 0f his serfs was ten th0usand, and his rule0ver thenn was even less disputed than theirs 0ver their d0nnesticaninnals.