Produced by Emmy, Juliet Sutherland, Music transcribed by June Troyer and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net [Transcriber's Note: Bold text is surrounded by =equal signs= and italic text is surrounded by _underscores_.] THE CHAUTAUQUAN. _A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE PROMOTION OF TRUE CULTURE. ORGAN OF THE CHAUTAUQUA LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC CIRCLE._ VOL. III. MAY, 1883. NO. 8. Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle. _President_, Lewis Miller, Akron, Ohio. _Superintendent of Instruction_, J. H. Vincent, D. D., Plainfield, N. J. _General Secretary_, Albert M. Martin, Pittsburgh, Pa. _Office Secretary_, Miss Kate F. Kimball, Plainfield, N. J. _Counselors_, Lyman Abbott, D. D.; J. M. Gibson, D. D.; Bishop H. W. Warren, D. D.; W. C. Wilkinson, D. D. REQUIRED READING FOR THE _Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle for 1882-83_. MAY. HISTORY OF RUSSIA. By MRS. MARY S. ROBINSON. _CHAPTER X._ ALEXANDER NEVSKI—MIKHAIL OF TVER. We have seen that Mstislaf the Brave defied the tyranny of Andreï Bogoliubski, in his attempt to intimidate Novgorod the Great.[A] When Vsevolod, surnamed Big Nest, by reason of his large family, would force the city to his will, Mstislaf again came to its rescue; and when Iaroslaf of the Big Nest family, continuing the feud, betook himself to Torjok near the Volga, where he obstructed the passage of the merchants and brought famine upon the great city, Mstislaf the Bold, of Smolensk, son of the Brave, left his powerful capital, one of the strongest of Russia’s fortified cities, and went to the help of the distressed people. “Torjok shall not hold herself higher than the Lord Novgorod,” he swore in princely fashion, “I will deliver his lands, or leave my bones for his people to bury.” Thus he became champion and prince of the Republic. Between Iaroslaf and his brothers Iuri of Vladimir, and Konstantin of Rostof ensued one of the family wrangles common to the times, that was settled on the field of Lipetsk (1216), where Konstantin allied with Mstislaf won his cause, and Iaroslaf was compelled to renounce both his claims and his captives. When the bold Mstislaf had put the affairs of the principality in order, he took formal leave of the _vetché_, assembled in the court of Iaroslaf, and resisting their entreaties to abide with them, went as we have seen to the aid of Daniel of Galitsch.[B] But according to his wish he was buried beside his father, the Brave, who, when at the height of his greatness was borne down with disease, commanded that he should be carried to Saint Sophia in Novgorod, received there the eucharist amid the congregated citizens, crossed his once mighty arms upon his breast, and closed his eyes forever upon the scenes that had witnessed his achievements. In the cathedral lie the two warriors in mute company, with the consort of Iaroslaf the Great, his son Vladimir, who