It was only when firmly seated on the throne of Vladimir that Vsevolod found himself at enmity with the men of Novgorod, whom he could not forgive for receiving the Bezoki (Eyeless) with great kindness, and for having seated Mystislav, one of those brothers, in Novgorod, and the other, Yaropolk, in Nova-Torg. Mystislav died somewhat later, and they buried him in Saint Sophia, the Novgorod cathedral. They transferred Yaropolk then to their own city. Vsevolod seized at once every Novgorod merchant in the land of Vladimir. He stopped commerce between the two cities, and began war in earnest. This alarmed the Novgorod men greatly, and they showed Yaropolk the road leading out of their city. Though Vsevolod himself was satisfied with the banishment of Yaropolk, and was ready to raise his blockade, the war was continued by the people, the reason being that Vladimir and Tver men thought that it touched not only the honor of their prince, but still more their own profit. They wished to stop the encroachments of Lord Novgorod. Again they blamed Vsevolod for good nature; again they accused him of indecision. “The Novgorod men,” said they, “take oaths every day, but they break them continually. We are not here to kiss Novgorod warriors, but to stop their advance.” They took Nova-Torg then, bound every man in it capable of fighting, seized women and children, took all goods, burned the place, and sent the captives, tied with ropes, to Vladimir. Vsevolod moved now toward Nova-Torg, but before reaching the town, he decided that enough had been done to punish Novgorod, hence he retired to Vladimir. Soon after this the Novgorod people invited Mystislav the Brave, son of Rostislav, the Smolensk prince, to rule in Novgorod. Mystislav the Great was revered beyond all princes who had ever ruled, and Mystislav the Brave was his grandson. The young prince’s heart did not lean toward the city, however, and the more he thought over the matter, the more he resolved on refusal. But his brothers and his drujina began to urge him, and at last he yielded to their persuasion and went to Novgorod, where he was received by a procession and with great honor. He visited Holy Sophia and then sat on the throne of his father and his grandfather. The service Novgorod men prized most in their princes was the defense of the city against pagans,—the Chud, who swept in from the side of the Baltic. Pskoff and Novgorod borders suffered greatly at first from wild men, who had an unknown, boundless country behind them. These men had at last been defeated and tribute imposed on them. Among the tributes established was the bearing of goods and boats over portages. All at once, just before Mystislav’s coming, these men sent to bear goods became robbers. When the prince assumed power, he called together the best men of Novgorod, and said: “Brothers, let us free this Novgorod land of offenders.” With one voice they answered: “If it please God and thee, we are ready.”