Igor’s sons crossed the Galitch boundary, but halted when they found
that the king was leading in a strong army. At this juncture, affairs
suddenly called Andrei back to Hungary. Such disturbances had broken
out there that he feared for his throne. In view of this, he sought
peace with the Poles, pointing out to them that he did not seek Galitch
for himself, and did not insist now on setting up Roman’s children. He
advised Galitch men to invite Yaroslav, son of Big Nest, to be their
prince.
Abandoned by Andrei and all the Hungarians, the men of Galitch were
terrified by the advance of Rurik and the Chernigoff forces. Yaroslav
was hastening to them from Pereyaslavl, but the sons of Igor
anticipated him, for they were present in the Chernigoff army. Owing to
the ancient ties between Novgorod-Seversk and the family of Eight
Minds, but, more than that, owing to the triumph at that juncture of
those boyars who preferred the sons of Igor to all other princes, they
established themselves in Galitch. Such a quick turn toward Oleg’s
descendants put an end to the whole expedition.
Chermny, satisfied with the success of his line, withdrew from his
connection with Rurik and the quarreling allies returned to their
homes. But it was not enough that the sons of Igor were in Galitch. The
boyars who had seated them did not wish to lose Volynia, and commanded
these princes, who were now in their power, to get possession of that
city, and expel the sons of Roman. The sons of Igor immediately sent
envoys to Volynia to demand the surrender of the city. The people were
so enraged by this demand that they wished to tear the envoys to
pieces. But in Volynia, too, there were boyars who sided with the sons
of Igor, hence the disposition of the capital was mutinous. The widowed
princess, on learning that the sons of Igor had threatened to destroy
Volynia if Roman’s sons, Daniel and Vassilko, were not given up to
them, and that the city contained not a few partisans of those princes,
counseled with Miroslav, her elder son’s tutor, and resolved to flee
promptly.
Avoiding the city gates, where the guards might be hostile, the
princess crept through a hole in the wall during night hours. With her
were three persons, Miroslav, a priest, and a nurse who cared for the
little princes. “Not knowing to what place they should flee,” adds the
chronicler, “since the Poles had murdered Roman.” But being related to
Leshko, the widow decided to appear before him, and ask refuge. Leshko
was moved when he saw the little orphans of the man who had been both
his friend and opponent. “The devil himself made us disagree in those
days,” cried he. Leshko had in fact loved Roman; but the crafty Cane
Legs, for purposes of his own, had brought about the quarrel.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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