Meanwhile, in Galitch and Volynia, affairs were very gloomy. At first
the Hungarian king, taking pity on Daniel, wished to give him the
dominions of his father, but the sons of Igor sent costly gifts to
Andrei, and ceased not in the sending, declaring at the same time that
they were ready to remain as his assistants. This was the position
which the boyars desired. Such subjection of Galitch pleased the king,
who kept Daniel near him, as if through hospitality. Leshko, by
sheltering Vassilko and his mother, under pretext of defending the
orphans and restoring their inheritance, managed in Volynia as he did
in his own house. At this work he was helped most zealously by
Alexander, better known as Bailski, Roman’s nephew, his brother’s son,
who wished to rule in Volynia, and set aside Roman’s sons if possible.
So the sons of Igor were protected by the King of Hungary, and Bailski
worked with Leshko to keep Volynia from the sons of Roman. Thanks to
Bailski, Leshko, and Konrad his brother, brought Polish forces to
Volynia and disposed of places in it, as if they were their own
inherited possessions. Some they gave to Russian princes who pleased
them; others they reserved for their own special use. The people of
Volynia, indignant at this Polish action, passed judgment on Bailski
“the traitor,” saying; “We trusted Bailski, since he was Roman’s
nephew. Had it not been for that, the Poles could never have crossed
the Būg to rob us.”
The Polish princes kept Bailski in Volynia, as the manager. Leshko
married Gremislav, Bailski’s daughter, and the former connection of
Mazovian princes with the princes of Volynia became even more involved
through this marriage, which gave them, as they thought, still greater
right to use Volynia as their own inheritance.
But soon the senior of Volynian princes, that same Ingvar who in
Roman’s day had reigned in Kief, though very briefly, claimed Volynia,
and was established in it, though for a short period only. The Polish
guardians changed their minds quickly. The place returned to Bailski,
and Ingvar was sent back to Lutsk.
To Vassilko, Roman’s second son, his Polish guardians gave Brest at the
urgent demand of its people, who, alarmed that Poles had taken
possession of Russian land so near them, wished to have their native
princes. When the mother went to Brest with Vassilko, the people met
her with joy, and declared that in the boy they beheld the great Roman.
The widow complained with bitterness: “They have given Bailski all our
lands; only one town is left for my son.” In view of this complaint
Leshko, who had given much to Bailski, commanded him to yield Bailz to
Daniel and his brother.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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