At the end of the festivities, when Yaroslav had taken farewell of his hosts and was on the eve of departure, he died suddenly. Considering the place, no one thought his death natural. Each man of the Horde knew well from observation that whoever came there depended on fate for salvation. There were so many Khans and Khan’s wives and they had so many relatives that it was hard to please all, nay, impossible. No man could answer this question: “Have I succeeded?” No man could discover the springs through which decisions were made and brought to fulfilment. It was noised about in the Horde that Yaroslav had been poisoned. Some thought that the Mongols did not like his strong influence at home, and would not let him go back to Vladimir; others said that his own relatives had calumniated the Grand Prince to Batu, and Batu had written about him to Kuyuk, that stern-faced and marvelous Mongol, of whom it was said by his intimates that no man had ever seen a smile on his face, or heard a jest from his lips. This Grand Khan had been gracious to Yaroslav, but it was whispered most cautiously that Kuyuk’s mother, Turákina, had given Yaroslav a cup of honor with her own hands at parting, and poisoned him. His faithful boyars brought back his body and buried it at the side of his brother, and of Big Nest, his father. Yaroslav was not distinguished for civil, or military exploits. He was not renowned for one of the great deeds in history, but his name became memorable and is honored to this day in Russia. In him men saw the first prince who, insulted by pagans, bowed with humility before a Heaven-sent misfortune, and who did not fall into despair through empty pride, or through personal haughtiness. They saw in him not a conquering prince, but a man who with suffering and grief bowed down and beat the earth with his forehead before the savage Mongol, in order to save Russian people. His image was fixed in the national mind as the image of one who had suffered for Russia, as a prince whose lot it was not to magnify himself, but to endure insults for the sake of those under him. In the popular mind, he was the first of those men who humbled themselves to save others. At that time all Russians looked on Mongol subjection as a terrible misfortune, as something that could not be avoided in any way. It seemed at first to be the fate of the country. Nothing bright or gladsome could be seen ahead for ages, no light of salvation, even in the distance. Captivity, the yoke, the Mongols, such was the cruel period which began when Yaroslav had reached advanced manhood. In addition, they gave this as praise to him, that he had inspired in his children, especially in Alexander, the same kind of fortitude in suffering, and had left as a testament to that son to seek salvation for the people through devotion. This thankful memory of the prince, who had given the first notable example of humility and firmness in misfortune, lived in his descendants for generations.