When the great-grandsons of Yaroslav had lived at last to the hope that God would free the Russians, they honored more than their fathers had the memory of their great-grandfather, the sufferer who had died in Mongolia, who had in his day, with much weariness, warded off ruin from Russia. In the terrible time of Russia’s captivity under Batu, Yaroslav’s son, Alexander, the favorite son of Feodosia, daughter of Mystislav the Gallant, appeared next as the savior of Russia. He had before his father’s death become celebrated for discretion, for magnificent valor, for victories and for kindness even to enemies. He was unbending and severe only to crime and disobedience. One of the most noted knights of the West, who was sent by the Livonian Order to confer with Alexander, said on his return: “I have traveled many lands, and seen many sovereigns, but such a man I have not met thus far.” Batu in his old age at the Golden Horde, said, after he had received Alexander Nevski: “The truth has been told me; there is not another prince like Alexander.” Nevski was never defeated in battle, and never made any man his enemy. But this was the wonderful trait in him; neither among princes nor other men was any his equal in humility. The Mongol yoke was a terrible test of submissiveness and endurance. When the Mongols had strengthened themselves, and had become firmly established, the yoke became the more difficult to carry. The people believed that it had been inflicted by Providence, and looked on it as a punishment for the injustice of many generations, but no man understood this belief of theirs so well, and felt the consciousness of Russia, as did Alexander Nevski. The younger princes were too inexperienced, too proud to comprehend the position, and bend to it. The strongest of these, Daniel of Galitch, blushed for shame at being tributary to the Mongols, and instead of meeting them with humility, took measures which were useless and vain, measures which ended in nothing. Alexander’s career as a prince began in his childhood. In 1228 he was first made prince in Novgorod at eight years of age, when his father was disputing with Michael of Chernigoff. Later on he was prince in Novgorod a second time, when his father returned to the ruins of Vladimir. By being in Novgorod, Alexander was undoubtedly saved from the sword of the Mongol.