Vassilko consented and was on the way when a servant who met him gave warning: “Go not, O prince,” said he; “they will seize thee.” “God’s will be done,” replied Vassilko and making the sign of the cross, he rode on. Upon his arrival Sviatopolk came to the door of his palace, and greeted him with great cordiality and kindness. Then David appeared, and Vassilko was invited to breakfast with his two kinsmen. Presently Sviatopolk withdrew, as if to give orders, and upon some pretext David followed him. The next moment men rushed into the room, seized Vassilko and put him in double fetters. Sviatopolk now sought the advice of Kief boyars and the clergy. The boyars answered evasively; the clergy took the side of Vassilko, and begged the Kief prince to free him. Sviatopolk seemed to waver. “This is all David’s work,” declared he, “I have no part in it.” David interfered at once, saying: “If thou set him free, we shall not remain princes.” “He is in thy care then,” replied Sviatopolk, and Vassilko was given up to David, who straightway had his eyes put out. Monomach wept when he heard of the tragedy. “Never before,” cried he, “has such a deed as this been done in the midst of us.” And at once he sent to Sviatoslav’s sons, Oleg and David, for aid in chastising the criminal. They came promptly, with forces to help him. The three princes then sent this query to Sviatopolk: “Why commit such iniquity; why cast a knife between princes? Why put thy brother’s eyes out? If he had offended, why not accuse him before us, we would have punished him if guilty. But tell us now what his fault was, what did he do to thee?” “David told me,” replied Sviatopolk, “that Vassilko slew Yaropolk, my brother, that he was preparing to kill me, that Monomach would take Kief and Vassilko Volynia. I had to care for my own life. Besides, it was David, not I, who blinded Vassilko. David took him and on the way home put his eyes out.” “Thou canst not lay thy own sins on David. Not in his land, but in thine, was the deed done,” retorted the envoys, and they left him. Next day, when the three princes were marching on Sviatopolk, he prepared to flee from his capital, but Kief men interposed and sent his stepmother to Monomach. With her went Nikolai the metropolitan, to beg in the name of the city not to make war upon Sviatopolk. They presented such reasons that Monomach was moved, and he sent this injunction: “Since David alone did this deed, as thou sayest, do thou, Sviatopolk, move against David, and either seize the man captive, or drive him out of his province.” Sviatopolk declared himself ready to do this.