Page:Notes upon Russia (volume 2, 1851).djvu/89

assistance of the prince of Moscow and his wife's brother. He reigned only four years, greatly hated and despised by his subjects. These feelings were increased by his effeminate and degraded constitution of body, for he was a corpulent man, with a small beard, and an almost feminine face, which showed that he was by no means fit for a warrior. In addition to this, he despised and slighted the good will of his own subjects, showed an unreasonable spirit of conciliation to the Prince of Moscow, and trusted foreigners rather than his own people. The people of Kazan were induced, by these circumstances, to offer the kingdom to Sapgirei [Sahib Girei], son of Mendliger, one of the kings of Taurida; upon which Scheale [Schich Alei], being ordered to give up the kingdom, and finding himself inferior in forces, and that the minds of his own subjects were set against him, thought it best to yield to his fate, and returned with his wives, concubines, and all his chattels, to Moscow, whence he had come. This took place A.D. 1521. After this flight of Scheale from the kingdom, Machmetgirei, King of Taurida, conducted his brother Sapgirei into Kazan with a great army, and after confirming the good will of the people of Kazan towards his brother, on his road back to Taurida crossed the Don, and bent his steps towards Moscow. Vasiley, feeling at that time tolerably secure, and not apprehending an occurrence of the kind, when he heard of the approach of the Tartars, hastily collected an army, which he placed under the command of the General Dimitry Bielski, and sent it towards the river Occa, to check the advance of the Tartars. Machmetgirei speedily crossed the Occa,and pitched his tent near certain fish ponds thirteen versts from Moscow itself: sallying thence he spread fire and plunder over all the country; at the same time Sapgirei, who had also left Kazan with an army, laid waste Vladimir and Lower Novogorod. After these transactions, the two brother kings met at the city of Columna and united their forces. Vasiley, finding himself unequal to engage with so powerful an enemy,