Romance of Russia, from Rurik to Bolshevik (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1921 edition. Excerpt: ...a lifelong foe, Emperor Charles of Sweden, for the supremacy of the Baltic. Out of the raging hell of battle, which terminated in the victory of Marienberg, there came to me the vision of wondrous womanhood which has blessed and ennobled all my life. Long, arduous, and unrelenting had been the siege, but at last our cannon battered the massive walls to fragments and put the town to flame. Waving flags of truce a horde of terror-stricken refugees fled from the flaming city. Riding through the gates I bade my soldiery extinguish the fires and attempt to restore order. This was no light task, for from over-jutting stories the Livonians poured down upon us a ceaseless rain of missiles. My charger was shot beneath me and my troops, enraged beyond restraint, gave themselves over to loot and rapine. Wherefore was I solicitous for a fair Livonian maiden whom I discerned struggling through the maddened soldiery in a futile effort to re-enter the town. Whatever valuables she might hope to recover were of scant worth compared to the maid's safety, thought I, as I hailed her peremptorily to halt. But my shout served only to give fleeter wings to her feet. Through street and lane she sped the while I pursued like hound after hart. Of a sudden she rounded a corner and was lost to view. Groping blindly along the winding walls I came to a garden of blossoming lilacs, and peering through a grille, beheld my fair Eurydice bearing a roll of parchment. Vaulting the wall I lighted amidst the lilacs and confronted the astonished maiden. Unaffrighted, she arched her ripe, red lips in a witching smile. Her eyes met mine in a defiant flash, but melted anon as she sensed that I bore her no malice. "Barishnya,1 thou wert o'er reckless to return to town for thy...