"'If you knew who I am, prince,' replied the young man, with tears in his eyes, 'you would not treat me so, nor call me by that name.'
"'Who are you, and where do you come from?' asked the prince.
"'I am the Czarovitz Dimitri, son of Ivan IV.'
"He then detailed the manner of his escape from Boris's assassin, and exhibited a Russian seal, bearing the names and arms of the Czarovitz, and a gold cross adorned with jewels, which he declared was the baptismal gift of his godfather. The prince believed his story, and rendered him efficient help. He was presented to the Palatine of Sandomir, whose daughter was plighted to him in marriage. He procured the favor of Sigismond, King of Poland, by promising to bring Russia over to the church of Rome. With a considerable army, including many Polish knights, he marched into Russia, and after some discouragements, took the city of Novgorod, and finally, by the treachery of some of Boris's dependants, entered Moscow, and was duly crowned. Though he had renounced the Greek Church, he concealed the fact. The widow of Ivan IV. was brought from a convent to see him, and after a private interview between them, she acknowledged that he was her son. His affianced wife came to him in Moscow, attended by a numerous retinue of Polish knights. The marriage was solemnized according to the rites of the Russian church. But Dimitri was not skilful in concealing his religion, and excited the suspicion of the priests and others. While he was generous even to his foes, his heterodoxy was the ruin of him. A conspiracy was organized, and he was murdered in cold blood, with many of his followers, and his corpse exposed to great indignities.
"After his death the boyar Shuiska was crowned as Czar, under the title Basil VI. Encouraged by the example of the false Dimitri, another appeared, and many Polish knights supported his claim with arms. The Czar appealed to Sweden for aid, which compelled the King of Poland to espouse the cause of the pretender. The Swedes soon went over to the Poles, Moscow was captured, and Basil VI. died in a Polish prison. The Poles compelled the boyars to elect Vladislas, son of Sigismond, their Czar. The new power treated Russia as a subdued province, which caused an insurrection, and the Poles were driven from the country.