1554. Siberia discovered by Yermak, a Don Cossak.--1568. The select Legion formed, known afterwards by

the name of "Strelitz;"—the foundation of a regular standing army in Russia.

1580-1591. Feodor. Weak in body and mind: the last of the house of Ruric.

1598. Boris Gudunof ascended the throne. Despotic. 1604. Dmitri. Then Schnisky: (an Interregnum.)

1609. Sigismund (of Poland) resolved to turn affairs to his own advantage.

1610. He wishes to put his own son on the Russian throne, to unite the two crowns.-Horrid massacre of the

Russians in Moscow by the Poles;—the Poles forced to evacuate the empire.

1613-1645. Romanoff, czar. He showed great moderation; great love of peace; no unnecessary severity.

1613-1616. War with Sweden: Gustavus Adolphus. 1616-1619. War with Poland.

1645-1676. Alexis, czar: a minor. Morosof, guardian : ambitious of wealth and power.

1650. War between the Cossacks and Poles.

The outraged Cossack Bogdan seeks aid of the czar. 1654. Alexis declares war against Poland.--Success of the Russians.

1661. Peace confirmed.-1686. The Cossacks became dependent on Russia.

1667. The first Russian vessel built.-Alexis cousulted the improvement of the empire-legislation-represen

tation-&c.

1668, &c. Civil war: the Cossacks rebelled.—1671. war-like designs of the Turks.-Alexis assists Poland. Of Alexis less cannot be said than this, that he was prudent, sagacious, and moderate; mild and courageous; one who gave to the people a direct interest

in the well-being of the state. He descended to the grave amidst the regret and gratitude of his subjects. This prince left three sons, Feodor, Peter, Iwan, and one daughter, Sophia.

1676-1682. Feodor, czar.

of the nobility.

Burnt the genealogical records

1682. Iwan and Peter crowned. Sophia regent.

1689. Peter marries a Russian lady.—Sophia resolves to take his life. He is sole sovereign of Russia.

1689-1725. Peter I. He is said to have made the Russians

Europeans, as Philip made the Macedonians Greeks. 1696. He beseiged and took Azof: permanently acquired in 1774.

1697. His journey to Holland, England, Vienna, &c. 1700. He is defeated at Narva by Charles XII., of Sweden. 1702. He lays the foundation of the fortress of St. Petersburg. 1709. The Swedish army destroyed under the walls of Pultawa. 1710. Livonia made tributary to Russia.

1711. War with the Turks: battle of Pruth, disastrous to Peter.

1712. Peter publicly solemnized his marriage with Catharine: (married privately 1707.)

1715. Peter's second tour through Europe: the czarina with

him.

1718. Jesuits expelled from Russia: Peter in France, Holland, Berlin.-Alexis.

1721. Peace of Neustadt: Peter was proclaimed emperor.Russia assumed a decided ascendency among the northern powers.--Invasion of Persia.

1722. Return of the expedition: treaty between Peter, the sultan, and the shah.

1724. Coronation of the empress Catharine.

1725-1727. Catharine I. empress. She pursued the plans laid down by Peter.

1727-1730. Peter II. a peaceful reign: Menzikoff. 1730-1740. Anne, empress: gentle, mild, refined.—Successful wars with the Turks, &c.

1740. Ivan succeeds: a minor; Biren guardian.

1741-1762. Elizabeth; youngest daughter of Peter the Great: voluptuous and superstitious.

Wars with Swedes, Poles, Prussians, &c.

1762. Peter III.: the admirer and friend of Frederic the Great of Prussia.—He was deprived both of throne and life by his wife Catharine.

1762-1796. Catharine II.-Schools, laws, commerce, industry,--every thing received a new impulse. As a sovereign she was great, and her brilliant reign of thirty-four years begins a new era in Russian history. But with all her greatness, her whole life was a tissue of crime: and she is described as "the most unprincipled, beyond all comparison, of female sovereigns, since Catharine de Medicis."-She had wars with the Turks, Persians, and Swedes, &c.: and the partitioning of Poland took place in her reign; 1772, 1793, 1796. She raised Stanislaus (who had been one of her lovers) to the throne of Poland in 1764; foreign laws were forced upon the people; hence the confederacy at Bar; the resistance of six years, &c.-Potemkin, the most powerful of her favourites.

1796-1801. Paul, emperor.—He began his reign with wisdom and temperance; but afterwards manifested weakness and folly: arrogant, cruel, undecided.— He was assassinated.

1801-1825. Alexander, emperor.—A mild and pacific prince, who attended wisely and successfully to the internal improvement of the kingdom. Agriculture was improved, and science fostered. From 1805 he became

engaged in the desolating conflicts of Europe with

France.

1812, 1813. Battle of Smolensk and Borodino: Moscow burnt: battle of Leipsic.

1825. Nicholas I., the present Emperor.

1826, 27. War with Persia: the Shah obliged to sue for

peace.

1828, 29. War with Turkey.-General Diebitsch.—The grand seignor signed a disadvantageous peace.

12. Poland.

Middle Ages.

Poland is part of ancient Germania and Sarmatia.—The ancestors of the Poles dwelt formerly in Tartary.-It is said, that the Tartars laid the foundation of a new state in Poland about A.D. 550.

:

or as In the

"Poland " may be derived from "Polska," a plain others think from "Polaki," descendants from Lech. sixth century the first Sclavonic tribes expelled the Finnish tribes.-The Leches, a Sclavonic tribe, in the seventh century followed these, and were called Poles, or Sclavonians of the plain.

It is said that Lech formed the state of Poland about A.D. 550: the Lech dynasty is said to have lasted 100 years: then there were Palatines, or Waywodes, till the election of Cracus, A.D. 700, who laid the foundation of Cracow.

904. Lesko I. (or Premislaus) died: he had freed his country from the Hungarians, who invaded it, and was rewarded with the crown.

842. A peasant named Piastus was raised to the ducal dignity: a long and splendid reign: from his name every native prince was called a Piast: Casimir III., who died 1370, was the last of the Piasts.

962. Christianity was introduced into Poland.

992. Boleslaus: warlike: he made vast conquests in wars against Russia, Bohemia, &c.: he was dignified by

the name of King, by Otho III. of Germany: he appointed a council of twelve to assist in the affairs of government.

1034. Casimir I. called by the Poles from a monastery in Paris (to which he had retired) to civilize his country.—

1178. Casimir II. subdued Prussia.

1194. In the reign of Lesko V., his brother Conrad, of Masovia, called to his assistance the knights of the Teutonic Order, to aid him against the Russians.-Here we see the foundation of the subsequent wars between the Teutonic knights and the Poles.-The Teutonic knights had been lately driven out of Syria by the Saracens.-Wars with the Tartars, Russians, Teutonic knights, and others, occupy most of the pages of Polish history through many centuries.

1333. Casimir III., the great; so called for his wisdom as a legislator, and for his exertions in civilizing the

interior. He conquered Russia, and defeated John of Bohemia.

1386. The duke of Lithunia, Jagellon, obtained the crown by marriage and election. He took the name of Uladislaus. Thus Poland and Lithunia were united.

He gained a victory over the Teutonic knights; 50,000 of them being left on the field.

1434. Uladislaus (then king of Hungary) succeeded.

War

with the Turks: John Huniades, waiwode of Transylvania: the battle of Varna 1404; the Christians were routed, and Uladislaus slain.

1492. Casimir IV. died: he was one of the greatest princes of his time.—War with the Teutonic knights, &c.