inform the prince of her arrival.  Her journey from Revel to lake Tchoude presented but a continued triumphal show.  On the 11th of October she reached the shores of the lake.  A flotilla of barges, decorated with garlands and pennants, here awaited her.  A pleasant sail of two days conveyed her across the lake.  Immediately upon landing at Pskov, she repaired, with all her retinue, to the church of Notre Dame, to give thanks to Heaven for the prosperity which had thus far attended her journey.  From the church she was conducted to the palace of the prince of that province, where she received from the nobles many precious gifts.

After a five days’ sojourn at Pskov, she left the city to continue her journey.  Upon taking her departure, she aroused the enthusiasm of the citizens by the following words: 

“I must hasten to present myself before your prince who is soon to be mine.  I thank the magistrates, the nobles and the citizens generally for the reception which they have given me, and I promise never to neglect to plead the cause of Pskov at the court of Moscow.”

At Novgorod she was again entertained with all the splendor which Russian opulence and art could display.  The Russian winter had already commenced, and the princess entered Moscow, in a sledge, on the 12th of November.  An innumerable crowd accompanied her.  She was welcomed at the gates of the city by the metropolitan bishop, who conducted her to the church, where she received his benediction.  She was then presented to the mother of the grand prince, who introduced her to her future spouse.  Immediately the marriage ceremony was performed with the most imposing pomp of the Greek church.

This marriage contributed much in making Russia better known throughout Europe.  In that age, far more than now, exalted birth was esteemed the greatest of earthly honors; and Sophia, the daughter of a long line of emperors, was followed by the eyes of every court in Europe to her distant destination.  Moreover, many Greeks, of high aesthetic and intellectual culture, exiled from their country by the domination of the Turk, followed their princess to Russia.  They, by their knowledge of the arts and sciences, rendered essential service to their adopted kingdom, which was just emerging from barbarism.  They enriched the libraries by the books which they had rescued from the barbarism of the Turks, and contributed much to the eclat of the court of Moscow by the introduction of the pompous ceremonies of the Grecian court.  Indeed, from this date Moscow was often called a second Constantinople.  The capital was rapidly embellished with palaces and churches, constructed in the highest style of Grecian and Italian architecture.  From Italy, also, mechanics were introduced, who established foundries for casting cannon, and mints for the coinage of money.