Thus there were three sovereigns established in Russia, united by the ties of interest and consanguinity.  It was then that this region acquired the name of Russia, from the Norman tribe who furnished these three sovereigns.  The Russia which thus emerged into being was indeed an infant, compared with the gigantic empire in this day of its growing and vigorous manhood.  It embraced then but a few thousand square miles, being all included in the present provinces of St. Petersburg, Novgorod and Pskov.  But two years passed away ere Sineous and Truvor died, and Rurik united their territories with his own, and thus established the Russian monarchy.  The realms of Rurik grew, rapidly by annexation, and soon extended east some two hundred miles beyond where Moscow now stands, to the head waters of the Volga.  They were bounded on the south-west by the Dwina.  On the north they reached to the wild wastes of arctic snows.  Over these distant provinces, Rurik established governors selected from his own nation, the Normans.  These provincial governors became feudal lords; and thus, with the monarchy, the feudal system was implanted.

Feudality was the natural first step of a people emerging from barbarism.  The sovereign rewarded his favorites, or compensated his servants, civil and military, by ceding to them provinces of greater or less extent, with unlimited authority over the people subject to their control.  These lords acknowledged fealty to the sovereign, paid a stipulated amount of tribute, and, in case of war, were bound to enter the field with a given number of men in defense of the crown.  It was a system essential, perhaps, to those barbarous times when there was no easy communication between distant regions, no codes of laws, and no authority, before which savage men would bow, but that of the sword.

At this time two young Norman nobles, inspired with that love of war and spirit of adventure which characterized their countrymen, left the court of Rurik at Novgorod, where they had been making a visit, and with well-armed retainers, commenced a journey to Constantinople to offer their services to the emperor.  It was twelve hundred miles, directly south, from Novgorod to the imperial city.  The adventurers had advanced about half way, when they arrived at a little village, called Kief, upon the banks of the Dnieper.  The location of the city was so beautiful, upon a commanding bluff, at the head of the navigation of this majestic stream, and the region around seemed so attractive, that the Norman adventurers, Ascolod and Dir by name, decided to remain there.  They were soon joined by others of their warlike countrymen.  The natives appear to have made no opposition to their rule, and thus Kief became the center of a new and independent Russian kingdom.  These energetic men rapidly extended their territories, raised a large army, which was thoroughly drilled in all the science of Norman warfare, and then audaciously declared war against Greece and