When the people heard that they were very angry. They broke into the house, and took the Varangian and his son, and put them both to death. But they told Vladimir all the words that the Varangian had said; and Vladimir was troubled in mind. For he began to think that perhaps the Varangian was right, and that the gods of the Russians were not gods at all.

Yet he remembered that if he was wrong, that did not in itself prove that the Varangian was right. He thought that as there were many religions he had better inquire about all before choosing any. So he sent for Mohammedan, and Jewish, and Christian men, to ask about their religion.

The Mohammedans came before him first. They, you know, believe in one God, and say that Mohammed was God's great prophet. They spoke to him of how beautiful his life after death would be if he became a Mohammedan. And Vladimir heard them well pleased. But presently they told him that if he became one of them he must give up eating pork and drinking wine. At that Vladimir said, “Drinking wine is the pleasure of Russians, and we cannot live without it." And he would hear no more.

Then Jews came to him, and he was well pleased with them, till at last he happened to ask them, "Where is your native land?" Then they answered,

“We are driven out of our native land by the wrath of God." Then Vladimir said, "Do you wish to teach others, who are yourselves so miserable! Do you want us to feel the same punishment?" And he would talk with them no more.

Then at the last came a Greek Christian, a philosopher. He spoke scorn of the Mohammedans and Jews, and he told Vladimir of the life of Christ and the beliefs of the Greek Christians. He explained, too, how these beliefs were different from those of the Roman Church. He told Vladimir that the Patriarch, the head of the Greek Church, lived at Constantinople, and that the Pope, the head of the Roman Church, lived at Rome.

Vladimir did not understand all that, and when the philosopher saw that, he showed him something else. He drew out a picture of the Last Day. On the right side of the picture the good were being taken up to heaven by bright angels; on the other side the evil were being hunted into hell by black ugly demons. Vladimir looked at the picture, and it made him feel that these things were real. Presently he said, "How happy the people must be who are going up on the right hand, and how miserable the sinners at the left!"

Then the philosopher said, "Be baptized, and you will go with the people at the right hand." At that Vladimir thought for a minute or two, and then

said, "I will wait a little." For he felt he had better ask the boyards what they thought.

Vladimir told the boyards all the philosopher had said to him, and he asked them, "What do you think of all that?" The boyards answered, “Of course no one will speak evil of his own religion. If you want to know the truth, send men whom you can trust to the countries of different religions, and let them see what they believe and how they serve God."

"

What they said pleased Vladimir. So he chose ten prudent and observant men and sent them out. First they went to the Mohammedan mosques. But the service was poor and mean, and they saw nothing that made them think that this God was greater than their god.

Then they went into Bulgaria. The Bulgarians held Roman Christianity. These envoys did not understand the difference between Roman and Greek Christianity; indeed there was at this time very little difference. But they saw that the churches in Bulgaria were very bare, and the vestments of the priests were not gorgeous. So they thought that this religion was not worth much.

Then they purposed to go to Constantinople. The Greek Emperor was very anxious to make friends with the Russians, and he hoped that they would

become Greek Christians, and so often come in a friendly manner to Constantinople. For this reason he gave orders that the grandest services of the Church were to be shown them.

They were led into the great church of S. Sophia, which shone with different-coloured marbles and jasper, and was gorgeous with gold and rich mosaics. The Patriarch himself marched at the head of the long procession in splendid vestments. Tapers were blazing all round, and sounds of music filled all the church with sweet chanting of voices. The priests swung jewelled censers to and fro, and out of them rose clouds of incense. All the time the envoys watched, half breathless with admiration, though the words were almost the same as those the Bulgarians sang. It was just like judging whether a book is good or not by its binding. Then the long lines of robed deacons and priests with torches in their hands came out from behind the great veil hung across the church, and all the people fell on their knees. Then the envoys were overcome with the beauty, so that they thought they saw angels singing in the air. And they cried out, "We want no more proofs ! Send us home again." The Emperor sent them home well pleased.

When they reached home they told Vladimir and the boyards all they had seen. And they said that there was no religion like the Greek religion. For

the foolish people thought that because the services were grander the religion was greater.

When all had been heard, Vladimir asked the boyards whether they would accept the Greek religion. They answered, "Yes;" and added, "If it were not a good one, your grandmother Olga would not have adopted it." So the matter was settled.

So Russia had chosen to go to school. That was a very good thing. But it was a pity that she had not chosen the Roman Church instead of the Greek Church. This for two reasons.

You know that when two children go to school together they get to know each other. Then they talk together, and one learns from the other. All the European nations belonged to the Roman Church. So if Russia had belonged to it too, she would have learned to know the Europeans, and they would have taught her many things. It would not have given her an extra door, but it would have made her eager to go into Europe through the doors she already had. That is the first reason.

You know, too, that the head-master of a school does not only teach his scholars but looks after them also. The Patriarch was like Russia's head-master. But he was not nearly so powerful as the Pope, because he had no great nation under his care, except Russia. So when Russia was conquered by fierce tribes, as she was not long after this, there was no nation he