Alexander, Prince of Pskoff for about ten years, was disturbed by no one. It was quite impossible that the Khan did not know what Alexander was doing, or had forgotten that Cholkhan, his favorite cousin, had been killed by him. At last Alexander left Pskoff of his own accord. Lest his son might lose Tver through his father’s exile, he resolved to appear at the Horde and hear the Khan’s sentence. It was thirteen years since his first visit, and now he was ten years in disobedience. To the astonishment of Mongol magnates, and of the Khan himself, Alexander stood before him, not only without trembling, but with a clear eye; and all were astounded at the words which he uttered:
“Supreme Sovereign,” said he, “though I have committed much evil, and am guilty before thee, I have come hither of my own will, and am ready to receive life or death, as God shall announce to thee. If, for the sake of God, through thy greatness thou give me pardon, I will thank God and thy grace; if thou give me death, I am worthy of death.” At this he bowed down, and added, “My head is at thy disposal.”
For a moment Uzbek was dumb from astonishment, and all present wondered. Alexander was kneeling with bowed head, and in silence. “See ye,” said Uzbek at last, “how with obedient wisdom Alexander has saved himself.” The Khan pardoned him straightway, gave him back the Tver principality, and sent him home without injury.
But Alexander from the first had an ominous feeling, a presentiment that evil days were approaching. When the Khan’s officials had installed him, and Abdul, the chief envoy, was returning to Sarai, “to show the Khan favor,” he took to the Golden Horde Alexander’s son, Feodor. Soon news came from this prince of fifteen years that for some unknown reason the Khan was very angry, and would not dismiss him. Alexander understood then that his son had been taken as a hostage.
The return of Alexander to Tver signified a return to the old [[322]]quarrels with Moscow. It meant trouble also in governing. Alexander brought with him to Tver new boyars and warriors, partly strangers. The chief of these boyars was a German from Livonia. The Tver boyars were not pleased with this man, or with the return of Alexander. The Moscow prince, of course, could not expect such relations with Alexander as with Constantine. The old rivalry was remembered, and with Alexander were renewed the claims of the Tver principality not to depend on the Prince of all Russia, but to be quite apart from him and separate. Through this example and also through advice from Alexander, other princes showed the same tendencies. As soon as Tver had left that position which for some years it had held toward Ivan, a similar movement appeared in other places, especially in Yaroslavl, where David, Ivan’s son-in-law, showed clear disobedience. Unpleasant reports came from Lithuania. It seemed as though Ivan had lost in one moment, and fatally, all that he had gained step by step for a decade. Was he now to be Grand Prince of Russia, or was the old rivalry between Moscow and Tver to begin again? Alexander felt the need of explaining relations with Moscow, but Ivan avoided discussions of all sorts. Envoys came at last to Ivan from Alexander, but Ivan would not talk upon any subject with the Tver prince, hence there was no result from the action of the envoys.
Ivan went now to the Horde. This visit of his to Uzbek produced on all a peculiar impression. He took with him his eldest and second sons, Simeon and Ivan; the youngest, Andrei, he sent to Novgorod. This sending of a son to Novgorod was not without special meaning. Ivan had remained two years, not in peace, not in war with the city. Lord Novgorod had not met his demands, and he had not dropped them. By sending Andrei to the city at this juncture, Ivan reminded Novgorod men once again that he looked on their capital as his inheritance.
At Novgorod the usual disorders were active. Gedimin’s son, who had been absent for a time in Lithuania, had returned, but there was great dissatisfaction with him, for he did not show sufficient energy in defending their borders against the Swedes.
Ivan came back from the Horde with added power and new honor. All princes were placed under his hand still more firmly. It became known very quickly that, owing to Ivan’s suggestion, [[323]]the princes were summoned to Sarai to receive the Khan’s commands.
Alexander knew that now he must go, and that he would never again see Tver. He sent quickly to his son for any information which he might have regarding the affair. The tidings which came back were woeful and he hesitated. An envoy now came to Alexander from the Khan promising him favor, but at the same time reminding him that his son was held as hostage. If a year before the Tver prince had hastened to the Horde when he himself was in danger, he hastened all the more now when Feodor was threatened.
Meanwhile Ivan had gone to Sarai still a second time, and taken with him his three sons. Before Alexander’s arrival at the Horde Ivan was back in Moscow, but his sons had wished to remain with the Khan.