Vladimirko had friends in Hungary, who sent him information, hence he left Bailz, where his camp was, and hastened forward to meet the Hungarian forces at Peremysl. There he discovered that he was no match for the king in the field, so he begged the archbishop and two bishops from Hungary with certain influential boyars to help him. He lavished gold without stint on these prelates and boyars, and they in return urged the king to go home and make war at another time. He yielded, and sent this explanation to Izyaslav: “The Greek Emperor is moving against me; I must return to my own country to meet him, but next summer I can send ten thousand men, or even more if thou need them.”
The Hungarian force vanished, and was as if it had never seen Galitch. Izyaslav, foiled for the moment by his enemy, sent Vladimir a second time to Hungary with this message: “Vyatcheslav’s boyars, the people and the steppe tribes have sent for me. [[80]]If thou must stay at home to prepare for the Greek Emperor, send me the aid which thou hast promised, and I will be with thee hereafter at all times.” The king sent him now ten thousand men, and with these warriors he set out against Kief.
On the way news was brought to him that Vladimirko was following. A council was summoned, and the boyars spoke thus: “Thou art marching on Yuri, and Vladimirko is pursuing; our position is perilous.” “Ye have come out of Kief,” replied Izyaslav; “ye have lost land and property, ye have lost all. I have lost my inheritance. I must get back my own and win yours in the same effort. If Vladimirko comes, God will decide between us. If Yuri should meet me, the Lord will judge also in his case.” And leaving Sviatopolk, one of his brothers, behind in Vladimir, his capital, to guard the place, he moved forward with the Hungarians and his own men.
On the way Vladimirko was joined by Andrei, and both forces followed together. Though sometimes at skirmishing distance, Izyaslav wisely abstained from action, and sent on Vladimir to Bailgorod, where Boris, son of Yuri, was feasting. If a collector of taxes had not raised the bridge, Boris would have been seized at table. Unable to get possession of the place without a battle, Vladimir rejoined Izyaslav, and they hastened on toward Kief. When Vladimirko’s men came up, they approached and sounded a trumpet. People ran out and lowered the bridge willingly. This advance force entered Bailgorod, and Boris hurried away to his father. Yuri, greatly alarmed by the strength of the enemy marching against him, left Kief at once, crossed the Dnieper, fled on, and took refuge in Gorodok.
All Kief went out to meet Izyaslav. The delight of the people this time seemed real. Yuri, whom the city never really liked, had become most unpopular, and they now rejoiced to be rid of him.
On the west, beyond Bailgorod, Vladimirko and Andrei were manœuvering for battle with Izyaslav, when suddenly news reached them that their enemy was in Kief with his forces, and Yuri powerless in Gorodok. Vladimirko’s rage was unbounded. “I cannot see how my father-in-law manages,” said he to Andrei. “I cannot understand how ye, his sons, help him. Thou, Andrei, hadst thy camp on the Goryn; Boris was in Bailgorod. We might have [[81]]forced Izyaslav to action and lamed, or defeated him, but Boris left us and gave the road to our enemy. Thy father then abandoned Kief, and Izyaslav is now Grand Prince. To-day the whole Russian land is on his side. I leave you, and go now to Galitch.”
Yuri had no friends in the south, where all had hoped for his downfall. The campaign seemed indeed like some folk-tale. A battle might have ruined Izyaslav; a quick march secured him dominion.
Vladimirko turned home, but to each town he said as he came to it: “Give me the silver and gold that I ask of you. If ye refuse I will take what I find at the sword’s point.” No town or city had the silver or gold, or the coin or utensils to meet this demand of Yuri’s ally, hence people were forced to take every ornament from the necks and the arms of their women, and give them to the master of Galitch. Vladimirko took from all in this way till he reached his own boundary.
At last the hour of triumph had sounded for Yuri’s simple-minded brother. On the day after his entrance to Kief, Izyaslav sent this message to his uncle: “I salute thee, my father. I have sinned before thee, but I repent. I have sinned a first, and a second, and a third time. I repent now of all these transgressions, and, if thou forgive, God will pardon me. I give thee Kief; come thou and sit on the throne of thy fathers.” Thus Izyaslav acknowledged completely the right of uncles as opposed to the sons of their elder brothers, a right against which even personal qualities, or the respect of people availed not.
“God give thee strength, my son,” replied Vyatcheslav, “because thou hast given me due honor. It was thy duty thus to act long ago. Thou hast given honor to God by the honor given me. Thou sayest that I am thy father; I say that thou art my son. I have no son, and thou hast no father; thou art my son, thou art also my brother.”