The bishop raised no question with Vladimir. He acted as though no attack had been made. But he opened negotiations on another subject. He pointed out that the Lithuanians were robbers, and quarrelsome, and proposed an alliance between himself and Vladimir. In 1210 he sent an envoy, Rudolph, to Polotsk on this business. In Polotsk they failed, it seems, to understand that the alliance was not so precious to Albert as the recognition by treaty that the two contracting parties had equal rights to carry on and conclude such a treaty, a recognition, as it were, of his own sovereignty. On one side it was arranged that the Livs should pay the Polotsk prince an annual tribute, or the Riga archbishop would pay it for them; on the other side, Vladimir [[214]]permitted free trade on the Dvina River. Thus did Albert settle with the capital city of Polotsk, and with its ruling prince.
As for the petty princes of Gersiké and Kuikenos, they were treated more unceremoniously. Wenden Castle stood on the high bank of the river Aa, and commanded the whole region. This castle was the residence of the Grand Master. Vyachko, Prince of Kuikenos, the unfortunate neighbor of such barons and counts, did not deceive himself. He knew that his fate was an evil one. The knight, Von Lenewerden, broke into Kuikenos, occupied the place with his men, declared the inhabitants prisoners, and put Vyachko in irons. On hearing of this, the archbishop summoned both Vyachko and Von Lenewerden to Riga, and reconciled them. He restored Vyachko’s property, and persuaded him, as protection for the future, to have a German guard in his town. Soon after a band formed of Lithuanians and Kors, occupied in sea robbery, attacked Riga on a sudden. That day Riga hardly saved itself. The assailants fought desperately. The Riga men, wearied almost beyond endurance, considered their destruction as certain; but aid came unexpectedly, and the assailants departed. They made a great fire on the seacoast, threw their dead into it, and sailed away from Riga.
At every report of trouble in Riga, the people of the country were encouraged to rise against their enslavers. Vyachko now rebelled. He sent to Vladimir, the Polotsk prince, asking him to take advantage of the trouble, and of the absence of the archbishop. Meanwhile he destroyed the garrison brought into his city. When the archbishop returned and learned of this act of “his assistant,” as he considered Vyachko, he moved with the whole Order against “the rebel.” They took everything that could be taken, and then burned the city. Thus did Vyachko part with Kuikenos, his birthplace. The people escaped to swamps and forests. Higher up the river was Gersiké. Albert had long threatened Vsevolod, its petty prince, and accused him of friendship for Lithuanians, saying that instead of guarding Riga from Lithuanians, he made it easy for them to cross the Dvina. The archbishop now thought it important that he should take possession of Gersiké and thus in the eyes of the Livs become their defender against Lithuanians. The hostility between these people and the Lithuanians, who were related to them by race, seemed unappeasable. [[215]]
Albert surprised Gersiké. Vsevolod succeeded in crossing the river and hiding in the forest, but his wife and family were captured; everything of value was taken, and the town burned. The archbishop was magnanimous; he sent to Vsevolod, saying that if he wished peace and his family he must come to Riga. Vsevolod went immediately. He called Albert father, and asked for his family. “I will restore them,” said the archbishop, “but art thou willing to give thy principality forever to the Riga Cathedral?” Vsevolod thought that the archbishop meant to rob him, but when Albert explained that he would give his possessions back as a gift to him, with his wife and children, Vsevolod agreed to everything. Thus did Germans settle with the petty princes.
Their success with Polotsk was more than incredible.
When the archbishop had concluded his treaty with Vladimir of Polotsk, he strove to form just such relations with Pskoff and Novgorod. His policy was diplomatic and cautious. He roused the tribes subject to Novgorod by the report that the Germans had come to free them from tribute. But after Pskoff and Novgorod warriors went through the country beyond Odempe, and even as far as the sea, all action stopped and the tribes settled back into obedience.
Albert now complained more and more to Pskoff and Novgorod of robber attacks upon commerce from “unruly” subjects of Russia. He said that it was indispensable in self-defense to put down Tolova and Torma. If he could keep the country in his power, he could collect and send the tribute to Pskoff and Novgorod.
Vladimir, the Pskoff prince, liked Riga and the Germans so well that he had given his daughter to Dietrich, a brother of Albert, but for this friendship the Pskoff people dismissed him. He then went to Riga, where Albert received him gladly, and gave him land.
When Vladimir of Polotsk saw that Pskoff and Novgorod would make no treaty with the archbishop, he was greatly concerned. He was uncertain how it was best to act against his insolent neighbor, but at last he decided to write to him touching various questions. Albert replied that he had nothing against a friendly meeting, but where could they meet? He could not expect the Polotsk prince to come to him, nor could he go to Polotsk. Kuikenos [[216]]now belonged to the lands of the Order. There still remained ruined Gersiké. And in that city, in 1213, they had a notable meeting.
The Prince of Polotsk had much to discuss with the master of Livonia. Albert, however, would not touch upon anything that Vladimir really wanted, and turned stubbornly to the question of how they were to act toward a common enemy. He proposed that they act as allies, and pointed out the great good to come from this coöperation. He said that the treaty already concluded was too narrow; it required broadening. Vladimir was a simple man and expressed his thought to the wily archbishop with artless words. On a sudden he said to him: “Wilt thou at last stop baptizing my Kors and Livs; wilt thou leave my people in peace? They are mine absolutely, not thine. If I wish to baptize them, I will do so, if not let them remain unbaptized.” The archbishop was astounded. Appealing to the command of God: “Go ye and teach all nations, baptizing them,” he asked the Polotsk prince which command should be honored, that of God, or of man. The simple and good-natured Vladimir replied: “That of God,” and said no more about baptism.