His troops, thus taken by surprise, fought for a short time desperately.

They were however soon cut to pieces or dispersed, and Sviatopolk, himself, saved his life only by precipitate flight.

Yaroslaf, thus signally victorious, continued his march, without further opposition, to Kief, and entered the capital in triumph.

Sviatopolk fled to Poland, secured the cooeperation of the Polish king, whose daughter he had married, returned with a numerous army, defeated his brother in a sanguinary battle, drove him back to Novgorod, and again, with flying banners, took possession of Kief.

The path of history now leads us through the deepest sloughs of perfidy and crime.