Of the old Varyags is loved by all. Thy years

Match those of the tsarevich. If thou hast

Cunning and hardihood - Dost take me now?

GREGORY. I take thee.

MONK. Well, what say'st thou?

GREGORY. 'Tis resolved.

I am Dimitry, I tsarevich!

MONK. Give me

Thy hand, my bold young friend. Thou shalt be tsar!

PALACE OF THE PATRIARCH.

PATRIARCH, ABBOT of the Chudov Monastery PATRIARCH. And he has run away, Father Abbot?

ABBOT. He has run away, holy sovereign, now three days ago.

PATRIARCH. Accursed rascal! What is his origin?

ABBOT. Of the family of the Otrepievs, of the lower nobility

of Galicia; in his youth he took the tonsure, no one

knows where, lived at Suzdal, in the Ephimievsky

monastery, departed from there, wandered to various

convents, finally arrived at my Chudov fraternity;

but I, seeing that he was still young and inexperienced,

entrusted him at the outset to Father Pimen, an old man,

kind and humble. And he was very learned, read our

chronicle, composed canons for the holy brethren; but,

to be sure, instruction was not given to him from the

Lord God -

PATRIARCH. Ah, those learned fellows! What a thing to

say, "I shall be tsar in Moscow." Ah, he is a vessel of

the devil! However, it is no use even to report to the

tsar about this; why disquiet our father sovereign?

It will be enough to give information about his flight to

the Secretary Smirnov or the Secretary Ephimiev.

What a heresy: "I shall be tsar in Moscow!"...

Catch, catch the fawning villain, and send him to

Solovetsky to perpetual penance. But this - is it not

heresy, Father Abbot?

ABBOT. Heresy, holy Patriarch; downright heresy.

PALACE OF THE TSAR.

Two Attendants 1ST ATTENDANT. Where is the sovereign?

2ND ATTENDANT. In his bed-chamber,

Where he is closeted with some magician.