570 field, yet does his service. The emperor givea green wood and bark, stands all this while in with certain lands during life; and they bo at all, but to strangers; yet repays good desert are sent to the wars, think themselves mos: f December yearly, the emperor rides into though serving without wages. On the v which is without the city, with all his nobily nets and Turkey horses in great state; befor thousand harquebusiers, who shoot at a bank they beat it down; the ordnance, which they a fair of all sorts, they plant against two wo filled with earth at least thirty foot thick, ning with the smallest, shoot them all off tran having beat those two houses flat. Abore the great cannon they have, whose bullet is a pieces they shoot wildfire into the air. That so that a man may see it flying: then out of peror having seen what his gunners can do, home in the same order. but for the service of the state unmeet; and you have | oatmeal, and the same all his food: his horse others poor and in want, but well able to do their country good service. Immediately the duke sends forth to inquire, and calling the rich man before him, Friend, saith he, you have too much living, and are unserviceable to your prince; less will serve you, and the rest maintain others who deserve more. called to impart his wealth repines not, but humbly The man thus answers, that all he hath is God's and the duke's, as if he made restitution of what more justly was another's, than parted with his own. Every gentleman hath rule and justice over his own tenants: if the tenants of two gentlemen agree not, they seek to compose it; if they cannot, each brings his tenant before the high judge of that country. They have no lawyers, but every man pleads his own cause, or else by bill or answer in writing delivers it with his own hands to the duke: yet justice, by corruption of inferior officers, is much perverted. Where other proof is wanted, they may try the matter by personal combat, or by champion. If a debtor be poor, he becomes bondman to the duke, who lets out his labour till it pay the debt; till then he remains in bondage. Another trial they have by lots.s The revenues of the emperor are what he list, and what his subjects are able; and he omits not the coarsest means to raise them: for in every good town there is a drunken tavern, called a Cursemay, which the emperor either lets out to farm, or bestows on some duke, or gentleman, in reward of his service, who for that time is lord of the whole town, robbing and spoiling at his pleasure, till being well enriched, he is sent at his own charge to the wars, and there squeezed of his ill-got wealth; by which means the waging of war is to the emperor little or nothing chargeable. The Russian armeth not less in time of war than three hundred thousand men," half of whom he takes with him into the field, the rest bestows in garrisons on the borders. He presseth no husbandman or merchant but the youth of the realm. He useth no foot, but such as are pioneers, or gunners, of both which surt thirty thousand. The rest being horsemen, are all archers, and ride with a short stirrup, after the Turkish. Their armour is a coat of plate, and a skull on their heads. Some of their coats are covered with velvet, or cloth of gold; for they desire to be gorgeous in arms, but the duke himself above measure; his pavilion covered with cloth of gold or silver, set with precious stones. They use little drums at the saddle-bow, instead of spurs, for at the sound thereof the horses run more swiftly. They fight without order; nor willingly give battle, but by stealth or ambush. Of cold and hard diet marvellously patient; for when the ground is covered with snow frozen a yard thick, the common soldier will lie in the field two months together without tent, or covering over head; only hangs up his mantle against that part from whence the weather drives, and kindling a little fire, lies him down before it, with his back under the wind: his drink, the cold stream mingled with s Hac. 309. x Ibid. 314. 250. t Ibid. 314. y Ibid. 316. They follow the Greek church, but with ex They hold the ten commandments not to conce superstitions: their service is in the Russian saying, that God gave them under the law eucharist they receive in both kinds. They Christ by his death on the cross hath abrog four lents, have service in their churches da dom, drunkenness, and extortion none worse two hours before dawn till evening; yet for clergy. they keep great hospitality. That of Trojetes They have many great and rich monasteries it seven hundred friars, and is walled about wit very strongly, having many pieces of brass or within forty miles belong to those monks, who ar on the walls; most of the lands, towns, and holydays when two friends meet, they take eac as great merchants as any in the land. During by the hand; one of them saying, The Lord i kiss, whether men or women. The emperor este the other answering, It is so of a truth; and the the metropolitan next to God, after our lady, ara temporal. d But the Muscovites that border on Iane Nicholas, as being his spiritual officer, himself it is ria are yet pagans. other trifling gifts, sends to the woman a whip, When there is love between two, the man, an nify, if she offend, what she must expect; and it rule among them, that if the wife be not beaten up week, she thinks herself not beloved, and is the w yet they are very obedient, and stir not forth, ba some seasons. Upon utter dislike, the husban! vorces; which liberty no doubt they received first laws. their religion from the Greek church, and the impe Their dead they bury with new shoes on their fee their hands to St. Nicholas, or St. Peter, that this was as to a long journey; and put letters testimonial a Russe or Russes, and died in the true faith; which, as they believe, St. Peter having read, forthwith admits aim into heaven. They have no learning, nor will suffer to be among them; their greatest friendship is drinking; they are great talkers, liars, flatterers, and dissemblers. They delight in gross meats and noisome fish; their drink is better, being sundry sorts of meath; the best made with juice of a sweet and crimson berry called Maliena, growing also in France; other sorts with blackcherry, or divers other berries: another drink they use in the spring drawn from the birch-tree root, whose sap after June dries up. But there are no people that live so miserably as the poor of Russia; if they have straw and water they make shift to live; for straw dried and stamped in winter time is their bread; in summer grass and roots; at all times bark of trees is good meat with them; yet many of them die in the street for hunger, none relieving or regarding them. When they are sent into foreign countries, or that strangers come thither, they are very sumptuous in apparel, else the duke himself goes but meanly. In winter they travel only upon sleds,' the ways being hard, and smooth with snow, the rivers all frozen one horse with a sled will draw a man four hundred miles in three days; in summer the way is deep, and travelling ill. The Russe of better sort goes not out in winter, but on his sled; in summer on his morse: in his sled he sits on a carpet, or a white bear's skin; the sled drawn with a horse well decked, with many fox or wolf tails about his neck, guided by a boy on his back, other servants riding on the tail of the Med. call The Russian sea breeds a certain beast which they a morse;m who seeks his food on the rocks, climbing up with help of his teeth; whereof they make as great account as we of the elephant's tooth. CHAP. II. b The river Ob is reported a by the Russes to be in breadth the sailing of a summer's day; but full of islands and shoals, having neither woods, nor, till of late, inhabitants. Out of Ob they turn into the river Tawze. The Russians have here, since the Samoëds yielded them subjection, two governors, with three or four hundred gunners; have built villages and some small castles; all which place they call Mongozey or Molgomsay. Further upland they have also built other cities of wood, consisting chiefly of Poles, Tartars, and Russes, fugitive or condemned men; as Vergateria, Siber, whence the whole country is named, Tinna, thence Tobolsca on this side Ob, on the rivers Irtis, and Tobol, chief seat of the Russian governor; above that, Zergolta in an island of Ob, where they have a customhouse. Beyond that on the other side Ob, Narim, and Tooina, now a great city. Certain churches also are erected in those parts; but no man forced to religion; beyond Narim eastward on the river Telta is built the castle of Comgoscoi, and all this plantation began since the year 1590, with many other towns like these. And these are the countries from whence come all the sables and rich furs. The Samoëds have no towns or certain place of abode, but up and down where they find moss for their deer;a they live in companies peaceably, and are governed by some of the ancientest amongst them, but are idolaters. They shoot wondrous cunningly; their arrow-heads are sharpened stones, or fish bones, which latter serve them also for needles; their thread being the sinews of certain small beasts, wherewith they sow the furs which clothe them; the furry side in summer outward, in winter inward. They have many wives, and their daughters they sell to him who bids most; which, if they be not liked, are turned back to their friends, the husband allowing only to the father what the marriage feast stood him in. Wives are brought to bed there by Of Samoëdia, Siberia, and other countries north-east, their husbands, and the next day go about as before. subject to the Muscovites. They till not the ground; but live on the flesh of those wild beasts which they hunt. They are the only guides NOTH-EAST of Russia lieth Samoedia by the river to such as travel Jougoria, Siberia, or any of those This country was first discovered by Oneke a north-east parts in winter;e being drawn on sleds with kasian; who first trading privately among them in bucks riding post day and night, if it be moonlight, va furs, got great wealth, and the knowledge of their and lodge on the snow under tents of deer-skins, in suntry; then revealed his discovery to Boris protector whatever place they find enough of white moss to feed Pheodor, shewing how beneficial that country gain-their sled-stags, turning them loose to dig it up themwould be to the empire. Who sending embassadors selves out of the deep snow: another Samoed, stepping ong them gallantly attired, by fair means won their to the next wood, brings in store of firing: round about rction to the empire, every head paying yearly two which they lodge within their tents, leaving the top s of richest sables. Those messengers travelling open to vent smoke; in which manner they are as warm two hundred leagues beyond Ob eastward, made as the stoves in Russia. They carry provision of meat of pleasant countries, abounding with woods and with them, and partake besides of what fowl or venintains, and people riding on elks and loshes; others son the Samoëd kills with shooting by the way; their drink is melted snow. Two deer being yoked to a sled, riding post, will draw two hundred miles in twentyfour hours without resting, and laden with their stuff, will draw it thirty miles in twelve. CHAP. III. came to the Alteen king, or king of Alty; through his land in five weeks they passed into the country of Sheromugaly, or Mugalla, where reigned a queen called Manchica; whence in four days they came the borders of Cathay, fenced with a stone wall, fiften fathom high; along the side of which, having or the other hand many pretty towns belonging to Queen Manchica, they travelled ten days without seeing y on the wall, till they came to the gate; where they saw Of Tingoësia, and the countries adjoining eastward, very great ordnance lying, and three thousand men in as far as Cathay. BEYOND Narim and Comgoscoia the soldiers of those garrisons, travelling by appointment of the Russian governor in the year 1605, found many goodly countries not inhabited, many vast deserts and rivers; till at the end of ten weeks they spied certain cottages and herds, or companies of people, which came to them with reverent behaviour, and signified to the Samoëds and Tartars, which were guides to the Russian soldiers, that they were called Tingoësi; that their dwelling was on the great river Jenissey. This river is said to be far bigger than Ob, distant from the mouth thereof four days and nights sailing; and likewise falls into the sea of Naramzie: it hath high mountains on the east, some of which cast out fire, to the west a plain and fertile country, which in the spring-time it overflows about seventy leagues; all that time the inhabitants keep them in the mountains, and then return with their cattle to the plain. The Tingoësi are a very gentle nation, they have great swoln throats, like those in Italy that live under the Alps; at persuasion of the Samoëds they forthwith submitted to the Russian government and at their request travelling the next year to discover still eastward, they came at length to a river, which the savages of that place called Pisida,d somewhat less than Jenissey; beyond which hearing ofttimes the tolling of brazen bells, and sometimes the noise of men and horses, they durst not pass over; they saw there certain sails afar off, square, and therefore supposed to be like Indian or China sails, and the rather for that they report that great guns have been heard shot off from those vessels. In April and May they were much delighted with the fair prospect of that country, replenished with many rare trees, plants, and flowers, beasts and fowl. Some think here to be the borders of Tangut in the north of Cathay. Some of those Samoëds, about the year 1610, travelled so far till they came in view of a white city, and heard a great din of bells, and report there came to them men all armed in iron from head to foot. And in the year 1611, divers out of Cathay, and others from Alteen Czar, who styles himself the golden king, came and traded at Zergolta, or Surgoot, on the river Ob, bringing with them plates of silver. Whereupon Michael Pheodorowich the Russian emperor, in the year 1619, sent certain of his people from Tooma to Alteen, and Cathay, who returned with embassadors from those princes. These relate, that from Tooma in ten days and a half, three days whereof over a lake, where rubies and sapphires grow, they watch. They traffic with other nations at the gate, and very few at once are suffered to enter. They were travelling from Tooma to this gate twelve weeks; and from thence to the great city of Cathay ten days. Where being conducted to the house of embassadors, within a few days there came a secretary from King Tambur, with two hundred men well apparelled, and riding on asses, to feast them with divers sorts of wine, and to demand their message; but having brought no presents with them, they could not be admitted to his sight; only with his letter to the emperor they returned, as is aforesaid, to Tobolsea. They report, that the land of Mugalla reaches from Boghar to the north sea, and hath many castles built of stone, foursquare, with towers at the corners covered with glazed tiles; and on the gates alarm-bells, or watch-bells, twenty pound weight of metal; their houses built also of stone, the ceilings cunningly painted with flowers of all colours. The people are idolaters; the country exceeding fruitful. They have asses and mules, but no horses. The people of Cathay say, that this great wall stretches from Boghar to the north sea, four months journey, with continual towers a slight shot distant from each other, and beacons on every tower; and that this wall is the bound between Magulla and Cathay. In which are but five gates; those narrow, and so low, that a horseman sitting upright cannot ride in. Next to the wall is the city Sh rokalga; it hath a castle well furnished with short ordnance and small shot, which they who keep watch on the gates, towers, and walls, duly at sun-set and rising discharge thrice over. The city abounds with rich merchandise, velvets, damasks, cloth of gold, and tissue, with many sorts of sugars. Like to this is the city Yara, their markets smell odoriferously with spices, and Tayth more rich than that. Shirooan yet mere magnificent, half a day's journey through, and exceed ing populous. From hence to Cathaia the impera city is two days journey, built of white stone, foursquare, in circuit four days going, cornered with four white towers, very high and great, and others very along the wall, white intermingled with blue, and leg holes furnished with ordnance. In the midst of this white city stands a castle built of magnet, where the king dwells, in a sumptuous palace, the top whereof is overlaid with gold. The city stands on even ground encompassed with the river Youga, seven days journey from the sea. The people are very fair but not war like, delighting most in rich traffick. These relations are referred hither, because we have them from Res d Ibid. 528. e Ibid, 543, 546. f Ibid. 797. g Ibid. 799. far THE great dukes of Moscovy derive their pedigree, though without ground, from Augustus Cæsar: whom they fable to have sent certain of his kingdom to be governors over many remote provinces; and among them, Prussus over Prussia; him to have had his seat on the eastern Baltic shore by the river Wixel; of whom Rurek, Sinaus, and Truuor descended by the fourth generation, were by the Russians, living then without civil government, sent for in the year 573, to bear rule over them, at the persuasion of Gostomislius chief citizen of Novogrod. They therefore, taking with them Olechus their kinsman, divided those countries among themselves, and each in his province taught them civil government. Ivor, son of Rurek, the rest dying without issue, became successor to them all; being left in nonage under the protection of Olechus. He took to wife Olha daughter to a citizen of Plesco, of whom he begat Stoslaus; but after that being slain by his enemies, Olha his wife went to Constantinople, and was there baptized Helena. Stoslaus fought many battles with his enemies; but was at length by them slain, who made a cup of his skull, engraven with this sentence in gold; "Seeking after other men's, he lost his own." His sons were Teropulchus, Olega, and Volodimir. Volodimir, having slain the other two, made himself sole lord of Russia; yet after that fact inclining to christian religion, had to wife Anna sister of Basilius and Constantine Greek emperors; and with all his people, in the year 988, was baptized, and called Basilius. Howbeit Zonaras reporteth, that before that time Basilius the Greek emperor sent a bishop to them; at whose preaching they not being moved, but requiring a miracle, he after devout prayers, taking the book of gospel into his hands, threw it before them all into the fire; which remaining there unconsumed, they were converted. Volodimir had eleven sons, among whom he divided his kingdom; Boristus and Glebus for their holy life registered saints; and their feast kept every year in November with great solemnity. The rest, through contention to have the sole government, ruined each other; leaving only Jaroslaus inheritor of all. Volodimir, son of Jaroslaus, kept his residence in the ancient city Kiow upon the river Boristhenes. And h Purch. p. 806. | after many conflicts with the sons of his uncles and having subdued all, was called Monomachus. He made war with Constantine the Greek emperor, wasted Thracia, and returning home with great spoils to prepare new war, was appeased by Constantine; who sent Neophytus bishop of Ephesus, and Eustathius abbot of Jerusalem, to present him with part of our Saviour's cross, and other rich gifts, and to salute him by the name of Czar, or Cæsar: with whom he thenceforth entered into league and amity. After him in order of descent Vuszevolodus, George, Demetrius. Then George his son, who in the year 1237 was slain in battle by the Tartar prince Bathy, who subdued Muscovia, and made it tributary. From that time the Tartarians made such dukes of Russia, as they thought would be most pliable to their ends; of whom they required, as oft as embassadors came to him out of Tartary, to go out and meet them; and in his own court to stand bareheaded, while they sate and delivered their message. At which time the Tartars wasted also Polonia, Selesia, and Hungaria, till pope Innocent the Fourth obtained peace of them for five years. This Bathy, say the Russians, was the father of Tamerlane, whom they call Temirkutla. Then succeeded Jaroslaus, the brother of George, then Alexander his son. Daniel, the son of Alexander, was he who first made the city of Mosco his royal seat, builded the castle, and took on him the title of great duke. John, the son of Daniel, was surnamed Kaleta, that word signifying a scrip, out of which, continually carried about with him, he was wont to deal his alms. His son Simeon, dying without issue, left the kingdom to John his next brother; and he to his son Demetrius, who left two sons, Basilius and George. Basilius reigning had a son of his own name, but doubting lest not of his own body, through the suspicion he had of his wife's chastity, him he disinherits, and gives the dukedom to his brother George. George, putting his nephew Basilius in prison, reigns; yet at his death, either through remorse, or other cause, surrenders him the dukedom. Basilius, unexpectedly thus attaining his supposed right, enjoyed it not long in quiet; for Andrew and Demetrius, the two sons of George, counting it injury not to succeed their father, made war upon him, and surprising him on a sudden, put out his eyes. Notwithstanding which, the boiarens, or nobles, kept their allegiance to the duke, though blind, whom therefore they called Cziemnox. John Vasiliwich, his son, was the first who brought the Russian name out of obscurity into renown. To secure his own estate, he put to death as many of his kindred, as were likely to pretend; and styled himself great duke of Wolodimiria, Moscovia, Novogardia, Czar of all Russia. He won Plesco, the only walled city in all Muscovy, and Novogrod, the richest, from the Lithuanians, to whom they had been subject fifty years before; and from the latter carried home three a Hac. vol. i. p. 221. hundred waggons laden with treasure. He had war with Alexander king of Poland, and with the Livonians; with him, on pretence of withdrawing his daughter Helena, whom he had to wife, from the Greek church to the Romish; with the Livonians for no other cause, but to enlarge his bounds: though he were often foiled by Plettebergius, great master of the Prussian knights. His wife was daughter to the duke of Tyversky; of her he begat John; and to him resigned his dukedom; giving him to wife the daughter of Steven, palatine of Moldavia; by whom he had issue Demetrius, and deceased soon after. Vasiliwich, therefore, reassuming the dukedom, married a second wife Sophia, daughter to Thomas Palæologus: who is said to have received her dowry out of the pope's treasury, upon promise of the duke to become Romish. This princess, of a haughty mind, often complaining that she was married to the Tartar's vassal, at length by continual persuasions, and by a wile, found means to ease her husband and his country of that yoke. For whereas till then the Tartar had his procurators, who dwelt in the very castle of Mosco, to oversee state affairs, she feigned that from heaven she had been warned, to build a temple to saint Nicholas on the same place where the Tartar agents had their house. Being therefore delivered of a son, she made it her request to the prince of Tartary, whom she had invited to the baptizing, that he would give her that house, which obtaining, she razed to the ground, and removed those overseers out of the castle; and so by degrees dispossessed them of all which they held in Russia. She prevailed also with her husband, to transfer the dukedom from Demetrius the son of John deceased, to Gabriel his eldest by her. Gabriel, no sooner duke, but changed his name to Basilius, and set his mind to do nobly; he recovered great part of Moscovy from Vitoldus duke of Lithuania; and on the Boristhenes won Smolensko and many other cities in the year 1514. He divorced his first wife, and of Helena daughter to duke Glinski begat Juan Vasiliwich. ance. Pheodor Juanowich, being under age, was left the protection of Boris, brother to the young empress and third son by adoption in the emperor's will. A forty days of mourning, the appointed time of cores tion being come, the emperor issuing out of his pala. the whole clergy before him, entered with his noti the church of Blaveshina or blessedness; whence at: service to the church of Michael, then to our lar church, being the cathedral. In midst whereof a cha: was placed, and most unvaluable garments put up him; there also was the imperial crown set on his hea by the metropolitan, who out of a small book in is hand read exhortations to the emperor of justice a peaceable government. After this, rising from his char he was invested with an upper robe, so thick wit orient pearls and stones, as weighed two hundra pounds, the train born up by six dukes; his staff in perial was of a unicorn's horn three foot and a bal long, beset with rich stones; his globe and six crow carried before him by princes of the blood; his horse at the church door stood ready with a covering of embroidered pearl, saddle and all suitable, to the value of three hundred thousand marks. There was a kind of bridge made three ways, one hundred and fifty father long, three foot high, two fathom broad, whereon the emperor with his train went from one church to another above the infinite throng of people making loud accamations: at the emperor's returning from those churches they were spread underfoot with cloth of gold, t porches with red velvet, the bridges with scarlet ani stammel cloth, all which, as the emperor passed br were cut and snatched by them that stood next; be sides new minted coins of gold and silver cast among the people. The empress in her palace was placed be fore a great open window in rich and shining robes, among her ladies. After this the emperor came int parliament, where he had a banquet served by his n bles in princely order; two standing on either side dis chair with battleaxes of gold; three of the next roos great and large, being set round with plate of g and silver, from the ground up to the roof. This tumph lasted a week, wherein many royal pastimes were seen; after which, election was made of the bles to new offices and dignities. The conclusion i all was a peal of one hundred and seventy brass Juan Vasiliwich, being left a child, was committed to George his uncle and protector; at twenty-five years of age he vanquished the Tartars of Cazan and Astracan, bringing home with him their princes captive; made cruel war in Livonia, pretending right of inherit-nance two miles without the city, and twenty th He seemed exceedingly devout; and whereas the Russians in their churches use out of zeal and reverence to knock their heads against the ground, his forehead was seldom free of swellings and bruises, and very often seen to bleed. The cause of his rigour in government he alleged to be the malice and treachery of his subjects. But some of the nobles, incited by his cruelty, called in the Crim Tartar, who in the year 1571 broke into Russia, burnt Mosco to the ground. He reigned fifty-four years, had three sons, of which the eldest, being strook on a time by his father, with grief thereof died; his other sons were Pheodor and Demetrius. In the time of Juan Vasiliwich the English came first by sea into the north parts of Russia. sand harquebuzes twice over; and so the emperor at least fifty thousand horse returned through the c to his palace, where all the nobility, officers, and m chants brought him rich presents. Shortly after emperor, by direction of Boris, conquered the lar country of Siberia, and took prisoner the king there! he removed also corrupt officers and former taxes. la sum, a great alteration in the government followed, p all quietly and without tumult. These things reper abroad strook such awe into the neighbour kings, the Crim Tartar, with his wives also, and valiant and personable men, came to visit the Russia There came also twelve hundred Polish gentlers many Circassians, and people of other nations, to off. d Horsey. many |