Skip to main content

Full text of "Notes upon Russia: being a translation of the earliest account of that country, entitled Rerum moscoviticarum commentarii. Translated and edited, with notes and introd. by R.H. Major"

See other formats 


LWfflH  1 


ili^jiesisjfeiii 


DK 

21 

H483 

1851 

V.2 

c.l 

ROBARTS 


^/^7 
S 


/Z,f8H 


m^^wtmwmmmm' 


sm^mmmm 


\  ©iFf  ®iiiisiii@siaiw6 


&/fU^Ud4^ 


REPORT     FOR     1851. 


The  Council  of  the  Hakluyt  Society  have  the  pleasure  to 
announce  a  small  increase  in  the  number  of  their  Members 
since  the  last  anniversary.  In  reporting  to  the  Members 
the  actual  state  of  their  numbers,  319,  on  this  the  fifth 
anniversary  of  its  existence  as  a  Society,  the  Council  cannot 
refrain  from  adverting  to  the  hea\y  loss  the  Society  has  sus- 
tained by  the  death  of  one  of  its  Vice-Presidents,  and  at  the 
same  time  one  of  the  most  earnest  and  active  friends  of  the 
Society,  the  much  respected  Sir  Charles  ]\Ialcohn.  From  the 
commencement  of  the  Society  theu'  lamented  friend  took  the 
warmest  interest  in  its  advancement.  To  him  was  due  the  ac- 
quisition not  only  of  the  names  of  many  of  his  personal  friends, 
but  also  of  the  Admii'alty  for  two  copies,  and  of  the  East  India 
House  for  twenty  copies  of  the  Society's  publications.  In 
addition  to  this  valuable  help,  his  active  assistance  and 
influence  were  never  withheld  in  the  still  more  important 
point  of  gaining  information  or  access  to  documents  which 
might  prove  of  service  in  promoting  the  Society's  literary 
exertions. 

The  Council  have  pleasure  in  believing,  that  the  pub- 
lications of  the  Society  continue  to  meet  with  approval  and 
commendation ;  not  only  as  affording  amusement  and  in- 
struction by  their  interesting  details,  but  as  important  books 
of  reference  for  the  English  student  of  geographical  antiquity, 
and  the  history  of  discovery. 

In  the  course  of  the  past  year,  a  work  of  great  importance 
to  the  history  of  early  travel  in  North  America,  and  one  the 
details  of  which  have  caused  much  interest  and  learned  dis- 
cussion among  the  literati  of  the  United  States,  entitled,  "  The 
worthy  and  famous  historic  of  the  travailes,  discovery,  and 
conquest  of  that  great  continent  of  Terra  Florida,  being  lively 
paraleld  with  that  of  our  now  inhabited  Virginia",  edited  by 
W.  Brenchley  Rye,  Esq.,  of  the  British  Museum,  has  been 
delivered  to  the  subscribers  of  1851.  In  the  preparation  of 
this  work  Mr.  Rye  has  not  only  supplied  in  his  introduction 
copious  details  respecting  the  first  travellers  in  Florida,  but 


2 

has  also  endeavoured  to  elaborate  the  route  of  De  Soto  ac- 
cording to  the  best  sources  of  information  both  in  Europe 
and  America,  a  subject  which  antiquarians  have  felt  the 
greatest  difficvilty  in  unravelling  consistently  with  the  con- 
ditions of  modern  geographical  knowledge. 

The  publication  of  this  work  has  been  followed  by  that  of 
the  first  volume  of  the  translation  of  the  "  Rerum  Mosco- 
viticarum  Commentarii",  the  earliest  account  of  Russia,  by 
Sigismund  von  Herberstein.  Translated  and  edited  by  the 
Secretary  of  the  Society.  The  editor,  in  his  introduction  to 
this  work,  has  endeavoured  to  supply  his  readers  with  an 
account  of  the  visits  of  all  the  antecedent  travellers  to  that 
country,  together  with  a  list  of  all  publications  prior  to  the 
year  1550  which  in  any  way  referred  to  the  countries  des- 
cribed in  Herberstein's  work.  The  second  volume,  it  is 
hoijcd,  will  appear  in  about  three  months'  time. 

Meanwhile,  another  volume  has  been  recently  delivered 
to  the  Members  for  1851,  entitled,  "  Captain  Coates' 
Remarks  in  many  voyages  to  Hudson's  Bay."  This  work, 
which  has  been  edited  by  John  Barrow,  Esq.,  of  the 
Admiralty,  from  a  MS.  ^^I'esented  to  the  Society  by  Sir 
Edward  Parry,  contains  descriptions  of  the  Esquimaux,  and 
observations  upon  the  geography  of  the  country,  written  in 
a  very  graphic  and  interesting  manner  by  a  man  who,  though 
evidently  uneducated,  was  an  intellectual  and  shrewd  ob- 
server. Mr.  Barrow  has  added,  by  way  of  appendix  to  this 
interesting  volume,  the  despatches  of  Captain  John  Middleton, 
a  MS.  document,  intimately  connected  with  the  subject,  and 
which  he  himself  discovered  amongst  the  archives  of  the 
Admiralty.  The  Council  feel  confident  that  a  work  treating 
upon  former  investigations  in  a  part  of  the  world  which  is 
causing  so  much  attention  at  the  j^resent  time  will  be  re- 
ceived by  their  Members  as  an  important  addition  to  their 
publications. 

The  Council  regret  that  Mr.  Bolton  Corney  has  not  been 
able  yet  to  s^^pply  the  Members  with  his  promised  volume 
of  "  The  East  India  Voyage  of  Sir  Henry  Middleton  in 
1604-5",  to  which,  though  long  delayed,  they  look  forward 
with  great  interest. 


The  other  works  in  course  of  preparation  are  : 

The  second  volume  of  the  E.erum  Moscoviticarum 
CoMMENTARiij  as  abovc  described. 

Gerrit  de  Veer's  Account  of  "William  Barentzoon's 
THREE  Voyages  into  the  Arctic  Ocean  ;  with  Illustra- 
tions.    Edited  by  Charles  T.  Beke,  Esq.,  Phil.  D. 

A  Collection  of  Early  Documents  on  Spitzbergen 
AND  Greenland.  Edited  by  Adam  "White,  Esq.,  of  the 
British  Museum. 

Mendoza's  Historie  of  the  Great  and  Mightie 
KiNGDOME  of  China.  Translated  by  Parke.  Edited  by 
Sir  George  T.  Staunton,  Bart.,  M.P. 

The  "World  Encompassed  by  Sir  Francis  Drake, 
1577-80.  "Written  by  Francis  Fletcher,  preacher,  etc. 
Collated  Avith  a  MS.  by  the  same  hand  in  the  British 
Museum,  containing  additional  unpublished  details.  To  be 
edited  by  W.  Sandys  Vaux,  Esq.,  M.A.  This  work  will  be 
illustrated  with  a'^copy  of  a  very  valuable  luiique  Map  in 
the  British  Museum,  showing  the  tracks  of  Drake  and 
Cavendish. 

A  Collection  of  Early  Documents,  to  form  a  supple- 
ment to  the  Narrative  of  Voyages  towards  the  North  West, 
by  T.  Rundall,  Esq. 

Sofalah.  The  History  of  Eastern  Ethiopia,  by  J.  dos 
Santos,  1607.  To  be  translated,  and  edited  with  notes,  by 
W.  Desborough  Cooley,  Esq. 

The  translation  of  De  Morga's  "  Sucesos  en  las  Islas 
FiLiPiNAs",  has  also  been  undertaken. 

The  Council  have  pleasure  also  in  informing  the  Members 
that  they  have  succeeded,  through  the  instrumentality  of 
their  President,  in  procuring  from  Russia  a  copy  of  a  MS. 
of  great  interest,  which  has  never  appeared  except  in  the 
original  language.  It  is  from  the  hand  of  a  Russian  traveller 
named  Nikitin,  a  native  of  Tver,  who,  about  the  close  of  the 
fifteenth  century,  started  on  a  voyage  to  India,  which  country 
he  traversed  as  far  as  the  Deccan,  returning  home  after  an 
absence  of  about  six  years.  The  document  was  enrolled 
amongst  the  archives  of  the  celebrated  monasterv  of  the 
Sviatroitskaia  Serguieva  Lavra,  near  Moscow.     It  is  of  no 


great  length,  but  it  is  not  improbable,  tbat  among  tlie  early 
voyages  of  tbe  Russians,  edited  by  Stroev,  Berkh,  etc., 
documents  may  be  found  as  suitable  companions  for  pub- 
lication with  it.  The  translation  of  this  work  has  been 
promised  to  be  undertaken  by  the  Count  Wielhorski,  Secre- 
tary of  the  Imperial  Legation  at  the  Court  of  St.  James's. 
The  following  six  Members  retire  from  the  Council : 

Charles  T.  Beke,  Esq.,  Phil.  D. 

The  Lord  Alfred  S.  Churchill. 

T.  RuNDALL,  Esq. 

Thomas  Hodgkin,  Esq.,  M.D. 

P.  Levesque,  Esq. 

The  Hon.  E.  J.  Stanley. 

Of  this  number, 

Charles  T.  Beke,  Esq. 

The  Lord  Alfred  S.  Churchill 

P.  Levesque,  Esq. 

And  the  following  for  election,  viz. : 

John  Barrow,  Esq. 

Sir  George  T.  Staunton,  Bart.,  M.P. 

Henry  Drummond  Wolff,  Esq. 


recommended  for 
re-election. 


Statement  of  the  Accounts  of  the  Society  for  the  year  1851. 


£.  s.  d. 
Balance  in  Bankers'  hands  at  last 

Audit 267  18    8 

Received  by  Bankers  during  the 

year   231  15    0 

Balance    in    Petty  Cash  at  last 


Audit. 


500  12    4^ 


£.    s.  d. 

Mr.  Eiohnrds  for  Printing  203  11  6 

Spalding  and  Hodge  for  Paper  . .     59  19  0 

'■  ■  0  0 

15  6 

16  0 


Illustrations 

Transcriptions    21 

Advertisements 8 

Copper  plates 0 

Gyde  for  Bookbinding 1 

Gratuity  to  Mr.  Honeyman 5 

Index  to  Geography  of  Hudson's 

Bay    1  12     9 

Stationary,  Postage,  Proofs,  etc., 

for  etchings,  and  sundries   ....  4 

Balance  in  Bankers'  hands 178 

Balance  in  Petty  Cash 6 


14 
5 


3 
11 

15 


Examined  and  certified  by  us, 


(Signed) 


EDWARD  HAWKINS, 
THOMAS  WATTS. 

March  2nd,  1852. 


500  12    4i 


Against  this  balance  in  favour  of  the  Society,  is  to  be  set 
£111 :  19  :  0  due  to  Mr.  Richards  for  printing,  while  there 
remains  uncollected  from  Subscribers,  variously  for  the  years 
1847-52,  about  £480. 


THE 


HAKLUYT    SOCIETY. 


President. 

SIR  RODERICK  IMPEY  MURCHISON,  G.C.St.S.  F.E.S. 

Corr.  Mem.  Inst,  Fr.,  Hon.  Mem.  Imp.  Acad.  Sc.  St.  Peteisbm-g,  &c.  &c. 

Vice-Presidents. 


The  earl  OF  ELLESMERE. 
Captain  C.  R.  D.  BETHUNE,  R.X., 

Council. 


C.B. 


JOHN  BARROW,  Esq. 

Rear-Adml.  Sir  F.  BEAUFORT,  K.C.B. 

CHARLES  T.  BEKE,  Esq.,  Phil.  D.,  F.S.A. 

The  Lord  ALFRED  S.  CHURCHILL. 

W.  D.  COOLEY,  Esq. 

BOLTON  CORNEY,  Esq.,  M.R.S.L. 

The   Right   Rev.  Lord   Bishop   of   ST. 

DAVID'S. 
The  Viscount  EASTNOR. 


Sir  henry  ELLIS,  K.H.,  F.R.S. 

RICHARD  FORD,  Esq. 

JOHN  FORSTER,  Esq. 

R.  W.  GREY,  Esq.,  M.P. 

JOHN  WINTER  JONES,  Esq. 

Sir  CHARLES  LEMON,  Bart.,  M.P. 

P.  LEVESQUE,  Esq. 

Sir  G FORGE  T.  STAUNTON,  Bart.,  M.P. 

HENRY  D.  WOLFF,  Esq. 


Honorary  Secretary. 
E.  H.  MAJOR,  Esq.,  F.R.G.S. 

Bankers. 

Messrs.  BOUVERIE  and  Co.,  11,  Haymarket. 


THE  HAKLUYT  SOCIETY,  which  is  established  for  the  purpose 
of  printing  rare  or  unpublished  Voyages  and  Travels,  aims  at  opening 
by  this  means  an  easier  access  to  the  sources  of  a  branch  of  know- 
ledge, which  yields  to  none  in  importance,  and  is  superior  to  most  in 
agreeable  variety.  The  narratives  of  travellers  and  navigators  make  us 
acquainted  with  the  earth,  its  inhabitants  and  j^roductions  ;  they  exhibit 
the  growth  of  intercourse  among  mankind,  with  its  effects  on  civilization, 
and,  while  instructing,  they  at  the  same  time  awaken  attention,  by 
recounting  the  toils  and  adventures  of  those  who  first  explored  unknown 
and  distant  regions. 

The  advantage  of  an  Association  of  this  kind,  consists  not  merely  in  its 
system  of  literary  co-operation,  but  also  in  its  economy.  The  acquire- 
ments, taste,  and  discrimination  of  a  number  of  individuals,  who  feel  an 
interest  in  the  same  pursuit,  are  thus  brought  to  act  in  voluntary  com- 
bination, and  the  ordinary  charges  of  jjublication  are  also  avoided,  so  that 
the  volumes  produced,  are  distributed  among  the  Members  (who  can  alone 
obtain  them)  at  little  more  than  the  cost  of  printing  and  paper.  The 
Society  expends  nearly  the  whole  of  its  funds  in  printing  works  for  the 
Members  ;  and  since  the  cost  of  each  copy  varies  inversely  as  the  whole 
number  of  copies  printed,  it  is  obvious  that  the  Members  are  gainers 
individually  by  the  prosperity  of  the  Society,  and  the  consequent  vigour 
of  its  operations. 

The  Members  are  requested  to  bear  in  mind  that  the  power  of  the 
Council  to  make  advantageous  arrangements,  will  depend,  in  a  great 
measure,  on  the  prompt  payment  of  the  subscriptions,  which  are  paj'able 


7,8,52. 


2 

in  advance  on  the  1st  January,  and  are  received  by  the  Secretary, 
Richard  Henry  Major,  Esq.,  4,  Albion  Phice,  Canonbm-y  Sq.,  Islington  ; 
and  by  Mr.  Richards,  37,  Great  Queen  Street,  Lincoln's  Inn  Fields, 
who  is  the  Society's  agent  for  the  delivery  of  its  volumes. 

It  is  especially  requested,  that  all  subscribers  who  shall  not  have  received 
their  volumes  within  a  reasonable  period  after  the  payment  of  their  sub- 
scription, will  notify  the  same  to  the  Secretary. 


ALREADY  PUBLISHED. 

The  Observations  of  Sir  Eicliard  Hawkins,   Knt. 

Tn  his  Voyage  into  the  South  Sea  iu  1593.     Eej)rinted  fi'ora  the  edition  of 
1022,  and  edited  by  Capt.  C.  K.  Drinkwater  Bethune,  R.N.,  C.B. 


Select  Letters  of  Columhus. 

With  Original  Documents  relating  to  the  Discovery  of  the  New  World. 
Translated  and  Edited  by  R.  H.  Major,  Esq.,  of  the  British  Museum. 


The  Discoverie  of  the  Empire  of  Guiana, 

By  Sir  Walter  Ralegh,  Knt.     Edited,  T\-ith  Copious  Explanatory  Notes,  and 
a  Biographical  Memoir,  by  Sm  Robert  H.  Schomburgk,  PhU.  D.,  etc. 


Sir  Francis  Drake   his  Voyage,   1595, 

By  Thomas  Maynarde,  together  ■ndth  the  Spanish  Accoimt  of  Drake's  Attack 
on  Puerto  Rico,  edited  from  the  Original  MSS.,  by  W.  D.  Cooley,  Esq. 


Narratives   of  Early  Voyages 

Undertaken  for  the  Discovery  of  a  Passage  to  Cathaia  and  India,  by  the 

Northwest,  with  Selections  from  the  Records  of  the  worshipful  Fellowship  of 

the  Merchants  of  London,  ti-ading  into  the  East  Indies ;  and  from  MSS.  in 

the  Library  of  the  Britisli  Museum,  now  first  published,  by 

Thomas  Rundall,  Esq. 


The  Historic  of  Travaile  into  Virginia  Britannia, 

Expressing  the  Cosmograpbie  and  Comodities  of  the  Country,  together  with 
the  Manners  and  Customs  of  the  people,  gathered  and  obser^'ed  as  well  by 
those  who  went  first  thither  as  collected  by  William  Strachey,  Gent.,  the  first 
Secretary  of  the  Colony;  now  first  Edited  from  the  original  manuscript  in  the 
British  Museum,  by  R.  H.  Major,  Esq.,  of  the  Britisli  Museum. 


Divers  Voyages  touching  the  Discovery  of  America, 

And  the  Islands  adjacent,  collected  and  published  l)y  Richard  Hakluyt,  Pre- 

bendaiy  of  Bristol,  in  the  yeai- 1582.     Edited,  with  Notes  and  an  Introduction, 

by  John  Winter  Jones,  Esq.,  of  the  British  Museum. 


A  Collection  of  Documents  on  Japan, 

With  a  Commentary,  by  Thomas  Rundall,  Esq. 


The  Discovery  and  Conquest  of  Florida, 

By  Don  Ferdinando  de  Soto.     Translated  out  of  Portuguese  by  Richard 
Hakluj-t;   and  EcUted,  \rith  Notes  and  an  Introduction,  by  W.  B.  Rye,  Esq., 

of  the  British  Museum. 


Notes  upon  Russia, 

Being  a  Translatiou  from  the  Eai-liest  Account  of  that  Country,  entitled 
Keeum  Moscoviticaeum  CoiiiiENTAEn,  by  the  Baron  Sigismuud  von  Her- 
Lerstein,  Ambassador  fi-om  the  Court  of  Germany  to  the  Grand  Piince  Vasiley 
Ivanovich,  in  the  yeai-s  1517  and  15'20.  Two  Volumes.  Translated,  and  edited 
with  !Xotes  and  an  Introduction,  by  E.  H.  Majoe,  Esq.,  of  the  British  Museimi. 


The    Geography    of   Eudson's    Bay: 

Being  the  Eemai-ks  of  Captain  W.  Coats,  in  many  Voyages  to  that  locality, 

between  the  years  1727  and  1751.     "NVith  an  Appendix,  containing  Extracts 

from  the  Log'  of  Capt.  Middleton  on  his  Voyage  for  the  discovery  of  the 

North-west  Passage,  in  H.M.S.  "  Furnace",  in  17-41  2.     Edited  by 

John  Baeeow,  Esq.,  F.Pi.S.,  F.S.A. 


Other  Works  in  Progress. 

Gereit  de  Veer's  Account  of  WrLi,iA3i  Baeentzoon's  three  Voyages  into 

THE  Arctic  Ocean;  with  Illustrations.     Edited  by  Charles  T.  Beke, 

Esq.,  Phil.  D. 
A  Collection  of   Early  Documents   on    Spitzbergen   and   Greenland. 

Edited  by  Adam  White,  Esq.,  of  the  British  Museum. 
Mendoza's   Historie   of  the  Great  and  Mightle   Kjngdome  of   China. 

Translated  by  Parke.   Edited  by  Sir  George  T.  Stainton,  Bart.,  M.P. 
Drake. — The  TT'o/-/rf  Encompabsed  by  Sir  Francis  Drake,  1577-«0.   Written  by 

Francis  Fletcher,  Preacher,  etc.     Collated  with  a  MS.     To  be  edited 

by  W.  Sandys  Vacx,  Esq.,  M.A. 
Sofalah. — The  History  of  Eastern  Ethiopia,  by  J.  dos  Santos,  1607.     To  be 

Translated,  -with  Notes,  by  W.  Desborough  Cooley,  Esq. 
The  East-India  A'oyage  of  Sni  Hen-ry  Middleton  in  1004-5.  From  the  rare 

Edition  of  1000.     Edited  by  Bolton  Coeney,  Esq. 
A  Collection  of  Early  Documents,  to  foi-m  a  Supplement  to  the  Narrative 

of  Voyages  towards  the  North  ^Vest,  by  T.  PiUNDall,  Esq. 
De  Morga. — Sucesos  en  las  Islas  Filipinas. 


"Works  suggested  to  the  Council  for  Publication. 

Frescobaldi. — The  Travels  of  Frescobaldi  in  Egj-pt  and  SjTia,  in  1384. 
Translated  from  the  Itahan  text  as  edited  by  Manzi. 

Bethencouet. — A  Histon-  of  the  Discovery  and  Conquest  of  the  Canary 
Islands,  made  by  Jean  de  Bethencomt,  in  140-2--25.  From  the  French 
Nan-ative  of  his 'Chaplains,  PieiTe  Bontier  and  Jean  le  Vender. 

Ca  da  Mosto.— The  Voyages  of  Ca  daMosto  along  the  Western  Coast  of  Africa 
in  1454.     Translated  from  the  Itahan  text  of  1507. 

Virginia.— Vu-ginia  in  the  yeai-s  1584-1000;  comprismg  the  NaiTatives  of 
Ai-thiu-  Barlowe,  Ealf  Lane,  Thomas  Haniot,  etc. 

Cadiz.— A  Brief  and  Trae  Eeport  of  the  Honom-able  Voyage  to  Cadiz,  1590. 
From  the  suppressed  edition  of  1598,  with  addhions. 

Colonization.— Pamphlets  on  Colonization.  By  Sir  WiUiam  Alexander  (after- 
wards Eai-1  of  Sterline),  and  James  Hagthoi-pe. 

JoAM  DE  Casteo. — Eotiero  em  que  se  contem  a  Viagem  que  fizeram  os  Portu- 
guezes  no  anno  de  1541,  paitinando  da  Citade  de  Goa  atre  Soez. 

Galvano. — Tratado  dos  descobrimentos  antigos  e  modemos  feitos  ate  a  era 
de  155U,  compostopelo  famoso  Antonio  Galvao.     Lisboa,  1731. 


Laws  of  the  Hakluyt  Society. 

I.  The  object  of  this  Society  shall  be  to  print,  for  distribution  among  its 
members,  rare  and  valuable  Voyages,  Travels,  Naval  Expeditions,  and  other 
geographical  records,  from  an  early  period  to  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth 
century. 

II.  The  Annual  Subscription  shall  be  One  Guinea,  payable  in  advance 
on  the  1st  January. 

III.  Each  member  of  the  Society,  ha\'ing  paid  his  subscription,  shall  be 
entitled  to  a  copy  of  every  work  produced  by  the  Society,  and  to  vote  at  the 
general  meetings  within  the  j)eriod  subscribed  for ;  and  if  he  do  not  signify, 
before  the  close  of  the  year,  his  wish  to  resign,  he  shall  be  considered  as  a 
member  for  the  succeeding  year. 

IV.  The  management  of  the  Society's  affairs  shall  be  vested  in  a  Council 
consisting  of  twenty-one  members,  namely,  a  President,  two  Vice-Presidents,  a 
Secretaiy,  and  seventeen  ordinary  members,  to  be  elected  annually ;  but  vacan- 
cies occm-ring  between  the  general  meetings  shall  be  filled  up  by  the  Coimcil. 

V.  A  General  Meeting  of  the  Subscribers  shall  be  held  annually,  on  the 
first  Thursday  in  March.  Tlie  Secretary's  Report  on  tlie  contlition  and 
proceedings  of  the  Society  shall  be  then  read,  and,  along  with  the  AucUtor's 
Report,  be  submitted  for  approval,  and  finally,  the  Meeting  shall  proceed  to 
elect  the  Council  for  the  ensuing  year. 

VI.  At  each  Annual  Election,  six  of  the  old  Council  shall  retire ;  and  a 
list  of  the  proi^osed  new  Council  shall  be  piinted  for  the  subscribers  previous 
to  the  general  meeting. 

VII.  The  Council  shall  meet  ordinarily  on  the  3rd  Tuesday  in  every 
month,  excei)ting  August,  Septembei',  and  October,  for  the  despatch  of 
business,  three  fonning  a  quorum,  and  the  Chainnan  ha\'ing  a  casting  vote. 

VIII.  Gentlemen  prepai-ing  and  editing  works  for  the  Society  shall 
receive  twenty-five  copies  of  such  works  respectively. 

IX.  The  number  of  copies  piinted  of  the  Society's  productions  shall  not 
exceed  the  estimated  number  of  Subscribers ;  so  tliat  after  the  second  year, 
when  the  Society  may  be  supposed  to  have  reached  its  full  growth,  there  shall 
be  no  extra  copies. 

X.  The  Society  shall  appoint  Local  Secretaries  throughout  the  kingdom, 
empowered  to  enrol  members,  transmit  subscriptions,  and  othenrise  foi-ward 
the  Society's  interests ;  and  it  shall  make  such  aiTangements  with  its  corre- 
spondents m  the  chief  provincial  towns,  as  ■\vill  insme  to  subscribers  residing 
in  the  country  the  regular  delivery  of  then  volumes  at  moderate  charges. 


Rules  for  the  Delivery  of  the  Society's  Volumes. 

I.  The  Society's  productions  will  be  delivered  mthout  any  charge,  within 
three  miles  of  the  General  Post  Ofiice. 

II.  They  Avill  be  forwarded  to  any  place  beyond  tliat  limit,  the  Society 
paying  the  cost  of  bookuig,  but  not  of  carnage ;  nor  will  it  be  answerable  in 
this  case  for  any  loss  or  damage. 

III.  They  vnU.  be  deUvered  by  the  Society's  agent,  Mr.  Thomas 
Richards,  37,  Great  Queen  Street,  Lincoln's  Inn  Fields,  to  persons  having 
A\ritten  authority  of  subscribers  to  receive  them. 

IV.  They  will  be  sent  to  the  Society's  cori'espondents  or  agents  in  the 
principal  towns  throughout  the  kingdom ;  and  care  shall  be  taken  that  the 
charge  for  caniage  be  as  moderate  as  possible. 


LIST    OF    MEMBERS 


THE    HAKLUYT     SOCIETY. 


Admiralty  (The),  2  copies 
Ainslie,  Philip  Bamngton,  Esq.,  St.  Colme 
AUport,  Frankliu,  Esq.,  150,  Leadenhall-st. 
American  Minister,  His  Excellency  the, 

188,  riccadilly 
Army  and  Navy  Club,  13,  St.  James's  sq. 
An-owsmith,  John,  Esq.,  10,  Soho-squai'e 
Asher,  Mr.  A.,  Berlin 
Ashton,  J.  Y.,  Esq.,  Livei-pool 
Atkinson,  F.  E.,  Esq.,  Manchester 

BaUHe,  David,  Esq.,  14,  Belgrave-squai'e 
Baker,  William,  Esq.,  Jim.,  3,  Crosby-sq. 
Banks,  W.,  Esq.,  Melina-place,  Gi"ove-rd. 
Barrow,  J.,  Esq.,  F.E.S.,  7,  New-st.,  Spring- 
gardens 
Batho,  J.  A.,  Esq.,  56,  Lombard-street 
Beatty,  James,  Esq.,  C.E.,  Southampton 
Beairfort,     Rear-Admiral     Sir     Francis, 

K.C.B.,  F.E.S.,  Admu-alty 
Becher,  Captain,  R.N. 
Beck,  Dr.,  New  York  State  Ijibrarv',  Albany 
Beke,  Charles  T.,  Esq.,  Phil.  D.,^'34,  Cum- 

ming-street,  Pentonville 
Belcher,  Captain  Sir  Edward,  C.B.,  E.N. 
Bell,  Eeverend  Thomas,  Berbice 
Bell,  Eobert,  Esq.,  Nonis  Castle,  East 

Cowes,  I.W. 
Bell,  Eobei-t,  Esq.,  33,  Soho- square 
Bell,  W.,  Esq.,  Chmxh-place,  Clapham 
Berbice  Eeading  Society 
Berlin,  The  Eoyal  Libraiy  of 
Betencourt,  Alouzo,  Esq.,  Philadelphia 
Bethune,  Captain  C.  E.  Drinkwater,  C.B. 

E.N.,  Admiralty 
Biden,  Cai^tain 

Blackie,  Dr.  Walter  G.,  Villafield,  Glasgow 
Blackwood,  Captain  Fr.  P.,  E.N.,  United 

Sendee  Club 
Blandford,  Marquis  of,  3,  WUton-terrace 
Blunt,  J.,  Esq.,  Mortlake 
Blyth,  James,  Esq.,  24,  Hyde-park-gardens 
Bois,  H.,  Esq.,  110,  Fenchurch-street 
Bombay  Geographical  Society 
Bone,  Mr.  F.  G.,  E.I.N. 
Booth,  B.  W.,  Esq.,  Manchester 


Boston  Athenaeum,  The 
Botfield,  Beriah,  Esq.,  Norton  Hall,  North- 
amptonshire 
Bradshaw,  Lieut.  Lawrence,  Wooh^ich 
Brodhead,  J.  E.,  Esq.,  New  York 
Brougbton,  Lord,  42,  Berkeley-square 
Brown,  George,  Esq.,  41,  Eochester-row 
Brown,J.,Esq.,  Newcastle-pl.,Clerkenwell 
Brown,  W.  H.,  Esq.,  Chester 
Brown,   John  Carter,  Esq.,   Providence, 

Ehode  Island 
Bruce,  John,  Esq.,  F.S.A.,  5,  Upper  Glou- 
cester-street, Dorset-squai-e 
Biaissels,  Eoyal  Library  of 
Bullock,  Capt.  Frederick,  E.N.,  Woolwich 
Burnett,  W.  F.,  Commander,  E.N.,  Eoyal 
Naval  College,  Portsmouth 

Campbell,  E.  H.  S.,  Esq.,  5,  Ai'gyle-place, 
Eegent-street 

Cannon,  Charles,  Esq.,  British  Museum 

Cariton  Club,  Pall  Mall 

Chapman,  Mr.  John,  Strand 

Chapman,  Captain,  E.A.,  Athenaeum 

Chapman,  William,  Esq.,  Eichmond 

Chauncey,  Henry  C.,  Esq.,  New  York 

Chichester,  J.  E.,  Esq.,  49,  Wimpole-st. 

Christie,  Jonathan  Henry,  Esq.,  9,  Stan- 
hope-street, Hyde-park-gardens 

Churchill,  Lord  Alfred  S.,  F.E.G.S.,  C, 
Bury-street 

Clarke,  Thomas,  Esq.,  Ordnance  Office, 
PaU  Mali 

Chve,  Eobei-t,  Esq.,  53,  Grosvenor-street 

Colbome,  Lord,  19,  Hill-street,  Berkeley- 
square 

CoUedge,  Dr.,  Lauriston  House,  Chel- 
tenham 

CoUier,  John  Payne,  Esq.,  F.S.A. 

Colonial  Office 

Congress,  Libraiy  of  the.  United  States 

Cooley,  W.  D.,  Esq.,  33,  King-sti-eet, 
Bloomsbury 

Coniey,Bolton,Esq.,M.E.S.L.,Banies-ter. 

Costello,  Dudley,  Esq.,  54,  Acacia-road, 
St.  John's  Wood 


6 


Cotton,  E.  A.,  Esq.,  Barnstaple 

Cos,  E.  Wm.,  Esq.,  3,  CrowTi  Oflice  Kow, 
Temple 

Cracroft,  Capt.,  R.N. 

Cranstoun,  G.,  Esq.,  Corehouse,  Lanark 

Croker,  T.  Crofton,  Esq.,  3,  Gloucester- 
road,  Old  Bronipton 

Crowninschield,  A.,  Esq. 

Cunningham,  Captain 

Cminiugham,  Peter,  Esq.,  2,  Madeley 
\'illas,  Kensington 

Ualrymple,  Ai'thm',  Esq.,St.Giles,  Nonvich 
Daniel,  G.,  Esq.,  F.L.S.,  St.  John's  Wood 
De  la  Beche,  Sir  Henry,  K.H.,  28,  Jer- 

myn-street 
De  Lasaux,  Miss 

Dean,  Charles,  Esq.,  Boston,  U.S. 
Dennett,  W.  H.,  Esq.,  Boston,  U.S. 
Dickens,  Charles,  Esq.,  Tavistock  House, 

Tavistock  Square 
Dilke,  C.  Wentworth,  Esq.,  76,  Sloane-st. 
Dilke,  C.  W.,  Esq.,  Jun.,  7(3,Sloane-street 
Drake,  Samuel  G.,  Esq.,  Boston,  U.  S. 
Dry,  Thos.,  Esq.,  25,  Lincoln's  Inn  Fields 

East  India  Company,  The  Hon.  the  Court 
of  Du'ectors  of  the,  20  copies 

Eastnor,  Viscoimt,  45,  Grosvenor-pl. 

Edmondston,  James,  Esq.,  7,  Trafalgar- 
square,  T^vickenham 

Ellesmere,  The  Earl  of,  18,  Belgrave-sq. 

EUice,  Rt.  Hon.  Edward,  M.P.,  18,  Arhug- 
ton-street 

Elliot,  J.  B.,  Esq.,  Patna 

Ellis,  Sir  Henry,  K.H.,F.R.S.,<tc., British 
Museum 

Elphinstone,  Lord,  14,  St.  George's -place 

Elpliinstone,  John  F.,  Esq.,  23,  York-ter., 
Regent's-i^ark 

Elphinstone,  Lieut.,  3,  Chesham-place, 
Belgrave-square 

Enderby,  Charles,  Esq.,  East  Greem\'ich 

Ethersey,  Commander,  H.E.I.C.S. 

Evans,  Captain  George,  R.N. 

Fayrer,  Joseph,  Esq.,  M.D. 
Fennell,  James  Hamilton,  Esq. 
Foley,  Lord,  Grosvenor-squai'e 
Force,  Colonel  Peter,  Washington,  U.S. 
Ford,  E.,  Esq.,  123,  Park-street,    Gros- 

venor-square 
Foreign  Office 

Forster,  J.,  Esq.,  58,  Lincoln's  Inn  Fields 
Freer,  W.  E.,  Esq. 

Galignani,  M.,  Paris 

Gawler,  Colonel,  United  Service  Club 

Gibraltar  Gamson  Library 

Giraud,  R.  Herve,  Esq.,  Furnival's-inn 

Gladdish,  William,  Esq.,  Gravesend 


Glendening,  Robert,  Esq.,  5,  Britain-st., 

Portsea 
Glenny,  — ,  Esq.,  152,  Strand 
Graham,  Robert,  Esq. 
Gray,  Joim  Edward,  Esq.,  British  Museum 
Greenwich  Hospital,  the  Officers'  Library 
Green'wich  Society  for  the  Diffusion  of 

Useful  Knowledge 
Grev,  R.  J.  Moiing,  Esq.,  Tiinity  House 
Grey,  R.  W.,  Esq.,  M.P.,  16,  Carlton-ter. 
Guild,  G.  F.,  Esq.,  Boston,  U.S. 
Guise,  W.  v.,  Esq.,  Elmore-ct.,  Gloucester 

Hale,  J.  H.,  Park-rd.,  StockweU -common 
Halliday,  Wilham,  Esq.,  14,  Donegall-pl., 

Belfast 
Hamilton,  Robert,  Esq.,  Liverpool. 
Hanrott,    P.    A.,    Esq.,    Queen's-square, 

Bloomsbury 
Harvey,  Henry  Martin,  Esq.,  Leytonstone, 

Essex 
Harvey,   W.   Brotherton,   Esq.,    Salford, 

Manchester 
Hawes,  Benjamin,  Esq.,  M.P.,  9,  Queen's 

sqviare,  Westminster 
Hawkins,  Edward,  Esq.,  British  Museum 
Heath,  Edward,  Esq.,  Liverpool 
Henderson,  Dr.,  6,  Cm'zon-st.,  Mayfair 
Heywood,  J.,  Esq.,  Acreslield,  Manchester 
HertfordLiteraiy  and  Scientiticlustit  ution 
Hobhouse,  Edward,  Esq.,  Twickenham 
Hodgkin,  Thomas,  Esq.,  M.D.,  35,  Bed- 
ford-square 
Hollond,  R.,  Esq.,  M.P.,  Portland-place 
Holman,  Lieutenant,  R.N. 
Holmes,  James,  Esq.   4,  New  Ormond- 

street,  Foundling 
Holmes,  John,  Esq.,  British  Museum 
Home  Office 
Homer,    Rev.    J.    S.    H.,    Wells    Park, 

Somersetshire 
HuU  Subscription  Library 

Ibbs,  Mr.  J.  C,  H.E.LC.S. 

Jackson,  H.  Esq.,  St.James's-row,  Sheffield 
Johnston,  Alex,  Keith,  Esq.,  Edinburgh 
Jones,  J.  Winter,  Esq.,  British  Museum 
Jukes,  J.  B.,  Esq.,  28,  Jennyn-street 
Junior  United  Service  Club,  Pall  Mall 

Keith,  T.  Hilton,  Esq.,  East  India  House 
Kenyon,  J.,  Esq.,  39,  Devonshu-e-place, 

New-road 
Kerslake.  Mr.  T.,  Bristol 
Keys,  Mr.  J.  A.,  H.E.I.C.S. 

Laird,  John,  Esq.,  Birkenhead 
Lardner,  Leopold  J.,  Esq.,  British  Museum 
Lane,  H.  Bowyer,  Esq.,  Birchtield,  near 
Birmingham 


Latham,  R.  G.,  Esq.,  M.D.,  20,  Upper 
Southwick-street,  Hyde  Park-sqnare 

Law,  William,  Esq.,  103,  Piccadilly 

Leicester  Permanent  Library 

Le  Mesm-ier,  R.  Artluu-,  Esq.,  Coitius 
Christi  College,  Oxford 

Lemon,  Sii-  C,  Bart.,  M.P.,  46,  Charles- 
street,  Berkeley-sqixare 

Lenox,  .James,  Esq.,  New  York 

Levesque,  Peter,  Esq.,  29,  Gnildford-st. 

Little  and  Brown,  Messrs.,  Boston,  U.S. 

Loftus,  William  Kennett,  Esq.,Newcastle- 
npon-Tyne 

Logan,  J.  Pi.,  Esq. 

London  Institntion,  Finsbury  Circus 

London  Library,  12,  St.  James's-square 

Ludlow,  J.  M.,  Esq.,  09,  Chancery-lane 

Lyceum  Library,  Hull 

Mackenzie,  Gen.  Sir  Alex.,  Eart.,  G.C.H. 

4,  Circus,  Bath 
Mackenzie,  .John  W.,  Esq.,  Edinburgh 
M'Leod,  Miss,  4,  Foley-place 
Macready,  W.  C,  Esq.,  Sherborne  House, 

Dorset 
Madan,  Capt.  Frederick,  H.C.S.,5,  North- 

wick-ten-ace,  St.  John's  Wood 
Madras  Literary  Society 
Maidstone,  Viscount 
Major,  R.  H.,  Esq.,  British  Museum 
Malcolm,  W.  Elidiinstone,  Esq.,  Burnfoot 
Manchester  Athenaeum,  The 
Markham,  Clements,  Esq.,  Gt.  Horkesley, 

Colchester 
Marsh,  Hon.  Geoi'ge  P.,  Constantinople 
Marsham,Robert,Esq.,  Stratton  Strawless, 

Norwich 
Massie,  Captain  T.  L.,  R.N.,  Chester 
Meek,  Sir  James,  14,  Somerset-place 
Milman,  The  Very  Rev.  H.  H.,Dean  of  St. 

Raid's 
Milnes,   R.  Monckton,   Esq.,    M.P.,   20, 

PaU  Mall 
Mitford,  Admiral 

Montriou,  Commander,  H.E.I.C.S. 
Montiiou,  W.,  Esq.,  Bombay 
Muller,  F.,  Esq.,  Amsterdam 
Munich  Royal  Library 
Munroe,  James  and  Co.,  Boston,  U.S. 
Muquardt,  — ,  Esq. 
Murchison,  Sir  Roderick  Impey,  F.R.S. 

&c.,  10,  Belgrave-square 
Mui-phy,  Hon.  H.  C,  Brooklyn,  New  York 
Murray,  Lord,  Great  Stuart-st.,  Edinburgh 
MuiTay,  John,  Esq.,  Albemarle-street 
Mun-ay,   William,   Esq.,   2,   John-street, 

Berkeley-square 
Murton,  George,  Esq.,  Manchester 

Nebyam,  J.   Moore,   M.D.,    10,   Leeson- 
street,  DubUn 


Nelson,  Thomas  Wright,  Esq.,  28,  Glou- 
cester-place, New-road 
Newcastle-upon-Tyne    Literai-y  and  Sci- 
entific Institute 
New  York  Mercantile  Library 
Nimmo,  Thomas,  Esq.,  Demerara 
Norris,  Edwin,  Esq.,  Sec.  Asiatic  Society, 

95,  New  Burhngton-street 
North  Shields  Literary  and  Philosophical 
Institution 

Oriental  Club,  Hanover-square 

Oswald,  Joseph,  Esq.,  29,  Mitre-terrace, 

Dow^lham-road,  Kingsland 
Oiivry,F.,  Esq.,  F.S.A.,  49,  Oxford-terrace, 

Hyde  Park 

Parker,  J.  W.,  Esq.,  West  Strand 
Pasley,  Major-General  Sir  C.  W.,  K.C.B., 

12,'Norfolk  Crescent,  Hyde  Park 
Pemberton,  Mrs. 

Pennington,  John,  Esq.,  Philadelphia 
Pennsylvania,  Historical  Society  of 
Penton,  Henry,  Esq. 
Petit,  Rev.  J.  Louis,  the  LTplands,  Shiffnal 
Petit,  Lieut.-Colouel  C.  B.,  9,  New  Squai-e, 

Lincoln's  Inn 
Pollington,  Viscomit,  2,  Bolton-row 
Porter,  G.  W.,  Esq.,  British  Museum 
Porter,  Thomas,  Esq.,  Manchester 
Porteus,  John,  Esq.,  Manchester 
Portsmouth,  the  Royal  Naval  College 
Poiu-tales,  Count  Albert,  Berlin 
Powis,  Earl  of,  45,  Berkeley-square 
Piatt,  G.  Clayton,  Esq.,  Philadelphia 
Prescott,  Rear  Admiral  H.,  C.B.,  Ports- 
mouth Dockyard 
Pringle,  William,  Esq.,  3,  King's-road 
Putnam,  G.  R.,  Esq. 

Raymond,  Geo.,  Esq.,  18,  Pall  Mall  East 
Read,  William,  Esq.,  Rathmines,  Dublin 
Reed,  F.  J.  Esq.,  Friday-st.,  Cheapside 
Rendell,  J.  M.,  Esq.,  8,  Great  George-st. 
Renouard,  Rev.   G.    Cecil,  Swanscombe, 

Dartford 
Rhodes,  R.,  Esq.,  9,  Circus,  Greenwich 
Rhys,T.,  Esq.,  Royal  Ordnance,  Woolwich 
Rich,  Messrs.,  Tavistock-row,  Cov.-gard. 
Richards,  Mr.,  37,  Great  Queen-street 
Richai-dson,  Sir  John,  M.D.,  F.R.S.,  Has- 

lar,  Gosport 
Richardson,  Ralph,  Esq.,  Greenfield  Hall, 

Holj^ell,  Flintshire 
Riggs,  G.  W.,  Esq.,  Washington,  U.S. 
Ritter,  Professor  Karl,  Berlin 
Robinson,  Lieut.  Walter  F.,R.N.,F.R.G.S., 

Junior  United  Service  Club 
Rose,  Wm.,  Esq.,  Coalport,  Shropshire 
Royal  Society,  Somerset  House 
Royal  Geographical  Society,  Waterloo-pl. 


8 


Enmbold,  C.  E.,  Esq. 

Eundall,  Thomas,  Esq.,  East  India  House 

Eutherfurd,  Lord,  St.  Colm.-st.,  Edinb. 

Eye,  Arthiu'  B.,  Esq.,  Banbury 

Eye,  W.  B.,  Esq.,  British  Museum 

Sanders,  Captain,  H.E.I.C.S. 
Saunders,  Trelawney,  Esq.,  6,  Charing-cr. 
Schomburgk,  Sir  Eobert,  St.  Domingo 
Sedgwick,  the  Eev.  Adam,  Woodwai'dian 

Professor,  Cambridge 
Sbillinglaw,  — .  Esq. 
Simmonds,the  Eev.  J.  D.,  M.A.,  Chilcombe, 

Winchester 
Simpson,  Lieutenant 
Singapore  Library 
Smith,  Ancb-ew,  Esq.,  M.D.,  7,  Pelham- 

crescent,  Brompton 
Smith,  Edmund,  Esq.,  Hull 
Smith,  George,  Esq.,  29,  Finsbiiry-square 
Smith,  G-.,  Esq.,  Hague-ter.,  Ivingsto'mi, 

DubUn 
Smith,  J.,  Esq.,  Alscot-place,  Grange-road, 

Bennondsey 
Smith,  J.,  Esq.,  Bombay 
Sotheb}',  S.  Leigh,  Esq.,  the  Woodlands, 

Nonvood 
Stanley  of  Alderley,  Lord 
Stanley,  Hon.  Hem-y  E.  J.,  2,  Grosvenor- 

crescent 
Staunton,  Sir  G.  T.,  Bai-t.,  F.E.S.,  M.P., 

17,  Devonshire-street,  Portland-place 
St.  Andi'ew's  University 
St.  Darid's,  the  Bishop  of,  Abergwili,  Car- 
marthenshire 
Stevens,  H.,  Esq.,  Boston,  United  States 
Stirling,  Wm.,  Esq.,  of  Keir,  128,  Park-st. 
Sunderland  Literary   and   Philosophical 

Society 
Swan,  the  Eev.  E.  C,  Hothfield,  Kent 

Talbot,  Earl 

Tavlor,  E.,  Esq.,  Eed  Lion  Court,  Fleet-st. 
Taylor,  T.  Esq.,  F.T.C.C. 
Ternaux  Comiians,  Mons.  H.,  Paris 
Thomas,  Eev.  Yaughan,  High-st.,  Oxford 
Thomas,  W.  A.,  Esq.,  50,  Threadneedle-st. 
Thompson,  Thos.,  Esq.,  Solicitoi%  Hull 
Titchfield,  Marquis  of,  If),  Cavendish- sq. 
Todd,  E.  B.,  Esq.,  M.D.,  F.E.S.,  3,  New- 
street,  Spring  Gardens 


Trade,  Board  of 
TraveUers'  Club,  106,  PaU  Mall 
Trinity  House,  Tower  Hill 
Tynemouth   Literary  and   Philosophical 
Institution 

United  Serrice  Institution 

Vidal,  Captain,  E.N. 

Vienna  Imperial  Library 

Von  Bach,  Johann  Fiiediich,  Esq.,  British 

Museum 
Von  Siebold,  Col.  Ph.  Fr.,  Leyden 

Waite,  Hemy,  Esq.,  Church-street,  Stoke 
NcT^ington 

WaUver,  H.  Esq.,  Cheltenham 

Walker,J.,Esq.,47,Bei'nard-st.  Eussell-sq. 

Walkei-,   Joshua,   Esq.,  Jim.,   40,  Upper 
Harley-sti'eet 

Washington,  Captain  J.,  E.N.,  Wood-street, 
Woolwich 

Waters,  J.  S.,  Esq.,  Baltimore,  U.S. 

Watts,  Thomas,  Esq.,  British  Museimi 

Weir,  William,  Esq.,  30,  Great  Coram-st. 

Whateley,  William,  Esq.,  Q.C.,  6,  Park- 
street,  Westminster 

Whewell,  the  Eev.  W.,  D.D.,  Master  of 
Trinity  College,  Cambridge 

"^Tiite,  the  Eev.  James,  Bonchurch,  Isle 
of  Wight 

Whiteman.  J.  C,  Esq.,  East  India  House 

Wickham,  W.,  Esq.,  15,  Chesterfield- St., 
May  Fair 

Wilkinson,  John,  Esq.,  3,  WeUington-st., 
Strand 

Williams,T.,Esq.,Northuniberland-house, 
Strand 

WiUson,  the  Eev.  J.,  1,  Eaj-mond's  Build- 
ings, Gray's  Inn 

Wilson,  Edward  S.,  Esq.,  Hull 

Winstanley,  E.  N.,  Esq.,  7,  Poultrv 

Worn;    H."  Drummond,   Esq.,   44,  Half 
moon-st.,  Piccadilly 

Woodd,  T.  Basil,  Esq.,  108,  New  Bond-st- 

Wood,  Lieutenant  John,  H.E.I.C.S.,  137> 
Leadenhall-street 

Wright,  H.,  Esq.,  Cheltenham 

Wyld,  James,  Esq.,  M.P.,  Strand 

Young,  G.  F.,  Esq., M.P.,  South  SeaHouse 


Honorary  Local  Secretaries. 

Edinburgh Mr.  T.  J.  Stevenson,  87,  Princes  Street. 

Glasgow Mr.  D.  Bryce. 

O.KFORD    Mr.  J.  H.  Parker. 

PlYJIOUTH    Li.EWELLYNN   Je^VITT,    EsQ. 

St.  Helier's,  Jersey.  .Mr.  Lefeuvre. 


EICHAUDS,  PRINTER,   3?,   GREAT   (^UEEN    STREET. 


WORKS     ISSUED     BY 


Ci^f   ^afeliiyt   ^Dftetg. 


NOTES  UPOX  RUSSIA. 


VOL.  II. 


M  DCCC.LII. 


E-ckid  hu  WBTmchUi/Bj/t:  Esq .' 


THE     GRAND     PRINCE    VASL 
Fmm  HerbersCdn's  Renm.  Moscovici- 


VI CH. 


NOTES  UPON  RUSSIA: 


BEING   A   TRANSLATION   OF  THE 


(JHarlicst  Account  of  tjat  (frountrg. 


ENTITLED 


RERUM   MOSCOVITICARUM   COMMENTARII, 


BY    THE    l^ROX 


SIGISMUND   VON 


AMBASSADOR   FROM    THE    COCRT   C  ?    OERiy^i^TO    lilF.    ORAND 


HERBERSTEIN, 


PRINCE   VASILEY   IVANOV 

)517    AND    l.VMl. 


IX    THE   YF.ARS 


TRANSLATED    AND    EDITED, 

ajiiti)  Xotrs  anti  an  Entrotiurtion, 
K.    H.    MAJOR, 

OF  THE  BRITISH  MUSEUM. 


*  GGTS^^-^^^nZSff'S 


VOL.    II.      \ 


|j;^"^n^DCIQ2J9a7. 


"  —  ii'ihou  list  to  know  the  Russes  well, 
To  Sigismundus  liooke  repRjTe,  who  all  the  tnieth  cau  tell." 

TiirhervUe,  1568. 


LONDON : 
PRINTED     FOR     THE     HAKLUYT     SOCIETY 

il.DCCC.LII, 


i.nxDON: 

T.  RICHARDS,  37,  OT.  QUEEN  STREET, 


I-INCOLN  S   INN    FlET.nS. 


({    c::  2 1 1965 


// 


'jn  OF  TOJ 

1154828 


wo*_ 


A^ 


0)^ 

5") 


y.  5> 


THE     HAKLUYT     SOCIETY. 


SIR   RODERICK  IMPEY  MURCHISON,  G.C.StS.,  F.R.S.,  Corr.  Mom.  Inst.   Kr., 
Hon.  Mem.  Imp.  Acad.  Sc.  St.  Petersburg,  Ac,  ic,  Peesident. 


Vice-Preside.s  TS. 


The  earl  OF  ELLESMERE. 

Capt.  C.  R.  DRIXKWATER  BETHUNE,  R.N.,  C.B.    ) 

JOHN  BARROW,  Esq. 

Reak-Admiral  Sir  FRANCIS  BEAUFORT,  K.C.B. 

CHARLES  T.  BEKE,  Esq.,  Phil.  D.,  F.S.A. 

The  lord  ALFRED  S.  CHURCHILL. 

WILLIAM  DESBOROUGH  COOLEY,  Esq. 

BOLTON  CORNEY,  Esq.,  M.R.S.L. 

The  Right  Rev.  LORD  BISHOP  OF  ST.  DAVIDS. 

The  Viscoukt  EASTNOR. 

Sib  henry  ELLIS,  K.H.,  F.R.S. 

RICHARD  FORD,  Esq. 

JOHN  FORSTER,  Esq. 

R.  W.  GREY,  Esq.,  M.P. 

JOHN  WINTER  JONES,  Esq. 

Sir  CHAELES  LEMON,  Bart.,  M.P. 

P.  LEVESQUE,  Esq. 

Sib  GEORGE  T.  STAUNTON,  Bart.,  M.P. 

HENRY  D.  WOLFF,  Esq. 


R.  H.  MAJOR,  Esq.,  F.R.G.S.,  Honorary  Secretary. 


^M/7 


ADVERTISEMENT. 


Since  the  publication  of  the  first  vohime  of  the  pre- 
sent work,  the  Editor  has  been  kindly  favoured  by 
the  Prince  Alexis  LobanofF  Rostovski,  of  Berlin,  with 
the  following  four  points  of  additional  information 
(respectively  marked  i,  ii,  iii,  iv)  touching  the  bib- 
liography of  those  writers  who  preceded  the  date  of 
Herberstein's  first  embassy  to  Russia  in  1517. 

I.  The  existence  of  a  traveller  in  Russia,  previously 
unknown  to  the  Editor,  named 

GUILLEBERT    DE    LaNNOY, 

whose  family  derived  its  origin  from  the  small  town 
of  Lannoy,  in  Flanders. 

Guillebert  de  Lannoy  was  born  about  1386,  and 
seems  to  have  early  adopted  the  career  of  arms.  In 
1413-14,  he  made  a  journey  thi'ough  Prussia,  Russia, 
Lithuania,  and  Poland ;  and  in  1421,  being  cUspatched 
to  the  east  on  various  commissions,  principally  from 
Henry  V.  of  England,  passed  through  Poland,  on  his 
way  to  Egypt  and  Syria.    He  left  an  account  of  these 


ii  ADVERTISEMENT. 

and  his  other  travels,  which  was  first  published  by 
the  "  Societe  des  Bibliophiles  de  Mons",  in  No.  10  of 
their  publications,  with  the  title — 

Voyages  et  Ambassades  de  Messire  Guillebert  de  Lannoy, 
chevalier  de  la  toison  d'or.  Seigneur  de  Santes,  etc.,  etc. 
1399-1450.     Mons,  1840  (or  rather  1842)  ; 

under  the  editorial  care  of  Mr.  C.  P.  Serrure,  from 
a  manuscript  in  his  library. 

For  our  information  respecting  this  edition,  and 
the  incorrectness  in  its  date,  we  are  indebted  to  an 
edition,  by  the  learned  Joachim  Lelewel,  of  those  por- 
tions of  De  Lannoy's  work  in  which  he  relates  his 
travels  in  Prussia,  Russia,  Lithuania,  and  Poland. 
It  is  entitled — 

Guillebert  de  Lannoy  et  ses  Voyages  en  1413,  1414,  et 
1421.  Comnientes  en  Francais  et  en  Polonais  par  Joachim 
Lelewel,  Bruxelles  et  Posen,  8vo. 

To  the  preface  of  this  work  we  would  also  refer 
the  curious  reader  for  observations  on  the  manuscript 
originals,  which  it  would  be  tedious  for  us  to  dwell 
upon  in  this  advertisement. 

II.  Two  editions  of  ^Eneas  Sylvius'  work,  on  Prussia 
and  Livonia.     The  first,  entitled — 

Enee  Silvii  episcopi  Senensis  de  situ  et  origine  Pruthe- 
norum — Dc  Livonia  ej usque  ortu  et  situ,  etc.  Sine  anno  et 
loco  ;  but,  according  to  Brunet,  Cologne,  about  1470. 

The  second  edition  referred  to  by  the  Prince, 
occurs  ill  the  "  yEncce  Silvii  opera  Geographica  et 
Plistorica".    Ilelmstadii,  1699,  4to.,  pp.  272-83. 


ADVERTISEMENT.  Ill 

III.  An  edition  of  Marco  Polo,  published  at  Venice 
in  1847,  entitled — 

I  Viaggi  di  Marco  Polo  Veneziano  tradotti  per  la  prima 
volta  dair  originale  francese  di  Pusticiano  di  Pisa  e  corre- 
dati  d'  illustrazioni  e  di  dociimenti  da  Vincenzo  Lazari. 
Venezia,  1847,  8vo. 

The  Editor's  attention  was  also  kindly  directed  to 
this  publication  by  the  Vicomte  de  Santarem,  and  by 
Dr.  Henderson,  a  member  of  the  Hakluyt  Society. 
The  latter  gentleman  in  his  letter  states,  that  "  it 
appeared  towards  the  close  of  the  scientific  meeting, 
which  was  held  at  Venice  in  the  autumn  of  1847, 
and  which  was  commemorated  by  a  medal  in  honour 
of  Marco  Polo,  and  by  the  erection  of  his  bust  in  one 
of  the  galleries  of  the  Ducal  Palace." 

IV.  An  edition  of  Herberstein,  in  the  first  volume 
of  "  Historise  RuthenicEe  Scriptores  exteri  saeculi  xvi. 
CoUegit  et  ad  veterum  editionum  fidem  edidit  Adalb. 
de  Starczewski."  Berolini  et  Petropoli,  1841-42, 
2  vols,,  8vo.,  without  note  or  comment. 

The  curious  and  interesting  documents  appended 
to  this  work  have  been  selected,  not  only  as  matter 
supplementary  and  akin  to  the  Commentarii,  but 
because  the  originals  of  them  appeared  in  the  interval 
between  the  period  of  Herberstein's  first  journey  to 
Russia,  and  the  publication  of  his  great  work  in 
1549;  while  the  longest  and  most  important,  viz., 
that  by  Paulus  Jovius,  is  given  as  an  appendix  to 
most  of  the  early  Latin  editions.  They  were  first 
published  collectively  in  Ramusio's  "  Navigationi  et 


IV  ADVERTISEMENT. 

Viaggi",  and  afterwards  "  gathered  in  parte  and  done 
into  Englyshe  by  Richarde  Eden",  as  he  himself 
expresses  it,  in  his  "  History  of  Travayle  in  the  West 
and  East  Indies,  etc."  The  first  edition  of  Eden  was 
in  1555,  but  for  the  convenience  of  the  reader,  on 
account  of  the  improvement  in  the  language  and 
spelling,  the  present  reprint  is  given  from  the  edition 
of  1577. 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 


H  s(}all  noixi  imticrtaltc  t|)c  **(!]:f)orocjrapf)2"  of  i]}t  pxhu 

CIPALITY  AND  LORDSHIP  OF  THE  GRAND  DUKE  OF  MUSCOVY,  TAKING 
MOSCOW,  THE  PRINCIPAL  CITY,  AS  THE  STARTING  POINT  ;  AND  PRO- 
CEEDING THENCE,  I  SHALL  DESCRIBE  THE  SURROUNDING  AND  MORE 
FAMOUS  PRINCIPALITIES  ONLY,  FOR  IN  SO  GREAT  AN  EXPANSE  I  HAVE 
NOT  BEEN  ABLE  TO  TRACE  EXACTLY  THE  NAMES  OF  ALL  THE  PRO- 
VINCES. THE  READER  MUST,  THEREFORE,  CONTENT  HIMSELF  WITH 
THE  NAMES  OF  THE  CITIES,  RIVERS,  MOUNTAINS,  AND  SOME  OF  THE 
MORE    REMARKABLE    PLACES. 


The  city  of  Moscow  then,  the  capital  and  metropolis  of 
Russia,  together  with  the  province  itself,  and  the  river 
which  flows  by  it,  have  but  one  and  the  same  name,  and  in 
the  vernacular  language  of  the  people  are  called  Mosqwa. 
AVhich  of  the  three  gave  its  name  to  the  other  two  is  uncer- 
tain; but  it  is  likely  that  the  name  was  derived  from  the 
river.  For  although  the  city  itself  was  not  formerly  the 
capital  of  the  nation,  yet  it  is  evident  that  the  name  of  Mus- 
covites was  not  unknown  to  the  ancients.  The  river  Mosqwa, 
moreover,  has  its  source  in  the  province  of  Tver,  nearly 
seventy  worsts  above  Mosaisko  (a  worst  is  nearly  the  length 
of  an  Italian  mile),  not  far  from  a  place  called  Oleskno,  and 
measuring  thence  a  distance  of  ninety  worsts,  flows  down  to 
the  city  of  Moscow,  and  having  received  some  streams  into 
itself,  flows  eastward  into  the  river  Occa.  It  begins,  how- 
ever, to  be  navigable  six  miles  above  Mosaisko,  at  which 
place  materials  for  building  houses  and  other  purposes  are 

A'OL.  II.  B 


2  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA, 

placed  on  rafts  and  brouglit  down  to  Moscow.  Below  the 
city  the  merchandize,  etc.,  imported  by  foreigners,  is  brought 
np  in  ships.  The  navigation  is,  however,  slow  and  difficult, 
on  account  of  the  numerous  turnings  and  windings  with 
which  the  river  is  indented,  esjjecially  between  Moscow  and 
the  city  of  Columna,  situated  on  the  bank  of  the  river  about 
three  miles  from  its  mouth,  where,  by  its  many  long  wind- 
ings, it  increases  the  length  of  the  passage  by  two  hundi-ed 
and  seventy  worsts.  The  river  is  not  very  abundant  in  fish, 
for  indeed,  "s\dth  the  exception  of  mean  and  common  sorts,  it 
has  none  at  all.  Tlie  province  of  Moscow  also  is  not  over 
extensive  or  fertile,  for  the  sandy  soil  which  covers  it  and 
which  kills  the  corn  with  the  least  excess  of  di'jmess  or  mois- 
ture, is  a  very  great  obstacle  to  fertility.  To  this  must  be 
added  the  immoderate  and  excessive  inclemency  of  the 
atmosphere,  for  as  the  severity  of  the  winter  overpowers  the 
heat  of  the  sun,  the  seed  which  is  sown  cannot  in  some  places 
reach  maturity.  For  the  cold  is  sometimes  so  intense  there, 
that  in  the  same  manner  as  with  us  in  summer  time  the  earth 
splits  into  clefts  with  too  much  heat,  so  with  them  it  does  so 
from  the  extreme  cold,  and  water  thrown  into  the  air,  or  saliva 
spit  from  the  mouth,  freezes  before  it  reaches  the  ground.  We 
ourselves,  when  we  arrived  there  in  the  year  1526,  saw  some 
boughs  of  fruit-bearing  trees  that  had  entirely  perished  with 
the  rigour  of  the  preceding  winter,  which  had  been  so  severe 
that  year,  that  many  couriers  (whom  they  call  gonecz)  were 
found  frozen  in  their  carriages.  There  were  some  men 
driving  cattle  tied  together  with  ropes  from  the  neighbour- 
ing districts  to  Moscow,  who,  overpowered  by  the  excessive 
cold,  perished  together  with  the  cattle.  Several  itinerants 
also,  who  were  accustomed  to  wander  about  the  country  with 
bears  taught  to  dance,  were  found  dead  in  the  roads.  The 
bears  also,  stimulated  by  hunger,  left  the  woods  and  ran 
about  hither  and  thither  through  the  neighbovu'ing  villages 
and  rushed  into  the  houses,  while  the  rustic  multitude,  terri- 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  3 

fied  at  their  aspect  and  strength,  fled  and  perished  miserably 
out  of  doors  with  the  cold.  This  excess  of  cold  is  sometimes 
equalled  by  the  too  great  heat,  as  in  a.d.  1525,  when  nearly 
everything  that  had  been  sown  was  burnt  up  by  the  immo- 
derate heat  of  the  sun  ;  and  such  a  want  of  provision  followed 
that  di'ought,  that  what  could  previously  be  bought  for  three 
dengs,  would  afterwards  cost  twenty  or  thirty.  A  great  many 
districts,  and  woods,  and  corn-fields,  were  seen  burnt  up  by 
the  excessive  heat.  The  smoke  of  this  so  filled  the  country, 
that  the  eyes  of  those  who  walked  out  were  severely  injured 
by  it ;  and  besides  the  smoke,  a  certain  darkness  supervened, 
which  blinded  many. 

It  is  evident  from  the  trunks  of  large  trees  which  still 
exist,  that  the  whole  country  was  not  long  since  very  woody ; 
but  although  the  husbandmen  give  care  and  labour  to  the 
cultivation  of  trees,  all  except  such  as  grow  in  the  fields  are 
brought  hither  from  the  neighbouring  provinces.  There  is 
abundance  of  corn  and  common  vegetables,  but  none  of  the 
sweeter  kinds  of  cherries  or  nuts  (except  filberts)  are  found 
in  the  whole  country.  They  have  indeed  the  fruits  of  other 
trees,  but  they  are  insipid.  They  cultivate  melons  with 
particular  care  and  industry.  They  put  earth  mixed  with 
manure  into  beds  of  a  good  depth,  and  set  the  seed  in  them, 
by  which  plan  it  is  equally  protected  against  immoderate 
cold  or  heat ;  for  if  the  heat  should  happen  to  be  too  great, 
they  prevent  it  from  sufibcating  the  seed  by  making  little 
spiral  chinks  in  the  earth,  which  has  been  thus  mixed  with 
manure,  wliile  in  excessively  cold  weather  the  warmth  of  the 
manure  itself  afibrds  protection  to  the  buried  seed. 

There  is  no  honey  in  the  province  of  Moscow,  nor  is  there 
any  game,  except  hares.  Their  cattle  are  much  smaller  than 
ours,  but  not  without  horns,  as  a  certain  person  has  written,^ 
for  1  have  seen  there  oxen,  cows,  goats,  and  rams,  all  horned. 
The  city  of  Moscow  has  a  very  eastward  position  among  the 

^  This  assertion  is  made  by  Miechow  {Tract,  ii,  lib.  2). 


4  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

otlier  cities  of  the  north,  which  we  easily  perceived  in  oui* 
journey  thither  ;  for  when  we  left  Vienna,  Ave  proceeded 
direct  to  Cracow,  and  thence  travelled  nearly  a  hundred 
German  niiles  northward ;  at  length  the  road  turning  east- 
ward, we  reached  Moscow,  situated,  if  not  in  Asia,  at  any 
rate  on  the  very  extreme  confines  of  Europe,  where  it  joins 
Asia,  of  which  circumstance  I  shall  say  more  hereafter  in  my 
description  of  the  Don. 

The  city  itself  is  built  of  wood,  and  tolerably  large,  and  at 
a  distance  appears  larger  than  it  really  is,  for  the  gardens 
and  spacious  coiu't-yards  in  every  house  make  a  great  addi- 
tion to  the  size  of  the  city,  which  is  again  greatly  increased 
by  the  houses  of  smiths  and  other  artificers  who  employ  fires. 
These  houses  extend  in  a  long  row  at  the  end  of  the  city, 
intersj)ersed  with  fields  and  meadows.  Moreover,  not  far 
from  the  city,  are  some  small  houses,  and  the  other  side  of 
the  river  some  villas,  where,  a  few  years  ago,  the  Prince 
Vasiley  built  a  new  city  for  his  courtiers,  called  Nali  (which 
in  their  language  means  ''pour  in"),  because  other  Russians 
were  forbidden  to  drink  mead  and  beer,  except  on  a  few 
days  in  the  year,  and  the  pri^dlege  of  drinking  was  granted 
by  the  prince  to  these  alone  ;  and  for  this  reason  they  sepa- 
rated themselves  from  intercourse  with  the  rest  of  the  inhabi- 
tants to  prevent  theu"  being  corrupted  by  their  mode  of  living. 
Not  far  from  the  citv  are  some  monasteries,  which  alone 
appear  like  a  great  city  to  persons  looking  from  a  distance. 
Moreover,  in  consequence  of  the  great  extent  of  the  city,  it 
is  confined  by  no  settled  boundary,  nor  has  it  any  useful  de- 
fences in  the  shape  of  walls,  fosses,  or  ramparts.  The  streets 
are,  however,  blocked  up  in  some  places  by  beams  thrown 
across  them,  and  are  guarded  by  watchmen  placed  there  at 
early  nightfall,  so  that  no  one  is  allowed  access  by  that  way 
after  a  stated  hour  ;  and  any  who  are  taken  after  that  by  the 
Avatchmen  are  cither  beaten,  stripped,  or  throAA'n  into  prison, 
unless  they  happen  to  be  persons  of  distinction  or  rcspecta- 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  O 

bility  :  and  even  these  are  generally  accompanied  tome  by 
the  watchmen.  Such  watches  are  generally  set  wherever 
there  is  an  open  entrance  into  the  city,  for  the  Mosqwa  flows 
by  one  side  of  the  city,  and  the  river  Jausa,  which  flows  into 
it  under  the  city  itself,  has  such  steep  banks,  that  it  scarcely 
admits  of  being  forded.  In  this  latter  river  many  mills 
have  been  erected  for  the  public  use  of  the  city,  which  seems 
to  be  mainly  defended  by  these  rivers ;  with  the  exception 
of  a  few  stone  houses,  churches,  and  monasteries,  it  is 
entirely  a  city  of  wood.  The  number  of  houses  which  it 
is  said  to  contain  is  scarcely  credible.  For  they  say, 
that  six  years  before  my  arrival  at  ]Moscow,  the  houses 
were  counted  by  an  order  of  the  prince,  and  that  the  num- 
ber exceeded  41,500.  This  city  is  so  broad  and  spacious, 
and  so  very  dirty,  that  bridges  have  been  constructed 
here  and  there  in  the  highways  and  streets  and  in  the 
other  more  distinguished  parts.  There  is  a  fortress  in  it 
built  of  biu'nt  tiles,  which  on  one  side  is  washed  by  the 
Mosqwa  and  on  the  other  by  the  River  Xeghma  [Xegli- 
naia].  The  Neglima  flows  from  certain  marshes,  but  is 
so  blocked  up  before  the  city  around  the  upper  part  of  the 
fortress,  that  it  comes  out  like  stagnant  water,  and  running 
down  thence,  it  fills  the  moats  of  the  fortress,  in  wliich  are 
some  mills,  and  at  length,  as  I  have  said,  is  joined  by  the 
Mosqwa  under  the  fortress  itself.  The  fortress  is  so  large, 
that  it  not  only  contains  the  very  extensive  and  magni- 
ficently built  stone  palace  of  the  prince,  but  the  metroj)0- 
litan  bishop,  the  brothers  of  the  prince,  the  peers,  and  a 
great  many  others,  have  spacious  houses  of  wood  within  it. 
Besides  these,  it  contains  many  chiirches,  so  that  from  its 
size  it  might  itself  almost  be  taken  for  a  city.  This  fortress 
was  at  first  surrounded  only  by  oaks,  and  up  to  the  time  of 
the  Grand  Duke  I^an  Danielovich  was  small  and  mean 
in  appearance.  It  was  he,  who,  by  the  persuasion  of  Peter 
the  metropolitan,  first  transferred  the  imperial  residence  to 


6  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

this  place.  Peter  had  originally  selected  that  place  from 
love  of  one  Alexius,  who  was  buried  there,  and  who 
is  said  to  have  been  famous  for  mii'acles ;  and  after  his 
death,  being  biu'ied  in  this  place,  miracles  were  likewise 
done  at  his  tomb,  so  that  the  place  itself  acquired  such  a 
celebrity,  from  a  certain  notion  of  its  sacredness  and  religious 
character,  that  all  the  princes  who  succeeded  Ivan  thought 
that  the  seat  of  empire  ought  to  be  held  there.  For  on  the 
death  of  Ivan,  his  son  of  the  same  name  retained  his  seat 
there ;  and  after  him,  Dimitry ;  and  after  Dimitry,  that 
Vasiley,  who  married  the  daughter  of  Withold,  and  left 
behind  him  Vasiley  the  Blind.  Of  hun  was  born  Ivan,  the 
father  of  that  prince,  at  whose  court  I  was  ambassador,  and 
who  first  surrounded  the  fortress  ■ndth  a  wall ;  and  his  de- 
scendants, nearly  thirty  years  after,  have  brought  the  work  to 
completion.  C  The  ramparts  and  battlements  of  this  fortress, 
as  well  as  the  prince's  palace,  were  built  of  brick,  in  the 
Italian  style,  by  Itahans,  whom  the  prince  had  sent  for  from 
Italy  with  the  offer  of  large  remuneration,  j  There  are  also, 
as  I  have  said,  many  churches  in  it,  nearly  all  of  wood,  except 
the  two  handsomest,  which  are  built  of  brick.  One  of  these 
is  consecrated  to  the  Blessed  Virgin,  the  other  to  St.  Michael. 
In  the  church  of  the  Blessed  Virgm  are  buried  the  bodies  of 
the  two  archbishops  who  were  the  cause  of  the  prince's  trans- 
ferring thither  the  seat  of  empire  and  the  metropolis ;  and 
principally  on  that  account  they  have  been  enrolled  among 
the  number  of  the  saints.  The  other  church  is  used  as  a 
burial-place  for  the  princes,  p^here  were  also  many  churches, 
being  built  of  stone,  at  the  time  that  I  was  there.  J 

The  climate  of  the  country  is  so  wholesome,  that,  from  the 
sources  of  the  Don,  especially  northwards,  and  a  great  way 
towards  the  east,  no  plague  has  raged  there  in  the  memory 
of  man.  They  sometimes,  however,  have  a  disorder  of  the 
bowels  and  head,  not  unlike  the  plague,  which  they  call 
"  the  heat":  those  who  are  seized  with  it  die  in  a  few  days. 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  7 

That  disorder  was  very  prevalent  when  I  was  at  Moscow, 
and  took  off  one  of  my  servants ;  but  from  the  people  being 
accustomed  to  live  in  so  wholesome  a  climate,  if  the  plague 
at  any  time  be  raging  in  Novogorod,  Smolensko,  or  Plescow, 
from  fear  of  contagion  they  exclude  from  their  own  country 
any  people  who  come  thence  to  them. 

(■  The  people  of  Moscow  are  more  cunning  and  deceitful 
than  all  others,  their  honour  being  especially  slack  in  busi- 
ness contracts, — of  which  fact  they  themselves  are  by  no 
means  ignorant,  for  whenever  they  trailick  with  foreigners, 
they  pretend,  in  order  to  attain  greater  credit,  that  they  are 
not  men  of  Moscow,  but  strangers. ^ 

The  longest  day  in  Moscow  in  the  summer  solstice,  is 
said  to  be  seventeen  hours  and  three  quarters.  I  could 
not,  at  that  time,  ascertain  from  any  body  the  exact  eleva- 
tion of  the  jDole,  although  one  man  told  me,  but  ujDon 
uncertain  authority,  that  he  had  heard  it  was  fifty-eight 
degrees.  At  length  I  myself  made  a  venture  with  the 
astrolabe,  and  on  the  ninth  day  of  June,  at  noon,  observed 
that  the  sun  was  at  fifty-eight  degrees.  From  which  observ- 
ation it  was  deduced,  by  the  reckoning  of  men  skilled  in 
these  things,  that  the  elevation  of  the  pole  was  fifty  degrees, 
and  that  the  longest  day  was  seventeen  hours  and  one 
quarter. 

Moscow  having  received  the  first  place  in  this  description, 
I  shall  proceed  to  the  other  provinces  subject  to  the  Grand 
Duke,  taking  them  in  order  as  they  lie  eastward,  whence 
going  round  by  the  south,  and  west,  and  north,  we  shall  in 
due  course  come  down  again  to  the  equinoctial  east. 

First  comes  the  great  city,  Vladimir,  which  has  a  fortifica- 
tion of  wood  attached  to  it.  Tliis  city,  from  the  time  of 
Vladimir,  who  was  afterwards  called  Vasiley,  to  the  reign  of 
Ivan  Danielovich,  was  the  metropolis  of  Russia.  Between 
the  Wolga  and  the  Occa,  there  are  two  great  rivers,  situated 
thirty-six  German  miles  eastward  from  Moscow,  in  a  spot  so 


8  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

fertile,  that  from  one  bushel  of  wheat  often  twenty,  and 
sometimes  thirty  bushels,  may  be  produced,  j  The  river 
Clesma  [Kleasma]  washes  the  city ;  in  other  respects  it  is 
begii't  with  large  extensive  woods.  The  Clesma,  moreover, 
rises  four  German  miles  from  Moscow,  and  is  alike  famous 
for,  and  rendered  useful  by,  the  numerous  mills  upon  it ; 
it  is  navigable  twelve  miles,  as  far  as  the  towni  of  Murom, 
situated  on  the  bank  of  the  Occa,  into  which  river  it  falls. 
There  was  formerly  a  principality,  situated  amidst  vast 
forests,  twenty -four  miles  due  east  from  Vladimir,  inhabited 
by  a  people  called  Muromani,  and  which  abounded  in  furs, 
honey,  and  fish. 

Lower  Novogorod  is  a  large  wood-built  city,  situated  on  a 
rock  at  the  confluence  of  the  Volga  and  Occa,  wdth  a  stone 
fortification,  built  by  the  present  monarch,  Vasiley.  They 
say  that  it  is  forty  German  miles  east  from  Murom ;  and  if 
so,  Novogorod  will  be  a  hundred  miles  from  Moscow.  The 
country  equals  Vladimir  in  fertility  and  abundance.  It  forms 
the  boundary,  in  tliis  direction,  of  the  Clnistian  religion ; 
for  although  the  Prince  of  Muscovy  has  beyond  tliis  Novo- 
gorod a  fortress  named  Sura,  yet  the  intermediate  people, 
who  are  called  Czeremissi,  do  not  follow  the  Christian,  but 
the  Mahometan  religion.  Moreover,  there  are  other  people, 
called  Mordwa,  mixed  with  the  Czeremissi,  who  occupy  a 
great  part  of  the  country  this  side  of  the  Volga,  as  far  as 
Sura.  The  Czeremissi  live  northwards  beyond  the  Volga, 
and  to  make  a  distinction  from  them,  those  that  live  above 
Novogorod  are  called  the  Upper  or  Mountain  Czeremissi ; 
not,  indeed,  from  any  mountains,  for  there  are  none,  but 
rather  from  the  hills  which  they  inhabit. 

The  river  Sura  divides  the  dominions  of  the  Prince  of 
Russia  and  the  King  of  Kazan.  Coming  from  the  south,  it 
beards  its  course  eastward  twenty-eight  miles  below  Novogo- 
rod, and  flows  into  the  Volga.  At  the  confluence  of  the  two 
rivers.  Prince  Vasiley  has  built,  on  the  further  bank,  a  fort- 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  \) 

ress,  which  he  has  named  after  hmiself,  Vasilovgorod^  wliich 
has  subsequently  become  the  hotbed  of  many  misfortunes. 
Not  far  hence  is  the  river  Mosqwa,  which  also  flows  from  the 
south,  and  falls  into  the  Occa  above  Murom,  not  far  from  the 
tOT\ai  of  Cassimovgorod,  which  the  Prince  of  Moscow  has 
given  up  as  an  abode  for  the  Tartars. 

The  women  of  the  latter  people,  by  a  certain  art,  stain 
theii*  nails  a  black  colour,  for  the  sake  of  beauty,  and  con- 
stantly go  about  with  theii*  heads  uncovered  and  their  hair 
dishevelled.     Eastward  and  southward  of  the  river  Mosqwa 
are  immense  forests  inhabited  by  the  Mordwa  people,  who     ' 
have  a  dialect  of  their  own,  and  are  subject  to  the  Prince     _^ 
of  Moscow.     Some  maintain  that  they  are  idolaters,  while      S 
others  say  that  they  are  Mahometans.     They  dwell  in  vil- 
lages scattered  here  and  there,   and  cultivate  the  ground. 
Their  food  is  game  and  honey,  and  they  abound  in  valuable 
skins ;    they  are  especially  hardy  men,  for  they  have  often 
bravely  repxdsed  those  Tartars  who  rove  about  in  quest  of 
plunder.     They  are  nearly  all  foot  soldiers,  remarkable  for 
their  long  bows,  and  very  skilful  in  archery. 

The  province  of  Rezan  is  situated  between  the  Occa  and 
the  Don,  and  has  in  it  a  wood-built  city  not  far  from  the 
bank  of  the  Occa.  There  was  formerly  a  fortress  in  it, 
called  Jaroslaw,  of  which  nothing  now  remains  but  the  ruins. 
Not  far  from  that  city  the  river  Occa  forms  an  island,  called 
Strub,  once  a  large  duchy,  whose  prince  was  subject  to  no 
one.  South-east,  or  as  some  maintain,  north-east^  of  Moscow, 
stands  the  city  of  Columna.  After  that  Rezan,  which  is 
thirty-six  miles  distant  from  Moscow.  ufThis  province  is 
more  fertile  than  all  the  other  provinces  of  Russia,  for  they 
say  that  in  it  each  grain  of  wheat  produces  sometimes  two  or 
more  ears,  and  the  stalks  grow  so  thick  that  horses  cannot 

^  Columna  is  situated,  as  Herberstein  correctly  states,  south-east  of 
Moscow. 

VOL.   II.  C 


10  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

easily  pass  thi'ough  it,  nor  the  quails  fly  out  of  it.  There  is 
a  great  abundance  there  of  honey,  fish,  birds,  and  wild 
beasts ;  and  the  fruits  are  far  superior  to  the  fruits  of  Mos- 
cow.    The  people  are  most  daring  and  warlike. 

The  Don  flows  out  of  the  province  of  Moscow  up  to  this 
fortress,  and  nearly  twenty-four  German  miles  beyond  it ;  it 
passes  near  a  place  called  Donco,  where  the  merchants  going 
to  Azov,  Cafia,  and  Constantinople,  load  their  ships.  This  they 
do  generally  in  autumn  in  the  rainy  season,  for  the  Don  is  not 
full  enousfh  of  water  at  other  times  of  the  vear  to  bear  laden 
vessels.      The  Grand  Duke  Vasiley,  who  had  married  the 
sister  of  Ivan  Vasilei\dch,  Grand  Duke  of  Moscow,  and  had 
by  her  Ivan  and  Feodor,  once  ruled  over  Eezan.     AVhen 
Vasiley  died,  his  son  Ivan  succeeded  him ;   and  his  sons  by 
the   daughter    of  the  knes,   Feodor   Babitz,  were  Vasiley, 
Feodor,  and  Ivan.     On  the  death  of  their  father,  the  two 
eldest  of  these  contended  for  the  dominion,  and  fought  a 
battle  on  the  plains  of  Eezan.      One  of  them  died  in  this 
battle ;  and  the  victor  not  long  after  died  on  the  same  plains, 
where   an   oaken  cross  was   erected  to  his  memory.      The 
youngest  of  the  three  brothers,  who  still  survived,  on  learn- 
ing their  death,  made  alliance  with  the  Tartars,  and  took 
forcible  possession  of  the  principality  for  which  his  brothers 
had  contended,  and  which  was  hitherto  in  the  possession  of 
his  mother.     Having  done  this,  he  applied  to  the  Duke  of 
Moscow  for  permission  to  govern,  as  his  ancestors  had  done, 
unchecked  by  any  one  in  the  free  teniu-e  and  possession  of 
the  principality.     While  he  was  making  this  proposal,  the 
Grand  Prince  heard  that  he  was   seeking  in  marriage  the 
daughter  of  the  king  of  Taurida,  with  whom  the  prince  was 
then  at  war.     AMierefore,  when  the  prince  sent  for  hmi,  he, 
through  fear,  hesitated  and  delayed  to  go.     At  length,  by 
the  persuasion  of  Simon  Crubin,  one  of  his  counsellors,  he 
went  to  Moscow,  where  he  was  seized  by  the  prince's  com- 
mand, and  placed  under  custody,  but  not  in  prison  {liberis 


NOTES    L'PON    RUSSIA.  11 

custodiis).  The  prince  then  deposed  his  mother,  and  thi-ew 
her  into  a  monastery,  and  took  possession  of  the  citadel  and 
the  principality ;  and  to  prevent  any  subseqnent  revolt  on 
the  part  of  the  people  of  E,ezan,  he  dispersed  a  great  portion 
of  them  through  different  colonies,  so  that  the  strength  of 
the  entire  principality  was  loosened  and  broken.  Moreover, 
in  1521,  when  the  Tartars  pitched  their  camp  before  Mos- 
cow, Ivan  escaped  from  custody  in  the  tumult,  and  fled  into 
Lithuania,  where  he  still  continued  in  exile  [when  I  was  in 
Russia?]. 

The  town  of  Tula  is  nearly  forty  German  miles  distant 
from  Eezan,  but  thii-ty-six  southward  from  Moscow ;  it  is 
the  last  city  one  comes  to  before  reaching  the  desert  plain. 
It  contains  a  stone  citadel  built  by  Yasiley  Ivanovich.  A 
river  of  the  same  name  flows  by  it.  Another  river,  called 
the  Uppa,  washes  the  citadel  on  the  east,  and  joining  the 
river  Tula,  flows  into  the  Occa,  nearly  twenty  German  miles 
above  AYorotinski.  Not  far  from  its  mouth  is  the  fortress 
of  Ovoyov'.  The  town  of  Tula,  moreover,  had  its  own  prince 
in  the  time  of  Vasiley. 

The  very  famous  river  Don,  which  divides  Europe  from 
Asia,^  rises  nearly  eight  miles  south  and  a  little  by  east  from 
Tiila, — not  in  the  Riphaean  \i.  e.,  Ural]  mountains,  as  some 
have  stated,  but  in  the  Ivanovosero,  that  is,  the  Great  Lake  of 
Ivan,  which  in  length  and  breadth  stretches  over  about  1,500 
versts,  and  takes  its  rise  in  a  wood  which  some  call  Okonitz- 
kilies,  others  Jepiphanovlies.  From  this  lake,  the  two  great 
rivers,  the  Schat  and  the  Don,  take  their  rise.  The  Schat 
flows  westward,  and  after  receiving  the  river  Uppa,  flows 
in  a  north-west  direction  into  the  Occa.  But  the  Don  in  its 
first  course  flows  due  east,  and  runs  between  the  kingdoms 
of  Kazan  and  Astrachan,  six  or  seven  German  miles  from 
the  ^  olga ;  it  then  takes  a  southward  coui'se,  and  forms  the 

^  This  notion  of  Herberstein,  that  the  Don  separated  Europe  from 
Asia,  accounts  for  his  elsewhere  describing  Moscow  as  situated  in  Asia. 


V 


12  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

marshes  which  have  received  the  name  of  the  Palus  Moeotis. 
The  nearest  city  to  its  soui'ce  is  Tula;  but  on  the  shore 
nearly  three  miles  above  its  mouth  is  the  city  of  Azov,  which 
was  originally  called  Tanas.  Four  days' journey  above  this  is 
the  town  of  Achas,  situated  on  the  same  river  (called  in  Latin, 
Tanais),  which  the  Russians  call  the  Don.  {^This  place  is  so 
remarkable  for  its  abundance  of  excellent  fish,  and  also  for 
its  pleasantness, — each  side  of  the  river  being  laid  out  and 
cultivated  with  considerable  industryHin  the  fashion  of  a 
garden,  w4th  a  variety  of  plants  and  most  delightful  roots, 
and  a  great  number  of  fruit-bearing  trees, — that  it  is  impos- 
sible to  praise  it  too  highly.  There  is  also  such  an  abund- 
ance of  game  there^  wliich  they  kill  with  their  arrows  without 
much  trouble,  that  persons  travelling  through  the  country 
want  nothing  else  to  support  life,  except  fire  and  salt  for 
cooking.  I  In  these  parts  they  do  not  reckon  by  miles,  but 
days'  journeys.  So  far  as  I  could  form  a  conjecture,  the 
Don  is  nearly  eighty  German  miles  from  its  source  to  its 
mouth,  going  in  a  straight  line.  Nearly  twenty  days'  sail 
from  Donco,  where,  as  I  said,  the  Don  is  first  navigable,  we 
come  to  Azov,  a  city  which  is  tributary  to  the  Turks ;  and, 
according  to  them,  is  five  days'  journey  from  the  Isthmus  of 
Taurica,  otherwise  called  Precop.  Here  is  a  famous  empo- 
rium of  many  nations,  who  come  thither  from  different  parts 
of  the  world ;  and  as  fr*ee  access  is  permitted  to  all  people  of 
every  country,  with  abundant  liberty  of  buying  and  selling, 
so  also  on  going  out  of  the  city  are  all  permitted  to  do 
what  they  please  with  impunity. 

As  to  the  altars  erected  by  Alexander  and  Csesar,  or  their 
ruins,  which  several  writers  describe  as  being  in  these  parts, 
I  have  not  been  able  to  learn  anything  for  certain,  either 
from  the  natives,  or  others,  who  have  very  frequently  tra- 
velled in  those  places.  The  soldiers  also,  whom  the  prince 
is  accustomed  to  have  there  in  garrison  every  year  to  recon- 
noitre and  repress  the  excursions  of  the  Tartars^  have  told 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  13 

me  when  I  have  made  inquiries  iipon  the  subject,  that  they 
have  neither  seen  nor  heard  anything  of  the  sort.  They 
confessed,  however,  that  about  the  mouth  of  the  Lesser  Don, 
four  days'  jora*ney  from  Azov,  near  the  site  of  Velikiprevos, 
in  the  holy  mountains,  they  have  seen  some  statues  of 
marble  and  stone.  The  Lesser  Don,  moreover,  rises  in  the 
principality  of  Sewerski,  whence  the  Donetz  is  called  Se- 
werski,  and  falls  into  the  Don  three  days'  journey  above 
Azov.  Those  who  travel  by  land  from  Moscow  to  Azov, 
cross  the  Don  near  the  old  and  ruined  city  of  Donco,  and 
turn  southwards  and  a  little  by  east,  where,  if  a  straight  line 
be  di-awn  from  the  mouth  of  the  Don  to  its  source,  you  will 
find  that  Moscow  is  in  Asia,  and  not  in  Europe. — [See  note, 
page  11.] 

Misceveck  is  a  marshy  place,  in  which  there  was  formerly 
a  fort,  the  remams  of  which  yet  exist.  There  are  still  some 
people  who  dwell  in  huts  near  this  place,  who  in  times  of 
danger  take  refuge  among  those  marshes,  or  flee  into  the 
fortress.  Misceveck  lies  nearly  sixty  German  miles  south  of 
Moscow,  and  nearly  thu*ty  from  Tula.  The  river  Occa 
rises  nearly  eighteen  miles  to  the  left  of  Misceveck.  It  first 
flows  eastward,  then  northward,  and  lastly,  towards  the  sum- 
mer east  (as  they  themselves  call  it) ;  and  thus  the  Occa 
shuts  in  Misceveck  with  a  figure  of  nearly  a  semicircle,  and 
then  flows  by  many  towns,  namely,  Worotin,  Cologa,  Cirpach, 
Corsir,  Columna,  E.ezan,  Casimovgorod,  and  Murom,  and 
finally  enters  the  Volga  below  Lower  Novogorod,  and  is 
enclosed  on  both  sides  with  woods,  which  are  extremely 
abundant  in  honey.  All  the  lands  which  it  waters  are  most 
fertile.  The  river  is  very  celebrated,  especially  for  its  abund- 
ance of  fish ;  and  its  fish  is  preferred  to  those  of  the  other 
rivers  of  Russia,  particularly  those  which  are  taken  near 
Murom.  It  has,  moreover,  some  kinds  of  fish  peculiar  to 
itself,  which  are  called  in  their  language  Beluga, — a  fish  of  a 
wonderfvd  size  without  fins,  with  a  large  head  and  mouth, — 


14  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA, 

Sterlet,  Schevrlga,  Osseter, — tlie  three  last  are  a  kind  of  stur- 
geon,— and  Bielaribitza,  wliicli  is  a  little  i;vliite  fish  of  most 
excellent  flavour.  It  is  supposed  that  the  greatest  part  of 
these  come  do'rni  thither  from  the  Volga.  Moreover,  they 
say,  that  two  other  rivers  take  their  rise  at  the  sources  of  the 
Occa,  namely,  the  Sem  and  the  Schosna.  The  Sem  flo"^s 
through  the  principality  of  Sevrera,  and  passing  by  the  toTvn 
of  Potivlo,  falls  into  the  river  Desna,  which  last  river  runs 
through  the  town  of  Czernigov,  and  joins  the  Dnieper  below 
Kiev,  The  Schosna,  however,  makes  its  way  directly  into 
the  Don. 

Corsii'a  is  a  town  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Occa,  six 
miles  above  Columna.  It  formerly  had  a  governor,  who 
held  it  in  his  own  right ;  but  being  reported  to  Prince 
Vasiley  as  one  who  conspired  against  his  life,  he  was  invited, 
under  a  plausible  pretext  from  the  prince,  to  join  him  in  the 
chase.  He  armed  himself  (for  some  one  advised  him  not  to 
go  unarmed),  and  went  to  the  prince  during  the  hunt.  He 
was  not  admitted,  however ;  but  was  ordered  to  be  taken, 
under  the  charge  of  Michael  Georgio\ach,  the  prince's  secre- 
tary, to  the  neighboui-ing  town  of  Czerpach,  and  there  to  be 
confined.  On  his  arrival,  the  prince's  secretary  desired  him, 
according  to  the  usual  custom,  to  drink  to  the  prince's 
health,  "ViTien  he  found  himself  thus  caught  in  a  snare, 
which  he  had  no  means  of  escaping,  he  sent  for  a  priest, 
drained  the  cup,  and  died.  By  this  infamous  crime,  Vasiley 
became  possessor  of  the  town  of  Czerpach,  -s^hich  lies  eight 
miles  from  Corsira,  on  the  banks  of  the  Occa,  near  which 
there  are  ii'on  mines  situated  in  a  plain, 

Coluga  is  a  town  on  the  river  Occa,  thirty-six  miles  from 
Moscow,  and  fourteen  from  Czerpach.  They  make  there 
cleverly  carved  cups  of  wood,  and  other  articles  for  domestic 
purposes  of  the  same  material,  which  are  exported  thence 
into  the  various  provinces  of  Eussia,  as  well  as  into  Lithu- 
ania, and  other  surrounding  countries.     The  jorince  is  accus- 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  15 

tomed  to  place  garrisons  every  year  in  this  spot,  against  tlie 
incursions  of  the  Tartars. 

Worotin  is  a  city  and  fort,  bearing  the  same  name  as  its 
principality.  It  lies  three  miles  above  Coluga,  not  far  from 
the  bank  of  the  Occa.  The  principality  was  formerly  pos- 
sessed by  the  Knes  Ivan  Worotinski,  a  warlike  man,  and 
excelling  in  various  accomplishments,  through  whose  gene- 
ralship the  Prince  Vasiley  had  often  won  distinguished  vic- 
tories over  his  enemies.  In  the  year  1521,  however,  when 
the  King  of  Taurida  crossed  the  Occa,  and,  as  has  been 
already  said,  invaded  Russia  with  a  large  army,  the  Knes 
Dimitry  Bielski,  a  young  man,  was  sent  with  an  army  by 
the  prince  to  check  and  repel  him  ;  but  he,  neglecting  the 
wise  counsels  of  Worotinski  and  others,  disgracefuEy  took 
to  flight  at  the  fii'st  sight  of  the  enemy.  After  the  departure 
of  the  Tartars,  the  prince  made  diligent  inquiries  respecting 
the  authors  of  the  flight,  but  acquitted  Andrew,  the  prince's 
own  brother  (who  really  had  been  the  cause  of  it),  and 
others ;  while  Ivan  Worotinski  not  only  fell  under  the 
prince's  severest  displeasure,  but  was  seized  and  di-iven  out 
of  his  principality.  He  was,  it  is  true,  finally  discharged 
from  custody,  but  only  on  the  condition  that  he  should 
never  leave  Moscow.  I  have  myself  seen  hun  at  Moscow 
among  the  principal  men  at  the  prince's  coui-t. 

Sewera  is  a  great  principality,  whose  citadel,  Novogrodek, 
not  long  since  was  the  seat  of  the  Sewerian  princes,  before 
they  were  ejected  ffom  the  principality  by  Vasiley.  It  lies 
a  hundred  and  fifty  German  miles  due  sou.th  from  Moscow, 
the  road  passing  through  Coluga,  Worotin,  Serensko,  and 
Branski ;  and  the  principality  extends  as  far  as  the  Dnieper. 
It  contains  some  vast  deserts,  with  fields  interspersed  here 
and  there  ;  there  is,  however,  a  large  wood  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Branski.  It  contains  many  forts  and  to-vvns; 
the  most  celebrated  of  which  are  Staradub,  Potivlo,  and 
Czernigov.      The  land  is  fertile  wherever  it  is  cultivated. 


16  NOTES    UPON    KL'SSIA. 

The  woods  are  extremely  abimdant  in  squirrel  and  martins, 
and  also  in  honey.  The  people  are  very  warlike,  through 
their  constant  engagements  Avith  the  Tartars.  Vasiley  Ivan- 
ovich,  however,  reduced  this  principality,  like  many  others, 
into  subjection  to  himself,  in  the  following  manner :  Vasiley 
had  two  nej)hews,  sons  of  his  brothers,  —  one  surnamed 
Semetzitz,  who  possessed  the  fortress  of  Novogrodek,  while 
the  other  held  the  city  of  Staradub.  At  the  same  time  a 
certain  prince  named  Dimitry  possessed  Potivlo.  Now 
Vasiley  Semetzitz,  who  "uas  strong  in  arms,  and  a  terror  to 
the  Tartars,  was  so  strongly  infected  with  the  lust  of  power, 
that  he  coveted  the  whole  princijDality  for  himself,  and 
could  not  rest  until  he  had  brought  Vasiley  of  Staradub  to  a 
most  abject  condition,  and  then  driving  him  away,  he  took 
possession  of  his  province. 

After  succeeding  in  this  attempt,  he  attacked  Dimitry  in 
a  different  manner.  He  traduced  him  to  the  prince  as  one 
who  was  plotting  treachery.  The  prince,  indignant  at  this, 
ordered  Vasiley  to  seize  Dunitry  by  any  contrivance,  and  to 
send  him  forth^vith  to  him  to  Moscow.  Vasiley  accordingly 
contrived  to  have  Dimitry  waylaid  wliile  hunting ;  and 
stationed  horsemen  at  the  gates  of  his  town  to  seize  him  if 
he  should  endeavour  to  flee  thither ;  and  being  thus  cap- 
tured, Dimitry  was  taken  to  Moscow  and  thrown  into  prison. 
His  only  son,  Dimitry,  took  this  injury  so  much  to  heart, 
that  he  immediately  fled  to  the  Tartars,  and  with  the  view 
of  effecting  a  more  speedy  and  heavy  revenge  for  the  wrong 
done  to  his  father,  he  abjured  the  Chi'istian  faith,  was  circum- 
cised, and  became  a  Mahometan.  During  his  stay  amongst 
the  Tartars,  he  chanced  to  fall  violently  in  love  with  a  very 
beautiful  girl,  and  as  he  could  not  gain  possession  of  her  by 
any  other  means,  he  privately  carried  her  ofi"  without  the 
consent  of  her  parents.  The  servants  who  were  circumcised 
with  him,  made  this  known  to  the  girl's  relations,  and  they 
suddenly  attacked  him  one  night,  and  put  both  him  and  the 


NOTES   UPON    RUSSIA.  17 

girl  to  death  by  a  discharge  of  arrows.  When  Prince  Va- 
siley  heard  of  the  flight  of  Dimitry's  o-vm  son  to  the  Tartars, 
he  ordered  the  father  to  be  placed  in  still  closer  confinement, 
and  when  the  old  man  shortly  after  heard  of  the  death  of  his 
son  in  Tartary,  he  died  worn  out  with  grief  and  imprison- 
ment in  that  same  year,  1519.  All  this  was  done  through 
the  agency  of  Vasiley  Semetzitz,  at  whose  instigation  the 
prince  had  previously  seized  his  relative,  the  lord  of  Corsii-a, 
and  slain  him  in  prison.  But  as  it  often  occurs  that  they 
who  lay  snares  for  others  fall  into  them  themselves,  so  it 
happened  to  this  Semetzitz.  For  he  also  was  accused  to  the 
prince  of  the  crime  of  rebellion,  and  was  summoned  on  that 
charge  to  Moscow,  but  refused  to  go  tliither  unless  he  first 
received  letters  of  safe  conduct,  ratified  by  the  oath  of  the 
prince  and  the  metropolitan.  Upon  his  recei\'ing  these, 
which  were  formally  made  out  and  sent  to  him,  he  went  to 
Moscow  on  the  19th  of  Ajiril  1523,  and  was  honourably 
received  by  the  prince,  who  even  offered  him  presents  ;  but 
a  few  days  after  he  was  seized  and  thrown  into  prison,  and 
was  still  kept  in  confinement  [at  the  time  that  I  was  there]. 
They  say  that  the  reason  of  his  being  imprisoned  was,  that 
he  had  sent  letters  by  the  governor  of  Kiev  to  the  king  of 
Poland,  expressing  a  wish  to  desert  to  him ;  and  that  the 
governor,  when  he  became  acquainted  with  his  base  inten- 
tion towards  his  prince,  resigned  his  charge  of  the  letters, 
and  sent  them  immediately  to  the  prince  of  Moscow.  Others, 
however,  ascribe  a  more  likely  reason,  viz.,  that  as  Semetzitz 
was  the  only  one  in  all  the  empii-e  of  the  prince  of  Muscovy 
who  now  remained  in  possession  of  fortified  towns  and  prin- 
cipalities, the  latter,  in  order  the  more  easily  to  eject  liim, 
and  for  the  greater  safety  of  his  own  government,  invented 
against  him  the  charge  of  treason,  as  a  means  of  removing 
him.  In  allusion  to  this,  a  certain  jester  went  about  carry- 
ing brooms  in  the  streets  at  the  time  that  Semetzitz  went 
into  Moscow,  and  on  being  asked  what  he  meant  by  this, 

VOL.  II.  D 


18  xoTEs  rpox  RrssiA. 

answered,  that  tlie  prince's  dominions  were  not  yet  cleansed, 
but  that  now  the  fitting  time  was  come  for  sweeping  all 
garbage  out  of  the  empire.  Ivan  Vasileivich  first  added 
this  province  to  his  dominions  after  he  had  routed  the  army 
of  Alexander,  the  grand-duke  of  Lithuania,  at  the  river 
Vedrosch. 

The  princes  of  Sewera,  moreover,  derive  their  race  from 
Dimitry,  grand-duke  of  Muscovy.  Dimitry  had  tkree  sons, 
Yasiley,  Andrew,  and  George.  Of  these,  Yasiley,  as  the 
eldest,  succeeded  his  father  in  the  kingdom;  and  from  the 
other  two,  Andrew  and  George,  the  princes  of  Sewera  have 
derived  the  origin  of  their  race. 

Czernigov  is  thirty  miles  distant  from  Kiev,  and  as  much 
from  Potivlo.  Potivlo  is  a  hundred  and  forty  German  miles 
distant  from  Moscow,  sixty  fr"om  Kiev,  and  thirty-eight  from 
Branski.  This  latter  lies  beyond  a  laroje  wood,  twenty-four 
miles  in  breadth. 

Novogrodeck  is  eighteen  miles  from  Potivlo,  and  fourteen 
from  Staradub.     Staradub  is  thirty-two  miles  from  Potivlo. 

In  going  through  the  desert  of  Potivlo  into  Taiu'ida,  one 
meets  with  the  rivers  Ina,  Samara,  and  Ariel, — the  two  last 
of  which  are  rather  broad  and  deep,  and  travellers  are  some- 
times detained  a  long  time  in  crossing  them,  uj)on  which 
occasions  it  will  often  happen  that  they  are  surrounded  and 
captured  by  the  Tartars.  Next  come  the  rivers  Koin- 
skawoda  and  jNIoloscha,  the  passage  across  which  is  efiected 
by  a  novel  kind  of  ferry  boat.  They  bind  together  bundles 
of  small  wood  into  faggots,  and  place  themselves  and  their 
goods  upon  them,  and  thus  by  paddling  and  avaihng  them- 
selves of  the  stream,  they  are  carried  to  the  opposite  side. 
Others  fasten  faggots  of  this  kind  to  the  tails  of  horses,  which, 
by  a  plentiful  use  of  the  whip,  they  force  to  drag  them  over 
to  the  opposite  shore. 

Ugra  is  a  deep  and  muddy  river,  which  rises  in  a  wood 
not  far  from  Drogobusch,  and  empties  itself  into  the  Occa, 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  19 

between  Coluga  and  Vorotin.      This  river  formerly  divided 
Lithuania  from  Moscow. 

Demetriovich  is  a  fortified  town  lying  eighteen  miles 
south-west  from  ^'iesma,  and  about  twenty  from  Vorotin. 
Smolensko  is  an  episcopal  city  situated  on  the  river  Dnieper, 
and  on  the  eastern  bank  of  the  river  it  has  a  fortress  con- 
structed of  oak,  containing  a  considerable  number  of  houses 
like  a  city.  On  that  side  of  it  which  stretches  towards  the 
bill  (for  on  the  other  side  it  is  washed  by  the  Dnieper),  it  is 
protected  with  ditches,  and  in  addition  to  these,  with  sharj) 
stakes,  which  form  a  barrier  against  the  attacks  of  the  enemy. 
Vasiley  Ivanovich  very  often  attacked  this  place  in  the  most 
desperate  manner,  but  never  could  take  it  by  force.  At 
length  he  gained  possession  of  it  through  the  treachery  of  the 
soldiers,  and  of  a  certain  Bohemian  who  was  governor,  and 
of  whom  we  have  spoken  before  in  the  account  of  Michael 
Linski.  The  city  lies  in  a  valley,  is  surrounded  on  all  sides 
with  fertile  hills,  and  is  begirt  by  immense  forests,  fr-om 
which  is  derived  a  great  supply  of  furs  of  various  kinds.  In 
the  citadel  there  is  a  church  dedicated  to  the  blessed  Virgin, 
and  other  buildings  constructed  of  wood.  In  the  suburbs 
there  are  considerable  ruins  of  monasteries  built  of  stone. 
In  going  southwestwards  from  Moscow  towards  Smolensko, 
a  journey  of  eighteen  miles  will  bring  you  fii"st  to  Mosaisko  ; 
twenty-six  miles  more  to  Viesma ;  eighteen  more  to  Drogo- 
busch ;  and  another  eighteen  to  Smolensko :  the  whole 
journey  making  eighty  German  miles,  although  the  Lithua- 
nians and  Russians  reckon  it  a  hundred,  yl  have  myself, 
however,  travelled  through  these  places  mi'ee  times,  and 
never  found  the  distance  more  than  eighty  miles.  A\Tiile 
Vasiley  reigned  over  this  principality,  Vithold,  grand-duke 
of  Lithuania,  took  it  from  the  Russians  in  the  year  1413. 
Vasiley  Ivanovich  took  it  from  Sigismund  king  of  Poland, 
on  the  30th  of  July,  in  the  year  1514. 

Drogobusch  and  Viesma  are  fortified  towns  built  of  wood, 


20  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

situated  on  the  Dnieper,  and  were  formerly  under  the  sway 
of  the  princes  of  Lithuania.  By  the  town  of  Viesma  runs  the 
river  of  the  same  name,  which  at  no  great  distance,  viz.,  two 
wersts,  falls  into  the  Dnieper,  and  vessels  laden  with  mer- 
chandise are  carried  down  hy  it  to  the  Dnieper  and  back 
again  from  the  Dnieper  to  Viesma. 
\  Mosaisko  also  is  a  fortified  wood-built  town,  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  which  is  a  great  abundance  of  hares  of  various 
colours,  and  the  prince  is  accustomed  to  hold  an  annual  hunt 
there.  Sometimes  also  he  receives  ambassadors  from  dif- 
ferent princes  there,  as  was  the  case  while  we  were  at 
Moscow,  when  he  received  the  Lithuanian  ambassadors ;  and 
it  was  to  this  place  also  that  we  were  summoned  from  Moscow 
to  receive  our  discharge,  after  having  fulfilled  the  instruc- 
tions of  our  respective  princes.  I  may  further  add  that,  in 
the  time  of  Yithold,  the  boundaries  of  the  dominion  of  the 
princes  of  Muscovy  extended  to  about  five  or  six  miles  beyond 
Mosaisko. 

Biela  is  a  princij^ality,  with  a  fortified  city  of  the  same 
name,  on  the  river  Opscha.  It  is  situated  amidst  vast  forests, 
more  than  sixty  German  miles  to  the  west  of  Moscow,  thirty- 
six  from  Smolensko,  and  thirty  from  Torojjetz.  Its  rightful 
princes  in  former  days  were  the  descendants  of  Gidemin,  but 
in  the  time  of  Casimir  king  of  Poland,  the  sons  of  Jagellon 
gained  possession  of  this  principality,  for  at  that  time  Vasiley, 
otherwise  called  Bielski,  the  prince  of  Biela,  deserted  to 
Ivan,  Vasiley's  father,  and  surrendered  both  himself  and  his 
property  to  him.  In  his  removal,  he  also  left  his  wife  behind 
him  in  Lithuania,  and  as  we  have  before  said,  married 
another  woman  in  Russia.  By  the  latter  he  had  three  sons, 
whom  I  saw  at  the  court  of  the  prince ;  and  one  of  them, 
named  Demetrius,  was  held  in  great  esteem  and  honour  from 
respect  to  his  father's  rank.  These  three  brothers,  however, 
although  they  lived  upon  the  paternal  inheritance  which  they 
received  from  their  father  from   Biela,   and  derived   their 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  21 

support  from  the  yearly  revenues  supplied  from  Biela,  dared 
not  go  thither,  for  the  prince  of  Muscovy  had  deprived  them 
of  the  lordship  of  the  principality,  and  usurped  the  title  to 
himself. 

Rsova  of  Demetrius  is  a  fortified  city,  lying  twenty -three 
miles  due  west  of  Moscow.  This  fortress,  from  which  the 
prince  usurps  to  himself  a  title,  is  situated  on  the  river 
Volga,  and  commands  a  very  extensive  domain.  There  is 
also  another  Ksova,  called  the  deserted,  a  hundred  and  forty 
miles  from  Moscow,  twenty  from  Velikiluki,  and  as  many 
from  Plescov.  Beyond  Bsova,  some  miles  to  the  westward, 
is  a  wood  called  Volkonski,  from  which  four  rivers  take 
their  rise.  In  this  wood  is  a  marsh,  named  Fronov,  out  of 
which  flows  a  river  of  no  great  size,  and  after  a  course  of 
about  two  miles,  falls  into  a  lake,  named  Volgo.  From  this 
lake  it  again  emerges,  increased  by  a  multitude  of  streams, 
and  is  called  Volga  from  the  name  of  the  lake.  After  passing 
through  many  marshes,  and  receiving  into  itself  many  rivers, 
it  empties  itself  by  five-and-twenty,  or,  as  some  say,  seventy 
mouths  into  the  Caspian  sea  (called  by  the  Russians  Chva- 
lensko  Morie),  and  not  into  the  ocean,  as  a  certain  author 
has  written.' 

The  Volga  is  called  Esk  by  the  Tartars,  and  E,ha  by 
Ptolemy,  and  is  so  near  to  the  Don  that  it  is  said  they  are 
only  seven  miles  apart  from  each  other.  We  shall  speak  in 
the  proper  place  of  the  cities  and  towns  by  which  it  passes. 
In  the  same  wood,  about  ten  miles  from  the  marsh  of 
Fronov,  is  the  village  of  Dnyepersko,  near  which  rises  the 
Borysthenes,  called  by  the  natives  the  Dneiper,  but  which 
we  here  call  Borysthenes.  Not  far  from  that  place  is  the  mo- 
nastery of  the  Holy  Trinity,  where  rises  another  river  smaller 
than  the  former,  called  Niepretz,  a  name  given  to  it  by  way 
of  a  diminutive.  Both  these  rivers,  however,  meet  between 
the  source  of  the  Borysthenes  and  the  marsh  of  Fronov,  and 
1  IMiechov,  Tractatus  de  duabus  8armatiis. 


22  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

the  merchandise  of  the  Kussians  is  shipped  at  this  place  and 
carried  into  Lithuania,  and  the  merchants  usually  put  up 
at  the  monastery  or  at  the  inn. 

I  have,  moreover,  discovered  that  the  Rha  and  the  Bory- 
sthenes  do  not  rise  from  the  same  source  as  some  think.  This 
I  have  learned  from  others,  especially  from  the  positive  state- 
ment of  several  merchants  who  have  trafficked  in  those  parts. 
The  course  of  the  Borysthenes  is  as  follows : — first,  it  flows 
southward  past  Yiesma,  then  bending  eastward,  it  passes  by 
the  towns  of  Drogobusch,  Smolensko,  Orscham,  and  Mohilev ; 
then  again  tiu"ning  southward,  it  passes  by  Kiev,  Cii'cassia, 
and  Otzakov,  and  finally,  falls  into  the  ocean  at  a  point 
where  the  sea  seems  to  take  the  form  of  a  lake ;  and  Otzakov 
is,  as  it  were,  on  a  corner  at  the  mouth  of  the  Borysthenes. 
Our  own  route  lay  from  Orscham  to  Smolensko,  and  we 
brought  our  baggage  by  ship  as  far  as  Viesma,  where  there 
was  so  great  an  inundation,  that  a  monk  conveyed  Count 
Nugaroli  and  me  a  great  distance  through  the  woods  in  a 
fishing  boat,  and  the  horses  accomplished  the  greater  part  of 
their  journey  by  swimming. 

The  lake  Dwina  is  nearly  ten  miles  distant  from  the 
sources  of  the  Borysthenes,  and  as  many  from  the  marsh  of 
Fronov.  Westward  out  of  it  there  flows  a  river  of  the  same 
name,  at  a  distance  of  twenty  miles  from  Vilna.  It  after- 
wards turns  northwards,  and  falls  into  the  German  Ocean 
(called  by  the  Russians,  Vareczkoie  Morie),  near  Riga,  the 
capital  of  Livonia.  It  washes  Vitepsko,  Polotzko,  and  Du- 
nenburg ;  but  does  not  flow  through  Plescov,  as  a  certain 
author  has  said.  The  Livonians  call  this  river,  which  is  for 
the  most  part  navigable,  Duna. 

Lovat,  the  fourth  river,  is  not  at  all  to  be  compared  with 
the  other  thi-ee.  It  rises  either  between  the  lake  of  Dwina 
and  the  marsh  of  Fronov,  or  out  of  the  marsh  itself,  for  I 
could  not  completely  explore  its  source,  although  it  is  not 
far  from  the  source  of  the  Borysthenes.     This  is  the  river  to 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  23 

which,  according  to  their  records,  the  Apostle  St.  Andrew 
brought  a  little  boat  by  dry  land  from  the  Dnieper.  It  has 
a  course  of  nearly  forty  miles,  flows  by  VeliMluki,  and  falls 
into  the  lake  Ilmen. 

A'olock  is  a  fortified  city  twenty-four  miles  due  west  from 
Moscow,  nearly  twelve  from  Mosaisko,  and  twenty  from 
Tver.  The  prince  usurps  to  himself  the  title  to  tliis  place, 
and  usually  amuses  himself  here  every  year  with  the  sport 
of  hunting  hares  with  falcons. 

Velikiluki  is  a  fortified  city  a  hundred  and  forty  miles 
west  of  Moscow,  nearly  sixty  from  Great  Xovogorod,  and 
thirty-six  fr'om  Polvezko.  It  is  on  the  road  from  Moscow 
into  Lithuania. 

Toropecz  is  a  fortified  city  between  Velikiluki  and  Smo- 
lensko,  on  the  borders  of  Lithuania.  It  is  nearly  eighteen 
miles  distant  from  Luki. 

Tver,  or  Otwer,  formerly  a  most  extensive  domain,  and 
still  one  of  the  great  principaKties  of  Russia,  is  situated  on 
the  river  Volga,  thii'ty-six  miles  south-west  fr'om  Moscow. 
It  has  a  great  city,  through  which  the  Volga  flows,  with  a 
fortress  on  that  bank  fr-om  which  Tver  looks  towai'ds  Mos- 
cow ;  wliile  at  the  opposite  point  the  river  Tvertza  falls  into 
the  Volga.  It  was  by  this  river  that  I  came  into  Tver  by 
water,  and  on  another  day  sailed  up  the  Rha  [or  Volga]. 

This  city,  moreover,  was  the  seat  of  a  bishopric  in  the 
lifetime  of  Ivan,  the  father  of  Vasiley,  and  at  that  time  the 
Grand  Duke  Boris  ruled  over  the  principality  of  Tver. 
Ivan  Vasileivich,  prince  of  ]Muscovy,  married  his  daughter 
Mary,  and  had  by  her  his  first-born  son,  Ivan,  as  has  been 
related  above.  "\Mien  Boris  died,  his  son  Michael  succeeded 
him,  but  was  afterwards  driven  from  the  principality  by  his 
sister's  husband,  the  Grand  Duke  of  Muscovy,  and  died  in 
exile  in  Lithuania. 

Tersack  is  a  town  ten  miles  fr-om  Tver.     One  half  of  it    1 
used  to  be  under  the  government  of  Novogorod,  the  other 


24  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

imder  that  of  Tver,  and  was  thus  under  the  conimand  of  two 
lieutenant-governors.  Two  of  the  rivers  ah-eady  mentioned 
take  their  rise  there,  namely,  the  Tvertza  and  the  Sna, — the 
latter  flows  westward  to  Novogorod,  the  former  takes  an 
eastward  course. 

Great  Novogardia  is  the  most  extensive  princij)ality  in  all 
Russia.  It  is  called  in  the  language  of  the  country,  Novo- 
gorod, meaning  new  city  or  new  fortress.  For  whatever  is 
surrounded  with  a  wall,  defended  with  oak  stakes,  or  in  any 
way  enclosed,  they  call  goi'od.  The  city  of  Novogorod  is 
large,  and  traversed  by  the  navigable  river  Volchov,  which 
rises  out  of  the  lake  Ilmen  scarcely  two  versts  above  the 
city,  and  falls  into  the  lake  Neva,  which  they  call  Ladoga, 
from  the  town  in  its  neighbourhood.  Novogorod  is  a  hun- 
dred and  twenty  miles  south-west  from  Moscow,  though 
some  reckon  it  only  a  hundred ;  thii'ty-six  from  Plescov  ; 
forty  from  Velikiluki ;  and  as  many  from  Ivanovgorod.  But 
in  former  times,  when  this  city  was  flourishing  and  under 
its  own  jurisdiction,  it  possessed  a  very  extensive  domain, 
which  was  divided  into  five  parts.  Each  of  these  divisions 
not  only  referred  all  matters  of  public  or  private  importance 
to  the  ordinary  competent  magistrate  of  its  own  district,  but 
could  transact  business  or  conveniently  traffic  with  other  of 
the  citizens  only  in  its  own  municipal  boundary ;  nor  was 
any  one  allowed  to  summon  another  in  any  matter  before 
any  other  magistrate  of  the  same  city.  It  was  at  that  time 
the  greatest  conunercial  town  in  all  Russia,  for  an  immense 
crowd  of  merchants  resorted  thither  on  all  sides  from  Lithu- 
ania, Poland,  Sweden,  Denmark,  and  Germany  itself;  and 
the  citizens  increased  their  riches  and  their  stores  from  this 
repeated  concourse  of  many  nations.  Indeed,  at  the  present 
day,  the  Germans  are  allowed  to  have  their  own  treasurers 
or  registrars.  Its  dominion  extends  for  the  most  part  east- 
ward and  northward;  it  used  nearly  to  reach  to  Livonia, 
Finland,  and  Norway.     The  merchants  of  that  place  earnestly 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  25 

begged  me,  after  I  had  travelled  thither  from  Augsburg  in 
one  and  the  same  carriage,  to  leave  them  the  vehicle  in  which 
I  had  accomplished  so  great  a  journey,  that  they  might  place 
it  in  their  church,  as  a  perpetual  memento  of  the  occurrence. 
Novogorod  had  also  the  principalities  of  Dwina  and  Vologda 
on  the  east,  and  on  the  south  the  town  of  Tersack,  not  far 
from  Tver.  (And  although  these  provinces,  from  being  filled 
with  rivers  and  marshes,  are  unproductive,  and  cannot  con- 
veniently be  inhabited,  nevertheless,  the  princes  who  used  to 
rule  over  these  districts  would  make  great  profit  of  the  furs, 
honey,  wax,  and  fish,  with  which  this  country  abounded^'  The 
princes  not  only  themselves  constituted  by  their  own  will  and 
pleasure  the  authority  which  they  held,  but  increased  it  by 
subduing  the  neighbouring  nations  upon  any  pretext,  and 
compelling  them  to  pay  tribute  in  their  own  defence,  as  if  such 
tribute  were  levied  upon  some  fairly  constituted  principle. 

From  this  sort  of  connexion  with  nations,  whose  assistance 
the  people  of  Novogorod  have  been  obliged  to  use  in  pre- 
serving theu*  republic,  it  has  arisen  that  the  Russians  boast 
that  they  maintain  their  own  governors  in  that  country ; 
while  the  Lithuanians,  on  their  part,  acknowledge  that  they 
are  tributary  to  them. 

At  the  time  that  the  archbishop  himself  was  directing  the 
afiairs  of  this  principality,  with  his  counsel  and  autl^ority,  Ivan 
Vasileivich,  duke  of  Muscovy,  invaded  it,  and  oppressed  it 
seven  long  years  with  a  disastrous  war.  At  length,  in  the 
month  of  November,  a.d.  1477,  he  overcame  the  Novogra- 
dians  in  a  battle  on  the  river  Scholona,  and  compelled  them  to 
surrender  on  certain  conditions,  and  appointed  a  governor 
over  the  city  in  his  own  name.  But  thinking  that  he  did  not 
yet  hold  absolute  sway  over  them,  and  finding  that  he  could 
not  obtain  it  without  arms,  he  went  to  Novogorod  under  the 
religious  pretext  that  the  people  wished  to  forsake  the  Russian 
ritual,  and  that  he  would  bind  them  to  its  observance ;  and 
under  this  pretence  he  took  possession  of  the  city,  and  re- 

^■0L.  II.  E 


26  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

duced  it  to  submission.  He  despoiled  the  arclibisliop,  the 
citizens,  meixhants,  and  foreigners,  of  all  their  goods,  and 
carried  away  three  hundred  carriages,  laden,  according  to 
some  accounts,  with  gold,  silver,  and  jewels,  to  Moscow. 
Indeed,  I  myself  made  diligent  inquiries  at  Moscow  about 
this  business,  and  heard  that  a  far  greater  number  of  car- 
riages were  taken  away  laden  with  booty.  And  no  wonder, 
for  after  the  city  was  taken,  he  took  the  archbishop  and  all 
the  richest  and  most  powerful  men  with  him  to  Moscow,  and 
sent  his  own  subjects  as  new  colonists  into  their  estates. 
Consequently,  out  of  their  possessions  he  derived  annually 
an  immense  revenue  into  his  treasury  beyond  the  ordinary 
returns.  Out  of  the  proceeds  of  the  archbishopric  he  only 
granted  a  small  portion  of  the  returns  to  a  certain  bishop 
then  appointed  by  himself,  and  at  his  death  the  episcopal  see 
was  for  a  long  time  vacant.  At  length,  in  consequence  of 
the  urgent  request  of  the  citizens  and  of  his  subjects,  that 
they  might  not  always  be  without  a  bishop,  he  instituted  one 
again  at  the  time  that  we  were  there. 

The  people  of  Novogorod  formerly  oifered  their  chief  wor- 
ship and  adoration  to  a  certain  idol  named  Perun,  which 
was  placed  on  the  spot  where  now  stands  the  monastery 
named  Perunski,  after  the  same  idol.  When  subsequently 
they  received  baptism,  they  removed  it  from  its  place,  and 
threw  it  into  the  river  Volchov ;  and  the  story  goes,  that  it 
swam  against  the  stream,  and  that  near  the  bridge  a  voice 
was  heard,  saying,  "  This  for  you,  O  inhabitants  of  Novo- 
gorod,  in  memory  of  me";  and  at  the  same  time  a  certain 
rope  was  thrown  upon  the  bridge.  Even  now  it  happens  from 
time  to  time  on  certain  days  of  the  year,  that  this  voice  of 
Perun  may  be  heard,  and  on  these  occasions  the  citizens  sud- 
denly run  together  and  lash  each  other  with  ropes,  and  such 
a  tumult  arises  therefrom,  that  all  the  efforts  of  the  governor 
can  scarcely  assuage  it. 

It  is  also  related  in  their  annals,  that  when  the  people  of 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  27 

Novogorod  were  besieging  Corsun,  a  city  of  Greece,  with  a 
grievous  siege  of  seven  years'  duration,  tlieir  wives  becoming 
weary  of  tbeir  solitary  life,  and  being  also  doubtful  of  the 
safety  or  return  of  their  husbands,  married  their  slaves.  At 
length  the  city  was  taken,  and  the  victorious  husbands  re- 
turned from  the  war,  bringing  with  them  the  bronze  gates  of 
the  conquered  city,  as  well  as  a  great  bell,  which  we  our- 
selves saw  in  their  cathedral  church.  The  slaves  endea- 
voured to  repel  by  force  the  masters  whose  wives  they  had 
married.  Their  masters,  in  great  indignation,  at  the  sug- 
gestion of  some  one,  laid  doT^ai  their  arms,  and  took  thongs 
and  ropes  in  tlieir  hands,  as  the  jjroper  mode  of  dealing  with 
slaves,  at  which  the  latter  became  terrified,  and  fled.  They 
betook  themselves  to  a  place  still  called  Chloppigrod, — i.  e., 
the  Slaves'  Fortress, —  and  defended  it.  They  were  con- 
quered, however,  and  received  the  merited  punishment  from 
their  masters. 

The  longest  day  in  the  summer  solstice  at  Novogorod  is 
eighteen  hours  and  more.  The  climate  is  much  colder  even 
than  that  of  Moscow,  ^he  people  used  to  be  very  cour- 
teous and  honourable ;  but  now,  doubtless  from  the  Russian 
contagion  introduced  by  the  people  who  emigrated  thither 
from  Moscow,  they  are  become  most  degraded.  3 

The  lake  Ilmen,  which  in  ancient  Russian  documents  is 
named  Aimer,  and  which  others  call  Limidis,  lies  two  worsts 
above  Novogorod.  It  is  twelve  German  miles  long  and 
eight  broad,  and  receives,  besides  others,  two  rather  famous 
rivers,  the  Louat  and  the  Scholona,  which  latter  rises  in 
another  lake.  Another  river  takes  its  rise  in  lake  Ilmen, 
viz.,  the  Volchov,  which  flows  through  Novogorod,  and 
after  a  course  of  six-and-thirty  miles  enters  lake  Lodoga. 
It  is  sixty  miles  broad  and  nearly  a  hundred  long,  inter- 
spersed with  some  islands.  It  discharges  the  large  river 
Neva,  which  flows  westward  nearly  six  miles  into  the  Ger- 
man sea.    At  its  mouth  lies  Oreschak,  called  by  the  Germans 


^8  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

Nuremburg,  situated  in  the  middle  of  the  river.    It  is  under 
the  dominion  of  the  Muscovite.^ 

Russ,  formerly  called  Ancient  Russia,  is  an  ancient  little 
town  under  the  government  of  Novogorod,  from  which 
it  is  twelve  miles  distant,  and  thirteen  from  lake  Ilmen. 
It  has  an  artificial  river,  which  the  townspeople  have 
formed,  in  a  large  ditch  like  a  lake,  and  from  it  each  man 
has  water  brought  down  by  channels  to  his  own  house,  and 
prej)ares  salt. 

Ivanovogorod  is  a  fort  built  of  stone,  on  the  bank  of  the 
river  Nerva,  by  Ivan  Vasilievich,  from  whom  it  took  its 
name.  Opposite  to  it,  on  the  other  bank,  is  a  fort  of  the 
Livonians,  named  Nerva,  from  the  said  river.  The  river 
Nerva  flows  between  these  two  forts,  and  divides  the  domain 
of  the  people  of  Novogorod  from  that  of  the  Livonians. 
The  river  Nerva,  moreover,  which  is  navigable,  rises  in  that 
lake  which  is  called  by  the  Russians  Czutzko  or  Czudin,  by 
the  Latins  Bicis  or  Pelas,  and  by  the  Germans  Peiifues, 
After  receiving  two  rivers  into  itself,  namely,  the  Plescov 
and  the  Velikareca,  which  comes  from  the  souths  it  passes 
by  the  town  of  Oj)otzka,  leaving  Plescov  on  the  right.  The 
navigation  from  Plescov  to  the  Baltic  would  be  easy,  were 
it  not  obstructed  by  some  rocks  which  lie  near  Ivanovogorod 
and  Nerva. 

The  city  of  Plescow  is  situated  on  the  lake  from  which  the 
river  of  the  same  name  emerges.  This  river  flows  through 
the  middle  of  the  city,  and  after  a  course  of  six  miles  falls 
into  the  lake  which  the  Russians  call  Czutzko.  Plescov  is 
the  only  city  in  all  the  Muscovite's  dominions  which  is  sur- 
rounded by  a  wall.  It  is  divided  into  four  parts,  each  of 
which  is  surrounded  with  its  own  walls.  This  has  led  some 
into  the  error  of  saying  that  it  was  surrounded  with  a  quad- 
ruple wall.     The  domain  or  principality  of  this  city  is  called, 

^  Orescliak,  or  Orekhov,  was  the  ancient  name  for  Schlusselburg,  situ- 
ated at  the  point  whore  the  Neva  flows  out  of  lake  Ladoga. 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  29 

in  the  language  of  the  people,  Pskov  or  Obskov.  It  was 
formerly  very  extensive,  and  had  its  own  jurisdiction  ;  but 
in  the  year  1509,  Ivan  Vasileivich  took  possession  of  it 
through  the  trea.chery  of  some  priests,  and  reduced  it  to 
servitude.  He  also  took  away  the  bell,  by  the  ringing  of 
which  the  senate  used  to  be  summoned  to  the  parliament  of 
the  republic  ;  and  by  dispersing  the  citizens  through  the 
colonies,  and  sending  Muscovites  into  their  place,  he  utterly  ' 
abolished  their  liberty.  Hence  it  followed,  that  in  place  3 
of  the  more  refined  and,  consequently,  more  kindly  man- 
ners of  the  people  of  Plescov,  were  introduced  those  of  the 
Muscovites,  which  are  more  debased  in  almost  everything. 
For  there  was  always  so  much  integrity,  candour,  and  sim-  / 
plicity  in  the  dealings  of  the  Plescovians,  that  they  dispensed 
with  all  superfluity  of  words,  for  the  purpose  of  entrapping 
a  buyer,  and  briefly  stated  the  case  exactly  as  it  stood.  I 
would  here  mention  by  the  way,  that  the  Plescovians  still 
wear  their  hair  parted  in  the  middle, — not  in  the  Russian, 
but  in  the  Polish  fashion.  Plescov  lies  thirty-six  miles 
westward  from  Novogorod,  forty  from  Ivanovogorod,  and  as 
many  from  Velikiluki.  You  must  pass  through  this  city  in 
going  from  Moscow  and  Xovogorod  to  Piga,  the  metropolis 
of  Livonia,  which  is  sixty  miles  distant  from  Plescow. 

The  country  of  Yotska  lies  twenty-six,  or,  at  the  most,  i 
thhty  miles  north-west  of  Xovogorod,  leaving  the  fort  of 
Ivanovogorod  on  the  left.  Cln  this  country  it  is  related  as  a 
miracle,  that  all  animals,  of  whatever  kind,  that  are  brought 
into  it,  change  their  colour  to  white.^  This  place  seems  to 
demand  that  I  should  make  a  slight  allusion  to  the  places 
and  rivers  near  the  sea,  as  far  as  the  borders  of  Sweden. 
The  river  Neva,  as  I  have  already  said,  divides  Livonia 
from  the  Russian's  dominions,  from  which,  if  leaving  Ivano- 
vogorod you  go  along  the  seashore  northward,  you  come  to 
the  river  Plussa,  at  whose  mouth  lies  the  fortress  of  lamma. 
Twelve  miles  from  Ivanovogorod,  and  as  many  fi-om  lamma. 


30  KOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

which  are  four  miles  from  each,  other,  is  the  fort  of  Coporoia 
and  a  river  of  the  same  name.  Thence  to  the  river  Neva 
and  the  fort  Oreschak  are  six  miles.  From  Oreschak  to  the 
river  Corela,  whence  the  city  takes  its  name,  seven  miles. 
Twelve  miles  thence  you  come  at  last  to  the  river  Polna, 
which  divides  the  territory  of  the  Russian  from  Finland, 
which  country  is  called  by  the  Russians,  Chaniska-Semla, 
and  is  under  the  dominion  of  the  kings  of  Sweden. 

There  is  another  Carela  besides  that  already  named.  It 
is  a  province  which  has  its  own  territory  and  dialect,  and 
lies  sixty  miles  more  or  less  north  of  Novogorod.  Although 
it  demands  tribute  from  some  of  the  neighbouring  nations,  it 
is  nevertheless  itself  tributary  to  the  king  of  Sweden,  and 
also  to  the  INIuscovite,  by  reason  of  the  dominion  of  Novo- 
gorod. 

The  island  of  Solovki  lies  to  the  northward  in  the  sea, 
eight  miles  from  the  continent,  between  the  Dwina  and  the 
province  of  Carela.  Its  distance  from  Moscow  has  not  been 
ascertained,  on  account  of  the  frequent  marshes,  woods,  and 
vast  deserts,  which  intervene.  Some,  however,  state  it  to  be 
three  hundred  miles  from  Moscow,  and  two  hundred  from 
Bieloiesero.  There  is  abundance  of  salt  prepared  in  this  island. 
There  is  a  monastery  there,  into  which  it  is  considered  a 
great  crime  for  any  woman  married  or  luimarried  to  enter. 
There  is  also  a  great  fishery,  of  a  sort  of  fish  called  by  the 
native  selgi,  which  we  think  are  herrings.  They  say  that 
in  the  summer  solstice  the  sun  shines  here  constantly,  "v\'ith 
the  exception  of  two  hours  in  the  twenty-four. 

Dimitriov  is  a  fortified  city  twelve  miles  a  little  northward 
of  west  from  Moscow.  George,  the  grand-duke's  brother, 
at  that  time  possessed  it.  It  is  watered  by  the  river  Ja- 
chroma,  which  flows  into  the  river  Sest.  The  Sest  receives 
also  the  Dubna,  and  empties  itself  into  the  Volga.  This 
convenience  of  river  na\dgation  is  the  cause  of  the  great 
wealth  of  the  merchants  of  the  country,  who  are  thus  enabled. 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  31 

without  much,  trouble,  to  convey  their  merchandize  from  the 
Caspian  by  the  Volga  into  different  parts,  and  bring  it  ujp 
even  as  far  as  Moscow. 

Bieloiesero  is  a  fortified  city,  situated  on  a  lake  of  the 
same  name.  The  Russian  word  Bieloiesero,  means  "  A\^iite 
Lake".  The  city,  by  the  way,  does  not  stand  in  the  lake 
itself,  as  some  have  said,  but  is  surrounded  on  all  sides 
with  marshes,  so  that  it  seems  to  be  impregnable.  For  this 
reason,  the  princes  of  Russia  are  accustomed  to  store  up  their 
treasures  there.  Bieloiesero  is  a  hundi-ed  miles  north  of  Mos- 
cow, and  the  same  distance  from  Great  Novogorod.  Indeed, 
there  are  two  roads  from  Moscow  to  Bieloiesero  ;  one,  the 
nearest,  by  Uglitz,  for  the  winter  time ;  the  other  by  Jaroslav, 
for  the  summer.  Both  of  these  roads,  however,  on  account 
of  the  frequent  marshes  and  woods,  intersected  with  streams, 
are  difficult  to  travel  by,  unless  by  making  bridges  of  ice  to 
pass  over, — so  that  from  the  obstacles  presented  by  these 
places  the  miles  are  reckoned  shorter.  In  addition  to  this 
difficulty  of  travelling,  this  frequent  occurrence  of  marshes, 
woods,  and  interlacing  streams,  causes  the  country  to  be 
uncultivated,  and  to  have  no  cities  built  in  it.  The  lake 
itself  is  twelve  miles  long,  and  as  many  broad ;  and  it  is 
said  that  three  hundred  and  sixty  rivers  empty  themselves 
into  it.  Only  one,  the  Schocksna,  emerges  fronr  it,  and  falls 
into  the  Volga  fifteen  miles  above  Jaroslav,  and  four  below 
Mologa.  The  fishes  which  pass  from  the  Volga  into  this 
river  and  lake,  improve ;  nay,  the  longer  they  remain  in  it, 
the  finer  they  become.  The  fishermen  have  such  skill  in 
recognizing  them,  that  when  they  catch  fish  that  have  re- 
turned from  this  river  into  the  Volga,  they  can  tell  how  long 
they  had  been  in  it.  The  inhabitants  of  this  place  have  a 
dialect  of  their  own,  although  now  nearly  all  of  them  speak 
Russian.  Theii'  long-est  dav  in  the  summer  solstice  is  said 
to  be  nineteen  hours.  I  was  told  by  a  person  of  no  small 
reputation,  that  he  had  made  a  rapid  journey  from  Moscow 


32  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

to  Bieloiesero  in  the  sj^ring,  wlien  the  trees  "were  budding, 
and  that  after  he  had  crossed  the  river  Volga,  he  performed 
all  the  rest  of  his  journey  in  carriages,  for  everything  was 
covered  with  snow  and  ice.  And  although  the  winter  is 
longer  there,  yet  the  fruits  ripen,  and  are  gathered  at  the 
same  time  as  in  Moscow.  At  an  arrow-shot  from  the  lake  of 
Bieloiesero  is  another  lake,  producing  sulphur ;  and  a  river 
which  rises  out  of  it,  carries  the  sulphur  down  with  it  in 
abundance,  lilce  foam  on  its  surface,  ^hrough  the  igno- 
j  ranee  of  the  people,  however,  there  is  no  use  made  of  it.*!) 

The  fortified  city  of  Uglitz  stands  on  the  shore  of  the 
Volga,  and  is  twenty-four  miles  distant  from  Moscow,  thirty 
from  Jaroslav,  and  forty  from  Tver.  The  citadel  is  on 
the  south  bank  of  the  Volga,  while  the  city  stands  on  both 
sides. 

Cliloppigrod,^  the  place  to  which  I  have  said  before  that 
the  slaves  of  Novogorod  fled,  is  two  miles  distant  from 
Uglitz.  Xot  far  from  it  is  seen  a  fort,  now  in  ruins,  on  the 
Mologa.  This  river  has  a  course  of  eighty  miles  after  leav- 
ing the  territory  of  Great  Xovogorod,  and  falls  into  the 
Volga.     At  its  mouth  is  a  fortified  city  of  the  same  name ; 

^  This  town  no  longer  exists,  and  its  very  site  is  a  matter  of  antiquarian 
inquiry ;  and  although  Herberstein  describes  it  as  having  been  so  impor- 
tant in  his  time,  that  the  largest  fair  in  all  Russia  used  to  be  held  in  it, 
the  very  fact  of  its  existence  would  but  for  him — as  far  as  we  can  learn — 
have  been  lost  to  history. 

It  is  true  that  Zedler,  in  the  fifth  volume  of  his  Grosses  Universal 
Lexicon,  which  was  published  in  1733,  when  Chloppigorod  no  longer  ex- 
isted, speaks  of  it  as  "  a  Russian  town  in  the  principality  of  Rosdow,  on  the 
Volga,  between  Novogorod,  Veliki,  and  Rosthow.  It  is  populous,  carries 
on  a  good  trade,  and  is  celebrated  for  its  fairs  for  all  kinds  of  commodi- 
ties." The  authority  is  not  given,  but  there  is  a  strong  reason  to  suppose 
that  the  account  was  unsuspectingly  taken  from  Herberstein  himself. 

A  dissertation  was  written  on  the  subject  by  Count  Alexei  Mussin 
Puschkin  (Moscow,  1810,  4to.),  in  which  he  adduces  arguments  to  show 
that  such  a  town  had  really  existed,  and  not  far  from  the  position 
described  by  Herberstein,  but  somewhat  more  westerly,  namely,  where 
the  village  of  Starij  Cholopije  now  stands. 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  33 

aud  two  miles  from  thence,  on  the  bank  of  the  same  river, 
stands  the  church  only  of  Chloppigrod.  The  fairs  (which 
I  have  elsewhere  alluded  to)  are  more  frequent  in  that  place 
than  in  the  whole  Russian  dominions ;  for  the  Tartars,  and 
many  other  nations  from  the  east  and  north,  resort  thither  to 
barter  with  the  Swedes,  Livonians,  and  Russians.  (^There  is 
scarcely  any  use  made  of  gold  or  silver  amongst  these 
nations  ;  but  they  exchange  ready-made  di'esses,  needles, 
knives,  spoons,  hatchets,  and  other  such  things,  mostly  for 
skins.  _} 

Pereaslav  is  a  fortified  city  twenty-four  miles  somewhat 
eastward  of  due  north  from  Moscow.  It  stands  on  a  lake, 
in  which,  as  at  the  island  of  Solovki,  those  little  fish,  the 
selgi,  are  taken,  of  which  I  spoke  above.  The  land  is  toler- 
ably fertile  and  productive  ;  and,  after  harvest,  the  prince  is 
accustomed  to  amuse  himself  there  with  hunting.  There  is 
in  the  same  country  a  lake  from  which  salt  is  obtained  by 
evaporation.  Those  who  go  from  Castroma,  Jaroslav,  and  - 
Uglitz,  to  Little  IS^ovogorod,  pass  through  this  city.  It  is 
impossible  to  make  any  calculation  of  the  roads  in  these 
parts,  on  account  of  the  great  number  of  marshes  and  woods. 
There  is  there  also  a  river  called  Nerel,  which  rises  from  a 
certain  lake,  and  falls  into  the  Volga  above  Uglitz. 

Rostov  is  a  fortified  city  and  an  archiepiscopal  see.  After 
Great  Novogorod,  it  is  held  with  Bieloiesero  and  Murom 
amongst  the  principal  and  most  ancient  of  the  principalities 
of  Russia.  The  road  thither  from  Moscow  is  direct  through 
Pereaslav,  fr'oni  which  it  is  ten  miles  distant.  It  stands  on 
the  lake,  which  gives  rise  to  the  Cotoroa,  a  river  which, 
after  passing  by  Jaroslav,  falls  into  the  Volga.  The  nature 
of  the  soil  is  fertile,  and  the  country  is  particularly  abundant 
in  fish  and  salt.  This  territory  used  to  belong  to  the  second 
sons  of  the  grand-dukes  of  Russia ;  but  their  posterity  have 
very  recently  been  thrust  out  and  banished  by  Ivan,  the 
father  of  Vasiley. 

VOL.  II.  F 


34  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

Jaroslav  is  a  fortified  city  on  the  bank  of  the  Volga,  twelve 
miles  from  Rostov,  on  the  direct  road  from  Moscow.  The 
country  is  tolerably  fertile,  especially  in  the  parts  near  the 
Volga.  Like  Kostov,  it  belonged  to  the  second  sons  of  the 
princes,  but  was  forcibly  taken  by  the  same  monarch ;  and 
although  there  still  remain  dukes  of  the  province  called 
knesi,  yet  the  prince  usurps  the  title  to  himself,  the  country 
being  granted  to  the  knesi  as  to  subjects.  The  country  is 
held  by  three  knesi,  however,  descended  from  the  second- 
born  princes,  whom  the  Russians  call  Jaroslavski.  The  first 
is  Vasiley,  who  conducted  me  to  and  fro  from  my  dwelling  to 
the  prince.  The  second  is  Simeon  Federovitz,  named  Kurb- 
ski,  from  Kui'ba,  his  inheritance.  He  is  an  old  man,  and 
very  reduced  in  body,  from  the  remarkable  abstinence  and 
severity  of  life  which  he  has  adopted  since  the  time  that  old 
age  began  to  come  upon  him.  For  many  years  he  has 
abstained  from  eating  meat.  He  only  eats  fish  on  Sunday, 
Tuesday,  and  Saturday ;  but  on  Monday,  Wednesday,  and 
Friday,  at  fast  time,  he  abstains  from  these.  The  grand- 
duke  used  sometimes  to  send  him  with  an  armv  through 
Permia  into  Jugaria  to  the  great  emperor,  to  subdue  distant 
nations  ;  and  he  has  accomplished  a  great  part  of  the  journey 
on  foot  on  account  of  the  quantity  of  snow ;  and  when  the 
snow  was  melted,  after  crossing  the  mountain  of  Petchora, 
i  performed  the  remainder  in  boats.  The  last  is  Ivan,  sur- 
named  Possetzen,  who,  in  the  name  of  his  prince,  went  as 
ambassador  to  the  Emperor  Charles  in  Spain,  and  returned 
with  us.  He  was  so  poor,  that  (as  we  know  for  a  certainty) 
he  borrowed  clothes  and  a  kolpack  (which  is  a  head-di'ess) 
of  somebody  else  to  travel  in.  He  must  have  been  greatly 
mistaken,  therefore,  who  wrote  to  the  effect,  that  this  man 
could  in  any  necessity  send  thirty  thousand  horse  soldiers  to 
his  prince  out  of  his  own  territory  or  inheritance.^ 

^  In  the  Russian  chronicles,  where  allusion  is  made  to  this  prince,  he 
appears   to   have  been  described  under   the  name  of   Ivan   Ivanovich, 


NOTES    UroX    RUSSIA.  35 

The  pro^dnce,  city,  and  fortress  of  Vologda,  in  which  the 
bishojDS  of  Permia  hold  their  see,  though  without  jurisdic- 
tion, took  their  name  from  a  river  of  the  same  name.  The 
city  stands  north-west  of  Moscow  in  a  line  from  Jaroslav. 
It  is  fifty  German  miles  from  Jaroslav,  and  nearly  forty  fi-om 
Bieloiescro.  The  whole  country  is  marshy  and  woodv,  so 
that  travellers  can  take  no  exact  account  of  the  road,  on 
account  of  the  numerous  marshes  and  windings  of  the 
rivers.  The  farther  you  go,  the  more  marshes,  rivers,  and 
woods,  you  encounter.  The  river  Vologda  flows  northward 
by  the  city,  and  eight  miles  below  the  city  is  joined  by  the 
river  Suchana,  which  rises  from  a  lake  named  Koinski.  It 
then  takes  the  name  of  Suchana,  and  flows  north-west. 
The  province  of  Vologda  was  formerly  under  the  jurisdic-  / 
tion  of  Great  Iv  ovogorod,  where  they  say  the  prince  used  to 
lay  up  a  great  part  of  his  treasure,  as  from  the  nature  of  the  i 
place  it  was  a  strong  fortification.  In  the  year  in  which  we  ] 
were  at  Moscow,  there  was  so  great  a  scarcity  of  provision, 
that  one  bushel  of  the  corn,  which  they  use,  was  sold  for 
fourteen  dengs,  which  otherwise  used  to  be  sold  in  Moscow 
for  four,  five,  or  sis,  dengs. 

The  ^'aara  is  a  river  well  stocked  with  fish.  It  rises 
between  Bieloiesero  and  A  ologda,  amidst  marshes  and  the 
densest  forests,  and  flows  into  the  river  Dwina.  The  people 
who  live  by  the  river  exist  by  hunting,  for  they  have  scarcely 
anv  bread.  Black  and  ash-coloured  foxes  are  caught  there, 
It  is,  moreover,  but  a  short  journey  thence  to  the  province 
and  river  of  Dwina. 

more  properly  Feodorovich  Jaroslarski  Sassekin,  or  Zassekin.     The  sur-  \ 
name,  Possetzen,  stands  in  the  original  for  the  w-ord  Posadnik,  which  J 
means  the  governor  of  a  district.     The  writer  here  alluded  to  is  Johann  ' 
Fabri,  to  whose  book  reference  is  made  at  page  120  of  the  introduction 
to  the  present  work,  as  being  recommended  to  Herbersteiu  and  his  com- 
panions as  an  indispensable  guide  in  making  the  observations  required  of 
them  in  their  journey.    The  prince  Zassekin  was  one  of  the  ambassadors 
alluded  to  on  the  same  page  as  being  joined  by  Herberstein  on  their  re- 
turn to  Moscow  by  way  of  Vienna. 


36  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

The  province  of  Ustyug  took  its  name  from  a  fortified 
city  situated  on  the  river  Suchana.  It  is  a  hundred  miles 
from  Vologda,  and  a  hundred  and  forty  from  Bieloiesero. 
It  was  formerly  situated  on  the  mouth  of  the  river  Jug, 
which  flows  from  south  to  north.  Afterwards,  on  account  of 
the  convenience  of  the  locality,  it  was  removed  nearly  a  mile 
above  the  river's  mouth,  but  still  retains  its  old  name.  For 
in  Russian  Usteie  is  a  mouth ;  whence  Ustyug  is  the  mouth 
of  the  Jug.  This  province  used  to  be  subject  to  Great 
Novogorod.  Little  or  no  bread  is  used  there ;  their  food 
consisting  of  fish  or  game.  They  have  salt  from  the  Dwina. 
They  have  their  own  dialect,  but  more  frequently  speak 
Russian.  There  are  not  many  sable  skins  there,  nor  are 
they  very  excellent.  They  abound,  however,  in  the  skins  of 
other  beasts,  especially  black  foxes. 

The  province  and  river  of  Dwina  took  their  name  from 
the  confluence  of  the  rivers  Jug  and  Suchana;  for  Dwina 
signifies  two   or   double  in  Russian.     After   a  course  of  a 
hundred   miles,  this  river  falls    into  the    Northern   Ocean, 
where  it  washes  Sweden  and  Norway,  and  divides  them  from 
the  unknown  country  of  Engroneland.     This  province  lies 
in  the  very  north,  and  was  formerly  under  the  jurisdiction 
of  the  people  of  Novogorod.     It  is  reckoned  to  be  three 
hundred  miles  from  Moscow  to  the  mouth  of  the  Dwina ; 
although,  as  I  have  before  said,  in  the  countries  beyond  the 
Volga,/j^io  calculation  can  be  made  of  the  roads,  on  account 
of  the  numerous  marshes,  rivers,  and  vast  woods.  ^J)We  are 
inclined,  however,  to  reckon  it,  from  conjecture,  as  scarcely 
two  hundred   miles;    since  from  Moscow  to  Vologda,  and 
from  Vologda  to  Ustyug,  one  goes  somewhat  in  an  easterly 
direction  ;  but  from  Ustyug  by  the  Dwina  due  north.    There 
are  no  towns  or  forts   in  this  province,  except  the  fort  of 
;  Colmogor  and  the  city  of  Dwina,  which  stands  nearly  mid- 
way between  the  source  and  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  the 
fort    of  Picncga,  which    stands  at    the  very  mouth  of  the 
Dwina.     It  is  said  to  contain  many  villages,  however,  which 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  37 

lie  "wide  apart,  on  account  of  the  barrenness  of  the  soil.  The 
people  earn  their  livelihood  by  fish,  game,  and  the  skins  of 
beasts,  which  are  abundant  of  all  kinds.  In  the  maritime 
parts  of  this  country  they  say  that  white  bears  are  found, 
and  those  for  the  most  part  living  in  the  sea ;  their  skins  are 
often  brought  to  Moscow.  I  brought  back  two  with  me 
from  my  first  embassy  to  Moscow.  This  country  abounds 
in  salt. 


iJountru  to  ^ctcl^ora  3u(jaria,  as  far  as  tfje 

mhcx  mi 

The  territory  of  the  Prince  of  Muscovy  extends  far  to  the 
east,  and  somewhat  to  the  north,  as  far  as  the  following 
places.  A  paper  written  in  Russian  upon  this  subject,  con- 
taining the  plan  of  this  journey,  was  presented  to  me,  which  I 
have  translated,  and  have  here  purposely  subjoined ;  although 
those  who  go  thither  from  Moscow  would  take  a  more 
frequented  and  a  shorter  road,  by  Ustyug  and  the  Dwina, 
tln-ough  Permia.  The  distance  from  Moscow  to  Vologda  is 
reckoned  at  five  hundred  versts ;  from  Vologda  to  Ustyug, 
along  the  right  bank  of  the  river,  descending  the  Suchana, 
which  joins  it,  is  five  hundi'ed  versts,  which  rivers  are  joined 
by  the  river  Jug  near  the  town  of  Streltze,  two  versts  below 
Ustyug ;  this  river  comes  from  the  south,  and  is  computed 
to  be  more  than  five  huncbred  versts  in  length  from  its 
souixe  to  its  mouth.  These  two  rivers,  the  Suchana  and 
Jug,  below  their  junction  lose  their  former  names,  and  take 
that  of  the  Dwina;  five  hundred  versts  along  the  Dwina, 
bring  us  to  Colmogor,  at  six  days'  journey  below  which  the 
Dwina  falls  into  the  ocean  by  six  mouths.  The  greatest  part 
of  this  journey  is  made  by  water,  for  the  land  route  from 
Vologda  to  Colmogor,  crossing  the  Vaga,  is  equal  to  a  thou- 


38  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

sand  versts.  Not  far  from  Colmogor,  tlie  river  Pienega, 
which  flows  from  the  east  on  one's  right  hand,  falls  into  the 
Dwina,  after  a  course  of  seven  hundred  versts.  At  a  distance 
of  two  hundred  versts  from  the  Dwina,  in  travelling  along 
the  river  Pienega,  we  come  to  a  place  called  Nicolai,  whence 
by  a  sail  of  half  a  verst,  vessels  are  brought  into  the  river 
Kulvio.  This  river  takes  its  rise  from  a  lake  of  the  same 
name  in  the  north,  and  is  six  days'  journey  in  length  from 
its  source  to  its  mouth,  where  it  falls  into  the  ocean.  In 
sailing  then  along  the  right  bank  of  the  sea,  we  pass  the 
following  territories,  namely,  Stanwische,  Calunczscho,  and 
Apnu.  Having  sailed  round  the  promontories  of  Chorogos- 
kinosz,  Stanwische,  Gamenckh,  and  Tolstickh,  we  at  length 
reach  the  river  Mezen,  along  which,  in  six  days'  journey, 
we  come  to  a  village  of  the  same  name,  situated  at  the  mouth 
of  the  river  Piesza,  ascending  which  towards  the  south-east, 
after  three  weeks'  journey,  we  arrive  at  the  river  Piescoya. 
After  the  ships  have  then  traversed  five  versts  through  two 
lakes,  two  courses  lie  open  to  us ;  one  of  which,  to  the  left, 
leads  by  the  river  Kubicho  into  the  river  Czircho ;  some 
take  the  other  course,  which  is  shorter,  and  runs  direct  from 
the  lake  into  the  Czircho,  by  which  course  in  favourable 
weather  a  passage  may  be  made  in  three  weeks  to  the  river 
and  mouths  of  the  Czilme,  the  great  river  of  Petchora,  which 
at  that  place  is  two  versts  in  breadth.  Sailing  downwards 
thence,  we  come  in  six  days' journey  to  the  town  and  fortress 
L  of  Pustoosero,  near  which  the  Petchora  falls  by  six  mouths 
I  into  the  ocean.  (^The  inhabitants  of  this  place,  who  are  very 
'  simple-minded,  did  not  receive  baptism  till  the  year  of  our 
Lord  151 8.  J  From  the  mouths  of  the  Czilme  through  Pet- 
chora, to  the  mouths  of  the  river  Ussa,  is  one  month's 
journey.  The  Ussa  takes  its  rise  in  the  mountain  of  Poyas 
Semnoi,  which  lies  on  the  left  in  the  direction  of  the  south- 
east :  the  river  flows  out  of  a  huge  rock  of  that  mountain 
called  Kamcn  Bolschoi.     The  distance  from  the  sources  of  the 


NOTES   UPON    RUSSIA.  39 

Ussa  to  its  mouth  is  reckoned  at  more  than  a  thousand  versts. 
The  Petchora  flows  from  south  to  north  ;  and  the  ascent  of 
this  river  from  the  mouths  of  the  Ussa  to  those  of  the  river 
Stzuchogora,  is  a  journey  of  thi'ee  weeks.  They  who  com- 
piled this  itinerary,  said  that  they  halted  between  the  mouths 
of  the  Stzuchogora  and  the  Potzscheriema,  and  deposited 
the  jirovisions  they  had  brought  with  them  from  Pussia  in 
the  neighbouring  fortress  of  Strupili,  which  is-  situated  to 
the  right  in  the  mountains  on  the  Russian  shore.  Beyond 
the  rivers  Petchora  and  Stzuchogora,  as  far  as  the  mountain 
Camenipoias,  reaching  to  the  sea  and  its  neighbouring  islands, 
and  the  fortress  of  Pustoosero,  are  various  innumerable  races, 
who  are  called  by  the  one  common  name  of  Samoged,  which 
imj^lies,  "  men  who  eat  one  another".  In  this  country  there 
is  a  great  abundance  of  birds,  and  different  kinds  of  animals, 
such  as  sables,  martins,  beavers,  ermins,  squirrels,  and  in  the  !; 
ocean  the  morse,  of  which  I  have  spoken  above,  and  also  1 
vess ;'  there  are  likewise  white  bears,  wolves,  hares,  the  equus  '' 
woduanus,^  and  a  fish  named  semfi,^  with  a  great  variety  of  1 
others.  (.These  races  do  not  come  to  Moscow,  for  they  are 
savage,  and  avoid  communion  with  other  people,  and  civilized 
society.  ^From  the  mouths  of  the  Stzuchogora  up  to  Poiassa, 
Artavische,  Cameni,  and  the  greater  Poiassa,  is  a  journey  of 
three  weeks.  The  ascent  up  the  mountain  of  Camen  occu- 
pies three  days ;  after  descending  which,  we  come  to  the 
river  Artavishche,  then  to  the  river  Sibut,  and  afterwards  to 
the  fortress  of  Lepin  on  the  river  Sossa.  The  dwellers  on 
this  river  are  called  Vogolici.  Leaving  the  Sossa  on  the 
right,  we  come  to  the  river  Oby,  Avhich  rises  in  the  lake 
Kitaisko  ;  the  crossing  this  river  occupies  nearly  a  whole 
day,  even  with  a  rapid  passage,  for  its  breadth  is  so  vast  as 

^  It  is  difficult  to  conjecture  what  fish  or  mammal  is  here  alluded  to. 
^  Perhaps  the  equus  hemionus,  or  dziggetai. 

^  Query,  the  schuyp,  or  acipenser  schypa  of  Guedenstadt,  a  species  of 
sturgeon. 


40  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

to  extend  to  nearly  eight  versts.  The  Vogolici  and  Ugritz- 
schi  dwell  ujion  the  banks  of  this  river.  In  ascending  the 
river  Oby,  it  is  three  months'  journey  from  the  fortress  of 
Obea  to  the  river  Irtische,  where  the  Sossa  falls  into  it.  In 
these  parts  are  the  two  fortresses  of  Jerom  and  Tumen, 
governed  by  the  Knesi  Juhorski,  who  are  said  to  be  descend- 
ants of  the  Grand  Duke  of  Muscovy.  There  are  many 
animals  there,  and  a  great  variety  of  furs. 

From  the  mouths  of  the  river  Irtische  to  the  fortress  of 
Grustina  is  a  journey  of  two  months,  and  thence  to  the  lake 
of  Kitai  by  the  river  Oby,  which,  as  I  have  said,  has  its 
sources  in  that  lake,  is  more  than  three  months'  journey. 
From  this  lake  come  many  black  men  who  speak  one  com- 
mon language,  and  who  bring  with  them  a  variety  of  mer- 
chandize, which  they  barter  with  the  Grustintzi  and  Serpo- 
niotzi  :  these  latter  people  derive  their  name  fi'om  the  fortress 
of  Serponov  Lucomoryae,  situated  in  the  mountains  beyond 
the  river  Oby.  i^t  is  said  that  a  certain  marvellous  and 
incredible  occurrence,  and  very  like  a  fable,  hajcpens  every 
year  to  the  people  of  Lucomoryae,  namely,  that  they  die  on 
the  27th  of  November,  which  among  the  Russians  is  dedi- 
cated to  St.  George,  and  come  to  life  again  like  the  frosts  in 
the  following  spring,  generally  on  the  24th  of  April.  J  These 
people  hold  a  novel  and  otherwise  unusual  kind  of  inter- 
course with  the  Grustintzi  and  Serpovtzi ;  for  when  their 
stated  period  for  dying  or  sleeping  is  approaching,  they 
deposit  their  merchandize  in  a  certain  spot,  which  is  taken 
away  in  the  interim  by  the  Grustintzi  and  Serpovtzi,  who 
leave  their  own  merchandize  in  exchange ;  but  when  the 
former  come  to  life  again,  they  require  their  own  property 
to  be  given  back  if  they  find  it  has  been  taken  at  an  unfair 
valuation,  and  hence  occasion  arises  for  many  conflicts  and 
quarrels  among  them.  In  descending  the  river  Oby  on  the 
left,  we  come  to  the  Calami  nation,  who  migrated  thither 
from  the  Obiosa  and  Pogosa.     Below  the  Oby  up  to  the 


NOTES   UPON    RUSSIA.  41 

Golden  Old  Woman,  which  is  situated  at  the  confluence  of 
the  Oby  with  the  ocean,  are  the  rivers  Sossa,  Berezva,  and 
Danadim,  all  of  which  have  their  rise  in  the  mountain  of 
Camen,  Bolschega,  Poiassa,  and  the  neighbouring  rocks. 
All  the  races  which  dwell  between  these  rivers  and  the 
Golden  Old  Woman,  are  said  to  be  tributary  to  the  Prince 
of  Russia. 

Slata  Baba,  that  is,  the  Golden  Old  AVoman,  is  an  idol 
situated  on  the  mouths  of  the  Oby  on  its  further  bank,  in 
the  province  of  Obdora.  There  are  many  fortresses  scattered 
here  and  there  along  the  banks  of  the  Oby,  and  about  the 
neighbouring  rivers,  the  lords  of  which  are  all  said  to  be 
subject  to  the  Prince  of  Moscow.  The  story,  or  I  should 
more  correctly  call  it  the  fable,  runs,  that  this  idol  of  the 
Golden  Old  Woman  is  a  statue,  representing  an  old  woman 
holding  her  son  in  her  lap,  and  that  recently  another  infant 
has  been  seen,  which  is  said  to  be  her  grandson  ;  they  also 
say  that  she  has  placed  certain  instruments  upon  the  spot, 
which  constantly  give  forth  a  soimd  like  that  of  trumpets. 
If  this  be  the  case,  I  think  that  it  must  arise  from  the  vehe- 
ment and  constant  blowing  of  the  wind  through  those  in- 
struments. 

The  Cossin  is  a  river  which  flows  down  from  the  moun- 
tains of  Lucomorya ;  at  its  mouth  is  the  fortress  of  Cossin, 
which  was  formerly  possessed  by  the  Knes  Ventza,  but  now 
by  his  sons  :  from  the  sources  of  the  great  river  Cossin  to 
this  point  is  a  jouimey  of  two  months.  Moreover,  from  the 
sources  of  the  same  river,  rises  another  river  Cassima,  which, 
after  passing  through  the  district  of  Lucomorya,  flows  into 
the  great  river  Tachnin  ;  beyond  which  are  said  to  dwell 
men  of  prodigious  stature,  some  of  whom  are  covered  all 
over  with  hair,  like  wild  beasts,  while  others  have  heads  like 
dogs,  and  others  have  no  necks,  their  breast  occupying  the 
place  of  a  head,  while  they  have  long  hands,  but  no  feet. 
There  is  also  in  the  river  Tachnin  a  certain  fish,  with  a 

VOL.   II.  G 


42  NOTES    UPON    KUSSIA. 

'.  head,  eyes,  nose,  mouth,  hands,  feet,  and  in  other  respects 
ahnost  entirely  resembling  a  man,  but  without  voice,  which, 
like  other  fish,  affords  excellent  food. 

Hitherto,  whatever  I  have  related,  has  been  literally  trans- 
lated by  me  from  a  Russian  itinerary,  which  has  been  placed 
at  my  service ;  and  although  in  my  narrative  some  things 
may  appear  to  be  fabulous  and  scarcely  credible, — such  as 
men  being  dumb,  dpng  and  coming  to  life  again,  the  Golden 
Old  Woman,  men  of  monstrous  shape,  and  fishes  having  the 
appearance  of  men, — yet  I  myself,  in  spite  of  diligent  inves- 
tigation respecting  them,  have  not  been  able  to  get  certain 
/  information  from  any  one  who  has  seen  them  with  his  own 
I  eyes,  although  by  universal  report  they  are  held  to  be  true  ; 
at  the  same  tune,  in  order  to  afford  others  a  more  ample 
opportunity  of  investigating  these  matters,  I  have  been 
reluctant  to  omit  anything,  and  have  therefore  quoted  the 
very  names  of  the  places  just  as  they  are  called  by  the 
Russians. 

JS^oss  is  the  Russian  name  for  nose ;  hence  this  name  is 
given  to  headlands  protruding  like  a  nose  into  the  sea.  The 
mountains  near  the  river  Petchora  are  called  Semnoi  Poyas, 
which  signifies  the  girdle  of  the  world  or  of  the  earth ;  for 
jyoyas  in  Russian  signifies  a  girdle.  The  lake  Kithai  gives 
its  name  to  the  great  Khan  of  Chathaia,  whom  the  Russians 
call  the  Czar  of  Kythai.  Chan  amongst  the  Tartars  signi- 
fies king. 

The  districts  of  Lucomorya,  which  lie  on  the  sea-coast, 
are  covered  with  wood,  and  the  inhabitants  do  not  dwell  in 
houses.  But  although  the  author  of  the  itinerary  described 
most  of  the  nations  of  Lucomorya  as  subject  to  the  Prince  of 
Moscovy;  yet  as  the  kingdom  of  Tumen  is  near  to  it,  and 
the  prince  of  that  country  is  a  Tartar,  and  is  called  in  their 
native  language  the  Tumenski  czar,  which  means  king  in 
Tumen,  and  has  not  very  long  ago  done  great  injury  to 
the    Prince    of    Moscovy,    it   is    very    probable    from    the 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  43 

vicinity  that  these  nations  are  in  reality  subject  to  the  latter 
prince. 

On  the  river  Petchora,  of  which  mention  has  been  made 
in  the  itinerary,  is  situated  the  city  and  fortress  of  Papin,  or 
Papinovgorod ;  its  inhabitants  are  called  Papini.  Beyond 
this  river  are  some  very  lofty  mountains  stretching  down  to 
its  banks,  whose  summits,  from  their  continual  exposure  to 
the  winds,  are  almost  entirely  destitute  of  grass  or  any  other 
vegetation.  Although  these  mountains  are  differently  named 
in  different  places,  they  are  commonly  called  the  "  Girdle  of 
the  Earth".  In  these  mountains,  the  birds  called  gyr  falcons 
make  their  nests,  of  which  I  shall  speak  below-,  when  1  come 
to  the  description  of  the  prince's  hunting.  Cedar  trees  also 
grow  there,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  wliich  are  found  very 
black  sables.  In  the  dominions  of  the  Prince  of  Moscow  there 
are  no  mountains  seen  but  those  which  probably  were  regarded 
by  the  ancients  as  the  Rhipheean  or  Hyperborean  mountains  ;^ 
and  as  from  the  severity  of  the  perpetual  snow  and  ice  they 
are  very  difficult  to  pass,  they  are  supposed  to  constitute  the 
unknown  province  of  Engroneland.  Vasiley  Ivanovich, 
grand- duke  of  Muscovy,  at  one  time  sent  two  of  his  gover- 
nors, named  Simeon  Feodorovich  Kurbski  (so  called  from 
his  paternal  estate,  but  sprung  from  the  race  of  Jaroslav), 
and  the  Knes  Peter  Uschatoi,  through  Permia  and  Petchora, 
to  explore  the  districts  and  subdue  the  nations  beyond  these 
mountains.  Kurbski  was  still  alive  at  the  time  that  I  was 
at  Moscow,  and  told  me,  when  I  inquired  about  this  expedi- 
tion, that  it  took  him  seventeen  days  to  ascend  the  mountain, 
and  that  after  all  he  could  not  pass  the  summit,  which,  in 
the  language  of  the  country  is  called  Stolp,  meaning  a 
column.  This  mountain  extends  to  the  ocean,  as  far  as  the 
mouths  of  the  rivers  Dwina  and  Petchora. 

And  let  this  suffice  for  the  itinerary. 

^  The  (Juml  mountains. 


44  NOTES    UPON    KUSSIA. 


J  ttobj  return  to  tije  ^rmcipalitics  of  IHoscoto. 

The  principality  of  Susdal,  with  the  fortress  and  city  of 
the  same  name,  which  is  an  episcopal  see,  is  situated  between 
Rostov'  and  Vladimir.  At  the  time  that  the  imperial  court 
was  held  at  Vladimir,  this  was  considered  one  of  the  chief 
principalities,  and  formed  the  metropolis  of  the  neighbouring 
cities.  At  a  later  period,  when  the  grand-duke's  dominions 
had  increased,  and  the  seat  of  the  court  was  removed  to 
Moscow,  the  principality  of  Susdal  became  the  apanage  of 
the  second  sons  of  the  princes ;  but  their  descendants  were 
at  length  driven  therefrom  by  Ivan  Vasileivich.  Two  of 
these,  namely,  Vasiley  Schinski  and  his  brother's  son,  were 
still  alive  at  the  time  I  was  at  Moscow.  In  the  city  of  Susdal 
is  a  famous  convent  of  nvms,  in  Avhich  Solomea  was  shut  up 
after  her  rejDudiation  by  Vasiley. 

Amongst  all  the  principalities  and  provinces  of  the  Prince 
of  Muscovy,  Rezan  claims  the  first  place  for  richness  of  soil, 
and  abundance  of  all  kinds ;  next  to  it  in  fertility  come 
Jaroslav,  Rostov,  Pereaslav,  Susdal,  and  Vladimir. 

Castromovgorod,  which  is  a  city  with  a  fortress,  is  situated 
on  the  banks  of  the  Volga,  nearly  twenty  miles  south-east  of 
Jaroslav,  and  about  forty  from  Lower  Novogorod ;  the  river 
from  which  the  city  takes  its  name,  flows  into  the  Volga  at 
that  point. 

Galitz,  another  principality  with  a  city  and  fortress.  Lies 
on  the  road  from  Moscow  eastward  in  journeying  by  Castro- 
movgorod. 

The  province  of  Viatka  lies  beyond  the  river  Kama,  at  a 
distance  of  nearly  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles  south-east  of 
Moscow ;  the  shortest  road  to  wliich  is  by  Castromovgorod 
and  Galitz  ;  but  this  road  is  the  most  difficult,  not  only  on 
account  of  the  marshes  and  forests  which  lie  between  Galitz 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  45 

and  \  iatka,  but  on  account  of  the  tribes  of  Czcreniisse, 
which  rove  about  in  search  of  phmcler.  Hence  the  road  by 
Vologda  and  Ustj'ug-,  though  longer,  presents  greater  facili- 
ties and  security  for  travelling.  Yiatka  is  one  hundred  and 
twenty  miles  distant  from  Ustyug,  and  sixty  from  Kazan. 
The  district  derives  its  name  from  a  river,  on  whose  banks 
are  situated  Klinova,  Orlov,  and  Solovoda.  Orlov  lies  four 
miles  below  Klinova.  Six  miles  lower  down  to  the  west  lies 
Solovoda.  Cotelnitz  is  eight  miles  from  Klinova  on  the 
river  Khecitza,  which  flows  from  the  east  between  Klinova 
and  Orlov,  and  empties  itself  into  the  Yiatka.  The  region 
is  marshy  and  barren,  and  forms  a  sort  of  asylum  for  fugitive 
serfs ;  it  abounds  in  honey,  wild  beasts,  squirrels,  and  fish. 
It  was  formerly  under  the  dominion  of  the  Tartars  ;  and, 
indeed,  up  to  the  present  day,  the  Tartars  hold  rule  over  the 
country  on  both  sides  of  the  Viatka,  especially  about  its 
mouths,  where  it  falls  into  the  Kama.  Journeys  in  that 
country  are  reckoned  by  czunckhas.  The  czunckha  is  equal 
to  five  versts.  The  river  Kama  empties  itself  into  the  Volga 
twelve  miles  below  Kazan.  The  province  of  Siberia  is 
watered  by  this  river. 

Permia  is  a  large  and  extensive  province  lying  at  a  dis- 
tance of  two  hundred  and  fifty,  or,  according  to  some,  three 
hundred  miles  directly  north-east  of  Moscow.  It  has  a  city 
of  the  same  name  on  the  river  Vischora,  which  ten  miles 
below  it  flows  into  the  Kama.  It  is  scarcely  possible  to 
travel  thither  by  land,  except  in  winter,  on  account  of  the 
numerous  marshes  and  rivers  ;  but  in  summer,  the  journey 
thither  is  made  with  tolerable  facility  in  boats  by  the  Vologda, 
the  Ustyug,  and  the  river  Vitzechda,  "\^•hich  flows  into  the 
Dwina  twelve  miles  from  Ustyug.  Those  who  travel  from 
Permia  to  Ustyug  must  go  in  boats  up  the  Vischora,  and 
after  making  the  passage  of  several  rivers,  have  to  transport 
their  boats  to  other  rivers,  and  so  at  length  come  down  to 
Ustyug,  at  a  distance  of  three  hundred  miles  from  Permia. 


46  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

Bread  is  very  seldom  used  in  that  province ;  and  they  pay 
their  yearly  tribute  to  the  prince  in  horses  and  furs.  They 
have  an  idiom  of  their  o"wn ;  they  have  also  characters  pecu- 
liar to  themselves,  which  were  invented  by  one  Stephen,  a 
bishoj),  who  had  been  the  means  of  confirming  them  in  the 
faith  of  Christ,  at  a  time  when  they  were  vacillating  in  the 
matter  of  religion  :  indeed,  at  a  former  period,  while  they 
were  yet  infants  in  the  faith,  they  flayed  a  certain  bishop 
who  had  made  a  similar  attempt.  This  Stephen  was  after- 
wards enrolled  amongst  the  number  of  the  gods  by  the  Rus- 
sians, in  the  reign  of  Dimitry  Ivanovich./'  There  still  remain 
many  idolaters  amongst  them,  scattered  here  and  there  in 
the  woods,  whom  the  monks  and  hermits  who  wander  into 
those  parts  strive  unceasingly  to  reclaim  from  their  error 
and  profitless  worship.  J  In  Avinter  they  travel  here,  as  in 
most  parts  of  Russia,  almost  entirely  in  artach,  which  are  a 
sort  of  oblong  wooden  shoes,  nearly  six  palms  in  length, 
which  they  fasten  on  the  foot,  and  perform  their  journeys 
with  great  speed.  They  use  for  beasts  of  burden  large  dogs, 
which  are  very  useful  for  this  purpose,  with  which  they 
convey  baggage  in  carriages,  in  the  same  manner  as  will  be 
hereafter  described  in  speaking  of  the  deer.  They  say  that 
that  province  borders  eastward  upon  the  Tartar  province 
called  Tumen. 

The  situation  of  the  province  Jugaria  is  shown  by  what 
has  been  already  said.  The  Russians  pronounce  the  word 
Juhra  with  an  aspirate,  and  call  the  people  Jidirici ;  this  is 
Juharia,  whence  the  Hungarians  proceeded  when  they  took 
possession  of  Pannonia,  and  subdued  many  provinces  of 
Europe  under  their  leader  Attila.  The  Muscovites  are  very 
boastful  of  this  name,  because  their  su^bjects  formerly  devas- 
tated great  part  of  Europe.  George,  called  the  Little,  who 
was  a  Greek  by  bii'th,  wishing,  in  the  treatises  which  he 
wrote  at  the  time  of  my  first  embassy,  to  extend  the  sway  of 
his  prince  over  the  grand  duchy  of  Lithuania,  the  kingdom 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  47 

of  Poland,  etc.,  described  the  Juhari  as  having  been  subjects 
of  the  Grand  Dnke  of  Muscovy,  and  as  having  located  them- 
selves on  the  Palus  Maeotis  [the  Sea  of  Azov],  but  that  they 
then  wandered  to  Pannonia  on  the  Danube,  and  thence 
derived  the  name  of  Hungary.  He  fiuther  stated,  that 
Moravia  was  so  named  from  a  river  which  waters  it ;  and 
that  Poland  took  its  name  from  polls,  which  signifies  a 
plain  ;  and  that  Buda  derived  its  name  from  a  brother  of 
Attila.  For  my  own  part,  I  have  at  least  desired  to  give  the 
account  as  I  have  received  it.  They  say  that  the  Juhari  up  to 
the  present  time  use  the  same  dialect  as  the  Hungarians,  but 
whether  this  be  true,  I  cannot  say  from  my  own  knowledge ; 
for  though  I  have  made  diligent  search,  I  have  been  unable 
to  find  any  man  of  that  country  with  whom  my  servant,  who 
is  skilled  in  the  Hungarian  language,  might  have  an  oppor- 
tunity of  conversing.  These  people  pay  a  tribute  to  the 
prince  in  furs ;  and  although  pearls  and  gems  are  brought 
thence  into  Muscovy,  they  are  not  collected  upon  that  coast, 
but  are  principally  brought  from  the  shores  of  the  ocean 
near  the  mouths  of  the  Dwina. 

The  province  of  Siberia  borders  upon  Permia  and  Viatka ; 
but  I  have  been  unable  to  learn  whether  it  contains  any 
cities  or  fortresses.  In  this  pro\dnce  rises  the  river  Jaick, 
which  empties  itself  into  the  Caspian  Sea.  They  say  that 
this  region  lies  waste  on  account  of  the  neighbourhood  of  the 
Tartars ;  or,  if  it  is  cultivated  in  any  part,  it  is  where  the 
country  has  been  taken  possession  of  by  the  Tartar  Schich- 
mamai.  CThe  natives  use  a  dialect  of  their  own.  They  trade 
principally  in  squirrel  skins,  which  siu'pass  in  size  and 
beauty  those  of  other  provinces ;  but  we  have  not  been  able 
to  see  any  great  plenty  of  them  in  Moscow.  7 

The  people  of  Czeremissi  dwell  in  the  woods  below  Lower 
Novogorod.  They  have  their  own  dialect,  and  follow  the 
tenets  of  Mahomet.  They  are  now  subservient  to  the  King 
of  Kazan,  although  the  greatest  part  of  them  were  formerly 


48  NOTES    rPON    RUSSIA. 

tributaries  of  the  Duke  of  Muscovy,  whence  they  arc  still 
reckoned  as  Russian  subjects.  The  prince  had  several  of 
these  people  brought  to  ^Moscow  on  suspicion  of  rebellion, 
whom  I  saw  when  I  was  there  ;  but  as  they  were  afterwards 
sent  back  to  the  borders  towards  Lithuania,  they  at  length 
dispersed  themselves  into  various  parts.  These  people,  who 
have  no  fixed  abodes,  inhabit  a  region  stretching  far  and 
wdde,  from  Viatka  and  Vologda  as  far  as  the  river  Kama. 
All  of  them,  both  men  and  women,  are  exceedingly  swift  in 
running,  and  very  skilful  archers,  never  laying  down  the 
bow  out  of  theii-  hands ;  and  so  great  is  the  delight  which 
they  take  in  this  exercise,  that  they  will  not  give  their  chil- 
dren food  until  they  hit  a  mark  with  their  arrows. 

Two  miles  from  Lower  Novogorod  is  a  settlement  of 
several  houses,  having  the  appearance  of  a  municipal  town, 
where  salt  used  to  be  prepared.  These  houses  were  burnt 
some  time  since  by  the  Tartars,  but  afterwards  restored  by 
order  of  the  prince. 

The  Mordva  are  a  people  situated  on  the  southern  shore 
of  the  Volga  below  Lower  Novogorod ;  they  resemble  the 
Czeremissi  in  all  things,  except  that  they  are  more  fre- 
quently found  dwelling  in  houses.  And  here  let  us  ter- 
minate our  digression  as  well  as  our  description  of  the  Mus- 
covite empire. 

I  shall  now  subjoin  some  details  respecting  the  neigh- 
bouring and  surrounding  nations,  observing  the  order  in 
which  they  came  under  my  notice  in  travelling  from  Moscow 
eastwards.  In  this  arrangement,  the  Tartars  of  Kazan  come 
first ;  of  whom,  before(L  proceed  to  their  peculiar  character- 
istics, it  is  necessary  that  I  should  first  make  some  general 
observations.  ^ 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  49 


©f  tfjc  ^Tartars, 

Conceruing  the  Tartars  aud  their  origm :  besides  what  is 
contained  in  the  annals  of  the  Poles,  and  in  the  little  books 
upon  the  two  Sarmatias,  much  has  been  written  by  various 
authors,  which  it  would  be  more  tedious  than  useful  to 
repeat  here.  I  have,  however,  thought  it  right  briefly  to 
write  down  such  things  as  I  have  learned  from  the  Russian 
annals,  and  from  the  accounts  given  me  by  a  great  number 
of  persons.  They  say  that  the  Moabites,  who  were  after- 
wards called  Tartars,  and  who  differed  from  the  rest  of 
mankind  in  language,  manners,  and  dress,  came  to  the  river 
Calka ;  but  that  no  one  knew  whence  they  came,  or  what 
religious  doctrine  they  held.  Although  they  were  called  by 
some  Taurmieni,  bv  others  thev  were  kno^vvn  as  Pieczenicri, 
and  by  others  under  another  name.  Methodius,  bishop  of 
Patanczki,'  says  that  they  wandered  out  of  the  deserts  of 
leutriskie,  lying  between  the  north  and  east,  and  gives  the 
following  as  the  reason  of  their  emigration.  /^He  says, 
that  a  certain  man  of  the  highest  rank  amongst  them, 
named  Gideon,  filled  them  with  terror,  by  saying  that 
the  end  of  the  world  was  at  hand  ;  and  that  they  being 
led  away  by  his  preaching,  and  anticipating  the  destruction 
of  the  boundless  wealth  of  the  globe,  made  expeditions 
with  an  innumerable  multitude  to  plunder  the  surround- 
ing provinces,  and  cruelly  ransacked  the  whole  territory 
westward  as  far  as  the  Euplu-ates  and  the  Persian  Gulf; 
and  thus,  after  ravaging  the  provinces  which  lay  in  their  way, 
routed  at  the  river  Calka,  a.m.  6533  [a.d.  1025],  the  nations 
of  the  Polovtzi,  who  alone,  with  the  assistance  of  the  Russian 

^  Misspelt  for  Patarski,  i.  e.,  of  Patara.  The  substance  of  this  passage 
appears  to  be  taken  from  the  ancient  chronicler,  known  as  the  chi-onicler 
of  Novogorod,  but  involves  an  evident  anachronism,  as  ]\Iethodius  the  cele- 
brated opponent  of  Origen,  who  died  a.d.  311,  could  not  have  recorded 
the  battle  of  Calka. 

VOL.  II.  H 


50  NOTES    UrOX    KUSSIA. 

forces,  dared  to  arrest  their  progress.  On  this  subject,  it  is 
evident  that  the  author  of  the  little  book,  De  Duahus  Sar- 
matiis,  was  in  error  in  speaking  of  the  people  of  the  Polovtzi, 
when  he  inter^^reted  their  name  as  meaning  hunters ;  for 
Polovtzi  means  men  of  the  plain  ;  poli  signifying  a  plain — 
lovatz  and  lovtzi  both  signifying  hunters,  the  termination 
tzi  and  Tisi  not  changing  the  signification,  which  does  not 
depend  upon  the  last,  but  upon  the  first  syllables.  But  as 
it  is  a  general  custom  with  the  Kussians  to  add  the  generic 
syllable  ski  to  this  kind  of  words,  the  man  has  been  deceived 
by  this  circumstance,  so  that  Polovtzi  ought  to  be  interpreted 
"  men  of  the  plain",  and  not  hunters,  ^he  Russians  main- 
tain that  the  Polovtzi  were  Goths,  but  I  do  not  agree  with 
that  opinion.  He  who  attempts  to  describe  the  Tartars  will 
have  to  describe  many  races ;  for  they  derive  this  name  from 
one  sect  alone,  while  they  consist  of  various  nations  lying 
vnde  ajDart  from  each  other.  And  now  I  return  to  the  task 
I  proposed  to  myself.  ^ 

Bathi,  proceeding  with  a  strong  force  northwards,  took 
possession  of  Bulgaria,  which  lies  on  the  Volga  below  Kazan. 
In  the  following  year,  a.m.  6745  [a.d.  1237],  following  up 
his  victory,  he  advanced  into  Muscovy  and  took  the  royal 
city,  which  surrendered  to  him  after  a  siege  which  lasted  a 
considerable  time.  He  afterwards,  however,  broke  his  faith 
with  respect  to  the  terms  upon  which  this  surrender  had 
been  made ;  and  proceeding  onwards,  carrying  slaughter 
wherever  he  went,  he  desolated  the  neighbouring  provinces 
of  Vladimir,  Pereaslav,  Rostov,  and  Susdal  —  comprising 
many  towns  and  fortresses — with  fire,  slaughtering  the  inha- 
bitants or  reducing  them  to  servitude.  He  routed  and  slew 
the  Grand  Duke  George,  who  had  come  out  to  meet  him 
with  a  trained  army  ;  he  also  took  Vasiley  Constantinovitch 
prisoner,  and  put  him  to  death  :  all  which  took  place  in  the 
above-mentioned  year  6745. 

From  that  time  nearly  all  the  princes  of  Russia  were  in- 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  51 

augurated  by  the  Tartars,  and  paid  allegiance  to  them,  until 
the  time  of  Withold,  Grand  Duke  of  Lithuania,  Avho  valiantly- 
defended  his  own  provinces  and  those  which  he  had  taken 
possession  of  in  Russia  against  the  arms  of  the  Tartars,  and 
was  a  terror  to  all  around  him.  The  Grand  Dukes  of  Vladi- 
mir and  Muscovy,  after  they  had  once  yielded  allegiance 
and  submission  to  the  Tartar  princes,  continued  therein  up 
to  the  time  of  the  present  Duke  Vasiley.  The  annals  say 
that  this  Bathi  w^as  killed  in  Hungary  by  Vlaslav,  king  of 
the  Hungarians  (who  on  his  baptism  was  named  \Tadislaus, 
and  was  enrolled  amongst  the  number  of  the  saints)  ;  for  he 
had  carried  off  the  king's  sister,  whom  he  had  accidentally 
met  with  during  the  spoiling  of  the  kingdom,  and  the  king, 
moved  by  love  for  his  sister,  and  by  the  indignity  of  the 
deed,  pursued  him ;  but  when  he  made  his  attack  ujjon 
Bathi,  his  sister  took  up  arms  in  the  cause  of  the  adidtercr, 
against  her  brother,  which  so  enraged  the  king  that  he  slew 
his  sister  together  with  the  adulterous  Bathi.  These  things 
were  done  A.M.  6745  [a.d.  1237]. 

Bathi  was  succeeded  in  the  empire  by  Asbec,  who  died 
A.M.  6834  [a.d.  1326],  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Zanabeck, 
who,  after  slaying  his  brother  in  order  that  he  might  reign 
alone  without  apprehension,  died  in  the  year  6865  [a.d.  1357]. 
He  was  followed  by  Berclebeck,  who  after  in  like  manner 
killing  his  twelve  brothers,  died  in  6867  [a.d.  1359].  After 
him  came  Alculpa,  who  did  not  reign  more  than  a  month  ; 
for  immediately  after  assuming  the  reins  of  government  he 
was  slain,  together  with  his  children,  by  a  certain  prince 
named  Xaruss.  As  the  latter  now  became  the  possessor  of 
the  kingdom,  all  the  princes  of  Bussia  came  together  to  him, 
and  did  not  depart  till  each  of  them  had  obtained  the  power 
of  ruling  independently  in  his  own  province.  Naruss  was 
slain  in  th.  year  6868  [a.d.  1360].  He  was  succeeded  in 
the  kingdom  by  Chidir,  who  was  slain  by  his  son  The- 
merhoscha,  who,  gaining  the  kingdom  by  a  crime,  scarcely 


52  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

enjoyed  it  for  a  week  ;  for  being  di'iven  out  by  Tenmick 
Manais,  and  fleeing  beyond  the  Volga,  he  was  slain  by  the 
soldiers  who  pursued  him,  in  the  year  6869  [a.d.  1361]. 
After  these  Thachamisch  obtained  the  empire,  a.m.  6890 
[a.d.  1382],  and  going  forth  on  the  26th  of  August  "v^dth 
an  army,  he  laid  waste  Muscovy  with  fire  and  sword. 
Being  routed  by  Themirkutlu,  he  fled  to  "Withold,  Grand 
Duke  of  Lithuania.  Themirkutlu  reigned  over  the  kingdom 
of  Savai,  A.M.  6906  [a.d.  1398],  and  died  6909  [a.d.  1401]. 
His  son  Schatibeck  succeeded  him  in  the  empire,  after 
whom  came  Themii'assack,  who  led  an  immense  army  into 
Retzan  with  a  view  of  depopulating  Russia,  and  inspired 
such  terror  into  the  j)rinces  of  Muscovy,  that,  despaii'iiig  of 
victory,  they  threw  down  their  arms  and  betook  themselves 
to  the  protection  of  the  saints.  They  immediately  sent  to 
Vladimu-  for  a  certain  image  of  the  blessed  Vii'gin  Mary, 
wliich  was  celebrated  for  having  performed  many  miracles; 
and  as  this  image  was  being  brought  into  Moscow  the  prince 
Avent  out  to  meet  it  with  all  the  multitude,  to  give  it  an 
honourable  reception  ;  and  fii'st  most  humbly  imploring  it 
to  repel  the  enemy,  he  brought  it  into  the  city  with  the 
greatest  respect  and  veneration  :  ^nd  they  say  that  by  this 
act  of  worship  they  obtained  grace  from  the  Virgin,  so  that 
the  Tartars  did  not  advance  beyond  Retzan.j  And  for  a 
perpetual  memorial  of  this  event,  a  temple  was  erected  on 
the  spot  where  the  image  was  waited  for  and  received  ;  and 
that  day,  which  is  called  by  the  Russians  stretitnue,  that  is 
the  day  of  meeting,  is  solemnly  celebrated  every  year  on  the 
26th  of  August.  These  things  took  place  in  the  year  a.m. 
6903  [a.d.  1395]. 

The  Russians  relate  that  this  Themirassack  was  of  obscure 
birth,  and  rose  to  this  high  degree  of  dignity  by  plunder;  they 
say  also  that  he  was  an  extremely  clever  thief  in  his  youth, 
and  that  it  was  by  one  of  these  exploits  that  he  derived  his 
appellation  ;  for  having  once  stolen  a  sheep,  and  being  caught 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  53 

by  the  o\vner,  he  received  a  violent  blow  from  a  stone  which 
broke  liis  leg,  and  as  he  bound  it  up  with  a  piece  of  iron, 
the  name  he  afterwards  bore  was  given  to  him  from  the  iron 
and  from  the  lameness,  for  "  Theniii'"  signifies  iron,  and 
"  Assack",  lame.  At  the  time  that  the  people  of  Constanti- 
nople were  sorely  besieged  by  the  Turks,  he  sent  his  son  thi- 
ther with  auxiliary  forces,  who,  after  routing  the  Turks  and 
forcing  them  to  raise  the  seige,  retvu'ned  victoriously  to  his 
father  in  the  year  6909  [a.d.  1401]. 

The  Tartars  are  divided  into  hordes,  amongst  which  the 
horde  of  Savolha  stands  first  in  numbers  and  in  fame  ;  for 
all  the  other  hordes  are  said  to  have  derived  their  origin 
from  it.  The  word  "  horde"  among  them  signifies  a  con- 
course or  multitude.  But  although  each  horde  has  its  pecu- 
liar name,  such  as  the  horde  of  Savolha,  Precop,  Nahaisa, 
and  many  others,  and  all  are  of  the  Mahometan  religion,  yet 
they  are  highly  ofiended  if  they  are  called  Turks,  and  con- 
sider it  a  reproach,  but  delight  in  being  called  Besermani,  a 
name  which  the  Turks  also  are  j)leased  to  be  called  by.  But 
as  the  regions  inhabited  by  the  Tartars  are  scattered  far  and 
wide  in  various  directions,  so  do  they  differ  fi'om  each  other 
considerably  in  manners  and  mode  of  life.  L 'll^^  men  are  of 
middle  stature,  with  a  broad,  fat  face,  with  eyes  turned  in 
and  hollow,  wearing  no  hair  but  the  beard,  shaving  the  rest 
of  their  hair  ;  the  more  distinguished  persons  only  wear  their 
hair,  which  is  very  black,  and  cui'ling  down  to  their  ears  ;  they 
are  strong  in  frame  and  of  a  daring  courage,  preposterously 
depraved  in  the  indulgence  of  their  passions,  and  feeding 
contentedly  on  the  flesh  of  animals  in  whatever  manner  they 
may  have  been  killed,  except  pork,  from  which  they  are 
obliged  to  abstain  by  law.  J  They  are  so  patient  under  the 
want  of  food  and  sleep,  that  they  will  sometimes  endure 
these  privations  for  four  days  together,  without  in  the  least 
relaxing  any  needful  exertion.  Again,  when  they  by  chance 
have  lighted  upon  something  to  cat,  they  gorge  themselves 


54  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

beyond  measure,  leaving  nothing  uneaten ;  and  with,  this  kind 
of  surfeit  they  make  amends  for  their  previous  fasting.  When 
thus  overcome  by  food  and  labour  they  sleep  continuously 
for  three  or  four  days,  and  while  in  this  state  of  deep  sleep 
the  Lithuanians  and  Russians,^into  whose  country  they  are 
accustomed  to  make  sudden  irruptions  and  carry  away  much 
booty,  fall  upon  them,  and,  defenceless  as  they  are,  having  no 
sentinels  nor  any  order  amongst  them,  by  degrees  overwhelm 
them.  Moreover,  if  during  a  long  ride  they  are  troubled 
with  hunger  or  thii-st,  it  is  a  practice  to  lance  the  veins  of 
the  horses  on  which  they  sit,  and  relieve  their  craving  by 
drawing  their  blood ;  and  they  think  that  this  is  an  advantage 
to  the  animals.  As  they  nearly  all  wander  on  uncertain 
tracks,  they  are  accustomed  to  direct  their  course  by  the 
observation  of  the  stars,  especially  the  j)olar  star,  called  in 
their  language  Selesnicoll,  which  means  an  iron  nail."^ 

They  are  particularly  found  of  mare's  milk,  for  they  tliiuk 
that  it  makes  men  fat  and  strong :  they  use  many  herbs  for 
food,  especially  those  which  grow  near  the  river  Don :  very  few 
use  salt.  Their  kings,  on  occasions  when  they  distribute  food 
to  their  people,  are  accustomed  to  give  one  cow  or  one  horse 
amongst  forty  men ;  and  when  these  are  killed,  the  chief  men 
take  only  the  intestines  and  divide  them  amongst  themselves, 
warming  them  fii'st  at  the  fire  to  cleanse  them  before  eat- 
ing them :  they  not  only  complacently  lick  and  suck  their 
fingers,  greasy  with  the  fat,  but  also  both  the  knife  and  its 
handle  which  have  been  used  for  the  cleansing  process. 
They  consider  horses'  heads  as  great  a  luxury  as  we  do 
boars'  heads,  and  they  are  only  served  at  the  tables  of  men 
of  rank.  They  have  abundance  of  horses,  low  in  the  neck 
and  small,  but  strong,  alike  able  to  endure  labour  and  want  of 
food,  and  to  support  themselves  on  the  boughs  and  bark  of 
trees,  or  on  the  roots  of  herbs,  which  they  scratch  out  of  the 
earth  with  their  feet.  These  horses,  thus  inured  to  labour,  are 
used  with  great  efiect  by  the  Tartars ;  and  the  Russians  say 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  55 

they  are  far  swifter  when  ridden  by  Tartars  than  by  other  men. 
This  breed  of  horses  is  called  Pachmat.  Their  saddles  and  stir- 
rups are  of  wood,  unless  they  happen  to  seize  or  purchase  any 
from  the  Christians.  To  save  their  horses'  backs  from  being 
rubbed,  they  protect  them  with  grass  or  the  leaves  of  trees. 
They  swim  across  rivers  ;  and  if  they  happen  to  be  fleeing 
from  an  enemy  whose  force  they  greatly  di'ead,  they  throw 
away  saddles  and  dresses,  and  all  their  baggage,  and  escape 
in  the  greatest  confusion.  Their  arms  are  bows  and  arrows ; 
a  sword  is  rarely  found  amongst  them.  They  enter  into  a 
contest  with  the  enemy  with  the  greatest  boldness  from  a 
distance ;  they  do  not,  however,  continue  this  mode  of  war- 
fare long,  but  pretending  flight,  take  an  opportunity  while 
their  enemies  are  pursuing  them  to  discharge  their  arrows 
backwards,  and  then,  when  the  ranks  of  the  enemy  are 
broken,  turn  their  horses  suddenly  round  and  attack  them. 
When  a  battle  is  to  be  fought  upon  their  native  plains,  and 
they  have  the  enemy  within  arrows'  flight,  they  do  not  enter 
into  the  engagement  in  regular  battle-array,  but  draw  out 
their  forces  into  a  winding  circle,  so  as  to  aflbrd  themselves 
a  fi-eer  and  more  certain  opportunity  of  discharging  their 
weapons  at  the  enemy.  They  observe  a  wonderful  degree 
of  order,  both  in  advancing  and  retreating  ;  for  performing 
which  manoeuvres  they  have  leaders,  who  are  very  skilful  in 
these  matters ;  but  if  these  should  hajDpen  to  fall  under  the 
enemy's  weapons,  or  through  fear  should  make  an  error  in 
generalship,  the  confusion  of  the  entire  army  becomes  so 
great  that  they  cannot  again  be  restored  to  order,  nor  be 
prevailed  upon  to  turn  their  shafts  against  the  enemy.  This 
kind  of  contest,  they  themselves,  from  the  resemblance, 
call  a  dance ;  but  if  threatened  with  an  engagement  in 
a  narrow  defile,  this  stratagem  cannot  be  used,  and  in  that 
case  they  betake  themselves  to  flight,  because  they  are  not 
armed  either  with  shield,  lance,  or  helmet,  so  as  to  be  able 
to  meet  the  enemy  in  an  engagement  hand  to  hand.     Their 


56  NOTES    UPOiV    RUSSIA. 

Style  of  riding  is  such,  that  they  sit  with  the  feet  drawn  up  , 
towards  the  saddle,  so  as  to  be  able  to  turn  round  easily  to 
either  side ;  and  if  anything  should  happen  to  fall  which 
they  wish  to  pick  up,  they  can  lean  upon  their  stirrups  and 
easily  lift  it ;  and  they  are  so  skilful  in  this  manoeuvre,  that 
they  can  perform  it  while  their  horses  are  galloping.  When 
attacked  with  spears,  they  avoid  the  adversary's  blow  by 
suddenly  lowering  themselves  on  the  opposite  side,  only 
holdino-  on  to  their  horses  with  one  hand  and  foot.  When 
they  go  out  on  ravaging  expeditions  to  the  neighbouring 
provinces,  each  man  takes  with  him  two  or  three  horses  as 
a  supply,  so  that  when  one  is  tired  out  he  may  use  one  of 
the  others  :  they  lead  the  weary  horses  meanwhile  by  the 
hand.  Their  bridles  are  very  light,  and  they  use  whips 
instead  of  spurs ;  they  only  use  geldings  in  warfare,  because 
they  consider  them  more  capable  of  sustaining  fatigue  and 
abstinence.  ^The  men  use  a  similar  dress  to  that  of  the 
women,  except  that  the  latter  cover  the  head  with  a  linen 
veil,  and  wear  linen  breeches  like  those  of  sailors.  ^Vhen 
their  queens  go  into  public  they  are  accustomed  to  cover 
their  faces ;  but  the  rest  of  the  people,  who  live  a  roving 
life  in  the  fields,  wear  dresses  made  of  sheeps'  skins,  which 
they  never  change  until  they  are  entirely  worn  out  and 
ragged  with  long  use.  {They  never  stay  for  any  length  of 
time  in  one  spot,  for  they  consider  it  a  great  calamity  to  be 
obliged  to  remain  long  in  the  same  place ;  hence,  when  they 
are  angry  with  their  children,  and  wish  to  utter  a  heavy 
imprecation  against  them,  they  are  accustomed  to  say,  "  may 
you  abide  in  one  place  continually  like  a  Christian,  and 
inhale  your  own  stink  !"^  So. that  when  they  have  consumed 
the  pasture  which  they  may  find  on  one  spot,  they  migrate 
elsewhere,  together  with  their  cattle,  wives,  and  children, 
which  they  always  lead  about  with  them  in  marshy  places. 
Those,  however,  who  live  in  towns  and  cities  follow  another 
course  of  life  ;   when  they  are  engaged  in  a  war  at  all  of  a 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  57 

serious  character,  they  place  their  wives,  children,  and  old 
men,  in  the  safest  spots  they  can  find. 

They  have  no  justice  among  them.  AMien  a  man  stands 
in  need  of  anything,  he  can  with  impunity  plunder  another 
of  it;  and  if  any  one  is  complained  of  before  a  judge  for  an 
act  of  violence,  or  for  having  inflicted  any  injury,  the  accused 
docs  not  deny  the  fact,  but  simply  says  that  he  could  not 
dispense  with  the  article  in  qviestion;  upon  which  the  judge 
usually  gives  his  judgment  [by  addressing  the  plaintiff]  in 
the  following  manner  : — "  If  you  in  your  turn  stand  in  need 
of  anything,  seize  it  from  other  people."  There  are  some 
who  say  that  they  are  not  plunderers :  I  leave  it  to  others  to 
decide  whether  they  are  plunderers  or  not.  For  a  certainty, 
the  men  are  most  rapacious,  because  very  poor,  and  are  always 
coveting  what  is  not  their  own, — talcing  away  other  men's 
cattle,  plundering,  and  even  kidnapping  men,  whom  they  sell 
to  the  Turks  and  others  ;  or  else  surrendering  them  upon  ran- 
som, reserving  the  maidens  only  for  their  own  use.  They  sel- 
dom besiege  cities  and  fortified  places  ;  but  take  great  pleasure 
in  burning  and  plundering  small  towns  and  villages,  thinking 
that  the  greater  number  of  provinces  they  thus  desolate,  the 
larger  is  the  dominion  that  they  have  gained  to  themselves. 
If  in  any  quarrel  among  themselves  a  man  be  killed,  and  the 
perpetrators  of  the  crime  be  taken,  they  are  simply  deprived 
of  their  horses,  arms,  and  clothing,  and  are  then  set  free. 
Even  a  murderer,  after  giving  up  his  horse  and  his  bow,  is 
dismissed  by  the  judge,  merely  with  the  charge  to  go  and 
mind  his  own  business. 

pold  and  silver  is  scarcely  ever  used  amongst  them,  except 
by  merchants,  and  that  only  in  -the  way  of  commerce.  Once, 
when  a  fat  Tartar  was  taken  by  the  Russians,  a  Russian 
asked  him  :  "  How,  you  dog,  did  you,  who  have  nothing  to 
eat,  become  so  fat  ?"  To  which,  the  Tartar  replied  :  "  Why 
should  not  I  have  something  to  cat  who  own  so  vast  a  terri- 

VOL.   II.  I 


58  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

tory  from  cast  to  west  ?  can  I  not  derive  therefrom  food 
enough  in  all  conscience  to  satisfy  me  ?  I  should  rather 
think  it  is  you  Avho  have  not  enough  to  eat,  possessing  so 
small  a  portion  of  the  globe  as  you  do,  and  having  daily  to 
contend  for  it." 

The  kingdom  of  Kazan,  with  the  city  and  fortress  of  the 
same  name,  is  situated  on  the  further  bank  of  the  river 
Volga,  nearly  seventy  miles  below  Lower  Novogorod.  The 
king  of  this  province  can  raise  an  army  of  thirty  thousand 
men,  principally  foot  soldiers,  amongst  whom  the  Czere- 
missi  and  Czubaschi  are  the  most  skilful  archers.  They  say 
that  the  Czubaschi  excel  in  the  art  of  navigation.  The  city  of 
Kazan  is  sixty  German  miles  distant  from  the  principal  for- 
tress of  Viatka.  These  Tartars  are  more  civilized  than  the 
rest,  in  as  much  as  they  cultivate  their  lands,  live  in  houses, 
and  carry  on  various  branches  of  merchandize.  But  Vasiley, 
Prince  of  Moscow,  has  so  subjugated  them,  as  to  bring  their 
kings  entirely  under  his  sway ;  which  undertaking  M' as  the 
less  difficult,  not  only  from  the  convenient  position  of  the 
rivers,  which  flow  from  Moscow  into  the  Volga,  but  also 
from  the  commercial  intercourse,  which  they  could  not  dis- 
pense with.  The  people  of  Kazan  formerly  had  a  king 
named  Chelealeck,  who  died,  lea\ing  a  wife  named  Nursulta, 
without  children,  and  she  was  taken  to  wife  by  one  Abra- 
hemin,  who  by  this  means  gained  possession  of  the  kingdom. 
Abrahemin  had  by  her  two  sons,  named  IVIachmedemin  and 
Abdelatiw ;  by  a  former  wife,  named  Batmassasolta,  how- 
ever, he  had  had  a  son  named  Alega,  who,  upon  the  death 
of  his  father,  succeeded  as  the  first-born  to  the  throne.  But 
as  he  was  not  entirely  obedient  to  the  commands  of  the 
Prince  of  Moscow,  he  was  on  a  certain  occasion  made  drunk 
at  a  festival  by  some  of  the  councillors  of  the  Prince  of 
INIoscow,  whom  he  had  sent  thither  to  watch  the  disj^osition 
of  the  king,  and  who  in  that  state  placed  him  in  a  carriage, 
as  if  with  the  intention  of  conveying  him  home  ;  but  on  that 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  59 

same  night  he  was  driven  towards  Moscow,  and  after  being 
confined  for  a  considerable  time,  was  finally  sent  by  the 
prince  to  Vologda,  where  he  ended  his  days.  His  mother, 
together  with  his  brothers  Abdelatiw  and  Machmedemin,  had 
been  already  removed  to  Bieloiesero.  One  of  the  brothers 
of  Alcga,  named  Codaiculu,  was  baptized,  and  received  the 
name  of  Peter,  and  the  present  Prince  Yasiley  gave  him  his 
sister  in  marriage.  Another  of  Alega's  brothers,  named 
Meniktair,  continued  in  his  own  creed  as  long  as  he  lived, 
but  had  many  sons,  all  of  whom,  after  their  father's  death, 
except  one  Theodore  (who  lived  at  Moscow  when  I  was 
there),  were  baptized  together  with  their  mother,  and  died 
[in  the  Christian  faith].  After  Alega's  abduction  into  Mos- 
cow, Abdelatiw  succeeded  him,  but  was  removed  from  the 
sovereignty  for  a  similar  reason  to  that  which  had  caused 
the  removal  of  Alega,  and  ISIachmedemin  was  released  by 
the  prince  from  Bieloiesero,  and  placed  on  the  throne  in  his 
stead.  He  continued  to  reign  until  the  year  of  our  Lord 
1518.  Xursulta,  whom  I  have  described  as  the  wife  of  the 
kings  Chalealeck  and  Abrahemin,  after  the  death  of  Alega, 
married  Mendliger,  King  of  Precop.  Having  no  ofispring 
by  Mendliger,  she,  from  love  of  her  first  children,  went  to 
Moscow  to  Abdelatiw,  and  subsequently,  a.d.  1504,  to  her 
other  son  Machmedemin,  who  ruled  over  Kazan. 

The  people  of  Kazan  have  now  rebelled  against  the  Prince 
of  Moscow ;  and  as  this  rebellion  has  given  rise  to  many  wars, 
and  daily  conflicts  among  the  various  princes  who  have  united 
in  the  cause  of  each  contending  party,  and  as  the  war  remains 
unterminated  up  to  the  present  day,  I  have  thought  it  right 
to  describe  its  reason  below.  Upon  the  rebellion  becoming 
known  to  Vasiley,  Prince  of  Moscow,  his  indignation  and 
thirst  for  revenge  was  such,  that  he  sent  an  immense  army 
with  artillery  against  the  people  of  Kazan.  When  the  latter, 
who  had  to  fight  for  life  and  liberty,  heard  of  the  terrible 
preparations  made  by  the  prince  against  them,  and  saw  that 


60 


NOTES    UFON    RUSSIA. 


they  were  unequal  to  contend  with  the  enemy  in  an  en 
gagement  hand  to  hand,  they  reasoned  how  they  might 
circumvent  them  by  stratagem.  After  having,  therefore, 
first  openly  pitched  their  camp  in  front  of  the  enemy,  they 
placed  the  flower  of  their  forces  in  ambush  in  convenient 
spots,  and  then  assuming  the  appearance  of  being  struck  by 
panic,  suddenly  deserted  their  camp  and  betook  themselves 
to  flight.  The  Russians,  who  were  at  no  great  distance, 
becoming  aware  of  the  flight  of  the  Tartars,  broke  their 
ranks,  and  rushed  precipitately  upon  the  camp  of  the  enemy, 
and  while  they  were  engaged  in  plunder,  and  trusting  in 
their  own  security,  the  Tartars  came  forth  from  their  am- 
bush, together  with  the  Czeremissian  archers,  and  carried 
such  slaughter  amongst  them,  that  the  Russians  were  com- 
pelled to  leave  their  artillery  and  flee. 

In  that  flight,  two  bombardiers  left  their  guns  and  fled, 
but  were  kindly  received  by  the  prince  upon  their  return  to 
Moscow.  One  of  them,  named  Bartholomew,  who  was  an 
Italian  by  birth,  afterwards  conformed  to  the  Russian  ritual, 
and  received  large  presents,  together  with  great  authority 
and  favour,  from  the  prince.  A  third  bombadier  retui-ned 
from  the  slaughter,  with  the  gun  under  his  charge,  and 
hoped  that  he  should  receive  great  and  substantial  favour 
from  the  prince,  for  the  care  with  which  he  had  preserved 
and  brought  back  his  piece.  But  the  prince  addressing  him 
with  reproaches,  said :  "  In  thus  exposing  me  and  thyself  to 
so  great  danger,  thou  hast  shewn  a  wish  either  readily  to 
take  to  flight,  or  else  to  surrender  both  thyself  and  thy  gun 
to  the  enemy.  To  what  purpose  is  this  preposterous  dili- 
gence in  preserving  thy  gun  ?  I  make  no  account  of  thy 
boasting.  I  have  still  men  remaining  Avho  know  not  only 
how  to  found  artillery,  but  also  how  to  use  them." 

Upon  the  death  of  King  Machmedemin,  under  whom  the 
people  of  Kazan  had  revolted,  Scheale,  who  married  his 
widow,  attained  possession  of  the  kingdom  of  Kazan  by  the 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  61 

assistance  of  the  prince  of  Moscow  and  his  wife's  brother. 
He  reigned  only  four  years,  greatly  hated  and  despised  by 
his  subjects.  These  feelings  were  increased  by  his  effeminate 
and  degraded  constitution  of  body,  for  he  was  a  corpulent 
man,  with  a  small  beard,  and  an  almost  feminine  face,  which 
showed  that  he  was  by  no  means  fit  for  a  warrior.  In  addi- 
tion to  this,  he  despised  and  slighted  the  good  will  of  his 
own  subjects,  showed  an  unreasonable  spirit  of  conciliation 
to  the  Prince  of  Moscow,  and  trusted  foreigners  rather  than 
his  own  people.  The  people  of  Kazan  were  induced,  by 
these  circumstances,  to  offer  the  kingdom  to  Sapgirei  [Sahib 
Girei],  son  of  Mendliger,  one  of  the  kings  of  Tamida ;  upon 
wliich  Scheale  [Schich  Alei],  being  ordered  to  give  up  the 
kingdom,  and  finding  himself  inferior  in  forces,  and  that  the 
minds  of  his  own  subjects  were  set  against  him,  thought 
it  best  to  yield  to  his  fate,  and  returned  with  his  wives,  con- 
cubines, and  all  his  chattels,  to  Moscow,  whence  he  had 
come.  This  took  place  a.d.  1521.  After  this  flight  of  Scheale 
from  the  kingdom,  Machmetgirei,  King  of  Taurida,  conducted 
his  brother  Sapgirei  into  Kazan  with  a  great  army,  and  after 
confii-ming  the  good  will  of  the  people  of  Kazan  towards  liis 
brother,  on  his  road  back  to  Taurida  crossed  the  Don,  and  bent 
his  steps  towards  Moscow.  Yasiley,  feeling  at  that  time  toler- 
ably secure,  and  not  apprehending  an  occurrence  of  the  kind, 
when  he  heard  of  the  approach  of  the  Tartars,  hastily  collected 
an  army,  which  he  placed  under  the  command  of  the  General 
Dimitry  Bielski,  and  sent  it  towards  the  river  Occa,  to  check  the 
advance  of  the  Tartars.  Machmetgirei  sjoeedily  crossed  the 
Occa,and  pitched  his  tent  near  certain  fish  ponds  thirteen  versts 
from  Moscow  itself:  sallying  thence  he  spread  fire  and  plunder 
over  all  the  country;  at  the  same  time  Sapgirei,  who  had 
also  left  Kazan  with  an  army,  laid  waste  Vladimir  and  Lower 
Novogorod.  After  these  transactions,  the  two  brother  kings 
met  at  the  city  of  Columna  and  united  their  forces.  Vasiley, 
finding  himself  unequal  to  engage  with  so  powerful  an  enemy. 


62  NOTES   UPON    RUSSIA. 

fled  from  Moscow,  leaving  his  half  hrother  Peter,  a  descend- 
ant of  the  kings  of  Tartary,  together  with  some  other  noble- 
men, with  a  garrison  to  defend  the  fortress.  So  great  was  his 
fright,  that  he  is  said  in  his  despair  to  have  hidden  himself 
for  some  time  under  a  hay  stack.  On  the  29th  of  July  the 
Tartars  made  a  farther  advance,  and  devastated  the  country 
with  fire  in  all  directions ;  and  such  was  the  terror  which 
they  inspired  amongst  the  people  of  Moscow,  that  they  had 
little  confidence  in  their  security  even  in  the  city  and  the 
fortress.  Such  was  the  tumult  which  arose  at  the  gates 
from  the  thronging  of  M'omen,  children,  and  other  helpless 
people,  who  in  their  intrej)idation  fled  into  the  fortress  with 
carriages  and  vehicles  of  all  kinds,  that  in  their  haste  they 
checked  each  other's  progress,  and  many  were  trampled 
under  foot.  This  immense  concourse  of  persons  caused  the 
air  to  become  so  pestilential  in  the  fortress,  that  if  the  enemy 
had  remained  three  or  four  days  under  the  walls  of  the  city, 
they  must  have  been  seized  by  the  plague  and  died,  for  in 
so  great  a  crowd  huddled  together,  they  was  obliged  to 
satisfy  nature  wherever  they  could  find  place.  There  were 
at  that  time  at  Moscow  some  Livonian  ambassadors,  who 
mounted  their  horses  and  betook  themselves  to  fiight,  and 
seeing  nothing  around  them  but  fire  and  smoke,  and  suppos- 
ing themselves  to  be  surrounded  by  the  Tartars,  made  such 
speed,  that  in  one  day  they  reached  Tver,  which  is  thirty-six 
German  miles  distant  from  Moscow.  The  German  bombar- 
diers deserved  great  praise  on  that  occasion,  especially  one 
Nicholas,  born  not  far  from  Spier,  an  imperial  city  of  Ger- 
many, near  the  Rhine,  to  whom  was  committed  in  very  flat- 
tering terms  the  task  of  defending  the  city  by  the  governor 
and  all  the  counsellors,  who  were  almost  stupified  with  excess 
of  fear,  and  who  begged  him  to  bring  up  the  larger  guns 
which  were  used  for  breaching  walls,  under  the  gate  of  the 
fortress,  in  order  to  drive  away  the  Tartars.  The  size  of 
these  guns,  however,  was  such,  that  tkree  days  would  scarcely 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  63 

be  sufficient  to  convey  them  to  that  spot,  and  they  had  not 
enough  gunpowder  even  to  load  the  largest  gun  with  one 
charge.  jFor  it  is  constantly  the  custom  with  the  Russians  to 
be  behiiaaliand  in  everything,  and  never  to  have  anything 
ready  ;  but  when  necessity  presses,  they  are  anxious  to  finish 
everything  rapidly^  Nicholas,  therefore,  considered  it  advis- 
able to  have  the  smaller  guns,  which  were  kept  hidden  at  a 
distance  from  the  fortress,  quickly  fetched  into  the  interior 
on  men's  shoulders  ;  but  during  the  delay  a  cry  suddenly 
arose  that  the  Tartars  were  at  hand,  which  caused  so  much 
fear  amongst  the  towns-folk,  that  the  guns  were  left  scattered 
about  the  streets,  and  even  the  defence  of  the  walls  was  neg- 
lected. If  a  hundred  of  the  enemy's  cavahy  had  at  that 
time  attacked  the  city,  they  might  easily  have  rased  it  to  the 
ground  with  fire.  In  the  midst  of  their  fear,  the  governor 
and  the  garrison  thovight  it  best  to  appease  King  Machmet- 
girei  by  sending  him  a  great  number  of  presents,  principally 
consisting  of  mead,  in  order  to  induce  him  to  raise  the  siege. 
Machmetgirei  accepted  the  gifts,  and  promised  that  he  would 
not  only  raise  the  siege,  but  would  also  quit  the  province,  if 
Vasiley  would  bind  himself  in  writing  to  pay  him  a  perpetual 
tribute  as  his  father  and  ancestors  had  done.  Letters  to  this 
efifect  having  been  willingly  written  and  accepted,  Machmet- 
girei withdrew  his  army  to  Hezan,  and  after  granting  the  Rus- 
sians permission  to  redeem  and  exchange  prisoners,  he  sold 
the  rest  of  his  booty  by  auction.  There  was  at  that  time  in 
the  camp  of  the  Tartars  one  Eu^stace,  surnamed  Taskowich, 
a  subject  of  the  King  of  Poland,  who  had  brought  forces  to 
the  assistance  of  Machmetgirei,  for  hostilities  were  at  that 
time  pending  between  the  King  of  Poland  and  the  Grand 
Duke  of  Muscovy.  This  man  brought  up  to  the  fortress 
some  of  the  spoils  for  sale,  with  the  intention  that  when  op- 
portunity ofiered  he  should  rush  into  the  gates,  together  with 
the  Russians,  who  had  come  out  to  make  purchases,  and 
beating  down  the  sentinels,  thus  take  possession  of  the  for- 


64  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

tress.     The  king  was  willing  to  aid  the  attempt  with  corres- 
ponding suhtlety. 

He  sent  one  of  his  people,  in  whom  he  could  place  con- 
fidence, to  demand  of  the  governor  of  the  fortress,  as  the 
servant  of  his  tributary,  to  supply  him  with  whatever  he  re- 
quired, and  to  come  himself  to  him.  The  governor,  however, 
Ivan  Kovar,  who  was  well  acquainted  with  warlike  matters 
and  with  the  stratagems  employed  therein,  could  not  be  in- 
duced on  any  account  to  leave  the  fortress,  but  simply  replied, 
that  he  had  not  yet  learned  that  his  prince  had  become  the 
tributary  and  servant  of  the  Tartars,  but  that  when  he  should 
be  officially  informed  on  that  point,  it  would  be  necessary 
that  he  should  receive  instructions  as  to  what  he  should  do. 
Whereupon  the  prince's  letters,  in  which  he  had  bound  him- 
self to  the  king,  were  produced  and  exhibited.  While  the 
governor  was  thus  perplexed  by  the  exhibition  of  these 
letters,  Eustace,  in  pursuance  of  his  own  plan,  approached 
nearer  and  nearer  to  the  fortress,  and  in  order  the  more  per- 
fectly to  conceal  his  plan,  the  Knes  Feodor  Lopata,  a  man 
of  distinction,  with  several  other  Russians  who  had  fallen 
into  the  enemy's  hands,  in  the  taking  of  Moscow,  were  re- 
stored upon  payment  of  a  certain  ransom.  In  addition  to 
this,  several  of  the  prisoners  wdio  had  been  too  negligently 
guarded,  or  who  had  in  any  manner  been  relieved  from 
labour,  had  escaped  into  the  fortress,  and  as  the  Tartars 
approached  the  fortress  in  great  multitudes  to  demand  them 
back  again,  and  did  not  withdraw  from  the  fortress,  although 
the  Russians  in  their  fright  gave  up  the  refugees,  this  acces- 
sion of  new  comers  greatly  increased  the  number  of  the 
Tartar  assailants,  so  that  the  terror  and  despair  of  the  Rus- 
sians on  account  of  the  danger  which  threatened  them  was 
so  complete  that  they  were  quite  at  a  loss  what  to  do.  At 
this  juncture  one  Johann  Jordan,  an  artillery-man,  a  German, 
who  came  from  the  Innthal,  estimating  more  clearly  than  the 
Russians  the  magnitude  of  the  danger,  of  his  own  accord 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  65 

discharged  the  guns  which  had  been  ranged  in  order  against 
the  Tartars  and  Lithuanians,  and  so  terrified  them  that  they 
all  left  the  fortress  and  fled.  The  king  sent  Eustace,  the 
contriver  of  the  above  plan,  to  remonstrate  with  the  governor 
on  account  of  the  injury  thus  inflicted  ;  but  the  latter  de- 
clared that  the  bombardier  had  fired  the  guns  without  his 
consent  or  knowledge,  and  laid  all  the  blame  of  the  oflence 
upon  him  ;  upon  which  the  king  demanded  that  the  bom- 
bardier should  be  delivered  up  to  him,  and,  as  .often  occurs 
in  desperate  cases,  the  greatest  number  decided  that  the  man 
by  whom  they  had  been  delivered  from  the  fear  of  their 
enemies  should  be  given  up.  The  governor,  Ivan  Kovar, 
alone  refused,  and  by  his  extreme  goodness  that  German 
was  on  that  occasion  saved ;  for  it  so  happened  that  the  king, 
either  from  impatience  of  further  delay,  or  because  he  con- 
sidered his  soldiers  already  sufiiciently  encumbered  with 
booty,  and  that  his  own  interests  required  it,  raised  his 
camp,  and  departed  for  Taurida,  leaving  behind  him  in  the 
fortress  those  letters  of  the  Prince  of  Moscow  by  which  he 
had  bound  himself  to  pay  him  a  perpetual  tribute.  But  he 
took  with  him  from  Moscow  so  great  a  multitude  of  prison- 
ers as  would  scarcely  be  considered  credible  ;  they  say  that 
the  number  exceeded  eight  hundred  thousand,  part  of  whom 
he  sold  in  Kaffa  to  the  Turks,  and  part  he  slew. 

The  old  and  infirm  men,  who  will  not  fetch  much  at  a  sale, 
are  given  up  to  the  Tartar  youths  (much  as  hares  are  given  to 
whelps  by  way  of  their  first  lesson  in  hunting),  either  to  be 
stoned,  or  to  be  thrown  into  the  sea,  or  to  be  killed  by  any 
sort  of  death  they  might  please.  Those  who  are  sold  are 
compelled  to  serve  for  full  six  years  ;  after  that  they  are  set 
free,  but  dare  not  leave  the  province.  Sapgirei,  king  of 
Kazan,  sold  all  the  captives  which  he  took  from  Moscow  to 
the  Tartars  in  the  mercantile  city  of  Astrachan,  which  is 
situated  not  far  from  the  mouths  of  the  Volga. 

After  the  departure  of  the  Tartar  kings  from  JNIoscow,  the 

VOL.  II.  K 


66  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

Prince  Vasiley  returned  again  to  Moscow,  and  as  lie  entered 
he  saw  standing,  at  the  very  gate  of  the  fortress,  where  a 
great  number  had  assembled  to  receive  the  prince,  Nicholas, 
the  German,  by  whose  shrewdness  and  forethought  the  for- 
tress, as  I  have  said,  had  been  saved,  and  said  to  him  in  a 
loud  voice  :  "  Thy  fidelity  towards  me,  and  the  zeal  which 
thou  hast  shown  in  preserving  the  fortress,  are  known  to  me, 
and  I  will  abundantly  repay  the  obligation  under  which 
this  act  of  duty  has  laid  me."  Upon  the  approach  of  the 
other  German,  Johann,  who  had  suddenly  routed  the  Tar- 
tars from  the  fortress  of  Kezan  by  discharging  his  guns,  he 
said  :  "  Art  thou  well  ?  God  has  granted  us  life,  but  thou, 
in  preserving  it,  hast  given  it  to  us  a  second  time  :  great 
shall  be  our  favour  towards  thee."  Each  of  them  therefore 
confidently  hoped  that  they  should  receive  liberal  rewards 
from  the  prince  ;  but  nothing  was  given  them,  although 
they  often  wearied  the  prince  on  the  subject,  and  reminded 
him  of  his  promises.  Disgusted  at  length  with  the  prince's 
ingratitude,  they  begged  their  discharge,  that  they  might 
visit  their  country  and  kinsfolk,  from  whom  they  had  been 
long  absent ;  which  was  allowed  them,  with  a  grant  from  the 
prince  of  ten  florins  to  each,  in  addition  to  their  former 
stipend. 

Meanwhile  a  contention  arose  at  the  court  of  the  prince  as 
to  the  originator  of  the  flight  of  the  Kussians  at  the  Occa. 
The  elder  courtiers  threw  all  the  blame  upon  the  Knes 
Dimitry  Bielski,  the  commander-in-chief  in  the  army,  a 
young  man,  who  had  slighted  their  counsels,  and  through 
whose  want  of  prudence  they  said  that  the  Tartars  had 
crossed  the  Occa.  He,  in  rebutting  the  charge,  declared 
that  Andreas,  a  younger  brother  of  the  prince,  was  the  first 
to  take  to  fiight,  and  that  the  rest  followed  him.  Vasiley,  in 
order  that  he  might  not  appear  too  severe  against  his  brother, 
who  was  evidently  the  author  of  the  flight,  imprisoned  one 
of  the  governors  who  had  fled  together  with  his  brother. 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  67 

caused  him   to   be   put  iu  irons,  and   deprived  him  of  his 
rank  and  his  principality. 

Afterward,  as  summer  came  on,  Vasiley,  resolving  to 
revenge  the  slaughter  inflicted  by  the  Tartars,  and  to  wipe 
out  the  shame  which  he  himself  had  incurred  from  his  flight 
and  liis  concealment  under  the  haystack,  levied  a  large 
army,  and  providing  himself  with  great  store  of  guns  and 
various  kinds  of  oifensive  contrivances,  such  as  had  never  been 
used  in  battle  before  by  the  Russians,  and  marching  out  of 
Moscow  with  all  his  army  as  far  as  the  river  Occa,  took  up  his 
quarters  before  the  city  of  Columna.  Thence  he  dispatched 
heralds  into  Tamida,  to  Machmetgerei,  to  provoke  liim  to  a 
conflict,  saying,  that  in  the  previous  year  he  had  been  insidi 
ously  attacked,  without  a  proclamation  of  war,  after  the 
fashion  of  thieves  and  plunderers.  To  this  the  king  replied, 
that,  in  warfare  opportunities  were  of  as  much  importance  as 
arms,  and  that  consequently  he  made  it  his  custom  to  choose 
his  own  time  for  fighting,  in  preference  to  allowing  others  to 
choose  for  him.  Vasiley,  being  irritated  by  this  language, 
and  burning  with  the  thirst  of  revenge,  moved  his  camp, 
A.D.  15i23,  to  Lower  Novogorod,  with  the  view  of  laying 
waste  and  taking  possession  of  the  kingdom  of  Kazan. 
Thence  marching  as  far  as  the  river  Sura,  on  the  confines  of 
Kazan,  he  built  a  fortress,  which  he  called  after  his  own 
name  :  beyond  this  point  he  made  no  advance,  but  led  his 
army  back.  In  the  following  year,  however,  he  sent  out 
Michael  Georgiovich,  one  of  his  chief  counsellors,  with 
greater  forces  than  before,  to  subjugate  the  kingdom  of 
Kazan.  Sapgerai,  king  of  Kazan,  being  alarmed  at  so  for- 
midable an  array,  sent  for  his  nephew,  the  son  of  his  brother 
the  king  of  Taurida,  a  youth  of  thirteen  years  of  age,  to 
preside  over  the  kingdom  in  the  interim,  and  himself  fled  to 
the  emperor  of  the  Turks  to  beg  his  assistance  and  coopera- 
tion. As  the  youth,  in  obedience  to  his  uncle's  suggestion, 
arrived  on  his  road  at  Gostinovosero, — that  is,  the  island  of 


68  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  ^ 

merchants,  lying  amidst  the  waters  of  the  Volga,  not  far  from 
the  fortress  of  Kazan, — he  was  received  with  honour  and 
liberality  by  the  princes  of  the  kingdom.  For  the  chief 
priest  in  that  district  was  one  Seyd,  who  was  held  in  such 
great  authority  and  veneration  amongst  them,  that  even 
kings  in  meeting  him  would  stand,  and  bowing  the  head, 
take  his  hand  as  he  sat  on  horseback,  an  honour  otherwise 
granted  only  to  kings.  Dukes  did  not  salute  even  his  hand, 
but  his  knees,  simj)le  nobles  merely  saluted  his  feet,  while 
plebeians  were  content  if  they  could  only  touch  his  garments 
or  his  horse  with  their  hand.  As  this  Seyd  secretly  favoured 
the  cause  of  Vasiley,  he  took  diligent  measures  to  seize  the 
youth,  in  order  that  he  might  send  him  bound  to  Moscow  ; 
but  when  the  lad  was  at  length  captured,  he  was  publicly 
inxt  to  death  by  the  knife. 

Meanwhile  Michael,  the  commander-in-chief  of  the  Rus- 
sian forces,  hastened  with  his  army  to  Kazan,  and  for  that 
jnirpose  despatched  so  great  a  number  of  vessels  to  Lower 
Novogorod,  for  the  purjDOse  of  transporting  away  his  guns 
and  provisions,  that  the  river,  otherwise  large,  seemed  to 
be  absolutely  covered  all  over  with  the  crowd  upon  it ;  and 
on  arriving  at  Gostinovosero,  the  island  of  merchants,  he 
pitched  his  cmnp  on  the  Tth  of  July,  and  remained  there 
twenty  days  awaiting  the  arrival  of  his  cavalry.  In  the 
meanwhile  the  fortress  of  Kazan,  which  was  built  of  wood, 
was  set  on  fire  by  some  of  the  Russians  who  had  been 
bribed  for  that  purpose,  and  was  burnt  to  the  ground  under 
the  eyes  of  the  Russian  army.  Even  this  favourable  oppor- 
tunity of  taking  the  fortress  was  so  completely  neglected 
through  the  cowardice  and  indolence  of  the  Grand  Duke, 
that  not  only  did  he  not  lead  out  his  soldiers  to  attack  the 
castle  hill,  but  he  took  no  measures  to  prevent  the  Tartars 
building  it  again.  But  on  the  28th  day  of  the  same  month  he 
crossed  the  ^"olga,  at  that  2:»oint  wdiere  the  fortress  lay,  and 
encamped  with  his  army  on  the  river  Kazanca,  and  waited 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  69 

twenty  days  for  a  favourable  oj^portunity  of  accomplishing 
his  object.  While  stationed  there,  the  Regulus  of  the  Kazan 
army  pitched  his  tent  not  far  from  him,  and  often  annoyed 
the  Russians,  though  fruitlessly,  with  skirmishes  of  Czere- 
missian  infantry.  Upon  this.  King  Scheale,  who  had  come 
with  his  vessels  to  engage  in  that  way,  sent  letters  to  him  to 
demand  his  surrender  to  his  hereditary  sovereign.  To  which 
the  latter  briefly  replied  :  "  If  you  wish  to  have  my  king- 
dom, take  it  by  the  sword ;  let  us  settle  it  between  ourselves, 
and  let  him  to  whom  fortune  gives  it,  hold  it." 

While  the  Russians  thus  uselessly  delayed,  they  began  to 
suffer  hunger  from  having  sent  away  the  provisions  which 
they  had  brought  with  them ;  for  as  the  Czeremissi  had  laid 
waste  all  the  surrounding  territory,  and  diligently  watched 
the  track  of  the  enemy,  there  was  nothing  left  to  be  seized 
ujjon ;  so  that  the  prince  was  unable  to  gain  information 
respecting  the  scarcity  which  oppressed  his  army,  nor  could 
they  make  any  communication  to  him.  Two  governors  had 
been  appointed  by  Vasiley  to  attend  to  this  business,  one  of 
whom,  the  Knes  Ivan  Palitzki,  after  loading  the  vessels  with 
provisions  tiom  Novogorod,  had  to  descend  the  river  to  join 
the  army ;  but  he,  after  depositing  the  provisions,  returned 
home  rather  precipitately,  considering  the  existing  state  of 
aflfau's.  The  other  had  been  sent  for  the  same  purpose  with 
five  hundred  soldiers  over  land,  but  was  slaughtered  with 
his  men  by  the  Czeremissi,  into  whose  hands  he  fell,  scarcely 
nine  of  them  escaping  by  flight  amidst  the  confusion.  The 
governor  himself,  being  severely  wounded,  fell  three  days 
after  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy  and  died.  When  the 
rumour  of  this  slaughter  reached  the  army,  so  great  a  con- 
sternation arose  in  the  camp,  increased  by  a  groundless 
report  that  the  whole  of  the  cavalry  were  slain  to  a  man, 
that  nothing  was  thought  of  but  flight ;  and  though  all  were 
agreed  upon  this  point,  the  only  subject  of  doubt  was  whe- 
ther  they  should  return   against  the  tide,  which  was  very 


TO  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

difficult,  or  wait  to  descend  the  river  when  time  served,  so  as 
to  enable  them  to  reach  other  rivers,  from  which  they  might 
afterwards  return  home  by  a  circuitous  land  journey. 

During  these  consultations,  the  army  meanwhile  suiFering 
under  extreme  famine,  the  nine  men  whom  I  have  described 
as  escaping  from  the  slaughter  of  the  five  hundred,  happened 
to  arrive,  and  announced  that  Ivan  Palitzki  was  come  with 
provisions  ;  but  although  the  latter  had  hastened  his  journey, 
he  had  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  the  greater  j)art  of  his 
vessels,  and  had  but  few  remaining  when  he  reached  the 
camp.  For,  being  weary  with  his  daily  labour,  he  had  laid 
up  one  night  to  rest  himself  on  the  shore  of  the  Volga,  but 
was  hailed  by  the  Czeremissi,  who  came  upon  him  with 
great  clamour,  inquii'ing  who  sailed  by  that  way ;  they  were 
answered  by  the  servants  of  Palitzki,  who  took  them  for 
servants  a-shipboard,  and  with  much  abuse  threatened  them 
with  stripes  on  the  following  day  for  distiu'bing  their  master's 
sleep  with  their  unseasonable  vociferations.  The  Czeremissi 
replied :  "  You  and  we  shall  have  other  business  to  attend 
to  to-morrow,  for  we  will  take  you  all  bound  to  Kazan."  In 
the  morning,  accordingly,  before  the  sun  was  up,  and  while 
the  entire  bank  of  the  river  was  covered  with  a  thick  fog, 
the  Czeremissi  made  a  sudden  attack  upon  the  ships,  and 
threw  such  terror  amongst  the  Russians,  that  Palitzki,  the 
commander  of  the  fleet,  left  ninety  of  his  largest  vessels, 
each  containing  thirty  men,  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  and 
loosing  his  vessel  from  the  shore,  and  taking  the  Volga  in  mid- 
stream, escaped  under  cover  of  the  mist,  and  reached  the  army 
almost  in  a  state  of  nudity.  A  similar  misfortune  afterwards 
occurred  to  him  in  returning  with  several  vessels  in  his  train, 
when  he  again  fell  into  the  snares  of  the  Czeremissi,  and  not 
only  lost  his  vessels,  but  himself  escaped  only  with  great  diffi- 
culty, and  with  very  few  of  his  men. 

While  the  Russians  were  thus  oppressed  on  all  sides  by 
hunger  and  the  enemy's  force,  a  troop  of  horse,  dispatched  by 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  71 

Vasiley  to  join  tlie  army,  was  twice  surprised  by  the  Tartars 
and  Czeremissi  in  crossing  the  river  Viega,  which,  flows  north- 
ward into  the  Volga.  The  engagement  was  keen  on  both  sides, 
but  the  Tartars  at  length  gave  way,  and  the  Russians  were 
enabled  to  join  the  rest  of  the  army,  which  being  thus  rein- 
forced with  cavalry,  cominenced  the  siege  of  the  fortress  of 
Kazan  on  the  15th  of  August.     On  learning  this,  the  gover- 
nor pitched  his  own  camp  also  on  the  other  side  of  the  town 
in  sight  of  the  enemy ;  and  as  the  enemy  sent  out  from  time 
to  time  detachments  of  cavalry  to  ride  about  the  fortress  and 
challenge  them  to  fight,  many  skirmishes  took  place  between 
the  opposing  armies.     We  were  informed  by  men  worthy  of 
credit,  who  were  engaged  in  that  war,  that  sometimes  six 
Tartars  had  advanced  into  the  plain  to  the  Russian  camp, 
and  when  King  Scheale  would  have  attacked  them  with  one 
hundred  and  fifty  Tartar  horsemen,  he  was  forbidden  by  the 
general   of  the   army  ;    and  with    two    thousand  horsemen 
drawn  up  before  him  in  battle  array,  he  was  thus  dei:)rived 
of  the  opportunity  of  achieving  his  object.     When  the  Rus- 
sians attempted  to  surround  the  Tartars,  and,  as  it  were,  to 
preclude  their  taking  to  flight,  the  latter  would  elude  the 
attempt  by  gradually  retreating  before  the   Russians,  and 
after  gaining  a  little  distance,  would  halt ;   but  as  the  Rus- 
sians would  then  do  the  same,  the  Tartars  observing  their 
timidity,  would  presently  take   to   their  bows,  and  send  a 
flight  of  arrows  amongst  them,  and  thus  putting  them  to 
the  route,  would  pursue   and  would  kill  a  great  number. 
Wlien  the  Russians  a  second  time  turned  upon  them,  they 
would  give  way  for  a  little  space,  again  come  to  a  halt,  and 
thus  baflled  the  enemy  by  pretending  flight.     "Wliile  these 
manoeuvres  were  going  on,  two  of  the  Tartar  horses  were 
struck  with  cannon  balls,  but  their  wounded    riders   were 
carried  ofl"  by  their  four  remaining  comrades,  who  were  safe 
and  sound  in  the  sight  of  the  two  thousand  Russian  cavalry. 
During  this  by-play  of  the  horse  soldiers,  a  great  force  was 


72  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

brought  up  against  the  fortress  with  artillery,  to  besiege  it ; 
but  the  besieged  defended  themselves  with  no  less  activity, 
and  also  discharged  their  artillery  against  the  enemy;  but 
in  the  engagement  they  lost  the  only  artilleryman  that  they 
had  in  the  fortress,  who  fell  struck  by  a  cannon  shot  from 
the  Russian  station.  On  discovering  this,  some  of  the  Ger- 
man and  Lithuanian  mercenaries  conceived  the  hope  of 
taking  the  fortress,  which  would  unquestionably  have  been 
taken  that  day  had  the  inclination  of  the  general  responded 
to  their  wish ;  but  as  he,  observing  the  daily  increasing 
famine  under  which  his  men  were  suffering,  had  already 
privately  treated  by  messengers  for  a  truce  with  the  Tartars, 
he  so  strongly  disapproved  of  this  attempt  of  his  soldiers, 
that  he  angrily  reprimanded  them,  and  threatened  them  with 
stripes  for  daring  to  attack  the  fortress  without  his  know- 
ledge or  sanction.  For  he  considered  that  he  should  best 
consult  his  prince's  interests  in  so  great  a  strait  if  he  could 
enter  into  any  kind  of  truce  with  the  enemy,  and  could  only 
carry  back  his  artillery  and  army  in  safety.  The  Tartars 
also,  on  learning  the  wish  of  the  commander,  regarded  it  as 
a  hopeful  circumstance,  and  willingly  fell  in  with  the  condi- 
tions proposed,  that  they  should  make  peace  with  the  prince 
by  sending  ambassadors  to  Moscow ;  which  being  thus  set- 
tled, the  General  Palitzki  raised  the  siege,  and  marched  to 
Moscow  with  his  army.  There  was  a  report  that  the  general 
had  been  bribed  with  presents  from  the  Tartars  to  raise  the 
siege  ;  and  this  report  was  strengthened  by  the  fact,  that  a 
certain  Savoyard  had  been  caught  in  the  attempt  to  decamp 
to  the  enemy  with  the  gun  which  had  been  intrusted  to  him, 
and  acknowledged,  upon  close  examination,  that  he  had 
received  from  the  enemy  silver  money  and  Tartar  goblets, 
that  he  might  induce  many  to  desert  with  him ;  but  although 
taken  in  so  manifest  a  crime,  the  general  did  not  inflict  a 
very  heavy  punishment  upon  him. 

After  this  withdrawal  of  the  army,  which  was  said  to  have 


NOTES    UroN    IIL'SSIA.  id 

consisted  of  a  hundred  and  eighty  thousand  men,  ambassa- 
dors came  from  the  King  of  Kazan  to  Vasiley,  to  ratify  the 
peace,  and  were  still  at  Moscow  at  the  time  that  I  was  there ; 
and  even  at  that  time  no  permanent  hope  of  peace  was  yet 
established,  for  Vasiley  had,  to  the  great  prejudice  of  the 
people  of  Kazan,  transferred  to  Novogorod  the  fairs  which 
it  had  been  the  custom  to  hold  near  Kazan,  in  the  Island  of 
Merchants,  and  had  proclaimed  a  heavy  penalty  ujjon  any 
of  his  subjects  who  should  in  future  go  to  the  island  for  pur- 
poses of  merchandize,  in  the  hope  that  this  removal  of  the 
fair  might  prove  a  great  inconvenience  to  the  people  of 
Kazan ;  and  that  being  prevented  from  buying  salt,  which 
they  received  in  large  quantities  from  the  Russians  at  that 
fair  alone,  they  might  be  induced  to  surrender.  It  hap- 
pened, however,  that  by  the  removal  of  a  fair  of  this  sort, 
the  Russians  suffered  as  much  inconvenience  as  the  people 
of  Kazan ;  for  it  produced  a  scarcity  and  dearness  in  many 
articles,  which  it  had  been  the  custom  to  import  through  the 
Caspian  Sea  from  Persia  and  Armenia  by  the  Volga  from 
the  emporium  of  Astrachan,  and  especially  of  the  finer  kinds 
of  fish,  amongst  which  was  the  beluga,  which  is  taken  in 
the  Volga,  both  on  this  side  and  the  other  of  Kazan. 

Thus  far  I  have  been  treating  of  the  war  which  the  Prince 
of  Moscow  waged  against  the  Tartars  of  Kazan.  I  now 
return  a  second  time  to  the  general  description  of  the  Tartars, 
from  which  I  had  digressed. 

Next  to  the  Tartars  of  Kazan,  we  come  to  the  Tartars 
known  by  the  name  of  Nagai,  who  are  located  beyond  the 
Volga,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Caspian  Sea,  and  dwell 
mainly  by  the  shores  of  the  river  Jaick,  which  flows  down 
from  the  province  of  Siberia.  These  people  have  no  kings, 
but  are  governed  by  chiefs,  or  dukes.  At  the  time  that  I 
was  in  Russia,  three  brothers  gained  possession  of  those 
duchies,  and  divided  the  provinces  equally  between  them. 
The  first  of  them,  Schidack,  had  allotted  to  him  the  city  of 

VOL.   II.  L 


74 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 


Scharaitzick,  lying  eastward  beyond  the  Volga,  together 
Avith  the  district  immediately  adjacent  to  the  river  Jaick; 
the  second,  named  Cossum,  had  the  territory  lying  between 
the  rivers  Kama,  Jaick,  and  Volga ;  while  the  possessions  of 
Schichmamai,  the  third  brother,  included  a  part  of  the  pro- 
vince of  Siberia,  with  the  country  immediately  surrounding 
it.  The  meaning  of  the  name  Schichmamai,  is  holy  or 
powerful.  Nearly  all  these  countries  are  covered  with  wood, 
except  that  which  borders  upon  Scharaitzick,  which  is  all 
champaign  country. 

Between  the  Volga  and  Jaick,  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
the  Caspian  Sea,  formerly  dwelt  the  kings  of  Savolha,  of 
whom  we  shall  say  more  hereafter.    In  connexion  with  these 
Tartars,  I  heard  a  wonderful  and  almost  incredible  story  from 
one  Dimitry  Danielovich,  a  man  who,  considering  that  he 
was  a  barbarian,  was  of  remarkable  dignity  and  truthfulness. 
He  stated  that  his  father  had  been  on  a  former  occasion  sent 
by  the  Prince  of  Moscow  to  the  King  of  Savollia,  and  that 
in  that  embassy  he  had  seen  in  the  island  a  certain  seed, 
somewhat  larger  and  rounder,  but  not  unlike  the  seed  of  a 
melon,  from  which,  when  planted,  grew  up  something  very 
like  a  lamb,  of  the  height  of  five  palms,  and  that  it  was  called 
in  their  language  "  boranetz",  which  signifies  a  lambkin,  for 
it  had  a  head,  eyes,  ears,  and  everything  else  in  the  form  of 
a  lamb.     He  also  stated,  that  it  bore  a  very  fine  wool,  which 
was  used  by  many  people  in  those  countries   for  making 
caps ;  and,  indeed,  I  was  assured  by  many  people,  that  they 
had  seen  wool  of  that  kind.     He  said,  moreover,  that  the 
plant, — if  plant  it  could  be  called, — had  blood  in  it,  but  no 
flesh ;  but  in  lieu  of  flesh,  there  was  a  kind  of  matter  very 
like  the  flesh  of  crabs;   it  also  had  hoofs,  not  horny  like 
those  of  a  lamb,  but  covered  with  a  hairy  substance  resem- 
bling horn.     Its  stem  came  to  the  navel,  or  middle  of  the 
belly ;  it  continued  alive  until  the  grass  around  it  was  eaten 
away,  so  that  the  root  dried  up  for  want  of  nourishment. 


NOTES    rPOX    RUSSIA.  75 

The  sweetness  of  this  plant  was  said  to  be  remarkable,  so 
that  it  Avas  very  much  sought  after  by  wolves  and  other 
ravenous  beasts,^ 

(Although  I  received  this  account  about  the  seed  and  the 
plant  as  a  passing  observation,  yet  I  have  related  it,  as 
described  to  me  by  men  by  no  means  given  to  vain  talking ; 
and  I  repeat  it  with  the  less  hesitation,  because  I  was  told  by 
William  Postel,  a  man  of  great  learning,  that  he  had  heard 
from  one  Michael,  who  was  public  interpreter  of  Turkish 
and  Arabic  in  the  ^"enetian  re^jublic,  that  he  had  seen  cer- 
tain very  delicate  furs  from  a  plant  growing  in  those 
countries,  which  were  used  by  the  Mussulmauns  to  keep 
their  heads  warm  after  shaving  them,  and  were  ajix^lied 
also  to  their  naked  breasts,  and  which  were  brought 
from  the  neighboui'hood  of  the  Tartar  city  of  Samarcand, 
and  the  countries  lying  north-east  of  the  Casj)ian  Sea,  to 
Chalibontis.  IHe  said,  moreover,  that  it  was  from  an  animal 
fixed  on  the  ground  like  a  plant,  but  that  he  had  not  seen 
the  plant,  nor  knew  its  name,  excej)t  that  it  was  called 
"  Samarcandeos".  "  As  these  details  are  not  incompatible, 
they  almost  lead  me  to  think,"  says  Postel,  "  that  this  state- 
ment is  not  altogether  fabulous,  but  rather  that  it  is  a  fact, 
redounding  to  the  glory  of  the  Creator,  to  whom  all  things 
are  possible." 

Twenty  days'  journey  eastward  from  the  territory  of  Prince 
Schidack,  we  come  to  a  people  whom  the  Russians  call  Jtu*- 
genci,  whose  sovereign  is  the  Sultan  Barack,  brother  to  the 
Great  Khan  or  King  of  Cathaia.  Ten  days'  journey  from 
the  dominions  of  Sultan  Barack  we  come  to  those  of  the  Khan 
Bebeid,  this  is  that  same  Great  Khan  of  Cathaia. 

^  The  stems  and  leaf-stalks  of  ferns  are  often  covered  with  scales,,  and 
with  woolly-like  false  leaves.  The  Polypodium  baromez  is  one  of  these. 
This  plant  is  cut  artificially  to  represent  a  lamb,  and  as  such  used  to  be 
regarded  as  a  great  curiosity  in  museums.  For  a  representation  of  it, 
see  Rymsdyk's  Museum  Briianniatm,  p,  38,  tab.  1.5,  fig.  2. 


76  .  NOTES    TJPOX    RUSSIA. 

Astrachan  is  a  Avealthy  city,  and  the  great  emporium  of  the 
Tartars,  which  gives  its  name  to  all  the  surrounding  country. 
It  lies  on  this  side  of  the  Volga,  near  to  its  mouth,  ten  days' 
journey  below  Kazan.  Some  say  that  it  is  not  situated  on 
the  mouths  of  the  Volga,  but  some  days'  journey  thence.  I 
think  that  the  position  of  Astrachan  is  at  that  point  where 
the  Volga  divides  itself  into  many  branches,  described  by 
some  as  seventy  in  number,  and  after  making  many  islands, 
falls  into  the  Caspian  by  the  same  number  of  mouths,  with 
so  great  an  abundance  of  water,  that  to  people  looking  from 
a  distance  it  has  the  appearance  of  a  sea.  There  are  some 
who  call  the  city  Citrahan. 

Between  Viatka  and  Kazan,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Per- 
mia,  dwell  the  Tartars,  who  are  severally  named  Tamenskii, 
Schibanskii,  and  Cosatzskii ;  of  these  the  Tamenskii  are  said 
to  dAvell  in  the  Avoods,  and  not  to  exceed  ten  thousand  in 
number.  There  are,  moreover,  other  Tartars  beyond  the 
Volga,  called  Calmucks,  because  they  alone  let  their  hair 
grow  ;  and  on  the  Caspian  Sea  is  Schamachia,  which  gives 
its  name  to  the  country  around  it,  and  whose  inhabitants 
excel  in  weaving  silk  dresses.  The  city  is  six  days'  journey 
distant  from  Astrachan,  and  was  not  long  since,  they  tell  me, 
subject,  together  with  its  district,  to  the  King  of  Persia. 

The  city  of  Azov,  of  which  I  have  already  spoken^  is  situ- 
ated on  the  Don,  and  is  seven  days'  journey  distant  from 
Astrachan.  It  is  five  days'  journey  from  the  Taurica  Cher- 
sonesus,  reckoned  principally  from  the  city  of  Precop.  Be- 
tween Kazan  and  Astrachan,  in  an  extensive  tract  along  the 
Volga  as  far  as  the  Dneiper,  lie  desert  plains,  which  are 
inhabited  by  Tartars,  having  no  fixed  abodes,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  Azov  and  the  city  of  Achas,  which  lies  on  the 
Don  twelve  miles  above  Azov,  excepting  also  those  Tartars 
Avho  live  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  lesser  Don,  and  who 
cultivate  the  soil  and  have  settled  habitations.  The  distance 
from  Azov  to  Schamachia  is  twelve  days'  journey. 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  77 

Returning  in  a  soutli-wcst  direction  towards  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  the  Palus  Mseotis  and  the  Black  Sea,  we  come 
to  the  people  of  the  Aphgasi,  who  dwell  on  the  river  Cupa, 
which  flows  into  the  said  marshes  [the  Palus  Mseotis]  at  the 
point  where  the  mountains,  inhabited  by  the  Circassians  or 
Ciki,  meet  the  river  Morula,  which  flows  into  the  Black  Sea. 
These  people,  relying  on  their  mountain  fastnesses,  yield 
no  obedience  either  to  the  Turks  or  the  Tartars.  The  Rus- 
sians assert  that  they  are  Christians,  that  they  live  under 
their  own  independent  laws,  conform  to  the  Greek  ceremo- 
nials and  ritual,  and  perform  their  sacred  service  in  the 
Sclavonic  language,  which,  indeed,  they  use  in  general. 
They  are  most  audacious  pirates,  and  sail  down  to  the  sea 
by  the  rivers  which  flow  from  their  mountains,  and  plunder 
whomsoever  they  can,  especially  those  merchants  who  take 
the  route  from  Cafla  to  Constantinople.  Beyond  the  river 
Cupa  is  Mengarlia,  which  is  washed  by  the  river  Eraclea, 
and  after  it  comes  Cotatis,  which  some  think  to  be  Colchis. 
After  it  we  come  to  Phasis,  which,  before  it  meets  the  sea, 
but  not  far  from  its  mouth,  forms  the  island  of  Satabellum, 
where  report  states  that  the  fleet  of  Jason  once  anchored. 
Beyond  Phasis  is  Trapezus. 

The  marshes  of  the  Taurica  Chersonesus,  which  are  said 
to  extend  three  hundred  Italian  miles  in  length,  from  the 
mouths  of  the  Don  up  to  St.  John's  Headland,  measure  in 
the  narrowest  part  only  two  Italian  miles.  There  stands 
the  city  of  Krim,  formerly  the  seat  of  the  kings  of  Taurida, 
from  which  they  received  the  name  of  Krimskii.  The  whole 
isthmus  being  hollowed  out  in  the  form  of  an  island,  to  the 
extent  of  a  mile  and  a  fifth,  the  kings  took  the  name  of 
Precopskii  instead  of  Krimskii,  deriving  the  term  from  that 
hollowing  out ;  for  precop  in  the  Sclavonic  language  signifies 
"  dug  through",  whence  it  is  evident  that  a  certain  writer  was 
in   error,    when  he  said   that   one    Procopius    had    reigned 


<5  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

there. ^  Moreover  the  whole  Chersonesus  is  divided  in  two  by 
a  wood,  and  that  part  which  looks  towards  the  Black  Sea,  in 
which  is  situated  the  celebrated  city  of  Caifa,  and  which  was 
peopled  by  a  colony  from  Genoa,  formerly  called  Theodosia, 
is  entii'ely  in  the  possession  of  the  Turks.  The  Turkish  sultan, 
however,  after  the  seige  of  Constantinople  and  the  overthrow 
of  the  Greek  sovereignty,  bought  Caffa  from  the  Genoese. 
The  other  part  of  the  island  is  possessed  by  the  Tartars. 
All  the  Tartar  kings  of  Taurida,  however,  derive  their  origin 
from  the  kings  of  Savolha,  and  after  some  of  them  were  driven 
out  from  the  kingdom  by  internal  sedition,  being  unable  to 
find  any  fixed  abode  in  the  neighbourhood,  they  took  posses- 
sion of  that  part  of  Europe,  and  still  mindful  of  the  ancient 
grievance,  continually  carried  on  war  with  the  people  of 
Savolha.  At  length,  within  the  memory  of  the  last  genera- 
tion, Scheachmet,  King  of  Savolha,  came  into  Lithuania  at 
the  time  that  Alexander,  the  Grand  Duke  of  Lithuania,  held 
sway  in  Poland,  and  entering  into  a  treaty  with  him,  wdth 
their  united  forces  drove  out  Machmetgerei  King  of  Tau- 
rida. Both  of  the  princes  agreed  in  this  movement,  but 
afterwards,  when  the  Lithuanians,  according  to  theii'  custom, 
delayed  the  war  to  an  unreasonable  period,  the  wife  of  the 
king  of  Savolha,  together  with  the  army  which  was  then  kept 
in  the  field,  becoming  impatient  both  of  the  delay  and  the 
cold,  begged  of  their  king,  who  was  busying  himself  in  some 
of  the  towns,  to  get  rid  of  the  King  of  Poland,  in  order  that 
they  might  provide  for  their  own  interests  in  good  time.  As, 
however,  they  could  not  prevail  upon  him,  the  wife  deserted 
her  husband,  and  went  over  with  part  of  the  army  to  Mach- 

^  The  editor  has  not  succeeded  in  discovering  the  writer  here  alluded 
to  ;  but  Herberstein's  explanation  is  borne  out  by  the  following  pas- 
sages in  Botero's  Relationi  Universali  (Ven.  1608,  4°,  parte  i,  lib.  i,  fol. 
lis)  : — "  II  Prencipe  de'  Tartari  habita  in  Precopi,  terra,  onde  j^rendono 
uomi  i  Tartari  chi  si  dicono  Precopiti.  ...  II  Precopo,  che  essi  chiamano 
Zar,  che  vuol  dir  Cesare,"  etc. 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  79^ 

metgerei,  king  of  Precop,  who  at  her  instigation  dispatched 
the  army  of  Precop  to  disperse  the  remainder  of  the  forces 
of  Savolha. 

After  the  ront  of  these  forces,  Scheachniet,  king  of  Savolha, 
seeing  the  miserable  plight  in  which  he  was,  fled,  accom- 
panied by  nearly  six  hundred  horsemen,  to  Alba,  which  is 
situated  on  the  river  Thyra,  in  the  hope  of  obtaining  assist- 
ance from  the  Turks  ;  but  learning  that  a  plot  was  laid  in 
that  city  to  take  him  he  turned  back,  and  arrived  with 
scarcely  half  of  his  cavalry  at  Kiev.  In  that  city  he  was  sur- 
rounded by  Lithuanians  and  taken,  and  on  being  conducted 
to  Vilna  by  order  of  the  king  of  Poland,  the  king  came  for- 
ward to  meet  him,  and  after  giving  him  an  honourable 
reception,  escorted  him  in  his  own  company  to  a  convention 
of  the  Poles,  at  which  the  desirableness  of  a  war  against 
Mendligerei  was  decided  upon.  But  as  the  Poles  took  an 
unreasonable  time  in  mustering  their  army,  the  Tartar  took 
grievous  offence,  and  began  a  second  time  to  contemplate 
flight,  but  was  apprehended  in  the  attempt  and  taken  back  to 
the  castle  of  Troky,  four  miles  from  Yilna,  where  I  saw  him 
and  dined  with  him.  This  Avas  the  termination  of  the  reign 
of  the  kings  of  Savolha,  and  together  with  them  ended  the 
race  of  the  kings  of  Astrachan,  who  derived  their  origin 
from  the  same  royal  line. 

After  their  extinction  the  power  of  the  kings  of  Taurida 
received  a  great  accession,  and  they  became  so  formidable  to 
the  neighbouring  nations,  that  they  compelled  the  king  of 
Poland  to  pay  a  certain  stipend  on  condition  that  he  should 
have  their  assistance  in  any  case  of  pressing  necessity.  The 
prince  of  Muscovy  also  used  from  time  to  time  to  conciliate 
him  [the  king  of  Taurida]  by  sending  presents,  which  he 
did  because,  as  they  [the  prince  of  Muscovy  and  the  king  of 
Poland]  were  constantly  embroiled  in  mutual  wars,  each 
strove  to  overwhelm  the  other  by  engaging  the  cooperation 
of  the  Tartar  forces.     He  being  aware  of  this,  deluded  both 


80  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

with  vain  hopes  while  he  accepted  presents  from  each,  a 
course  of  conduct  which  became  very  apparent  at  the  time 
that  I  was  treating  with  the  prince  of  INIuscovy,  in  the  name 
of  the  Emperor  Maximilian,  upon  the  subject  of  concluding 
a  treaty  of  peace  with  the  king  of  Poland.  For  as  the  prince 
of  Musco\y  could  not  be  induced  to  enter  upon  equitable 
terms  of  peace,  the  king  of  Poland  gained  over  the  king  of 
Precop  by  a  bribe  to  attack  INIoscow  with  an  army  on  one 
side,  while  he  on  the  other  should  make  an  onset  on  the 
Russian  territory  in  the  direction  of  Opotzka.  By  this  con- 
trivance the  king  of  Poland  hoped  to  be  able  to  compel  the 
prince  of  Muscovy  to  reasonable  terms  of  peace.  The  prince 
of  Muscovy  perceiving  this,  on  his  part  sent  ambassadors  to 
negotiate  with  the  Tartar  prince,  for  the  purpose  of  persuad- 
ing him  to  turn  his  forces  against  Lithuania,  which  he  stated 
to  be  entirely  off  its  guard  and  unprotected  by  garrisons. 
The  Tartar,  consulting  only  his  own  advantage,  followed  his 
advice.  As  his  power  thus  increased  by  the  quarrels  of 
these  princes,  and  as  he  was  occupied  solely  with  the  restless 
desire  of  increasing  his  own  domain,  his  ambition  enlarged 
itself  in  proportion,  and  having  gained  the  alliance  of  Mamai, 
prince  of  Nahaica,  he  marched  from  Taurida  with  an  army 
in  the  month  of  January,  a.d.  1524,  and  attacked  the  king 
of  Astrachan ;  and  as  the  latter  deserted  the  city  and  took  to 
flight  in  great  trepidation,  he  besieged  and  took  it,  and  re- 
mained housed  within  the  walls  as  conqueror. 

Meantime  Agis,  one  of  the  princes  of  Nahaica,  rebuked 
his  brother  Mamai  for  having  lent  the  aid  of  his  forces  to  so 
powerful  a  neighbour ;  he  at  the  same  time  warned  him  to 
keep  a  suspicious  eye  upon  the  daily  increasing  power  of 
King  Machmetgerei,  for  that  it  was  possible  from,  his  intract- 
able disposition  that  he  might  turn  his  arms  both  against 
himself  and  his  brother,  and  not  only  expel  both  from  the 
kingdom,  but  perhaps  slay  them  or  reduce  them  to  slavery. 
INIamai,  under  the  influence  of  these  suggestions,  sent  a  mes- 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  81 

senger  to  his  brother,  to  exhort  him  to  hasten  to  him  vrith. 
all  the  forces  that  he  could  muster,  for  that  it  was  possible 
that  Machmetgerei  might,  from  the  elation  naturally  conse- 
quent upon  his  great  successes,  be  resting  in  comparative 
security,  and  that  thus  they  might  both  be  relieved  from  the 
fears  which  they  entertained.  Agis,  yielding  to  his  brother's 
advice,  promised  implicitly  to  be  on  the  spot  at  the  appointed 
time  with  an  army  which  he  had  already  levied  for  the  pur- 
pose of  defending  the  outposts  of  his  kingdom  in  the  midst 
of  so  many  wars.  Upon  this  understanding,  Mamai  imme- 
diately sent  to  King  jSIachmetgerei,  advising  hmi  not  to  cor- 
rupt his  soldiery,  and  neglect  their  discipline,  by  keeping 
them  constantly  housed,  but  rather  to  leave  the  city  and 
dM'ell  in  the  open  field,  according  to  the  custom  of  the 
Tartars.  The  king,  in  accordance  with  his  advice,  brought 
out  his  troops  and  encamped  in  the  open  country,  upon 
which  Agis  advanced  with  his  army  and  joined  his  brother. 
A  short  time  after,  they  made  a  sudden  onslaught  upon  King 
INIachmetgerie,  while  he  was  dining  with  the  son  of  the 
Sultan  Bathir  and  far  from  having  any  apprehension  of  such 
an  attack,  and  slew  him  ;  and  overwhelming  the  greater  part  of 
his  army,  put  the  rest  to  flight.  They  piu'sued  their  conquest 
with  great  slaughter  beyond  the  Don,  even  to  Taurida.  They 
laid  siege  to  the  city  of  Precop,  which,  as  I  have  said,  lies  at 
the  entrance  of  the  Chersonese ;  but  finding  that  they  could 
not  reduce  it  to  surrender  by  force  or  any  kind  of  effort^ 
thev  raised  the  siege  and  returned  home. 

The  King  of  Astrachan  having  thus  by  the  agency  of  these 
princes  regained  his  kingdom,  the  strength  of  the  kingdom  of 
Taurida  gave  way  under  the  loss  of  their  valiant  and  successful 
King  Machmetgerei,  who  had  reigned  over  them  for  a  con- 
siderable time  with  great  power. 

After  the  murder  of  Machmetgerei,  his  brother  Sadach- 
gerei  gained  possession  of  the  kingdom  of  Precop  by  the 
aid  of  the  sultan  of  the  Turks,  in  whose  service  he  was  at 
vol..   II.  M  - 


82  NOTES   L'POX   RrssiA. 

the  time  ;  but  being  accustomed  to  Turkish  habits,  he 
ofFended  the  prejudices  of  the  Tartars,  by  not  appearing 
much  in  public,  and  did  not  allow  hiniself  to  be  seen  by 
his  subjects.  The  result  of  this  was,  that  the  Tartars, 
who  could  not  endure  so  unusual  a  mode  of  conduct  in  their 
prince,  expelled  him,  and  put  his  brother's  son  in  his  place. 
Sadachgerei,  being  taken  prisoner  by  his  nejihew,  implored 
him  supjjliantly  not  to  pursue  him  to  the  death,  and  from 
pity  to  his  old  age  uot  to  shed  his  blood,  begging  to  be 
allowed  to  spend  the  remainder  of  his  life  in  private  in  some 
fortress,  and  to  retain  only  the  name  of  king,  while  his 
nephew  held  the  entire  administration  of  the  kingdom.  His 
request  was  granted. 

The  titles  of  dignity  amongst  the  Tartars  are  nearly  as 
follows  :  —  khan,  as  I  have  said  above,  signifies  a  king ; 
sultan,  the  son  of  a  king ;  hu,  a  duke ;  mursa,  the  son  of  a 
duke  ;  olhond,  a  noble  or  councillor ;  oJhoadula,  the  son  of  a 
nobleman  ;  said,  a  chief  priest.  A  private  man  is  called  Jisi. 
The  post  of  rank  next  to  that  of  the  king  is  called  idan. 
The  Tartar  kings  have  four  councillors,  whose  advice  they 
mainly  take  in  matters  of  importance.  The  first  of  these  is 
called  schirni ;  the  second,  harni ;  the  third,  gargni ;  the 
fourth,  tziptzan.  Thus  much  about  the  Tartars.  I  must 
now  speak  of  Lithviania,  which  is  the  country  next  border- 
ing upon  Muscovy. 


©f  ilitjuania. 

Lithuania  is  the  province  which  lies  nearest  to  INIuscovy ; 
but  it  is  not  of  the  province  alone  that  I  now  mean  to  speak, 
but  also  of  such  districts  immediately  adjacent  to  it  as  are 
comprehended  under  the  name  of  Lithuania.  This  country 
extends  in  a  long  tract   from   the  town  of  Circass   on   the 


NOTES    UPON    KLSSIA.  83 

Dniejjer  as  far  as  Livonia.  I  may  here  remark,  that  the 
Circassians  who  dwell  npon  the  Dnieper  are  Russians,  and 
are  distinct  from  those  whom  I  have  described  above  as 
dwelling  in  the  mountains  near  the  Black  Sea.  At  the  time 
that  I  was  at  Moscow,  these  people  were  governed  by  one 
Eustace  Tascovitz,  whom  I  have  before  spoken  of  as  going 
with  King  Machmetgerei  to  Moscow ;  he  was  a  man  of  great 
skill  in  military  matters,  and  remarkable  for  his  shrewd- 
ness, and  from  the  frequent  intercourse  he  had  had  with  the 
Tartars,  was  able  the  more  repeatedly  to  conquer  them.  He 
often  even  drew  the  Prince  of  Moscow  himself,  whose  cap- 
tive he  had  for  some  time  been,  into  great  dangers.  In  the 
same  year  that  I  was  at  Moscow,  he  showed  remarkable 
skill  in  routing  the  Russians,  a  cii'cumstance  which  I  have 
thought  worthy  of  description  here.  He  led  certain  Tartars 
dressed  in  the  Lithuanian  costume  into  Russia,  knowing  that 
the  Russians,  taking  them  for  Lithuanians,  would  fearlessly 
rush  out  ujDon  them  without  hesitation.  After  having  set 
an  ambush  in  a  suitable  position,  he  awaited  the  arrival 
of  the  vengeful  Russians.  The  Tartars,  meanwhile,  after 
depopulating  the  province  of  Severa,  directed  their  march 
towards  Lithuania  ;  upon  which  the  Russians,  supposing 
them  to  be  Lithuanians,  changed  their  route,  and,  inspired 
with  a  thirst  of  vengeance,  marched  impetuously  with  a 
great  force  upon  Lithuania.  After  laying  waste  the  country, 
as  they  were  retiu'ning  laden  with  spoil,  they  were  sur- 
rounded by  Eustace,  who  came  forth  fr'oni  his  ambuscade, 
and  were  all  of  them  slaughtered,  to  a  man.  ^^  hen  the 
Prince  of  Muscovy  heard  of  this,  he  sent  ambassadors 
to  the  Kmg  of  Poland  to  complain  of  the  injury  whicJi 
had  been  done  to  him.  To  which  complaint  the  king  re- 
plied :  "  That  his  people  had  not  inflicted  an  injury,  but 
had  simjDly  revenged  one  done  to  themselves."  The  Prince 
of  Muscovy  having  been  thus  deceived  on  both  sides,  was 
ignominiously  comj)elled  to  put  up  with  his  loss. 


84  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

Beyond  the  country  of  the  Circassians,  there  are  no 
habitations  of  Christian  men.  At  the  mouth  of  the  DniejDer 
stands  the  fortress  and  city  of  Otchakov,  forty  miles  from 
Circass.  It  was  not  since  in  the  possession  of  the  King  of 
Taurida,  who  took  it  from  the  King  of  Poland.  It  is  now 
held  by  the  Turks.  From  Otchakov  to  Alba  (anciently 
called  INIoncastro),  near  the  mouths  of  the  Thira,  is  fourteen 
miles.  From  Otchakov  to  Precop  is  also  fourteen  miles. 
Seven  miles  beyond  Circass,  going  up  the  Dnieper,  lies  the 
town  of  Cainov ;  eighteen  miles  from  which  is  Kiev,  the 
ancient  metropolis  of  Russia,  whose  magnificence  and  evi- 
dently royal  condition  are  shown  by  the  ruins  of  the  city, 
and  the  monuments,  which  are  still  seen  lying  in  heaps. 
There  may  still  be  traced  to  this  day  on  the  hills  in  the 
neighbourhood  the  remains  of  churches  and  deserted  monas- 
teries,  as  well  as  numerous  caverns,  in  which  may  be  seen 
very  ancient  tombs,  with  the  bodies  in  them  not  yet  decayed. 
I  have  heard  from  men  worthy  of  credit,  that  the  maidens 
there  seldom  preserve  their  chastity  beyond  seven  years  of 
age.  I  have  heard  various  arguments,  none  of  which  are 
satisfactory  to  me,  to  show  the  lawfulness  of  merchants 
abusing  these  maidens,  although  they  are  on  no  account 
allowed  to  carry  them  away.  For  if  any  one  should  be 
detected  in  the  act  of  abducting  a  maiden,  both  his  life  and 
goods  are  forfeited,  unless  he  be  spared  through  the  prince's 
clemency.  There  is  also  a  law,  that  the  property  of  foreign 
merchants  who  happen  to  die  there,  is  confiscated  to  the 
king  or  his  viceroy ;  and  the  same  rule,  which  is  observed 
among  the  Tartars  and  Turks  with  respect  to  the  natives  of 
Kiev,  is  also  observed  by  the  people  of  Kiev  with  respect  to 
the  Tartars  and  Turks  after  their  death.  There  is  a  certain 
hill  at  Kiev,  over  which  the  merchants  have  to  pass  by  a 
road  which  is  none  of  the  easiest ;  if  any  part  of  the  carriage 
should  happen  to  be  broken  in  the  ascent,  all  the  articles  in 
it  are   confiscated  to  the  treasury.     All  these  details  were 


NOTES    UPON    KXJSSIA.  85 

related  to  me  by  the  Lord  Palatine,  Albert  Gastol,  who  was 
the  King  of  Vilna's  viceroy  in  Lithuania. 

Thirty  miles  from  Kiev,  going  up  the  Dnieper,  we  come 
to  Mosier,  on  the  river  Prepetz,  which  flows  into  the  Dnieper 
twelve  miles  above  Kiev.  The  Prepetz  itself  receives  the 
waters  of  the  river  Thiu*,  which  abound  in  fish.  The  dis- 
tance of  jNIosier  from  Bobranzko  is  thirty  miles.  Twenty 
miles  above  the  latter  place  is  Mohilev,  which  is  six  miles 
distant  fi-om  Orsa.  Such  of  the  above-mentioned  towns  upon 
the  Dneiper  as  lie  upon  its  western  shores  are  subject  to  the 
King  of  Poland,  and  those  on  the  eastern  to  the  Prince  of 
Muscovy,  except  Dobrovna  and  Mistislav,  which  appertain 
to  the  dominions  of  Lithuania.  After  crossing  the  Dneiper, 
four  miles  bring  us  to  Dobrovna,  and  tAventy  more  to  Smo- 
lenzko.  Our  route  lay  from  Orsa  to  Smolenzko,  and  thence 
to  Moscow. 

The  town  of  Borisov  lies  twenty-two  miles  west  of  Orsa, 
and  is  washed  by  the  river  Beresina,  which  flows  into  the 
Dnieper  below  Bobranzko.  The  Beresina,  as  I  have  seen 
with  my  own  eyes,  is  even  broader  than  the  Dnieper  at 
Smolenzko.  I  certainly  am  of  opinion,  that  this  Beresina, 
judging  from  the  sound  of  the  word,  was  what  the  ancients 
call  the  Borysthenes ;  for  if  we  look  to  the  description  of 
Ptolemy,  the  sources  of  the  Beresina  agree  more  [with  his 
account  ?]  than  those  of  that  Borysthenes  which  they  call 
Dnieper. 

I  have  already,  at  the  commencement  of  my  work,  spoken 
at  sufficient  length  of  the  princes  who  ruled  over  Lithuania 
at  the  time  when  Christianity  was  first  introduced  into  the 
country.  The  affeiirs  of  this  nation  were  always  prosperous 
up  to  the  time  of  Vitold.  If  a  foreign  war  threatened  them, 
and  they  had  to  defend  themselves  against  the  forces  of  an 
enemy,  when  summoned  they  came  forth  with  a  great  ap- 
pearance of  warlike  demeanour,  but  more  from  ostentation 
than  from  any  readiness  to  go  to  war  ;  and  when  the  selec- 


86  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA, 

tion  was  made,  they  soon  began  to  fall  off.  And  even  those 
who  remained  would  send  back  their  best  horses  and  cloth- 
ing, with  their  names  attached  to  them,  and  followed  their 
general  with  a  small  outfit,  as  if  acting  under  compulsion. 
The  nobles  also,  who  are  compelled  to  supj^ly  a  certain 
number  of  soldiers  for  the  war  at  their  own  expense,  would 
buy  themselves  off  with  a  sum  of  money  paid  to  the  general, 
and  remain  at  home;  and  this  thing  was  thought  so  little 
disgrace,  that  the  captains  of  militia  and  commanders  made 
a  public  proclamation,  both  at  the  councils  and  throughout 
the  fortresses,  that  any  who  wished  it,  might  exonerate 
themselves  by  the  payment  of  a  sum  of  money,  and  remain 
at  home,  /indeed,  so  great  was  the  licence  which  prevailed 
amongst  them  to  do  whatever  they  pleased,  that  they  seem 
not  only  to  have  used,  but  to  have  abused,  this  unreasonable 
state  of  liberty,  so  as  even  to  hold  the  property  of  their 
princes  in  jiawn ;  so  that  princes  who  came  into  Lithuania 
could  not  live  upon  their  own  revenues,  unless  they  were 
relieved  by  the  assistance  of  their  subjects.^  The  people 
wear  a  long  di-ess,  and  carry  bows  like  the  Tartars ;  but  they 
have  also  a  spear  and  shield,  like  the  Hungarians.  They 
have  excellent  geldings,  which  they  ride  unshod,  and  with 
soft  bits. 

Vilna  is  the  capital  of  the  country.  It  is  a  large  city, 
lying  embosomed  among  the  hills,  at  the  confluence  of  the 
rivers  Yelia  and  Vilna.  The  river  Vilna  flows  into  the  Cronon 
some  miles  below  Vilna.  The  Cronon  washes  the  town  of 
Grodno,  the  name  of  which  is  not  very  unlike  the  name  of 
the  river ;  and  at  the  point  where  it  Mh  into  the  German 
Ocean,  separates  the  people  of  the  Pruten  (formerly  subject 
to  the  Teutonic  order,  but  now  governed  by  Albert,  heredi- 
tary Marquis  of  Brandenbm-g,  who,  since  his  submission  to 
the  King  of  Poland,  has  laid  aside  the  cross  and  order)  from 
the  Samogithians.  At  the  point  I  have  described  stands  the 
city  of  Memel,  for  the  Germans  call  Cronon,  Mcmel,'or  in  the 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  87 

country  idiom  Nemen.  ^^ilna  is  surroimded  by  a  wall,  and 
contains  many  temples  and  houses  built  of  stone ;  there  is  an 
episcopal  palace  there,  in  which  on  our  return  we  were  kindly 
received  by  Ivan,  the  natural  son  of  King  Sigismund,  who 
was  a  man  of  great  kind-heartedness  and  lived  in  the  palace 
at  that  time.  It  has  also  a  parish  church  and  several  monas- 
teries, Math  a  convent  of  Franciscans,  wliich  was  constructed 
at  immense  expense,  and  remarkable  for  the  strictness  of  its 
discipline.  The  Russian  churches  in  it  are  much  more 
numerous  than  those  which  have  been  built  for  the  observ- 
ance of  the  Roman  ritual.  There  are  three  Roman  bishoprics 
in  the  principality  of  Lithuania,  namely,  those  of  Vilna, 
Samogithia,  and  Kiev.  The  Russian  bishoj)rics  in  the  king- 
dom of  Poland  and  Lithiiania  and  their  incorporated  princi- 
palities, are  the  archbishopric  of  Vilna  and  the  bishoprics  of 
Plotzk,  "VTadimir,  Lutsk,  Pinski,  Kholm,  and  Premisl.  The 
Lithuanians  traffic  in  horns,  wax,  and  cinders,  in  v\'hich 
they  principally  abound,  and  great  quantities  of  which  are 
exj)orted  to  Dantzic,  and  thence  into  Holland.  Lithuania 
gives  an  abundant  supply  of  pitch  and  timber  for  ship-build- 
ing, and  also  wheat.  At  the  time  that  Christian  was  ejected 
from  the  throne  of  Denmark,  and  when  the  sea  was  infested 
with  pii"ates,  salt  was  not  imported  from  Britain  but  from 
Russia,  and  the  same  is  now  used  among  the  Lithuanians. 

At  the  time  that  I  was  in  Lithuania,  there  were  two  men 
principally  distinguished  for  M'arlike  renown,  namely,  the 
Knes  Constantino  Ostroski  and  the  Knes  Michael  Linzki. 
Constantino  had  routed  the  Tartars  very  frequently.  It  was 
his  custom  not  to  attack  the  horde  while  out  on  their  pre- 
datory excursions,  but  to  pursue  them  when  returning  laden 
with  booty  ;  for  as  they  retii'ed  to  a  spot  where  they  thought 
they  might  have  an  opportunity  of  resting  and  reft'eshing 
themselves  without  fear  of  disturbance,  but  which  spot  was 
known  to  him  and  fixed  upon  as  the  point  of  attack,  he 
would  give  notice  to  his  own   soldiers  to   cook   their   food 


88  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

for  that  night  beforehand,  for  that  he  woukl  not  be  able 
to  allow  them  much  fire  the  following  night.  On  the 
following  day,  therefore,  the  Tartars  would  continue  their 
journey,  and  when  night  came,  seeing  no  flame  or  smoke, 
would  suppose  that  the  enemy  had  either  retreated  or  dis- 
persed themselves,  and  would  then  let  their  horses  loose 
upon  the  pasture,  take  their  meal,  and  go  to  sleep.  Con- 
stantine  would  then  make  his  onset  at  break  of  day,  and 
thus  overwhelm  them  with  a  terrific  slaughter.  The  Knes 
Michael  Linzki,  who  had  gone  into  Germany  while  yet  a 
youth,  and  had  demeaned  himself  valiantly  under  Albert, 
Duke  of  Saxony,  in  his  war  with  Friesland,  and  had  gained 
himself  great  renown  amongst  all  ranks  of  soldiers,  returned 
to  his  own  country  imbued  with  the  manners  of  the  Germans, 
among  whom  he  had  grown  up,  and  had  high  rank  and 
authority  given  to  him  at  the  court  of  the  King  Alexander ; 
so  much  so,  indeed,  that  the  king  took  his  advice  and  deci- 
sion in  every  question  of  difficulty.  It  happened,  however, 
that  he  fell  into  a  quarrel  with  Ivan  Saversinski,  palatine  of 
Troca,  on  account  of  the  king,  but  the  quarrel  being  at 
length  arranged,  everything  remained  quiet  between  them 
during  the  life  of  the  king ;  but  after  the  king's  death,  the 
hatred  which  had  been  buried  in  the  mind  of  Ivan,  on  account 
of  having  been  dej)rived  of  his  palatinate  through  his  antago- 
nist's inflvience,  again  awoke.  The  conseqi;ence  was,  that  the 
latter,  with  his  accomplices  and  friends,  was  charged  with 
treason  to  King  Sigismund,  who  had  succeeded  Alexander, 
was  slandered  by  certain  of  his  rivals,  and  declared  to  be  a 
traitor  to  his  country.  The  Knes  Michael,  smarting  under 
such  an  injury,  often  appealed  to  the  king,  and  demanded 
that  the  cause  should  be  equitably  judged  between  himself 
and  Saversinski,  declaring  that  he  Avould  then  be  able  to 
clear  himself  from  so  heavy  a  charge ;  but  findmg  that  the 
king  would  not  listen  to  his  petition,  he  went  over  to  Hun- 
gary to  Vladislav,  the  king's  brother.     Thence  he  sent  both 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  89 

letters  and  messengers  to  the  king,  imploring  him  to  reco- 
gnize his  plea ;  but  when  he  found  that  all  his  efforts  were 
of  no  avail,  incensed  at  the  indignity  offered  him,  he  told  the 
king  that  he  should  resent  such  infamous  conduct,  and 
that  he  himself  would  one  day  live  to  repent  it.  Then 
betaking  himself  to  his  home  in  anger,  he  dispatched  a  con- 
fidential servant  to  the  Prince  of  Muscovj^,  with  letters  and 
instructions.  He  wrote,  that  if  the  king  would  promise  him 
a  safe  and  independent  livelihood,  granted  him  in  writing 
and  under  his  oath,  that  it  should  be  to  the  prince's  honour 
and  profit,  and  that  he  would  go  over  to  him  ^dth  the  for- 
tresses which  he  possessed  in  Lithuania,  and  all  the  other 
places  which  he  had  taken  either  by  force  or  surrender. 
The  Prince  of  Muscovy  knowing  the  valour  and  skill  of  the 
man,  was  overjoyed  at  receiving  this  message,  and  promised 
that  he  would  do  all  which  IMichael  demanded  of  him,  and 
gave  the  letters  and  the  oath  which  he  desired. 

TATien  every  thing  had  been  done  by  the  Prince  of  Mus- 
covy according  to  agreement,  Michael,  burning  ■\\dth  revenge 
against  Ivan  Saversinski,  who  was  staying  at  that  time  in  his 
villa  near  Grodno  (in  which  I  afterwards  spent  a  night),  fell 
upon  him  with  all  his  forces,  and,  to  prevent  his  escape,  set  a 
guard  of  soldiers  round  his  house,  and  sent  in  a  Mahomedan 
assassin,  who  attacked  liim  while  asleep  in  his  bed,  and  cut 
his  head  off.  This  done,  he  advanced  with  his  army  against 
the  fortress  of  Mieusko,  and  strove  to  take  it  either  by  force 
or  surrender.  Frustrated  in  his  attempt  on  Miensko,  he  laid 
siege  to  other  fortified  towns ;  but  learning  that  the  forces  of 
the  king  were  advancing  against  him,  and  that  they  were  far 
superior  to  his  own,  he  gave  up  the  siege  of  these  fortresses, 
and  betook  himself  to  Moscow,  where  he  was  honourably 
received  by  the  prince,  who  was  well  aware  that  there  was 
no  man  in  Lithuania  equal  to  him.  The  prince  entertained 
the  hope,  that  by  his  counsels,  operations,  and  industry,  he 
might  be  able  to  gain  possession  of  the  whole  of  Lithuania  ; 

VOL.   II.  N 


90  NOTES    UrON    RUSSIA. 

and  in  this  hope  he  was  not  altogether  mistaken,  for  after 
taking  counsel  with  him,  he  a  second  time  laid  siege  to  Smo- 
lensko,  one  of  the  chief  principalities  of  Lithuania,  not  so 
much  by  the  strength  of  his  forces,  as  by  the  perseverance  of 
this  one  man,  for  the  very  presence  of  Michael  alone  took 
away  from  the  soldiers  who  formed  the  garrison  all  ho^^e  of 
defending  the  city ;  and  he  prevailed  on  them,  through  the 
combined  agency  of  their  fears  and  his  promises,  to  surrender 
the  fortress.  He  did  this  the  more  boldly,  and  with  greater 
zeal,  because  Yasiley  had  promised  him  that  if,  by  any 
means,  he  could  succeed  in  taking  Smolensko,  he  would 
make  a  grant  to  him  in  perpetuity  of  the  fortress,  together 
with  the  adjacent  province.  These  promises,  however,  he 
afterwards  broke  ;  and  when  Michael  appealed  to  him  on  the 
score  of  his  covenant,  he  did  nothing  but  delude  and  cajole 
him  with  vain  hopes.  Michael  becoming  seriously  offended 
at  this  conduct,  and  not  having  yet  forgotten  King  Sigis- 
mund,  whose  favour  he  hoped  he  might  easily  gain  through 
the  medium  of  some  friends  of  his  who  dwelt  at  the  court  of 
that  sovereign,  sent  one  of  his  confidential  servants  to  the 
king,  promising  that  if  he  would  pardon  any  offence  that  he 
might  have  committed  against  him,  he  would  return  into  his 
service.  This  message  was  very  acceptable  to  the  king,  and 
he  ordered  that  the  letters  of  safeguard  which  Michael 
requested,  shoidd  be  immediately  sent  to  him  by  a  messenger. 
As,  however,  Michael  did  not  place  implicit  confidence  in 
the  king's  letters,  and  in  order  that  he  might  return  with  the 
greater  security,  he  petitioned  that  similar  letters  shovild  be 
sent  him  from  Georg  Pisbeck  and  Johann  von  Eechenberg, 
who  were  German  knights  and  councillors  of  the  king,  and 
whom  Michael  knew  to  have  such  authority  over  him,  that 
they  could  compel  the  king  against  his  will  to  keep  his  j)ro- 
mise.  This  request  was  granted  him  ;  but  as  it  happened 
that  the  messenger  who  was  sent  upon  this  business  fell  into 
the  hands  of  the  sentinels  of  the  prince  of  Muscovy,  and  was 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  91 

taken,  the  whole  affair  became  known,  and  was  speedily  com- 
municated to  the  prince,  by  whose  order  Michael  was  seized. 
At  the  same  time,  a  certain  Polish  youth,  of  the  noble  family 
of  Trepko,  had  been  despatched  to  Moscow  by  King  Sigis- 
mund  to  communicate  with  Michael,  and  in  order  to  execute 
the  king's  commands  with  the  greater  success,  he  pretended 
to  be  a  refugee  ;  but  he  also  fell  into  a  similar  misfortune, 
and  was  seized  by  the  Russians ;  and  when  he  stated  that  he 
was  a  refugee,  he  was  not  believed,  but  he  kept  his  secret  so 
faithfully,  that  though  he  was  put  to  severe  torture,  he  would 
not  reveal  it. 

After  the  capture  of  Michael,  he  was  brought  into  the 
prince's  presence  at  Smolensko,  who  said  to  him,  "  Traitor, 
I  will  inflict  on  thee  a  punishment  worthy  of  thy  deserts  !" 
To  which  he  replied  :  "  I  do  not  acknowledge  the  crime  of 
treason  which  thou  layest  to  my  charge,  for  if  thou  hadst 
kept  faith  towards  me  with  respect  to  thine  own  promises, 
thou  wouldst  have  found  me  a  most  faithful  servant  to  thee 
in  every  respect ;  but  when  I  saw  that  thou  madest  light  of 
them,  and  madest  it  thy  chief  aim  to  evade  me,  it  became  a 
heavy  grievance  to  me  that  I  had  not  been  able  to  accom- 
plish those  things  which  I  had  conceived  in  my  mind  respect- 
ing thee.  I  have  always  despised  death,  and  will  therefore 
willingly  undergo  it ;  but  never  more  let  me  see  thy  face,  O 
tyrant."  Upon  this  he  was  led  away,  by  the  prince's  com- 
mand, through  a  great  concourse  of  people  to  Viesma,  where 
the  commander-in  chief  of  the  army,  after  having  caused  the 
heavy  chains  with  which  he  was  to  be  bound  to  be  thrown 
before  him,  thus  addi'essed  him :  "  The  prince,  as  thou 
knowest,  O  Michael,  honoured  thee  with  the  greatest  favour 
whilst  thou  faithfully  servedst  him,  but  since  thou  hast 
thought  fit  to  carry  on  thy  treasonable  practices  with  a  high 
hand,  he  presents  thee  with  this  reward  as  suitable  to  thy 
merits ;"  saying  which,  he  ordered  the  fetters  to  be  fastened 
on  him.     While  Michael  was  thus  being  bound  with  chains, 


92  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

he  turned  to  the  surrounding  populace,  and  thus  addressed 
them  :  "  Lest  a  false  rumour  should  be  spread  amongst  you 
as  to  the  cause  of  my  imprisonment,  I  ^vill  briefly  unfold  to 
you  what  I  have  done,  and  why  I  have  been  taken  prisoner, 
and  that  you  may  learn  from  my  example  what  kind  of 
prince  you  have  over  you,  and  what  every  one  of  you  can  or 
ought  to  expect  from  him."  With  this  commencement,  he 
related  to  them  the  entire  reason  of  his  coming  into  Muscovy, 
as  well  as  the  promises  which  the  prince  had  made,  under 
the  confirmation  of  written  documents,  and  with  the  addition 
of  his  oath,  and  shewed  how  he  had,  in  no  respect,  adhered 
to  those  promises.  He  then  proceeded  to  state,  that  as  he 
had  been  deceived  in  his  expectations  from  the  prince,  he 
had  wished  to  return  to  his  own  country,  and  for  that  reason 
he  had  been  taken  prisoner  ;  since  this  injury  was  unjustly 
inflicted  upon  him,  he  should  take  no  great  pains  to  escape 
death,  especially  as  he  knew  that  it  was  alike  the  lot  of  all  to 
die  by  the  common  law  of  nature.  As  he  was  a  man  of 
strong  frame,  and  of  an  intellect  which  could  turn  itself 
to  any  subject,  and  whose  judgment  in  council  had  great 
weight,  and  of  ready  wit,  alike  in  matters  of  humour  as  in 
those  of  more  serious  moment,  and  evidently  a  man  for  all 
occasions,  as  the  saying  is,  he  had,  by  this  versatility  of 
genius,  won  for  himself  great  favour  and  authority  with  all 
men,  especially  with  the  Germans  amongst  whom  he  had 
been  brought  up.  He  had  routed  the  Tartars  in  the  reign 
of  King  Alexander  with  a  signal  slaughter,  nor  since  the 
death  of  Vithold  had  the  Lithuanians  ever  gained  so  re- 
nowned a  victory  over  the  Tartars.  The  Germans  designated 
Michael,  in  the  Bohemian  language,  "  Pan";  but  as  he,  in 
the  first  instance,  had  followed  the  ritual  of  the  Greeks,  as  a 
Kussian,  but  afterwards  left  it  to  follow  the  Roman  ritual, 
when  in  chains  he  again  adopted  the  Russian  form  of  worship, 
in  order  to  soothe  and  mitigate  the  wrath  and  indignation  of 
the  prince  against  him.     Many  men  of  rank,  at  the  time  that 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  93 

I  was  in  Moscow,  pleaded  with  the  prince  for  his  liberation, 
and  above  all  the  prince's  wife,  who  was  Michael's  niece, 
being  his  brother's  daughter  ;  the  Emperor  Maximilian  also 
interceded  for  him,  and  sent  special  letters  to  the  prince,  in 
his  own  name,  in  my  first  embassy ;  but  so  little  effect  had 
all  these  intercessions,  that  permission  was  not  granted  me  to 
see  him  :  indeed,  no  great  opportunity  of  seeing  him  was 
allowed  to  any  body ;  but  in  my  second  embassy,  his  libera- 
tion being  accidently  spoken  of,  I  had  the  question  rather 
frequently  put  to  me  by  the  Russians,  whether  I  knew  him, 
to  which  I  replied,  that  I  had  only  occasionally  heard  his 
name  mentioned,  and  I  believed  that  was  all  I  was  ever 
likely  to  know  of  him.  At  length  ^Michael  was  Hberated  and 
discharged :  the  reason  of  wliich  was,  that  the  prince,  who 
had  married  his  niece  during  the  lifetime  of  his  former  wife, 
put  such  reliance  in  his  valour,  that  he  thought  his  children 
would,  through  his  means,  be  kept  safe  in  possession  of  the 
kingdom,  from  interference  on  the  part  of  his  brothers ;  and 
he  finally  appointed  him,  by  his  will,  tutor  to  his  sons. 
Subsequently,  after  the  death  of  the  prince,  Michael  having 
reproached  the  prince's  widow  with  wantonness,  was  charged 
by  her  with  treason,  and  died  an  unhappy  death  in  prison. 
Not  long  after  the  perpetration  of  this  crime,  she  is  said  to 
have  been  carried  off  by  poison  in  the  midst  of  her  reckless- 
ness, and  her  paramour,  Ovczina,  was  butchered  and  torn  to 
pieces. 

Volonia  contains  the  most  warlike  people  amongst  the 
principalities  of  Lithiiania. 

Lithuania  is  extremely  woody,  and  has  in  it  extensive  marshes 
and  numerous  rivers ;  some  of  which  latter,  namely,  the  Bog, 
the  Prepetz,  the  Thur,  and  the  Berisina,  flow  eastwards  into 
the  Dnieper ;  others,  namely,  the  Boh,  the  Cronon,  and  the 
Nareo,  flow  towards  the  north.  The  climate  is  severe,  and 
the  animals  of  all  kinds  small.  Corn  is  very  abundant,  but 
the  crop  rarely  comes  to  maturity.    The  people  are  miserable. 


94  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

and  oppressed  with  heavy  servitude  ;  for  when  any  man  who 
is  attended  by  a  host  of  servants,  enters  the  house  of  any 
husbandman,  he  is  at  liberty  to  do  with  impunity  whatever 
he  thinks  fit,  to  seize  and  consume  any  of  the  necessaries  of 
life,  and  even  cruelly  to  beat  the  husbandman  himself.  The 
husbandmen  are  not  allowed  access  to  their  masters  on  any 
account  without  bringing  presents,  and  when  they  are  ad- 
mitted, they  are  referred  to  the  stewards  and  officials,  who, 
unless  they  receive  presents,  will  make  no  arrangement,  nor 
give  any  decision  to  the  advantage  of  the  applicant.  Nor 
was  this  the  case  only  with  the  poor,  but  also  with  the  nobles, 
whenever  they  wished  to  obtain  any  favour  from  their  official 
superiors.  I  once  heard  a  certain  youthful  minister,  of  high 
rank  about  the  king,  say  that  the  only  word  in  Lithuania  was 
"  gold".  The  king  has  an  annual  tax  paid  to  him  for  defend- 
ing the  boundaries  of  the  kingdom.  Beyond  the  ordinary 
assessment,  the  people  have  to  work  for  their  masters  six 
days  out  of  the  week.  When  a  serf  marries,  or  when  his 
wife  dies,  or  when  his  children  are  born,  and  also  when  they 
die,  he  is  compelled  to  pay  a  certain  sum  at  the  time  of  the 
event  being  acknowledged.  So  heavy  is  the  servitude  in 
wliich  they  have  been  kept  up  to  the  i^resent  day,  that  if 
any  man  happen  to  be  condemned  to  death,  he  is  compelled, 
if  his  master  order  it,  to  take  the  infliction  of  the  punishment 
upon  himself,  and  to  hang  himself  with  his  own  hands ;  and 
if  he  should  refuse  to  do  so,  he  is  first  cruelly  beaten,  and 
then  hanged,  nevertheless,  and  brutally  cut  to  pieces.  With 
such  severity  is  this  process  carried  out,  that  if  the  judge  or 
governor  aj^pointed  to  decide  upon  the  case,  should  see  any 
attempt  at  delay  on  the  part  of  the  culprit,  and  use  a  threat, 
or  only  say  "  make  haste",  the  man's  master  becomes  angry, 
upon  which  the  wretch,  in  his  dread  of  the  extremity  of 
pu.nishment,  puts  an  end  to  his  own  life  with  the  noose. 


NOTES    LTON    RUSSIA.  95 


©f  tf)ftr  muti  Beasts, 

LitTmania  possesses  other  ^vild  beasts,  besides  sucb.  as  are 
found  in  Germany^  namely,  bisons,  buffaloes,  and  alces,  wbicb 
are  wild  horses,  called  by  some  onagri  [wild  asses].  The 
Lithuanians  call  the  bison,  in  their  own  language,  "  suber". 
The  Germans  imj^roperly  call  it  "  aurox"  or  "  urox",  Avhich 
name  better  suits  the  buffalo,  which  manifestly  has  the  form 
of  an  ox,  while  the  bison  is  a  very  dissimilar  kind  of  animal ; 
for  the  bisons  have  manes,  and  are  hairy  about  the  neck  and 
shoulders,  with  a  kind  of  beard  hanging  from  their  chins, 
their  hair  smelling  of  musk,  their  heads  short,  their  eyes 
large  and  fierce,  as  if  they  were  on  fire,  and  theii-  foreheads 
broad,  with  horns  generally  so  wide  apart  and  stretched  out, 
that  the  space  would  take  in  three  tolerably  stout  men  ;  a 
fact  which  was  shown  by  Sigismund,  King  of  Poland,  father 
of  the  present  King  Sigismund  Augustus,  whom  we  know  to 
have  been  a  man  of  well-built  and  strong  frame,  who  tried 
the  dangerous  experiment  with  two  others  of  no  less  bulk 
than  himself.  The  back  of  the  bison  is  raised  as  with  a  kind 
of  hump,  the  anterior  and  posterior  parts  of  the  body  being- 
more  depressed. 

(Those  who  hunt  the  bison  had  need  be  men  of  great 
strength,  agility,  and  cunning,  j  A  suitable  spot  for  the 
hunt  is  selected,  where  there  are  trees  growing  at  equal 
distances  from  each  other,  with  trunks  of  moderate  thick- 
ness, so  that  it  may  be  easy  to  run  round  them,  and  yet 
sufficiently  large  to  protect  the  body  of  a  man.  Each  of  the 
hunters  places  himself  at  one  of  these  trees,  and  when  the 
bison  has  been  roused  by  the  dogs  that  are  set  upon  him, 
and  is  driven  towards  the  spot,  he  rushes  with  great  ferocity 
vipon  the  first  hunter  who  presents  himself.  O'he  latter,  how- 
ever, protects  himself  by  placing  the  tree  between  them,  and 
strikes  the  beast  with  his  hunting-spear,  wherever  he  can  ;  the 


96  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

animal  does  not  often  fall  under  the  blow,  but,  exasperated 
with,  fury,  not  only  tosses  with  his  horns,  but  also  darts  out 
his  tongue,  which  is  so  rough  and  strong,  that  if  it  only  touch 
the  garment  of  the  hunter,  it  will  lay  hold  of  it  and  draw 
him,  and  the  beast  will  never  leave  him  until  he  has  killed 
him.  But  if  the  huntsman  should  become  weary  with  chasing 
about  and  striking,  he  presents  to  the  beast  his  red  cap, 
against  wliich  he  will  rage  both  with  feet  and  horns.  If, 
however,  another  of  the  hunters  wishes  to  join  the  contest 
before  the  beast  is  slain,  which  must  be  done  if  the  men  wish 
to  get  away  with  a  whole  skin,  it  is  easy  to  call  off  the 
beast  against  himself  by  once  shouting  the  barbarous  cry  of 
"  lululu  !" 

Masovia,  which  borders  on  Lithuania,  is  the  only  province 
which  has  in  it  the  kind  of  buffalo  which  in  the  language  of 
the  country  is  called  thur,  but  which  we  Germans  may  with 
propriety  call  lU'ox.  They  are  a  sort  of  wild  oxen,  not  unlike 
tame  oxen,  except  that  they  are  entii-ely  black,  with  a  line 
down  the  back  having  white  blended  with  it.  They  are 
not  very  plentiful,  and  there  are  certain  districts  which  are 
charged  with  the  care  of  them  ;  and  it  is  only  in  some  few 
preserves  that  they  are  kept.  They  are  allowed  to  herd  -wdth 
tame  cows,  but  have  a  mark  set  upon  them  to  distinguish 
them.  This  is  done  because  they  are  afterwards  looked  upon 
as  degraded  by  the  other  buffaloes,  and  are  not  admitted  into 
their  herd ;  and  the  calves  which  are  produced  by  the  cross 
breed  are  not  long  lived.  The  King  Sigismund  Augustus, 
at  the  time  I  was  ambassador  at  his  court,  made  me  a  present 
of  one  which  was  just  dropped,  and  which  the  hunters  had 
taken,  driven  half-lifeless  from  the  herd.  It  had  the  skin 
which  covers  the  forehead  cut  away,  which  I  suppose  was 
done  for  some  purpose,  but  from  thoughtlessness  I  neglected 
to  enquire  why  it  was  done.  This  is  certain,  that  girdles 
made  of  the  hide  of  the  urox  are  much  esteemed,  and  it  is  a 
vulgar  opinion  that  parturition  is  assisted  by  wearing  them. 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  d  i 

Queen  Bona,  the  mother  of  Sigismund  Augustus,  presented 
to  me  two  girdles  of  this  kind,  one  of  which  my  most  serene 
mistress,  the  Queen  of  the  Romans,  graciously  accepted  as  a 
present  from  me. 

There  is  an  animal  in  Lithuania,  named  in  their  language 
"  loss",  which  the  Germans  call  "  ellem",  and  to  which 
others  give  the  Latin  name  "  alce".^  The  Poles  maintain 
that  it  is  the  "  onager",  which  means  wild  ass  ;  but  it  does 
not  correspond  in  form  to  that  animal,  for  it  has  cloven 
hoofs,  although  it  is  true  that  some  are  found  with  the  hoof 
solid,  but  this  is  of  rare  occurrence.  The  animal  is  taller 
than  a  stag,  with  rather  prominent  ears  and  nostrils,  with 
horns  somewhat  differing  from  those  of  a  stag,  and  of  a  colour 
more  tending  to  white.  It  is  very  swift  of  foot ;  it  does  not 
run  like  other  animals,  but  rather  with  an  ambling  gait. 
Their  hoofs  are  worn  as  amulets  against  the  falling  sickness. 

In  the  desert  plains  about  the  Dnieper,  the  Don,  and  the 
Volga,  is  a  wild  sheep,  called  by  the  Poles  "  solhac",  by  the 
Kussiaas  "  seigack",  of  the  size  of  a  doe,  but  with  shorter 
hoofs,  with  high  stretching  horns,  marked  "with  rings,  of 
which  the  Russians  make  transparent  knife-handles.  They 
are  swift  of  foot,  and  take  very  lofty  leaps.' 

Samogithia  is  a  province  which  lies  to  the  north  of  the 
Baltic  sea,  and  is  next  to  Lithuania.  It  divides  Prussia  from 
Livonia  by  the  space  of  four  German  miles.  It  is  not  re- 
markable for  any  fortress  or  fortified  town.  It  is  governed 
by  a  prince  from  Lithuania,  who  is  designated  in  their  lan- 
guage Starosta,  which  signifies  an  elder  :  this  governor  is  not 
easily  removed  from  his  office,  except  upon  very  serious 
charges,  but  holds  it  in  perpetuity  as  long  as  he  lives. 

The  province  has  a  bishop,  who  is  subject  to  the  Pope  of 
Rome. 

1  The  elk. 

^  This  is  either  the  capra  ibex,  or  capra  eegagrus,  two  allied  species 
belonging  to  the  genus  (egoceros  of  Pallas. 

VOL.  II.  O 


98  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

(^  This  one  thing  is  principally  worthy  of  notice  in  Samo- 
githia,  that  while  the  men  of  the  country  are  remarkably  tall 
in  stature,  some  of  their  children  will  also  prove  of  great 
height,  but  others,  by  a  sort  of  freak  of  nature,  are  ex- 
tremely small,  and  decided  dwarfs.  J 

The  people  of  Samogithia  wear  a  mean-looking  dress, 
mostly  of  an  ash  colour  :  they  dwell  in  low,  long-shaped 
cottages,  in  the  middle  of  which  they  make  their  fires,  and 
when  the  father  of  the  family  is  seated  at  his  fire-side,  he 
sees  all  his  cattle  and  household  stufi"  around  him,  for  it  is 
their  custom  to  have  their  flocks  under  the  same  roof  with 
themselves,  without  any  separation.  The  elders  use  buffalo 
horns  for  goblets. 

The  men  are  courageous  and  warlike  :  in  battle  they  make 
use  of  coats  of  mail  and  various  other  kinds  of  armour,  but 
their  principal  weapon  is  a  rather  short  lance,  like  a  hunting- 
spear.  They  have  such  small  horses,  that  it  is  scarcely  cre- 
dible that  they  should  prove  equal  to  the  great  exertions 
which  they  undergo.  Abroad  they  are  used  in  battle,  and  at 
home  in  agriculture. 

In  ploughing  the  land,  they  do  not  use  iron,  but  wood, 
which  is  the  more  remarkable,  that  the  soil  is  not  sandy,  but 
so  stiff"  that  a  fir  tree  will  never  grow  in  it.  It  is  the  custom  of 
the  ploiighmen  to  carry  out  with  them  several  pieces  of  wood 
to  work  the  ground  with,  instead  of  a  ploughshare,  so  that 
when  one  is  broken  they  may  have  another  at  hand,  that  no 
time  may  be  lost.  One  of  the  governors  of  the  province,  in 
order  to  relieve  the  peasants  from  the  severity  of  their  labour, 
introduced  a  considerable  number  of  iron  ploughshares  ;  but 
as  it  happened,  from  the  unfavourableness  of  the  season  in 
that  and  a  few  following  years,  that  the  crops  did  not  answer 
the  expectations  of  the  husbandmen,  the  barrenness  of  their 
fields  was  ascribed  by  the  common  peoj)le  to  the  iron 
ploughshare,  for  they  could  think  of  no  other  cause  :  and 
the  governor,  fearing  an   insurrection,   took  away  the  iron 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  99 

shares,  and  allowed  them   to  till  their  fields  in  their  own 
fashion. 

C  This  province  abounds  in  woods  and  forests,  in  which  hor- 
rible sights  may  occasionally  be  witnessed  ;  for  in  them  there 
dwell  a  considerable  number  of  idolators,  who  cherish,  as  a 
kind  of  household  gods,  a  species  of  reptile,  which  has  four 
short  feet  like  a  lizard,  with  a  black  fat  body,  not  exceeding 
three  pahns  in  length.  These  animals  are  called  "  givoites","^ 
and  on  certain  days  are  allowed  to  crawl  about  the  house  in 
search  of  the  food  which  is  placed  for  them.  They  are  looked 
upon  with  great  superstition  by  the  whole  family,  until  the 
time  when,  having  satisfied  their  hunger,  they  return  to  their 
own  place.  But  if  any  accident  should  occur  to  them,  they 
believe  that  their  household  god,  the  reptile,  has  been  ill- 
received  and  ill-fedj  On  my  return  from  my  first  journey  to 
Moscow,  I  came  to  Troki,  and  was  informed  by  the  landlord 
of  the  house  at  which  I  happened  to  put  up,  that  he  had  in 
that  same  year  purchased  some  bee-hives  of  one  of  these 
reptile-worshippers,  and  had  by  his  reasoning  won  him  over 
to  the  true  faith  of  Chi'ist,  and  persuaded  him  to  kill  the 
reptile  which  he  worshipped :  butr  some  time  after  when  he 
returned  to  look  at  his  bees,  he  found  the  man  with  his  face 
deformed,  and  with  his  mouth  drawn  in  a  hideous  manner 
up  to  his  ears.  On  inquii'ing  the  cause  of  so  fearful  a  dis- 
aster, he  replied,  that  he  was  punished  with  this  calamity  by 
way  of  expiation  and  penance  for  having  laid  guilty  hands 
upon  the  reptile  his  god,  and  that  he  should  have  to  suffer 
many  more  grievous  penalties,  unless  he  returned  to  his 
former  mode  of  worship.  Although  this  did  not  take  place 
in  Samogithia,  but  in  Lithuania,  I  have  quoted  it  as  a  speci- 
men of  their  customs.  J 

They  say  that  there  is  no  better  or  finer  honey  found 
than  in  Samogithia ;  that  it  is  white,  and  has  but  little  wax 
with  it. 

^  This  seems  to  be  a  species  of  sciiicus,  or  rather  perhaps  c/ecko. 


100  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

The  sea  wliicli  washes  Samogithia,  and  which  is  called  by 
some  the  Baltic,  by  some  the  German,  by  others  the  Prussian, 
and  by  others  the  Venetic  sea,  and  which  the  Germans  call 
Pelts,  in  allusion  to  the  Baltic,  is  properly  named  a  gulf;  for 
it  flows  within  the  Cimbrian  Chersonese,  which  is  now  called 
by  the  Germans,  Yuchtland  and  Sunder  Yuchtland,  but  in 
Latin,  Jucia, — a  word  derived  from  the  same  source.  It  washes 
also  that  part  of  Germany  which  is  called  by  the  Germans  Low, 
beginning  at  Holstein,  which  lies  next  to  the  Cimbrian  Cher- 
sonese, then  flows  by  the  country  of  Lubeck,  then  by  Vismar, 
Postock,  the  cities  of  the  dukes  of  Mecklenburg,  and  the 
whole  region  of  Pomerania,  which  country  derives  its  name 
from  the  circumstance  of  which  we  are  speaking ;  for  in  the 
Sclavonic  language,  Pomoriiae,  signifies  near  the  sea,  or 
maritime.  After  that  it  flows  by  Prussia,  the  capital  of  which 
is  Gdanum,  which  is  also  called  Gedanum  and  Dantiscum. 
The  Duke  of  Prussia,  however,  has  a  seat  which  is  called 
Mons  Regius  [Konigsberg].  In  that  locality  they  fish,  at  a 
certain  time  of  the  year,  for  the  amber  wliich  floats  upon  the 
sea.  This  fishery  is  carried  on  at  great  risk  by  persons 
engaged  in  it,  on  account  of  the  sudden  ebb  and  flow  of 
the  sea. 

The  sea  skirts  Samogithia  only  by  the  space  of  about 
four  miles,  after  which  it  flows  along  an  extensive  tract  com- 
prising Livonia  and  the  country  called  Khurland,  doubtless 
so  named  from  the  Cureti,  as  well  as  some  districts  which  are 
subject  to  the  Russians  ;  it  then  flows  round  Finland,  which 
belongs  to  the  Swedes,  whence  also  the  name  of  the  Venedi 
is  supposed  to  have  derived  its  origin.  On  the  other  side  it 
flows  by  Sweden. 

The  whole  of  the  kingdom  of  Denmark,  which  princi- 
pally consists  of  islands,  is  comprised  in  this  gulf,  with 
the  exception  of  Jucia  and  Scandia,  which  are  attached  to 
the  continent.  The  island  of  Gothland  also,  which  is 
subject  to  the  King  of  Denmark,  lies  in  this  gulf.     Some 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  101 

have  thought  that  the  Goths  came  thence ;  but  it  is  too 
small  to  have  been  able  to  hold  such  a  multitude  of  men  ; 
besides,  if  the  Goths  had  come  from  Scandia,  they  must  have 
retTirned  from  Gothland  into  Sweden,  and  again  bent  their 
course  backwards  by  Scandia,  which  is  not  at  all  consistent 
with  reason.  In  the  island  of  Gotliland  there  are  still  re- 
maining the  ruins  of  the  city  of  Wisby,  in  which  the  quar- 
rels and  disagreements  of  the  sailors  who  passed  by  that  way 
used  to  be  judged  and  settled,  and  questions  of  business 
concerning  distant  maritime  places  were  brought  to  that  city 
and  argued. 

The  province  of  Livonia  extends  a  long  distance  by  the 
sea  shore  ;  its  metropolis  is  Riga,  which  is  under  the  govern- 
ment of  the  master  of  the  Teutonic  order.  The  province 
comprises  two  bishoprics,  namely  that  of  E-evel  and  Oesel, 
besides  the  archbishopric  of  Riga.  It  contains  several  towns, 
the  chief  of  which  is  Riga,  which  is  situated  on  the  Dwina, 
not  far  from  its  mouth,  as  weU  as  Revel  and  Derbt.  The 
Russians  call  Revel,  Bolivar ;  and  Derbt,  Turgovgorod : 
Riga  retains  its  name  in  both  languages.  It  has  in  it  the 
navigable  rivers,  the  Rubo  and  the  Nerva. 

The  prince  of  this  province,  as  well  as  the  brothers  of  the 
order,  the  principal  of  whom  are  styled  commanders,  as  also 
the  nobles  and  citizens,  are  nearly  all  German. 

As  three  languages  are  used  by  the  common  people,  so 
they  are  divided  into  three  orders  or  tribes.  Every  year  a 
fresh  supply  of  laboiu'ers  and  soldiers  are  brought  into 
Livonia  out  of  the  German  principalities  of  Juliers,  Gelder- 
lund,  and  Munster,  to  replace  those  who  have  died,  or  those 
who,  after  fulfillmg  their  yearly  duty,  return  in  freedom  to 
theii'  own  country. 

They  possess  so  great  a  quantity  of  horses  of  a  remarkably 
fine  strong  breed,  that  hitherto  they  have  been  able  to  endure, 
and  vigorously  to   withstand,  the  repeated  hostile   iiu'oads 


102  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

made  upon  their  territory  both  by  the  King  of  Poland  and 
the  Grand  Duke  of  Muscovy. 

In  the  year  of  our  Lord  1502,  in  the  month  of  September, 
Alexander,  King  of  Poland  and  Grand  Duke  of  Lithuania, 
prevailed  upon  Walter  von  Pletenberg,  the  lord  of  Livonia, 
under  certain  stipidations,  to  lead  an  army  against  the  pro- 
vinces of  the  Grand  Duke  of  Muscovy,  promising  that  by 
the  time  he  reached  the  enemy's  country,  he  himself  would 
be  present  with  a  large  force.  But  as  the  king  did  not  come 
at  the  appointed  time,  and  as  the  Russians,  when  they  heard 
of  the  approach  of  an  enemy,  came  forth  to  meet  the  master 
with  a  vast  multitude ;  the  master  finding  that  he  was  de- 
serted, and  that  he  could  not  retreat  without  extreme  dis- 
grace as  well  as  peril,  first  addressed  his  soldiers  in  a  few 
words,  as  time  was  pressing,  and  then  discharged  his  artillery 
and  vigorously  attacked  the  enemy,  and  at  the  first  onslaught 
routed  the  Russians,  and  put  them  completely  to  flight. 
But  as  the  conquerors  were  few  in  number  in  comparison 
with  the  enemy,  and  loaded  with  heavier  furniture,  they 
were  unable  to  pursue  the  enemy  very  far  ;  the  Russians 
perceiving  this,  took  fresh  courage,  and  again  returning  to 
the  ranks,  made  a  vigorous  attack  upon  Pletenberg's  infan- 
try, who  could  only  present  to  the  enemy  a  force  of  about 
one  thousand  five  hundred.  In  that  battle,  the  general, 
Matthew  Pernauer,  with  his  brother  Henry,  and  the  standard- 
bearer  Conrad  Schwartz,  perished.  A  glorious  action  is 
related  of  this  standard-bearer ;  for  when  overwhelmed  with 
the  darts  of  the  enemy,  and  unable  to  stand  any  longer  from 
exhaustion,  before  he  fell,  he  called  out  with  a  loud  voice 
for  some  brave  man  near  him  to  take  the  flag  from  him :  on 
hearing  which,  Lucas  Hamerstete,  who  boasted  of  being 
sprung,  although  illegitimately,  from  the  dukes  of  Bruns- 
wick, ran  to  the  spot,  and  endeavoured  to  take  the  standard 
from  the  hands  of  the  dying  man ;  but  Conrad,  either  from 
suspicion  of  his  fidelity,  or   thinking  him   unworthy  of  so 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  103 

great  an  honour,  refused  to  deliver  it  up  to  him.  Indignant 
at  this  affront,  Lucas  drew  his  sword  and  cut  off  Coiu'ad's 
hand,  which  held  the  standard ;  Conrad,  however,  grasped 
the  standard  with  his  other  hand  and  with  his  teeth,  and 
held  it  till  it  tore ;  Lucas  then  snatching  up  the  fragments 
of  the  flag,  betrayed  the  infantry,  and  deserted  to  the  Rus- 
sians. The  result  of  this  treachery  was,  that  nearly  four 
hundred  foot  soldiers  were  horribly  slaughtered  by  the 
enemy;  the  remainder,  who  kept  the  ranks,  returned  safe 
with  the  cavalry.  Lucas  was  the  cause  of  this  slaughter. 
Being  subsequently  taken  prisoner  by  the  Russians,  and  sent 
to  Moscow,  he  held  for  some  time  an  honourable  position 
at  the  prince's  court;  but  writhing  under  the  injviry  he 
had  sustained  from  the  Russians,  he  subsequently  escaped 
secretly  from  Moscow,  and  went  over  to  Christjern,  King 
of  Denmark,  who  made  him  his  captain  of  artillery  ;  but 
as  some  of  the  foot  soldiers  who  had  escaped  from  the  above 
slaughter,  and  had  fled  into  Denmark,  informed  the  king 
of  his  treachery,  and  declared  that  they  would  not  flght 
in  his  company.  King  Christjern  sent  him  to  Stockholm,  and 
changes  afterwards  taking  place  in  the  state  of  the  kingdom, 
Josterick  alias  Gustavus,  King  of  Sweden,  on  recovering 
Stockholm,  admitted  Lucas,  whom  he  found  there,  into  the 
number  of  his  intimates,  and  made  him  governor  of  the  town 
of  Viburg ;  but  finding  himself  accused  of  I  know  not  what 
crime,  and  fearing  somewhat  serious  consequences,  he  again 
betook  himself  to  Moscow,  where  I  saw  him  honourably  en- 
rolled among  the  stipendiaries  of  the  prince. 

Sweden,  which  adjoins  the  Russians'  dominions,  is  united 
to  Norway  and  Scandia,  much  as  Italy  is  united  to  the  king- 
dom of  Naples  and  Piedmont.  It  is  washed  on  nearly  all 
sides :  first,  by  the  Baltic  Sea,  and  then  by  the  ocean  which 
we  now  call  the  Frozen  Ocean.  Sweden,  whose  royal  city  is 
Holmia, — called  by  the  inhabitants  Stockholm,  and  by  the 
Russians  Stecolna, — is  a  very  extensive  kingdom,  comprising 


104  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

many  clifFerent  nations.  Amongst  these,  the  Goths  are 
remarkable  for  their  valour  in  war.  They  are  divided  into 
Ostrogoths  and  "Westrogoths ;  the  former  meaning  eastern, 
and  the  latter  western  Goths,  from  the  situation  of  the  coun- 
tries Avhich  they  inhabit.  Marching  out  of  this  country,  they 
became  in  former  times  a  terror  to  the  whole  world,  as  seve- 
ral authors  have  recorded. 

Norway,  called  by  some  Nortwagia,  lies  in  a  long  range 
contiguous  to  Sweden,  and  is  washed  by  the  sea ;  and  as  the 
latter  took  its  name  from  sucl,  that  is,  south,  so  the  former 
derives  its  name  from  nort,  that  is,  the  north,  in  which  direc- 
tion it  lies.  For  the  Germans  have  used  their  own  verna- 
cular names  for  the  four  cardinal  points,  to  designate  pro- 
vinces lying  in  those  respective  directions ;  for  ost  signifies 
east,  whence  the  name  of  Austria,  which  the  Germans  pro- 
perly call  Osterreich.  West  is  the  German  word  for  the 
Occident,  whence  comes  the  name  of  Westphalia ;  and  in  the 
same  manner  as  I  have  above  said,  from  sud  and  nort,  come 
Swetia  and  Nortwagia, 

Scandia  is  not  an  island,  but  a  continent,  forming  part  of 
the  kingdoms  of  Sweden,  and  skirting  the  country  of  the 
Goths  in  a  long  tract.  A  great  part  of  it  now  belongs  to  the 
King  of  Denmark ;  but  as  writers  on  these  matters  have 
described  it  as  larger  than  Sweden  itself,  and  have  stated 
that  the  Goths  and  Lombards  proceeded  thence,  these  three 
kingdoms  seem,  according  to  my  opinion,  to  have  been  com- 
prehended as  one  great  body,  under  the  single  name  of 
Scandia ;  for  at  that  time  that  part  of  the  land  between  the 
Frozen  Ocean  and  the  Baltic  Sea,  which  washes  Finland, 
was  unknown,  and  is  indeed  but  little  known  to  this  day,  on 
account  of  the  great  number  of  marshes  and  innumerable 
rivers,  together  with  the  inclemency  of  the  climate  ;  this  has 
been  the  cause  that  many  have  described  the  whole  of  this 
immense  island  [peninsula]  under  the  single  name  of  Scandia. 

With  respect  to  Corela,  we  have  already  said  that  it  is  tri- 


NOTES    UrON    RUSSIA.  105 

butarv  both  to  the  Kmo-  of  Sweden  and  the  Prince  of  Russia, 
and  lies  between  the  dominions  of  both  of  these  princes ; 
hence  each  claims  it  as  his  owti.  Its  boundaries  extend 
as  far  as  the  Frozen  Ocean.  As,  however,  many  various 
accounts  have  been  given  of  the  Frozen  Ocean  by  different 
writers,  I  have  thought  it  not  inappropriate  to  subjoin  a 
brief  description  of  the  navigation  of  that  sea. 


Eije  Katiitjation  of  tf)c  jFrojcn  ©cran. 

At  the  time  that  I  was  at  the  court  of  the  Grand  Duke  of 
Muscovy,  as  the  ambassador  of  the  Most  Serene  Prince  my 
master,  there  happened  to  be  there  Gregory  Istoma,  the 
interpreter  of  that  prince,  an  industrious  man,  who  had 
learned  the  Latin  language  at  the  court  of  John,  King  of 
Denmark ;  and  as  he  had  been  sent  by  his  prince  in  the 
year  1496  to  the  King  of  Denmark,  in  company  with  one 
Master  David  (a  Scotchman  by  birth,  and  at  that  time  the 
King  of  Denmark's  ambassador,  with  whom  also  I  became 
acquainted  in  my  first  embassy),  he  gave  me  a  short  account 
of  his  journey ;  and  as  from  the  great  difficulties  of  the  road, 
this  journey  seemed  to  be  an  extremely  laborious  one, (I 
have  conceived  the  wish  briefly  to  describe  it  just  as  I 
received  it  fi'om  him.  j'  In  the  first  place,  he  said  that  being 
dispatched  by  his  prince,  in  company  with  the  aforesaid 
ambassador  David,  he  had  reached  Great  Novogorod ;  but 
as  at  that  time  the  kingdom  of  Sweden  had  revolted  from 
the  King  of  Denmark,  and  the  Grand  Prince  of  Muscovy 
was  on  that  account  at  issue  with  the  Swedes,  so  that  the 
travellers  could  not  follow  the  ordinary  road  in  consequence 
of  the  disorders  occasioned  by  the  war,  they  were  obliged  to 
take  a  route  which,  though  safer,  was  much  longer.  The 
first  portion  of  it,  which  was  difficult  enough,  was  from  Novo- 

VOL.   II.  p 


106  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

gorocl  to  the  mouths  of  the  Dwiiia  and  Potivlo  ;  he  stated 
that  there  could  not  be  a  more  abominable  road  than  this 
for  the  trouble  and  difficulties  which  it  exposed  them  to,  and 
that  it  was  three  hundred  miles  long.  The  party  then  em- 
barked in  four  boats  at  the  mouths  of  the  Dwina,  and  sailed 
along  the  right-hand  shore  of  the  ocean,  and  there  saw  some 
lofty  and  bluff  mountains,  and  after  accomplishing  sixteen 
miles,  and  crossing  a  certain  gulf,  they  sailed  along  the  left 
shore,  and  leaving  the  open  sea  to  their  right,  which,  like  the 
adjacent  mountains,  takes  its  name  from  the  river  Petchora, 
they  came  to  the  people  of  Finlapeia.  Although  these  people 
dwell  in  low  cottages,  scattered  here  and  there  along  the  sea 
coast,  and  lead  an  almost  savage  life,  they  are  yet  more  gentle 
in  their  manners  than  the  wild  Laplanders.  He  stated  that 
they  were  tributary  to  the  Prince  of  Muscovy. 

A  voyage  of  eighty  miles,  after  leaving  the  land  of  the 
Laplanders,  brought  them  to  the  country  of  Nortpoden, 
which  is  subject  to  the  King  of  Sweden.  The  Russians  call 
the  country  Kaienska  Semla,  and  the  people,  Kaiemai.  Then 
coasting  along  a  winding  shore  which  stretched  out  to  the 
right,  he  said  that  they  came  to  a  certain  headland  called 
Holynose  [Sviatoi  Nos].  /Jlolynose  is  a  huge  rock,  in  the 
shape  of  a  nose,  protruding  into  the  sea,  under  which  is  seen 
a  cave  which  every  six  hours  receives  the  waters  of  the 
ocean,  and  forms  a  whirlpool,  and  alternately  discharges  them 
with  great  uproar,  causing  a  similar  whirlpool.")  Some  have 
called  it  the  navel  of  the  sea.  He  stated  that  the  force  of 
this  vortex  was  so  great,  that  it  would  draw  into  it  ships  and 
other  things  in  the  neighbourhood,  and  swallow  them  up  ; 
and  that  he  himself  was  never  in  greater  danger,  for  finding 
that  the  whirlpool  began  suddenly  and  violently  to  draw  the 
ship  in  which  they  sailed  towards  itself,  they  escaped  with 
great  difficulty  by  laboriously  plying  their  oars.  Having 
passed  the  Holynose,  they  came  to  a  certain  rocky  mountain, 
which  they  were  obliged  to  sail  round.     Here  they  were 


NOTES    UrON    RUSSIA.  107 

detained  several  days  by  contrary  winds,  upon  which  a  sailor 
said,  "  This  rock  which  you  see  is  called  Semes,  and  unless 
we  appease  it  with  a  gift  we  shall  not  easily  pass  it."  Istoma, 
however,  reproached  him  with  his  vain  superstition. ^^^he 
sailor,  upon  this  rebuke,  held  his  peace  ;  and,  after  being 
detained  there  four  days  by  the  tempest,  the  wind  abated, 
and  they  weighed  anchor,  l^^en  a  favourable  wind  arose 
for  carrpng  them  on,  the  pilot  said,  "  You  laughed  at  my 
warnmg  about  appeasing  the  rock  Semes,  as  though  it  were 
an  empty  superstition  ;  but  if  I  had  not  secretly  climbed  the 
rock  in  the  night,  and  propitiated  Semes,  you  would  on  no 
account  have  had  a  passage  granted  to  you."  pCTpon  being 
questioned  as  to  the  offering  which  he  had  made  to  Semes, 
he  said  that  he  had  poured  out  upon  the  projecting  rock 
which  we  had  seen  some  oatmeal  mixed  "udth  butter. 

He  further  stated  that,  in  sailing  onwards,  they  came  to 
another  huge  promontory,  forming  a  peninsula,  named  ]Motka, 
at  the  point  of  which  was  the  fortress  of  Barthus,  which  sig- 
nifies a  garrison  house,  for  the  kings  of  Norway  maintain  a 
militarv  garrison  there  for  the  defence  of  their  borders.  He 
stated  that  this  promontory  jutted  so  far  into  the  sea  that  it 
would  take  nearly  eight  days  to  sail  round  it,  so  that  to  prevent 
the  delay  which  this  would  occasion,  at  the  expense  of  great 
exertion  they  carried  over  their  boats  and  baggage  on  their 
shoulders,  a  distance  of  half  a  mile  across  the  isthmus.  They 
afterwards  sailed  up  to  the  country  of  the  Ditciloppi,  who  are 
wild  Laplanders,  to  a  place  named  Dront  [Drontheim],  two 
hundi-ed  miles  north  of  the  Dwina  ;  /and  they  say  that  the 
Prince  of  Muscovy  exacts  tribute  even  as  far  as  this  place^ 
They  then  left  their  boats  and  performed  the  rest  of  their  jour- 
ney by  land, in  sledges.  He  further  related  that  there  are  herds 
of  deer  there,  as  plentiful  as  oxen  are  with  us,  which  are  called 
in  the  Norwegian  language,  "  rhen".  They  are  somewhat 
larger  than  our  stags,  and  are  used  by  the  Laplanders  instead 
of  oxen,  and  in  the  following  manner  :  they  yoke  the  deer  to 


108  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

a  carriage  made  in  tlie  form  of  a  fishing  boat,  in  which  the 
man  is  bound  by  his  feet  lest  he  should  fall  out  while  the 
deer  is  at  full  speed ;  in  his  left  hand  he  holds  a  bridle,  to 
guide  the  course  of  the  deer,  and  in  his  right  a  staff,  with 
wliich  to  prevent  the  upsetting  of  the  carriage,  if  it  should 
happen  to  lean  too  much  on  either  side.  He  stated  that,  by 
this  mode  of  travelling,  he  hmiself  had  accomplished  twenty 
[German]  miles  in  one  day,  and  had  then  let  loose  the  deer, 
which  returned  of  its  own  accord  to  its  own  master  and  its 
accustomed  home.  Having  at  length  accomplished  this 
journey,  they  came  to  Berges  [Bergen],  a  city  of  Norway, 
quite  in  the  north,  amongst  the  mountains,  and  then  reached 
Denmark  on  horseback.'  At  Dront  and  Berges  the  day  is 
said  to  be  twenty-two  hours  long  in  the  summer  solstice. 

(^lazius,  another  of  the  prince's  interpreters,  who  a  few 
years  before  had  been  sent  by  his  prince  into  Spain  to  the 
emperor,  gave  me  another  and  more  compendious  account  of 
his  journey ;  for  he  said,  that  when  he  had  been  dispatched 
from  INIoscow  to  John,  King  of  Denmark,  he  had  travelled 
as  far  as  Bostov  on  foot ;  that  he  took  boat  at  Pereaslav,  and 
sailed  thence  by  the  Volga  to  Castromos  ;  thence  he  travelled 
by  a  land  journey  of  seven  versts  up  to  a  certain  small  river, 
along  which  he  sailed  first  to  Vologda,  thence  to  Suchana 
and  Dwina,  and  so  on,  as  far  as  Berges,  a  city  of  Norway ; 
that  in  his  passage  he  overcame  all  the  dangers  and  toils 
related  above  by  Istoma ;  and  at  length  came  straight  to 
Hafnia,  the  metropolis  of  Denmark,  which  is  called  by  the 
Germans,  Kopcnhagen.  Both  of  them  stated  that  they 
returned  to  Moscow  through  Livonia,  and  each  accomplished 
the  journey  in  the  space  of  one  year  ;  though  Gregory  Istoma 
said,  that  in  the  middle  portion  of  that  time  he  had  been 
detained  in  many  places  by  storms,  and  suffered  great  delays. 
Each  distinctly   affirmed,  that  he  had  traversed  seventeen 

^  He  must  of  course  mean  the  nearest  point  to  Denmark. 


XOTES    UPON    Rl'SSIA,  109 

hundi-ed  versts,  that  is,  three  hundred  and  forty  [German] 
miles  in  this  joiu'ney. 

The  said  accounts  are  confirmed  by  that  Demetrius,  "who 
recently  went  to  Rome  as  ambassador  to  the  Pope,  and  from 
whose  relation  Paulus  Jovius  drew  up  his  description  of 
E-ussia,  and  who  took  this  same  route  in  his  embassy  to 
Norway  and  Denmark.  But  all  of  these,  upon  my  question- 
ing them  respecting  the  Frozen  or  Icy  Ocean,  gave  me  no 
other  reply,  than  that  on  the  sea-coasts  they  had  seen  several 
very  larare  rivers  fiowino;  into  the  sea  with  such  force  and 
abundance  as  to  drive  back  the  very  waters  of  the  sea  for  a 
considerable  space  from  the  shore,  and  that  the  rivers  them- 
selves M'ere  frozen  together  with  the  sea  to  a  certain  distance 
from  the  shore.  This  takes  place  in  Livonia  and  other  parts 
of  Sweden ;  for  although  in  the  sea  the  ice  may  be  broken 
by  the  force  of  opposing  winds,  yet  in  the  rivers  the  ice  is 
seldom  raised  or  broken,  unless  an  inundation  occur,  for  the 
blocks  of  ice  which  are  carried  down  by  the  rivers  into  the 
sea  float  about  upon  it  for  nearly  a  whole  year,  and  after- 
wards, through  the  intensity  of  the  frost,  become  united 
together,  so  that  sometimes  the  ice  of  many  seasons  may  be 
seen  combined  in  one  mass.  This  may  be  easily  understood 
from  the  blocks  of  ice  which  are  driven  on  shore  by  the 
winds.  Indeed,  I  have  heard  from  persons  of  good  autho- 
rity, that  the  Baltic  Sea  is  often  fi-ozen  over  in  many  places. 

The  persons  above-mentioned  stated  that  in  that  country, 
which  is  inhabited  by  the  wild  Laplanders,  the  sun  does  not 
set  during  the  summer  solstice  for  forty  days,  but  that  during 
three  hours  of  the  night  the  body  of  the  sun  seemed  to  be 
obscured  by  a  kind  of  dimness,  so  that  its  rays  were  not 
visible ;  but  nevertheless  it  afforded  so  much  Kght  that  no 
one  was  prevented  by  darkness  from  doing  his  work.  The 
Russians  boast  that  they  receive  tribute  from  these  wild 
Laplanders,  which,  although  a  thing  not  to  be  expected, 
need  not  create  surprise,  as  they  have  no  other  neighbours 


110  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

who  demand  tribute  from  them.  In  lieu  of  tribute-money, 
they  pay  skins  and  fish,  for  they  have  no  other  possessions. 
When  they  have  paid  their  annual  tribute,  they  boast  that 
they  owe  no  one  anything,  and  that  they  are  their  own 
masters. 

Although  the  Laj^landers  have  no  bread  or  salt,  or  other 
provocatives  of  the  palate,  and  only  live  upon  fish  and  game, 
they  seem  to  be  very  prone  to  sensuality. 

They  are  all  very  skilful  bowmen ;  so  that  if  they  meet 
with  any  of  the  nobler  kinds  of  game  in  the  chase,  they 
will  kill  it,  by  discharging  their  arrows  at  the  snout,  so 
that  they  may  procure  the  skins  entire  and  uninjured. 
When  going  out  to  hunt,  they  leave  merchants  and  other 
foreigners,  who  are  their  guests,  at  home  with  their  wives ; 
and  if  upon  their  return  they  find  the  wife  cheerful  and 
more  joyous  than  usual  from  the  company  of  the  guest, 
they  make  him  some  present ;  but  if  otherwise,  they  expel 
him  with  disgrace.  Ah'eady  they  begin  to  lay  aside  their 
innate  ferocity,  and  to  show  more  courtesy  in  the  com- 
pany of  foreigners,  who  travel  thither  for  the  sake  of 
merchandize.  They  give  free  admission  to  merchants,  who 
bring  them  clothes  made  of  thick  cloth,  hatchets,  needles, 
spoons,  knives,  cups,  pottery,  meal,  and  a  variety  of  other 
things ;  so  that  now  through  feeding  on  cooked  victuals  they 
have  become  more  civilized  in  their  manners.  The  gar- 
ments which  they  wear  consist  of  the  skins  of  various  animals 
sewn  together,  and  sometimes  they  come  to  Moscow  in  this 
kind  of  dress ;  a  very  few  wear  leggings  and  hats  made  of 
deer-skin.  They  use  no  gold  or  silver  money,  but  confine 
themselves  to  simple  barter ;  and  as  they  know  no  other 
language  than  their  own,  they  appear  like  dumb  men  amongst 
foreigners.  They  cover  their  huts  with  the  bark  of  trees, 
but  nowhere  do  they  keep  to  any  fixed  habitation ;  but  after 
they  have  taken  what  game  and  fish  they  can  find  in  any  one 
spot,  they  migrate  elsewhere. 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  Ill 

The  above-mentioned  ambassadors  of  the  Prince  of  Moscow 
declared  that  they  had  seen  very  lofty  mountains  in  those 
parts,  always  vomiting  flames  like  Etna ;  and  that  in  Norway 
itself  there  were  many  mountains,  which  had  become  ex- 
hausted by  constant  burning.  This  has  led  some  to  assert 
that  the  fires  of  purgatory  were  situated  there ;  and  when  I 
went  on  my  embassy  to  the  court  of  Christian,  King  of 
Denmark,  I  heard  nearly  the  same  story  concerning  these 
mountains  from  those  who  happened  at  the  time  to  be  gover- 
nors of  Norway. 

The  ocean  which  lies  about  the  mouths  of  the  river  Pet- 
chora,  to  the  right  of  the  mouths  of  the  Dwina,  is  said  to 
contain  animals  of  great  size.  Amongst  others,  there  is  one 
animal  of  the  size  of  an  ox,  which  the  people  of  the  country 
call  ?not's.  It  has  short  feet,  like  those  of  a  beaver ;  a  chest 
rather  broad  and  deep  compared  to  the  rest  of  its  body ;  and 
two  tusks  in  the  upper  jaw  protruding  to  a  considerable 
length.  This  animal,  together  with  other  animals  of  its 
kind,  on  account  of  its  offspring  and  for  the  sake  of  rest, 
leaves  the  ocean  and  goes  in  herds  to  the  mountains,  and 
before  yielding  itself  to  the  very  deep  sleep  which  naturally 
comes  over  it,  sets,  like  the  crane,  one  of  its  number  to  keep 
watch ;  and  if  this  one  should  slumber  or  happen  to  be 
killed  by  a  hunter,  the  others  may  easily  be  taken ;  but  if  he 
give  the  customary  sign,  by  lowing,  the  rest  of  the  herd 
immediately  take  the  alarm.  They  precipitate  themselves 
into  the  ocean  with  great  rapidity,  as  if  they  were  carried 
down  the  mountain  in  a  carriage,  and  there  they  rest  for  a 
time  upon  the  surface  of  the  floating  blocks  of  ice.  The 
hunters  pursue  these  animals  only  for  the  tusks,  of  which 
the  Russians,  the  Tartars,  and  especially  the  Turks,  skilfully 
make  handles  for  their  swords  and  daggers,  rather  for  orna- 
ment than  for  inflicting  a  heavier  blow,  as  has  been  incor- 
rectly stated.  These  tusks  are  sold  by  weight,  and  are 
described  as  fishes'  teeth. 


112  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

The  Frozen  Ocean  extends  far  and  wide  beyond  tlie 
Dwina  to  Petcliora,  and  as  far  as  the  mouths  of  the  Obi, 
beyond  which  is  said  to  lie  the  country  of  Engroneland.^  I 
am  given  to  understand  that  this  country  is  separated  from 
intercourse  with  our  people  by  lofty  mountains  covered 
with  eternal  snow,  as  well  as  by  the  ice,  which  is  constantly 
floating  upon  the  sea,  throwing  danger  and  impediments  in 
the  way  of  navigation  ;  and  hence  the  country  is  as  yet 
unknown. 


(Bn  tfjeir  l^lanncr  of  rcccibincj  anti  trcatincj 
^mljassatfors* 

C^When  a  person  going  to  Eussia  as  ambassador  approaches 
the  frontiers  of  that  country,  he  dispatches  a  messenger  to 
the  nearest  city,  to  intimate  to  the  governor  of  such  city,  that 
he  is  about  to  enter  the  territory  of  the  prince  as  ambassador 
from  such  and  such  a  sovereign.  T  Upon  which  the  governor 
makes  careful  inquiry  not  only  as  to  the  prince  by  whom  he 
is  sent,  but  also  as  to  the  condition  and  dignity  of  the  ambas- 
sador himself,  and  with  what  retinue  he  comes;  and  having 
informed  himself  upon  these  points,  he  sends  some  one  with 
a  company  to  receive  and  escort  the  ambassador,  taking  into 
consideration  the  dignity  of  the  prince  by  whom  the  ambas- 
sador is  sent,  and  the  rank  of  the  ambassador  himself.  At 
the  same  time  also  he  signifies  to  the  grand-duke  whence  and 
from  whom  the  ambassador  comes.  The  person  dispatched 
by  the  governor  to  meet  the  ambassador  in  the  same  manner 

^  It  is  difficult  to  imagine  by  what  blunder  Herberstein  assigns  this 
locality  to  Engroneland,  a  country  whose  name  is  first  found  mentioned 
in  the  account  of  the  repvited  voyage  of  the  two  Zeni,  and  appears  in 
the  map  accompanying  that  account  to  represent  Greenland. 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  113 

sends  one  of  his  people  in  advance  to  intimate  to  him  that  a 
great  man  is  coming,  who  intends  receiving  him  at  a  certain 
place,  which  he  specifics.  They  use  the  expression  "  great 
man",  because  it  is  given  to  all  persons  of  superior  rank,  for 
that  is  the  title  which  they  bestow  iipon  every  powerful  or 
noble  personage,  or  baron,  or  other  illustrious  or  distin- 
guished man.  Q^ut  at  the  point  of  meeting  the  said  delegate 
is  so  jealous  of  giving  place,  that  in  winter  time  he  orders  the 
snow  to  be  swept  away  wherever  it  may  lie,  so  that  the  ambas- 
sador may  pass,  but  he  himself  wall  not  give  way  on  the  public 
beaten  road.  2)  This  further  custom  also  they  observe  at  the 
meeting :  they  send  a  messenger  to  the  ambassador  to  desire 
him  to  alight  from  his  horse  or  carriage,  and  if  the  latter 
should  excuse  himself  on  the  plea  of  weariness  or  sickness, 
the  servant  makes  answer,  that  the  message  of  his  master  is 
not  allowed  either  to  be  delivered  or  heard,  unless  the  parties 
arc  standing.  The  delegate  takes  watchful  heed  not  to 
alight  first  from  his  horse  or  carriage,  lest  by  so  doing  he 
should  seem  to  derogate  from  his  master's  dignity,  and  will 
not  himself  alight  till  he  has  first  seen  the  ambassador  dis- 
mount from  his  horse. 

(In  my  first  embassy,  I  told  the  person  who  came  to  meet 
me  from  Moscow,  that  I  was  weary  with  travelling,  and  that 
we  could  transact  our  business  on  horseback ;  but  for  the 
reason  I  have  mentioned,  he  did  not  think  fit  to  go  through 
the  ceremony  in  this  fashion.  ^The  interpreters  and  the  rest 
had  already  alighted,  and  advised  me  to  do  the  same ;  to 
which  I  replied,  "  That  as  soon  as  the  Russian  alighted,  I 
would  alight".  The  fact  was,  that  when  I  found  they  laid 
so  much  stress  upon  the  matter,  I  was  equally  unwilling  to 
fail  in  my  duty  to  my  own  master,  or  to  compromise  his 
dignity.  But  as  he  refused  to  descend  first,  and  as  this 
question  of  pride  was  causing  some  little  delay,  in  order  to 
put  a  stop  to  the  business  I  moved  my  foot  from  the  stuTup 
as  if  I  were  about  to  alight,  and  the  delegate  seeing  this, 
VOL.  II.  Q 


114  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

immediately  dismounted ;  I,  however,  got  down  from  my 
horse  very  slowly,  which  made  him  greatly  vexed  that  he 
had  been  cheated  by  me. 

After  this,  he  approached  me,  and  with  uncovered  head, 
said,  "  The  Captain  N.,  of  the  pro>dnce,  etc.,  representative 
of  the  great  lord  Vasiley,  by  the  grace  of  God,  king  and 
lord  of  all  Russia,  and  grand-duke,  etc.  (repeating  the  names 
of  the  chief  principalities),  hath  ordered  me  to  inform  thee, 
that  having  understood  thou  wert  come  as  ambassador  of 
so  great  a  prince  to  our  great  master,  he  hath  sent  us  to 
meet  thee,  and  to  conduct  thee  to  him  (repeating  the  title  of 
the  prince  and  governor).  He  also  desired  us  to  inquire 
whether  you  had  ridden  well  ?"  (for  this  is  their  fasliion  in 
receiving  you,  to  inquire,  have  you  travelled  well).  The 
delegate  then  holds  out  his  right  hand  to  the  ambassador ; 
but  after  this,  he  no  more  takes  the  lead  in  showing  respect, 
unless  he  sees  the  ambassador  also  uncover  his  head.  After 
this,  perhaps  actuated  by  the  duty  of  courtesy,  he  of  his 
own  accord  presses  upon  the  ambassador  the  inquiry  as  to 
whether  he  has  travelled  in  comfort ;  he  finally  gives  a  signal 
with  his  hand,  as  much  as  to  say,  "mount,  and  proceed". 
"When  all  have  mounted  their  horses,  or  entered  the  car- 
riages, he  remains  together  with  his  people  in  the  same  spot, 
nor  does  he  give  place  even  to  the  ambassador,  but  follows  a 
long  way  behind,  and  is  particularly  careful  that  no  one 
shall  go  backward  or  ride  behind  him.  As  the  ambassador 
proceeds,  he  soon  begins  to  make  inquiries,  first  as  to  the 
name  of  the  ambassador  and  each  of  his  servants,  then  as  to 
the  names  of  his  parents,  and  from  what  province  such  an 
one  comes,  what  language  such  an  one  knows,  and  what  is 
his  condition  in  life,  and  whether  he  is  the  servant  of 
any  prince,  or  a  relative  or  kinsman  of  the  ambassador,  or 
whether  he  had  ever  been  before  in  that  province ;  all  which 
points  are  immediately  reported  by  letter  to  the  grand-duke. 
After  the  ambassador  has  proceeded  a  little  distance,  a  man 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  115 

meets  him  saying,  that  he  has  an  order  from  the  governor  to 
provide  him  with  everything  that  he  requii'es. 

The  consequence  was,  that  after  leaving  Dobrovna,  a  little 
town  of  Lithuania,  situated  on  the  Dnieper,  and  having  that 
day  accomplished  eight  [German]  miles,  when  we  reached 
the  frontiers  of  Russia,  we  had  to  pass  the  night  in  the  open 
air.  We  threw  a  bridge  across  a  little  river  which  had  over- 
flowed its  banks,  so  as  to  enable  ourselves  when  midnight 
was  passed  to  proceed,  in  order  to  reach  Sniolensko  ;  for 
the  city  of  Smolensko  is  only  twelve  German  miles  distant 
from  the  frontier  or  entrance  into  the  principality  of  Russia. 
On  the  morrow,  when  we  had  advanced  nearly  one  German 
mile,  we  were  entertained  with  every  mark  of  distinction ;  but 
after  proceeding  half  a  mile  further,  we  found  that  we  had 
patiently  to  pass  the  night  in  a  place  appointed  for  us  in  the 
open  air.  Having  again  made  an  advance  of  two  miles  on 
the  following  day,  a  spot  was  again  allotted  to  us  for  passing 
the  night,  where  we  were  sumptuously  and  gaily  received  by 
our  attendant. 

But  on  the  folio wmg  day,  which  was  Palm  Sunday,  although 
we  had  ordered  our  servants  to  make  no  stoppages  what- 
ever, but  to  proceed  straight  on  to  Smolensko  with  our 
luggage ;  yet,  after  advancing  two  German  miles,  we  found 
that  they  had  been  detained  in  a  place  allotted  to  them  for 
passing  the  night.  When  they  found  that  we  were  proceed- 
ing further,  they  begged  us  at  least  to  take  dinner  there,  to 
which  request  we  were  obliged  to  yield,  for  on  that  day  our 
conductor  had  also  invited  some  of  his  master's  ambassadors, 
the  Knes  Ivan  Posetzen  Jaroslavski,  and  Simeon  Trophimov, 
his  secretary,  who  were  returning  from  the  emperor  with  us 
on  their  road  from  Spain. 

I,  who  knew  the  reason  of  their  detaining  us  so  long  in 
these  deserts  (for  they  had  sent  on  a  messenger  from  Smo- 
lensko to  the  grand-duke  announcing  our  arrival,  and  waited 
for  an  answer  as  to  whether  they  shoidd  conduct  us  to  the 


116  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

fortress  or  not),  wished  to  put  their  intentions  to  the  test, 
and  started  on  my  road  towards  Smolensko.  When  the 
other  caterers  observed  this,  they  immediately  ran  to 
our  conductor  to  inform  him  of  our  departure,  and  soon 
returned  and  besought  us,  mingling  even  threats  with  their 
prayers,  that  we  would  remain.  But  while  they  were  run- 
ning backwards  and  forwards,  and  as  we  had  nearly  reached 
the  third  station  for  passing  the  night,  my  caterer  said, 
"  What  art  thou  doing,  Sigismund  ?  why,  in  pursuance  of 
thine  own  will,  dost  thou  venture  to  advance  in  a  strange 
country  against  the  command  of  its  sovereign?"  To  which 
I  replied :  "  I  am  not  accustomed  to  live  in  woods  like  the 
wild  beasts,  but  under  shelter  and  amongst  men.  The  am- 
bassadors of  your  sovereign  have  passed  through  my  master's 
kingdom  at  their  own  pleasure,  and  have  been  conducted 
through  cities,  towns,  and  villages ;  let  the  same  privilege  be 
granted  to  me.  Nor,  indeed,  is  it  the  command  of  your 
master ;  nor  do  I  see  any  cause  or  necessity  for  such  delay." 
They  afterAvards  said  that  they  intended  to  make  a  little 
digression  from  the  main  road,  giving  as  a  reason  that  night 
was  already  drawing  on ;  and  that,  moreover,  it  was  by  no 
means  expedient  to  enter  the  fortress  at  a  late  hour.  We, 
however,  despising  the  arguments  which  they  advanced, 
bent  our  steps  direct  to  Smolensko,  where  we  were  received 
at  a  distance  from  the  fortress  in  such  narrow  sheds,  that  we 
could  not  have  led  our  horses  in  without  first  breaking  down 
the  doors.  On  the  following  day,  we  again  sailed  along  the 
Dnieper,  and  passed  the  night  upon  that  river,  nearly  opposite 
the  fortress.  The  lieutenant-governor  at  length  sent  his 
people  to  receive  us,  and  honoured  us  with  almost  a  quin- 
tuple quantity  of  drink, — namely.  Malmsey  and  Greek  wines, 
— and  also  with  diiferent  kinds  of  mead,  bread,  and  various 
dishes  of  meat. 

We  remained  ten  days  in  Smolensko  awaiting  the  reply  of 
the  grand- duke  ;  two  nobles  came  from  the  grand-duke  to 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  117 

take  charge  of  us,  and  to  conduct  us  to  Moscow,  but  on  enter- 
ing either  of  our  houses,  dressed  as  they  were,  in  suitable 
apparel,  they  by  no  means  thought  of  uncovering  their  heads, 
and  considered  that  it  was  our  place  to  do  so  first ;  but  this 
we  neglected  to  do.  When,  however,  the  message  of  each 
prince  had,  in  its  turn,  to  be  delivered  and  received,  at  the 
mention  of  the  prince's  name  we  made  our  obeisance.  In  the 
same  manner,  however,  as  our  arrival  at  Smolensko  had  been 
delayed  through  our  detention  at  various  places,  so  were  we 
also  detained  longer  than  was  seemly  in  that  city.  But  to 
prevent  our  being  too  seriously  offended  by  the  extension  of 
the  delay,  and  that  they  themselves  might  not  seem  in  any 
way  to  slight  our  wish,  they  came  to  us  more  than  once  to  say 
that  we  should  depart  tomorrow  morning  ;  we  consequently 
rapidly  prepared  ourselves  for  departure  in  the  morning,  and 
waited  in  readiness  the  whole  of  the  day.  At  length  in  the 
evening  they  came  with  a  considerable  amount  of  ceremony  ; 
but  the  reply  was,  that  they  could  by  no  means  start  on  that 
day.  A  promise,  however,  was  again  given,  as  before,  that 
they  would  enter  on  the  journey  in  the  morning ;  but  a 
similar  delay  occurred,  for  with  difficulty  we  made  our  de- 
parture on  the  third  day  after,  and  the  whole  of  that  day 
we  were  kept  fasting. 

On  the  day  following  they  made  arrangements  for  a  longer 
journey  than  we  could  accomplish  by  our  means  of  convey- 
ance. Meanwhile  all  the  rivers  had  overflowed,  through  the 
quantity  of  water  occasioned  by  the  melting  of  the  winter 
snows ;  the  smaller  streams  also,  which  were  not  confined  by 
any  banks,  poured  down  so  great  a  force  of  water  as  to  render 
them  impassable  without  the  greatest  exertion ;  even  the 
bridges  were  set  afloat,  by  the  superabundance  of  the  water, 
within  one,  two,  or  three  hours  of  their  construction.  Count 
Leonhard  Nugaroli,  the  emperor's  ambassador,  very  narrowly 
escaped  drowning  on  the  second  day  after  our  departure 
from.  Smolensko.     In  fact,  while  I  was  standing  upon   the 


118  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

floating-bridge,  and  looking  after  the  transportation  of  our 
luggage,  his  horse  fell  under  hun,  and  left  him  on  the 
bank.  The  two  caterers,  who  were  then  close  to  the 
count,  could  not  stir  a  foot  to  render  him  any  assistance,  so 
that,  had  not  others,  who  were  at  a  good  distance,  run  for- 
ward to  help  him,  it  would  have  been  all  over  with  him. 
We  came  that  day  to  a  certain  bridge,  which  the  count  and 
his  people  had  akeady  crossed  with  extreme  risk,  when  I,  who 
knew  that  the  carriages  could  not  follow,  remained  on  this 
side  of  the  bridge,  and  entered  the  house  of  a  certain  peasant ; 
and,  as  I  observed  that  the  caterer  showed  great  negHgence 
in  providing  food  for  us,  telling  us,  in  answer  to  our  ques- 
tions on  the  subject,  that  he  had  sent  on  the  provisions  before- 
hand, I  commenced  purchasing  some  food  from  the  house- 
wife, with  which  she  readily  supplied  us  at  a  fair  price ;  but 
when  the  caterer  became  aware  of  this,  he  forthwith  laid 
his  commands  u]3on  the  good  woman  not  to  sell  me  anything. 
On  perceiving  this,  I  sent  back  liis  messenger,  and  ordered 
him  to  tell  the  caterer  that  he  must  either  himself  immedi- 
ately provide  food  for  us,  or  give  his  permission  for  me  to 
puixhase  a  stock,  for  if  he  did  not,  I  would  make  him 
shorter  by  the  head.  "  I  know,"  said  I,  "  your  plans  ;  ye 
are  put  in  possession  of  considerable  supplies  by  the  com- 
mand of  your  sovereign,  and  that  in  our  name ;  but  you  do 
not  afford  us  the  advantage  of  them,  and  this  is  the  reason 
why  you  do  not  allow  us  to  live  at  our  own  expense."  I 
then  threatened  him  that  I  would  report  all  these  matters  to 
the  prince.  By  this  language  I  lowered  his  dignity  to  such 
a  degree,  that  he  afterwards  not  only  shewed  me  attention, 
but  a  certain  amount  of  respect. 

After  this,  we  came  to  the  confluence  of  the  rivers  Voppi 
and  Dnieper,  and  thence  sent  on  our  baggage,  in  boats,  by 
the  Dnieper,  which  were  carried  against  the  stream  as  far  as 
Mosaisko ;  we,  however,  crossed  the  Dnieper,  and  passed 
the  night  in  a  certain  monastery.     On  the  following  day  our 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  119 

horses  were  obliged,  at  considerable  risk,  to  swim,  for  the 
space  of  half  a  German  mile,  across  three  rivers,  and  several 
other  smaller  streams,  which  were  overflowing  with  water. 
We  overtook  them  by  a  circuitous  route,  being  conveyed  in 
fishing-boats  along  the  Dnieper,  by  a  certain  mark ;  and  at 
length  we  reached  Moscow  on  the  26th  of  April.  "\Mien  we 
were  half  a  German  mile  distant  from  that  city,  there  met 
us  that  old  secretary,  who  had  been  ambassador  in  Spain,  full 
of  haste,  and  covered  with  perspii'ation,  to  announce  that  some 
grandees  had  been  despatched  by  his  master  to  receive  us  on 
the  road,  mentioning  the  names  of  those  who  had  been  ap- 
pointed to  await  our  coming,  and  to  give  us  an  honourable 
reception ;  at  the  same  time  he  remarked  that  it  behoved  us,  at 
the  meeting,  to  alight  from  our  horses,  and  to  hear  the  words 
of  his  master  standing.  "We  afterwards  shook  hands  and 
talked  together  ;  among  other  things,  I  asked  him  the  cause 
of  his  bemg  in  such  a  violent  perspu'ation,  upon  which,  rais- 
ing his  voice,  he  replied,  "  Sigismund,  our  mode  of  serving 
our  sovereign  is  different  from  thine."  As  we  proceeded, 
we  saw  a  number  of  men  drawn  up  in  long  array,  hke  a  regi- 
ment, and  as  we  drew  near  they  alighted  from  their  horses, 
upon  which  we  did  the  same ;  and,  at  the  moment  of  our 
meeting,  one  of  them  took  the  initiative,  and  commenced  his 
communication  in  the  following  manner  :  "  The  great  Lord 
Vasiley,  by  the  grace  of  God,  King  and  Lord  of  all  Russia, 
etc.  (repeating  every  title),  has  understood  that  ye  are  come 
as  ambassadors  from  his  brother  Charles,  chosen  Emperor 
and  supreme  King  of  the  Romans,  and  his  brother  Ferdi- 
nand ;  and  hath  sent  us,  his  councillors,  with  an  injunction 
to  inquire  of  you  with  respect  to  the  health  of  his  brother 
Charles,  Emperor  and  supreme  King  of  the  Romans."  Then 
followed  the  same  respecting  Ferdinand.  The  second  speaker, 
addressing  the  count,  said :  "  Count  Leonhard,  my  great 
master  (repeating  every  title)  hath  ordered  me  to  come  forth 
to  meet  thee,  and  to  escort  thee  to  thy  residence,  and  to  see 


120  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

that  thou  art  provided  with  every  necessary."  The  third 
speaker  said  the  same  to  me. 

Wliile  these  various  intercommunications  were  made  we 
all  kept  our  heads  uncovered,  after  which  the  foremost 
spokesman  again  addressed  us,  saying,  "  Our  great  master 
(repeating  the  title)  has  ordered  me  to  inquire  of  thee.  Count 
Lconhard,  whether  thou  hast  been  well  on  thy  journey." 
He  then  put  the  same  question  to  me.  "VVe  replied  to  these 
questions  agreeably  with  the  etiquette  customary  amongst 
them  :  '^  God  give  health  to  the  grand-prince,  by  the  mercy 
of  God  and  the  favour  of  the  grand-duke  we  have  been  well 
on  our  journey."  The  same  person  again  spoke  as  follows  : 
"  The  grand-duke,  etc.  (repeating  the  title  at  length),  has 
sent  thee,  Leonhard,  an  ambling  nag  with  a  saddle,  together 
with  another  horse  from  his  own  stable."  He  then  made  a 
similar  address  to  me.  On  our  expressing  our  thanks  for 
these  presents,  they  held  out  their  hands  to  us,  and  inquired 
of  each  of  our*  party  in  turn  whether  we  had  been  well  on 
our  journey. 

At  length  they  said  that  it  was  fitting  that  we  should  do 
their  master  the  honour  to  mount  the  horses  which  he  had 
presented  to  us,  which  we  accordingly  did;  and  having  sent 
on  our  people  crossed  the  river  Mosque,  and  followed  in 
the  rear.  On  the  bank  of  that  river  there  is  a  monastery, 
whence  we  journeyed  across  a  plain,  and  were  conducted 
into  the  city  through  crowds  of  people,  who  assembled 
around  us  from  all  quarters  ;  and  in  this  fashion  we  reached 
our  hotels,  which  were  situated  at  the  fiu'ther  side  of  the 
city.  The  houses  were  empty,  both  of  inmates  and  furniture ; 
but  each  of  the  caterers  signified  to  his  respective  ambassa- 
dor that  he,  as  well  as  those  ambassadors  who  had  travelled 
with  VIS  from  Smolensko,  had  orders  from  their  sovereign  to 
provide  us  with  every  necessary.  They  also  appointed  us  a 
scribe,  stating  that  it  would  be  his  duty  to  bring  its  daily 
food  and  other  necessaries,  and  concluded  by  begging  us,  if 


NOTES    "UPON    RUSSIA.  121 

there  was  anything  which  we  wanted,  to  intimate  it  to  them. 
They  afterwards  paid  us  a  visit  nearly  every  day,  always 
making  inquiry  respecting  our  necessities.  They  have  one 
fixed  allowance  of  provisions  appointed  for  German  ambas- 
sadors, another  for  Lithuanian  ambassadors,  and  another  for 
the  ambassadors  from  other  countries.  The  appointed  ca- 
terers, I  say,  have  a  certain  number  attached  to  each  person, 
wath  instructions  as  to  how  much  bread,  drink,  meat,  straw, 
hay,  and  other  things  they  shall  give  to  each  according  to 
his  number.  They  know  how  much  wood  they  have  to  allow 
for  the  kitchen,  and  also  how  much  for  heating  the  stoves,  as 
well  as  how  much  salt,  pepper,  oil,  onions,  and  other  minor 
things  they  have  to  supply  for  each  day.  The  same  calcula- 
tion is  to  be  observed  by  the  caterers  who  accompany 
ambassadors  into  and  out  of  Moscow ;  but  although  they 
used  to  provide  us  with  a  suj)erfluity  both  of  meat  and  dxink, 
they  would  give  us  in  exchange  nearly  everything  which  we 
desired.  They  always  brought  us  five  different  kinds  of 
drink,  namely,  three  sorts  of  mead,  and  two  of  beer.  I  had 
sometimes  sent  to  the  market  to  purchase  certain  articles 
with  my  own  money,  especially  live  fish,  but  this  they  took 
as  a  great  affront,  stating  that  their  master  would  be  greatly 
offended  at  it.  I  also  intimated  to  the  caterer,  that  I  wished 
to  provide  beds  for  the  noblemen  whom  I  had  with  me,  five 
in  number  ;  but  he  immediately  replied,  that  it  was  not  the 
custom  to  provide  beds  for  anybody  :  to  which  I  answered, 
that  I  did  not  ask  for  them,  but  wished  to  buy  them,  and 
that  I  made  the  remark  to  him  that  I  might  not  again  offend 
him  as  I  had  previously  done.  On  the  following  day  he  re- 
turned to  me,  and  said,  "  I  have  made  a  report  to  the  coun- 
cillors of  my  master  respecting  the  subjects  upon  which  we 
were  conversing  yesterday.  They  have  ordered  me  to  tell 
you  not  to  spend  your  money  for  beds,  for  they  promise  that 
^  they  will  treat  you  in  the  same  manner  as  you  have  treated 
our  people  who  have  visited  your  country." 

VOL.  II.  B 


rf^ 


^ 


( 


122  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

After  we  had  remained  in  the  hotel  two  days,  we  inquired 
of  our  caterers  on  what  day  the  prince  would  summon  us 
to  an  audience.  "  Whenever  you  wish,"  was  their  reply, 
"  we  will  refer  the  question  to  our  sovereign's  councillors." 
We  requested  that  it  should  be  done  immediately.  A  period 
was  then  appointed,  which  was  put  off  to  another  day.  On 
the  day  before  that  day  the  caterer  himself  came  to  say, 
"  My  lord's  councillors  have  commanded  me  to  announce  to 
thee  that  thou  must  aj)pear  before  our  prince  to-morrow." 
Moreover,  on  every  occasion  that  they  summoned  us,  they 
had  interpreters  with  them.  On  that  same  evening  the  in- 
terpreter returned,  and  said  :  "  Be  in  readiness,  for  you  will 
be  summoned  into  the  presence  of  our  master."  Again  in 
the  morning  he  returned,  repeating  the  same  piece  of  warn- 
ing :  "  To-day  you  will  be  in  the  presence  of  our  master." 
Then  within  a  quarter  of  an  hour  one  or  other  of  our  ca- 
terers would  come  to  say :  "  Some  grandees  will  shortly  come 
for  you,  so  that  it  behoves  you  to  be  assembled  together 
under  the  same  roof."  As  soon  therefore  as  I  had  gone  to 
the  house  of  the  imperial  ambassador,  an  interpreter  came 
immediately  to  say  that  the  grandees  and  chief  men  about 
the  prince's  court,  who  were  to  conduct  us  to  the  palace, 
were  already  arrived.  One  of  these  was  the  Knes  Vasiley 
Taroslovski,  allied  by  blood  to  the  grand-duke,  another  was 
one  of  those  who  had  previously  received  us  in  the  name  of 
the  prince,  and  these  were  accompanied  by  a  considerable 
number  of  noblemen. 

Meanwhile  our  caterers  endeavoured  to  persuade  us  to 
show  honour  to  these  grandees,  and  to  go  forth  to  meet  them ; 
to  which  we  replied,  "  That  we  knew  our  duty  and  should 
do  it."  But  as  they  had  already  alighted  from  their  horses 
and  were  entering  the  count's  hotel,  the  caterers  forthwith 
urged  us  to  advance  to  meet  them,  and  thus,  by  a  deferential 
expression  of  respect,  in  some  degree  give  precedence  to 
their  prince  over  our  own  masters.    But  we,  while  they  were 


NOTES   UPON    RUSSIA,  123 

coming  up  stairs,  made  various  pretences  of  delay,  so  as  to 
retard  the  meeting  ;  and  we  encountered  them  right  in  the 
middle  of  the  staircase,  and  invited  them  to  enter  the  house 
so  as  to  rest  a  little,  but  that  they  refused  to  do.  The  knes 
himself  said  :  "  Our  great  sovereign  (repeating  the  whole 
title)  has  given  orders  that  you  should  come  to  him." 

We  then  mounted  our  horses,  and  went  on  our  way  accom- 
panied by  a  great  escort ;  but  on  approaching  the  Kremlin 
fell  into  so  great  a  crowd,  that  in  spite  of  the  exertions  of 
our  attendants,  we  had  much  difficulty  in  passing  through. 
For  it  is  a  custom  amongst  these  people,  that  on  all  occa- 
sions when  distinguished  ambassadors  from  foreign  kings  and 
princes  are  to  be  conducted  to  the  court,  the  lower  class  of 
nobles,  stipendiaries,  and  soldiers,  assemble  together  by  com- 
mand of  the  prince,  from  the  neighbouring  and  surrounding 
districts.  All  the  taverns  and  shops  of  the  city  are  on  such 
occasions  shut  up,  all  buyers  and  sellers  are  expelled  from 
the  market-place,  and  the  citizens  gather  together  to  the 
scene  of  display  from  all  quarters<^The  result  of  this  is,  that 
the  power  of  the  prince  appears  very  great  in  the  eyes  of 
foreigners,  from  such  an  immense  concoui'se  of  men  as  his 
subjects ;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  his  dignity  is  made  ap- 
parent to  all  his  subjects,  when  they  see  such  embassies  sent 
to  him  by  foreign  princes.  ^ 

On  entering  the  Kremlin,  we  saw  men  of  different  ranks 
arranged  m  different  parts  or  divisions  of  the  building.  Near 
the  gate  stood  the  citizens,  the  soldiers  and  stipendiaries  occu- 
pied the  fore-couj't,  accompanying  and  preceding  us  on  foot, 
and  prevented  us,  by  halting,  from  approaching  or  alight- 
ing from  our  horses  near  the  steps ;  for  no  one  is  permitted, 
except  the  prince,  to  alight  from  his  horse  near  the  steps. 
This  is  done  by  way  of  showing  greater  honour  to  the  prince. 
Then  first,  as  we  come  to  the  middle  of  the  steps,  certain  of 
the  prince's  councillors  came  forward  to  meet  us,  presenting 
us  their  hands  and  lips,  and  led  us  a  little  further  on  our 


124  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

way.  Then,  having  passed  the  steps,  other  conncillors  of 
higher  rank  came  forward  to  meet  us,  offering  their  right 
hands,  by  way  of  salutation,  their  predecessors  meanwhile 
retiring ;  for  it  is  the  custom,  that  those  who  advance  first, 
should  make  way  for  those  who  follow,  and  these  again  for 
the  next  in  rotation,  and  so  take  their  place  in  order,  accord- 
ing to  previous  arrangement.  Then,  upon  our  entering  the 
palace,  where  the  lower  order  of  nobles  stood  ranged  around, 
the  chief  councillors  in  like  manner  came  forward  to  meet  us, 
and  saluted  us  in  the  same  order,  and  after  the  same  fashion. 
At  length  we  were  conducted  into  another  hall,  which  was 
crowded  with  the  knesi  and  other  persons  of  high  rank, 
from  whose  number  and  of  whose  rank  the  councillors  are 
chosen,  and  thence  to  the  prince's  chamber,  before  which 
stood  the  gentlemen  who  attend  daily  upon  the  prince. 
During  this  time,  not  a  single  one  of  those  who  stood  around 
showed  the  least  mark  of  respect  to  us ;  but  on  the  contrary, 
if  we  happened  in  passing  to  salute  or  speak  to  any  one  with 
whom  we  were  familiarly  acquainted,  he  would  make  no 
reply,  just  as  if  he  had  never  known  any  of  us,  or  had  never 
received  a  salute  from  us  before.  At  length,  on  our  enter- 
ing the  presence  of  the  prince,  the  councillors  immediately 
arose  (the  prince's  brethren,  if  any  happen  to  be  present  on 
these  occasions,  do  not  rise,  but  remain  seated,  with  their 
heads  uncovered),  and  one  of  the  chief  councillors  addressed 
the  prince  in  their  manner,  without  being  required  to  do  so, 
in  our  name,  in  the  following  words :  "  My  great  lord,  the 
Count  Leonhard  strikes  his  forehead  before  thee,  for  thy 
great  favour."  He  then  says  the  same  for  Sigismund.  The 
first  is  as  much  as  to  say  he  bows  and  pays  thee  honour ;  the 
second,  he  ofifers  thee  thanks  for  the  favour  received  :  for 
they  regard  striking  the  forehead  as  expressive,  of  salutation, 
rendering  of  thanks,  and  everything  of  that  kind.  For  when- 
ever any  one  makes  a  petition,  or  offers  thanks,  it  is  the  cus- 
tom to  bow  the  head ;  if  he  Avishes  to  do  so  in  a  very  marked 


NOTES    UPON    KUSSIA.  125 

manner,  he  bends  himself  so  low  as  to  touch  the  ground  with 
his  hand ;  but  if  he  desires  to  offer  his  thanks  to  the  grand- 
duke  for  any  great  favour,  or  to  beg  anything  of  him,  he 
then  bows  himself  so  low  as  to  touch  the  ground  with  his 
forehead.  The  prince  sat  "wdth  his  head  uncovered  in  a  place 
of  distinction  higher  than  the  rest,  against  a  wall  decorated 
with  a  picture  of  a  certain  saint,  with  his  hat,  called  kopach, 
on  a  stand  at  his  right  hand ;  and  on  his  left,  his  staff,  >vith 
a  cross  on  it,  called  ^jossoc/?,  and  a  washhand  basin  and  two 
ewers,  with  a  towel  placed  by  them.  They  say  that  the 
prince  believes  that  in  giving  his  hand  to  an  ambassador  of 
the  Roman  creed,  he  gives  it  to  an  unclean  and  impure  per- 
son ;  and  that,  therefore,  after  their  departure,  he  immedi- 
ately washes  his  hands.  Opposite  the  prince,  but  in  a  less 
elevated  position,  was  placed  a  decorated  seat  for  the  am- 
bassadors. 

After  we  had  offered  oui*  salutation,  as  above  described, 
the  prince  himself  pointing  to  the  seat  with  his  hand,  directed 
us  to  it,  both  by  word  and  gesture.  When  we  had  duly 
saluted  the  prince  from  this  spot,  an  interpreter  came  for- 
Avard,  who  translated  our  communication,  word  by  word. 
A\Tien,  among  other  things,  the  names  of  Charles  and  Fer- 
dinand transpired,  he  arose,  and  descended  from  his  seat ; 
and  after  hearing  the  salutation  to  the  end,  said,  "  Is  our 
brother  Charles,  elect  emperor  and  supreme  king  of  the 
Komans,  well  ?"  To  which  the  count  replied  :  ^'  He  is  well." 
He  then  ascended  the  steps,  and  sat  doTVTi.  Afterwards, 
when  my  salutation  was  completed,  he  put  the  same  question 
to  me  respecting  Ferdinand.  He  then  called  each  of  us  in 
turn  to  him,  and  said :  "  Give  me  thy  hand ;"  with  the  addi- 
tion of  the  question,  "  Hast  thou  been  well  on  thy  journey  ?" 
To  which  each  of  us  replied  after  their  fashion :  "  God  grant 
that  thou  mayst  live  in  health  many  years.  By  the  grace  of 
God  and  thy  favour,  I  have  been  well."  Thereupon  he 
ordered  us  to  be  seated ;  before  doing  so,  however,  we  offered 


126  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA, 

thanks,  according  to  their  custom, — first  to  the  prince,  then 
to  the  councillors  and  knesi,  who  remained  standing,  in 
compliment  to  us,  and  bowed  our  heads  in  each  direction. 
Sometimes  it  is  the  custom  for  ambassadors  from  foreign 
princes, — especially  those  from  Lithuania,  Livonia,  Sweden, 
etc., — when  admitted  into  the  prince's  presence,  each,  toge- 
ther with  his  retinue  and  servants,  to  distribute  their  re- 
spective gifts. 

The  mode  of  offering  gifts  is  after  this  wise.  AVTien  the 
embassy  has  been  heard  and  explained,  the  councillor  who 
has  introduced  the  ambassadors  to  the  prince,  rises,  and  ad- 
dresses all  the  audience  in  a  clear  and  distinct  voice  :  My 
great  Lord  N.,  the  ambassador  M.  strikes  his  forehead  to 
thee  with  such  and  such  a  gift ;  and  this  he  repeats  a  second 
and  a  third  time.  He  then  announces,  in  the  same  manner, 
the  names  of  each  of  the  nobles  and  attendants,  and  their 
respective  gifts.  Meanwhile  a  secretary  is  ajjpointed  to  stand 
by  his  side,  to  note  down  the  names,  not  only  of  the  ambas- 
sadors, but  also  of  each  person  who  brings  an  offering,  accord- 
ing to  their  rotation,  and  of  the  presents  attached  to  each 
name.  They  call  such  presents  "  pominki",  which  is  a  kind 
of  remembrance.  They  gave  a  hint  to  our  people  respecting 
these  presents,  to  which  they  replied  that  it  was  not  oiu*  cus- 
tom.    But  I  return  to  my  subject. 

After  the  salutation  had  been  gone  through,  and  we  had 
been  some  time  seated,  the  prince  invited  each  of  us  in  rota- 
tion, with  these  words,  "  You  will  dine  with  me."  I  may 
here  add  that,  in  my  first  embassy,  he  had,  according  to  their 
custom,  invited  me  in  this  manner,  "  Sigismund,  thou  wilt 
eat  our  salt  and  bread  with  us."  Presently  after,  he  called 
our  caterers  to  him,  and  spoke  to  them  in  a  low  voice,  but 
I  know  not  what  he  said,  but  each  of  them  in  his  turn  gave 
instruction  to  the  interpreters,  who  said  to  us,  "  Arise,  let  us 
retu-e  to  another  house ;"  where,  while  we  explained  the  re- 
mainder of  the  embassy,  and  our  commissions,  to  certain  coun- 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  127 

cillors  and  secretaries  appointed  by  the  prince,  the  tables 
were  set  in  order.  ^VTien  the  preparations  for  dinner  were 
made,  and  the  prince,  his  brothers,  and  the  councillors, 
ah-eady  seated,  upon  our  being  shown  into  the  banqueting- 
room,  the  councillors  and  all  the  others  immediately  arose  in 
deference  to  us  ;  and  we,  in  our  turn,  having  been  informed 
of  their  habits,  before  they  sat  down,  offered  our  thanks  to 
them  by  bowing  on  all  sides,  and  took  a  place  at  the  table 
which  the  prince  himself  indicated  to  us  with  his  hand.  The 
tables  were  arranged  around  the  banqueting-room.  In  the 
middle  stood  a  table  laden  with  a  variety  of  gold  and  silver 
goblets.  At  the  table  at  which  the  prince  sat,  a  space  was 
left  at  each  side  of  him,  as  wide  as  he  could  reach  with  his 
hands  extended,  beyond  which  it  is  the  custom  for  his  bro- 
thers to  sit,  if  any  are  present,  the  elder  on  his  right  hand, 
and  the  younger  on  his  left ;  at  a  somewhat  greater  distance 
from  the  brother,  is  the  seat  of  the  elder  knesi  and  councillors, 
who  take  precedence  according  to  the  place  which  each  holds 
in  the  prince's  favour.  We  sat  at  another  table  oj)posite  the 
prince,  with  our  friends  and  attendants  at  a  small  distance 
from  us  ;  opposite  whom,  on  the  other  side,  sat  those  who 
conducted  us  from  our  hotel  to  the  palace.  At  the  lower 
tables,  on  both  sides,  sat  those  whom  the  prince  had  invited 
as  a  special  favour,  in  which  number  the  stipendiaries  are 
occasionally  included.  On  the  tables  were  placed  vessels, 
some  filled  with  vinegar,  some  with  pepper,  and  others  with 
salt,  which  were  all  arranged  along  the  length  of  the  table,  so 
that  every  fourth  guest  had  each  of  these  three  articles  before 
him.  Then  came  in  the  servers,  dressed  in  magnificent 
robes,  and  walking  round  the  centre  table,  stood  opposite  the 
prince. 

Meantime,  when  all  were  seated,  the  prince  called  one  of 
his  servants  to  him,  and  giving  him  two  long  pieces  of  bread, 
said :  "  Give  this  to  Count  Leonhard,  and  this  to  Sigismund." 
The  servant  taking   the  interpreter   with  him   accordingly 


128  NOTES    UPOX    RUSSIA. 

presented  tlic  bread  to  each  of  us  in  rotation,  accompanied  by 
the  following  speech :  "  O  Count  Leonhard,  the  Grand  Duke 
Vasiley,  by  the  grace  of  God,  King  and  Lord  of  all  Russia, 
and  Grand  Duke,  extends  his  favour  to  thee,  and  sends  thee 
bread  from  his  own  table."  These  words  the  interpreter 
delivered  to  us  in  a  loud  voice.  We  received  this  expression 
of  the  prince's  favour  standing.  The  other  guests  also,  with 
the  exception  of  the  jjriuce's  brothers,  rose  up  in  compliment 
to  us.  For  such  an  expression  of  honoiu-  and  favoiu-  as  this, 
it  is  not  necessary  that  any  answer  should  be  given,  except 
in  so  far  as  that  you  accept  the  offered  bread,  place  it  upon  the 
table,  and  express  your  thanks  by  an  inclination  of  the  head, 
first  to  the  prince  himself,  and  then  to  the  councillors  and  the 
rest  of  the  guests,  turning  the  head  round  in  every  direction 
and  bowing.  Bread  is  used  by  the  prince  to  express  his 
favour  towards  anybody,  but  when  he  sends  salt,  it  is  in- 
tended to  express  his  aifection — indeed  it  is  not  possible  for 
him  to  show  greater  honour  to  any  one  at  an  entertaimnent 
given  by  himself,  than  by  sending  him  salt  from  his  own 
table.  I  may,  moreover,  state  that  the  loaves,  which  are 
made  in  the  form  of  a  horse's  collar,  seem  in  my  opinion  to 
serve  as  emblems  of  the  hard  yoke  and  perpetual  servitude  of 
those  who  eat  them.  At  length  the  servers  going  out  for 
food,  again  without  showing  any  honour  to  the  prince,  first 
brought  in  brandy,  ^'hich  they  always  drink  at  the  com- 
mencement of  the  dinner ;  then  they  brought  in  roasted 
swans,  which  it  is  almost  always  their  custom  to  lay  before 
their  guests  for  the  first  dish  whenever  they  eat  meat. 
Three  of  these  being  placed  before  the  prince,  he  pierced 
them  with  his  knife  to  try  which  was  the  best,  and  which  he 
would  choose  in  preference  to  the  rest,  and  immediately 
ordered  them  to  be  taken  away.  The  sewers  going  out  in 
the  same  order  in  which  they  had  entered,  placed  the  swans, 
after  they  had  been  cut  up  and  divided  into  parts,  in  smaller 
dishes,  laying  four  pieces  of  a  swan  upon  each  dish.     Then 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  1^9 

coming  in  again  they  placed  five  dishes  before  the  prince, 
and  distributed  the  remainder  among  the  prince's  brothers, 
the  councillors,  the  ambassadors,  and  the  rest  of  the  guests 
in  rotation.  A  certain  person  stands  by  the  prince  to  present 
him  his  cup,  and  it  is  he  by  whom  bread  and  various  dishes 
are  sent  by  the  prince  to  difierent  individuals.  The  prince 
generally  gives  a  small  portion  of  the  swan  to  his  sewer  to 
taste,  and  then  cuts  ofi"  portions  from  different  parts  and 
tastes  them;  after  which  he  sends  one  of  his  brothers,  or  one 
of  the  councillors  or  ambassadors,  a  dish  of  which  he  has 
tasted.  Viands  of  this  kind  are  always  offered  with  especial 
solemnity  to  ambassadors,  in  the  same  manner  as  has  been 
related  respecting  the  bread,  and  in  receiving  them  it  is  not 
only  the  duty  of  him  to  whom  they  are  sent,  but  of  all  the 
rest,  to  rise ;  so  that  one  is  put  to  no  slight  fatigue  in  rising, 
standing,  offering  thanks,  and  then  bowing  one's  head  in  all 
directions  as  often  as  the  prince's  favour  is  shown  to  any  of 
the  company.  In  my  first  embassy,  when  I  served  as  am- 
bassador from  the  Emperor  Maximilian,  I  had  to  rise  several 
times  in  honour  of  the  prince's  brothers  ;  but  as  I  saw  that 
they  offered  me  no  thanks  in  return,  and  made  no  response 
whatever,  every  time  afterwards  when  I  perceived  that  they 
were  about  to  receive  a  favour  from  the  prince,  I  began  im- 
mediately to  talk  with  somebody  and  to  pretend  to  know 
nothing  about  it ;  and  although  somebody  opposite  would 
beckon  to  me  and  call  to  me  while  the  prince's  brothers  were 
standing,  I  pretended  so  long  to  know  nothing  about  it,  that 
it  was  not  till  after  the  third  admonition  from  them  that  I 
would  inquii'e  what  they  wanted,  and  while  they  were  telling 
me  in  reply  that  the  prince's  brothers  were  standing,  the 
ceremonies  would  in  some  sort  be  over  before  I  looked  and 
rose  up.  Then,  as  sometimes  I  rose  too  late  and  sat  down 
again  immediately,  they  who  sat  opposite  would  laugh,  and 
I,  pretending  to  be  otherwise  engaged,  asked  them  what  they 
were  laughing  at ;  but  as  no  one  liked  to  tell  the  reason,  at 
VOL.  II.  s 


130  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

length  appearing  to  imclerstand  the  case,  I  put  on  a  grave 
countenance  and  said  :  "  I  am  not  here  now  as  a  private 
person,  I  shall  certainly  show  disrespect  to  him  who  shows 
disrespect  to  my  master."  Moreover,  when  the  prince  sent 
food  to  any  of  the  younger  people,  and  an  observation  was 
made  upon  my  not  rising,  I  answered  :  "  Whoever  honours 
my  master,  him  also  I  will  honour."  When  we  began  to  eat 
the  roast  swans,  they  placed  vinegar  on  the  table  with  salt 
and  pepper  mixed  in  it,  which  they  used  instead  of  sauce  or 
gravy.  Sour  milk  was  also  placed  on  the  table  for  the  same 
purpose,  with  pickled  cucumbers,  and  prunes  cooked  with 
the  same  object,  which  are  not  removed  during  dinner  time. 
The  same  fashion  is  observed  in  bringing  in  the  other  dishes, 
unless  they  be  again  taken  aAvay  to  be  cooked.  Various 
kinds  of  drink  are  placed  on  the  table,  namely,  malmsey, 
Greek  wine,  and  different  kinds  of  mead.  The  prince  gene- 
rally orders  his  goblet  to  be  presented  to  him  once  or  twice, 
and  after  drinking  from  it,  he  calls  the  ambassadors  to  him 
in  rotation,  and  says,  "  Leonhard,"  or  "  Sigismund,"  as  the 
case  may  be,  "  thou  hast  come  from  a  great  sovereign  to  a 
great  sovereign,  thou  hast  made  a  great  journey ;  after  thou 
hast  experienced  our  favour  it  shall  be  well  with  thee;  drink, 
and  drink  well,  and  eat  well  even  to  thy  heart's  content,  and 
then  take  thy  rest,  that  thou  mayst  at  length  return  to  thy 
master." 

They  say  that  each  and  every  vessel  which  we  looked 
upon,  in  which  were  placed  meat,  the  di'inks,  the  vinegar, 
the  pepper,  the  salt,  and  all  the  other  things  which  were  set 
iipon  the  table,  were  of  pure  gold ;  and  from  their  weight 
this  would  seem  to  be  true.  Four  persons  stood  on  each  side 
of  the  centre  table,  each  holding  his  goblet,  out  of  which  the 
prince  often  drank,  very  frequently  addi-essing  the  ambassa- 
dors, inviting  them  to  eat.  Sometimes  he  put  questions  to 
them,  and  showed  great  courtesy  and  kindness.  He  asked 
me  among  other  things,  whether  I  had  shaved  my  beard. 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  131 

which  is  expressed  in  one  word,  namely,  "  brill".  When  I 
answered  in  the  affirmative,  he  said  :  "  The  same  thing  has 
occurred  to  ourselves;"  which  is  as  if  he  were  to  say,  "  We 
also  have  shaved."  For  when  he  married  his  second  wife  he 
shaved  off  the  whole  of  his  beard,  which  I  was  told  had  never 
been  done  by  any  other  prince. 

The  sewers  used  to  be  dressed  in  dalmatics,  similar  to  those 
worn  by  the  Levites  when  performing  their  sacred  functions  ; 
but  they  also  wore  girdles.  Now,  however,  they  wear  a  dif- 
ferent kind  of  robe,  called  in  their  language  "  terlick",  which 
is  loaded  with  gems  and  pearls. 

The  grand-prince  sometimes  spends  three  or  four  hours  over 
dinner.  During  my  first  embassy,  our  dinner  was  prolonged 
till  one  o'clock  in  the  morning ;  for  just  in  the  same  manner 
as  they  often  spend  the  whole  day  in  deliberating  over  mat- 
ters involving  doubt  and  difficulty,  and  do  not  leave  it  till  it 
has  been  maturely  discussed  and  decided  upon,  so  also  they 
will  sometimes  consume  a  whole  day  over  their  banquets  and 
convivial  meetings,  and  only  retire  when  darkness  overtakes 
them. 

The  prince  often  honours  his  guests  by  sending  them 
dishes  and  drink.  He  never  meddles  with  matters  of  serious 
moment  during  dinner  ;  but  when  the  dinner  is  over,  it  is 
his  custom  to  say  to  the  ambassadors,  "  Now  you  may  de- 
part." When  thus  dismissed,  they  are  escorted  back  to  their 
hotels  by  the  same  persons  who  had  conducted  them  to  the 
palace,  who  state  that  they  have  orders  to  remain  with  them 
in  the  hotel,  to  make  merry  with  them.  Silver  goblets,  and 
various  other  vessels  containing  liquor,  are  then  produced, 
and  all  strive  to  make  each  other  drunk  ;  and  very  clever 
they  are  in  finding  excuses  for  inviting  men  to  drink,  and 
when  they  are  at  a  loss  for  a  toast  to  propose,  they  begin  at 
last  to  drink  to  the  health  of  the  emperor  and  the  prince  his 
brother,  and  after  that  to  the  welfare  of  any  others  whom 
they  believe  to  hold   any  position  of   dignity  and  honour. 


132  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

They  think  that  no  one  ought  or  can  refuse  the  cup,  when 
these  names  are  proposed.  The  drmking  is  done  in  this 
fashion.  He  who  proposes  the  toast  takes  ]iis  cup,  and  goes 
into  the  middle  of  the  room,  and  standing  with  his  head  un- 
covered, pronounces,  in  a  festive  speech,  the  name  of  him 
whose  health  he  wishes  to  drink,  and  what  he  has  to  say  in 
his  behalf.  Then  after  emptying  the  cup,  he  turns  it  upside 
down  over  his  head,  so  that  all  may  see  that  he  has  emptied 
it,  and  that  he  sincerely  gave  the  health  of  the  person  in 
honour  of  whom  the  toast  was  drunk.  He  then  goes  to  the 
top  of  the  table  and  orders  many  cups  to  be  filled,  and  then 
hands  each  man  his  cup,  pronouncing  the  name  of  the  party 
whose  health  is  to  be  drunk,  on  which  each  is  obliged  to  go 
into  the  middle  of  the  room,  and,  after  emptying  his  cup,  to 
return  to  his  place.  He  who  wishes  to  escape  too  long  a 
drinking-bout,  must  pretend  that  he  is  drunk  or  sleepy,  or 
at  least  declare  that,  having  already  emptied  many  cups, 
he  cannot  drink  any  more  ;  for  they  do  not  think  that  their 
guests  are  well  received,  or  hospitably  treated,  unless  they 
are  sent  home  drunk.  It  is  the  common  practice  for  the 
nobles  and  those  who  are  permitted  to  drink  mead  and  beer, 
to  observe  this  fashion. 

In  my  first  embassy,  when  I  had  brought  my  business  to  a 
conclusion,  and  had  received  my  dismissal,  at  the  close  of  the 
dinner  to  which  I  was  invited  (for  it  is  the  custom  to  invite 
ambassadors  to  dinner  on  their  departure,  as  well  as  on  their 
arrival),  the  prince  rose,  and  standing  up  at  the  table,  ordered 
his  cup  to  be  given  him,  and  said  :  "  Sigismund,  I  wish  to 
drink  this  goblet  to  the  affection  that  I  bear  to  our  brother 
Maximilian,  elect  Emperor  and  supreme  King  of  the  Romans, 
and  to  his  health ;  which  toast  thou  also  shalt  drink,  and  all 
the  others  in  rotation,  that  thou  mayest  witness  our  love  to- 
wards our  brother  Maximilian,  and  report  to  him  what  thou 
seest."  He  then  handed  me  the  cup,  and  said,  "  Drink  to 
the  health  of  our  brother  Maximilian,  elect  Emperor  and 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  133 

supreme  King  of  the  Romans."  He  then  handed  it  to  all 
the  other  guests,  as  well  as  to  those  who  were  otherwise  pre- 
sent, using  the  same  words  to  each.  Having  received  the 
cups,  we  drew  back  a  small  space,  and,  bowing  our  heads 
towards  the  prince,  drank.  When  all  this  was  finished,  he 
called  me  to  him,  held  out  his  hand,  and  said,  "  Now  depart." 
It  is,  moreover,  the  common  custom  for  the  prince  to  invite 
ambassadors,  after  their  business  is  concluded,  to  join  him  in 
the  amusement  of  hunting.  There  is,  near  Moscow,  a  place 
planted  with  thickets,  forming  an  excellent  preserve  for  hares, 
in  which  a  very  great  number  of  hares  are  preserved,  as  in 
a  warren,  and  no  one  dare  catch  them,  or  cut  the  plantations, 
under  a  very  heavy  penalty.  He  also  has  a  great  number  of 
chaces  and  other  places  for  preserving  game,  and  whenever 
he  wishes  to  enjoy  tliis  amusement,  he  orders  hares  to  be 
brought  from  different  places  ;  for  the  more  hares  he  takes, 
the  greater  amusement  does  he  think  it,  and  the  greater  is 
the  honour  that  he  thinks  he  has  gained  to  himself.  Also, 
when  he  comes  into  the  field,  he  sends  some  of  his  councillors, 
together  with  some  of  the  courtiers  or  knights,  to  summon 
the  ambassadors  to  his  presence.  When  they  are  brought  to 
him,  and  approach  the  prince's  presence,  they  are  required, 
at  the  suggestion  of  the  councillors,  to  alight  from  their 
horses,  and  to  advance  some  steps  towards  the  prince.  When 
we  were  broi;ght  to  him  in  this  manner,  during  the  hunt,  he 
was  sitting  on  a  richly-caparisoned  horse,  and  covered  with 
a  splendid  robe,  and  taking  off  his  gloves,  but  keeping  his 
head  covered,  he  received  us  condescendingly  ;  and,  holding 
out  his  bare  hand,  said,  through  an  interpreter,  "  We  have 
come  out  for  our  amusement ;  we  have  summoned  you  to  take 
part  in  it,  hoping  that  you  may  derive  pleasure  therefrom  : 
mount  your  horses,  therefore,  and  follow  us."  He  had  on  his 
head  a  cap  called  a  "  kolpack",with  jewelled  ornaments  hang- 
ing on  each  side,  from  back  to  front,  from  which  rose  plates 
of  gold  in  the  form  of  feathers,  moving  up  and  down  with 


134  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

his  motion.  His  robe  was  like  the  terlick,  and  made  of  cloth- 
of  gold.  From  his  girdle  hung  small  knives,  after  the  fashion 
of  the  country,  as  well  as  a  dagger  ;  behind  him  hung,  below 
his  girdle,  a  kind  of  weapon  like  a  ca^stus,  such  as  they  com- 
monly use  in  war.  The  handle  is  somewhat  more  than  a 
cubit  long,  with  a  thong  of  two  palms'  length  attached  to  it ; 
at  the  end  of  which  is  a  knob,  or  kind  of  block,  of  brass  or 
iron,  which  is  gilt  all  over.  At  the  right  side  of  the  prince 
was  the  banished  Tartar  King  of  Kasan,  named  Scheale,  and 
on  the  left  two  young  knesi,  one  of  whom  carried  an  ivory 
hatchet,  which  they  call"  topar",  very  like  what  we  see  stamped 
on  Hungarian  coins.  The  other  carried  a  club,  also  like  an 
Hungarian  club,  which  they  call  "  schestpero",  which  means 
six-winged.  King  Scheale  carried  two  quivers  at  his  girdle, 
one  of  which  contained  his  arrows  and  the  other  his  bow. 
There  were  more  than  three  hundred  horsemen  in  the  field. 
As  we  rode  along,  the  prince  would  order  us  from  time  to 
time  to  stop  at  this  or  the  other  place,  and  occasionally  to  come 
nearer  to  him.  "When  we  reached  the  hunting  ground,  he 
spoke  to  us  and  said,  that  it  was  the  custom  whenever  he 
amused  himself  with  hunting,  for  himself  and  other  gentle- 
men of  rank  to  lead  the  hounds  with  their  own  hands,  and 
recommended  us  to  do  the  same.  He  then  appointed  two 
men  to  each  of  us,  each  of  whom  led  a  dog  for  our  own 
especial  amusement.  To  wdiich  we  replied,  that  we  grate- 
fully accepted  this  favour ;  and  told  him  that  such  was  the 
custom  also  in  our  own  country :  but  he  made  this  remark 
by  way  of  excuse,  because  a  dog  is  regarded  among  them 
as  an  unclean  animal,  and  it  is  a  defilement  to  touch  a  dog 
with  the  naked  hand.  Moreover,  about  an  hundred  men 
stood  in  long  array,  one  half  of  whom  were  dressed  in  black, 
and  the  other  in  yellow;  not  far  from  them  stood  all  the 
other  horsemen,  to  prevent  the  hares  from  running  through 
and  escaping.  Nor  was  any  one  permitted  from  the  com- 
mencement to  let  a  hound  slip,  except  King  Scheale  and 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA,  135 

ourselves.  The  prince  first  cried  out  to  the  huntsman,  or- 
dering him  to  commence  the  sport,  and  he  immediately 
galloped  at  full  speed  to  the  other  huntsmen,  who  were 
there  in  great  number,  and  who  all  of  them  at  once  gave 
the  halloo,  and  let  loose  both  the  mastiffs  and  grey -hounds, 
and  a  merry  thing  it  was  to  hear  the  cry  of  so  many  different 
kinds  of  dogs,  for  they  have  a  great  many  kinds  of  most 
excellent  hounds.  Some  of  them,  called  "  kurtzi",  are  only 
intended  for  hunting  hares ;  they  are  very  handsome,  with 
hairy  tails  and  ears ;  generally  bold  dogs,  but  not  adapted 
for  going  over  much  ground.  When  the  hare  shows  herself, 
three,  four,  five,  or  more  dogs  are  slipped,  and  set  after  her 
on  all  sides ;  and  when  she  is  taken,  there  is  loud  hallooing, 
as  if  they  had  taken  a  large  wild  beast.  If  the  hares  happen 
to  run  out  somewhat  slowly,  the  prince  immediately  calls  to 
any  one  whom  he  may  see  in  the  thickets,  holding  a  hare  in 
a  bag,  and  cries  out  to  him,  "  hui !  hui !"  which  means  that 
he  is  to  let  the  hare  loose.  Thus  the  hares  sometimes  come 
out  as  if  they  were  asleep,  and  leap  about  amongst  the  dogs, 
just  as  goats  or  lambs  do  in  the  midst  of  the  flocks.  He  is 
thought  to  have  done  the  cleverest  day's  work  whose  dog 
catches  the  greatest  number  of  hares.  The  prince  himself 
openly  praised  the  ambassador  whose  dog  caught  the  greatest 
number. 

When  the  chase  was  over,  all  mustered  together,  and 
brought  the  hares  they  had  caught  into  one  place  ;  and  when 
they  were  counted,  the  number  amounted  to  about  thi'ee 
hundred.  The  prince's  horses  which  were  used  on  that 
occasion  were  not  so  numerous  or  so  handsome  as  I  should 
have  expected ;  for  on  my  first  embassy,  when  I  was  present 
at  a  similar  entertainment,  I  saw  a  far  greater  number  of 
beautiful  horses,  especially  of  that  race  which  we  call  Turkish, 
but  which  they  call "  argamak".  There  were  also  a  great  num- 
ber of  falcons,  some  white  and  some  purple,  and  remarkable 
for  their  size,  such  as  we  call  gyr-falcons,  and  they  "  kretzet". 


136  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

which  they  use  for  taking  swans,  and  cranes,  and  other  bii'ds 
of  that  kind. 

The  kretzet  are  very  bold  birds,  but  not  so  fierce  or  so  for- 
midable in  their  attack,  that  other  birds,  even  birds  of  prey, 
should  fall  do^vn  and  die  at  the  sight  of  them  flying  in  the 
air,  as  a  certain  person,  in  writing  of  the  two  Sarmatias,^ 
has  fabulously  related.  It  is,  indeed,  consistent  with  expe- 
rience, that  if  any  one  is  hunting  with  a  hawk  or  nisus,  or 
any  other  falcon,  and  a  kretzet,  which  they  immediately 
detect  by  its  flight  from  a  long  distance,  should  fly  towards 
them,  they  dare  not  pursue  their  prey  any  further,  but 
become  frightened,  and  stop  in  their  career. 

Trustworthy,  and  indeed  distinguished,  gentlemen  have 
told  me,  that  the  kretzet,  when  they  are  taken  from  the 
places  where  they  make  their  nest,  are  sometimes  shut  up, 
four,  five,  or  six  together,  in  a  kind  of  carriage  prepared  for 
that  purpose,  and  that  they  observe  a  certain  order  of  se- 
niority in  taking  the  food  which  is  ofiered  them, — whether  it 
is  by  reason,  or  instinct,  or  by  what  process  this  is  done,  is 
uncertain.  Moreover,  in  the  same  degree  as  they  are  fiercer 
and  rapacious  in  their  attack  upon  other  birds,  they  are  very 
gentle  amongst  themselves,  and  never  use  their  beaks  against 
each  other.  They  never  wash  themselves  in  water  like  other 
birds,  but  only  use  the  sand,  with  which  they  clear  them- 
selves of  lice.  They  take  so  much  pleasure  in  the  cold, 
that  they  make  a  practice  of  standing  either  upon  ice  or 
upon  stone. 

I  return  to  my  subject.  The  prince,  after  the  hunt,  pro- 
ceeded to  a  certain  tower  constructed  of  wood,  at  five  miles 
distance  from  Moscow,  where  certain  tents  were  stretched. 
The  first,  wliich  was  like  a  house,  was  for  himself;  the 
second  for  King  Scheale ;  the  third  for  us ;  then  others  for 
different  persons  and  purposes :  and  after  we  had  arranged 
ourselves  in   them,   the  prince   also   entered  his  tent,  and 

^  Miechov. 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  137 

changing  his  dress,  immediately  sent  for  us  ;  and  when  we 
had  entered,  seated  himself  on  a  chair  of  ivory.  On  his 
right  sat  King  Scheale  [Scheik  Ali],  and  we  opposite,  on  a  seat 
allotted  to  ambassadors  at  times  when  an  audience  is  given  to 
them,  or  when  they  have  matters  of  business  to  treat  about. 
Below  the  king  sat  certain  knesi  and  councillors,  and  on  the 
left  side  such  of  the  younger  knesi  as  were  honoured  with  the 
prince's  especial  favour  and  regard.  When  all  were  seated, 
there  were  first  brought  some  confections  (as  they  call  them) 
of  coriander,  aniseed,  and  almonds ;  then  nuts,  almonds,  and 
a  whole  pyramid  of  sugar,  which  the  servants  presented  on 
their  knees  to  the  prince,  the  king,  and  ourselves.  The 
drink  was  presented  in  a  similar  manner ;  and  the  prince 
showed  his  favours  in  the  same  way  as  he  does  at  dinners. 
In  my  first  embassy  we  had  dinner  at  that  place ;  and  it 
happened,  that  through  the  tent  being  shaken,  the  bread, 
which  they  call  the  "  Blessed  Virgin's  bread",  and  which 
they  worship  and  eat  as  consecrated  bread,  and  keep  with 
great  reverence  deposited  in  some  distinguished  part  of  the 
house,  fell  on  the  ground,  and  the  prince  and  all  the  rest 
were  so  thunderstruck  at  the  accident,  that  they  stood  trem- 
bling until  a  priest  was  sent  for,  who  picked  it  up  from  the 
grass  with  the  greatest  care  and  reverence.  When  the  col- 
lation  was  finished,  and  we  had  taken  the  cup  sent  to  us  by 
the  prince  and  drunk,  he  dismissed  us,  saying,  "  Now  de- 
part". After  our  dismissal,  we  were  escorted  with  all  honour 
to  our  hotels. 

CjThere  is  another  kind  of  amusement  at  which,  as  I  have 
heard,  he  entertains  other  ambassadors.  Bears  are  kept  con- 
fined in  a  very  large  house  used  for  that  purpose,  in  which 
the  prince  is  accustomed  to  exhibit  games  for  the  amusement 
of  ambassadors.  He  has  some  men  of  the  lowest  condition, 
who,  by  the  command  and  under  the  observation  of  the 
prince,  attack  the  bears  with  pitchforks,  and  provoke  them 
to  fight ;  and  if  in  the  encounter  they  happen  to  be  wounded 

VOL.  II.  T 


138  NOTES    UPON    EUSSIA. 

by  the  irritated  and  maddened  bears,  they  run  to  the  prince, 
crying,  "  See,  my  lord,  we  are  wounded".  To  which  the 
prince  replies,  "  Go,  I  will  show  you  favour",  and  then  he 
orders  them  to  be  taken  care  of,  and  clothes  and  certain 
measures  of  corn  to  be  given  them. 

Moreover,  when  the  time  was  come  for  us  to  receive  our 
discharge  and  to  be  dismissed,  we  were  honourably  invited, 
as  before,  to  dinner,  and  conducted  to  the  palace.  Each  of 
us  also  was  presented  with  a  robe  of  honour,  trimmed  with 
sables.  Upon  our  being  ushered,  dressed  in  these  robes,  into 
the  prince's  council-room,  the  marshal  immediately  announ- 
cing the  name  of  each  of  us  in  rotation,  said,  "  My  great  lord, 
Leonhard  and  Sigismund,  by  thy  great  favour,  strike  their 
foreheads  to  thee";  i.  e.,  they  return  thanks  for  the  presents 
they  have  received.  He  added  to  the  robe  of  honour  eighty 
sables,  three  hundred  ermine,  and  fifteen  hundred  squii'rel 
skins.  In  my  fii'st  embassy,  he  gave  me  in  addition,  a  car- 
riage or  sledge,  with  a  beautiful  horse,  with  white  bear-skin 
trappings,  and  all  the  necessary  appendages.  Lastly,  he 
'  presented  me  with  a  great  quantity  of  fish,  belugae,  ozetri, 
and  sterled,^  enclosed  in  copper  vessels,  but  unsalted,  and 
dismissed  me  with  extreme  kindness.  I  have  abeady  de- 
scribed at  large,  in  speaking  of  the  dismissal  of  the  Lithu- 
anian ambassadors,  the  remainder  of  the  ceremonies  adopted 
by  the  prince  in  dismissing  ambassadors,  as  well  as  in  receiv- 
ing them,  when  they  enter  the  frontiers  of  his  territory,  and 
how  they  maintained  and  treated  them  until  their  return  to 
the  same  point.  On  this  occasion,  however,  as  we  had  been 
sent  by  the  Emperor  Charles  and  his  brother  Ferdinand,  the 
Archduke  of  Austria,  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  about  a 
lasting  peace,  or  at  the  least  a  truce,  between  the  Prince  of 
Muscovy  and  the  King  of  Poland,  I  have  thought  right  to 
subjoin  an  account  of  the  ceremonies  adopted  by  the  Prince 

^  The  first  is  a  kind  of  porpoise,  the  two  others  are   sturgeon,   see 
pages  13  and  14. 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  1-39 

of  Muscovy  in  signing  the  articles  of  truce.  AVhen,  there- 
fore, the  truce  with  Sigismund,  king  of  Poland,  was  agreed 
upon,  and  the  articles  drawn  up,  we  were  summoned  to  the 
prince's  palace,  and  being  conducted  into  a  certain  apartment, 
found  the  Lithuanian  ambassadors  already  there.  Those 
councillors  of  the  prince  also  who  had  concluded  the  treaty 
with  us  came  into  the  room,  and  turning  to  the  Lithuanian 
ambassadors,  addressed  them  to  the  following  effect : — "  Our 
prince  was  willing,  out  of  especial  regard  to  the  request  of 
certain  great  princes,  to  enter  into  a  lasting  peace  with  your 
King  Sigismund,  but  though  it  was  impossible  on  any  terms 
to  do  that  at  present,  he  has  willingly  consented,  at  the  in- 
stance of  the  said  princes,  to  enter  into  a  truce.  Which  truce 
being  arranged  and  lawfully  signed,  the  prince  has  ordered 
you  to  be  sent  for,  and  requested  your  presence."  Moreover, 
they  held  letters  made  out  by  the  prince  to  be  given  to  the 
King  of  Poland,  sealed  with  a  small  red  seal,  which  was 
attached  to  them.  On  the  obverse  was  the  figure  of  a  naked 
man,  sitting  on  a  horse  without  a  saddle,  and  transfixing  a 
dragon  with  a  spear.'  On  the  reverse,  an  eagle  with  two 
heads,  with  a  crown  on  each  head.  They  had  also  the 
letters  of  truce  drawn  up  in  a  certain  form,  with  correspond- 
ing letters,  only  with  the  names  and  titles  changed,  which 
were  to  be  sent  back  to  the  prince  in  return,  in  which  there 
was  no  difference  of  expression,  except  in  this  clause,  which 
was  added  at  the  end  of  the  letters  :  "  We,  Peter  Giska, 
palatine  of  Polotsk,  and  captain  of  Drogieczin,  and  Michael 

1  The  St.  George  on  the  seal  attached  to  the  letter  sent  by  the  Grand 
Duke  of  Muscovy  to  Edward  VI.  by  the  hands  of  Richard  Chancelor,  is 
described  by  Hakluyt  (vol.  i,  fo.  255,  ed.  1598-9),  as  "  the  image  of  a 
man  on  horseback,  in  complete  harnesse,  fighting  with  a  dragon."  The 
Greeks,  from  whom  the  Russians  in  all  probability  derived  theii-  rever- 
ence for  this  saint,  always  represented  St.  George  clad  in  armour.  The 
naked  figure,  as  above  described,  is  represented  in  the  corner  of  the  fron- 
tispiece to  the  present  volume,  and  shows  a  coarseness  of  design,  betray- 
ing more  of  the  uncultivated  Tartar  than  the  civilized  Greek. 


140  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA, 

Bohuscli  Boliutinovich,  treasurer  of  the  grand  duchy  of  Li- 
thuania, and  cajitain  of  Schlovin  and  Kamenctz,  ambassadors 
of  the  King  of  Poland  and  Grand  Duke  of  Lithuania,  declare, 
and  have  thereto  kissed  the  sign  of  the  cross,  and  have  bound 
ourselves  that  our  king  will  also  confirm  the  same  letters  in 
the  same  manner  by  kissing  the  cross ;  and  for  the  better 
confirmation  of  this  engagement,  have  sealed  these  letters 
with  our  seals."  After  these  letters  had  been  heard  and 
witnessed,  we  were  all  summoned  together  into  the  j)resence 
of  the  prince.  On  entering  his  presence,  he  ordered  us  to 
be  seated,  and  addressed  us  in  the  following  words:  — 
"  John  Francis,  Count  Leonhard,  and  Sigismund,  ye  have 
besought  us  in  the  name  of  Pope  Clement  VII,  and  of  our 
brother  Charles  and  his  brother  Ferdinand,  to  enter  into  a 
lasting  peace  with  Sigismund,  king  of  Poland.  As  we  have 
not  been  able  to  effect  this  on  terms  convenient  to  both,  ye 
have  requested  that  at  least  we  should  enter  into  a  truce, 
which  truce  we  now  make  and  accept,  out  of  our  love  to 
your  respective  princes ;  and  while  in  so  doing  we  show  our 
justice  to  the  king,  and  confirm  these  letters  of  truce,  we 
desire  you  to  be  present,  and  to  report  to  your  respective 
masters  that  you  were  present  at  the  completion  and  lawful 
signing  of  this  truce,  and  that  you  have  seen  that  we  have 
done  all  this  for  love  of  them." 

At  the  conclusion  of  this  speech  he  called  his  councillor, 
Michael  Georgeovich,  and  ordered  him  to  take  the  gilt  cross 
which  hung  by  a  silken  cord  on  the  opposite  wall.  The 
councillor  then  took  a  clean  napkin,  which  was  placed  on  a 
ewer  in  a  basin,  and  laying  hold  of  the  cross  with  great  re- 
verence, held  it  in  his  right  hand.  At  the  same  time  the 
secretary  held  the  letters  of  truce  in  both  hands,  in  such  a 
manner  that  the  letter  of  the  Lithuanians,  which  lay  at  the 
bottom,  protruded  far  enough  for  the  clause  by  Avhich  the 
Lithuanians  bound  themselves  to  be  distinctly  seen.  At  the 
same  moment  as  Michael  placed  his  right  hand  holding  the 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  141 

cross  upon  these  letters,  the  prince  arose,  and  addresshig  the 
Lithuanian  ambassadors,  explained  in  a  long  speech  that  he 
should  not  have  refused  peace,  recommended  by  the  special 
request  and  instigation  of  the  great  princes,  whose  ambassa- 
dors they  saw  then  present,  if  that  peace  could  have  been 
brought  about  upon  any  suitable  terms  ;  but  as  it  was  im- 
possible to  enter  upon  a  lasting  peace  with  their  king,  he 
had,  out  of  consideration  to  those  princes,  entered  into  a 
truce  of  five  years  by  vii'tue  of  those  letters  (pointing  to  the 
letters  with  his  finger).  "  Which  truce,"  said  he,  "  we  shall 
observe  as  God  will,  and  show  our  justice  to  our  brother 
King  Sigismund — on  this  condition,  however,  that  the  king 
give  us  letters  corresponding  in  every  respect,  and  written 
in  the  same  tenor  ;  and  confirm  them  in  the  presence  of  our 
ambassadors  ;  and  do  justice  by  us  ;  and  see  that  they  be  at 
length  conveyed  to  us  through  our  ambassadors.  In  the 
meantime  you  will  also  bind  yourselves  with  an  oath,  that 
your  king  will  perform  and  observe  each  and  all  of  these 
articles."  He  then  looked  upon  the  cross,  and  signed  him- 
self three  times  with  the  sign  of  the  cross,  bowing  his  head 
each  time  so  that  his  hands  nearly  touched  the  ground  ;  then 
advancing  nearer,  and  moving  his  lips  as  if  in  prayer,  he 
wiped  his  mouth  with  the  napkin,  and  spitting  upon  the 
ground  he  kissed  the  cross,  and  then  first  touched  it  with  his 
forehead  and  afterwards  with  each  eye ;  then  receding,  he 
again  bowed  his  head  and  signed  himself  with  the  cross. 
After  this  he  desired  the  Lithuanians  to  advance  and  do 
the  same.  Before  the  ambassadors  did  so,  the  one  named 
Bohusch,  who  was  of  the  Russian  creed,  repeated  the  formula 
by  which  they  had  bound  themselves,  and  which  was  drawn 
up  at  great  length,  although  containing  little  or  nothing 
more  than  was  contained  in  the  sentence  above  given.  Peter, 
the  colleague  of  Bohusch,  who  was  of  the  Roman  Church, 
also  repeated  each  word  of  it,  and  the  prince's  interpreter 
likewise  translated  it  to  us  word  for  word.    Ai'tcx  the  formula 


142  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

had  been  repeated  and  interpreted,  Peter  and  Boliusch,  each 
in  his  tui-n,  kissed  the  same  cross  in  the  presence  of  the 
prince.  This  done,  the  prince  sat  down  and  spoke  to  the 
following  effect.  "  Ye  have  seen  that  at  the  special  request 
of  Clement,  Charles,  and  Ferdmand,  we  have  performed  our 
part  in  justice  to  our  brother,  Sigismund,  king  of  Poland^  do 
thou  therefore,  John  Francis,  report  to  the  pope  ;~aird'thou. 
Count  Leonhard,  to  Charles  ;  and  thou,  Sigismund,  to  Fer- 
dinand, that  we  have  done  these  things  for  love  of  them,  and 
to  prevent  the  effusion  of  Christian  blood  by  wars  between 
the  two  nations." 

After  he  had  made  these  statements  in  a  long  speech,  in 
which  the  usual  titles  were  given  at  length,  we  in  our  turn 
promised  that  we  would  faithfully  carry  out  his  instructions. 
He  then  called  to  him  two  of  his  principal  councillors  and 
secretaries,  and  intimated  to  the  Lithuanians  that  they  had 
been  already  appointed  ambassadors  to  the  king  of  Poland  : 
he  finally  ordered  several  goblets  to  be  brought,  and  with 
his  own  hand  presented  them  to  us  and  to  the  Lithuanians, 
as  well  as  to  each  of  our  own  and  the  Lithuanian  noblemen 
present.  Finally,  calling  the  Lithuanian  ambassadors  by 
name,  he  said :  "  You  will  explain  to  our  brother.  King  Sigis- 
mund, what  we  have  now  done,  and  what  otherwise  you 
have  understood  from  our  councillors."  Having  said  this, 
he  arose  and  again  said  :  "  Peter  and  Bohusch,  ye  will  in  our 
name  make  obeisance  (here  he  slightly  bowed  his  head)  to 
our  brother,  Sigismund,  King  of  Poland  and  Grand  Duke  of 
Lithuania."  He  then  sat  down  and  called  each  one  to  him, 
and  presenting  his  right  hand  to  them  and  the  noblemen  of 
their  company  in  rotation,  he  said:  "  Now  depart."  And 
so  he  dismissed  them. 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  143 


1^2  Sourncus  into  Russia, 

In  the  year  1515  there  came  to  Vienna,  to  the  Emperor 
Maxmiilian,  Vladislaus  and  his  son  Louis,  kings  of  Hun- 
gary and  Bohemia,  and  Sigismund,  king  of  Poland  ;  and 
after  marriages  had  been  contracted  and  solemnized  in  that 
city,  between  various  members  of  their  familes,  and  a  mutual 
friendship  established  between  them,  the  emperor,  among 
other  things,  made  a  promise  that  he  would  send  ambassadors 
to  Vasiley,  Grand  Duke  of  Kussia,  who  had  brought  about 
the  peace  between  himself  and  the  King  of  Poland.  The 
persons  appointed  by  the  emperor  to  vmdertake  the  embassy, 
were  Christopher,  Bishop  of  Laybach,  and  Peter  Mraxi ; 
but  as  the  bishop  delayed  the  undertaking,  although  John 
Dantiscus,  afterwards  Bishop  of  Helsperg,^  who  was  King 
Sigismund's  secretary,  growing  impatient  of  the  loss  of  time, 
continually  urged  him  to  start,  the  task  of  undertaking  this 
embassy  was  allotted  to  me  shortly  after  my  return  from 
Dantzig. 

Immediately  on  my  receiving  the  emperor's  commands,  at 
Hagenau,  a  town  of  Alsace,  I  departed ;  and  first  crossing 
the  Rhine,  passed  through  the  territory  of  the  marquises  of 
Baden,  touching  at  the  towns  of  Rastadt,  Erlingen,  Pfortzach, 
and  so  into  the  duchy  of  Wirtemburg,  I  then  came  to  the 
imperial  city  of  Erlingen,  situated  on  the  Neckar,  and  thence 
to  Gopingen  and  Geislingen. 

Afterwards,  crossing  the  Danube  at  Ulm,  I  passed  through 
Gunsburg  and  the  town  of  Purgow,  from  which  the  marqui- 
sate  of  Burgow  takes  its  name,  and  so  reached  Augsbui-g, 

^  Johann  Flachsbindei-,  named  Dantiscus,  from  Dantzig,  his  birth- 
place, editor  of  the  Soteria,  a  collection  of  panegyrics  on  Herberstein,  of 
several  of  which  he  was  also  the  author. 


144  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

which  is  situated  on  the  Lech ;  and  there  I  was  met  by  Gre- 
gory Sagrevski,  the  Russian  ambassador,  and  Chrysostom 
Cohimnus  [Colonna  ?],  the  secretary  of  Elizabeth,  widow  of 
John  Sforza,  of  Milan  and  Bari,  who  became  the  companions 
of  my  journey.  Leaving  Augsburg  in  the  beginning  of  the 
year  1516,  we  crossed  the  Lech,  and  passed  through  the  fol- 
lowing cities  and  towns  of  Bavaria, — Fridberg,  InderstoriF, 
Freysingen,  the  seat  of  a  bishopric  on  the  river  Ambor 
[Iser  ?],  Landschuct,  on  the  Iser,  Gengkhofn,  Pfarkhirchen, 
and  Scharding,  on  the  Inn.  Crossing  the  Inn,  and  proceeding 
along  the  banks  of  the  Danube,  we  reached  Austria,  above 
the  Ens.  We  then  entered  Linz,  a  town  on  the  banks  of 
the  Danube,  and  capital  of  that  province ;  and  crossing  a 
bridge  thrown  across  the  Danube  at  that  place,  passed  through 
the  to-vvns  of  Galneukirchen,  Pregarta,  Pierpach,  Kunigsvisn, 
Arbaspach,  Eapolstein,  into  the  archduchy  of  Austria,  and 
so  through  the  towns  of  Claraval,  commonly  called  Zvetl, 
Rastafeld,  Horn,  and  Retz.  We  then  proceeded  direct  to 
Snoima  [Zneym],  a  town  in  Moravia,  beyond  the  river  Teya, 
which  for  the  most  part  separates  Austria  from  Moravia. 
At  this  place  I  heard  of  the  death  of  my  colleague,  Peter 
Mraxi ;  and  thus,  agreeably  with  the  emperor's  wish,  I  took 
upon  myself  alone  the  task  wliich  had  been  assigned  to  us 
conjointly. 

From  Zneym  to  Wolfernitz  [Wolframitz]  and  Brunn,  then 
to  Olmutz,  the  seat  of  a  bishopric,  on  the  river  Moraw.  These 
three  cities,  Zneym,  Brunn,  and  Olmutz,  are  the  principal 
cities  in  the  marquisate.     Thence  to  Lipnik. 

Hranitza,  in  German,  Weissenkirchen. 

Itzin,  in  German,  Tischcn. 

Ostrava,  in  German,  the  town  of  Ostra,  where  we  crossed 
the  river  Ostravitza,  which  washes  the  town,  and  separates 
Silesia  from  Moravia. 

Afterwards  to  Freistatt,  a  town  of  Silesia,  belonging  to  the 
dukes  of  Tischcn,  and  situated  on  the  Elsa. 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  145 

Strumeri;  in  German,  Schwartzwasser. 

Ptzni,  in  German  the  principality  of  Pies,  at  two  miles 
from  which,  is  a  bridge  across  the  Istula  [Vistula],  the  bound- 
ary of  the  Bohemian  territory. 

Beyond  the  bridge,  over  the  Vistula,  is  the  territory  of 
Poland ;  and  at  one  mile  from  that  spot  we  enter  the  prin- 
cipality of  Oschwentzin  [Osvieczin],  in  German,  Auschwitz, 
where  the  river  Sola  falls  into  the  Vistula. 

Beyond  Oschwentzin,  we  crossed  the  Vistula  by  a  bridge, 
and  after  completing  eight  miles,  reached  Cracow,  the 
capital  of  the  kingdom  of  Poland,  and  put  our  carriages  on 
sledges. 

Proceeding  from  Cracow 

To  Prostovitza,  four  miles. 

VisKtza,  six  miles. 

Schidlov,  five  miles. 

Oppatov,  six  miles. 

Savichost,  four  miles ;  where  again  crossing,  and  leaving 
the  river  Vistula  to  the  left, 

Ursendov^  five  miles. 

To  the  palatinate  of  Lublin,  seven  miles  ;  where,  at  a 
fixed  time  of  the  year,  are  held  some  celebrated  fairs,  at 
which  assemble  people  from  all  parts  of  the  world,  Russians, 
Lithuanians,  Tartars,  Livonians,  Prussians,  Germans,  Hun- 
garians, Ai-menians,  "VValachians,  and  Jews. 

Cotzko,  eight  miles ;  but  before  reacliing  it,  we  came  to 
the  river  Viepers,  which  flows  towards  the  north. 

Meseriz,  eight  miles ;  a  little  beyond  which  is  the  frontier 
of  Poland. 

Melnik,  a  towTi  of  Lithuania,  on  the  river  Bug,  six  mUes. 

Bielsco,  eight  miles. 

Narev,  where  a  river  of  the  same  name  flows  out  of  a 
lake,  and  certain  marshes,  and  takes  a  northward  course, 
four  miles. 

From  Narev,  crossing  a  wood,  eight  miles ;  beyond  which 
VOL.  II.  u 


146  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

is  the  to"\vn  of  Grinki,  in  which  came  royal  messengers  to 
meet  iis  (called  Pristavl),  who  supplied  us  with  provisions, 
and  escorted  us  to  Vilna. 

Thence  to  Grodna,  six  miles.  This  principality  is  com- 
fortable enough,  considering  the  nature  of  the  climate.  There 
is  a  fortified  city,  called  by  the  Germans  Mumel,  situated  on 
the  river  Nemen,  which  also  flows  by  Prussia  itself.  This 
city  was  formerly  governed  by  the  grand-master  of  the  Teu- 
tonic order,  but  is  now  held  under  the  title  of  a  duchy  by 
Albert,  hereditary  marquis  of  Brandenburg.  I  think,  from 
the  name  of  the  town,  that  this  is  the  river  Cronon.  It  was 
there,  and  in  the  same  house  or  palace  (as  they  call  it)  in 
which  I  was  entertained,  that  Ivan  Savorsinski  was  slain 
by  Michael  Linski.  Here  also  I  left  the  Russian  ambassa- 
dor, whom  the  king  had  forbidden  to  go  to  Vilna. 

Prelai,  two  miles. 

Wolronick,  five  miles. 

Rudniki,  four  miles. 

Vilna,  also  four  miles. 

Before  arriving  at  Vilna,  some  persons  of  distinction  were 
sent  out  in  readiness  to  meet  me,  and  to  give  me  an  honour- 
able reception  m  the  name  of  the  king,  and  who  escorted 
me  to  my  hotel  in  a  sledge,  or  wide  carriage,  spread  with 
cushions,  and  Avith  furniture  of  silk  and  gold,  accompanied 
on  each  side  by  the  servants  of  the  king.  Then  came  Peter 
/Toniitzki,  who  was  then  Bishop  of  Preniisl,  and  vice-chan- 
\  cellor  of  the  King  of  Poland,  a  man  whose  distinguished 
/  virtue  and  integrity  were  acknowledged  by  all,  and  who 
I  received  me  most  kindly  in  the  name  of  the  king.  Shortly 
afterwards  he  conducted  me,  under  escort  of  a  great  number 
of  courtiers,  to  the  presence  of  the  king  himself,  who  received 
me  most  kindly  in  the  presence  of  a  great  number  of  the 
chief  men  and  nobles  of  the  grand  duchy  of  Lithuania. 

At  that  time,  the  marriage  which  the  emperor  had  pro- 
moted through  my  medium  as  ambassador,  between  the  king 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  147 

himself  and  Bona,  the  daughter  of  Giovanni  Galeazzo  Sforza, 
was  contracted  and  solemnized. 

There  were  there  in  close  confinement  three  Russian  gene- 
rals, to  whom,  in  the  battle  of  Orsa  in  the  year  1514,  the 
chief  command  of  the  Russian  army  had  been  intrusted. 
By  the  king's  permission  I  was  allowed  to  pay  my  respects 
to  them,  and  consoled  them  to  the  best  of  my  ability. 

Vilna,  the  capital  of  the  grand  duchy  of  Lithuania,  stands 
at  the  point  where  the  rivers  Velia  and  Vilna  meet ;  they 
flow  into  the  Nemen  or  Cronon.  I  left  Chrysostom  Columna 
[Colonna  ?]  there,  and  did  not  stay  there  any  length  of 
time. 

I  left  Vilna  on  the  14th  of  March,  but  not  by  the  public 
and  usual  road  into  Russia  (one  of  which  is  by  Smolensko, 
and  the  other  by  Livonia) ;  but  taking  the  road  which  lies 
between  these  two,  four  miles  brought  me  to  Nementschin, 
and  eight  miles  further  to  Svintrawa,  crossing  the  river 
Schamena. 

On  the  following  day  to  Disla,  six  miles,  where  is  a  lake 
bearing  the  same  name ;  and  four  miles  to  Drismet,  where 
the  Russian  ambassador,  whom  I  had  left  at  Grodno,  returned 
to  me. 

Four  miles  to  Braslaw,  on  the  lake  Nawer,  which  is  a 
mile  in  length. 

After  five  miles,  we  reached  Dedina,  and  the  river  Dwina, 
which  the  Livonians,  whose  territory  it  runs  through,  call 
Duna.     Some  call  it  Turantum. 

Seven  miles  thence  to  Drissa ;  and  hastening  on,  we  again 
came  to  the  river  Dwina,  at  the  town  of  Betha ;  and  as  the 
river  was  frozen  over,  we  were  carried  sixteen  miles  up  it  in 
sledges,  after  the  fashion  of  these  people,  and  then  we  came 
upon  a  point  where  two  high  roads  met.  While  we  were 
doubting  which  one  we  should  take,  I  sent  a  servant  into  a 
l^easant's  house  which  stood  on  the  bank  to  inquire ;  bvit  as 
the  ice  was  fast  melting  under  the  noonday  sun,  the  messen- 


148  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

ger  fell  in  amongst  the  melting  and  broken  ice  near  the 
bank,  and  was  only  extricated  with  difficulty.  It  happened 
also  that  at  a  certain  place  the  river  was  entirely  melted  on 
both  sides,  and  the  ice  being  removed,  we  had  only  that 
part  of  the  ice  which  continual  traffic  had  hardened,  and 
which  was  comprised  within  the  tracks  of  the  carriage-wheels, 
to  serve  us  by  way  of  a  bridge  to  cross  over,  which  we  did 
with  great  dread  and  risk.  The  general  rumour  increased 
our  alarm ;  for  we  were  told,  that  not  long  before,  about  a 
hundred  E,ussian  nobles,  in  crossing  over  the  same  river  when 
it  was  frozen,  had  been  all  drowned  to  a  man. 

From  Drissa  to  Doporoski,  six  miles ;  and  thence  to  the 
principality  of  Polotzko,  which  they  call  Waiwodate,  seated 
on  the  river  Dwina,  which  some  call  the  Rubo.  At  this 
place  we  were  received  with  distinction  in  the  midst  of  a 
large  concourse  of  people,  and  were  treated  with  magnificence 
and  cordiality,  and  finally  conducted  to  our  residence. 

Between  Vilna  and  Polotzco  are  numerous  lakes,  and  a 
considerable  number  of  marshes,  with  woods  of  immense  ex- 
tent, stretching  even  as  far  as  fifty  German  miles. 

On  proceeding  further,  we  found  the  road  on  the  frontiers 
of  the  kingdom  by  no  means  safe,  on  account  of  the  frequent 
skii-mishes  made  on  each  side,  and  there  were  either  no  inns, 
or  they  were  deserted.  But  after  passing  through  several 
marshes  and  woods,  we  came  to  the  cottages  of  the  shep- 
herds Harbsle  and  Milenki,  in  which  journey  my  Lithu- 
anian guide  deserted  me.  In  addition  to  the  discomforts  of 
the  inns,  must  be  mentioned  the  extreme  difficulty  of  the 
road,  in  as  much  as  we  had  to  travel  amongst  lakes  and 
marshes  slippery  with  snow  and  ice,  until  we  came  to  the 
town  of  Nischa,  seated  on  a  lake  of  the  same  name. 

Thence  four  miles  to  Quadassen ;  at  which  place  we  crossed 
with  great  fear  and  peril  a  certain  lake,  in  which  the  waters 
stood  above  the  ice,  and  reached  the  hut  of  a  certain  peasant, 
where,  by  the  foresight  of  my  companion  George,  we  were 


/ 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  149 

supplied  with  provisions  from  the  Russian  territory.  Indeed, 
at  that  place  I  was  unable  to  distinguish  or  take  any  observa- 
tion of  the  boundaries  of  each  prince. 

Corsula  is,  without  dispute,  in  the  Russian  dominions. 
Having  crossed  the  two  rivers,  Velicaricka  and  Dsternicza, 
at  this  place,  after  two  miles  we  came  to  Opotzka,  a  fortified 
city  on  the  Velicaricka,  where  is  a  floating-bridge,  over  which 
the  horses  passed  for  the  most  part  up  to  their  knees  in 
water.  The  King  of  Poland  besieged  this  fortress  at  the 
time  that  I  was  at  Moscow  treating  for  peace.  Although  in 
those  places  it  would  seem  to  be  impossible  to  draw  up  an 
army,  on  account  of  the  great  number  of  marshes,  woods, 
and  innumerable  rivers ;  nevertheless,  they  march  straight 
on  in  whatever  direction  they  please,  for  they  send  before 
them  a  great  number  of  peasants,  who  cut  down  and  remove 
the  trees  and  every  other  impediment,  and  throw  bridges 
over  the  marshes  and  rivers. 

Thence  eight  miles  to  Voronecz,  a  town  situated  on  the 
river  Szoret,  which,  after  receiving  the  waters  of  the  river 
Voronecz,  a  little  lower  down,  passes  by  the  town  of  Ve- 
licaricka. 

Fiburg,  five  miles. 

Volodimeretz,  a  town  with  a  fort,  nearly  three  miles. 

Brod,  a  house  of  a  certain  peasant,  also  three  miles.  Five 
miles  from  thence  we  crossed  a  bridge  over  the  river  Ussa, 
which  flows  into  the  Scholona. 

The  fortified  city  of  Parcho,  seated  on  the  river  Scholona. 

A  certain  house,  called  Opoca,  near  which  the  river  Vi- 
docha  falls  into  the  Suchana,  five  miles. 

Thence,  after  crossing  seven  rivers,  to  a  house  named 
Reisch,  also  five  miles. 

The  house  of  Dverenbutig,  five  miles ;  half  a  mile  below 
which,  the  river  Pschega,  after  receiving  the  waters  of  the 
river  Strupin,  flows  into  the  Scholona ;  into  which  flow  four 
other  rivers,  which  we  crossed  on  that  day. 


150  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

Five  miles  to  Sotoki,  a  little  fellow's  house,  at  four  miles 
from  which  we  at  length  reached  Great  Novogorod,  on  the 
fourth  of  April,  But  between  Polotzko  and  Novogorod  we 
crossed  so  many  marshes  and  rivers,  that  even  the  inhabitants 
have  no  names  for  them ;  much  less  can  any  one  record  or 
describe  them. 

During  a  short  stay  of  seven  days  for  rest  at  Novogorod, 
I  was  received  at  a  banquet  by  the  governor  himself,  on 
Palm  Sunday,  and  kindly  recommended  by  him  to  leave  my 
servants  and  horses  there,  and  to  travel  to  Moscow  with  post- 
horses,  as  they  are  commonly  called.  In  compliance  with 
which,  I  departed,  and  we  first  came  to  Brodnitz,  a  journey 
of  four  miles ;  after  which,  we  made  a  whole  day's  journey 
along  the  Msta,  a  navigable  river,  which  takes  its  rise  in 
lake  Samstin,  It  happened  on  that  day,  as  we  were  riding 
with  the  said  post-horses  through  a  meadow  where  the  snow 
was  melting,  the  horse  of  my  Lithuanian  servant  fell,  and 
went  quite  over  together  with  the  servant,  but  rolling  him- 
self over  a  second  time,  like  a  wheel,  he  came  upon  his  hind 
legs,  and  stood  up  again,  without  in  the  meanwhile  touch- 
ing the  earth  with  his  sides,  or  injuring  the  servant,  who  lay 
prostrate  under  him. 

After  this,  straight  to  Seitskov,  beyond  the  river  Nischa, 
six  miles. 

To  Harosczi,  beyond  the  river  Calacha,  seven  miles. 

To  Great  E-echelvitza,  which  lies  on  the  river  Palamit, 
seven  miles,  Gn  that  day  we  crossed  eight  rivers,  and  one 
lake,  frozen  over  indeed,  but  covered  with  water  above 
the  ice. 

At  length,  on  the  sixth  day  before  Easter,  we  came  to  the 
post-house,  and  crossed  thi'ee  lakes.  The  first,  lake  Voldai, 
which  is  one  mile  in  breadth,  and  two  in  length ;  the  second, 
lake  Lutinitsch,  of  no  very  great  size ;  and  the  third,  lake 
Jhedra,  on  which  stands  a  town  of  the  same  name,  at  eight 
miles  distance  from  Great.     In  truth,  on  that  day  we  had  a 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  151 

most  difficult  and  dangerous  journey  in  following  the  beaten 
track  through  these  lakes,  which  were  still  frozen,  but  inun- 
dated with  a  vast  quantity  of  water  from  the  melting  snow ; 
nor  dared  we  turn  aside  from  the  public  road,  both  on  account 
of  the  depth  of  the  snow,  and  because  no  sign  of  any  path 
was  visible.  After  completing  this  difficult  and  dangerous 
journey,  we  came  to 

Choitilova,  seven  miles  ;  below  Avhich,  after  crossing  two 
rivers,  Schlingva  and  Snai,  at  the  point  of  their  confluence, 
and  where  they  flow  into  the  river  Msta,  we  reached  Volos- 
chak,  and  there  rested  on  Easter  Day.  Afterwards,  ha^dng 
completed  seven  miles,  and  crossing  the  river  Tverza,  we 
came  to 

Wedrapusta,  a  town  on  its  banks ;  and  thence  descending 
seven  miles,  came  to  the  city  of 

Dverschak ;  two  miles  below  which  we  crossed  the  river 
Schegima  in  fishing  boats,  and  came  to  the  town  of 

Ossoga,  where  we  rested  a  day ;  and  the  day  after,  sailed 
seven  miles  along  the  river  Tverza,  and  reached 

Medina ;  and  after  dinner  again  took  boat,  and  travelled 
seven  miles  on  that  most  celebrated  river,  the  Volga,  and  so 
came  to  the  principality  of 

Tver.  Here  taking  a  larger  vessel,  we  sailed  along  the 
Volga,  but  before  long  came  to  a  part  where  the  river  was 
frozen  over  and  blocked  up  with  masses  of  ice,  but  by  dint 
of  great  exertion  and  labour  we  managed  to  get  to  land  at  a 
certain  point ;  but  as  the  ice  was  frozen  into  a  thick  mass,  it 
was  with  difficulty  that  we  at  length  reached  the  bank. 
Thence  we  went  on  foot  to  the  house  of  a  certain  peasant, 
and  mounting  some  ponies  that  we  happened  to  find  there, 
came  to  the  monastery  of  Saint  Elias,  where  we  changed  our 
horses,  and  reached,  at  a  distance  of  three  miles  in  a  straight 
line  from  that  place,  the  town  of 
Gerodin,  seated  on  the  Volga. 
Thence  to  Schossa,  three  miles. 


152  NOTES    UPON    KUSSIA. 

To  Dschorno,  a  post  station,  three  miles. 

To  tlie  town  of  Clin,  on  the  river  Januza,  six  miles. 

To  Prissack,  a  post  station,  three  miles. 

To  Schorna,  situated  on  a  river  of  the  same  name,  three 

miles. 

At  a  distance  of  three  miles  from  that  place,  we  at  length 
reached  Moscow  on  the  18th  of  April.  Of  our  reception 
and  treatment  in  that  city,  I  have  already  spoken  at  suffi- 
cient length,  in  describing  the  mode  of  treating  and  receiv- 
ing ambassadors. 


I  said  at  the  outset  that  I  was  sent  to  Moscow  by  the 
Emperor  Maximilian,  to  make  peace  between  the  princes  of 
Poland  and  Muscovy,  but  that  I  retiirned  without  accom- 
plishing my  object;  for  while  the  ambassadors  of  the  King 
of  Poland  were  present  at  Moscow,  and  I  was  treating  for 
peace  and  harmony,  the  king  drew  up  his  army  before  the 
fortress  of  Opotzka,  but  without  effect.  Upon  which  the 
prince  refused  to  enter  into  a  truce  with  the  king ;  and  my 
negotiation  being  thus  put  a  stop  to,  I  was  honourably  dis- 
missed. 

Leaving  Moscow,  therefore,  I  went  straight  to  Mosaisko, 
eighteen  miles. 

Viesma,  twenty-six  miles. 

Drogobusch,  eighteen  miles. 

I  then  came  to  Smolensko,  eighteen  miles ;  after  which 
we  had  to  pass  two  nights  in  the  open  air  in  the  midst  of  a 
deep  snow;  but  I  received  much  cheerful  and  respectful 
attention  from  my  guides,  who  strewed  hay  to  some  depth 
upon  the  ground,  and  covered  it  with  the  bark  of  trees ;  we 
spread  a  table-cloth,  and  sitting  down  to  the  table  cross- 


NOTES    UrOX    RUSSIA.  153 

legged,  after  the  fashion  of  the  Turks  or  Tartars,  we  took 
our  meal,  and  drinking  somewhat  freely,  made  a  long  supper 
of  it.  Next  night  we  came  to  a  certain  river,  not  at  all 
frozen  at  the  time  we  came  up  to  it ;  but  after  midnight  the 
cold  was  so  intense,  and  the  river  frozen  so  hard,  that  ten 
heavily  laden  waggons  first  crossed  over  it ;  but  the  horses 
were  driven  to  a  spot  where  the  current  of  the  river  was 
stronger,  and  passed  over  amongst  the  broken  ice. 

At  that  point,  which  is  twelve  miles  from  Smolensko,  my 
guides  left  me,  and  I  proceeded  for  Lithuania ;  and  at  eight 
miles  firom  the  frontier,  came  to  Dobro\Tia,  where  I  re- 
ceived abundance  of  the  necessaries  of  life,  with  Lithuanian 
hospitality. 

To  Orsa,  four  miles ;  between  which  and  Viesma  we  had 
the  Dnieper  on  our  right,  which  river  we  had  to  cross 
twice  at  no  long  interval,  both  above  and  below  Smolensko. 
Leaving  it  near  Orsa,  we  came  straight  to 

Druzek,  eight  miles. 

Grodno,  eleven  miles. 

Borisov,  six  miles,  on  the  river  Beresina,  whose  sources 
Ptolemy  ascribes  to  the  Dnieper. 

Lohoschakh,  eight  miles. 

Radochostye,  nearly  seven  miles. 

Crasno  Sello,  two  miles. 

Modolesch,  two  miles. 

The  town  of  Creva,  with  a  deserted  fortress,  six  miles. 

Mednick,  also  a  town  with  a  deserted  fortress,  seven  miles, 
and  thence  at  length  we  came  to 

Vilna ;  and  there  stayed  a  few  days,  after  th(?  departure 
of  the  king  for  Poland,  while  my  servants  were  returning 
with  my  horses  from  Novogorod  through  Livonia.  On  re- 
ceiving my  horses,  I  immediately  made  a  diversion  of  four 
miles  from  the  road  into  Troki,  in  order  to  see  some  bisons, 
called  by  some  "  ui'i",  but  in  German,  "  auroxen",  and 
which  were  there  kept  enclosed  in  a  garden.     The  palatine, 

VOL.  II.  X 


154  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

although  somewhat  ofFendcd  by  my  sudden  and  unexpected 
arrival,  nevertheless  invited  me  to  a  banquet,  at  which 
Scheachmet,  the  Tartar  king  of  Savolha,  was  present,  who 
was  kept  there  in  honourable  servitude,  as  if  in  free  custody, 
in  two  castles  surrounded  with  walls,  and  situated  amongst 
the  lakes.  In  the  course  of  dinner,  he  conversed  with  me 
on  many  subjects,  through  an  interpreter,  calling  the  empe- 
ror his  brother,  and  declaring  that  all  princes  and  kings 
were  brothers  to  each  other. 

Having  dined,  and,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  Lithu- 
anians, received  a  present  from  the  palatine,  I  proceeded  on 
my  journey  first  to  the  town  of  Moroschei,  and  then  to 

Grodno,  fifteen  miles. 

To  Grinki,  six  miles ;  and  after  crossing  a  wood. 

To  ISTarev,  eight  miles ;  and  thence  to  the  town  of 
y  Biclsko ;  where  I  met  with  Nicolas  Kadovil,  the  palatine 
of  Vilna,  to  whom  I  had  already  conveyed  letters  from  the 
emperor,  and  who,  although  he  had  formerly  presented  me 
with  an  ambling  nag  and  two  carriage  horses,  now  on  this 
second  occasion  made  me  a  present  of  a  good  gelding,  and 
forced  upon  me  also  some  Hungarian  gold  pieces,  together 
with  a  ring,  which  he  begged  me  to  wear,  in  order  that 
seeing  it  daily,  I  might  the  more  easily  remember  him,  espe- 
cially in  presence  of  the  emperor. 

From  Bielsko,  to  the  fortified  Avood-built  town  of  Briesti, 
on  the  river  Bug,  into  which  flows  the  Muchavetz;  and 
thence  to  the  town  of 

Lamas ;  where  leaving  Lithuania,  I  entered  the  first  Polish 
tovm,  namely, 

Partzov ;  at  a  short  distance  above  which  flows  the  small 
river  Jasonica,  which  separates  Lithuania  from  Poland. 

Thence  to  Lublin,  nine  miles. 

Bubin, 

Orsindofl", 

Savichost,  on  the  other  side  of  the  Vistula. 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  155 

The  fortified  city  of  Sandomir,  situated  on  the  Vistula,  at 
the  distance  of  eighteen  miles  from  Lublin. 

Poloniza,  on  the  river  Czerna,  in  which  are  taken  very 
splendid  fish,  which  are  commonly  called  "  lachs".^ 
The  new  city  called  Cortzin,  with  a  walled  fortress. 
Xliis  place  reminds  me  of  a  marvellous  and  almost  incre- 
dible circumstance,  which  I  have  thought  ought  not  by  any 
means  to  be  passed  over.  Once,  in  retiu'ning  from  Lithu- 
ania through  this  country,  I  fell  in  with  a  man  who  held  a 
high  place  amongst  the  Poles,  whose  name  was  Martin  Svo- 
rovski,  who  invited  me  very  earnestly,  and  took  me  to  his 
house,  and  received  me  with  great  cordiality.  While  we 
were  talking  famiharly  on  various  subjects,  he  related  to  me 
that  a  certain  nobleman  named  Pierstinski  (at  the  time  that 

C  King  Sigismund  was  waging  war  beyond  the  Dnieper),  being 
dressed  in  rather  heavy  cavahy  armour,  went  into  the  river 
between  Smolensko  and  Dobrovna  up  to  his  knees,  and  his 

(  horse  suddenly  becoming  restive,  he  was  thrown  oiF  into  the 

middle  of  the  stream,  and  as  he  did  not  appear  for  some 

/    time,  was  given  up  with  certainty  as  a  lost  man;  but  that 

\     suddenly,  in  the  presence  of  King  Sigismund  himself  and 

/    liis  army,  consisting  of  nearly  three  thousand  men,  he  emerged 

X^from  the  water  and  came  up  to  the  bank.  Now,  although  I 
was  impressed  with  the  authority  of  the  man,  yet  he  seemed 
to  me  to  be  telling  a  story  of  a  very  incredible  character ; 
nevertheless,  it  happened  that  on  that  same  day  we  came, 
accompanied  by  Martin,  to  the  new  city  of  Cortzin,  where  lived 
a  man  of  very  high  rank  amongst  the  Poles,  one  Christopher 
Schidloveczki,  castellan  of  Cracow,  and  captain  of  the  same 
place.  As  I  was  received  there  by  him  at  a  very  splendid 
entertainment,  in  company  with  many  other  most  illustrious 
men,  the  recollection  of  this  story  of  Pierstinski  recurring  to 
my  mind,  I  could  not  refrain  from  making  mention  of  it,  which, 
in  fact,  happened  very  opportunely  ;   for  it  was  confirmed, 

^  A  kind  of  salmon. 


156  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

not  only  by  the  guests,  who  quoted  the  king  as  an  eye-wit- 
ness of  the  fact,  but  Pierstinski  himself  was  also  present  at 
the  entertainment,  and  so  explained  the  matter,  as  to  make 
it  easy  to  believe  it.  For  he  said,  that  after  being  thrown 
from  his  horse,  he  three  times  raised  himself  above  the  water, 
and  that  by  that  time,  as  before  stated,  he  had  been  consi- 
dered as  lost,  and  no  assistance  was  brought  to  him,  but  at 
the  third  time  he  succeeded  in  extricating  himself:  that  he 
then  opened  his  eyes,  and  moved  forward,  holding  his  hand 
up  by  way  of  a  sign  to  them  to  assist  him.  When  he  was 
asked  if  he  had  swallowed  water,  he  answered,  that  he  had 
done  so  twice.  I  wish  to  relate  these  things  to  others  as  I 
have  heard  them  told  to  me :  but  now  I  return  to  the  con- 
tinuation of  my  journey. 

Prostvitza,  where  the  best  beer  is  brewed. 

Thence  to  Cracow,  the  capital  of  the  kingdom,  and  seat  of 
royalty,  situated  on  the  Vistula,  eighteen  miles  from  Sandomir, 
a  city,  I  say,  famous  for  the  great  number  of  its  clergy, 
students,  and  merchants,  at  which  place  I  received  an  hon- 
ourable dismissal,  accompanied  by  a  present  from  the  king, 
to  whom  my  embassy  was  very  acceptable. 

Thence  straight  to  Lipovetz,  to  which  is  attached  a  for- 
tress, used  as  a  prison  for  priests  who  are  found  guilty  of 
more  than  ordinary  crimes. 

Thence  three  miles  to  Osventzin,  situated  on  the  Vistula,  a 
town  of  Silesia,  but  under  the  dominion  of  Poland ;  at  which 
place  the  river  Sola,  which  flows  down  from  the  mountains 
which  separate  Silesia  from  Hungary,  falls  into  the  Vistula. 
Not  far  below  the  said  town  is  the  river  Preyssa,  which  falls 
into  the  Vistula  on  the  other  side,  separating  Silesia  from  the 
territories  of  Poland  and  Bohemia. 

To  Ptzina  (in  German,  Pies),  a  principality  in  Silesia,  under 
the  dominion  of  Bohemia,  three  miles. 

To  Strumen  (in  German,  Schwartzwasser),  two  miles. 

To  Freystactl,  a  town  belonging  to  the  dukes  of  Tcschin, 


NOTES    UrON    RUSSIA.  157 

washed  by  the  river  Elsa,  which  empties  itself  into  the 
Oder. 

Thence  to  Ostrava,  a  toA\Ti  of  Moravia,  washed  by  the 
river  Ostrava,  which  separates  Silesia  from  Mora\'ia. 

The  town  of  Itschin  (in  German,  Titzein),  four  miles. 

The  town  of  Hranitza  (in  German,  AVeissenkirchen),  washed 
by  the  river  Betuna,  one  mile. 

To  Lipnik,  one  mile;  whence,  while  we  were  bending 
our  course  straight  to  Wistricia,  a  distance  of  two  miles, 
we  happened  to  be  seen  from  a  hill  by  Nicholas  Czaplitz,  a 
nobleman  of  that  province,  as  we  were  advancing  towards 
him,  and  he  immediately  seized  a  weapon,  and,  together 
with  his  two  companions,  put  himself  in  a  position  to  attack 
us.  As  I  regarded  this  as  an  act  of  drunkenness  rather  than 
of  temerity  on  the  part  of  the  man,  I  immediately  ordered 
my  servants  to  make  way  for  him  in  the  middle  of  the  road 
as  he  came  to  meet  us.  But  he,  disregarding  this  act  of 
civility,  threw  himself  into  the  midst  of  the  snow,  and  look- 
ing fiercely  at  us  as  we  passed  by,  tried  to  compel  the  ser- 
vants who  followed  behind  with  the  carriages  to  do  the  same 
as  we  had  done  in  clearing  the  way  for  him ;  but  this  they 
could  by  no  means  manage  to  do,  and  thereupon  he  di'ew 
his  sword  and  threatened  them.  As  this  produced  a  dis- 
turbance on  both  sides,  and  the  servants  who  were  behind 
mustered  together,  he  presently  received  a  wound  fi'om  a 
cross-bow  shot,  and  his  horse  being  also  wounded,  fell  under 
him. 

Pursuing  my  intended  journey  afterwards,  in  company  with 
the  E-ussian  ambassadors,  I  came  to  Olmutz,  where  this  man 
also  had  arrived  Avounded;  and  as  he  was  known  as  an 
inhabitant  of  that  country,  he  hoped  to  avenge  himself  by 
means  of  a  crowd  of  labourers  "\\'ho  were  met  together, 
and  employed  in  digging  and  embanking  fish-ponds.  By 
sober  advice,  however,  I  checked,  and  indeed  foiled  liis 
attempts. 


158  XOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

From  Olmutz  to  the  small  town  of  Bischov,  four  miles. 

To  Niklspurg,  a  town  with  a  splendid  fortress,  four  miles ; 
which,  although  situated  one  mile  beyond  the  river  Teya, 
which  in  many  places  separates  Austria  from  Moravia,  never- 
theless, is  adjacent  to  Moravia,  and  subject  to  its  dominion. 

Thence  to  Mistlbach,  a  small  town  of  Austria,  three  miles. 

Ulrichskirchen,  three  miles. 

After  another  three  miles,  we  reached  Vienna,  a  city  on 
the  Danube,  celebrated  by  many  writers  ;  and  had  the  good 
fortune  to  bring  thither  two  carriages  safe  and  sound  all  the 
way  from  Moscow. 

From  Vienna,  I  came  to  Neustadt,  eight  miles ;  and 
thence,  beyond  the  mountain  of  Semring  and  between  the 
mountains  of  Styria,  to  Salzburg.  I  afterwards  overtook  the 
emperor  at  Innspruck,  a  town  in  the  country  of  Tyrol ;  and 
His  Majesty  was  not  only  gratified  by  my  report  of  what  I 
had  done  in  pursuance  of  his  commands,  but  also  was  highly 
delighted  with  my  description  of  the  customs  and  ceremonies 
of  the  Russians.  So  much  was  this  the  case,  that  Mattha^us, 
cardinal  of  Salzburg,  who  was  a  great  favoui'ite  of  the  em- 
peror, and  an  industrious  and  very  experienced  prince  in  all 
matters  of  business,  jocosely  protested,  in  the  presence  of  the 
emperor,  against  his  hearing  or  learning  any  more  of  these 
ceremonies  from  me,  except  in  his  presence. 

The  Russian  ambassador  being  soon  after  dismissed,  and 
receiving  his  discharge  from  the  emperor,  and  as  I  was  at 
the  same  time  appointed  ambassador  to  Hungary,  to  King 
Lewis,  I  conducted  him  to  Vienna,  by  the  route  of  the  Inn 
and  the  Danube.  In  that  city  I  left  him,  and  without  delay 
took  my  seat  in  a  Hungarian  carriage ;  in  which,  with  three 
mares  harnessed  together,  I  was  carried  on  at  a  very  rapid 
rate,  and  in  a  few  hours  traversed  thirty-two  German  miles, 
and  reached  Buda.  This  great  speed  was  owing  to  the 
judicious  resting  and  changing  of  the  horses  at  convenient 
stages.     The  first  of  which  was  at  Prukh  [Bruck],  a  little 


NOTES    UrON    RUSSIA.  159 

town  on  the  river  Leytha,  which  divides  Austria  from 
Hungary,  at  a  distance  of  six  miles  from  Vienna.  The 
second,  at  the  small  fortified  town  of  Ovar  (in  German,  Al- 
tenburg),  a  distance  of  five  miles.  The  third,  in  the  town  of 
Jaurinum,  which  is  the  seat  of  a  bishopric,  and  called  by  the 
Hungarians,  Turr,  and  by  the  Germans,  K.ab,  from  the  river 
Raba,  which  washes  the  town,  and  falls  into  the  Danube. 
This  place  is  distant  from  Ovar  five  miles.  The  fourth, 
which  is  six  miles  below  Jaurinum,  is  situated  in  the  district 
of  Cotzi,  from  which  the  coachmen  derive  the  name  which 
they  give  to  their  vehicles,  from  whence  the  coaches  are  pro- 
miscuously called  "  cotzi". ^  The  last  was  in  the  district  of 
Vark,  five  miles  from  Cotzi,  where  the  horses'  feet  were  ex- 
amined, to  see  whether  the  nails  have  fallen  out  or  become 
bent,  and  the  carriage  and  harness  were  mended ;  all  these 
repairs  having  been  attended  to,  five  miles  further  on  we 
reached  Buda,  which  is  the  seat  of  royalty. 

After  explaining  and  completing  my  embassy  in  the  royal 
town  of  Buda,  and  having  finished  my  audiences,  which  are 
commonly  called  "  rakhusch",  from  the  jilace  where  they  are 
held,  and  which  is  not  far  fi'om  the  city,  I  was  dismissed 
with  great  honour  by  the  king,  and  returned  to  the  emperor, 
whose  death  occurred  in  the  following  January,  in  the  year 
of  our  Lord  1519. 

I  have  thought  proper  to  add  this  allusion  to  my  expedi- 
tion into  Hungary,  because  it  formed  almost  a  continuation  of 
my  journey  from  Moscow. 

But  as  I  have  thus  fallen  into  an  allusion  to  the  kingdom 
of  Hungary,  I  cannot  refer  to  it  without  the  deepest  grief 
and  lamentation,  inasmuch  as  this  kingdom,  which  was  pre- 
viously in  a  most  flourishing  and  powerful  condition,  has  now 
so  suddenly  become,  in  the  sight  of  all  men,  subject  to  the 
greatest  afflictions.  Truly,  there  is  a  certain  term  allotted  to 
kingdoms  and  empires,  as  to  everything  else ;  but  the  noble 

1  For  a  note  on  this  subject,  see  page  cxiv  of  the  Introduction. 


160  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

kingdom  of  Hungary  certainly  appears  to  me  to  have  been 
reduced  to  its  present  condition,  not  by  the  treachery  of  the 
fates,  but  by  wicked  and  unjust  administration.  King  Mat- 
thias, who  was  neither  sprung  from  royal  blood,  nor  illus- 
trious by  birth  from  any  ancient  stock  of  dukes  or  princes, 
was,  nevertheless,  a  king,  not  only  in  name,  but  in  reality, 
and  not  only  bravely  resisted  the  prince  of  the  Turks, 
but  endured  without  yielding  his  severest  attacks ;  he  even 
harrassed  the  emperor  of  the  Romans  himself,  as  well  as 
the  kings  of  Bohemia  and  Poland,  and  finally  became  a 
terror  to  all  his  neighbours.  In  the  same  degree,  how- 
ever, as  the  kingdom  of  Hungary  attained  to  the  height 
of  power  in  the  life  of  this  king,  through  his  valour  and 
illustrious  deeds,  so  when  he  was  removed  did  it  begin  to 
sink,  as  if  labouring  under  the  bui'den  of  its  owti  prosperity. 
For  his  successor  Vladislaus,  King  of  Bohemia,  the  eldest  son 
of  Casimir,  King  of  Poland,  although  a  pious,  religious,  and 
unblameable  prince,  was  utterly  incompetent  to  govern  so 
warlike  a  people,  especially  in  the  presence  of  so  great  an 
enemy.  For  the  Hungarians  having  become  more  brutal 
and  insolent  under  such  prosperity,  abused  the  kindness  and 
clemency  of  the  king,  and  feU  into  licentiousness,  luxury, 
sloth,  and  arrogance,  vices  which  grew  in  them  to  such  an 
extent,  that  they  even  held  the  king  himself  in  contempt. 
Moreover,  after  the  death  of  Vladislaus,  these  vices  pre- 
vailed still  more  under  his  son  Louis,  and  what  warlike 
discipline  remained  amongst  them,  utterly  decayed ;  nor 
could  the  youthful  king,  on  account  of  his  age,  remedy  these 
evils ;  for,  indeed,  in  other  respects  he  was  not  brought  up 
to  that  seriousness  of  character  which  became  his  position. 
The  chief  nobles  of  the  kmgdom,  and  especially  the  prelates, 
indulged  in  a  degree  of  luxury,  which  would  scarcely  be 
credited,  and  carried  on  a  kind  of  rivalry  amongst  themselves 
and  the  barons  as  to  which  should  surpass  the  other  in  pro- 
fusion and  splendour.     They  kept  the  rest  of  the  nobility  in 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  161 

fealty  to  them,  partly  by  rewards  and  presents,  partly  by 
their  own  power  and  intimidation,  in  order  to  retain  the 
greater  number  of  followers,  and  to  engage  their  service  and 
applause  at  public  meetings.  It  would  be  Avonderful  to  re- 
late with  what  pomp  and  ceremony,  and  with  what  a  crowd 
of  armed  horsemen,  they  entered  Buda,  preceded  by  trum- 
peters, as  if  it  were  a  kind  of  triumph. 

Moreover,  when  they  went  to,  or  returned  from  coiu'tj 
they  proceeded  ^vith  so  large  an  escort  of  attendants  and 
guards,  that  the  streets  and  passages  could  scarcely  contain 
the  crowd.  When  a  banquet  was  to  be  held,  the  trumpets 
sounded  at  each  man's  house  throughout  the  city,  the  same 
as  in  a  camp,  and  the  dinners  were  protracted  for  many 
hours,  to  the  prevention  of  all  sleep  and  rest ;  while,  by  way 
of  contrast,  there  was  a  kind  of  solitude  about  the  king's 
palace,  and  the  frontiers  of  the  kingdom  were  the  while  left 
destitute  of  the  necessary  garrisons,  and  were  laid  waste  by 
the  enemy  with  impunity.  Bishoprics  and  all  the  higher  offices 
of  the  state  were  conferred  promiscuously,  without  consi- 
deration of  merit ;  and  the  greater  the  power  that  any  man 
obtained,  the  greater  was  the  right  he  was  considered  to 
have.  Thus  justice  suffered,  and  the  weak  were  oppressed; 
and  everything  like  good  order  being  removed  and  upset,  a 
new  plan  was  invented  to  bring  a  stain  upon  the  common- 
wealth, with  an  injury  to  the  people.  This  was  the  licence 
of  bringing  in  a  silver  money,  by  which  the  former  good 
money  being  melted  down,  an  inferior  coin  began  from  time 
to  time  to  be  struck ;  and  these  again  being  withdi-awn, 
another  better  kind  was  issued,  which,  nevertheless,  could 
not  retain  its  just  value,  but  was  sometimes  considered  worth 
more,  and  sometimes  less,  according  to  the  cupidity  of  the 
wealthy ;  and  was  even  almost  openly  adulterated  with  im- 
punity by  certain  private  persons.  At  length,  the  decline, 
or  rather  confusion,  of  all  things  thi'oughout  Hungary,  was 
such,  that  any  one  who  had  the  least  experience  could  see 

VOL.   II.  Y 


162  KOTES    UrOK    RUSSIA. 

that  it  must  be  ruined,  even  if  it  had  had  no  enemy  on  its 
borders.  For  my  own  part,  I  did  not  hesitate  at  the  time 
that  I  was  acting  as  ambassador  for  my  prince  at  Buda,  to 
advise  Mary  the  queen  of  Hungary)  (introducing  the  sub- 
ject incidentally),  to  look  to  the  future,  and  to  get  together 
and  set  aside  some  provision  against  any  emergency;  and 
not  to  trust  too  much  to  the  power  and  youth  of  her  hus- 
band, nor  to  the  wealth  of  her  brothers,  points  in  which 
she  was  exposed  to  the  liability  of  death  and  a  variety  of 
accidents.  I  reminded  her  of  the  old  proverb  which  says, 
"  It  is  a  good  thing  to  have  friends  ;  but  that  they  are 
unfortunate  who  are  compelled  to  make  use  of  them." 
I  told  her  that  the  Hungarians  Avere  a  fierce,  restless, 
seditious,  and  turbulent  people,  who  showed  little  justice 
or  friendship  to  visitors  and  strangers.  That  Hungary 
was  threatened  by  a  most  powerful  enemy,  who  desired  no- 
thing better  than  to  subject  her  to  his  dominion.  Thus  I 
brought  her  back  to  the  question  of  her  own  interests,  and 
advised  her  to  make  some  provision,  with  which  to  assist 
herself  and  her  relatives  in  case  of  any  misfortune,  and  told 
her,  moreover,  that  it  was  a  more  royal  thing  to  help  others 
than  to  need  their  assistance.  Although,  however,  this  ad- 
monition was  taken  in  good  part,  considering  the  manner  of 
royalty,  and  I  was  thanked,  yet  it  turned  out  that  good  and 
faithful  counsel  was  of  no  avail,  but  that  which  I  had  feared 
and  foreboded  in  my  mind,  to  our  great  misfortune,  came  to 
pass.  jSTor  was  this  the  end  of  the  tragedy.  The  court, 
such  as  it  was,  remained ;  and  so  little  relaxation  was  there 
in  pomp,  arrogance,  insolence,  and  luxury,  that  one  of  the 
courtiers  not  inappropriately  remarked,  that  he  had  never 
seen  or  heard  of  any  kingdom  dying  with  greater  joy  or  jollity 
than  Hungary. 

Although,  however,  the  affairs  of  Hungary  were  in  this 
desperate  condition,  such  was  the  insolence  of  the  Hun- 
garians,   that    they    made   no    scruple    not    only    to    throw 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  1(33 

haughty  contempt  at  their  extremely  powerful  neighbour  the 
Turk,  but  even  to  provoke  him  against  them  by  injuries  and 
insults.  For  when  Soliman,  the  present  emperor,  on  the 
death  of  his  father,  proclaimed  to  the  neighbouring  countries,  ^, 
according  to  their  custom  on  such  occasions,  that  he  had 
succeeded  to  his  father's  territories,  and  that  the  opportunity 
was  open  to  all  to  declare  peace  or  war,  and  sent  this  pro- 
clamation more  particularly  to  the  Hungarians  by  his  am- 
bassadors ;  and  as  there  were  not  wanting  those  who  advised 
them  to  seek  peace  with  the  Poles  as  they  had  previously  done 
with  Soliman,  the  Hungarians  not  only  rejected  this  whole- 
some advice,  but  even  seized  the  ambassadors  of  the  Turkish 
emperor,  and  put  them  in  confinement.  Soliman,  incensed  at 
this  insult,  invaded  Hungary ;  and  first  taking  Naudoralba, 
which  was  not  only  the  strongest  fortress  in  Hungary  but  in  all 
Christendom,  proceeded  to  take  others  also,  and  succeeded  so 
far  as  to  gain  possession  of  Buda,  the  seat  of  royalty,  and  all 
the  princij)al  most  fortified  citadels,  and  in  fact  the  best  and 
most  flourishing  part  of  the  entire  kingdom.  And  he  now 
threatens  the  remaining  portions  in  such  a  manner,  that  they 
may  almost  be  regarded  as  subdued  and  conquered.  It  is  true 
the  Hungarians  thought  they  had  some  right  to  detain  the 
ambassadors  of  Solyman,  inasmuch  as  his  father  had  detained 
Barnabas  Bel,  an  ambassador  from  the  Hungarians,  who  had 
been  sent  to  him,  and  had  taken  him  with  him  in  the  expedi- 
tion undertaken  against  the  Sultan.  But  had  the  Hungarians 
held  their  peace  about  this,  since  as,  the  saying  is,  wrath 
without  strength  is  a  useless  thing,  they  would  have  done 
better  than  by  the  gratification  of  an  impotent  revenge  to 
provoke  a  more  powerful  enemy,  and  so  to  call  down  upon 
themselves  their  own  destruction,  as  well  as  draw  their 
neighbours  into  the  same  danger.  At  the  time  that  Solyman 
a  second  time  took  possession  of  Buda  (for  it  had  been  taken 
once  before,  but  rendered  up  to  John  Zapolski,  and  now, 
after  his   death,  was  a  second  time  besieged  and  taken,  and 


164  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

our  army  routed),  I  went  to  him  in  the  name  of  my  prince  as 
ambassador,  in  company  with  the  illustrious  Count  Nicolas 
von  Salm,  and  had  to  kiss  the  tyrant's  right  hand  in  the 
cause  of  peace,  a  proceeding  which  at  that  time  seemed  ne- 
cessary not  only  for  all  Hungary  but  even  for  the  neighbour- 
ing provinces. 

Moreover,  it  is  too  notorious  to  need  telling  what  unequal 
preparations  were  made  for  the  conflict  of  King  Louis  with 
Solyman.  A  young  king,  unskilled  in  warfare,  and  never 
before  engaged  in  war,  was  exposed  with  a  few  men,  for  the 
most  part  unfit  for  fight,  to  encounter  a  most  crafty  enemy, 
inflated  with  many  recent  victories,  and  leading  with  him 
the  flower  of  an  army  with  which  he  had  subdued  the  East 
and  a  great  part  of  Europe.  Those  troops  which  would  have 
been  the  strength  of  the  Hungarians  were  retained  by  John 
Zapolski,  the  Waywod  of  Transylvania  ;  nor  would  he 
allow  them  to  go  to  the  assistance  of  the  king.  He  also, 
after  the  death  of  the  king,  aimed  at  gaining  the  sceptre, 
which  he  had  long  coveted,  and  which  indeed  had  been 
destined  for  him  when  a  boy  by  his  father,  Stephen  Zapolski. 
For  I  recollect  to  have  heard  from  John  Lazki,  who  was 
secretary  to  Casimir,  King  of  Poland,  and  afterwards  Arch- 
bishop of  Gnesno,  that  this  Stephen  Zapolski,  after  the  death 
of  King  Matthias,  at  whose  court  he  held  the  highest  degree 
of  authority,  when  there  was  a  talk  about  creating  a  new 
king,  embraced  his  son  John,  who  was  yet  an  infant,  and 
said:  "  If,  my  son,  thou  wert  only  as  large  as  this,"  indicating 
only  a  little  greater  size  than  that  of  his  child  Avas,  "  thou 
shouldst  now  be  king  of  Hungary."  And  this  incident  was 
constantly  adduced  by  the  said  archbishop  as  a  good  omen, 
and  as  having  the  form  of  a  prognostication  whenever  we 
talked  together  upon  the  subject  of  bringing  about  a  peace 
between  my  prince  and  John  Zapolski.  And  indeed  it  came 
to  pass,  that  John,  through  Solyman,  obtained  the  royal  seal 
and  dignity,  together  with  a  portion  of  Hungary  ;  and  the 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  165 

same  is  now,  contrary  to  all  law  and  treaties,  looked  forward  to 
by  his  son,  or  rather  by  those  in  whose  power  he  is, — they, 
meanwhile,  never  taking  into  consideration  how  treacher- 
ously they  have  aheady  been  treated  by  the  tyrant  and 
ejected  from  Buda.  But  souls  which  are  blinded  with  the 
lust  of  reigning  are  borne  on  to  their  own  destruction,  and 
di'ag  their  neighbours  with  them. 

If  Christianity  had  not  held  a  garrison  (and  that  it  has  had 
a  very  strong  one  there  has  been  shewn  by  daily  experience, 
and  by  slaughters  repeated  upon  slaughters),  yet,  were  it 
but  for  the  wealth  alone  with  which  the  great  and  good  God 
has  most  bountifully  endowed  it,  and  from  which  it  has  been 
able  to  supply  the  neighbouring  nations,  it  would  not  only 
have  been  incumbent  upon  the  Hungarians  themselves,  but 
upon  all  Christians  to  struggle  for  its  welfare  as  for  a  com- 
mon country.  For  what  is  there  scarcely  in  the  whole  range 
of  nature  which  is  good  and  precious,  which  is  not  possessed 
by  Hungary  ?  If  you  seek  metals, — what  part  of  the  world 
is  more  productive  of  gold,  silver,  copper,  steel,  and  iron, 
than  Hungary  ?  It  is  true  it  is  deficient  in  lead,  and  is  said 
to  have  no  tin,  if  it  be  right  to  say  that  it  has  not  that  which 
has  not  hitherto  happened  to  be  found.  It  has  also  metallic 
salts  of  the  best  and  purest  quality,  which  are  cut  in  the 
quarries  in  large  blocks.  It  has,  moreover,  in  some  places, 
and  this  is  a  fact  which  may  justly  cause  siu'prise,  a  kind 
of  water  which  alters  the  natm-e  of  metals,  and  turns  iron 
into  copper. 

It  produces  wines,  differing  in  character  according  to  the  dif- 
ferent places  in  which  they  are  made,  and  in  several  parts  even 
beyond  Sii'mium  [Simach],  which  is  famous  for  the  amount  of 
produce  and  the  excellence  of  its  wines,  which  we  lost;  there 
are  some  wines  so  generous  and  excellent  that  they  might 
be  taken  for  Cretan  wines.  I  say  nothing  of  the  vegetation 
and  the  boundless  abundance  of  all  kinds  of  the  best  fi-uits. 
Then  as  to  game  and  everything  which  is  taken  in  hunting 


106  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

or  hawking,  why  should  I  not  speak  of  them  ?  For  the  abun- 
•  dance  is  so  great  in  Hungary,  that  it  is  considered  as  a 
very  offensive  thing  to  forbid  the  peasantry  either  to  hunt  or 
hawk ;  and  the  common  people  have  scarcely  inferior  ban- 
quets to  those  of  the  nobility,  as  regards  hares,  fallow  deer, 
stags,  wild  boars,  thrushes,  partridges,  pheasants,  aurochsen, 
and  everything  of  the  same  kind  which  elsewhere  is  coveted 
for  more  refined  tables.  Cattle  indeed  is  so  abundant,  that 
you  might  well  wonder  whence  came  such  numbers  of  large 
herds  of  oxen,  and  flocks  of  sheep,  as  are  exported  into 
foreign  countries,  such  as  Italy,  Germany,  and  Bohemia.  For 
while  there  are  many  roads  lying  open  thi-oiigh  Moravia, 
Austria,  Styria,  Sclavonia,  and  other  provinces  bordering 
upon  Hungary,  through  which  cattle  can  be  driven  in  herds 
from  tliis  country,  it  has  been  noticed  that  by  one  of  them 
alone,  namely,  the  Vienna  road,  more  than  eighty  thousand 
oxen  have  been  driven  in  one  year  into  Germany. 

And  now  what  shall  I  say  as  to  the  abundance  of  fish  of  all 
kinds  ?  So  great  is  it,  not  only  in  the  Danube,  the  Drave, 
the  Save,  and  all  the  smaller  rivers,  but  also  in  the  Theiss, 
which  runs  from  the  north-east  nearly  through  the  heart  of 
Hungary,  that  fish  is  sold  at  the  very  lowest  price,  and  is  all 
but  given  away ;  and,  indeed,  is  often  not  taken  away  unless 
given  for  nothing.  Nor  is  the  abundance  alone  of  such 
wealth  in  Hungary  a  thing  almost  incredible  ;  but  their 
superiority  is  such,  that  provisions  of  the  same  kind  pro- 
duced in  other  countries  cannot  be  placed  in  comparison 
with  them.  So  much  the  more  marked  and  melancholy  will 
be  the  remembrance  of  this  generation  amongst  posterity, 
that  it  did  not  devote  all  its  energies  to  the  preservation  of  a 
kingdom  so  wealthy,  and  so  aptly  placed  for  the  subduing  of 
the  greatest  enemy  of  the  Christian  name. 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  167 


i^flS  Eoutf  on  mg  .Srcontf  Emliasss* 

After  the  deatli  of  the  EmjDeror  IMaximilian,  I  was  sent  as 
ambassador  of  the  Styrians  to  Charles,  Kmg  of  Spain,  and 
Arch-duke  of  Austria,  and  at  that  time  Emperor  Elect ;  to 
whom  afterwards  the  Prince  of  Musco\y  also  sent  his  ambas- 
sadors to  confirm  certain  treaties  which  had  already  been  en- 
tered into  with  the  Emperor  Maximilian.  The  emperor  in  his 
turn  wishing  to  gratify  the  Prince  of  Muscovy,  gave  his  bro- 
ther, the  Arch-duke  Ferdinand,  the  task  of  advising  Louis, 
King  of  Hungary,  so  to  manage  with  his  uncle  Sigismund, 
King  of  Poland,  that  he  should  consent  to  equal  terms  of 
peace  or  of  truce  with  the  Prince  of  Muscovy.  T  In  conse- 
quence of  which,  the  Count  Leonhard  Nugaroli,  in  the  name 
of  the  Emperor  Charles,  and  I,  in  the  name  of  his  imperial 
brother  Ferdinand,  Infant  of  Spain,  Arch-duke  of  Austria, 
etc.,  started  from  Vienna  for  Hungary,  and  came  to  Buda  in 
haste  with  our  message  to  King  Louis ;  and  after  explaining 
our  commission,  and  transacting  our  business  according  to 
our  instructions,  returned  to  Vienna,  and  immediately  after- 
wards travelled  in  company  with  the  Russian  ambassadors 
who  had  then  returned  from  Spain,  and  passed  through  the 
towns  of 

Mistlbach,  six  miles. 

"Wistermitz,  four  miles. 

Wischa,  five  miles. 

Olmutz,  four  miles. 

Sternberg,  two  miles. 

Parn,  where  there  are  iron  mines,  two  miles.  At  two  miles 
from  which  we  crossed  a  bridge  thrown  over  the  river  Morau, 
and  there  quitting  Moravia,  entered  the  principality  of  Silesia. 

Jagerndorf,  three  miles  ;  then  by 


168  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

Lubschiz,  two  miles. 

Little  Glogow,  two  miles. 

Crepitza,  two  miles  ;  and  after  crossing  the  Oder  to  the 
fortified  city  of  Opolia,  situated  on  the  river  Oder,  where  the 
last  Duke  of  Opolia  held  his  seat,  three  miles. 

Oleschno  (in  German  Rosenberg),  the  other  side  of  the  river 
Malpont,  which  at  that  time  overflowed  its  banks  to  a  won- 
derful extent,  seven  miles. 

At  the  distance  of  nearly  two  miles  we  reached  Old  Cre- 
pitza,  where  we  learned  that  the  King  of  Poland  was  at  that 
time  in  the  town  of  Pieterkov  (in  which  the  court  is  accus- 
tomed to  hold  its  meetings),  and  thither  accordingly  we  sent 
a  servant.  On  his  return,  he  reported  that  the  king  was 
about  to  depart  direct  from  Cracow,  for  which  place  we 
accordingly  started  from  Crepitza,  and  came  first  to 

Clobutzko,  two  miles. 

The  monastery  of  Czestrcho  v,  where  an  image  of  the  blessed 
virgin  is  worshipped  by  a  large  assembly  of  people,  princi- 
pally Russians,  tlii'ee  miles. 

Scharki,  five  miles. 

Cromolov,  three  miles. 

Ilkusch,  where  there  are  famous  lead  mines,  four  miles. 

At  a  distance  of  five  miles  from  thence  we  reached  Cracow, 
on  the  second  day  of  February.  At  this  place  we  had  no 
respect  paid  us  on  that  occasion  ;  nor  did  any  one  come  for- 
ward to  meet  us  ;  nor  were  any  hotels  allotted  to  us  ;  nor  did 
any  of  the  courtiers  receive  us  with  any  act  of  civility,  any 
more  than  if  they  had  been  perfectly  ignorant  of  our  arrival. 
When  an  audience  was  granted  to  us  by  the  king,  he  slighted 
the  cause  of  our  embassy,  and  reproved  the  officiousncss  of 
our  princes  as  inopportune,  especially  when  he  saw  that  the 
Russian  ambassadors,  who  were  retiu-ning  from  Spain  from 
the  emperor,  were  travelling  in  our  company ;  so  much  did 
he  suspect  the  Prince  of  Muscovy  of  some  plot.  What 
neighbourhood  or  relationship,  he  asked,  is  there  between 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  169 

your  princes  and  the  Prince  of  Muscovj^,  that  they  should  of 
their  o-vvn  accord  constitute  themselves  mediators  ?  Espe- 
cially, he  urged,  as  he  himself  had  put  no  such  request  to 
our  princes,  and  could  easily  compel  his  enemy  to  conform 
to  equitable  conditions  of  peace.  In  reply,  we  bore  testi- 
mony to  the  pious  and  Chi'istian  objects  and  sincere  inten- 
tion of  our  princes,  and  assured  the  king  that  they  were 
earnestly  desii'ous  to  see,  and  use  every  effort  to  bring  about 
mutual  friendship  and  goodwill  between  Christian  princes. 
We  even  said,  ''  If  it  be  objectionable  to  the  king  that  we 
should  prosecute  our  commission,  we  will  return  and  leave 
it  unaccomplished,  or,  at  least,  will  report  the  matter  to  our 
royal  masters,  and  await  their  reply  thereon."  After  this 
reply  we  were  received  somewhat  more  courteously  and  libe- 
rally, and  even  had  hotels  assigned  to  us.  0}\  that  occasion 
an  opportunity  was  afforded  me  of  asking  payment  of  the 
thousand  florins  which:  iiadTbeen  proniisMTne'iirwi'itTrig^-by 
the  mother  of  Queen  Bona,  because  I  had  previouslyi_bj^ 
command  of  the  Emperor  Maximiliari,.  treated^ for  this  very 
marriage  of  her  daughter.  The  king  received  the  deed  of 
promise  from  me  in  a  gracious  manner,  and  kept  it  until  my 
return,  when  he  took  care  to  have  me  paid  in  full. 

Leaving  Cracow  on  the  fourteenth  day  of  February,  we 
travelled  in  sledges  with  tolerable  comfort  through  the  fol- 
lowmg  towns  of  Poland : — 

The  new  city  of  Cortzin, 

Polonitza, 

Ossek, 

Pocrovitza, 

Sandomeria, 

Savichost, 

Ursendoff, 

Lublin, 

Parczov. 

Thi-ee  miles  fi-om  thence  we  reached  Polovitza,  a  town  of 

VOL.  II.  z 


170  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

Lithuania,  and  had  in  many  places  to  make  our  road  across 
bridges,  which  were  thrown  across  the  numerous  marshes  ; 
thence  to 

Eostovsche,  two  miles. 

Pessiczatez,  three  miles. 

Briesti,  a  large  fortified  town  on  the  Bug,  into  which  flows 
the  river  Muchavetz,  four  miles. 

The  town  of  Kamenetz,  where  there  is  a  wooden  fortress 
with  a  stone  tower,  five  miles ;  and  five  miles  from  thence, 
after  crossing  the  two  rivers,  Oschna  and  Beseschna,  we 
came  to 

Schereschova,  a  new  town  built  in  a  large  wood,  on  the 
river  Lisna,  which  also  flows  by  Kamenetz. 

Novidvor,  five  miles. 

Porossova,  two  miles. 

Volkovitza,  four  miles.  In  no  part  of  our  journey  did  we 
have  more  comfortable  accommodation  than  in  this  place. 

Pieski,  a  town  on  the  river  Selva,  which  takes  in  Volhynia, 
a  province  of  Russia,  and  flows  into  the  Nemen. 

One  mile  to  Mostu,  a  town  on  the  river  Nemen,  which 
takes  its  name  from  a  bridge  thrown  over  the  Nemen ;  for 
the  word  "  most"  means  a  bridge. 

Czutzma,  three  miles. 

Basiliski,  three  miles. 

Radomi,  five  miles. 

Hestlitschkami,  two  miles. 

Pudniki,  five  miles. 

Vilna,  four  miles.  On  this  occasion,  however,  we  did  not 
come  to  Vilna  through  the  places  which  I  have  enumerated 
since  mentioning  Volkovitza,  but  turned  our  course  east- 
ward, towards  the  right,  through 

Solva, 

Slonin, 

Moschad, 

Czernig, 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  171 

Oberno, 

Ottmut, 

Cadayenov, 

The  town  of  Miensko,  thirty-five  miles  distant  from  Vol- 
kovitza. 

Beyond  this^  all  the  rivers  flow  into  the  Dnieper,  whereas 
the  others  which  we  had  passed  fall  into  the  Nemen. 

Borissov,  a  town  on  the  river  Beresina,  of  which  I  have 
spoken  above,  eighteen  miles. 

Beschak,  forty  miles.  In  these  places  we  refrained  from 
taking  a  short  road,  on  account  of  the  immense  deserts ;  but 
following  the  ordinary  track,  and  leaving  the  town  of  Mo- 
hilev  at  a  distance  of  four  miles  to  the  right,  we  passed 
through 

Schklov,  six  miles. 

Orsa,  six  miles. 

Dobrovna,  four  miles ;  and  passing  through  other  places 
mentioned  in  my  first  journey,  at  length  reached  Moscow, 
where,  after  negotiating  for  a  long  while,  we  could  obtain 
no  other  answer  than  this :  "  If  the  King  of  Poland  desires 
peace  with  us,  let  him  send  his  ambassadors  to  us,  according 
to  custom,  and  we  will  enter  into  peace  with  him  if  he  ask 
it  of  us."  At  length,  we  sent  some  of  our  people  to  the 
King  of  Poland,  who  was  then  in  Dantzig,  and  at  our  request 
he  dispatched  his  own  ambassadors,  namely,  Peter  Gysca, 
Palatine  of  Plock,  and  Michael  Bohusch,  Treasurer  of  Li- 
thuania. 

When  the  prince  heard  that  the  Lithuanian  ambassadors 
were  not  far  from  Moscow,  he  suddenly,  under  pretence  of 
going  to  hunt  and  give  relaxation  to  his  mind  (although  the 
weather  was  by  no  means  suited  for  hunting),  set  off  for 
Mosaisko,  where  he  keeps  an  immense  number  of  hares. 
He  then  summoned  us  thither  before  the  Lithuanians  had 
entered  the  city,  and  then  making  out  and  confirming  the 
treaty  of  truce,  dismissed  us  on  the  11th  of  November,  on 


172  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

which  occasion  he  inquired  of  us  by  what  route  we  meant  to 
return,  intimating  that  he  had  understood  that  the  Turks 
were  at  Buda,  but  that  he  did  not  know  what  success  they 
had  had.  We  returned  to  Dobrovna  by  the  same  road  as 
that  by  which  we  had  come,  and  there  received  our  baggage, 
which  we  had  sent  on  by  the  Dnieper  from  Viesma.  There 
also  we  found  our  Lithuanian  guide,  who  was  awaiting  our 
arrival ;  and  from  him  we  then  first  heard  of  the  death  of 
Louis,  king  of  Hungary. 

Four  miles  from  Dobrovna  brought  us  to  Orsa;  thence 
following  the  same  road  as  I  had  taken  in  my  return  from 
my  first  embassy,  we  came  to  Vilna,  and  were  there  kindly 
received  and  treated  with  great  cordiahty,  by  John,  Bishoj) 
of  Vilna,  a  natural  son  of  the  king. 

Thence  to  Kudnik,  four  miles. 

Wolkonik,  three  miles. 

Meretsch,  a  town  which  takes  its  name  from  the  river  so 
called,  seven  miles. 

Osse,  six  miles. 

Grodno,  a  principality,  lying  on  the  river  Nemen,  seven 
miles. 

Grinki,  six  miles.  On  reaching  this  place  on  the  1st  of 
January,  a  frost  came  on  with  such  severity,  the  force  of  the 
wind  meanwhile  rolling  up  the  snow  like  a  whirlwind,  that 
the  horses'  testicles  and  the  bitches'  teats  were  partly  frozen, 
and  fell  ofi",  withered  with  the  cold ;  indeed,  I  had  nearly 
lost  my  nose,  but  for  the  timely  warning  of  my  guide ;  for  I 
went  into  a  house,  and  only  begun  to  get  sensation  in  it  by 
soaking  and  rubbing  it  with  snow,  as  my  guide  advised  me, 
which  produced  a  kind  of  tingling,  and  then,  as  it  gradually 
dryed,  I  recovered.  There  was  a  Russian  cock  also,  who 
sat  on  the  top  of  our  carriage,  after  the  German  fashion,  who 
was  already  dying  of  the  cold,  when  my  servant  cut  off  his 
crest,  which  was  frozen,  and  thus  not  only  saved  him,  but 
put  such  life  in  him,  that  he  immediately  stretched  out  his 
neck  and  croAvcd,  to  our  great  admiration. 


NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA.  173 

From  Grinki,  throngli  a  great  wood,  to 

Narev,  eight  niiles. 

Bielsco,  four  miles. 

Milenecz,  four  miles, 

Mielnik,  three  miles. 

Loschitzi,  seven  miles.     Eight  miles  thence  to 

Lucov,  a  town  of  Poland,  situated  on  the  river  Oxi.  The 
governor  of  this  place  is  called  Starosta,  which  signifies 
Elder,  who  is  said  to  have  three  thousand  noblemen  in  his 
territory.  In  fact,  it  contains  some  villages,  where  the  num- 
ber of  nobles  has  increased  to  such  an  extent,  that  there  is 
not  a  peasant  amongst  them. 

The  town  of  Oxi,  situated  on  the  river  of  the  same  name, 
five  miles. 

The  town  of  Steschicza,  below  which  the  river  Yiepers 
flows  into  the  Vistula,  five  miles. 

The  town  of  Svolena,  five  miles,  where  we  crossed  the 
river  Viepers,  and  came  to 

Senna,  five  miles. 

Polki,  six  miles. 

Schildlov.  a  town  surrounded  by  a  wall,  six  miles. 

Wislicza,  a  walled  town  situated  on  a  lake,  five  miles. 

Prostvicza,  six  miles ;  and  four  miles  from  thence  we  at 
length  returned  to 

Cracow,  where  I  carried  out  various  measures  beyond  my 
instructions ;  but  which  I  knew  would  be  acceptable  and 
profitable  to  my  royal  master,  who  had  been  recently  elected 
king  of  the  Bohemians. 

From  Cracow,  we  directed  our  route  towards  Prague, 
passing  through 

Cobilagora,  five  miles. 

Ilkusch,  where  are  some  lead  mines,  two  miles. 

The  town  of  Bensin,  at  no  great  distance  below  which  the 
river  Pietza  separates  Poland  from  Silesia. 

Pielscovicza,  a  town  of  Silesia,  five  miles. 


174  NOTES    UPON    RUSSIA. 

Cosle,  a  walled  town  on  the  river  Oder,  which  they  call 
Viagra,  four  miles. 

Biela,  five  miles. 

The  city  of  Nissa,  the  seat  of  the  bishops  of  Breslaw,  where 
we  were  most  kindly  welcomed  and  treated  by  James  the 
bishop,  six  miles. 

Othmachov,  a  fortress  belonging  to  the  bishop,  one  mile. 

Baart,  three  miles. 

Glacz,  a  town  and  county  of  Bohemia,  two  miles. 

Ranericz,  five  miles. 

Jeromiers,  also  nearly  five  miles. 

Bretschaw,  four  miles. 

Limburg,  a  city  on  the  Elbe,  four  miles. 

Six  miles  from  whence  I  at  length  reached  Prague,  on  the 
river  Moldau,  and  there  found  my  prince,  now  elected  King 
of  the  Bohemians,  and  called  thither  to  his  coronation.  At 
which  coronation,  on  the  24th  of  Februaiy,  I  was  present. 
I  was  moreover  sent,  as  a  mark  of  respect  and  honour,  to  re- 
ceive the  ambassadors  from  Moscow,  who  arrived 'soon  after 
me  ;  and  when  they  saw  the  extent  of  the  city  and  fortress, 
they  declared  that  it  was  not  a  fortress  or  a  city,  but  rather 
a  kingdom,  and  that  it  was  a  very  great  thing  to  acquire  such 
a  kingdom  without  bloodshed. 

My  gracious  and  good  sovereign,  moreover,  when  he  heard 
my  report,  and  at  the  end  of  a  consultation  on  the  subjects 
which  were  at  that  time  most  important,  expressed  his  satis- 
faction at  what  I  had  done,  both  as  regards  the  diligent  exe- 
cution of  his  own  commands,  and  what  I  had  effected  over 
and  above  his  instructions.  And  as  I  represented  myself  to 
be  out  of  health  from  the  effect  of  going  through  all  these 
great  exertions,  he  with  his  own  mouth  promised  me  his 
favour  ;  and  since  all  these  things  have  been  acceptable  to 
the  king,  they  have  been  most  gratifying  to  me. 

THE  END. 


OP    THE 


NORTH-EAST    FEOSTIE    SEAS 

AND 

KINGDOMES    LYING    THAT    WAY, 

ETC. 


GATHERED   IN   PART  AND  DONE   INTO 
ENGLYSHE   BY   RICHARDE   EDEN. 

(FIRST  PRINTED   IN   1555.) 


0t  i\it  ]xfortf)cast  jFrostie  ^eas,  antf  l^gngtJomes  IjJtng 

THAT  AVAY,  DECLARED  BY  THE  DUKE  OF  MOSCOUIA,  HIS  AMBASSADOUR, 
TO  A  LEARNED  GEXTLEMAN  OF  ITALIE,  NASIED  6ALEATIUS  BUTRIGA- 
RITTS  :  LIKEWISE  THE  VIA6ES  OF  THAT  WORTHYE  OLD  MAN,  SEBASTIAN 
CABOTE,  SOMETYMES  GOVERXOTJR  OF  THE  COJIPANIE  OF  THE  MER- 
CHAXTES    OF    CATHAY,    IN    THE    CITIE    OF    LONDON. 

It  is   doubtlesse   a  marueilous   thyng  to   consyder  what 
changes  and  aUerations  were  caused  in  all  the  Romane  Em-  TheRomaue 
pyre  by  the  Gothes  and  ^'andales,  and  other  Barbarians  into    '^i''*'®' 
Italy.     For  by  their  inuations  were  extinguyshed  all  artes 
and  sciences,  and  all  trades  of  Merchandies  that  were  vsed 
in  dyuers  partes  of  the  worlde. 

The  desolation  and  ignoraunce  whiche  insued  hereof,  con- 
tinued as  it  were  a  cloude  of  perpetuall  darknesse  among 
men  for  the  space  of  foure  hundred  yeeres  and  more,  inso-  Four  him- 

VGGrcs  of 

muche  that  none  durst  aduenture  to  goe  any  whyther  out  of  ignoraunce. 
theyr  owne  natiue  countreys :  wheras  before  the  incursions 
of  the  sayde  barbarians,  when  the  Eomane  Empyre  iloryshed, 
they  myght  safely  passe  the  seas  to  all  partes  of  East  India,  East  India 
whiche  was  at  that  tyme  as  well  knowen  and  frequented,  as  inoWeume. 
it  is  nowe  by  the  nauigations  of  the  Portugales.     And  that 
this  is  true,  it  is  manifest  by  that  whiche  Strabo  wrytteth,  strabo. 
who  was  in  the  tyme  of  Augustus  and  Tiberius. 

For  speakyng  of  the  greatnesse  and  ryches  of  the  citie  of  The  great 

rvcli6SS6  of 

Alexandria  m  Egypt  (gouerned  then  as  a  prouince  of  the  Eg}-pt- 
Romanes),  he  wrytteth  thus: — This  onely  place  of  Egypt 
is  apte  to  receyue  all  thynges  that  come  by  sea,  by  reason  of 
the  commoditie  of  the  hauen,  and  lykeT\yse  all  suche  thjoiges 

VOL.   H.  A  A 


178  OF  THE  NORTHEAST  FROSTY  SEA 

as  are  brought  by  laiide,  by  reason  of  the  ryuer  of  Nilus, 
The  citio  of  whereby  they  may  bee  easely  conueyed  to  Alexandria,  beyng 

AiGxfl.iiu.riii. 

Marueyious  ^y  thoso  commodities  the  rychest  citie  of  merchauntes  that  is 

rychesse.  *'  •' 

in  the  worlde.     The  reuenues  of  Egypt  are  so  great,  that 
Marcus  Tullius  sayth  in  one  of  his  orations,  that  kyng  Pto- 
lomeus,  surnamed  Auleta,  the  father  of  queene  Cleopatra, 
had  of  reuenues  twelue  thousande  and  fyue  hundred  talentes, 
"vvhiche  are  seuen  millions  and  a  halfe  of  golde.     If  therefore 
mumf°"and  ^his  kyug  had  so  great  reuenues  when  Egypt  was  gouerned 
the^ito!^  °^  of  so  fewe  and  so  negligently,  what  myght  it  then  be  woorth 
to  the  Komanes,  by  whom  it  was  gouerned  with  great  dili- 
gence, and  theyr  trade  of  merchaundies  greatly  increased  by 
'iiogioditica  the  trafficke  of  Troajloditica'  and  India :  wheras  in  tyme  past 

and  India.  '-'  •/  i. 

there  coulde  hardly  be  founde  xx  shyppes  togeather  that 
The  guifeof  durst  cutor  iuto  the  gulfe  of  Arabic,  or  shewe  theyr  prowesse 

Arabia. 

without  the  mouth  of  the  same.  But  at  this  present,  great 
nauies  sayle  togeather  into  India,  and  to  the  furthest  partes 

Ethiope.  of  Ethiope,  from  whence  are  brought  many  rich  and  pretious 
mcrchandies  into  Egypt,  and  are  carried  from  thence  into 

Rych  cus-  other  countreys.  And  by  this  meanes  are  the  customes  re- 
doubled,  aswel  by  such  thynges  as  are  brought  thither,  as 
also  by  suche  as  are  caryed  from  thence,  forasmuche  as  great 
customes  aryse  of  thynges  of  great  value.     And  that  by  this 

The  i-ych-    voyagc   infinite    and  pretious   merchaundies  were   brought 

esse  wliiche 

were  froui  the  rcddc  Sea  and  India,  and  those  of  dyuers  other 

brought  in  ->  ./ 

from  ii™ta  sortes  then  are  knowen  in  our  tyme,  it  appeareth  by  the 
redde'sea.  fourth  volumc  of  the  ciuilc  lawe,  wherein  is  described  the 
m^ssion'^of  commissiou  of  Themperours  Marcus  and  Commodus,  with 
roiu-T^'Mar-  the  rchcarsall  of  all  such  stufife  and  mcrchandies,  wherof 
comodus.     custome  shoulde  be  payde  in  the    redde   sea,  by  suche  as 

^  The  Troglodytes  were  so  called  from  their  practice  of  dwelling  in 
caves  ;  the  name  being  derived  from  Tpw^Xy,  a  cavern,  and  hvvu^, 
to  enter.  They  were  located  in  various  parts  of  the  east ;  but  their  most 
considerable  settlement,  called  Trogloditica,  was  on  the  western  shores 
of  the  Red  Sea,  about  the  region  of  modern  Abyssinia :  ancient  authors, 
however,  differ  as  to  the  extent  of  their  territory. 


AND  KINGDOMES  LYIKG  THAT  WAY. 


179 


had  the  same  in  fee  farme,  as  were  payde  the  customes  of  all 
other  promnces  partayning  to  the  Romane  Empyre ;  and  they 
are  these  folowyng  : — 


Cinamome. 

Long  pepper. 

Whyte  pepper. 

Clones. 

Costus. 

Cancomo. 

Spikenarde. 

Cassia. 

Sweete  perfumes. 

Gumme  of  Arable. 

Cardamome. 

Xilocinamome. 

Carpesio. 

Sylkes  of  diners  sortes. 

Lynnen  cloth. 

Skynnes    and    Furres    of 

Parthia  and  Babylon. 
Inorie. 

Wood  of  Heven. 
Pretious  stones. 
Pearles. 

Jewelles  of  Sardonica. 
Ceraunia. 
Calamus  Ai'omaticus. 


Xilocassia. 

Myr. 

Amome. 

Ginger. 

Malabatrum. 

Ammoniac. 

Galbane. 

Lasser. 

Agarike. 

Berille. 

Cilindro. 

Slaues. 

Cloth  of  Sarmatia. 

The  sylke  called  Metaxa. 

Vestures  of  sylke. 

Died  cloth,  and  sylke. 

Carbasei. 

Sylke  threede. 

Gelded  men. 

Popingayes. 

Lions  of  Lidia. 

Leopardes. 

Panthers. 


Purple. 

Also  that  iuyce  or  lyquour  whiche  is  geathered  of  woolly 
and  of  the  heare  of  the  Indians. 

By  these  woordes  it  doth  appeare,  that  in  olde  tyme  the 
said  nauigation  by  the  way  of  the  red  sea  was  wel  knowen, 
&  muche   frequented,    &  perhaps    more   then  it  is   at  this  Jj^hpf^j^* 
present :  Insomuch  that  the  ancient  kynges  of  Egypt,  con-  Eg|pt°had 
syderyng  the  great  profite  of  the  customes  they  had  by  the  ^""^  °™®^" 
viages  of  the  red  sea,  and  wylling  to  make  the  same  more  The  noMe 

'-'  J  J  o  euterpiyses 

easie  &  commodious,  attempted  to  make  a  fosse  or  chanel,  °|!  g^j-'j^t'^^ 
which  should  begin  in  the  last  part  of  the  said  sea,  where  was 
a  citie  named  Arsinoe  (which  perhappes  is  that  that  is  nowe  Aisinoe. 
called  Sues),  and  should  have  reached  to  a  branch  of  the 
riuer  of  Nilus,  named  Pelusio,  whiche  emptieth  it  selfe  in  re^usio. 


180  OF  THE  NORTHEAST  FROSTY  SEA 

Pnmintn.  our  sea  towai'd  the  East,  about  the  citie  of  Damiata.  They 
determined  also  to  make  three  causeys  or  hygh  wayes  by 
land,  which  shoulde  passe  from  the  sayd  branch  to  the  citie 
of  Arsinoe  :  but  they  founde  this  too  difficult  to  bryng  to 
l^asse.       In  fine,    king  Ptolomeus,  surnamed   Philadelphus, 

Niius.         ordeyned  another  way,  as  to  sayle  vppon  Nilus,  agaynst  the 

corto.  course  of  the  riuer,  vnto  the  citie  of  Copto,  and  from  thence 
to  passe  by  a  desart  countrey,  vntyl  they  come  aboue  the  red 

Berenice,  gea,  to  a  citic  named  Berenice,  or  Miosormo,  where  they  im- 
barked  al  their  merchandise  and  wares  for  India,  Ethiope, 
and  Arabic,  as  appeareth  by  the  wrytyng  first  of  Strabo  (who 
wryteth  that  he  was  in  Egypt)  and  then  by  Plinie,  who  was 
in  the  tyme  of  Domitian.     Strabo  also,  speaking  of  the  saide 

bencb'e^*'^  fosso  or  trcuche  whiche  was  made  towarde  the  redde  sea, 

Egypt  to  Uie  wryteth  thus  :  There  is  a  trenche  that  goeth  towarde  the  red 
Sea,  &  the  gulfe  of  Arabic,  and  to  the  citie  of  Arsinoe, 
whiche  some  call  Cleopatrida,  and  passeth  by  the  lakes  named 

i.acns         Amari  (that  is)  bytter,  because  in  deede  they  were  fyrste 

amari.  \  j       j  ■•  j  j 

bytter  :  but  after  that  this  trenche  was  made,  and  the  ryuer 
entred  in,  they  became  sweete,  and  are  at  this  present  ful  of 
foules  of  the  water,  by  reason  of  their  pleasantnesse.     This 

King  se-  trenche  was  fyrste  begunne  by  king  Sesostre,  before  the 
battaile  of  Troy.      Some  say  that  it  was  begunne  by  king 

luiticn^f^'"  Psammiticus,  while  he  was  a  childe,  and  that  by  reason  of 
his  death  it  was  left  imperfect ;  also,  that  afterwarde.  King 
Darius  succeeded  in  the  same  enterprise,  who  woulde  have 
finished  it,  but  yet  brought  it  not  to  the  ende,  because  he 
was  enfourmed  that  the  redde  sea  was  higher  then  Egypt, 
and  that  if  this  lande  (diuiding  both  the  seas)  were  opened, 

i^mfus!°  all  Egypt  shoulde  be  drowned  thereby.  King  Ptolomeus 
woulde  indeede  haue  finished  it,  but  yet  left  it  shut  at  the 
head,  that  he  myght,  when  he  woulde,  sayle  to  the  other  sea, 
and  returne  without  peryll.     Here  is  the  citie  of  Arsinoe, 

HeiJiiui'!  ^^^  neare  vnto  that,  the  citie  called  Heroum,  in  the  vtter- 
most  parte  of  the  gulfe  of  Arabic,  towarde  Egypt,  with  many 


AND  KINGDOMES  LYING  THAT  WAY.  181 

portes  and  habitations.  Plinic  likewise,  speaking  of  this  wuat  pimie 
trenche,  sayth  :  In  the  furthest  parte  of  the  gulfe  of  f)j|^°g"^fjg; 
Arabie,  is  a  porte  called  Danco,  from  whence  they  deter- 
mined to  bringe  a  nauigable  trenche  vnto  the  riuer  of  Nilus, 
whereas  is  the  first  Delta.  Betweene  the  saide  sea  and  Nilus, 
there  is  a  streict  of  land  of  the  length  of  .Ixii.  miles.  The 
firste  that  attempted  this  thing,  was  Sesostre  king  of  Egypt, 
&  after  him  Darius  king  of  the  Persians,  whom  Ptolomeus 
folowed,  who  made   a  trenche   a  hundred  foote  large,  and  The  large- 

nesse  aud 

thirtie  foote  deepe,  being  .ccc.  miles  in  length,  vnto  the  lakes  t®"°g}Je  *  *'*® 
named  Amari,  and  durst  proceede  no  further  for  feare  of 
inundation,  having  knowledge  that  the  red  sea  was  higher 
by  three  cubites  then  all  the  countrey  of  Egypt.  Other  say 
that  this  was  not  the  cause :  but,  that  he  doubted  yf  he  shoulde 
haue  let  the  sea  come  any  further,  all  the  water  of  Nilus 
shoulde  have  been  thereby  corrupted,  whiche  onely  minis- 
treth  drynke  to  all  Egypt. 

But  notwithstanding  all  these  thinges  aforesayde,  all  this 
viage  is  frequented  by  lande  from  Egypt  to  the  redde  sea,  J^^^fyom^^ 
in  whiche  passage  are  tlu'ee  Causeyes  or  hygh  wayes.  The  iea'lea.°'  f 
fyi'st  begynneth  at  the  mouth  of  Nilus,  named  Pelutio  :  All 
whiche  way  is  by  the  sandes,  insomuche  that  if  there  were 
not  certayne  hygh  Beedes  fixt  in  the  earth,  to  shew  the 
ryght  way,  the  Causey  could  not  be  found,  by  reason  the 
wynde  euer  couereth  it  with  sand.  The  seconde  Causey  is 
two  myles  from  the  mountayne  Cassius  :  And  this  also,  in  the 
ende  of  threescore  myles,  commeth  vpon  the  way  or  Causey 
of  Pelusius,  inhabited  with  certayne  Arabians,  called  Antei. 
The  thyrde  begynneth  at  Gerro,  named  Adipson  :  and  passeth 
by  the  same  Arabians,  for  the  space  of  threescore  myles,  some- 
what shorter,  but  full  of  rough  mountaynes,  and  great  scarce- 
nesse  of  water.  Al  these  Causeyes  leade  the  way  to  the  citie 
of  Arsinoe,  builded  by  Ptolomeus  Philadelphus,  in  the  gulfe 
Carandra,  by  the  redde  sea.  This  Ptolomeus  was  the  fyrst  what  king 
that  searched  all  that  part  of  the  red  sea,  whiche  is  called  disoouered. 


18S  OF  THE  NORTHEAST  FROSTY  SEA 

Trogloditica.  Of  this  trench,  described  of  Strabo  and  Plinie, 
there  are  scene  certayne  tokens  remaynyng  at  this  present,  as 
they  do  affyrme  whiche  haue  been  at  Sues  beyonde  the  citie 
Aicayre.  ^^  Alcayr,  Otherwise  called  Babylon  in  Egypt.  But  the  mer- 
chauntes  that  of  later  dayes  trauayle  this  viage  by  lande,  ryde 
through  the  drye  and  barren  desartes,  on  Camels,  both  by  day 
and  by  nyght,  directyng  theyr  waye  by  the  starres  and  com- 
passe,  as  do  mariners  on  the  sea,  and  carrying  with  them 
water  sufficient  for  many  dayes  iorneys. 

The  places  of  Arabic,  and  India,  named  of  Strabo  and  Plinie, 

Eas7ind1a°  are  the  selfe  same  where  the  Portugales  practyse  theyr  trade 

iJfoide"yme.  at  this  day,  as  the  manors  and  customes  of  the  Indians  doo 

U)mes"and   J^^  dcclarc ;  for  euen  at  this  present  their  women  vse  to 

tii'e"indian3.  burnc  thcmsclues  alyue  with  the  dead  bodyes  of  their  hus- 

bandes.     Whiche  thynge  (as  wryteth  Strabo  in  his  xv  book) 

they  dyd  in  olde  time  by  a  lawe,  for  this  consyderation,  that 

sometyme  being  in  loue  with  other,  they  forsooke  or  poysoned 

their  husbandes.    And  for  as  muche  as  accordyng  to  this  cus- 

tome,  the  olde  Poet  Propertius  (who  lyued  about  an  hundred 

yeeres  before  the  incarnation  of  Christ)  hath  in  his  booke 

made  mention  of  the  contention  that  was  among  the  Indian 

women,  which  of  them  shoulde  be  burned  aliue  with  their 

husbandes,   I  haue   thought  good  to  subscribe   his   verses, 

which  are  these. 

"  Foelix  Eois  lex  funeris  vna  maritis, 

Quos  aurora  suis  rubra  colorat  equis, 
Namque  vbi  mortifero  iacta  est  fax  vltima  lecto, 

Vxorum  fusis  stat  pia  turba  comis, 
Et  certamen  habent  lethi,  quae  viua  sequatur 

Coniugium,  pudor  est  non  licuisse  mori. 
Ardent  victrices,  et  flammEe  pectora  preebent, 

Imponuntque  suis  ora  perusta  viris." 

As  touchyng  these  viages,  both  by  sea  and  by  lande,  to 

to'^caliS?^  East  India  and  Cathay,  many  thinges  are  wrytten  very  largly 

by  diuers  autours,  which  I  omit  because  they  parteyne  not 


AND  KINGDOMES  LYING  THAT  WAY.  183 

SO  mucli  vnto  vs  as  doth  the  viage  attempted  to  Cathay  by 
the  north  seas,  and  the  coastes  of  Moscouia,  discouered  in 
our  tyme  by  the  viage  of  that  excellent  young  man  Rychard  chalZceier. 
ChaunceUer,  no  lesse  learned  in  al  mathematicall  sciences, 
then  an  expert  pilotte,  in  the  yeere  of  our  Lorde  1554.  As 
concernyng  this  viage,  I  have  thought  good  to  declare  y® 
communication  which  was  betweene  the  sayd  learned  man 
Galeatius  Butrigarius,^  and  that  great  philosopher  and  noble 
gentleman  of  Italic  named  Hieronimus  Fracastor,  as  I  fynd  a  leamed 

~  descourse  of 

written  in  the  Italian  histories  of  nauigations.     As  they  were  Jjuers 

'-'  "^  voyages. 

therefore  conferryng  in  matters  of  learnyng  and  reasoning  of 
the  science  of  cosmographie,  the  saide  learned  man,  hauyng 
in  his  hand  an  instrument  of  Astronomic,  declared  with  a 
large  oration  howe  much  the  worlde  was  bound  to  the  kinges 
of  Portugale,  rehearsing  the  noble  factes  done  by  them  in 
India,  and  what  landes  and  Ilandes  they  had  discouered,  and  '^^^^l%lf^ 
howe  by  theyr  nauigations  they  made  the  whole  worlde  to  ^"^aies. 
hang  in  the  ayre.     He  further  declared  of  what  partes  of  the  J^^  J°g  i^ 
ball,  the  earth  remayned  yet  vndiscouered  ;  and  sayde,  that    ^  ^^^^' 

^  It  was  upon  a  conjecture,  and  that  an  erroneous  one,  that  Eden  con- 
nected Galeazzo  Botrigari  with  this  conversation  in  the  house  of  the 
poet  Fracastoro.  Ramusio,  who  was  Fracastoro's  friend,  and  present  at 
this  conversation,  describes  the  occurrence  in  the  following  words  : — 
"  Mi  par  convenevole  di  non  lassare  j)er  modo  alcuno  che  io  non  racconti 
un  grande  ed  ammirabile  ragionamento  che  io  udi  questi  mesi  passati 
insieme  coll'  eccell.  architetto  M.  Michele  da  San  Michele  nell'  ameno  et 
dilettovo  luogo  dell'  excellente  Messer  Hieronimo  Fracastoro,  detto  Caphi. 
In  questo  luogo  essendo  andati  a  visitar  detto  eccellente  Messer  Hiero- 
nimo, Io  trovammo  accompagnato  con  un  gentil'  huomo,  grandissimo 
philosopho  et  mathematico,  che  allhora  gli  mostrava  uno  instrumento 
fatto  sopra  un  moto  de  cieli  trovato  di  nuovo,  il  nome  del  quale  per  suoi 
risi^etti  non  si  dice."  That  this  "gentil'  huomo"  could  not  have  been 
Galeazzo  Botrigari,  who  was  Bishop  of  Gaeta,  and  is  elsewhere  referred 
to  by  Eden  himself,  as  the  pope's  legate  to  the  court  of  Spain  (see  Dec.  2, 
cap.  i),  is  shown  by  the  fact,  that  the  latter  died  in  1518  (see  Ughelli, 
Italia  Sacra)  ;  whereas  the  conversation  occurred  some  years  after  the 
embassy  of  Paulo  Centurione  from  Pope  Leo  X.  to  the  com"t  of  Russia, 
which  was  in  1520. — See  2wst,  fo.  188. 


184  OF  THE  NOKTHEAST  FROSTY  SEA 

\viint  is       (jf  j-j^g  lancles  of  the  inferiour  hemisplierie,  or  halfe  compase 

kiioweu  of  X  '  I. 

miJphefie.^  of  the  ball  towarcle  the  pole  Antartike,  there  was  nothyng 
The  laude  of  Jcnowen  but  that  litle  of  the  coaste  of  Brasilia  vnto  the  streyaht 

Brasile.  -'  ~ 

Peru.  of  Magellanus ;  also  a  part  of  Peru ;  also  a  litle  aboue  Affrike 

towarcle  the  cape  of  Bona  Speranza.  Also  that  he  marueyled 
without  measure,  that  this  thyng  was  no  better  consydered  of 

The  oiuug   Christian  Princes,  to  whom  God  hath  deputed  this  charge, 

and  dutie  of  _  ^  ^ 

''riu^ei'"^  hauyng  euer  on  theyr  counsail  men  of  great  learning,  which 
may  infourme  them  of  this  thing,  being  so  marueylous  and 
noble,  wherby  they  may  obtayne  glory  and  fame  by  vertue, 
and  be  imputed  among  men  as  gods,  by  better  demerites  then 

Hercules     eucT   wcTc    Hcrculcs   &    Great   Alexander,    who  traueyled 

and  Alexan- 

'ie'-  onely  into  India ;  and  that  by  makyng  the  men  of  this  oui* 

Hemispheric  knowen  to  them  of  the  other  halfe  compasse  of 
the  ball  beneathe  vs,  they  myght  by  the  tytle  of  this  enter- 
pryse,  Avithout  comparison,  farre  excell  all  the  noble  factes 
that  euer  were  doone  by  Julius  Caesar,  or  any  other  of  the 
Pomane  Emperours.  AYhiche  thyng  they  myght  easily  bryng 
to  passe,  by  assigning  colonies  to  inhabite  diuers  places  of 

'Tbecoionies  |;}iat  Hemispheric,  in  lyke  maner  as  dyd  the  Romanes  in  pro- 

gions  sub-^  uinccs  uewly  subdued ;  whereby  they  myght  not  onely  atteyne 
great  riches,  but  also  enlarge  the  Christian  fayth  and  Empire, 
to  the  glory  of  God  and  confusion  of  infidels. 

The  gieat        After  tliis,  hc  spake  of  the  Ilande  of  Saint  Laurence,  called 

Uande  of       _  ^  _  ' 

saynet  Lau-  ]j^  oldc  tvme  Madasfascar,  whiche  is  erreater  then  the  realme 

rence  or  •'  o  ^  o 

Madagascai-.  q£  Castile  and  Portugale,  and  reacheth  from  the  xii  degree 
towarde  the  Pole  Antartike,  unto  the  xxvi  degree  and  a  halfe^ 
lying  Northeast  from  the  cape  of  Bona  Speranza,  and  partly 
vnder  the  lyne  of  Tropicus  Capricorni,  beyng  wel  inhabited, 
and  of  temperate  ajie,  with  abundance  of  all  thynges  neces- 
sary for  the  lyfe  of  man,  and  one  of  the  moste  excellent 
Ilandes  that  is  founde  this  day  in  the  worlde  :  And  that,  neuer- 
thelesse  there  is  nothing  knowen  therof,  except  onely  a  fewe 

The  iiaudes  small  Haucus  bv  the  sea  syde,  as  the  lyke  io^noraunce  re- 

of  Tapro-  '  J        '  J  O  ^ 

Giava°'       mayiieth  of  the  greatest  part  of  the  Ilandes  of  Taprobana 


AND  KINGDOMES  LYING  THAT  WAY.  185 

[Ceylon],  Giava,  the  more  and  the  lesse,  and  infinite  other. 
Then  begynnyng  to  speake  of  the  partes  of  our  Pole,  he  caused 
the  bookes  of  Plinie  to  be  brought  hym,  where  diligently  piiuie. 
ponderyng  the  Ixvii  Chapter  of  the  seconde  booke,  he  founde 
where  he  rehearseth  the  historie  of  Cornelius  Nepos,  by  these  Thehistoiie 

-'•■'''  of  Cornelius 

woordes :  That  in  his  tynie  one  Eudorus,  escapyng  the  handes  ^'^i^°^- 
of  king  Lathyro,    departed  from  the  gulfe  of  Arable,    and 
came  by  sea  to  the  Ilande  of  Calese  :  Declarying  further,  that 
whereas  this  narration  was  many  yeeres  reputed  for  a  fable, 
was  nowe  in   our  tyme,  by  the   vertue  of  the  Portugales, 
knowen  to  be  true :  And  that,  lykewyse  the  same  Cornelius 
Nepos  reciteth,  that  at  the  tyme  when  Quintus  Metellus  Celer 
was  Proconsul  or  Lieuetenant  for  the  Komanes  in  Fraunce,  the 
kyng  of  Sueuia  gaue  hym  certayne  Indians,  whiche  saylyng  shj-pps  of 
out  of  India  for  merchandise,  were  by  tempest  dryuen  to  the  '"'°  ^^^  ^^^ 
coastes  of  Germanie.  manie. 

When  he  had  redde  these  wordes,  he  proceeded,  saying 
that  the  same  thyng  myght  be  verified  nowe  in  our  tyme,  if 
the  princes  which  confine  vppon  that  sea  woulde  endeuoure 
theyr  industry  and  diligence  to  bryng  it  to  passe ;  and  that  An  enter- 

pi*is6  wliGrG* 

there  coulde  not  any  nauigation  be  imagined  so  commodious  ^y  princes 

"  may  obtayue 

and  profitable  to  all  Christendom  as  this  way  might  be,  if  by  ^™^^  ^^® 

this  voiage  should  be  found  open  to  India,  to  come  to  the 

rych  countrey  of  Cathay,  whiche  was  discouered  nowe  two  cathay  dis- 

couered  by 

hundred  yeeres  since  by  Marcus  Paulus.     Then  takyng  the  p^^^^^^^ 
globe  in  his  hande,  he  made  demonstration  that  this  voyage 
shoulde  bee  very  shorte,  in  respect  of  that  which  the  Portu- 
gales nowe  foUowe,  and  also  of  that  which  the  Spanyardes 
may  attempt,  to  the  Ilandes  of  Molucca.     He  declared  fur- 
thermore, that  the  citie  of  Lubyke,  beyng  ryche  and  of  great  The  citie  of 
power,  and  situate  vppon  the  sea  of  Germanie,  and  also  accus- 
tomed with   continuall  nauigations   to  trauayle  the    sea  of 
Norway  and  Gothlande,  and  lykewyse  the  ryght  noble  kyng  The  kyngot 
of  Polonie,  whose  dominions,  with  his  reahne  of  Lituania, 
extende  to  the  saide  sea,  shoidde  be  apte  to  discouer  this 

VOL.  II.  B  B 


186  OF  THE  NORTHEAST  FROSTY  SEA 

The  Puke  of  secrete  :    But  that  aboue   al   other,  the  Duke  of  Moscouia 

Jloscouia. 

shoukl   perfourme    the    same,  with  greater   commoditie,  & 
more  facilitie  then  any  other  Prince. 

And  here  staying  awhile,  he  began  to  speake  againe,  and 
said : — Nowe,  forasmuch  as  we  are  come  to  the  passe,  me 
thinke  it  shoukl  seeme  a  great  discurtesie  if  I  should  not 
shew  you  al  that  I  knowe  as  touching  this  viage,  whereof  I 
greatly  mused  with  my  selfe  many  yeeres  by  occasion  of  the 
woordes  of  Plinie.  Wheras  therfore,  beyng  a  young  man, 
I  was  in  Germanic  in  the  citie  of  Augusta,  it  so  chaunced 
An  ambas-  that  in  thosc  claycs  there  came  thither  an  ambassadour  of  the 
the  Duke  of  Dukc  of  Moscouia,  a  man  singulerly  learned  both  in  the 

Moscouia.      j~i         -i  i         t       • 

Greek  tongue  &  the   Latme,    and  of  good    experience    in 

worldely  thynges,  hauing  been  sent  to  dyuers  places  by  the 

sayde  Prince,  and  one  of  his  counsayle.     Of  whose  learnyng 

beyng  aduertised,  I  sought  his  acquayntaunce,  and  talkjoig 

with  hpn  one  daye  of  these  Indians,  dryuen  by  fortune  to 

the  coastes  of  Germanic,  and  of  the  viage  that  myght  be 

discouered  by  the  North  sea  to  the  Ilandes  of  spices,  I  per- 

ceyued  that  at  the  fyrst  he  marueyeled  exceedyngly,  as  at  a 

thyng  that  he  coulde  neuer  haue  imagined.     But  restyng 

a  whyle  in  maner  astonyshed  in  his  secrete  phantasie,  hee 

Tiie^^oordcs  tookc  great  pleasure  therein,  and  sayde  :   forasmuch  as  the 

Moseouia^"'^  Portugalcs  hauc  now  compassed  about  all  the  South  partes, 

supposed  in  old  tyme  to  bee  inaccessable  by  reason  of  great 

heate,  why  should  we  not  certajTiely  thynke  that  the  lyke 

may  bee  done  about  this  parte  of  the  North,  without  feare  of 

colde,  especially  to  men  borne  and  brought  up  in  that  clime  : 

Yet  proceedyng  further,  he  sayde,  that  if  his  Prince  and 

maister  had  men  that  would  animate  him  to  discouer  this 

vyage,  there  was  no  Prince  in  Chi'istendome  that  myght  doe 

from  liJs-   ^^  with  more  facilitie.     Then  calling  for  a  Mappe,  in  Avhich 

Northocl'an  '^^^  the  discription  of  Moscouia,  and  the  prouinces  subiect  to 

'^^'  the  same,  hee  declared  that  from  the  citie  of  Moscouia  or 

Mosca,  gojTig  towarde  the  North-east  for  the   space  of  Ix 


AND  KINGDOMES  LYING  THAT  WAY.  187 

myles,  they  come  to  the  ryuer  of  Volochda,  and  afterwarde  voiochda. 
by  that,  and  folowyng  the  course   thereof,  to  the  citie  of 
Vstiug,  so  called  bycause  the  ryuer  of  lug  falleth  into  the  ^^.V"^' 
ryuer  of  Succana,  where  they  lose  theyr  owne  names,  and  succana. 
make  the  great  vjuev  Duina,  and  by  that,  leauyng  on  the  ^^'^^' 
ryght   hande  the   citie   of  Colmogor,    they  sayle  vnto  the  <^o'™°g°'^'- 
North    Ocean.       The   which   way,    although  it  bee  a  long  ocean."'^ 
tracte,   as  more  then  800  myles,  neuerthelesse  he  sayd  that 
in  sommer  it  myght  commodiously  be   sayled.     And  that 
whereas  it  falleth  into  the  sea,  there  are  infinite  woods  of  woods. 
goodly  trees,  apte  to  make  shj^pes,  and  the  place  so  conue- 
nient  for  this  purpose  that  shypwryghtes  and  other  skylfull 
woorkemen  for  all  thinges  heerevnto  apperteynyng,  may  easily 
come  out  of  Germanic  :  also,  that  the  men  which  are  vsed  to 
traueyle  the  sea  of  Germanic  about  the  coastes  of  Gothlande,  Gothiande. 
should  bee  best  and  most  apte  to  attempt  this  enterpryse, 
bycause  they  are  indui-ate  to  abyde  colde,  hunger,  and  la- 
bour.   He  sayde  furthermore,  that  in  the  court  of  his  Prince, 
they  haue  much  knowledge  of  the  great  Cam  of  Cathay,  by  SJes^haue' 
reason  of  the  continuall  warres  they  haue  with  the  Tartars,  of  of  the  great 

Cam   of 

whom  the  greatest  parte  gyue  obedience  to  the  sayd  great  catuay. 
Cam,  as  to  theyr  chiefe  Emperour. 

He  made  also  demonstration  in  the  sayde  carde  by  the 
North-east,  that  being  past  the  prouince  of  Permia,  and  the  Penma. 
ryuer  Pescora  (which  falleth  into  the  North  sea),  &  certeine  Pescora. 
mountaines  named  Catena  Mundi,  there  is  thentraunce  into  muadt 
the  prouince  of  Obdora,  whereas  is  Vecchiadoro,  and  the  2-^^°f^- , 
ryuer  Obo,  whiche  also  falleth  into  the  sayd  sea,  and  it  is  the  obo. 
furthest  border  of  ThempjTre  of  the  Prince  of  Moscouia.    The 
sayde  ryuer  hath  his  originall  in  a  great  lake  called  Chethai,  J^etilay.^ 
which  is  the  fjTrst  habitation  of  the  Tartars,  that  pay  tribute  TheTaruu-s. 
to  the  great  Cane.     And  from  this  lake,  for  the  space  of  two 
moneths  vyage  (as  they  were  credybly  informed  by  certayne 
Tartares  taken  in  the  warres)  is  the  most  noble  citie  of  Cam-  The  citie  of 

Cambalu. 

balu,  beyng  one  of  the  chiefcst  in  the  dominion  of  the  great 


188  OF  THE  NORTHEAST  FROSTY  SEA 


N 
secrete. 


•erete"^     Cane,  whoni  some  call  the  great  Cham.     He  also  afFyrmed, 
that  if  shyppes  should  be  made  on  the  coastes  of  the  sayde 
sea,  and  sayle  on  the  backe  halfe  of  the  coast  thereof  (which 
he  knew  by  many  relations  made  to  his  Prince,  to  reach  infi- 
nitely towarde  the  North-east),  they  should  doubtlesse  in  fo- 
lowyng  the  same,  easily  discouer  the  countrey.     Unto  these 
ti^aueyiyng   woordcs  he  added,  that  although  there  were  great  difficultie 
inx  oscouia.  -^  Moscouia,  by  reason  that  the  way  to  the  sayde  sea  is  full 
of  thicke  woods   and  waters,  whiche  in  the  sommer  make 
great  maryshes,  and  impossible  to  be  traueyled,  as  well  for 
lacke  of  victuals,  whiche  cannot  there  be  founde,  not  for  cer- 
tayne  dayes,  but  for  the  space   of  certeyne  nionethes,  the 
place  beyng  desolate  without  inhabitauntes  :  neuerthelesse  he 
comu'enda-  saydc,  that  if  there  were  with  his  Prince,  onely  two  Spany- 

tioii  01  the  J         ^  ^  J  i.         J 

llTv^nn-  ardes  or  Portugales,  to  whom  the  charge  of  this  viage  should 
^^^^'  be  committed,  he  no  wayes  doubted  but  that  they  would 
folowe  it,  and  fynde  it ;  forasmuch  as  with  great  ingenious- 
nesse  and  inestimable  patience,  these  nations  haue  ouercome 
much  greater  difficulties  then  are  these,  whiche  are  but  litle 
in  comparison  to  those  that  they  haue  ouerpassed,  and  doe 
ouerpasse  in  all  their  viages  to  India.  He  proceeded,  de- 
claryng  that  not  many  yeeres  since,  there  came  to  the  courte 
Thebystoiie  of  his  Princc,  an  Ambassadour  from  pope  Leo,  named  maister 

of  Paulus  r    r  ■> 

of°thi's°  Paulo  Centurione,  a  Genuese,  vnder  dyuers  pretenses.  But 
aua?g?in^  the  priucj^all  occasion  of  his  commjTig,  was,  bycause  hee 
Paulus  had  conceyued  great  indignation  and  hatred  agaynst  the  Por- 
Maiice  may  tugalcs  :  And  thcrforc  intended  to  proue  if  he  could  open  any 

doe  more  j.  j.  ./ 

Theu  vertue  '^J^S^  ^7  land,  whcrby  spyces  myght  be  brought  from  India 
The  Caspian  by  the  landc  of  Tartaria,  or  by  the  sea  Caspiuni  (otherwyse 
called  Hircanum)  to  Moscouia,  and  from  thence  to  be  brought 
^'ig»-  in  shyppes  by  the  ryuer  Riga,  which  runnyng  by  the  coun- 

Liuonia.      trey  of  Liuonia,  falleth  into  the  sea  of  Gernianie :  and  that 
his  Prince  gaue  eare  vnto  him,  and  caused  the  sayde  vyage 
S^Lordo*"^  to  be  attempted  by  certaine  noble  men  of  Lordo,  of  the  Tar- 
tars confinyng  next  vnto  him.     But  the  warres  which  were 


AND  KINGDOMES  LYIXG  THAT  WAY.  189 

then  betweene  them,  and  the  great  desartes  which  they  should  cesaites. 
of  necessitie  ouerpasse,  made  them  leaue  of  theyr  enterpryse  : 
whiche  if  it  had  ben  purposed  by  the  coastes  of   this  our 
North  sea,  it  might  haue  been  easily  fynyshed.     The  sayde  ^y^^*^® 
Ambassadour  continued  his  narration,  saying  that  no  man  ^"'"^^  ^^^' 
ought  to  doubt  of  that  sea,  but  that  it  may  be  sayled  sixe 
monethes  in  the  yeere,  forasmuche  as  the  dayes  are  then  very 
long  in  that  clime,  and  hot,  by  reason  of  continuall  reuerbe- 
ration  of  the  beames  of  the  Sunne,  and  shorte  nyghtes  :  And  ],^sZ°onhis 
that  this-thing  were  as  well  woorthie  to  bee  prooued,  as  anye  ^■^^^' 
other  nauigation,  whereby  many  partes  of  the  worlde,  heere- 
tofore  vnknowen,  haue  been  discouered  and  brought  to  ciui- 
litie. 

And  heere  makyug  an  ende  of  this  talke,  he  sayde :  Let 
vs  now  omyt  this  parte  of  Moscouia  with  his  colde,  and 
speake  somewhat  of  that  parte  of  the  newe  worlde,  in  whiche 
is  the  lande  of  Brytons,  called  Terra  Britonum,  and  Bacca-  The  vyages 

•'  '  '  01   the 

leos,  or  Terra  Baccalearum,  where  in  the  yeere  1534,  and  Ji/the'^n"e 

1535,  Jaques  Cartiar,  in  tAYO  vyages  made  with  thi-ee  great  I'aos.'*'^'^^ 

French  GaUies,  founde  the  great  and  large  coun treys  named 

Canada,  Ochelaga,  and  Sanguenai :   which  reach  from  the 

xlv  to  the  51  degree,  be\Tig  well  inhabited,  and  pleasaunt  rieasauut 

countreys,  and  named  by  him  Noua  Francia.   And  here  stay-  xew  France. 

ing  a  while,  and  lyftyng  vp  his  handes,  he  sayde  :  Oh  what 

doe  the  Christian  princes  meane,  that  in  suche  landes  dis-  to^tife'chns- 

couered,  they  doe  not  assigne  certayne  colonies  to  inhabite 

the  same,  to  bryng  those  people  (whom  God  hath  so  blessed 

with  naturall  giftes)  to  better  ciuilitie,  and  to  embrace  our 

religion,  then  the  whiche  nothing  can  bee  more  acceptable 

to  God.    The  sayd  regions  also,  beyng  so  fayre  and  fruitful, 

with  plcntie  of  all  sortes  of  corne,  hearbes,  fruites,  wood, 

fyshes,  beastes,  metals,  and  ryuers  of  suche  greatnesse  that  ?J,^^,t 

shyppes  may  sayle  more  then  180  myles  vpon  one  of  them, 

beyng  on  both  sydes  infinitely  inhabited :  And  to  cause  the 

*^  •'  _  A   thyng 

goucrnours  of  the  savde  colonies  to   scarche   whether   that  j^odH^y  <» 

o  -be  searched. 


190  OF  THE  NORTHEAST  FROSTY  SEA 

lande  towarde  the  North,  named  Terra  de  Laborador,  doe 
ioyne  as  one  firme  lande  with  Norway :  Or  whether  there  bee 
any  streight  or  open  place  of  sea,  as  is  most  lyke  there  should 
be,  forasmuch  as  it  is  to  bee  thought  that  the  sayde  Indians, 
dryuen  by  fortune  about  the  coastes  of  Norway,  came  by 
that  streight  or  sea,  to  the  coastes  of  Germanic,  and  by  the 
The  way  to   savde  stxeight  to   sayle  north-west,  to  discouer   the  landes 

Cathay  and         J  a  J  ^ 

of'^MoTu'cca  ^^^^  countreys  of  Cathay,  and  from  thence  to  sayle  to  the 
west.^°°'  Ilandes  of  Molucca,  and  these  surely  should  bee  enterpryses 
Mterrayle.  ^^^^  *°  make  men  immortall.  The  which  thing,  that  ryght 
The  uobie    woorthic  sfentlcman  maister  Antony  di  Mendoza  consyder- 

euterpryse  *-'  ./  ^ 

di  Mendoza  J^S'  ^Y  ^^^  singular  vcrtue  and  magnanimitie  that  is  in  him, 
Mexico.  "'^  attempted  to  put  this  thyng  in  practyse.  For  being  viceroy 
of  the  countrey  of  Mexico  (so  named  of  the  great  citie 
Mexico,  otherwyse  called  Temistitan,  now  called  new  Spayne, 
beyng  in  the  xx  degree  aboue  the  Equinoctiall,  and  parte  of 
the  sayde  firme  lande)  he  sent  certayne  of  his  Captaines  by 
lande,  and  also  a  nauie  of  shyppes  by  sea,  to  search  this 
secrete. 

And  I  remember  that  when  I  was  in  Flaunders,  in  Thempe- 

rours  court,  I  saw  his  letter  wrytten  in  the  yeere  1541,  and 

dated  from  Mexico :   wherein  was  declared  howe  towarde 

The  disco-   the  Northwcst  he  had  founde  the  kyngdome  of  Sette  Citta 

ueryng  of 

the  north-    (i\int  is)  scucu  Citics,  whcras  is  that,  called  Civola,  by  the 

west  partes.  ^  ■'  '  '  '      -i 

reuerende  father  Marco  da  Niza :    and  howe  beyonde  the 

sayde  kyngdome  yet  further  towarde  the  Northwest,  Cap- 

tayne  Francesco  Vasques  of  Coronado,  hauing  ouerpassed 

great  desartes,  came  to  the  sea  syde,  where  he  founde  cer- 

shyppes      tayne  shyppes  which  sayled  by  that  sea  with  merchandies, 

b°Se^Norih  ^^^  ^^^^  ^  thep-  banner  vpon  the  prooes  of  theyr  shyppes, 

rearsea,  to  ccrtayuc  foulcs  made   of  golde  and  siluer,  which  they  of 

of  the  north-  Mcxico  Call  Alcatrazzi,  and  that  theyr  mariners  shewed  by 

west  parte  of     .  ,  ,  -,  ,.  . 

the  lande  of  sigucs  that  they  were  .xxx.  dayes  saylmg,  m  comniyng  to  that 

hauen :  whereby  he  vnderstoode  that  these  shyppes  could  be  of 

Cathay.       none  other  countrey  then  of  Cathay,  forasmuch  as  it  is  situate 


The  sea 

om  newe 
Fraunce  or 
Terra  Bri- 
tonura  to 


AND  KINGDOMES  LYING  THAT  WAY.  191 

on  tlic  contrary  parte  of  the  sayde  lande  discouered.  The 
sayd  maister  Antonie  wrote  furthermore,  that  by  the  opinion 
of  men  well  practised,  there  was  discouered  so  great  a  space 
of  that  countrey  -^oito  the  sayd  sea,  that  it  passed  950  leagues, 
which  make  2850  myles.  And  doubtless  if  the  Frenche 
men,  in  this  theyr  newe  Fraunce,  would  have  passed  by  /,.' 
lande  towarde  the  sayd  Northwest  and  by  North,  they  should  Tei™  Bri 

tonura  *" 

also  haue  founde  the  sea  whereby  they  myght  haue  sayled  to  catuay 
Cathay.  But  aboue  all  thpiges,  this  seemed  vnto  me  most 
woorthie  of  commendation,  that  the  sayde  maister  Antonie 
wrote  in  his  letter,  that  he  had  made  a  booke  of  all  the 
naturall  and  marueylous  thinges  whiche  they  founde  in 
searchjTig  those  countrey s,  with  also  the  measures  of  landes, 
and  altytudes  of  degrees  :  A  worke  doubtlesse  which  sheweth 
a  princely  and  magniiicall  mynd,  wherby  we  may  conceiue  that 
if  God  had  giuen  him  the  charge  of  the  other  hemispheric, 
he  would  or  now  haue  made  it  better  knowen  to  vs.  The 
which  thing  I  suppose  no  man  doth  greatly  esteeme  at  this 
tyme:  beyng  neuerthelesse  the  greatest  and  most  glorious  ^j^^^**/g"jf_ 
enterpryse  that  may  be  imagined.  terpnse. 

And  heere  makyng  a  certayne  pause,  and  turnyng  him- 
selfe  towarde  vs,  hee  sayde :   Doe  you  not  ^niderstande  to 
this  purpose,  howe  to  passe  to  India  towarde  the  Northwest 
wynde,  as  dyd  of  late  a  citizen  of  Venece,  so  valiant  a  man,  cabofe.The 
and  so  well  practised  in  all  thinges  perteyaiyng  to  nauiga-  ^-^h'e'west 

r-  1   •  1  1   •  Indies. 

tions,  and  the  science  of  Cosmographie,  that  at  this  present 
hee  hath  not  his  lyke  in  Spayne,  insomuche  that  for  his  vertues 
hee  is  preferred  aboue  all  other  pylottes  that  sayle  to  the 
West  Indies,  who  may  not  passe  thyther  without  his  lycencc, 
and  is  therefore  called  Piloto  Maggiore  (that  is),  the  graunde 
pylote.^  And  when  we  sayde  that  wee  knewe  him  not,  hee 
proceeded,  saying,  that  beyng  certayne  yeeres  in  the  citie  of 

^  For  much  curious  matter  connected  -with  this  incidental,  but  ex- 
tremely interesting,  reference  to  Cabot,  see  Memoir  of  Sebastian  Cabot, 
by  Biddle.     London,  1831  ;  8vo. 


192 


or  THE  NORTHEAST  FROSTY  SEA 


Commenda- 
tion of  Se- 
bastian 
Cabote. 

Sebastian 
Cabote  tolde 
me  that  he 
was  bome 
in  P.i-ystow, 
and  that  at 
iiii  yeeres 
olde  he  was 
carrj'ed  with 
his  father  to 
Venice,   and 
so  returned 
agayne  into 
England 
with  his 
father  after 
certayne 
yeeres : 
whereby  he 
was  thought 
to  haue  ben 
borne  in 
Venice. 


Tlie  fyrst 
vyage  of 
Sebastian 
Cabote. 


Siuile,  and  desirous  to  liaue  some  knowledge  of  the  nauiga- 
tions  of  the  Spanyardes,  it  was  tolde  him  that  there  was  in 
the  citie  a  valiant  man^  a  Venecian  borne,  named  Sebastian 
Cabote,  who  had  the  charge  of  those  thinges,  beyng  an  expert 
man  in  that  science,  and  one  that  could  make  cardes  for  the 
sea  with  his  owne  hande  :  and  that  by  this  reporte,  seekyng 
his  acquayntaunce,  hee  founde  him  a  very  gentle  person, 
who  enterteyned  him  friendly,  and  shewed  him  many  thinges, 
and  among  other  a  large  Mappc  of  the  worlde,  with  certayne 
perticular  nauigations,  as  well  of  the  Portugales  as  of  the 
Spanyardes :  and  that  hee  spake  further  vnto  him,  in  this 
effecte. 

When  my  father  departed  from  Yenece,  many  yeeres 
since,  to  dwell  in  Englande,  to  folowe  the  trade  of  merchan- 
dyes,  hee  tooke  me  with  him  to  the  citie  of  London,  whyle 
I  was  very  young,  yet  hauing  neuerthelesse  some  knowledge 
of  letters  of  humanitie,  and  of  the  sphere.  And  when  my 
father  dyed,  in  that  tyme  when  newes  were  brought  that 
Don  Christopher  Colonus  Genuese  had  discouered  the  coastes 
of  India,  wherof  was  great  talke  in  all  the  court  of  Kyng 
Henry  the  Seuenth,  who  then  reigned :  insomuche  that  all 
men  with  great  admiration  affirmed  it  to  be  a  thing  more 
diuine  then  humane,  to  sayle  by  the  West  into  the  East,  where 
spyces  growe,  by  a  way  that  was  neuer  knowen  before.  .By 
which  fame  and  report,  there  increased  in  my  harte  a  great 
flame  of  desyre  to  attempt  some  notable  thyng.  And  vnder- 
standyng  by  reason  of  the  sphere,  that  if  I  should  sayle  by  the 
Avay  of  the  Northwest  wynde,  I  should  by  a  shorter  tracte 
come  to  India,  I  therevppon  caused  the  kyng  to  bee  aduer- 
tised  of  my  diuise  :  who  immediately  commaunded  two  ca- 
rauels  to  be  furnyshed  with  all  thynges  apperteyning  to  the 
vyage,  which  was,  as  farre  as  I  remember,  in  the  yeere  1496, 
in  the  begynnyng  of  sommer.  Beginning,  therefore,  to  sayle 
toward  northwest,  not  thinking  to  fynde  any  other  lande 
then  that  of  Cathay,  and  from  thence  to  turne  toward  India. 


AND  KINGDOMES  LYING  THAT  WAY,  193 

But  after  certayne  dayes,  I  founde  that  tlie  lande  ranne 
towarde  the  north,  which  was  to  me  a  great  displeasure. 
Neuerthelesse,  saylyng  along  by  the  coast,  to  see  if  I  could 
fynde  any  gulfe  that  turned,  I  founde  the  lande  styll  conti- 
nent to  the  fifty-sixth  degree  vnder  our  pole.  And  seeing 
that  there  the  coast  turned  toward  the  east,  dispayring  to 
fynde  the  passage,  I  turned  backe  agayne,  and  sayled  downe 
by  the  coast  of  that  lande  towarde  the  equinoctiall  {euer 
with  intent  to  fynde  the  sayde  passage  to  India),  and  came 
to  that  parte  of  this  firme  lande  whiche  is  nowe  called  Florida.  J},"^  I'jndeof 

•t  Florida. 

WTiere,  my  victualles  faylyng,  I  departed  from  thence,  and 
returned  into    Englande,  where   I   founde    great   tumultes 
among  the  people,  and  preparance  for  warres  in  Scotlande, 
by  reason  whereof  there  was  no  more  consideration  had  to 
this  vyage.     Wherevppon  I  went  into  Spayne,  to  the  Catho- 
lyke  king,  and  queene  Elizabeth :   who,  beyng  aduertised  Jy^^frToP'^^ 
what  I  had  done,   enterteyned   mee,   and  at  theyr  charges  ufe  bmd  of 
furnyshed  certayne  shyppes  wherewith  they  caused  me  to  Hio  deiia 
sayle  to  discouer  the  coastes  of  Brasile,  where  I  founde  an 
exceedyng  great  and  large  ryuer,  named  at  this  present,  Rio 
della  Plata  (that  is),  the  ryuer  of  siluer,  into  the  whiche  I 
sayled,  and  folowed  it  into  the  firme  lande  more  then  six  cabote  toide 

me  that  in  a 

hundred  leagues,  fyndyng  it  euery  where  very  fayre  and  psio"  with- 
inhabited  with  infinite  people,  whiche  with  admiration  came  ^aj^sl^f '^ 
runnyng  dayly  to  our  shyppes.     Into  this  ryuer,  runne  so  September, 

1  1...  .  ,.,  1  L  r-  ^   •       andgeather- 

many  other  ryuers,  that  it  is  in  maner  incredible.    Alter  this,  ed  tuerof  oo 

tliousande 

I  made  many  other  vyages,  whiche  I  now  penny t  [pretermit].  j°  P'^?'^''^" 
And  wexing  olde,  I  gyue  my  selfe  to  rest  from  suche  traueyles,  pi^an'^Vsco 
bycause  there  are  nowe  many  young  and  lusty  Pylotes  and    °^''^' 
mariners  of  good  experience,  by  whose  forwardnesse  I  doe 
reioyce  in  the  fruites  of  my  labours,  and  rest  with  the  charge 
of  this  office  as  you  see.     And  this  is  as  muche  as  I  hauc 
vnderstoode  of  maister  Sebastian  Cabote,  as  I  haue  geathered 
out  of  dyuers  nauigations  written  in  the  Italian  tongue. 

And  whereas  I  haue  before  made  mention  ho  we  Moscouia  MoL^o'^a/'^ 
VOL.   IT.  c  c 


194  OF  THE  NORTHEAST  FROSTY  SEA 

was  in  our  tyme  discouered  by  Hicharde  Chanceler  in  his 
vyage  towarde  Cathay,  by  the  direction  and  information  of 
the  sayd  maister  Sebastian,  who  long  before  had  this  secrete 
in  his  mjTid,  I  shall  not  neede  heere  to  describe  that  viage, 
forasmuche  as  the  same  is  largely  and  faythfiilly  written  in 
the  Latine  tongue  by  that  learned  young  man  Clement 
Adams,  schoolmaister  to  the  Queenes  Henshemen,  as  he  re- 
The  }iystoi7  ceyued  it  at  the  mouth  of  the  sayd  Kichard  Chanceler.^    Ne- 

ofMoscouia.        •'  "" 

uerthelesse,  I  haue  thought  good  heere  to  speake  somewhat 
of  Moscouia,  as  I  haue  redde  in  the  booke  of  John  Faber," 
written  in  the  Latine  tongue,  to  the  ryght  noble  Prince  Fer- 
dinando,  Archeduke  of  Austria,  and  Infant  of  Spaine,  of  the 
manors  and  religion  of  the  INIoscouites,  as  he  was  partly 
instructed  by  the  Ambassadours  of  the  Duke  of  Moscouia, 
sent  into  Spayne  to  Themperours  maiestie,  in  the  yeere  1525. 
He  wryteth  therefore  as  foloweth : 
Thedyueis       I  thyukc  it  fNTTst  couuenient  to  speake  somewhat  of  the 

names  of 

Moscouia.  name  of  this  region  whereby  it  is  called  at  this  day,  and 
howe  it  was  called  in  olde  tyme.  Conferryng,  therefore,  the 
moste  auncient  of  the  Greeke  and  Latine  monumentes  with 
the  historyes  of  later  tyme,  I  perceyue  it  to  bee  a  thyng 
whiche  requireth  no  small  iudgement  of  wj^tte  and  learnyng. 
For  we  see  in  howe  shorte  tyme  the  names  of  thinges  are 
chaunged,  as  are  also  the  maners  of  men.  I  fynde,  therefore^ 
that  those  people  whom  at  this  day  wee  commonly  call  Mos- 
couites,  were  in  tyme  past   (as  wytnesseth   Plinie)   called 

^  This  Latin  account  of  Chancelor's  voyage,  by  Clement  Adams,  was 
written  in  1554,  and  published  by  Hakluyt,  together  with  a  translation 
into  English,  in  the  first  edition  of  his  Principall  Navigations,  1589. 
Hence  the  editors  of  the  Rerum  Moscoviticarum  Aiictores  Varii  were  at 
fault  when  they  asserted  in  their  dedication  to  Marquardus  Freherus  of 
the  first  edition  in  1600,  "  Anglorum  Navigationem  ad  Moscovitas  /ncnc 
primum  damus  ex  Bibliotheca  tua." 

^  See  page  cxx  of  Introduction.  Fabri's  work  appeared  under 
the  title,  Joh.  Fahri  Lencurchensis,  Episcopi  Viennensis,  Ejnstola  de 
Moscovitarum  juxta  mare  glaciale  religioiie  seu  de  dogmatilus  Moscorimi. 
Tubingas,  1525,  4to. ;  Spirse,  1582.  Also  in  Rerum  Moscoviticarum  Auc- 
tores  Varii.     Francofurti,  1600,  fo.  130,  et  seq. 


uer 

Boris- 


AND  KINGDOMES  LYING  THAT  WAY.  195 

Koxolani,  whom  neuerthelesse  by  cliauiigyng  one  letter,  Roxoiaui. 
Ptolome  in  his  eyght  table  of  Europe,  calleth  Rosolanos,  as  Rosoiaui. 
doth  also  Strabo.  They  were  also  many  yeeres  called  Ru-  Rutheni. 
theni,  and  are  that  people  whyche  sometyme  fought  manfully 
agajaist  the  Captaynes  of  Mithridates,  as  Strabo  wrytheth. 
They  were  called  Moscouites,  of  the  chiefe  citie  of  all  the 
prouince,  named  Moscouia  or  Mosca  :  or  (as  Volaterane' 
sayeth)  of  the  ryuer  Mosco.  They  were  sometyme  gouerned  The  rjuer 
by  Duke  John,  whose  wife  was  Helena,  of  the  lynage  of 
Themperours  of  Constantinople,  of  the  noble  famelie  of  the 
Paleologi.  Beyonde  these  Koxolanos,  Strabo  sayeth  there  is 
no  lande  inhabited.  These  Ruthenians,  therfore,  or  Mos- 
couites, are  people  of  the  Northeast  parte  of  the  worlde  from 
vs,  and  are  determined  with  the  liniittes  of  the  great  ryver  The  17 
Boristhenes  of  Scithia :  on  the  one  syde  with  the  Lituanians  thenes. 
and  Polonians,  and  on  the  other  syde  with  the  Tartars,  who 
ceasse  not  to  vexe  them  with  continuall  warres  and  incur- 
sions :  Especially  the  great  Emperour  Cham  of  Cathay,  the  Thempeiour 

of  Cathay. 

chiefe  Prince  of  the  Tartars,  resydent  by  the  sea  syde  in 
Taurico  Chersoneso,  molesteth  them  with  sore  warres.  They 
are  towarde  the  North  syde  inclosed  with  the  frosen  sea,  the  The  frosen 

sea. 

lande  of  whose  coastes  beyng  very  large,  perteyneth  in  maner 
all  to  the  dominion  of  the  Duke  of  Moscouie.  The  sea  is  it 
wliiche  the  olde  wryters  call  Lacus  Cronicus,  so  named  of  Lacus 

Crouicus. 

the  Greeke  woorde  Cronos,  which  the  Latines  call  Saturnus,  saturnus. 
whom  they  fayne  to  be  an  olde  man,  of  complexion  colde  and 
slowe,  and  thereby  name  all  suche  thinges  as  are  colde  and 
slowe,  Cronica,  as  by  lyke  reason  they  dyd  this  North  sea, 
which  bejaig  in  maner  euer  frosen,  is  slow  and  cold,  and  in 
maner  immoueable.     And  for  lyke  consideration  (as  sayeth 
Plinie)  Heathens  nameth  it  in  the  Scithian  tongue,  Amf^l-  Amaitheum. 
theum,  Avhich  woorde   signifieth  as  much  as  congealed  or 
frosen.      But  that  I  wander  not  farre  from   my  purpose :  ni'o';i''o7the 
Thempyre  and  dominion  of  the  Duke  of  Moscouie,  reacheth  moscouL. 

^  RafFaello  Maffei,  surnamed  Volaterrauus.     His  work  is  entitled  Com- 
mentarii  Rerum  Crhanarwn,  published  in  Paris,  1515,  fo. 


196  OF  THE  NORTHEAST  FROSTY  SEA 

SO  farre,  that  it  compreliendeth  ccrtayne  partes  of  Asia,  and 
also  of  Eiu'ope. 
The  citie  of      ^ho  citic  of  Moscouia,  or  Mosco.  is  counted  twyse  as  hjs 

Moscouia.  ^  '  J  J  o 

as  Colonia  Agrippina  [Cologne],  as  they  faythfuUy  reporte 

which  knoAv  both.     Vnto  this  they  haue  also  an  other,  not 

i'''.<'^«iiief    vnequall  in  bygnesse,  called  Fladimer.    Also  Blescouia,  No- 

Moscoum.    ^xogradia,  Smolne  [Smolensko],  and  Otifcr  [Tver],  all  which, 

theyr  Ambassadours  affyrme  to  be  of  princely  and  magnificall 

buyldynges,  and  strongly  defended  with  walles  both  of  bricke 

and  square  stone.    Of  these,  Blescouia  is  strongest,  and  enui- 

roned  with  three  walles.     Other  whiche  they  haue  innunier- 

The  Duke  of  able,  are  not  so  famous  as  are  these  wherof  this  Duke  of 

Moscouia  &  ^ 

Emperoui-    Moscuvic  and  Emperoure  of  Russia  taketh  thinscription  of 

of  Russia.  ■■-  •*■ 

his  title.     For  euen  at  this  present,  when  so  euer,  eyther  by 

his  ambassadours  or  his  letters,  he  doth  signifie  hym  selfe  to 

The  duke  of  "be  Empcrour  of  Muscouie,  he  is  accustomed  to  vse  this  title, 

Moscouia  •■■ 

his  tj  tie.  Basilius,  by  the  grace  of  God  Emperour  of  al  Russia,  and 
great  Duke  of  Fladamer,  Moscouie,  Nouigrade,  Blascouia, 
Smolne,  and  Otifer,  etc.  And  this  is  the  tytle  whereby  the 
sayde  ambassadours  saluted  your  maiestie  in  the  name  of 
great  Basilius  when  they  began  theyr  oration. 

Duke  Basi-       Tliis  priucc  of  Moscouia,  hath  vnder  hym  prynces  of  many 

lius. 

prouinces,  and  those  of  great  power :  Of  the  whiche,  that  olde 
whyte  bearded  man,  whom  this  Emperour  of  the  Ruthians 
sent  for  his  ambassadoure  to  Themperours  maiestie  into 
Spaine,  is  not  one  of  the  least.  For  euen  he,  when  necessitie 
power  °^  warre  requireth,  is  accustomed  to  make  for  his  Emperour 
Theyr  oi  e-  a  baudc  of  .XXX.  thousaud  horsemen.     But  this  is  to  their 

(lience  to 

piyuce  singular  commendation,  that  they  are  so  obedient  to  theyr 
prince  in  all  thynges,  that  beyng  sommoned  by  hym  by  neuer 
so  meane  an  heralde,  they  obey  incontinent,  as  if  it  were  to 

iiieji-  God,  thynking  nothing  more  glorious  then  to  die  in  y''  quarel 
questes.  ^f  theyr  prince.  By  reason  of  which  obedience,  they  are  able, 
in  short  tyme,  to  assemble  an  army  of  two  or  three  hundred 
thousand  men  against  theyr  eniniies,  eyther  the  Tartars,  or 


cou 


AND  KINGDOMES  LYING  THAT  WAY.  197 

tlie  great  Cham  :  And  haue  hereby  obtayned  great  victories 
and  triumphcs,  aswell  agaynst  the  Turks^  as  the  Tartars,  by 
the  exceeding  multitude  of  theyr  horsemen,  and  continuall 
experience  in  warres.  At  such  time  as  Themperour  Maxi- 
milian made  a  league  with  them,  they  kept  warre  against  the 
kyng  of  Polonie.  They  vse  not  onely  bowes  and  dartes,  after 
the  manor  of  the  Parthians,  but  haue  also  the  vse  of  gunnes  ouunes. 
as  we  haue.     And  to  be  briefe,  onlv  the  Moscouites  may  <^ni.v  the 

*'  •'    Muscouites 

seeme  that  nation  which  hath  not  felte  the  commodities  of  IV""*^  "*'"''^'' 

the  comiuo- 

peace  :  Insomuch  that  if  theyr  region  were  not  strongly  de-  peace."' 

fended  by  the  nature  of  the  place,  beyng  impreignable,  it 

had  or  now  been  oftentymes  conquered.     Theyr  lanajuasre  Theyr  lau- 

•'  •*■  J  o       o      guage. 

agreeth  much  with  the  tongue  of  y^  Bohemians,  Crotians, 
and  Sclauons,  so  that  the  Sclauon  doth  playnely  vnderstande 
the  Moscouite,  although  the  Moscouian  tongue  be  a  more 
rude  and  hard  phrase  of  speech.  The  historiographers  wryte 
that  the  Sclauons  tongue  tooke  the  name  of  the  confusion 
whiche  was  in  Babell  in  the  tyme  of  that  stoute  hunter  Nem- 
roth,  of  whom  mention  is  made  in  the  Genesis.  But  I  can  not 
enough  marueyle  at  this  thyng,  that  whereas  betweene  Dal-  Daimatia. 
matia  (now  called  Sclauonia)  and  Moscouia,  both  the  Panno-  Pannonia. 
nies  are  situate,  yet  this  notwithstandyng,  the  Hungarians  Hungarie. 
tongue  nothyng  agreeth  with  the  Moscouites.  Whereby  we 
may  coniecture  that  these  nations  were  sometymes  diuided 
by  legions,  and  that  they  came  out  of  Daimatia  thyther  : 
whiche  thyng  also  Volateranus  aifirmeth,  saying  that  the  lan- 
guage of  the  Ruthenians  (which  are  the  Moscouites)  is  Semi- 
dalmatic  (that  is,  halfe  Sclauone);  howe  so  euer  it  be,  this  is  The  scia- 

uion  tongue 

certaine,  that  the  Bohemians,  Crotians,  Sclauons,  and  Mos-  f  acueth 

^  ■'  J  '  rarre. 

couites,  agree  in  language,  as  we  perceiued  by  thinterpre- 
tours  whiche  your  maiestie  had  then  in  your  courte.  For 
whereas  the  sayd  interpretours  were  borne  among  the  Croa- 
tians  and  Sclauons,  and  none  of  them  had  euer  been  in  Mos- 
couia, or  before  that  tyme  had  any  conversation  with  them, 
yet  dyd  they  well  vnderstande  the  ambassadours  woordes. 


198  or  THE  NORTHEAST  FROSTY  SEA 

Greatwoods,      Thcrc  are  in  Moscouia,  wooddes  of  exceedyng  byggenesse, 

wooiuM*^^    in  the  whiche  blacke  woolues  and  whyte  beares  are  bunted. 

The  cause  whereof  may  bee  thextreme  colde  of  the  North, 

whiche  doth  greatly  alter  the  complextions  of  beastes,  and  is 

the  mother  of  whitenesse,  as  the  Philosophers  affirme.    They 

Abu  .dance  hauc  also  ffroat  plentie  of  Bees,  wherby  they  haue  such  abun- 

ot  houy  aud  or  ^  ^  j 

wiixe.  daunce  of  hony  and  waxe,  that  it  is  with  them  of  sniale  price. 

When  the  commoditie  of  theyr  countrey  is  neglected  by 
reason  of  long  warres,  their  chiefe  aduantage  wherby  they 
haue  all  thynges  necessarie  towarde  theyr  lyuynge,  is  the 

Rych  funes.  gayucs  whiclic  they  haue  by  theyr  ryche  furres,  as  Sables, 
Marternes,  Luzernes/  most  whyte  Ai'mins,  and  such  other, 
whiche  they  sell  to  merchauntes  of  dyyers  coun treys.     They 

ner^of  w-  ^7^  ^^^  ^^^  with  the  simple  fayth  of  woordes,  exchaungyng 

g'^yuing.  -^are  for  ware,  without  any  curious  bondes  or  cautels.  And 
albeit  they  haue  the  vse  of  both  golde  and  siluer  niynes,  yet 

Eude  &       clo  they  for  the  moste  parte  exchaunge  theyr  furres  for  fruites, 

people.  ^^^  other  things  necessarie  to  mainteine  their  life.  There 
are  also  some  people  under  the  dominion  of  this  Emperour, 
Avhich  haue  neither  wyne  nor  wheate,  but  lyue  only  by  ileshe 

Taiuis.  ^^-^^  mylke,  as  do  the  wylde  Tartars  theyr  borderers,  which 
dwell  in  wods  by  the  coastes  of  the  frosen  sea.  These  people 
are  bruitishe  and  lyve  in  maner  lyke  wylde  beastes.  But 
they  of  the  citie  of  Mosca  and  Nouigrade,  and  other  cities, 

'J^JJ",*'  .       are  ciuile  people,  and  agree  with  ys  in  eat^aig  of  fyshe  and 

cities.  fleshe,  although  theyr  manor  of  coquerye  is  in  many  thynges 
differyiag  from  ours.  Yolaterane  wryteth  that  the  Ruthenians 
vse  money  yncoyned. 

And  enquiryng  foi'ther,  I  was  infourmed  that  the  money 
of  Hungary  is  much  current  with  them.    But  this  is  cheeflye 

They  em-     to  bo  Considered,  that  they  embrace  the   Christian  fayth, 

brase  the  ^  J  j        ' 

fauh^ which  whiche  they  affirme  to  haue  been  preached  to  them  fyrst  by 

ceyuetfufthe  Saiuct  Audrcwo  the  Apostle,  and  brother  to  Simon  Peter. 

Suche  doctrine  also  as  vnder  Constantino  the  great,  in  the 

Lupus  cervarius,  a  kind  of  wolf,  called  the  stag-wolf. 


AND  KINGDOMES  LYING  THAT  WAY.  199 

yeere  .ccc.xviii.,  was  concluded  in  the  fyrst  generall  coun-  The  coun- 

...  sayle  of 

sayle  holden  in  the  citie  of  Nicene  in  Bethynia,  and  there  ^"iceue. 
determined  by  ccc.x"s4ii.  Byshops,  and  also  suche  as  hath 
been  wTytten  and  tausrht  by  the  Greeke  Doctours  Basilius  BasiUus 
Magnus  and  Chrisostomus,  they  beleeue  to  be  so  holy,  fyrnie,  chrisosto- 
and  syncere,  that  they  thynke  it  no  more  lawfull  one  heare 
to  transgresse  or  go  backe  firom  the  same,  then  from  the  Gos- 
pell  of  Ckrist.     For  theyr  constancie  and  modestie  is  suche, 
that  no  man  dare  call  those   th^^lges  into  question  whiche  "^^^^l  '^°"- 
have  once  been  decided  by  holy  fathers  in  theyr  generall  ^^l^l  ^^^^' 
counsailes.     They  do  therfore  with  a  more  constant  mynde 
perseuer  in  thep*  first  faith,  which  they  receiued  of  Sainct 
Andi'ew  thapostle,  and  his  successoure  and  holy  fathers,  then 
do  many  of  vs,  beyng  diuided  into  scismes  and  sectes,  which 
thing  neuer  chaunceth  among  them.     But  if  any  difficultie 
chaunce  to  rise  as  touching  the  faith  or  custome  of  religione, 
all  is  referred  to  the  Archebyshop  and  other  byshops,  as  to  be  i^^  bishops 

^  ./  ir    ^  define  con- 

defijied  by  theyr  spii-ite  :  not  permyttyng  any  iudgement  to  i-ei-lfion*^^  "^ 
the  inconstant  and  ignoraunt  people.  Their  Archbishop  is  re- 
sident in  the  citie  of  Mosca,  where  also  the  Emperour  keepeth 
his  coiu't.    They  haue  lykewyse  diuers  other  Bvshops  :  as  one  Theyr 

-  ^  bishoiis. 

in  Nouigradia,  where  also  Isodorus  was  Byshop  rnder  pope 
Eugenius.    They  haue  an  other  in  Rosciuia  [Rostov],  an  other 
in  Sustali,  an  other  in  Otiferi,  also  in  Sniolne,  in  Eesan,  in  Col- 
mum,  and  in  Volut  [\'^ologda],  all  whiche  haue  theyr  Dioces. 
They  acknowledge  theyr  Archebyshop  as  the  cheefe.    Before  The  arch- 
the  Patriarche  of  Constantinople  was  oppressed  by  the  tiranny  The  patn- 
of  the   Turkes,   this   Archebyshop   recognised   hym   as  his  stantiuopie. 
superiour  :     Insomuche   that   this   Duke   of  Moscouia,   and 
Emperour  of  Russia,  not  ^^lmyndeful  hereof,  but  a  diligent 
obseruer  of  his  accustomed  religion,  doth  at  this  daye  yeerely 
sonde  a  certayne  stypend,  in  manor  of  almes,  to  the  Patri-  a  notable 

•'•■'■  example  ofa 

arche  of  Constantinople,  that  he  may  with  more  quiet  mynde  priuce."" 
looke  for  the  ende  of  this  his  Egyptian  seruitude,  vntil  it 
shall   please   almightie   God  to   restore  hym   to   his  former 


200  OF  THE  NORTHEAST  FROSTY  SEA 

cliurche  and  aucthoritie.  For  he  iudgeth  it  muche  impietie, 
if  he  shoulde  nowe  forsake  hym  whose  predicessours  haue 
ruled  and  gouerned  so  many  churches,  and  of  whom  the 
fayth  and  religion  of  so  many  regions  and  prouinces  haue 
depended. 

The>T  re-  l[^xit  to  spcakc  briefly  of  theyr  religion,  they  agree  in  manye 
thynges  with  vs,  and  in  some  thynges  folowe  the  Greekes. 
They  haue  Munkes  and  religious  men.  Not  farre  from  the 
citie  of  Mosca,  they  haue  a  great  Monasterie,  in  the  whiche 

A  monaste-  are  three  hundred  Munkes,  lyuyng  vnder  the  rule  of  Basilius 

rie  of  ccc.  -'./.'      o 

Munkes.  Maguus,  iu  the  whiche  is  also  the  sepulchre  of  S.  Sergius 
the  Abbot.  They  obserue  theyr  vowe  of  chastitie,  whiche 
none  may  breake  that  haue  once  professed.  Yet  such  as  haue 
maried  Virgins  of  good  fame,  may  be  admitted  to  thorder  of 

Priestes.  pricstliood,  but  may  neuer  be  a  Munke.  The  priestes  and 
Byshops  whicbe  are  admitted  to  orders  vnmaried,  may  neuer 
after  be  maried  :  nor  yet  such  as  haue  wiues  marry  agayne 
when  they  are  dead,  but  liue  in  perpetual  chastitie.  Such 
as  commit  adulterie  or  fornication,  are  greuously  punissed  by 
the  Byshops,  and  depriued  of  the  benefices.    They  celebrate 

Masse.  massc  after  the  maner  of  the  Greekes,  whiche  difiereth  from 
ours  in  dyuers  thynges,  as  in  fermented  bread,  after  the  ma- 
ner of  the  Greekes.  They  put  in  the  Chalice  as  muche  water 
as  red  wine,  which  water  they  vse  to  heate,  because  (not  with- 

A  misterie.  out  a  great  mystcrie)  there  ishued  foorth  of  the  syde  of  our 
Lord,  both  blood  and  water,  which  we  ought  by  good  reason 
to  thynke  was  not  Avithout  heat :  for  els  should  it  scarcely 
haue  been  iudged  for  a  miracle.  In  fine,  they  affirme  that 
al  theyr  customes  and  rites  are  according  to  the  institutions 

tiuechurcii'e.  of  the  primitive  church,  and  the  doctrine  of  Basilius  Magnus, 

custumT'^  and  Chrisostomus.  In  this  thyng  they  difier  greatly  from 
vs,  that  they  minister  the  communion  to  young  chyldren  of 
three  yeeres  of  age,  which  they  do  with  fermented  bread  dypt 
in  a  sponefuU  of  wine,  and  gcue  it  to  them  for  the  bodye  and 
blood  of  Christ. 


AND  KINGDOMES  LYING  THAT  WAY.  201 


^  Bricfe  ©cscrtptton  of  Jloscouia,  after  i\}c  Hater 

WRITERS,    AS    SEBASTIAN    MUNSTER/  AND    JACOBUS    GASTALDTJS.^ 

The  prouince  of  Moscouia,  is  so  named  of  the  ryver  Mosca, 
whiche  passeth  by  the  nietropolitane  citie  of  Moscouia,  called 
Mosca  by  the  name  of  the  ryuer  Mosco.  This  prouince  was 
called  of  the  olde  writers,  Sarmatia  Asiatica,     The  borderers  sanuatia 

.  Asiatica. 

or  confines  to  the  Moscouians  on  the  one  syde  towarde  the 
East,  are  the  Tartars,  called  Nogai,  and  the  Scianbanians, 
with  the  Zagatians.     Towarde  the  West,  the  prouinces  of 
Liuonia  and   Lituania.      Towarde   the   South  the   ryver   of 
Tanais,  and  the  people  confining  with  the  ryver  of  Volga,  ^'lauocemi 
called  of  the  olde  wryters  Rha.    And  towarde  the  North,  the 
Ocean  sea,  called  the  Scythian  sea,  and  the  region  of  Lappo- 
nia.     Moscouia  is  in  maner  all  playne,  and  full  of  Maryshes, 
wooddes,  and  many  very  great  ryvers,  whereof  the  ryver  of  The  o^er 
Volga  is  the  principall.     Some  call  this  Ledib,  as  the  olde 
authours  named  it  Rha.  It  begynneth  at  the  great  lake  called 
Lacus  Albus  (that  is)  the  white  lake,  and  runneth  into  the  Lacusaibus. 
sea  of  Bachau,  named  of  the  auncient  Avryters,  the  sea  of 
Caspian  or  Hircanum.    Under  the  dominion  of  Moscouia,  are  The  Caspian 
certayne  regions  and  Dukedomes  :  as  Alba  Hussia  (that  is 
whyte  Russia).     Also  Colmogora,  Plescouia,  Basrida,  Nouo- 
gradia,  with  also  manie   places  of  the  Tartars,  whiche  are 
subiecte  to  the  Duke  of  Moscouia.    The  chiefe  cities  of  Mos-  Theyr 

cliiefe  cHies. 

couia,  are  Mosca,  Plescouia,  Nouogradia,  Colmogora,  Oto- 

^  Sebastian  Munster,  a  learned  Hebraist,  born  at  Ingelheim  in  1489, 
whose  Cosmographei,  published  at  Basle,  1550,  foL,  is  well  known.  For 
his  notice  of  Russia,  see  Introduction,  under  article  Nicolaus  Cusanus. 

^  Jacobus  Gastaldus,  a  native  of  Villafranca,  in  Piedmont.     His  geo- 
graphical observations  are  inserted  in   the  first  Italian  translation  of 
Ptolemy,  published  by  Pier  Andrea  Mattioli,  Venice,  1548,  8vo. 
VOL.  II.  D  D 


202  OF  THE  NORTHEAST  FROSTY  SEA 

geria,  Viatra,  Smolenser,  Percastaviia,  Cologna,  Volodemaria, 
Rostania,  and  Cassam.  The  people  of  Moscouia  are  Chris- 
tians and  haue  great  abundaunce  of  honey  and  waxe  :  also 
rych  fiirres,  as  Sables,  Marternes,  Foynes/  and  dyuers  other. 
The  wyide    ^\i  ^Jie  Tartars  whiche  inhabite  towarde  the  east  beyonde  the 

1  artars.  •' 

ryuer  of  Volga,  haue  no  dwellyng  places,  nor  yet  cities  or 
Castles,  but  cary  about  with  them  certayne  cartes  or  wagens 
couered  with  beastes  hydes,  vnder  whiche  they  reste,  as  we 
do  in  our  houses.     They  remoue  togeather  in  great  compa- 

Hordas.       nyes,  whiche  they  call  Hordas.     They  are  warlyke  people, 

and  good  horsemen,  and  are  all  Macometistes  [Mahometans]. 

Sebastian  Munster,  in  his  booke  of  "  Uniuersall  Cosmo- 

Thebygnes  orraphie",  wrvtetli,  that  the  citie  of  Mosca  or  Moscouia  con- 

of  the  citie    o      I  'J  ' 

of  Moscouia.  teyneth  in  circuite  xiiii.  myles,  and  that  it  is  twise  as  bygge  as 

the  citie  of  Praga  in  Bohemie.    Of  the  countrey  of  Moscouia, 

besyde  other  prouinces  subiecte  to  the  same,  he  wryteth  thus : 

It  extendeth  in  largenesse  foure  hundreth  myles,  and  is  rych 

syiuer.        in  sylucr.     It  is  lawful  for  no  man  to  go  out  of  the  realme, 

ofMosc^u^.  01"  come  in,  without  the  Dukes  letters.    It  is  playne,  without 

Beastes.      mountaynes,  and  full  of  woodds  and  marishes.     The  beastes 

there,  by  reason  of  the  colde,  are  lesse  then  in  other  coun- 

A  fa}Te  and  trcvs  morc  southwardc.    In  the  middest  of  the  citie  of  Mosca, 

stronge  cas-  *' 

cttie"of^^    beyng  situate   in   a  plajTie,   there   is   a   Castell  with   .xvii. 

Mosca.  toweres,  and  three  bulwarkes,  so  strong  &  fayre,  that  the 
lyke  are  scarcely  scene  in  any  other  place.  There  are  also 
in  the  Castell  .xvi  churches,  and  three  very  large  courtes,  in 
the  whiche  the  noble  men  of  the  courte  haue  theyr  lodg- 

pXke.''^^  ynges.  The  Dukes  pallaice  is  buylded  after  the  maner  of 
the  Italian  buyldpig,  and  very  fayre,  but  not  great.     Theyi- 

ThejT-         drynke  is  mede  and  beere,  as  is  the  maner  of  the  most  part 

dryuke.  j  '  a 

of  the  people  that  inhabite  the  North  partes  of  the  woorlde. 
'^euln^to      '^^'^y  ^^'^  exceedyngly  geuen  to  droonkennesse.    Yet  (as  some 
saye)  the  princes  of  the  lande  are  prohibite  on  payne  of  death 
to  absteine  from  such  strong  drinkes  as  are  of  force  to  ine- 

^  A  species  of  weasel  {miistela  foina?). 


druuken- 
nesse, 


AND  KINGDOMES  LYING  THAT  WAY,  208 

biiate,  excepte  at  ceitayne  times  ■svhen  licence  is  graunted 
them,  as  twise  or  thrise  in  the  yeere.  They  ])lowe  the  ground 
with  horses,  and  plowes  of  wood.     Theyr  corne  and  other  ^""""^  »""* 

■*■  •'  grayne. 

grayne,  by  reason  of  long  colde,  do  seldome  waxe  rype  on 
the  ground,  by  reason  wherof  they  are  sometimes  inforced  to 
rype  and  drye  them  in  their  stooves  and  hot  houses,  and  then  stoues. 
grynd  them.     They  lacke  wyne  and  oyle.     ]\Ioscouia  is  ex- 
tended vnto  lurham  and  Corelia,  which  are  in  Scithia.     The 
famous  ryuer  of  Tanais,  the  Moscouites  call  Don,  hauyng  ^"jfe/o"""^ 
his  sprynges  and  originall  in  Moscouia,  in  the  Dukedome  of 
Rezense.     It  ryseth  out  of  a  ground  that  is  playne,  baren, 
muddy,  full  of  maryshes  and  wooddes.     And  where  it  pro- 
ceedeth  toward  the  East  to  the  mountajoies  of  Scythia  and 
Tartaric,  it  bendeth  to   the   South :   and   commyng  to   the  mansiies  of 
maryshes  of  Meotis,  it  falleth  into  them.    The  ryuer  of  Volga  y^,,  ,^^ 
(sometpne  called  E,ha,  and  now  called  of  the  Tartars  Edell) 
runneth  towards  the  North  certaine  myles,  to  whom  is  ioyned 
the  ryuer  Occa  or  Ocha,  flowing  out  of  Moscouia,  and  then  ocha. 
bendjTig  into  the   South,  and   encreased  with   many  other 
ryuers,  falleth  into  the  sea  Euxinum,  which  diuideth  Europe  i^i^n^. 
and  Asia. 

The  wood  or  forest  called  Hircania  silua,  occupieth  a  small  Tteforestof 
portion  of  Moscouia  :  Yet  is  it  somewhere  inhabited,  and  by 
the  long  labour  of  men,  made  thynner  and  barer  of  trees.   In 
that  part  that  lieth  toward  Prusia,  is  a  kinde  of  great  &  fierce 
Bulles,  called  Vri  or  Brisonts,  as  writeth  Paulus  Jouius.  ^'ri- 
There  are   also  Alces,  much  lyke  vnto   Hartes,  with  long  Aices. 
snowtes  of  flesh,  and  long  legges,  without  any  bowyng  of 
theyr  houx  or  pasternes.     These  beastes  the  Moscouites  cal 
Lozzi,  and  the  Almaines,  Helenes.^     The  iorney  that  is  be- 
tweene  Vina  of  Lituania  by  Smolence  to  Mosca,  is  trauayled  They  tra- 

iiayle  iu 

in  winter  on  Sledes,  by  the  snow  congeled  by  long  frost,  and  winter  on 
made  very  slypperie  and  compact  lyke  Ise,  by  reason  of  much 
wearyng  and  treadyng,  by  meanes  wherof  this  viage  is  per- 

^  Elan,  or  Allam,  a  name  given  in  Buflbn. 


204  OF  THE  NORTHEAST  FROSTY  SEA 

fournied  Avith  incredible  celeritie.  But  in  the  Sommcr,  the 
playne  countveyes  can  not  be  ouercome  without  difficult  la- 
bour : — For  when  the  snow  bcginneth  to  be  dissolued  by 
contynuall  heate,  it  causes  maryshes  and  quagmyres,  inextri- 
cable and  dangerous  both  for  horse  and  man,  were  it  not  for 
cmisfsys  of  ccrtainc  Causeis  made  of  timber  with  in  maner  infinite  labour. 

tyiuber. 

The  region  of  Moscouia  (as  I  haue  said)  beareth  neither 

Wines  nor  Oliue  trees,  nor  yet  any  other  trees  that  beare 

any  apples  or  fruitcs  of  very  jjleasant  and  sweete  sauour  or 

Trees  iind    tastc,  cxccpt  Chcrrv  trccs,  forasmuch  as  al  tender  fruites  and 

Iruitos.  ^  J  ^ 

trees,  are  burnt  of  the  cold  blasts  of  the  North  wynde.     Yet 
Come  mid    do  tlic  ficldcs  bcarc  al  kyndes  of  corne,  as  wheate,  and  the 
grayne  called  Siligo,^  wherof  the  fynest  kynde  of  breade  is 
made  :    Also  Mylle,  and  Panycke,  whiche  the  Italians  call 
Mclica  :    Lykewyse  al  kyndes  of  pulse,  as  Beanes,  Peason, 
Tares,  and  such  other.     But  theyr  cheefe  haruest  consisteth 
Houy  ill      of  Honye  and  Waxe,  forasmuch  as  the  whole  region  is  re- 
lifts.  plcnished  with   fruitcfuU    Bees,   which  make    most   sweete 

Hony,  not  in  the  husband  mens  hyues,  but  euen  in  hollow 
trees.  And  hereby  commeth  it  to  passe,  that  both  in  the 
wooddes  and  shadowed  launes,  are  scene  many  swarmes  of 
Bees  hangyng  on  the  bowes  of  trees,  so  that  it  shall  not  be 
necessarie  to  call  them  togeather,  or  charme  them  with  the 
sound  of  Basens.  There  are  often  tymes  founde  great  masses 
of  Hony  combes,  conserued  in  trees,  of  the  olde  Hony,  for- 
saken of  bees,  forasmuche  as  the  husbandmen  can  not  seeke 
euery  tree  in  so  great  and  large  woods  :  Insomuch  that  in 
the  stockes  or  bodies  of  exceedyng  great  and  hollow  trees, 
Lakes  01     arc  somctymes  founde  arreat  pooles  or  lakes  of  Hony.    Deme- 

pooles  of  _  •'  o  i  ^       J 

hony.  trius,  thambassadour  of  the  Duke  of  Moscouia,  whom  he 

sent  to  the  Bishop  of  Rome  not  many  yeeres  since,  made  re- 
lation that  a  husbandman  of  the  countrey,  not  farre  from  the 
aiijios"        place  where  he  remayned,  seekyng  in  the  woods  for  Hony, 
iiouey?'  "'  descended  into  a  great  hollowe  tree  full  of  Honye,  into  the 

^  Qitery,  Silii^ua,  whence  seigle,  barley. 


AND  KINGDOMES  LYING  THAT  WAY.  205 

which  he  slypt  vp  to  the  breast,  and  lyued  there  only  with 
Hony  for  the  space  of  two  dayes,  calling  in  vaine  for  helpe 
in  that  desart  of  woodds  :  and  that  in  fine  dispayryng  of 
helpe,  he  escaped  by  a  marueylous  chaunce,  beyng  drawen  ^^^l^'^^l^g_ 
out  by  a  great  Beare  that  descended  into  the  tree,  with  her 
loynes  downewarde  after  the  maner  of  men.  For  when  the 
man  (as  present  necessitie  and  oj)ertunitie  serued)  perceyued 
the  Beare  to  be  within  his  reache,  he  sodenly  clasped  her 
about  the  loynes  with  his  armes,  and  with  a  terrible  crye 
prouoked  the  beast  to  enforce  her  strength  to  leape  out  of 
the  tree,  and  therewith  to  drawe  hym  out,  as  it  chaunced  in 
deede. 

These  re^rions  abounde  with  Bearcs,  whiche  euery  where  ^'fareskede 
seeke  both  Honye  and  Bees,  not  only  herewith  to  fyll  theyr  ^'^'^^• 
bcllyes,  but  also  to  helpe  theyr  syght :  For  theyr  eyes  are 
oftentymes  dulled,  and  theyr  mouthes  wounded  of  the  Bees : 
both  which  greefes  are  eased  by  eatyng  of  Honye.     They 
banc  weakest  heades,  as  Lions  haue  strongest :  Insomuche 
that  Avhen  (beyng  thereto  enforced)  they  cast  them  selues 
downe  headlong  from  any  rockes,  they  couer  theyr  heades 
with  theyr  feete,  and  lye  for  a  tyme  astonished,  and  halfe 
deade  with  knockes.     They  walke  sometymes  on  two  feete, 
and  spoyle  trees,  backewarde.     Sometyme  also  they  inuade  ^^^^^  gJi'Jgg 
Bulles,  and  so  hang  on  them  with  all  theyr  feete,  and  they 
weerye  them  with  weight.      The  Beare  (as  sayeth  Plinie) 
bringeth  foorth  her  byrth  the  thirtie  day,  and  often  tymes  ^''/j^^^*^'"^ 
two.     Theyr  birth  is  a  certaine  white  mass  of  flesli  without 
fourmc,  and  litle  bigger  then  a  mouse,  without  eyes,  and 
without  heare,   with  only  the   nayles   or   clawes   commyng 
foorth :  but  the  damme  with  continuall  lyckyng,  by  litle  and 
litle  figureth  the  informe  byrth.     When  she  entreth  into  the 
denne  which  shee  hath  chosen,  shee  creepeth  thyther  with  "I'le  ^eares 
her  belly  vpwarde,  least  the  place  should  be  founde  by  the 
steppes  of  her  feete.     And  beyng   there  deliuered   of  her 
byrth,  rcmaineth  in  the  same  place  for  the  space  of  .xiiii. 


206  OF  THE  NORTHEAST  FROSTY  SEA 

Beaiea  lyue  daycs  immoueable,  as  wryteth  Aristotle.    They  lyue  without 
nieate  xi.     meat  .xl.  daves,  and  for  that  tyme  susteyne  them  selues  only 

ilayes.  J        '  ^  j  j 

by  lyckyng  and  suckyng  theyr  ryght  foote.  At  the  length 
chaunsing  to  finde  meate,  they  fyll  them  selues  so  full,  that 
they  remedy  that  surfeyte  by  vomyte,  which  they  prouoke  by 
eating  of  Antes.     Theyr  byrth  is  oppressed  with  so  heauy  a 

The  sieape  sleepe  for  the  space  of  .xiiii.  dayes,  that  it  cannot  be  raysed 
eyther  with  prickyng  or  woundes,  and  in  the  meane  tyme 
growe  exceedyng  fatte.  After  fourtiene  dayes  they  wake 
from  sleepe,  and  begyn  to  lycke  and  sucke  the  soles  of  theyr 
fore  feete,  and  lyue  thereby  for  a  space  :  Nor  yet  is  it  appa- 
rent that  they  lyue  by  any  other  meate,  vntyll  the  spring 
tyme  of  the  yeere.  At  whiche  tyme  begynnyng  to  runne 
abrode,  they  feede  of  the  tender  buddes  and  young  sprygges 
or  braunches  of  trees,  and  other  hearbes  correspondent  to 
theyr  lyppes. 

Before  fine  hundred  yeeres,  the  Moscouites  honoured  the 

Thereiigiou  Goddos  of  the  Gcntylcs :  And  they  fyrst  receyued  the  Chris- 

couites.  tian  fayth  when  the  Byshoppes  of  Grecia  began  to  discent 
from  the  church  of  the  Latinos  :  and  therefore  receyued  the 
rites  of  the  Greekes.  They  minister  the  sacrament  with  fer- 
mented breade  vnder  both  kyndes  :  And  thynke  that  the 
soules  of  dead  men  are  not  helped  with  the  suiFragies  of 
priestes,  nor  yet  by  the  deuotion  of  theyr  friendes  or  kyns- 
folke  :  Also  that  the  place  of  Purgatorie  is  a  fable.  In  the 
tymes  of  diuine  seruice,  the  hystorie  of  the  myracles  of 
Christ,  and  the  Epistles  of  sainct  Paule  are  rehearsed  out  of 
the  Pulpitte.      Beyond  Moscouia,  are  many  people  which 

rije  Scy-     they  call  Scythians,  and  are  partely  subiecte  to  the  Prince 

tluans  sub-  •'  j  ■'  i.  j 

Duke°of'"*  of  Moscouia.  These  are  they  which  Duke  Juan  subdued,  as 
1  oscoma.  ^^^  ^^  people  of  Perm,  Baskird,  Cezriremissa,  Jubra,  Corela, 
and  Permska.  These  people  were  Idolatours  before  the 
Duke  compelled  them  to  baptisme,  &  appointed  a  byshop 
ouer  them  named  Steuen,  whom  the  Barbarians,  after  the 
departui-e  of  the   Duke,  flayed   alyue,  and   slue.     But   the 


AND  KINODOMES  LYING  THAT  WAY.  207 

Duke  returnyng  shortly  after,  afflicted  them  sore,  and  as- 
signed them  a  newe  byshop. 

It  is  here  also  to  be  noted,  that  the  olde  Cosmographers 
fayned,  that  in  these  regions  towarde  the  North  jDole,  there 
should  be  certayne  great  mountaynes,  which  they  called  E-i- 
pheos  and  Hyperboreos,  which  neuerthelesse  are  not  founde 
in  nature.     It  is  also  a  fable,  that  the  ryuers  of  Tanais  &  i*  ^^as  then 

•'  an    opinion 

Volham  doe  spring  out  of  hygh  mountaynes,  whereas  it  is  ^'^J^.'^  fL'Jig 
apparent  that  both  these  ryuers,  and  many  other,  haue  theyr  tajuejr""" 
originall  in  the  playnes. 

Next  to   Moscouia,  is  the  fruitful  region  of  Colmogora,  Ji''ion  "r '^"^ 
through  the  whiche  runneth  the  ryuer  of  Diuidna,  beyng  the  ^'^''"''sora. 

J.  IIG    ^i  Gilt 

greatest  that  is  knowen  in  the  North  partes  of  the  worlde.  i}i'J,'-j|,a 
This  ryuer  increaseth  at  certayne  tymes  of  the  yeere,  as 
the  ryuer  of  Nilus  in  Egypt  ouerfloweth  the  fieldes  rounde 
about,  and  with  abundaunce  of  fatte  moysture  resisteth  the 
coldnesse  of  the  avre.    Wheate  sowen  in  the  srrounde,  arrow-  wheate 

•^  O  '  O  without 

eth  abundauntly  without  ploughyng  :  and  fearyng  the  newe  r'^wing. 
iniurie  of  the  proude  ryuer,  springeth,  groweth,  and  rypeth, 
with  wonderfull  celeritie  of  hastyng  nature. 

Into  the  ryuer  of  Diuidna  runneth  the  ryuer  of  Juga :  And  J^  ®^'^"'"'  °^ 
in  the  very  angle  or  corner  where  they  meete,  is  a  famous 
marte  towne  named  Vstiviga,  beyng  a  hundred  and  fyftie  Vstiuga. 
myles  distant  from  the  chiefe  citie  of  Mosca.     To  this  marte 
towne,  from  the  higher  countreis,  are  sent  the  precious  furres  Furres. 
of  Marternes,  Sables,  Woolues,  &  such  other,  which  are  ex- 
chaunged  for  dyuers  other  kyndes  of  wares  &  merchandies. 
Hytherto  Munsterus. 

And  forasmuche  as  many  doe  marueyle  that  such  plentie  Thenatmaii 

•^  cause  of 

of  hony  should  bee  in  so  coole  a  countrey,  I  haue  thought  "^"^p^oVe°"^ 
good  to  declare  the  reason  and  naturall  cause  hereof.     It  is  ''''°'''"^- 
therefore  to  be  considered,  that  lyke  as  spices,  gums,  and  oummes 

.  .  and   spyces 

odoriferous  fruites  are  engendred  m  hotte  regions,  by  con-  *"  i^tte 

"-^  <_>  ./  coun  treys. 

tinuall  heate  duryng  all  the  whole  yeere,  without  impression 
of  the  mortifying  qualitie  of  colde,  whereby  all  thynges  are 


208 


OF  THE  NORTHEAST  FROSTY  SEA 


Flourps  in 
coltle   le- 
gions. 


Floures  of 
trees. 


Blossomea 
of  trees. 


An  example 
of  the   de- 
gi-ees  of 
heate. 


Tlie  genera- 
tion  of 
floures   by 
moderate 
beate. 


constrayned  as  they  are  dilated  by  heate,  euen  so  in  colde 
and  moyst  regions  (whose  moysture  is  thynner  and  more 
wateryshe  then  in  hot  regions)  are  flowers  engendred  more 
abundauntly,  as  caused  by  impression  of  lesse  and  faynter 
heate,  workyng  in  thynne  matter  of  wateryshe  moysture, 
lesse  concocte  then  the  matter  of  gummes  and  spyces,  and 
other  vnctuous  fruites  and  trees  growyng  in  hot  regions. 
For  although  (as  Munster  sayeth  here  before)  the  region 
of  Moscouia  beareth  neyther  vines  or  oliues,  or  any  other 
fruites  of  sweet  satiour,  by  reason  of  the  coldnesse  thereof, 
neuerthelesse,  forasmuch  as  floures  (wherof  hony  is  chiefly 
geathered)  may  in  soramer  season  growe  abundauntly  in  the 
playnes,  maryshes,  &  woods,  not  onely  on  the  ground,  but 
also  on  trees  in  colde  regions,  it  is  agreeable  to  good  reason, 
that  great  plentie  of  hony  should  be  in  suche  regions  as 
abounde  with  floiu'es,  which  are  brought  foorth  with  the 
fyrst  degree  of  heate,  and  fyrst  approche  of  the  sunne,  as 
appeareth  in  the  spryng  tyme,  not  only  by  the  spryngpig  of 
floures  in  fieldes  and  gardejTies,  but  also  of  blossomes  of 
trees  spryngjnig  before  the  leaues  or  fruite,  as  the  lyghter 
and  thynner  matter  fj'rst  drawne  out  with  the  lowest  and  least 
degree  of  heate  :  as  the  lyke  is  scene  in  the  arte  of  stjdlyng, 
whereby  all  thynne  and  lyght  moystures  are  lyfted  vp  by 
the  fyrst  degree  of  the  fyre  :  and  the  heauyest  and  thyckest 
moystiu'cs  are  drawne  out  with  more  vehement  fyre.  As  we 
may  therefore  in  this  case  compare  the  generation  of  floures 
to  the  heate  of  May,  the  generation  of  gummes  to  the  heat 
of  June,  and  spyces  to  the  heate  of  July  :  Even  so,  in  suche 
colde  regions  whose  summer  agreeth  rather  with  the  tem- 
perate heate  &  moysture  of  May,  then  with  thextreme  heate 
of  the  other  monethes,  that  heate  is  more  apte  to  bring  foorth 
aboundance  of  floures,  as  thinges  caused  by  moderate  heate, 
as  playnly  appeareth  by  their  tast  and  sauour,  in  which  is 
no  sharpe  qualitie  of  heate,  eyther  byting  the  tongue,  or 
offendyng  the  head,  as  is  in  spices,  gums,  and  fruites  of  hotte 


AND  KIXG  DOMES  LYING  THAT  WAY.  209 

regions.  And  as  in  colde  and  playuc  regions,  moderate 
hcate,  with  aboundance  of  moisture,  are  causes  of  the  gene- 
ration of  floures  (as  I  haue  sayde)  so  lykewvse  the  lensrth  of  T-ong  dayes 

''  J        J  J  J  O         ^      find  shone 

the  dayes  and  shortnesse  and  warmenesse  of  the  nyghtes  in  "ygiites- 
sommer  season,  in  such  cohle  regions,  is  a  greate  helpe  hcre- 
vnto.      Cardanus  writeth  in  his  booke  "  De  Plantis",  that 
bramble  &  fearne  growe  not  but  in  cokle  regions,  as  doeth  BramWe 

and  fearne. 

whcate  in  temperate  regions  :  and  that  spices  and  hot  secdes,  spyces. 
can  not  growe  in  cokle  regions ;  forasmuch  as  be^nig  of 
thynne  substance,  they  should  soone  bee  mortified  &  extinct 
by  excessiue  colde.  For  (as  he  sayeth)  nothing  can  con- 
cocte,  rype,  and  attenuate  the  substance  of  fruites  without 
the  helpe  of  ayre,  agreeable  to  the  natures  of  such  thinges  as 
are  brought  foorth  in  the  same,  although  it  may  doe  this  in 
rootes.     But  in  maner  all  floures  are  of  sweete  sauoure,  for-  The  sauour 

of  floures. 

asmuch  as  the  moysture  that  is  in  them,  being  thpme  and 
but  litle,  is  by  meane  heate  soone  and  easily  concocte  or 
made  rype.  Suche  also  as  are  soon  rype,  are  soone  rotten, 
accordj~ng  to  the  prouerbe.    Plinie,  although  in  the  .xi  booke  what  piinie 

/•    1   •        cc  "VT  iiTT  5?  •••!  Ill  wr)lheth  of 

01  his  "JNaturaii  Hystorye  ,  cap.  viii.  he  wrytheth  that  I'^y- 
hony  is  geathered  of  the  floures  of  all  trees  and  settes  or 
plantes,  except  sorell  and  the  hearbe  called  Chenopode 
(which  some  call  Goose  foote)  yet  he  affirmith  that  it  dc- 
scendcth  from  the  awe  :  for  in  the  .xii  Chapter  of  the  same 
booke,  he  wryteth  thus  : 

This   Cometh   from  the   ayre   at  the  rysyng   of  ccrta^Tic 
starres,  and  especially  at  the  rysyng  of  Sirius,  and  not  before  sirius  is 

otb  cnvTS© 

the  rysyng  of  Veroilis  (which  are  the  seuen  starres  called  called  caui- 

.  ,  °  culii,  that  is, 

Pleiades)  in  the  spryng  of  the  day.     For  then  at  the  morn-  tte  Dogge, 

''  ^     •!      o  -I  of  whom  the 

yng  spryng,  the  leaues  of  trees  are  founde  moist  with  a  fatte  daye^iMue 
dcwe.     Insomuche  that  suche  as  haue  been  abrode  vnder  *  ^^^  "'™^' 
the  firmament  at  that  tjTne,  haue  theyr  apparell  annoynted 
with  lyquor,  and  the  heare  of  theyr  head  clammy.  And  whe- 
ther this  bee  the  swette  of  heauen,  or  as  it  were  a  certayne  what  is 

■^  hony? 

spettj'l  of  the  starres,  eyther  the  iuise  of  the  ayre  purgyng 

vol,.   II.  E  E 


210  OF  THE  NOKTHEAST  FROSTY  SEA 

it  selfe,  I  would  it  were  pure,  liquide,  &  simple  of  his  owne 

nature,  as  it  first  falleth.  from  aboue.     But  now  descendyng 

Howe  hony  SO  farrc,  and  infected,  not  only  with  suche  vncleane  vapours 

is  corrupted.  ■>  j  x 

and  exhalations  as  it  meeteth  by  the  way,  but  afterwarde 
also  corrujjted  by  the  leaues  of  trees,  hearbes,  and  floures  of 
sundry  tastes  and  qualities,  and  lykewyse  as  well  in  sto- 
mackes  of  the  bees  (for  they  vomite  it  at  their  mouthes)  as 
also  by  long  reseruyng  the  same  in  Hives  ;  it  neuerthelesse 
reteyneth  a  great  parte  of  the  heauenly  nature,  etc.    Agayne 
in  the  .xiiii.  Chapter  of  the  same  booke  he  wryteth,  that  in 
certayn  regions  towarde  the   North,  as  in   some  places  of 
gleaY quail-  Gcmianie,  hony  is  founde  in  such  quantitie,  that  there  haue 
North"       been  seene  hony  coombes  eyght  foote  long,  and  blacke  in 
the  holow  parte.     By  the  which  woordes  of  Plinie,  and  by 
the  principles  of  naturall  philosophic,  it  doeth  appeare  that 
aboundaunce  of  honey  should  chiefly  be  engendred  in  suche 
?°p'J^ysiites  regions,  where  the  heate  of  sommer  is  tenij)erate  and  con- 
regious.       tinuall,  as  well  by  nyght  as  by  day,  as  it  is  not  in  hot  regions, 
where  the  nyghtes  be  long  and  colde,  as  is  declared  in  the 
Decades.    For  like  as  such  thinges  as  are  fyned  by  continuall 
A  simiii-      hcatc,  niouyug,  and  circulation,  are  hyndered  by  refrigera- 
tion  or   colde    (as    appeareth  in    the   arte   of  styllyng   and 
hatchyng  of  egges)  euen  so  by  the  action  of  temperate  and 
w"doeth   continuall  heate,  without  interposition  of  contrarie  and  morti- 
di'scst'^air   fyi^^  qualitie,  crude  thinges  are  in  shorte  tyme  made  rype, 
sower  made  sweete,  thicke  made  thinne,  heauie  made  lyght, 
grosse  made  subtyle,  hai'de  made  softe,  dead  made  lyuyng, 
and  in  fine,  bodyes  made  spirites,  as  manifestly  appeareth 
in  the  marueylous  woorke  of  dygestion  of  lyuyng  beastes, 
whereby  the  finest  parte  of  theyr  nouryshment  is  turned  into 
blood,  and  the  finest  of  that  blood  conuerted  into  spirites,  as 
the  lyke  is  also  seene  in  the  nouryshment  of  trees,  plants, 
and  hearbes,  and  all  other  thinges  that  growe  on  the  grounde, 
all  which  are  moued,  digested,  subtiliate,  attenuate,  ryj>ed,  and 
made  sweete  by  the  action  of  this  continuall  heate  whereof 


AND  KINGDOMES  LYING  THAT  WAY. 


211 


I  haue  spoken.     To  conclude  therefore,  if  hony  be  eyther 
the  swette  of  the  starres,  or  the  iuise  of  the  ayre  purgyng  it 
selfe  (as  Plinie  wryteth)  or  otherwyse  engendred  of  subtyle  p^uJ^^  ji^" 
and  fine  vapours  rysing  from  the   earth,  and  concocte  or  ideate'    ^ 
digested  in  the  ayre  by  the  sayde  continuall  and  moderate 
heate,  it  may  seeme  by  good  reason  that  the  same  should  be 
enarendred    in   sommer   season  more   aboundantly  in   colde  coide 
regions  then  in  hot,  for  the  causes  aforesayde.     And  that  it 
may  by  aucthoritie   and   reason  more  manifestly  appeare, 
both  that  the  heate  of  sommer  in  colde  regions  is  continuall 
(as  I  haue  sayde)  and  also  that  the  colde  in  wynter  is  not 
there  so  intollerable  to  thinhabitauntes  of  those  regions  as 
other  doe  thynke,  I  haue  thought  good  for  the  better  decla- 
ration hereof,  to  adde  herevnto  what  I  haue  geathered  out 
of  the  booke  of  Ziglerus,  wry tten  of  the  North  regions,  zigiei  us. 


©f  tjje  Wortij  l^fcfions,  anti  of  tjje  ilotrerate  antr 

CONTINUAL  HEATE  IN  COLDE  KEGIONS,  ASWELL  IN  THE  NYGHT  AS 
IN  THE  DAY  IN  SOMMER  SEASON  :  ALSO  HOWE  THOSE  REGIONS  ARE 
HABITABLE  TO  THINHABITAUNTES  OF  THE  SAME,  CONTRARY  TO  THE 
OPINION    OF    THE   OLDE   WRYTERS. 

Of  this  matter,  Ziglerus^  in  his  booke  of  the  North  regions  zigiems. 
in  the  description  of  Scondia,  wryteth  as  foloweth. 

We  will  intreate  of  this  matter,  not  as  putting  the  same 
in  question  as  did  the  olde  writers,  nor  geathering  iudge- 
ment  deducted  of  reasons  in  way  of  argument,  forasmuche 
as  we  are  already  more  certayne  by  hystorie  that  these  colde 
regions  are  inhabited.     We  will  first  therfore  shew  by  natu- 

^  Jacob  Ziegler,  a  celebrated  theologian  and  mathematician,  born  at 
Landau  in  Bavaria.  His  Schondia  occurs  in  a  collective  geographi- 
cal work  published  at  Strasburg,  1582,  foi. 


212 


OF  THE  NORTHEAST  FROSTY  SEA 


mer  iii  colJe 
reeiuus. 


The  couise 
of  the 
Suuae. 


rail  reason,  and  by  consideration  of  the  sphere,  declare  howe 
by  the  helpe  of  man  and  arte,  colde  regions  are  inhabited 
without  domage  or  destruction  of  lyuyng  beastes  :  And  will 
iT'ie  u  "som-  ^^'^^  speake  of  the  qualitie  of  sommer,  declaryng  howe  it  is 
there  augmented.  Yet  intend  I  not  to  comprehende  all  that 
may  be  sayde  in  this  matter,  but  only  rehearse  suche  reasons 
and  similitudes  as  are  most  apparent  and  easie  to  be  vnder- 
stoode. 

In  such  regions  therefore,  as  are  extended  from  the  burnt 
lyne  or  Equinoctiall  towarde  the  North,  as  much  as  the 
sunne  ryseth  higher  ouer  them,  so  much  are  they  the  more 
burnt  with  heat,  as  Affrica,  bycause  it  ryseth  highest  ouer 
them,  as  they  are  nearest  to  the  Equinoctiall :  &  taryng  with 
them  so  much  the  shorter  tyme,  causeth  shorter  dayes,  with 
longer  and  colder  nyghtes,  to  restore  the  domage  of  the  day 
past,  by  reason  of  the  moisture  consumed  by  vapoiu'.  But 
in  such  regions  ouer  the  which  the  sun  ryseth  lower  (as  in 
Sarmatia)  it  remayneth  there  the  longer  in  the  day,  and 
causeth  so  much  the  shorter  and  warmer  nyghtes,  as  reteyn- 
yng  warme  vapours  of  the  day  past,  which  vapours  helpe 
the  woorke  of  the  day.  I  speake  as  I  haue  founde  by  ex- 
perience, sayth  Vpsaliensis  :^  For  I  havie  fclte  the  sommer 
nyghtes  scarsely  tollerable  for  heate  in  Gothlande,  whereas 
I  felte  them  colde  in  Ilome.  This  benefit  of  the  increase  of 
the  day  doeth  augment  so  much  the  more  in  colde  regions, 
as  they  are  nearer  the  poles  :  and  ceaseth  not  vntyll  it  come 
directly  ouer  the  center  or  poynte  of  the  axes  or  axceltree  of 
the  worlde,  where  the  sunne  beyng  at  the  hyest  in  sommer, 
is  eleuate  about  .xxiiii.  degrees  :  In  which  regions,  one  con- 
tinuall  day  consisteth  of  .vi.  monethes  from  the  spryng  tyme. 


Vapours. 


Short  aixl 

Wiinue 

iivghtes. 


GoLlilaude. 


One  (lay 
of  vi. 
moDethes 


^  Joannes  Magnus,  named  Stor  in  Swedish,  was  archbishop  of  Upsala, 
Ziegler,  in  the  preface  to  his  Schondia,  speaks  of  him  as  a  private  friend 
from  whom  he  derived  information.  His  work,  entitled  Ilistoria  de 
omnibiis  Gothorum  Suenonumque  regibus,  was  subsequently  published  by 
his  brother  Olaus  Magnus.    Rome,  1554,  fol. 


AND  KINGDOMES  LYING  THAT  WAY.  213 

by  the  stantlyug  of  the  sunne  (called  Solstitium)  in  the  signe 

of  Cancer,  to  Autumne.     The  Sunne  therfore,  without  any  iiowe  the 

summer  is 

offence  of  the  nyght,  gyueth  his  influence  vpon  those  landes  ^"^j^'^^g''  ^" 
with  heate    that   neuer    ceaseth  duryug  that  tyme,  which  s'°"^- 
maketh  to  the  great  increase  of  sommer,  by  reason  of  con- 
tinuaunce.     Wee  haue  now  therefore  thought  good  to  gea- 
ther,  by  a  certayne  coniecture,  howe  greatly  we  thynke  the 
sommer  to  be  increased  heereby. 

We  haue  before  declared  howe  hygh  the  sunne  is  eleuate 
ouer  the  regions  that  are  vnder  the  poles  at  the  staye  of  the 
sunne.  And  so  many  partes  is  it  eleuate  in  Rome  at  the  Rome. 
staye  of  the  sunne  in  wynter  (that  is)  at  the  shortest  day 
in  the  yeere.  But  here,  in  the  myd  wpiter,  the  sunne  at 
noonetyde  is  beneficiall,  and  bryngeth  foorth  floures,  Roses, 
and  lelefloures.  I  haue  geathered  some  in  winter  in  the 
moneth  of  December,  not  procured  at  home  by  humane  arte, 
but  groAvyng  in  open  Gardens  in  maner  in  euery  bed  vnder 
the  bare  heauen,  brought  foorth  only  by  the  sunne.  But 
this  benignitie  of  the  sunne,  continueth  not  past  fyue  houi'es 
in  the  natural!  day,  forasmuch  as  the  operation  thereof  is  coide 

nyghtes  in 

extinct  by  the  coldenesse  of  the  nyght  folowyng.     But  if  i^ot  regions. 

this  benefite  myght   be    receyued  without  hinderaunce   of 

the  nyght,  as  it  is  vnder  the  poles,  and  so  continue  many 

monethes  in  hot  regions  vnto  wynter,  it  should  surely  bring 

foorth  many  wonderful  thinges,  if  moysture  fayled  not.    And 

by  this  condition  thus  propounded,  we  may  well  conceyue 

that  the  Romayne  wynter,  althouarh  it  be  not  hotte,  vet  to  TbeRomane 

be  cquall  in  heate  to  the  full  spryng  tyme  in  the  same  citie, 

duryng  the  tyme  of  the  sayd  fyue  houres.     And  thus  by  a 

similitude  of  the  height  of  the  sunne  vnder  both  places,  and 

of  the  knowen  qualitie  of  the  Romane  heauen,  and  by  the 

accesse  of  the  smme  to  such  j^laces  where  the  longest  day 

continueth  certayne  monethes,  we  may  geather  that  sommer, 

in  places  vnder  the  pole,  is  lyke  vnto  and  cquall  with  the 

full  Romane  spryng. 


214  OF  THE  NORTHEAST  FROSTY  SEA 

Olio  night        But  the  more  difficult  question,  is  of  the  tyme  of  the  .vi. 

moiiethes.  moiithes  ill  the  whiche  the  Sunne  leaueth  those  regions,  and 
goeth  by  the   contrary  or   ouerthwarte   circle  towarde  the 

obiectioiis.  south  in  wynter.  For  they  say  that  at  that  tyme,  those  re- 
gions are  deformed  with  horrible  darknesse,  and  nyghtes 
not  increased,  whiche  may  be  the  cause  that  beastes  can  not 
seeke  theyr  foode  :  And  that  also  the  colde  should  then  bee 
intoUerable.  By  which  double  euyls  all  thynges  constrayned 
should  dye,  so  that  no  beast  were  able  to  abyde  the  iniuryes 
of  wynter  and  famyne  insuyng  thereof :  but  that  all  beastes 
should  peryshe  before  the  sommer  folowyng,  when  they 
should  bryng  foorth  theyr  broode  or  succession :  and  that 
for  these  causes,  the  saycle  colde  clyme  should  be  perpetu- 
ally desolate  and  vnhabitable.  To  all  which  obiections  we 
answere  in  this  manor. 

The  twy-  As  touchyng  the  nyghtes  not  increased,  I  say,  that  it  was 

not  conuenient  to  assume  that  tor  any  reason,  for  not  as 
the  Sunne  falleth,  so  sodeynly  commeth  the  darke  nyght : 
but  that  the  euenyng  doeth  substitute  and  prolong  the  day 
long  after,  as  also  the  day  spryng  or  dawnyng  of  the  day, 
gyueth  a  certayne  lyght  before  the  rysyng  of  the  Sunne  : 
After  the  which,  the  residue  of  the  nyght  that  receyueth  no 
lyght  by  the  sayde  euenyng  and  mornyng  twilightes,  is  ac- 

The  lyght  of  complyshcd  by  the  lyght  of  the  Moone,  so  that  the  nyghtes 
are  sildome  vnaugmented.  Let  this  bee  an  example  proued 
by  our  temperate  regions,  whereby  we  may  vnderstande  the 

The  nyght   condition  of  the  nyojht  vnder  the  pole  :  Therefore  euen  there 

viicler  the  .    . 

pois-  also  the  twilightes  helpe  the  nyght  a  long  tyme,  as  we  will 

more  presently  demonstrate.  It  is  aj)prooued  by  the  Astro- 
nomers, that  the  Sunne  descendyng  from  the  highest  halfe 
sphere  by  eightiene  paralels  of  the  vnder  horizon,  maketh 

A  demon-     an  cude  of  the  twilight,  so  that  at  the  length  the  darke  nyght 

straliou. 

succeedeth  :  And  that  the  Sunne  approchyng,  and  rysyng 
aboue  the  hyghcst  halfe  sphere  by  as  many  paralels,  doeth 
dyminyshc  the  nyght  and  increase  the  twylight.     Agayne, 


AND  KINGDOMES  LYING  THAT  WAY.  215 

by  the  position  or  placyng  of  the  sphere  vnder  the  pole,  the 
same  is  the  horizontal!  that  is  the  Equinoctiall.  Those  para- 
lelles  therefore  that  are  jjaralellcs  to  the  horizontall  lyne,  arc 
also  paralelles  to  the  Equinoctiall.  So  that  the  Sunne  de- 
scendyng  there  vnder  the  horizon,  doeth  not  bryng  darke 
nyghtes  to  those  regions,  vntyll  it  come  to  the  paralels  dis- 
tant .xviii.  partes  from  the  Equinoctiall. 

Duryng  the  tyme  of  the  sayde  syxe  monethes  of  darke- 
nesse  vnder  the  pole,  the  nyght  is  destitute  of  the  benefite 
of  the  Snnne  and  the  sayde  tAA^'lyghtes,  onely  for  the  space 
of  thi'ee  monethes,  in  the  whiche  the  Sunne  goeth  and  re- 
turneth  by  the  portion  of  the  ouerthwarte  circle.  But  yet 
neyther  this  tyme  of  three  monethes  is  -without  remedy  from 
heauen.  For  the  Moone  with  her  full  globe  increased  tiic  Moone, 
in  lyght,  hath  accesse  at  that  tyme,  and  illuminateth  the 
monethes  lackpig  lyght,  euery  one  by  them  selues,  halfe  the 
course  of  the  moneth:  by  whose  benefite  it  commeth  to  passe 
that  the  nyght,  named  as  vnaugmented,  possesseth  those  re- 
gions no  longer  then  one  moneth  and  a  halfe,  neyther  that 
continually  or  all  at  one  tyme  :  but  this  also  diuided  into 
three  sortes  of  shorter  nyghtes,  of  the  whiche  euery  one 
endvireth  for  the  space  of  two  weekes,  and  are  illuminate  of 
the  Moone  accordyngly.  And  this  is  the  reason  conceyued  of 
the  power  of  the  sphere,  whereby  we  testifie  that  the  sommers 
and  nyghtes  vnder  the  pole  are  tollerable  to  Ijoiyng  beastes. 
But  we  wyll  nowe  declare  by  other  remedies  of  nature  and  upm^'ifs  of 

•I  •/  nature   ana 

arte,  that  this  colde  so  greatly  feared,  is  more  remisse  and  ''"• 

tollerable  then  our  opinion  :  so  that,  comjiared  to  the  nature 

of  suche  beastes  as  lyue  there,  it  may  be  abydden.     And 

there  is  no  doubte  but  there  are  autours  of  more  antiquitie 

then  that  age  in  the  whiche  any  thyng  was  exactly  knowen 

or  discouered  of  the  North  regions.    The  olde  wryters  there-  The  oWc 

wryters  per- 

fore  persuaded  onely  by  naked  coniecture,  dyd  leather  what  s'i'«ied  by 

-■■  J       J  'JO  couiecture. 

they  myght  determyne  of  those  places  :  Or  rather,  by  the 
estimation  of  heauen,  the  whiche,  because  they  fclte  it  to  be 


216  OF  THE  NORTHEAST  FROSTY  SEA 

hardely  tollerable  to  them  selues,  and  lesse  to  men  borne  in 
the  clyme  of  Egypt  and  Grecia,  tooke  thereby  an  argument 
of  the  whole  habitable  earth.  The  hystorie  of  Strabo  is 
A  biason  ^nowen,  that  a  potte  of  brasse,  whiche  was  broken  in  sunder 
with  Host,  ^\^|^i^  frozen  water,  was  brought  from  Pontus,  and  shewed  in 
Delphis  in  token  of  a  greuous  wynter.  Here  therefore,  they 
that  so  greatly  feared  the  wynter  (suche  as  chaunceth  to 
the  earth  vnder  the  .xlviii.  paralele)  and  therefore  conse- 
crated that  broken  potte  to  the  temple  of  Apollo :  what  could 
suche  men  truely  define  vpon  regions  so  farre  without  that 
paralele,  whether  they  were  inhabited  or  not :  But  suche 
as  folowed  these,  beyng  contented  with  thinuentions  of  the 
olde  autours,  and  borne  in  maner  vnder  the  same  qualitie  of 
heaven,  persysted  wyllyngly  in  the  same  opinion,  with  more 
confidence  then  consideration  of  the  thynges  whereof  we 
nowe  intreate  :  so  lyghtly  was  that  opinion  receyued  as 
touchyng  the  vnhabitable  clime  vnder  the  poles.  But  we 
with  better  confidence  and  faith  (forasmuche  as  we  are  not 
instructed  with  coniectui'es)  intende  to  stande  against  the 
sentence  of  the  olde  autours,  afiyrmyng  the  North  regions 
Fyshes  of    withiu   the    colde   clime   to   be  inhabited  with   herrynges, 

the  North  J     J=i       ^ 


sea. 


coddes,  haddockes,  and  brettcs,'  tunnyes,  and  other  great 
fyshes,  with  thinfinite  number  whereof  tables  are  furnyshed 
through  a  great  parte  of  Europe  :  All  whiche  are  taken  in 
The  North  the  North  sea  extended  beyonde  our  knoweledge.  This  sea 
at  certayne  tymes  of  the  yeere  poureth  foorth  his  plentiful- 
nes,  or  rather  driueth  foorth  his  increase  to  seeke  newe  man- 
sions, and  are  here  taken  in  theyr  passage.  Furthermore 
also,  euen  the  mouthes  of  the  riuer  of  Tiber  receiued  a  fyshe 
as  a  newe  gest  sent  from  the  North  sea  :  this  swamme  twise 
through  Fraunce,  and  twise  through  Spayne,  ouerpassed  the 
Ligurion  and  Tuscan  sea,  to  communicate  her  selfe  to  the 
citie  of  E.ome.  The  lakes  also  and  ryuers  of  those  regions 
are   replenyshed  Avith  fyshe  :    insomuch   that  no  power   of 

^  A  local  name  for  a  flat-fish  of  the  turbot  and  flounder  kind. 


ater. 


AND  KINGDOMES  LYING  THAT  WAY.  217 

colde  is  able  to  extinguyslie  thincrease  of  the  yeere  folow- 
ing,  and  the  succession  reparable  so  many  hundi'ed  yeeres. 
And  I  plainely  thinke,  that  if  it  should  of  necessitie  folowe, 
that  one  of  these  two  elementes,  the  earth  and  the  water,  Theqnau 

'  tie  of  wat 

should  be  destructive  to  lyuyng  creatures,  the  water  should 
chiefely  haue  wrought  this  effecte.  But  this  is  founde  so  tract- 
able, that  in  the  depe  wynter,  both  that  increase  is  brought 
foorth,  and  fyshyng  is  also  exercised.  The  lande  is  lyke-  Tiie  lauj. 
wyse  inhabited  with  like  plentifulnesse.  But  that  we  wander 
not  to  farre,  let  the  fayth  hereof  rest  in  therposition  folowyng, 
wherein  we  intend  to  declare  howe  by  the  power  of  nature 
and  industry  of  man,  this  commoditie  may  come  to  passe. 

Therefore  as  touchynsr  nature,  we  suppose  that  the  diuine  THe  diuine 
prouidence  hath  made  nothyng  vncommunicable,  but  to  haue  a"v^'"t)re 
geuen  suche  order  to  all  thynges,  whereby  euery  thyng  may  *'''^'"^'^^^- 
be  tollerable  to  the  next.     The  extremities  of  the  elementes 
consent  with  theyr  next.    The  ayre  is  grosse  about  the  earth 
and  water:  but  thynne  and  hot  about  the  fyre.    By  this  pro-  ^he  nature 

''  J  J  i.  oi  the  sea. 

uidence  of  nature,  the  vttermost  sea  is  very  salt.  And  salt  sait. 
(as  witnesseth  Plinie)  yeldcth  the  fattnesse  of  Oyle.  But 
Oyle,  by  a  certayne  natyue  heate,  is  of  propertie  agreeable 
to  fyre.  The  sea  then,  beyng  al  of  such  qualitic,  powreth 
foorth  it  selfe  farre  vpon  thextreeme  landes,  whereby  by 
reason  of  the  saltnesse  thereof,  it  moueth  and  stirreth  vp 
generatiue  heate,  as  by  fatnesse  it  norisheth  the  fecunditie  {^, 


eneratyue 


heate. 


of  thynges  generate.  It  geueth  fruitefulnesse  to  the  earth  at 
certa}Tie  floods,  although  the  earth  also  it  selfe  haue  in  his 
inner  bowels  the  lyuely  and  norishingf  heate,  wherby  not  outward 


ause 


only  the  Dennes,  Caues,  and  hollow  places,  but  also  sprynges  ^ea'tr""*^ 
of  water  are  made  warmc:  &  this  so  much  the  more,  in  howe 
muche  the  wynter  is  more  vehement.  This  thyng  doth  more 
ajjpeare  by  this  example,  that  the  mountaines  of  Norway 
and  Swethlande  are  fruitfull  of  metales,  in  the  which,  siluer  Metais. 
and  copper  are  concocte  and  molten  into  veines,  which  can 
scarcely  be  done  in  fornaccs.     By  this  reason  also,  the  va- 

VOL.   II.  F  F 


218  OF  THE  NORTHEAST  FROSTY  SEA 

vaponrps     pourcs  and  hot  exhalations  pcarsyng  the  earth  and  the  waters, 

tions.'         and  through  both  those  natures  breathyng  foorth  into  the 

ayre,  temperateth  the  qualitie  of  heauen,  &  maketh  it  tol- 

•    lerable  to  beastes,  as  witnesseth  the  huge  bygnesse  of  the 

Whales.       Whales  in  those  seas,  with  the  strength  of  body,  and  long 

Beastes.      lyfe   of  such  beastes   as  lyue   on  the  lande  :   which  thyng 

coulde  not  be,  except  all  thynges  were  there  commodiously 

norished  by  the  beneiite  of  the  heauen  and  the  ayre.     For 

nothyng  that  in  the  tyme  of  encrease  is  hyndred  by  any  in- 

iurie,  or  that  is  euyl  fedde  al  the  tyme  it  lyueth,  can  prosper 

Hereby  may  -yyel.     Nevthcr  are  such  thynares  as  Hue  there,  offended  with 

be  consider-  *'  JO  ' 

of  the  death  tlicyr  natural  wynter,  as  though  an  Egyptian  or  an  Ethio- 
that"sa™ie"   pian  wcrc  sodenly  conueighed  into  those  cold  regions.     For 

directly  to  , 

Guinea.  they  wcro  in  long  tyme,  by  litle  and  litle,  brought  fyrst  ac- 
quaynted  with  the  nature  of  that  heauen,  as  may  be  prooucd 
both  by  the  lyfe  of  man,  and  by  the  hystorie  of  holy  scrip- 
ture. They  that  were  led  from  Mesopotamia,  and  that 
famous  Tower  of  Babilon  towards  the  North  partes  of  the 
worlde,  in  the  fyrst  disjjertion  of  nations,  did  not  immedi- 

No  passage  atcly  passc  to  the  extreme  boundes,  but  planted  theyr  habi- 

from  one  ex- 

tremitieto    tations  first  vnder  a  myddle   heauen,  between  both,  as  in 

an  other  but  ./  ^ 

by  a  meaue.  Xhracia,  and  Pontus,  where  there  posteritie  was  accustomed 
better  to  susteyne  the  rigour  of  Scythia  and  Tanais,  as  he 
that  commeth  from  winter  to  sommer,  may  the  better  after 
abyde  yse  and  snow,  beyng  fyrst  hardened  thereto  by  the 
frostes  of  Autumne.  In  lyke  maner  mortal  men,  accustomed 
to  beare  the  hardnesse  of  places  next  vnto  them,  were  thereby 
at  the  length  more  confirmed  to  sustayne  the  extremities. 
And  here  also,  if  any  sharpnesse  remaine  that  may  seeme 
intoUerable,  nature  hath  so  prouided  for  the  same,  with 
other  remedies.      For  the  land  and  sea  hath  geuen  vnto 

detunes  *"^  bcastes  dccpc  and  large  caues,  dennes,  and  other  hollowe 
places,  and  secreete  corners  in  mountaynes  and  rockes,  both 
on  the  land  and  by  sea  banckes,  in  the  which  are  evier  con- 
teyned  warme  vapoures,    so  muche  the    more    intent   and 


AND  KINGDOMES  LYING  THAT  WAY.  219 

vehement,  in  how  much  they  are  the  more  constrayned  by 
extreme  cokl.      Nature  hath  also  geuen  valleyes  diuerted  vaiieis. 
and  defended  from  the  North  windes. 

She  hath  lykewyse  couered  beastes  with  heare,  so  muche 
the  thycker,  in  how  much  the  vehemencie  of  cold  is  greater : 
by  reason  wherof  the  best  and  richest  furres  are  brouarht  The  best 

•'  "-"        furres. 

from  those  regions,  as  Sables,  whose  pryce  is  growne  to  great  sawes. 
excesse,  next  vnto  gold  and  precious  stones,  and  are  esteemed 
princely  ornamentes.  The  beastes  that  beare  these  furres 
are  hunted  cheefelye  in  winter  (whiche  thyng  is  more 
strange),  because  their  heare  is  then  thicker,  and  cleaveth 
faster  to  the  skin.  How  greeuous  then  shal  we  thinke  the 
wynter  to  be  there,  where  this  litle  beast  liueth  so  wel,  and  Beastes  that 
where  the  hunters  may  search  the  dennes  and  hauntes  ofwyiuer. 
such  beastes  through  the  woods  and  snow :  But  such  beastes, 
the  condition  of  whose  bodies  is  so  tender  that  they  are  not 
able  to  abide  thiniurie  of  the  cold,  either  lye  hyd  in  wynter, 
or  change  their  habitation,  as  do  certaine  beasts  also  in  our 
clime.  Nature  hath  furthermore  geuen  remedie  to  man, 
both  by  arte  and  industry,  to  defende  him  selfe  both  abrode 
and  at  home.  Abrode  with  a  thicke  vesture,  and  the  same 
well  dowbeled.  At  home,  with  large  fyres  on  Harthes, 
Chymneyes,  and  in  Stooues  for  the  daye,  with  close  Chaum- 
bers,  and  Couches,  soft  and  warme  Beddes  for  the  nyght : 
by  whiche  remedies  they  mittigate  the  wynters,  which  seeme 
rigorous  to  straungers,  although  they  are  to  thinhabitantes  ah  beastes 

haue   the 

more  toUerable  then  our  opinion,  as  in  deede  by  the  fyrst  nature  of  the 

•*-  J  •/  place  where 

natural!  mixture  or  composition  of  theyr  bodies  such  thynges  g^g^g^g^ 
are  agreeable  to  them  as  seeme  very  hard  to  other.  The 
lion  in  Affrik,  and  the  beare  in  Sarmatia,  are  fierce,  as  in 
theyr  present  strength  and  vigoure :  but  translated  into  a 
contrary  heauen,  are  of  lesse  strength  and  courage.  The 
foule  called  Ciconia  (which  some  thinke  to  be  the  Storke) 
doth  not  tary  the  wynter :  yet  do  the  Cranes  come  at  that 
tyme. 


2£0  OF  THE  NORTHEAST  FROSTY  SEA 

The  Scythian  wyll  accuse  the  Romane  heauen  as  inducyng 
feiiers,  whereas  neuerthelesse  there  is  none  more  holsome. 
Such  as  haue  been  tenderly  brought  vp,  if  they  come  sud- 
deynely  into  the  campe,  can  not  away  with  hunger,  watch- 
yng,  heate,  passages  through  ryuers,  battayles,  sieges,  and 
What  exer-  assaultcs :    But  the  olde  souldier,  exercised  in  the  warres, 

cise  may  do. 

vseth  these  as  meditations  of  the  fielde,  as  hardened  therto 
by  long  experience.  He  that  hath  been  accustomed  to  the 
shadowe  of  the  citie,  and  wyll  attempte  the  saying  of  the 
poet  Virgil,  Nudus  ara,  sero  nudus,  (that  is),  naked  and 
bare,  without  house  and  home,  shal  to  his  peryl  make  an 
end  of  the  verse,  Hahehis  frigora  fehrum,  (that  is),  he  shal 

matterie's'^"^  hauc  the  cold  aguo.  Suche  thynges  therfore  as  seeme  hard 
vnto  us,  beyng  accustomed  by  litle  and  litle,  become  more 
tollerable  :  Insomuch  that  this  exercise  of  sufferaunce  by 
such  degrees  doth  oftentimes  growe  to  prodigious  effectes, 
farre  beyonde  our  exj)ectation.  And  thus  we  seeme  to  haue 
made  sufficient  demonstration,  by  heauen,  nature,  and  art, 
wherby  it  may  appeare  that  no  parte  of  the  land  or  sea  is 
denied  to  liuing  creatures.  The  reader  may  also  perceiue 
howe  large  matter  of  reasons  and  examples  may  be  opened 
for  the  declaryng  of  our  opinion,  wherin  we  rest.  Let 
therfore  thauctoritie  of  the  auntient  auctours  geue  place,  and 
the  consent  of  the  newe  writers  agree  to  this  history,  not  as 
nowe  at  the  length  comprehended  (wheras  before  many  hun- 

Scoudia.  dred  yeeres  Germanic  and  Scondia  had  entercourse  of  mer- 
chandies  not  seuered  by  the  large  gulfe  of  Gothia),  but  as 
nowe  by  our  commentaries  brought  to  lyght :  and  hauyng 
sayde  thus  muche  in  maner  of  a  preface,  wc  wyll  nowe  pro- 
ceede  to  wryte  of  the  North  regions. 


AND  KINGDOMES  LYING  THAT  WAY.  221 


The  region  of  Laponia  was  so  named  of  the  people  tliat 
inhabite  it.  For  the  Germanes  call  all  suche  Lapones  as 
are  simj)le  or  ynapte  to  thinges.  This  people  is  of  small 
stature,  and  of  suche  agilitie  of  bodie,  that  hauyng  theyr  People  of 
quyuers  of  arrowes  gerte  to  them,  and  theyr  bowes  in  theyr  aguitie. 
handes,  they  can  with  a  leape  cast  themselues  through  a 
circle  or  hoj)e  of  the  diameter  of  a  cubite.  They  fight  on 
foote,  armed  with  bowes  and  arrowes,  after  the  maner  of  the 
Tartars.  They  are  exercised  in  hurlyng  the  darte,  and 
shootyng,  from  theyr  youth :  insomuche  that  they  gyue  theyr 
chyldren  no  meate  vntyll  they  hyt  the  marke  they  shoote  at, 
as  dyd  in  old  tyme  thynhabitauntes  of  the  Ilandes  called 
Baleares.       They  vse  to  make  theyr  apparell  streisrht  and  a  strange 

-'  .  apparell. 

close  to  theyr  bodyes,  that  it  hynder  not  theyr  woorke. 
Theyr  wynter  vestures  are  made  of  the  Avhole  skynnes  of 
Scales  or  Beares,  artificially  wrought,  and  made  supple. 
These  they  tye  with  a  knotte  aboue  theyr  heads,  leauyng 
onely  two  holes  open  to  looke  through,  and  haue  all  the 
residue  of  theyr  bodyes  couered,  as  though  they  were  sowed 
in  sackes,  but  that  this  beyng  adopted  to  all  partes  of  theyr 
bodyes,  is  so  made  for  commoditie,  and  not  for  a  punysh- 
ment,  as  the  Komanes  were  accustomed  to  sow  paricides  in 
sackes  of  leather,  with  a  Cocke,  an  Ape,  and  a  Serpent,  and  The  cause  of 
so  to  hurle  them  alyue  altogeather  into  the  ryuer  of  Tiber,  errour. 
And  heereby  I  thynke  it  came  to  passe,  that  in  olde  tyme  it 
was  rashly  beleeued,  that  in  these  regions  there  were  men 
with  rough  &  heary  bodyes  lyke  wylde  beastes,  as  parte 
made  relation  through  ignoraunce,  parte  also  takyng  pleasure 
in  rehearsall  of  suche  thinges  as  are  straunge  to  the  hearers. 
The  Lapones  defended  by  this  arte  and  industry,  goe  abrode 

VOL.  II.  G  G 


222  OF  THE  NORTHEAST  FROSTY  SEA 

and  withstand  the   sharpenesse   of  wynter   and  the   North 
wyndeSj  with  all  the  iniuryes  of  heauen.     They  haue  no 
houses,  but  certayne  Tabernacles  lyke  tentes  or  hales,  where- 
with they  passe  from  place  to  place,    and    chaunge  their 
So  doe  the    mansious.     Some  of  them  lyue  after  the  maner  of  the  people 
of  Sarmatia,   called   in    olde   tyme  Amaxobii,  which  vsed 
Waynes  in  the  steade  of  houses.     They  are  much  giuen  to 
pientie  of    huntyug,  and  haue  suche  jjlentie  of  wylde  beastes,  that  they 
beastes.       -^^^i  them  in  maner  in  euery  place.     It  is  not  lawful  for  a 
woman  to  goe  foorth  of  the  tent  at  that  doore  by  the  which 
her  husbande  went  out  on  huntyng  the  same  day,  nor  yet  to 
touche  with  her  hande  any  parte  of  the  beast  that  is  taken, 
vntyll  her  husbande  reache  her  on  the  spytte  suche  a  por- 
tion of  fleshe    as   he    thynketh   good.      They  tyll  not  the 
Ve^itf^       grounde.     The  region  nourysheth  no  kynde  of  Serpentes  : 
Great  gnats,  yet  are  there  great  and  noysome  Gnattes.     They  take  fyshe 
in  great  pientie  :  by  the  commoditie  whereof  they  lyue  after 
the  maner  of  the  Ethiopians,  called  Ichthiophagi.     For  as 
these  drye  theyr  fyshe  with  feruent  heate,  so  doe  they  drye 
them  with  colde,  and  grynde  or  stampe  them  to  pouder  as 
Abound-      small  as  meale  or  floure.     They  haue  suche  aboundaunce  of 

aunce  of  "^ 

fyshe.  these  fyshes,  that  they  hourd  great  pientie  thereof  in  cer- 
teyne  store  houses,  to  carry  them  vnto  other  landes  neare 
about  them,  as  Northbothnia,  and  Whyte  Russia.     Theyr 

ouYmiyies  shyppos  are  not  made  with  nayles,  but  are  tyed  togeather 
and  made  fast  with  cordcs  and  wythcs.  With  these  they 
sayle  by  the  swyft  ryuers  betweene  the  mountaynes  of  La- 
ponia,  beyng  naked  in  sommer  that  they  may  the  better 
swymme  in  the  tyme  of  perill,  and  geather  togeather  such 
wares  as  are  in  daunger  to  be  lost  by  shypwracke.  Parte  of 
them  exercise  handie  craftes,  as  imbroderyng  and  weauyng 
of  cloth,  interlaced  with  gold  and  siluer.     Siiche  as  haue 

iwnoured.  deuised  any  necessary  Ai'te,  or  doe  increase  and  amende  the 
inuentions  of  other,  are  openly  honoured,  and  rewarded  with 
a  vesture,  in  the  which  is  imbrodered  an  argument  or  token 


AND  KINGDOMES  LYING  THAT  WAY.  223 

of  the  thyng  they  deuised.  And  this  remayneth  to  the  pos- 
teritie  of  theyr  famelie,  in  token  of  theyr  desartes.  They 
frame  shyppes,  buykle  houses,  and  make  dyuers  sortes  of 
housholde  stufFe  artificially,  and  transporte  them  to  other 
places  neare  about.  They  buye  and  sell  both  for  exchaunge 
of  wares,  and  for  money.     And  this  only  by  consent  of  both  Bargftyuyug 

"^     _         _  J        J  without 

parties,  without  communication :  yet  not  for  lacke  of  wytte,  wooides. 
or  for  rudenesse  of  manors,  but  bycause  they  haue  a  peculiar 
language  vnknowen  to  theyr  borderers.  It  is  a  valiant 
nation,  and  lyued  long  free,  and  susteyned  the  warres  of 
Norway  and  Suetia,  vntyll  at  the  length  they  submitted 
thcmselues,  and  payde  ryche  furres  for  theyr  tribute.  They 
chose  themselues  a  gouernour,  whom  they  cal  a  kyng  :  But 
the  kyng  of  Suetia  gyueth  him  aucthoritie  and  adminis- 
tration. Neuerthelesse,  the  people  in  theyr  suites  and 
doubtful  causes  resorte  to  Suetia  to  haue  theyr  matters 
decised. 

In  theyr  iourneys,  they  go  not  to  any  Inne,  nor  yet  enter 
into    any  house,   but  lye   all  nyght  vnder    the  firmament. 
They  haue  no  horses,  but  in  the  steade  of  them  they  tame  no  horses. 
certayne  wylde  beastes  which  they  call  Keen,  beyng  of  the 
iust  bygnesse  of  a  Mule,  with  rough  heare  lyke  an  Asse,  a  beast  of 

luarueylous 

clouen  feete,  and  braunched  homes  lyke  a  Harte,  but  lower  stiengtuand 

''  Srwit'tuesse. 

and  Avith  fewer  antlettes.  They  will  not  abyde  to  be  rydden. 
But  when  theyr  peytrels  or  drawyng  -  collars  are  put  on 
them,  and  they  so  ioyned  to  the  Chariotte  or  sleade,  they 
run  in  the  space  of  .xxiiii.  houres,  a  hundred  and  fiftie 
myles,  or  .xxx.  Schcenos,  the  whiche  space  they  aflyrme  to  whatschoe- 

•i         '  '  r  J  J  iiug  is^  looke 

chaunge  the  horizon  thryse,  that  is,  thryse  to  come  to  the  Joude™" 
furthest  signe  or  marke  that  they  see   a  far  off.     Which,  gj^j^g"^""^^ 
doubtlesse,  is  a  token  both  of  the  marueylous  swiftnesse  &  i'°"^°"- 
great  strength  of  these  beastes,  beyng  able  to  continue  run- 
nyng  for  so  great  a  space,  in  the  meane  whyle  also  spendyng 
some  tyme  in  feedyng.     I  suppose  that  this  thyng  was  some-  '!",'j^'^,".7j'^j 
what  knowen   to   the   olde  wryters,   although  rcceyucd   in  y^'fthyans!''' 


224  or  THE  NORTHEAST  FROSTY  SEA 

maner  by  an  obscure  and   doubtful  fame  :    For  they   also 
wryte  that  certayne  Scythians  doe  ryde  on  Hartes. 

They  neyther  folow  the  Christian  religion,  nor  yet  refuse 

it,  or  are  offended  there^dth,  as  are  the  lewes  :    but  doe 

sometyines  receyue  it  fauourably,  to  gratifie  the  princes  to 

Kiasmus      whom  they  obey.     And  that  no  more  of  them  imbrase  the 

lameiiteth 

f'^rsi'booke  Christian  fayth,  the  faulte  is  somewhat  to  be  imputed  to  the 
coutkinlm"^  Bysshoppes  and  Prelates  that  haue  eyther  reiected  this  cure 
spelkeTh  of  &  charge  of  instructyng  the  nation,  or  suffered  the  fayth  of 
called  Chi'ist  to  be  suffocate  euen  in  the  fyrst  spryng.  For  vnder 
the  pretence  of  religion,  they  would  haue  aduaunced  theyr 
owne  reuenues,  and  ouerbui*dened  the  people  by  an  intol- 
lerable  example,  none  otherwyse  here  then  in  all  Christen- 
dome,  which  thyng  is  doubtlesse  the  cause  of  most  greeuous 
defections.  I  heard  John,  a  byshop  of  Gothlande,  say  thus : 
We  that  gouerne  the  churche  of  Vpsalia,  and  haue  vnder 
our  diocesse  a  great  parte  of  that  nation,  lyke  as  it  is  not 
conuenient  to  declare  many  tliinges  of  our  vigilance  and 
attendaunce  ouer  the  flocke  committed  to  our  charge,  euen 
so  absteynyng  from  mischeeuous  couetousnesse,  whereby 
religion  is  abused  for  luier,  we  doe  in  all  places  oiu*  diligent 
endeuour,  that  wee  minister  none  occasion,  whereby  this 
nation,  as  offended  by  our  sinnes,  may  be  the  lesse  wyUyng 
to  embrase  the  Chrystian  fayth.  Tliis  is  the  state  of  the 
religion  among  the  Lapones  :  although  of  theyr  owne  insti- 
tution and  custome  receyued  of  theyr  predicessours,  they 
ifioiatiie.  are  Idolatours,  honoiu'yng  that  lyuyng  thyng  that  they  nieete 
fyrst  in  the  mornyng,  for  the  God  of  that  day,  and  diuinyng 
thereby  theyr  good  luck  or  euyll.  They  also  erecte  Images 
of  stone  vpon  the  mountaynes,  whiche  they  esteeme  as 
Goddes,  attributyng  to  them  diuine  honour.  They  solemne 
A  mysif lie  mariagcs,  and  begyn  the  same  with  fyve  and  flynt,  as  Avith 

ol  uiaiiage  o      ^  nj  j  J        ^ 

flynt.'^  *""'  a  mysterie  so  aptely  applyed  to  the  Image  of  stone,  as  if  it 
had  been  receyued  from  the  myddest  of  Grecia.  For  in  that 
they  adhibite  a  mysterie  to  fyre,  as  they  doe  not  this  alone 


s 


AND  KINGDOMES  LYING  THAT  WAY.  225 

(forasmucli  as  the  Romanes  obserued  the  same  custome), 
euen  so  are  they  herein  partly  to  be  commended,  in  that 
they  vse  the  ceremonies  of  so  noble  a  people.  The  m^-sterie 
of  the  flinte  is  no  lesse  to  be  praysed,  both  forasmuch  as  this 
is  domesticall  philosophic,  and  hath  also  a  neare  affinite  and 
signification  to  these  solemnities.  For  as  the  flynt  hath  in  it 
{jre  lying  hyd,  whiche  appeareth  not  but  by  mouyng  & 
force  :  so  is  there  a  secrete  lyfe  in  both  kjoids  of  man  and 
woman,  which  by  mutuall  coniunction  commeth  foorth  to  a 
lyuyng  byrth. 

They  are  furthermore  experte  inchaunters.  They  tye  ^j^J^'^^.^^" 
three  knottes  on  a  strjmg  hangyng  as  a  whyp.  "VMien 
they  lose  one  of  these,  they  rayse  tollerable  wjaids.  "When 
they  lose  an  other,  the  wynde  is  more  vehement :  but  by 
losyng  the  thyrd,  they  rayse  playne  tempestes,  as  in  olde 
tyme  they  were  accustomed  to  rayse  thunder  and  lyghtnjaig. 
Tliis  arte  doe  they  vse  agaynst  such  as  sayle  by  theyr 
coastes ;  and  staye  or  moue  the  ryuers  and  seas  more  or 
lesse,  as  they  lyst  to  shew  fauour  or  displeasure.  They 
make  also  of  leade  certayne  shorte  magicall  dartes  of  the  ^^g'^'* 
quantitie  and  length  of  a  fynger.  These  they  throwe  aga^ynist 
such,  of  whom  they  desyi-e  to  be  reuenged,  to  places  neuer 
so  farre  distant. 

They  are  sometjTnes  so  vexed  with  the  canker  on  theyr  The  canker, 
amies  or  legges,  that  in  the  space  of  three  dayes  they  dye 
through  the  vehemencie  of  the  payne. 

The  Sunne  falleth  very  lowe  in  these  regions  :   and  pro- 
longeth  one  continuall  nvght  for  the  space  of  three  monethes  oue  nygut 

°  _  ••  °  ^  of  thi-ee 

in  wynter,  durynge  whiche  tyme  they  haue  none  other  lyght  moneths. 
but  lyke  vnto  the  twilight  of  eueninges  &  morninges.  This 
is  very  cleare,  but  continueth  but  fewe  houres,  and  is  lyke 
the  bryght  shynyng  of  the  Moone.  Therefore,  that  day  that 
the  Sunne  returneth  to  the  hemispheric,  they  keep  holy  day 
and  make  great  myrth  with  solemne  festiuitie. 

And  these  are  the  maners  of  this  nation,  not  so  brutyshe  or 


226  OF  THE  NORTHEAST  FROSTY  SEA 

saluage,  as  woorthy  therefore  to  be  called  Lapones  for  tLeyr 
vnaptenesse  or  simplicite,  as  when  they  lyued  vnder  theyr 
owne  Empyre,  and  vsed  no  faniiliaritie  or  entercourse  with 
other  nations,  &  knew  not  the  commoditie  of  their  owne 
Riehe  thinges,  neyther  the  pryce  and  estimation  of  theyr  furres  in 
our  regions,  by  reason  whereof  they  solde  great  plentie  of 
them  for  some  of  our  wares  of  small  value. 

The  boundes  or  limittes  of  Laponia  (beyng  the  extreeme 
land  of  Scondia  knowen  towarde  the  North  pole)  are  ex- 
tended towarde  this  parte  of  the  North,  to  the  world  yet 
vnknowen  to  vs  :  And  furthermore  towarde  the  same  parte 
of  the  vttermost  sea,  accordyng  to  this  description. 

The  fyrst  coast  .         .         .         .         70     72. 

The  coast  folowyng     ....         80       7. 

That  that  yet  foloweth        ...         90     70. 
Plentie  of        From  the  fyshyng  places  and  store  houses   of  this   sea, 

sea  fyshe, 

they  carry  foorth  to  Nordbothnia  and  whyte  Russia,  landes 
confinyng  to  them,  great  plentie  of  fyshe.  ^\Tiereby  we 
may  coniecture  that  this  sea  is  extended  on  euery  syde 
towarde  the  North.  Towarde  the  West,  it  is  limitted  with 
wardhus.     ^]^q  most  inwarde  gulfe  at  the  Castle  of  "Wardlius,  at  the 

degree 54     70     80. 

Towarde  the  South,  it  is  limitted  by  a  lyne  di'awen  from 
thence  vnto  the  degree  ...         90     69. 


AND  KINGDOMES  LYING  THAT  WAY.  227 


jFtnlantr,  antr  ^nmrjta, 

Finlandia  is  as  much  to  saye  as  a  fayre  land,  or  fyne 
lande,  so  named  for  the  fertilitie  of  the  ground,  Plmie 
seemeth  to  call  it  Finnonia:  for  he  saieth  that,  about  the 
coastes  of  Finland  are  many  Hands  without  names,  of  the 
which  there  lyeth  one  before  Scithia  called  Pannonia.     The  Pannonia 

falsly  taken 

gulfe  called  Sinus  Finnonicus,  is  so  named  at  this  day  of  the  ^°^Y'"^- 
land  of  Finnonia.  Finnonia  confineth  with  Scithia,  and 
runneth  without  all  Tanais,  (that  is  to  say)  without  the 
Ijonittes  of  Europe  to  the  confines  of  Asia.  But  that  the 
name  of  Finlande  seemeth  not  to  agree  hereunto,  the  cause 
is,  that  this  place  of  Plinie  is  corrupted,  as  are  many  other 
in  this  aucthour.  So  that  from  the  name  of  Finnonia,  or  Phin- 
nonia,  it  was  a  lykely  errour  to  call  it  Pannonia,  forasmuche 
as  these  wordes  doo  not  greatly  differ  in  wrytyng  and 
sounde :  so  that  the  counterfect  name  was  soone  put  in  the 
place  of  the  true  name,  by  hym  that  knew  Pannonia,  and 
read  that  name  before,  beyng  also  ignorant  of  Phinnonia. 

Eningia  had  in  the  olde  tyme  the  tytle  of  a  kjoigdome ;  it  Eningia, 
is  of  such  largenesse,  but  hath  now  only  the  title  of  an 
inferiour  gouernor,  beyng  vnder  the  dominion  of  the  Sla- 
uons,  and  vsyng  the  same  tongue.  In  religion,  it  obserued 
the  rytes  of  the  Greekes  of  late  yeeres,  when  it  was  vnder 
the  gouernance  of  the  Moscouites.  But  it  is  at  this  present 
vnder  the  kyng  of  Suecia,  &  obserueth  thinstitutions  of  the 
Occidentall  churche. 

Spanyshe  wynes  are  brought  thither  in  great  plentie,  which  spanishe 
the  people  vse  meryly  and  cheerefully.  It  is  termined  on 
the  North  side  by  the  South  lyne  of  Ostrobothnia,  and  is 
extended  by  the  mountaynes.  Toward  the  West,  it  is  ter- 
mined with  the  sea  of  Finnonia,  accordyng  to  this  descrip- 
tion, and  hath  degrees  71,  66,  &c. 


2^8 


OF  THE  NORTHEAST  FROSTY  SEA 


E\}t  History,  bjrittett  in  tj}c  Hatitt  Eongue  bg  ^aulus 

JO0IUS,  BTSHOP  OF  NUCERIA  IN  ITALIE,  OF  THE  LEGATION  OR  AMBAS- 
SADE  OF  GREAT  BASILIUS  PRINCE  OP  MOSCOUIA,  TO  POPE  CLEMENT 
THE  VII.  OF  THAT  NAME  :  IN  WHICH  IS  CONTEYNED  THE  DESCRIPTION 
OF  MOSCOUIA  WITH  THE  REGIONS  CONFINYNG  ABOUT  THE  SAME,  EUEN 
VNTO  THE  GREAT  AND  RYCH  EMPIRE  OF  CATHAY. 


I  intend  first  briefly  to  describe  the  situation  of  tlie 
region  which,  we  plainely  see  to  have  ben  litle  knowen  to 
Strabo  and  Ptoleme,  and  then  to  proceede  in  rehearsing  the 
manors,  customes  and  religion  of  the  people.  And  this  in 
manor  in  the  like  simple  stile  and  phrase  of  speach  as  the 
Demetrius    samo  was  declared  unto  us  by  Demetrius  the  Ambassadour, 

the  ambas-  .  .  .  r  ^   • 

sadour  of    a  man  not  ignorant  m  the  Latin  tongue,  as  from  his  youth 

Moscouia.  °  o        ^  J  ^ 

brought  up  in  Liuonia,  where  he  learned  the  fii'st  rudi- 
ments of  letters,  and  being  growne  to  mans  age,  exe- 
cuted thoffice  of  an  Ambassadoui*  into  dyuers  Christian 
prouinces.  For  whereas  by  reason  of  his  approued  faithful- 
nesse  &  Industrie,  he  had  before  ben  sent  as  Oratour  to 
the  kynges  of  Suecia  and  Denmarke,  &  the  great  maister 
of  Prussia,  hee  was  at  the  last  sente  to  Themperour  Maxi- 
milian, in  whose  courte  (beinge  replenyshed  with  all  sortes 
of  men)  while  he  was  conuersant,  if  any  thyng  of  barba- 
rous manors  yet  remayned  in  so  docible  &  quiet  a  natiu'e, 
the  same  was  put  away  by  framyng  hym  selfe  to  better 
ciuilitie.  The  cause  of  his  legacie  or  ambassade,  was  given 
by  Paulus  Centurio  a  Genuese,  who  when  he  had  receiued 
letters  commendatory  of  pope  Leo  the  tenth,  &  came  to 
Moscouia  for  the  trade  of  marchaundies,  of  his  owne  mynde 


Paulus 
Centurio. 


AND  KINGDOMES  LYING  THAT  WAY.  229 

conferred  with  the  familiars  of  Duke  Basilius  as  touching 
the  conformation  of  the  rites  of  both  churches. 

He  furthermore  of  great  magnanimities  and  in  maner  out- 
ragious  desire,  sought  how  ^y  a  new  and  incredible  viage, 
spices  myght  be  browght  from  India.    For  whyle  before  hee  spic.es 
had  exercised  the  trade  of  marchandies  in  Syria,  Egypte,  to^jioseoUfa 
&  Pontus,  he  knewe  by  fame  that  spices  myght  be   con- 
ueiffhed  from  the  further  India  up  the  riuer  Indus  asrainst  The  i-jiier 
the  course  of  the  same,  and  from  thence  by  a  small  vyage  by 
land  passing   ouer    the  mountaines   of  Paropanisus,    to  be  oxus  or 
caried  to  the  riuer  Oxus  in  Bactria,  which  hauinsr  his  orioi-  ryuer  of 

^  °       Asia, 

nail  almost  from  the  same  mountaynes  from  whence  Indus  runueth 

•'  through 

doeth    sjjryng,    and  violently  carying  with   it   many  other  syXa! 
ryuers,  falleth  into  the  sea  Hircanum  or  Caspium,  at  the  V^^  sea 
porte  cauled  Straua.     And  he  earnestly  affii-med  that  from  caiied'iiare 
Straua,  in  an  easy  and  safe  nauigation  unto  the  marte-towne  Mar"  d'e" 
of  Citrachan   or  Astrachan  and   the    mouth  of  the    ryuer  citnichan 
Volga,    and   from   thence   ouer   against  the    course   of  the  °^  '^^'™'^''" 
ryuers,  as  Volga,  Occha  and  Moscho,  unto  the  citie  Moscha, 
and  from  thence  by  lande  to  Riga,  and  into  the  sea  of  Sar- 
matia  and  all  the  West  regions.    For  he  was  vehemently  and 
more  then  of  equitie,  accensed  and  prouoked  by  the  iniuries  fifaTgr'*  '^ 


the 
esaj'tes  of 


re  at 


of  the  Portugales,  who  hauyng  by  force  of  armes  subdued  wheiehfis 

n   T      ^'  -I  T       n      1  contevned 

a  great  parte  ot  India,  and  possessed  all  the  marte-townes,  Russia,  li- 

TOiiia,  aud 


na, 
the 


takyng  holy  into  theyr  handes  aU  the  trade  of  spyces  to  J^ll'^^ 
bryng  the  same  into  Spayne,  and  neuerthelesse  to  sell  them  EartVartof 
at  a  more  greeuous  aud  intollerable  price  to  the  people  of  ^''^°!^'g^  ^^^^ 
Europe  then  euer  was  hard  of  before  :    And  furthermore  P°»"t"g''^'^s- 

The  trade  of 

kepte  the  coastes  of  the  Indian  sea  so  straightly  with  con-  ^f'ff^  '" 

■*■  o        J  owld  tyme. 

tinuall  nauies,  that  those  trades  are  thereby  left  of,  which 
were  before  exercised  by  the  gulfc  of  Persia,  and  towarde 
the  ryuer  of  Euphrates,  and  also  by  the  streightes  of  the  sea 
of  Ai-abia,  and  the  ryuer  of  Nilus,  and  in  fine  by  our  sea  : 
by  which  trade  all  Asia  and  Europe  was  aboundantly  satis- 
fied and  better  cheapo  than  hathe  been  since  the  Portugales 

VOL.  II.  H  H 


230  OF  THE  NORTHEAST  FROSTY  SEA 

had  the  trade  in  theyr  handcs  with  so  many  incommodities 
Sinors  001-  of  such  long  viages,  whereby  the  spyces  are  so  corrupted 
by  thinfection  of  the  pompe  and  other  filthnesse  of  the 
shippes,  that  theyr  naturall  sauour,  taste,  and  qualitie,  as  well 
hereby  as  by  theyr  long  reseruyng  in  the  shopj^es,  sellers, 
and  warehouses  in  Lusheburne,  vanysheth  and  resolueth, 
so  that  reseruynge  euer  the  freshest  and  newest,  they  sell 
only  the  woorst  and  most  corrupted.  But  Paulus,  although 
in  all  places  he  earnestly  and  vehemently  argued  of  these 
thinges,  and  styrred  great  malice  and  hatred  agaynst  the 
Portugales,  aftyrm.yng  that  not  only  thereby  the  customes 
and  reuenues  of  princes  should  be  much  greater,  if  that 
vyage  might  be  discouered,  but  also  that  spyces  myght  bee 
better  cheajje  bought  at  the  handes  of  the  Moscouites,  yet 
could  he  nothyng  auayle  in  this  suite,  forasmuche  as  Duke 
Basilius  thought  it  not  good  to  make  open  or  disclose  vnto 
a  straunger  and  vnknownen  man,  those  regions  which  gyue 

Tiie  Caspian  eutcrance  to  the  sea  Caspium  and  the  kyngdomes  of  Persia. 
Paulus  therefore  excludyng  all  hope  of  further  traueyle,  and 
become   nowe  of  a  niarchaunte   an  Ambassadour,  brought 

wrote'to      Basilius  letters  (Pope  Leo  beyng  now  departed)  to  Adrian 

Adrhme.  ^is  succcssour,  in  the  which  he  declared  with  honourable 
and  reuerende  woordes,  his  good  will  and  fauorable  mynde 
towarde  the  Bysshopp  of  E-ome.  For  a  fewe  yeeres  before, 
Basilius  (then  keepyng  warres  agaynst  the  Polones,  at  suche 
tyme  as  the  generall  counsayle  was  celebrate  at  Laterane) 
.  rcquyred  by  John,  K\Tige  of  Denmarke  (the  father  of  Chris- 
tierne  who  was  of  late  expulsed  from  his  kyngdome)  that 
safe  passage  myght  be  graunted  to  the  Ambassadours  of  Mos- 
couia  to  goe  to  Home.  But  wheras  it  so  chaunced,  that  kynge 
John  and  pope  Julius  dyed  both  in  one  day,  whereby  he 
lacked  a  conuenient  sequester  or  solicitour,  he  omitted  his 

Wane  be-    cousultation  as  touchyng  that  legacie.     After  this,  the  warre 

tweene  the  J     o  o  ' 

Poiones  and  waxcd  hot  bctwecne  him  and  Sioismunde  the  kyn^  of  Po- 

Moscouites.  "  JO 

Ionic  :  who  obteynyng  the  victorie  agaynst  the  Moscouites 


AND  KIXGDOMES  LYING  THAT  WAY.  231 

at  Boristliene,  sujjplications  were  decreed  in  Rome  for  the 
oucrthrowe  and  vanysshyng  the  enemyes  of  the  Christian 
fayth,  whiche  thing  greatly  alienated  both  kyng  Basilius 
him  selfe,  and  all  that  nation  from  the  Bysshoppe  of  Rome. 

But  when  Adriane  the  VI  departed  from  this  lyfe,  and 
lefte  Paulus  now  readie  to  his  seconde  vyage,  his  successour, 
Clement  VII,  perceyung  that  Paulus  styll  furiously  re-  ^ug|®o°"*^^ 
uolued  and  tossed  in  his  unquyet  mynde  that  vyage  towarde  Moscouia° 
the  Easte,  sente  hym  agayne  with  letters  to  Moscouia,  by 
the  whiche  with  prepense  and  friendly  persuations,  hee  ex- 
horted Basilius  to  acknowledge  the  maiestie  of  the  Romane  The  Pope 

"-  _      persuaJeili 

churche,  and  to  make  a  perpetuall  league  and  agreement  in  I'-jsiiius  to 
matters  of  religion,  which  thyng  should  bee  not  only  for  the  \;^'ff,^,^g'^ 
health  of  his  soule,  but  also  greatly  to  the  increase  of  his  "^  *""  ""' 
honour :  And  further  promysed,  that  by  the  holy  aucthoritie 
of  his  office  he  would   make  him  a  kyng,    and  gyue  him 
kyngly  ornamentes,  if  reiectyng  the  doctrine  of  the  Greekes, 
hee  would  confourme  him  selfe  to  the  aucthoritie  of  the  Romane 
churche.      For   Basilius   desyred  the  name   and  tytle  of  a 
kynge  by  thassignation  of  the  bysshoppe  of  Rome,  forasmuch 
as  he  judged  that  to  apperteyne  to  the  catholyke  right  and 
the    bysshoppes    maiestie,   of  whome    (as    he   knewe   ryght 
well)  euen  Themperours  them  selues  by  an  auncient  custome 
haue  receaued  there  insignes  of  honoure  with  the  diademe  JJjfre^'^lf" 
and  scepter  of  the  Romane  Empire  :  althowghe  it  is  sayde  dhideme'^of 
that  he  required  the  same  of  Themperour  Maximiliane  by  shoppes  of 
many  ambassades.     But  Paulus,  who  with  more  prosperous 
iourneyes  then  great  vauntage,  had  from  his  youth  traueyled  a 
great  parte  of  the  worlde,  although  hee  were  nowe  aged  and 
sore  vexed  with  the  strangurie,  came  with  a  prosjjerous  and 
speedy  iourney  to  Moscouia,  where  he  was  gentelly  receyued 
of  Basilius,  and  remayned  in  his  Courte  for  the  space  of  twoo 
monethes.       But   in   fine,  mystrustyng   his  owne  strength, 
and  deterred  by  the  difficultic  of  so  greate  a  iourney,  when  he 
had  utterly  put  away  all  his  imaginations  and  hope  of  this 


232 


OF  THE  NORTHEAST  FROSTY  SEA 


Deuietrhis 
iutei-tajne- 
iiieiit  at 
Kome. 


Demetrius 

is  brought 
to  tlie  Popes 
preseuce. 


Rasilius  let- 
ters to  Pope 
Clemeut. 


trade  to  India,  returned  to  Rome  with  Demetrius  the  Ambassa- 
dour  of  Basilius,  before  we  yet  thought  that  he  had  been  in 
Moscouia.  The  Byshoppe  commaunded  that  Demetrius  should 
bee  lodged  in  the  most  magnificent  and  princely  parte  of  the 
houses  of  Vaticane,  the  rooffes  of  whose  edifies  are  gylted 
and  embowed,  and  the  chambers  rychly  furnysshed  with 
sylken  beddes  and  cloth  of  Arresse. 

Wyllynge  furthermore  that  he  should  be  honorably  re- 
ceyued  and  vestured  with  silke,  he  also  assigned  Fran- 
ciscus  Cheregatus  the  Byshoppe  of  Aprutium  (a  man  that 
had  often  tymes  been  Ambassadour  to  diueres  regions),  to 
accompany  him  and  shew  him  the  order  and  rytes  of  our 
religion,  with  the  monumentes  and  maners  of  the  citie.  Fur- 
thermore, when  Demetrius  had  certayne  dayes  rested  and 
recreated  him  selfe,  washing  away  the  fylth  he  had  gathered 
by  reason  of  the  long  vyage,  then  apparelled  with  a  fayre 
vesture  after  the  maner  of  his  countrey,  he  was  brought  to 
the  byshops  presence,  whom  he  honoured  kneelyng  with 
greate  humilitie  and  reuerence  (as  is  the  maner),  and  ther- 
with  presented  unto  his  holinesse  certeyne  furres  of  Sables 
in  his  owne  name,  and  in  the  name  of  his  prince,  and  also 
delyuered  the  letters  of  Basilius,  which  they  before,  and 
then  the  lllyi'ian  or  Slauon  interpretour  Nicolaus  Siccensis 
translated  into  the  Latine  tongue  in  this  effecte  as  foloweth. 

To  Pope  Clemente,  shepard  and  teacher  of  the  Bomane 
churche,  great  Basilius,  by  the  grace  of  God,  lord,  Emperour, 
and  dominatour  of  all  Bussia,  and  great  Duke  of  Volodemaria, 
Moscouia,  Nouogrodia,  Plescouia,  Smolenta,  Ifieria,  lugoria, 
Periunia,  Vetcha,  Bolgaria,  etc.,  Dominator  &  great  prince 
of  Nouogrodia  in  the  lower  countrey  :  Also  of  Ceruigouia, 
Bazania,  Volotchia,  Bezeuia,  Belchia,  Bostouia,  laroslauia, 
Belozeria,  Vdooria,  Obdoria,  &  Condiuia,  etc.  You  sent  vnto 
vs  Paulus  Centurio,  a  citizen  of  Genua,  with  letters,  whereby 
you  doe  exhort  vs  to  ioyne  in  power  and  counsayle  with 
you  and  other  Princes  of  Christendome  against  the  enemies 


AND  KINGDOMES  LYING  THAT  WAY.  233 

of  the  christian  fayth  :  &  that  a  free  passage  &  redy  way 
may  bee  opened  for  both  your  Ambassadours  &  ours    to 
come  &  go  to  &  fro,  whereby  by  mutual  dutie  and  inde- 
uoiu'  on  both  parties,  we  may  haue  knowledge  of  the  state 
of  thinges  perteynyng  to  the  wealth  of  vs  both.     We  certes, 
as  we  haue  hitherto  happely  by  the  ayde  and  helpe  of  al- 
mightie  God  constantly  and  earnestly  resisted  the  cruell  & 
wicked   enemies  of  the    Christian  faith,    so  are   we   deter- 
mined to  doe  hereafter  :    and  are  likewise  redy  to  consent 
with  other  christian  princes,  &  to  graunt  free  passage  into 
our    dominions.       In    consideration  wherof,   we  haue    sent 
vnto   you    our   faithful    seruant  Demetrius    Erasmus   with 
these  our  letters  :  &  with  him  haue  remitted  Paulus  Cen- 
turio :    desiring   you    also   shortly   to    dismisse    Demetrius, 
with    safegard    and   indemnitie    vnto   the    borders    of    our 
dominions.     And  we  wil  likewise  do  the  same  if  you  send 
your  Ambassadour  with  Demetrius,  whereby  both  by  commu- 
nication and  letters,  we  may  bee  better  certified  of  thorder 
and  administration  of  such  thinges  as  you  require  :  so  that 
beins:  aduertised  of  the  niindes  and  intent  of  all  other  christian 
princes,  we  may  also  consult  what  is  best  to  be  done  herein. 
Thus  fare  ye  wel.     Giuen  in  our   dominio  in  our   citie 
of  Moscouia,  in  the  yeere  from  the  creation  of  the  world, 
vii  thousande  and  300,  the  third  day  of  Aprill. 

But  Demetrius,  as  he  is  experte  in  diuine  and  humane 
thinges,  and  especially  of  holy  scripture,  seemed  to  haue 
secrete  commaundement  of  greater  matters,  whiche  we  thinke 
he  will  shortly  declare  to  the  senate  in  priuate  consultations. 
For  he  is  now  deliuered  of  the  feuer,  into  the  which  he  fell 
by  change  of  ayre,  and  hath  so  recouered  his  strength  & 
natiue  colour,  that  being  a  man  of  .Ix.  yeeres  of  age, 
he  was  not  only  present  at  the  Popes  masse,  celebrated  with 
great  solemnitie  in  the  honour  of  S.  Cosmus  &  Damian, 
but  came   also  into   the   Senate,  at  such  tyme  as   Cardinal  caniinaii 

.  .       Campegius. 

Campegius,  commyng  fyrst  from  the  legacie  of  Pannonia, 


234  OF  THE  NORTHEAST  FROSTY  SEA 

was  receiuccl  of  the  pope  &  all  the  nobilitie  of  the  court : 

And  furthermore  also  viewed  the  Temples  of  the  holye  citie 

The  luvnes  with  the  ruiuos  of  the  Romane  maarnificence.  and  with  woon- 

01   Uouie.  '^ 

dring  eyes  beheld  the  lamentable  decay  of  the  auncient 
buildinges.  So  that  we  thinke  that  shortly  after  he  hath  de- 
clared his  message,  he  shal  return  to  Moscouia  with  the 
byshop  of  Scarense  the  Popes  legate,  not  vnrecompensed  with 
iust  rewardes  at  the  handes  of  his  holinesse. 
Thedesciip-      'j^he  name   of  Moscouites    is  nowe   newe,    althousrh   the 

Uou  ot  Mos-  '  o 

couia.  Poete  Lucane  maketh  mention  of  the  Moschos  confynyng 
with  the  Sarmatians :  and  Plinie  also  placeth  the  Moschos  at 
the  sprynges  of  the  great  ryuer  of  Phasis,  in  the  region  of  Col- 
chos,  aboue  the  sea  Euxinus  towarde  the  East.    Theyr  region 

The  aitaies  hath  vcry  large  boundes,  and  is  extended  from  the  Aidtars  of 

or  great  ''  '^ 

Aiexauder.  great  Alexander  about  the  sprynges  of  Tanais,  to  the  extreme 
landes  and  North  Ocean  in  maner  vnder  the  North  starres, 
called  charles  wayne,  or  the  great  Beare,  beyng  for  the 
most  parte  playne,  &  of  fruitful!  pasture,  but  in  sommer  in 

Marisshes    many  placcs  full  of  marishes.     For  whereas  all  that  lande  is 

ill  sommer.  iii-i  i  i-i  i 

replenysned  with  many  and  great  ryuers,  which  are  greatly 
increased  by  the  wjTiter,  snowe,  and  Ise,  resolued  by  the  heate 
of  the  sunne,  the  playnes  and  fieldes  are  thereby  ouerflowen 
with  marishes,  and  all  ioui'neyes  incombred  with  continuall 
waters  and  myrie  slabbynesse,  vntyll  by  the  benefite  of  the 
newe  wynter  the  riuers  and  marishes  be  frosen  agayne,  and 
giue  safe  passage  to  the  sleades  that  are  accustomed  to  iourney 
by  the  same. 
The  forest        The  wood  or  forest  of  Hercynia   (and  not  Hyrcania  as 

ofHereyuia.  .  ,    .  /•  i  • 

is  red  m  some  false  copies)  occupyeth  a  great  parte  of  Mos- 
couia, and  is  heere  and  there  inhabited,  with  houses  builded 
therein  and  so  made  thinner  by  the  long  labour  of  men 
that  it  doeth  not  now  shewe  that  horrour  of  thicke  &  im- 
penetrable woods  and  landes  as  many  thinke  it  to  haue. 
wvhh;         But   beyng    replenished   with   many  wyldc    beastes,    is    so 

beasles.  *  '^ 

farre  extended  through  Moscouia,  with  a  continuall  tract  be- 


AND  KINGDOMES  LYING  THAT  WAY.  235 

tweene  the  East  and  the  North  towarde  the  Scvthian  Ocean,  The  scy- 

"  thian  Ocean. 

that  by  the  infinite  greatnesse  therof,  it  hath  deluded  the 
hope  of  suche  as  haiie  curiously  searched  the  ende  of  the 
same. 

In  that  parte  that  reacheth  towarde  Prussia,  are  founde 
the  srreate  and  fierce  beastes  caulcd  Vri,  or  Bisontes,  of  the  The  bcastes 
kynde  of  Bulles  :    Also,  Alces  lyke  vnto  Hartes,  which  the  "''  i^i««"'f«- 
INIoscouites   call   Lozzi,   and    are   called   of  the   Germaynes 
Helenes.  "^^'*'"'^^- 

On  the  East  syde  of  Moscouia  are  the  Scythians,  which ']ft''e  scy- 

•'  thyaus  anii 

are  at  this  day  called  Tartars,  a  wandryng  nation,  and  at  ^^^^'''^• 
all  ages  famous  in  warres.     In  the  stead  of  houses  they  vse 
wagons,  coured  with  beastes  hydes,  whereby  they  were  in 
oulde  tyme  called  Amaxouii.     For  cities  and  townes,  they  Amaiouii. 
vse  great  tentes  and  pauilions,  not  defended  with  trenches 
or  walles  of  tymber  or  stone,  but  inclosed  with  an  innvnner- 
able  multitude  of  archers  on  horsbacke.     The  Tartars  are 
diuided  by  companyes  which  they  call  Hordas,  which  worde  Horda. 
in  theyr  tongue  signifieth  a  consentyng  company  of  people, 
geathered  together  in  forme  of  a   citie.      Euery  Horda  is 
gouerned  by  an  Emperour,  whom  eyther  his  parentage  or 
warlyke  prowes  hath  promoted  to  that  dignitie.     For  they 
oftentimes  keepe  warre  with  theyr  borderers,  and  contende 
ambiciously  and  fiercely  for   dominion.      It  doeth  hereby 
appeare,  that  they  consist  of  innumerable  Hordas,  in  that 
the  Tartars  possesse  the  most  large  desartes,  euen  vnto  the  doniiufo^^of 
famous  city  of  Cathay,  in  the  fardest  Ocean  of  the  East.  ^^    ^'^'"^" 

They  also  that  are  nearest  to  the  Moscouites,  are  knowen  by 
theyr  trade  of  marchau^ndies,  and  often  incursions.  In  Eu- 
rope, neare  vnto  the  place  called  Dromon  Achillis,'  in  Taiu'ica 

^  Supposed  to  be  the  Island  of  Tendra,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Dnieper. 
Cellarius  speaks  of  the  Dromos  Achilleos  as  follows  (lib.  ii,  cap.  vi,  14)  ; 
— "  Post  Achillis  insulam  est  peninsula,  Dromos  Achilleos  nominata, 
Greece,  A^o^o?  kyjXkeio's.  **  Plinius  dicto  loco  :  Ah  ea  [imula']  cxxv 
millibiis  passuum  peninsula,  ad  formam  gladii  in  transiiemim  porrecta, 


236  OF  THE  NORTHEAST  FROSTY  SEA 

The  Tartars  Chersoneso,  are  the  Tartars  called  Precopites,  the  dousrliter 

ot  huropo.  '  i  ^  o 

of  whose  prince,  Selymus  the  Emperour  of  the  Turkes  tooke 
to  wyfe.  These  are  most  infest  to  the  Polones,  and  waste  the 
regions  on  euery  syde,  betweene  the  riuers  of  Boristhenes  and 
Tanais.  "  They  that  in  the  same  Taurica  possesse  CafFam,  a 
colonic  of  the  Ligurians  (called  in  olde  tyme  Theodosia), 
doe  both  in  religion  and  all  other  thinges  agree  with  the 
Jf  Asia  w-r  Turkes.     But  the  Tartars  that  inhabite  the  regions  of  Asia 


siibieete  to 
the  Uuke 
Moscouia, 


the'uuke  of  betweene    Tanais   and  Volga,   are    subiect   to    Basilius  the 


kyng  of  the  Moscouites,  and  choose  them  a  gouernour  at  his 
assignement.  Amonge  these,  the  Creniii  afflicted  with  ciuile 
seditions,  where  as  heeretofore  they  were  ryche  and  of  great 
power,  haue  of  late  yeeres  lost  theyr  dominion  and  dignitie. 
be'^oiKie'rhe  '^^^  Tartars  that  are  beyonde  the  riuer  of  Volga,  do  reli- 
voTga.'^'^  giously  obserue  the  frendship  of  the  Moscouites,  and  professe 
them  selues  to  be  their  subiectes.  Beyond  the  Cassanites 
towarde  the  North,  are  the  Sciambani,  rych  in  heardes  of 
cattaylle,  and  consistyng  of  a  great  multitude  of  men.    After 

exercitatioTie  ejusdem  [Achillis]  cognominata  Droraos  Achilleos,  cujus 
longitudinem.  octoginta  millium  'passuum  tradit  Agri][>j)a.  Et  Pompo- 
nius  Mela  (lib.  ii,  cap.  i),  Achilles  infesta  classe  mare  Ponticum  in- 
gressus,  ibi  ludicro  certamine  celebrasse  victoriam,  et  qimm  ah  armis 
quies  erat,  se  ac  suos  cursu  exercitavisse  memoratur.  Idea  dicta  est, 
A/50yuo§  Ax'^A,e(os.  De  figura  gladii  idem.  Terra  turn  longe  distenta 
excedens,  tenui  radice  litori  adnectitiir.  Post  spatiosa  niodice  paullatim 
se  ipsa  fastigat,  et  quasi  in  mucronem  longa  colligens  latera,  facie  positi 
ensis  adlecta  est. 

"  Quam  ergo  Melam  peninsulam,  et  ex  illo  Plinius,  comparaverunt 
forma;  gladii  jacentis.  Strabo  (pag.  213)  cum  -raivia  fascia  conierendiSiva. 
duxit :  et  similitudinis  rationem  dat,  quia  longitudo  sit  circiter  ciD 
stadiorum  ;  latitudo  maxima,  duorum  stadiorum  ;  minima  -reaaapa 
TrXeOpwv,  quatuor  jugerum.  Ptolemaeus  (lib.  iii,  cap.  v)  peninsulae 
hujus  in  transuersum  oblongte  singulatim  laOfiov,  isthmum ;  et  pro- 
montoria  laterum  sive  extremitatum  enarrat,  occideritale,  lepov  uKpov, 
sacrum  promontorium ;  et  orientale  juvaapiv  uKpav  Mysarin  promonto- 
rium.  Arrianus  insulam  Achillis  Leucam  cum  hoc  Dromo  sive  Cursu 
ejusdem  confundit,  quasi  eadem  fuerit  insula  et  Dromos  :  qua;  vero  ab 
aliis  diligenter,  ut  insula  et  peninsula,  distinguuntur. 


AND  KINGDOMES  LYING  THAT  WAY.  237 

these,  are   Nogai,   whiche   obteyne  at  this  daye  the  chiefe  Nogai. 
fame  of  ryehes  and  warly  affayres.     Theyr  Horda,  although  sigismun- 

.  .  ^  dus  e.mleth 

it  be  most  ample,  yet  hath  it  no  Lmperour,  but  is  gouerned  them  no- 
by  the  wysedome  and  vertue  of  the  most  auncient  &  valiant 
men,   after  the   manor  of  the   common  wealth  of  Venese. 
Beyonde  the  Nogais,  somewhat  towarde  the   South  &  the 
Caspian  sea,  the  noblest  nation  of  the  Tartars,  cauled  Zaga-  ThenoWest 

nation  of  the 

thai,  inhabite   townes   buylded   of  stone,   and  haue  an  ex-  Tartars. 
ceedyng  great  and  fayre   citie,   called  Samarcanda,  which 
laxartes  the  great  ryuer  of  Sogdiana  runneth  through,  and  The  rywer 

r  n      1      •  Jaxartes. 

passyng  from  thence   about   a  hundred  myles,  lalleth  into 

the  Caspian  sea.    With  these  people  in  our  dayes,  Ismael  the  ismaei  the 

.  .  ,     Sophi  kyng 

Sophi  and  kyng  of  Persia  hath  often  tymes  kepte  war  with  of  Persia. 

doubtfull  successe.     Insomuche  that  fearyng  the  greatnesse 

of  theyr  power,  whiche  he  resysted  with  all  that  he  myght, 

he  lefte  Armenia  and  Taurisium  the  chiefe  citie  of  the  kyng- 

dome,  for  a  praye  to  Selimus  the  victourer  of  one  wyng  of 

the  battayle.      From   the   citie   of  Samarcanda,   descended  The  ciue  of 

Samarcanda 

Tambuiianes  the  myghty  Emperour  of  the  Tartars,  whom  Taburianes. 
some  call  Tanberlanis  :  But  Demetrius  sayth  that  he  shoulde  Empeiour 

of  the 

be  called  Themircuthlu.     This  is  he  that  about  the  yeere  Tartars. 

of  Christ  .m.ccc.xcviii,  subdued  almost  all  the  Easte  partes 

of  the  worlde  :     And   lastly  with    an   innumerable  multi-  The  con- 

questes  of 

tude   of  men  inuaded  the   Turkes   dominions,  with  whom  Tambur- 

^  hines. 

Baiasetes  Ottomanus  theyr  kyng  (and  father  to  the  great 
grandfather  of  this  Solyinan  that  iiowe  lyueth),  meeting  at 
Ancira  in  the  confines  or  marches  of  Galatia  and  Bythinia, 
gaue  hym  a  sore  battayle,  in  the  which  felle  on  the  Turkes 
parte  .20000.  men,  and  Baiasetes  hym  selfe  was  taken  pri-  Baiasetes. 
soner,  whom  Tamburlanes  caused  to  be  locked  in  an  Iron 
cage,  and  so  caryed  hym  about  with  hym  through  all  Asia, 
which  he  also  conquered  with  a  terryble  army.  He  con- 
quered all  the  landes  betwene  Tanais  and  Nilus,  and  in  fine 
vanquished  in  battayle  the  great  Soltane  of  Egypte,  whom 
he  chased  beyonde  Nilus,  and  tooke  also  the  citie  of  Da- 

VOL.   II.  I  I 


23S  OF  THE  NORTHEAST  FROSTY  SEA 

mascus.     From  the  region  of  these  Tartars,  called  Zagathei, 
This  appa-    Jg  brouglit  great  plentie  of  sylken  apparell  to  the  Moscouites. 
Persianf^^  But  the  Tartaros  that  inhabite  the  mydlande  or  inner  regions, 
bryng  none  other  wares  then  trucks  or  drones  of  swift  run- 
nyng  horses,  and  clokes  made  of  whyte  feltes  :  also  hales  or 
tentes,  to  withstande  the  iniuries  of  colde  and  rayne.    These 
they  make  very  artificially  &  apte  for  the  purpose.     Thei 
Pi  T*"""^®  I'oceiue  asraine  of  the  Moscouites,  coates  of  cloth,  and  Syluer 
MoscouLs.  monie,   conteynynge   all  other  bodyly  ornaments,   and  the 
furnyture  of  superfluous  housholde  stuffe.     For  beyng  de- 
fended agaynst  the  violence  of  wether  and  tenipestes  onely 
with  such  apparel  and  couertui'e  wherof  we  haue  spoken, 
they  trust  onely  to  theyr  arrowes,  which  they  shoote  aswell 
backwarde  flying  as  when  they  assayle  theyr  enemies  face 
to  face  :    Albeit,  when  they  determined  to  inuade  Europe, 
theyr  princes  and  captaynes  had  helmets,  coates  of  fense, 
and  hooked  swoordes,  whiche  they  bought  of  the  Persians. 
The  Tartars      Towardc  the  Southc,  the  boundes  of  Moscouia  are  termined 

of  the  South 

syde  of       "[yy  tJie  samc  Tartars  whiche  possesse  the  playn  regions  neere 

Moscouia.  ''  ■*■  i.       J  a 

vnto  the  Caspian  sea,  aboue  the  maryshes  of  Meotis  in  Asia, 

and  about  the  ryuers  of  Borysthenes  and   Tanais,  in  part 

of  Eiu'ope. 
Gete  and         The  pcoplc  Called  Roxolani,  Gete,  and  Bastarne,  inhabited 

these  regions  in  oulde  tyme,  of  whom  I  thynke  the  name 
Russia.  of  Russia  tookc  originall.  For  they  call  part  of  Lituania, 
Moscouia     Bussia  the  lower,  wheras  Moscouia  it  selfe  is  called  whyte 

called  ... 

Kus^a  Bussia.  Lituania  therefore,  lyeth  on  the  Northwest  syde  of 
Lituania.  Moscouia.  But  toward  the  full  West,  the  majTie  landes  of 
Lhioni^"      Prussia  and  Liuonia  are  iojmed  to  the  confines  or  marches 

of  INIoscouia,  wher  the  Sarmatian  sea,  breakyng  foorth  of 
Denmarke.   the  streightcs  of  Cimbrica  Chersonesus  (nowe  called  Den- 

marke),  is  bended  with  a  crooked  gulfe  towarde  the  North. 

But  in  the  furthest  bankes  of  that  Ocean,  where  the  large 
su^!f^'  kyngdomes  of  Norway  and  Suecia  are  ioyned  to  the  con- 
If^Lrponil  tinent,  and  almost  enuironed  with  the  sea,  are  the  people 


AND  KINGDOMES  LYING  THAT  WAY.  239 

called  Lapones  :  a  nation  exceedyng  rude,  suspitious,  and 
fearefull,  Apng  and  astonyshed  at  the  syght  of  al  straun- 
gers  and  shyppes.  They  kuowe  neyther  fruites  nor  apples, 
nor  yet  any  benignitie  eyther  of  heauen  or  earth.  They 
prouide  them  meate  onely  with  shootyng,  and  are  appa- 
reled with  the  skynnes  of  wylde  beastes.  They  dwell  in  caues 
fylled  with  drye  leaues,  and  in  holowe  trees,  consumed  within 
eyther  by  fyre,  or  rotten  for  age.  Such  as  dwell  neare  the 
sea  syde,  fyshe  more  luckelye  then  cunnyngly,  and  in  the 
stead  of  fruites,  reserue  in  store  fyshes  diyed  with  smoke. 
They  are  of  small  stature  of  bodie,  with  flat  visagies,  pale 
and  wannie  coloure,  and  very  swyft  of  foote.  ThejT  wyttes  or 
dispositions,  are  not  knowen  to  the  Moscotdtes  theyi-  border- 
ers, who  thynke  it  therfore  a  madnesse  to  assayle  them  with 
a  smal  power,  and  iudge  it  neyther  profitable  nor  glorious 
with  great  armies  to  inuade  a  poore  &  beggerly  nation. 

They  exchange  the  most  white  furres,  which  we  cal  Arme-  Arraei 

fuiTGS. 

lines,  for  other  wares  of  dyuers  sortes  :    Yet  so,  that  they  Barganyu: 
flye  the  syght  and  coompanie  of  all  merchantes.     For  com-  wordel 
parpig  and  laying  theyr  wares  togeather,  and  leauyng  theyr 
furres  in  a  mydde  place,  they  bargayne  with  simple  fayth, 
with  absent  and  vnknowen  men. 

Some  men  of  great  credite  and  aucthoritie,  do  testifie  that  in 
a  region  beyond  the   Lapones,  betwene  the  West  and  the  Tte  dark 

'-'  •/  J-  -'  retjiou :    by 

North,  oppressed  with  perpetuall  darknesse,  is  the  nation  of  Ji^^ou'^aud 
the  people  called  Pigmei,  who  being  growen  to  theyr  ful  uifwayto 
grought,  do  scarcely  excede  the  stature  of  oui'  chyldren  of  the  Nonh 

sea. 

ten  yeeres  of  age.  It  is  a  fearefull  kynde  of  men,  and  ex- 
presse  theyr  wordes  in  suche  chatteryng  sort,  that  they  seeme 
to  be  so  muche  the  more  lyke  vnto  Apes,  in  howe  muche  they 
dyfler  in  sence  and  statiu'e  from  men  of  iust  heyght. 

Towarde  the  North,  innumerable  people  are  subiect  to  the 
Empire  of  the  Moscouites.    Theyr  reg^ions  extend  to  the  Scy-  The  scy- 

_  ./  o  J      thian  Ocean. 

thian  Ocean  for  the  space  of  almost  three  moonethes  iorney. 

•^  *'         The  region 

Nere  vnto  Moscouia,  is  the  region  of  Colmogora,  abound-  g^j-a"^"' 


ine 
furres. 


240  OF  THE  NORTHEAST  FROSTY  SEA 

yng  mth  fruites.     Throiigh  this  runneth  the  ryuer  of  Di- 
Theniierof  uidna,  beinsf    one   of  the    greatest   that  is    knowen  in   the 

Diuidua.  ^  ^ 

North  partes,  and  gane  the  name  to  an  other  lesse  ryuer 
which  breaketh  foorth  into  the  sea  Baltheum.  This  increas- 
yng  at  certajme  tymes  of  the  yeere,  as  dooth  the  ryuer  Xilus, 
ouerfloweth  the  feeldes  and  playnes,  and  with  his  fatte  and 
nourishyng  moysture,  doth  maruelously  resist  the  iniuries 
of  heauen  and  the  sharp  blastes  of  the  North  wynde.  When 
it  riseth  by  reason  of  molten  snow,  and  great  showres  of 
rayne,  it  falleth  into  the  Ocean  by  vnknowen  nations,  and 
with  so  large  a  trenche,  lyke  vnto  a  great  sea,  that  it  can 
not  be  sayled  ouer  in  one  day  with  a  prosperous  wynde. 
But  when  the  waters  are  fallen,  they  leaue  here  and  there 
large  and  fruitfull  Ilandes  :  For  corne  there  cast  on  the 
grounde,  groweth  without  anye  helpe  of  the  Plowe,  and 
with  meruaylous  celeritie  of  hasteng  nature,  fearyng  the 
newe  iniurie  of  the  proude  ryuer,  doth  both  sjjryng  and 
rype  in  short  space.  Into  the  ryuer  Diuidna,  runneth  the 
The  rjuer    ryor  luga :  And  in  the  corner  where  they  ioyne  togeather, 

of  Juga  or      -TO  -\  r  ^^     ^   -r^      •  t  r  1 

Jug-  IS  the  famous  Marte  to^Tie  called  V  stiuga,  distant  irom  the 

^  "^*'      cheefe  citie  Mosca  .vi.  hundi'e  myles. 

"  Note^  that  whereas  Paulus  loviius  wryteth  here  that  the 
The  lyuei- of  rvuer  of  Diuidua,  otherwyse  called  Dwina,  runneth  through 

Diuidua  or       ^ 

Duina.  t}ie  region  of  Colmogora  :  it  is  to  bee  understood  that  there 
are  two  ryuers  of  that  name,  the  one  on  the  Northeast  side 
of  INIoscouia,  toward  the  frosen  sea,  &  the  other  on  the 
Southwest  syde  falljTig  into  the  sea  Baltheum,  or  the  gulfe 
of  Finnonia,  by  the  citie  of  Riga  in  Liuonia.  And  forasmuche 
as  the  true  knowledge  of  these  and  certayne  other  is  very 
necessarie  for  all  such  as  shal  trade  into  Moscouia,  or  other 
regions  in  those  coastes  by  the  North  sea,  I  haue  thought 
good  to  make  further  declaration  hereof  as  I  haue  founde  in 
the  hystorie  of  Moscouia,  most  faythfuUy  and  largly  wryt- 
ten  by  Sigismundus  Liberus,  who  was  twyse  sent  Embassa- 

^  This  note  which  is  here  marked  by  inverted  commas  is  by  Eden. 


AND  KINGDOMES  LYING  THAT  WAY.  241 

dour  in  Moscouia.  as  fyrst  by  Maximilian  the  Emperonr,  and 
then  agayne  by  Ferdinando  kyng  of  Himgarie  and  Boheme, 
This  haue  I  done  the  rather,  for  in  al  the  mappes  that  I 
haue  seene  of  Moscouia,  there  is  no  mention  made  of  the 
ryuer  of  Duina,  that  runneth  through  the  region  of  Colmo- 
gor,  and  by  the  citie  of  the  same  name,  ahhough  the  pro- 
uince  of  Duina  be  in  all  cardes  jDh'iced  iS^orthwarde  frome 
the  ryuer  of  Vstiug  or  Succana,  which  is  the  same  Duina 
wherof  we  now  speake,  and  whereof  Paulus  louius  wryt- 
eth,  although  it  be  not  so  named  but  from  the  angle  or 
corner,  where  ioynyng  with  the  ryuer  of  lug  and  Succana,  IJj^j^^^^'' 
it  runneth  Northwarde  towards  the  citie  of  Colmogor,  and 
from  thence  falleth  into  the  North  or  frozen  sea,  as  shall  ^I'l  ^™''''' 
hereafter  more  j)laynely  appeare  by  the  wordes  of  Sigismun- 
dus,  that  the  one  of  these  be  not  taken  for  the  other,  beyng 
so  farre  distant,  that  great  errour  myght  ensue  by  mistaking 
the  same,  especially  because  this  whereof  Paulus  louius  writ- 
eth,  is  not  by  name  expressed  in  the  cardes,  but  only  in 
the  other,  wherby  the  errour  myght  be  the  greater.  Of  that 
therfore  that  runneth  by  the  confines  of  Liuonia,  and  the 
citie  of  Riga,  Sigismundus  writeth  in  this  maner." 

"  The  lake  of  Duina  is  distant  from  the  sprjTiges  of  Borys- 
thenes,  almost  ten  myles,  and  as  many  fr'om  the  marishe  of 
Fronovvo.  From  it  a  ryuer  of  the  same  name  towarde  the 
West,  distant  fr'om  Vuilna  twentie  myles,  runneth  from 
thence  towarde  the  North,  where  by  Piga,  the  cheefe  citie 
of  Liuonia,  it  falleth  into  the  Germane  sea,  whiche  the  Mos- 
couites  caule  Vuareczkoie  morie.  It  runneth  by  Vuitepsko, 
Polotzo,  and  Dunenburg,  and  not  by  Plescouia  as  one  hath 
wrytten.  This  ryuer,  beyng  for  the  most  part  nauigable,  the 
Liuons  calle  Duna.  Of  the  other  Duina  whereof  Paulus 
louius  speaketh,  he  wrytteth  as  foloweth." 

"  The  prouince  of  Duina,  and  the  ryuer  of  the  same  name,  Dwhm  and 

Suoliana. 

is  so  named  from  the  place  where  the  ryuers  of  Suchana  and 
lug,  meetyng  togeather,  make   one   ryuer   so   called.     For 


Greiiland 
or  Engron 


242  OF  THE  NORTHEAST  FROSTY  SEA 

Duina  in  the  Moscouites  tongue,  signifieth  two.  This  ryuer, 
by  the  space  of  two  hundred  myles,  entreth  into  the  North 
Ocean,  on  that  part  where  the  sayde  sea  runneth  by  the 
coastes  of  Suecia  and  Norway,  and  diuideth  Engreonland 
land.  from  the  vnknowen  lande.     This  prouince  situate  in  the  full 

North,  perteyned  in  tyme  past  to  the  segniorie  of  Nouogo- 
rode.  From  Moscouia  to  the  mouthes  of  Duina,  are  num- 
bered ecc.  myles  :  Albeit  as  I  haue  sayde,  in  regions  that 
are  beyond  Volga,  the  accompt  of  the  iourney  can  not  be 
wel  obserued,  by  reason  of  many  maryshes,  ryuers,  and 
very  great  wooddes  that  lye  in  the  way.  Yet  are  we  led  by 
Understand  coniccturo  to  thiukc  it  to  bo  scarsely  two  hundred  myles  : 
Germany,     forasmuch  as  ffom  Moscouia  to  Vuolochda,  from  Vuolochda 

that  is, 

leagues.  ^q  Vstiug,  somcwliat  into  the  East ;  and  laste  of  al  from  Vs- 
tiug  by  the  ryuer  Duina,  is  the  ryght  passage  to  the  Northe 
sea.  This  region,  besyde  the  Castel  of  Colmogor  and  the 
citie  of  Duina,  situate  almost  in  the  mydde  way  betwene  the 
sprynges  and  mouthes  of  the  ryuer,  and  the  Castell  of  Pie- 
nega,  standyng  in  the  very  mouthes  of  Duina,  is  vtterly 
without  townes  and  Castels  :  Yet  hath  it  many  vyllages, 
which  are  farre  in  sunder,  by  reason  of  the  barennesse  of 
the  soyle,  etc." 

"  In  an  other  place  he  wryteth,  that  Suchana  and  lug,  after 
they  are  ioyned  togeather  in  one,  loose  theyr  fyrst  names 
and  make  the  ryuer  Duina,  etc.  But  let  vs  nowe  retiu'ne 
to  the  hystorie  of  Paulus  louius." 

Unto  Vstiuga,  from  the  Permians,  Pecerrians,  Inugrians, 
Vgolicans,  and  Pinnegians,  people  inhabytyng  the  North  and 

Rych  fuiTes.  Northcst  prouincos,  are  brought  the  precious  furres  of  Mar- 
terns  and  Sables,  also  the  cases  of  Woolfes  and  Foxes  both 
whyte  and  black  :  And  lykewyse  the  skynnes  of  the  beastes 

ceniarii  Called  Ccruarii  Lupi  (that  is),  harte  Woolfes,  beyng  engen- 
dered eyther  of  a  Woolfe  and  a  Hynde,  or  a  Harte  and  a 
bytch  Woolfe.    These  furres  and  skynnes  they  exchaunge  for 

Sables.        dyucrs  other  wares.  The  best  kynde  of  Sables  and  of  the  finest 


AND  KINGDOMES  LYING  THAT  WAY.  243 

heare  wherewith  nowe  the  vestures  of  princes  are  lyncd,  and 
the  tender  neckes  of  delicate  dames  are  couered,  with  the 
expresse  similitude  of  the  lyuynge  beast,  are  brought  by  the 
Permians  and  Pecerrians,  whiche  they  themselues  also  re- 
ceyue  at  the  handes  of  other  that  inhabite  the  regions  neyre 
vnto  the  North  Ocean.  The  Permians  and  Pecerrians,  a 
litle  before  our  tyme,  dyd  sacrifice  to  Idols  after  the  ma- 
nor of  the  Gentyles  :  but  do  nowe  acknoweledge  Christe 
theyr  God.  The  passage  to  the  Inugrians  and  Vgolicans, 
is  by  certayne  rough  mountaynes,  which  perhappes  are  they  The  moun- 

t,Kiijs  cftulcd 

that  in  olde  tyme  were  cauled  Hyperborei.     In  the  toppes  Hypeibwei. 
of  these,  are  founde  the  best  kyndes  of  Falcons  :    whereof  Haukes  of 

1   •  •  1  T    ^     1  diuers 

one  kynde  (cauled  Herodium)  is  white,  with  spotted  fethers.  kyndes. 
There  are  also  Jerfalcons,  Sakers,  and  Peregrines,  whiche 
were  vnknowen  to  the  ancient  princes  in  theyr  excessiue  and 
nise  pleasures. 

Beyonde  those  people  whom  I  last  named  (beyng  all  try- 
butaries  to  the  kynges  of  Moscouia)   are  other  nations,  the 
last  of  men,  not  knowen  by  any  voyages  of  the  Moscouites,  The  passage 
forasmuche  as  none  of  them  hauc  passed  to  the  Ocean,  and  couia  to 

Cathay. 

are  therefore  knowen  onely  by  the  fabulous  narrations  of 
merchauntes.  Yet  is  it  apparante  that  the  ryuer  of  Diuidna 
or  Dwina,  draweyng  with  it  innumerable  other  ryuers,  run- 
neth with  a  vehement  course  towarde  the  North  :  and  that 
the  sea  is  there  exceedyng  large  :  so  that  saylyng  by  the 
coast  of  the  ryght  hande,  shyppes  may  haue  passage  from 
thense  to  Cathay,  as  is  thought  by  most  lykely  coniecture,  cathay. 
except  there  lye  some  lande  in  the  way.  For  the  region  of 
Cathay  perteyneth  to  thextreme  and  furthest  partes  of  the 
Easte,  situate  almost  in  the  paralel  of  Thracia,  and  knowen 
to  the  Portugales  in  India  when  they  sayled  neere  there- 
unto by  the  regions  of  Sinara  and  Malacha  to  Aurea  Cher-  Master 
sonesus,  and  brought  from  thense  certayne  vestures  made  of  eth  cathay 

,     .  the  regions 

Sables  skynnes,  by  whiche  onely  argument  it  is  apparente  that  of  sinarum. 
the  citie  of  Cathay  is  not  farre  from  the  coastes  of  Scithia. 


244  OF  THE  NORTHEAST  FROSTY  SEA 

But  when  Demetrius  was  demaunded  wlietlier  eyther  by 

the  monumentes  of  letters  or  by  fame  lefte  theym  of  theyr 

The  Gothes  predicessours^  tliey  had  any  knowledge  of  the  Gothes,  who 

EmiJirT""^  uowe  more  then  a  thousande  yeeres  since,  subuerted  Them- 

pire  of  the  Romane   Eniperours,  and   defaced  the  citie  of 

Home  :    He  answered,  that  both  the  nation  of  the  Gothes 

and  the  name  of  kyng  Totilas  theyr  chiefe  captayne,  was  of 

The  north    famous  memoric  amonge  them  :    And  that  dyuers  nations  of 

regions  con-  ^ 

ISahfstthe  ^^^^  Is  orth  regions  conspired  to  that  expedition,  and  especi- 

Komans.  ^y[j  the  Moscouitcs  ;  Also  that  that  armie  increased  of  the 
confluence  of  the  Barbarous  Liuons  and  wanderyng  Tartars : 
But  that  they  were  all  called  Gothes,  forasmuche  as  the 

Moscouia.  Gothcs  that  inhabited  Scondania  and  Iselande,  were  the 
auctours  of  that  inuasion. 

And  with  these  boundes  are  the  Moscouites  inclosed  on 
euery  syde,  whom  we  thinke  to  be  those  people  that  Ptolome 
called  Modocas :  but  haue  doubtlesse  at  tliis  day  theyr 
name  of  the  ryuer  Mosco,  which  runneth  through  the  cheefe 
citie  Mosca,  named  also  after  the  same.     This  is  the  most 

Tiie  citie  of  fauious  citic  in  Moscouia,  as  well  for  the  situation  thereof 

Mosca. 

beyng  in  maner  in  the  myddest  of  the  region,  as  also  for  the 
commodious  oportunitie  of  ryuers,  multitude  of  houses,  and 
stronge  fence  of  so  fayre  and  goodly  a  Castell.  For  the  citie 
is  extended  "VNdth  a  long  tract  of  buildynges  by  the  bankes 
of  the  ryuer  for  the  space  of  fyue  myles.  The  houses  are 
made  all  of  tymber,  and  are  diuided  into  Parlours,  Chambers, 
and  Kychyns,  of  large  roomes  :  yet  neyther  of  vnseemely 
heyght  or  to  lowe,  but  of  decent  measure  and  proportion. 
chanceier    For  they  hauc  great  trees,  aj)te  for  the  purpose,  brought 

told  me 

that  these    from  the  forest  of  Hercinia :  Of  the  which,  made  perfectly 

niastes  are  ^  ±  j 

hoiowl^M  I'o^i^d  like  y®  mastes  of  shyps,  and  so  layd  one  vppon  an  other, 
and'tha?  ^'  that  they  ioyne  at  the  endes  in  ryght  angles,  where  beyng 
Bvde  of  the  made  very  fast  and  sure,  they  frame  the>a-  houses  therof,  of 

next  enter-  _  "  _ 

cthintoye    meruavlous  streno'th  with  smal  chara:es,  and  in  verve  short 

same,  where  •'  o  o      ^  J 

veo^dose^  tyuie.     In  maner  all  the  houses  haue  priuate  gardens,  aswell 


AND  KING  DOMES  LYING  THAT   V%^AY.  245 

for  pleasure  as  commoditie  of  hearbes,  wherby  the  circuite  of 
the  dispersed  citie  appeareth  very  great.  All  the  wardes  or 
quarters  of  the  citie  haue  theire  peculiar  Chappels. 

But  in  the  cheefest  and  highest  place  therof,  is  the  Church 
of  our  Lady,  of  ample  and  goodly  workemanshyppe,  whiche 
Aristoteles  of  Bononie,  a  man  of  singular  knowledge  and  ex- 
perience in  Architecture,  builded  more  then  threescore  yeres 
since.  At  the  very  head  of  the  citie,  a  little  ryuer,  called 
Neglina,  which  driueth  many  corne  mylles,  entereth  into 
the  ryuer  Moscus,  and  maketh  almost  an  Ilande,  in  whose 
end  is  the  Castel,  with  many  strong  towers  and  bulwarkes, 
builded  very  fayre  by  the  diuise  of  Italian  Aixhitecturs  that 
are  the  maisters  of  the  kjTiges  woorkes.  In  the  fieldes  about 
the  citie,  is  an  incredible  multitude  of  Hares,  and  Hoe  Buckes, 
the  wliich,  it  is  lawful  for  no  man  to  chase  or  pursue  with 
dogges  or  nettes,  except  only  certayne  of  the  kynges  fami- 
liars and  straunge  Ambassadours,  to  whom  he  geueth  licence 
by  speciall  commaundement.  Almost  three  partes  of  the 
citie  is  inuironed  with  two  ryuers,  and  the  residue  with  a 
large  Mote  that  receiueth  plentie  of  water  from  the  sayde 
ryuers.  The  citie  is  also  defended  on  the  other  syde  with 
an  other  ryuer  named  Jausa,  whiche  falleth  also  into  Mos- 
cus, a  litle  beneath  the  citie.  Furthermore,  Moscus  run- 
nyng  towards  the  South,  falleth  into  the  ryuer  Ocha  or  xi-e  nuer 
Occa,  muche  greater  then  it  selfe  at  the  towne  Columna :  and 
not  very  farre  from  thence  Ocha  it  selfe  increased  with  other 
ryuers,  vnladeth  his  streames  in  the  famous  ryuer  Volga,  woiga. 
where  at  the  place  where  they  ioyne,  is  situate  the  citie  of 
Nouogradia  the  lesse,  so  named  in  respect  of  the  greater  citie  xouogrodia. 
of  that  name,  from  whence  was  brought  the  fyrst  colonic  of 
the  less  citie. 

Volga,   called  in   olde  tyme   Rha,  hath  his   originall  ofRha. 
the  create  marishes,  named  the  whyte  Lakes.     These  are  The  wUyte 

O  '  •>  lakes. 

aboue  Moscouia,  betweene  the   North  and  the  "West,  and 
send  foorth  from  them  almost  all  the  ryuers  that  ai-e  dis- 

VOI,.  II.  K  K        ' 


246  OF  THE  MORTHEAST  FROSTY  SEA 

persed  into  dyuers  regions  on  euery  syde,  as  we  see  of  the 
Alpes,  from  whose  toppes  and  sprynges  descend  the  waters, 
of  whose  concourse  the  ryuers  of  Rhene,  Po,  and  Rodannm, 
haue  theyr  increase.  For  these  maryshes  in  the  steade  of 
mountaines  full  of  sprynges,  minister  abundant  moysture, 
forasmuche  as  no  mountaynes  are  yet  founde  in  that  region 
by  the  long  trauayles  of  men,  insomuche  that  many  that 
haue  been  studious  of  the  old  Cosmographie,  suppose  the 
The  By-      E,yphean  and  Hyperborean,  mountaines,  so  often  mentioned 

pheau  and  -^  ^  .  . 

Hjperbo-     Qf  |-]^g  auncient  writers,  to  be  fabulous.      From  these  ma- 

rean  moun-  ■' 

taynes.        ryshes  therfore,  the  ryuers  of  Duina,  Ocha,  Moschus,  Volga, 
Tanais  and  Tauais,  and  Boristhencs,  haue  theyr  orisjinall.    The  Tartares 

Borysthenes  '  '  J  D 

call  Volga  Edel :    Tanais  they  call  Don  :   And  Boristhenes 
is  at  this  time  called  Neper, 
Tiie  sea  This,  a  Htlo  beneath  Taurica,  runneth  into  the  sea  Euri- 

Eurinus. 

nus.  Tanais  is  recejnied  of  the  maryshes  of  Meotis,  at 
the  noble  Marte  Towne  Azoum.  But  Volga,  leauyng  the 
citie  of  Mosca  towardes  the  South,  and  runnjTig  with  a  large 
circuite,  and  great  WyndjTiges,  and  Creekes  first  towardes 
the  East,  then  to  the  West,  and  lastly  to  the  South,  falleth 
with  a  full  strcame  into  the  Caspian  or  Hircan  sea.  Aboue 
the  mouth  of  this,  is  a  citie  of  the  Tartars  called  Cytrachan, 
which  some  call  Astrachan,  where  Martes  are  kept  by  the 
Merchauntes  of  Media,  Armenia,  and  Persia.  On  the  fur- 
ther bancke  of  Volga,  there  is  a  towne  of  the  Tartars  called 
Casan,  of  the  whiche  the  Horda  of  the  Casanite  Tartars 
tooke  theyr  name.  It  is  distant  from  the  mouth  of  Volga 
Sura.  and  the  Caspian  sea  500  myles.     Aboue  Casan  150  myles, 

surcium.  ^t  the  cntrauuce  of  the  ryuer  Sura,  Basilius  that  now 
reigneth,  buylded  a  towne  called  Surcium,  to  thintent  that 
in  those  desartes,  the  marchantes  and  traueylers  which  cer- 
tifie  the  gouernours  of  the  marches  of  the  doinges  of  the 
Tartars,  and  the  manors  of  that  vnquiet  nation,  may  haue  a 
safe  mansion  among  theyr  customers. 

The  Emperours  of  Moscouia  at  dyuers  tymes,  eyther  moucd 


AND  KINGDOMES  LYING  THAT  WAY.  247 

thereto  by  occasion  of  thinges  present,  or  for  the  desyre 
they  had  to  nobilitate  newe  and  obscure  places,  haue  kepte 
the  seate  of  theyr  courte  and  Empyre  in  dyuers  cities.  For 
Nouogrodia,  which  lyeth  toward  the  West,  and  the  Lyuon 
sea,  not  many  yeeres  past,  was  the  head  citie  of  Moscouia, 
and  obteyned  euer  the  chiefe  dignitie,  by  reason  of  the  in- 
credible number  of  houses  and  edifies,  with  the  oportunitie 
of  the  large  lake  replenyshed  with  fyshe,  and  also  for  the 
fame  of  the  most  auncient  &  venerable  Temjjle,  which 
more  then  foure  hundred  yeeres  since  was  dedicated  to 
Sancta  Sophia,  Christ,  the  sonne  of  God,  accordyng  to  the  o^sm^To''® 
custome  of  the  Emperours  of  Byzantium,  now  called  Con-  °^  *' 
stantinople.  Nouogrodia  is  oppressed  in  maner  with  con- 
tinuall  wynter  and  darkenesse  of  long  nj'ghtes.  For  it 
hath  the  pole  Artike  eleuate  aboue  the  Horizon  tln-eescore  The  eieua- 

tiou  of  the 

and  foure  degrees:  and  is  further  from  the  Equinoctiall  then  poieatNo- 
Moscouia  by  ahnost  six  degrees.     By  which  dyfierence  of  ^°^^"^^^- 
heauen,  it  is  sayde,  that  at  the  sommer  steye  of  the  sunne, 
it  is  b;n-nt  with  continuall  heate,  by  reason  of  the  sliorte  ^^-^^  ^y  • 

•'  reason  of 

The   citie   also   of  Volodemaria,  beynsc  more  then  twoo  The  citie  of 

'  ^     D  Volode- 

hundred  myles  distant  from  Mosca  towarde  the  Easte,  had  '"'^"''• 
the  name  of  the  chiefe  citie  and  kynges  towne,  whyther 
the  seate  of  the  Empire  was  translated  by  the  valiaunt  Em- 
perours for  necessarie  considerations,  that  such  ayde,  furni- 
tui'e,  and  requisites,  as  appertayne  to  the  warres,  myght  be 
neare  at  hande,  at  suche  tyme  as  they  kepe  continuall  warre 
agaynst  the  Tartars  theyr  borderers.  For  it  is  situate  with- 
out Volga,  on  the  bankes  of  the  ryuer  Clesma,  whiche  falleth 
into  Volga. 

But  Moscha,  as  well  for   those  aryftes   and  commodities  J}^^  "t'e  of 
whereof  we  haue  spoken,  as   also  that  it  is  situate  in  the 
myddest  of  the  most  frequented   place   of  all   the  region 
and  Empyre,  and  defended  with  the  ryuer  and  Castcll,  hath 
in  comparyson  to  other  cities  been  thought  most  woorthie  to 


248  OF  THE  NORTHEAST  FROSTY  SEA 

be  esteemed  for  the  cliiefe.     Moscha  is  distant  from  Nouo- 
grodia  fine  hundred  myles  ;    and  ahnost  in  the  myd  way 
ottofeua.     jg  i\^Q  citie  of  Ottoferia  (other-n-yse  called  Otwer,  or  Tuwer), 
woiga.        vppon  the  ryuer  of  Volga.    This  ryuer,  neare  "voito  the  foun- 
tajTies  and  sprynges  of  the  same,  not  yet  increased  by  re- 
ceyuyng   so  many  other  ryners,  runneth  but  slowyly  and 
gentelly,  and  passeth  from  thence  to  Nouogrodia,  through 
many  woods  and  desolate  playnes.    Furthermore  from  Nouo- 
Kiga.  grodia  to  Riga,  the  nexte  porte  of  the   Sarmatian   sea,  is 

the  iorney  of  a  thousande  myles,  litle  more  or  lesse.  This 
tract  is  thought  to  be  more  commodious  then  the  other, 
Pkscoiua"*^  bycanse  it  hath  many  townes,  and  the  citie  of  Plescouia  in 
the  way,  beyng  imbrased  with  two  ryuers.  From  Riga 
(pertejTiyng  to  the  dominion  of  the  great  master  of  the 
warres  of  the  Liuons)  to  the  citie  of  Lubecke,  a  porte  of 
Germanie,  in  the  gulfe  of  Cymbrica  Chersonesus  (now 
called  Denmarke),  are  numbered  about  a  thousande  myles 
of  daungerous  saylyng. 
to  "mo^""'^  From  Rome  to  the  citie  of  Moscha,  the  distance  is  knowen 
coma.  ^^  -^^  ^^^^  thousande  and  sixe  hundred  myles,  by  the  nearest 
way,  passyng  by  Rauenna,  Taruisium,  the  Alpes  of  Car- 
nica :  also,  Yillacum,  Noricum,  and  Vienna  of  Pannonie  : 
and  from  thence  (passyng  ouer  the  ryuer  of  Danubius)  to 
Olmutium  of  the  Marouians,  and  to  Cracouia,  the  chiefe  citie 
of  Polonie,  are  compted  .xi.  hundred  myles.  From  Cra- 
couia to  Vilna,  the  head  citie  of  Lithuania,  are  compted 
fine  hundred  myles  :  and  as  many  from  that  citie  to  Smo- 
lenzko,  situate  beyonde  Boristhenes,  from  whence  to  Mos- 
cha are  compted  sixe  hundi'ed  myles.  The  iourney  fi'om 
trau -uie  b  ^^^^^  ^Y  Smolcuzko  to  Mosclia,  is  traueyled  in  wynter  with 
iBe&suowe.  g^pg^^j^^g  slcadcs,  and  incredible  celeritie  vppon  the  snowes, 
hardened  with  long  frost  and  compacte  lyke  Ise,  by  reason 
of  muche  wearyng.  But  in  sommer,  the  playnes  can  not 
bee  ouerpassed  but  by  difEculte  and  laborious  trauayle. 
For  when  the  snowes  bv  the  continuall  heate  of  the  Sunne 


AND  KINGDOMES  LYING  THAT  WAY.  249 

becryn  to  melte  and  dissolue,  they  cause  ffreat  maryshes  and  Marshes 

ciJ  '  xi  CI  •!  lu  sommer. 

quamyres,  able  to  intangle  both,  horse  and  man,  were  it  not 
that  waves  are  made  through  the  same  with  brydges  and  other 

"  _  _  ■nriteis  de- 

causes  of  wood,  and  almost  infinite  labour.  uytMs. 

In  all  the  region  of  Moscouia,  there  is  no  vayne  or  mine 
of  golde   or  syluer,   or   any  other   common  metall,   except 
Iron ;  neyther  yet  is  there  any  token  of  precious  stones  :  and 
therefore  they  buye  all  those  thinges  of  straungers.     Neuer- 
thelesse,  this  iniurie  of  nature  is  recompensed  with  abuun- 
dance  of  rich  fiirres,  whose  price,  by  the  wanton  nysenesse  of  f^'^^ 
men  is  growen  to  suche  excesse,  that  the  furres  parteynyng  The  price  of 
to  one   sorte   of  appareU,  are  now  soldo  for   a  thousande 
crownes.  But  the  tyme  hath  been  that  these  haue  been  bought 
better  cheape,  when  the  fiu'thest  nations  of  the  North,  being 
ignorant  of  our  nyse  finenesse  and  breathyng  desyre  towarde 
effeminate  and  superfluous  pleasures,  exchaunged  the  same 
with  muche  simplicitie,  often  tjTues  for  trj-fles  and  thinges 
of  small  value.     Insomuche,  that  commonly  the  Permians 
and  Pecerrians,  were  accustomed  to  giuc  so  many  skinnes 
of  Sables  for  an  Iron  Axe  or  Hatchet,  as  being  tyed  harde  ^^"Jg'"*"^ 
togeather,  the  marchantes  of  Moscouia  could  drawe  through  ^^1^®^  ^°^ 
the  hole  where  the  hafte  or  handle  entereth  into  the  same. 
But  the  Moscouites  sonde  into  all  partes  of  Europe  the  best 
kjTide  of  flaxe  to  make  lynnen  cloth,  and  hempe  for  ropes.  Fiaxe. 
Also  many  Oxe  hydes,  and  exceedyng  great  masses  of  waxe.  °f ^  ^  ^^' 

They  proudely  deny  that  the  Romane  churche  obteyneth 
the  principate  and  preeminent  aucthoritie  of  all  other. 

They  so  abhorre  the  nation  of  the  Jewes,  that  they  detest  P«y  ^}- 

*'  ^  J  horre  the 

the  memorie  of  them,  and  will  in  no  condition  admyt  them  '^®^®^- 
to  dAvell  witliin  theyr  dominions  :  esteemyng  them  as  wycked 
and  mischieuous  people,  that  haue  of  late  taught  the  Turkes 
to  make  gunnes.     Beside  the  bookes  that  they  haue  of  the  i^eir 

•'  bookes  aud 

ancient  Greeke  doctours,  they  haue  also  the  commentaries  ^eiigjo"- 
and    homelies    of  saynte    Ambrose,   Augustine,   Jerome,   & 
Gregorie,    translated   into    the    Illirian    or    Slauon    tongue, 


250  OF  THE  NORTHEAST  FROSTY  SEA 

The  siauon  whicli  agrceth  with  theyrs  :     For  they  vse  both  the  Slauon 


touRue 


spied  fur-    tonsfue  and  letters,  as  doe  also  the  Sclauons,  Dalmates,  Bo- 
!iuj  Other,    j^emes,  Pollones,  and  Lithuanes.      This  tongue  is  spredde 
further  then  any  other  at  this  day  :    For  it  is  familiar  at 
Constantinople,  in  the  court  of  the  Eniperours  of  the  Turks  : 
and  was  of  late  hearde  in  Egyjjte,  among  the  Mamalukes,  in 
the  court  of  the  Soltane  of  Alcayre,  otherwyse  cauled  Mem- 
phis, or  Babilon  in  Egyj^te.     A  great  number  of  bookes  of 
holy  scripture  are  translated  into  this  tongue  by  the  Industrie 
sainct        of  Sayuto  Jerome  and  Cyrillus.     Furthermore,  besyde  the 
borne  in     hystorics  of  thcyr  owne  countreys,  they  haue  also  bookes, 

Uiilmatia, 

now  called    contevning  the  facts  of  great  Alexander,  and  the  Romane 

Sclauoma.  ^  O  O  ^ 

Eniperours,  and  lykewyse  of  Marcus  Antonius,  &  Cleopatra. 
They  haue  no  maner  of  knowledge  of  philosophic.  Astrono- 
mic, or  speculatiue  phisicke,  with  other  liberal  sciences. 
But  such  are  taken  for  phisitians  as  professe  that  they  haue 
oftentimes  obserued  the  vertue  and  qualitie  of  some  vn- 
knowen  hearbe. 
Howe  they       Tlicy  numbcr  the  yeeres,  not  from  the  byrth  of  Christ, 

number  the 

yeeres.  but  from  tlic  bcgymiyng  of  the  world.  And  this  they  begin 
to  accompt,  not  from  the  moneth  of  January,  but  from  Sep- 
tember. 

Fewe  and        They  liauc  fewe   and   simple   lawes    throughout  all   the 

simple  ''  J.  o 

lawes.  kyngdome,  made  by  the  equitie  and  conscience  of  theyr 
prynces,  and  approued  by  the  consent  of  wyse  and  good  men ; 
and  are  therfore  greatly  for  the  wealth  and  quyetnesse  of 
the  peoj^le,  forasmuche  as  it  is  not  lawfull  to  peruerte  them 
with  any  interpretations  or  cauillations  of  lawyers  or  attur- 
neys.  They  punysh  theeues,  rouers,  priuie  pyckers,  and 
murtherers.  When  they  examyne  malefactours,  they  poure 
a  great  quantitie  of  could  water  vppon  such  as  they  sus- 
pecte,  whiche  they  say  to  bee  an  intollerable  kynde  of  tor- 
ment. But  somteymes  they  manacle  suche  as  are  stubborne, 
and  will  not  confesse  apparent  crymes. 

youth"^  Theyr  youth  is  exercised  in  dyuers  kyndes  of  games  and 


AND  KINGDOMES  LYING  THAT  WAY.  251 

plays,  resemblyng  the  warres,  whereby  they  both  practise 
poHcie   and  increase  theyr   strength.      They  vse  runnyng, 
both  on  horsebacke  and  afoote.     Also  runnyng  at  the  tylt, 
wrestlyng,   and    especially   shootyng.       For    they  gyne  re-  shoot^ig. 
wardes  to  such  as  excell  therein. 

The  Moscouites  are  vniuersally  of  meane  stature,  yet  very  Thecorpora- 
square  set,  and  myghtyly  brawned.  They  haue  all  grey  Moscouites. 
eyes,  long  beardes,  shorte  legges,  and  bygge  bellyes. 

They  ryde  very  shorte,  and  shoote  backewarde  very  cun- 
nyngly,  euen  as  they  flye.  At  home  in  theyr  houses,  theyr 
fare  is  rather  plentifidl  then  deyntie.  For  theyr  tables  are  ^heyr  fare. 
furnyshed  for  a  small  pryce  with  all  suche  kyndes  of  meates 
as  may  bee  desyred  of  suche  as  are  gyuen  to  most  excessiue 
gluttony. 

Hennes  and  Duckes  are  bought  for  litle  syluer  pence  the 
peece.  There  is  incredible  jilentie  of  beastes  and  cattayle, 
both  great  and  small.  The  fleshe  of  beefe  that  is  kylled 
in  the  myddest  of  w\Titer,  is  so  coniealed  and  frosen,  that  it  ^lesshe  pre- 

•'  ''  •'  seruedloiige 

putrifieth  not  for  the  space  of  two  monethes.     Theyr  best  coiUde^°°  °^ 
and  most  delicate  dyshes  are  gotten  by  huntyng  and  hauk-  ^[^T'?'"^^ 
yng,  as  with  vs  :    For  they  take  all  sortes  of  wylde  beastes  ^'"^®' 
with  Houndes,  and  dyuers  kyndes  of  nettes.    And  with  Faul- 
cons  and  Erens,  or  Eagles  of  a  marueylous  kynde,  which  the 
region  of  Pecerra  bryngeth  foorth  vnto  them,  they  take  not 
onely  Fesantes  and  wylde  Duckes,  but  also  Eranes  and  wylde 
Swannes. 

They  take  also  a  foule  of  darke  colour,  about  the  byg- 
nesse  of  a  Goose,  with  redde  ouerbrowes,  whose  fleshe  in 
taste  passeth  the  pleasauntnesse  of  Phesauntes.  These  in 
the  Moscouites  tongue  are  called  Tetrao,  whiche  I  suppose 
to  be  the  same  that  Plinie  calleth  Erythratao,  knowen  to 
the  people  of  the  Alpes,  and  especially  to  the  Rhctians 
which  inhabite  the  landes  about  the  sprynges  of  the  ryuer 
Abdua.  The  ryuer  of  Volga  ministreth  vnto  them  great 
fyshes,  and  of  pleasaunt  taste  :  especially  sturgions,  or  rather  '^^l^^''  "' 


252  OF  THE  NORTHEAST  FROSTY  SEA 

a  kyiide  of  fyshe  lyke  vnto  Sturgions  :  whicli  in  the  ■wynter 
iong\e-      season,  beyng  inclosed  in  Ise,  are  long  reserued  freshe  and 

serued  iu  . 

ise.  vncoiTupte. 

Of  other  knydes  of  fyshes,  they  take  in  nianer  an  incre- 
dible multitvide  in  the  whyte  lakes  whereof  we  haue  spoken 
wyne.         before.     And  whereas  they  vtterly  lacke  natyue  wynes,  they 
vse  such  as  are  brought  from  other  places.     And  this  only 
in  certeyne  feastes  and  holy  mysteries,  especially  the  plea- 
Maiuasie.     saunt  Maluasics  of  the  Ilande  of  Greta,  now  called  Candy, 
are  had  in  most  honour  :  and  vsed  eyther  as  medicines,  or 
North^       for  a  shewe  of  excessiue  aboundaunce,  forasmuch  as  it  is  in 
tiTTOe^ianlfe  mancr  a  miracle  that  wines  brought  from  Candy  by  the 
scythia,  and  strcightos  of  Hcrculcs  pyllcrs  and  the  Ilandes  of  Gades,  & 

the  people 

scythiaus.  tosscd  witli  such  fluddcs  of  the  inclosed  Ocean,  should  be 
droonke  among  the  Scythian  snowes  in  theyr  natiue  puritie 
and  pleasauntnesse. 

The  common  people  drinke  meade,  made  of  hony  &  hoppes 
sodden  togeather,  whiche  they  keepe  long  in  pitched  bar- 
relies,  where  the  goodnesse  increaseth  with  age.  They  vse 
also  beere  and  ale,  as  doe  the  Germanes  and  Polones.    They 

TOoiS^  with  ^'I's  accustomed,  for  delicatenesse  in  sommer,  to  coole  theyr 
beere  and  meade  with  putting  Ise  therein,  which  the  noble 
men  reserue  in  theyr  sellars  in  great  quantitie  for  the  same 
purpose.     Some  there  are  that  delight  greatly  in  the  iuise 

chen^e^s^  that  is  prcsscd  out  of  Cherries  before  they  be  full  rype, 
which  they  afFyrme  to  haue  the  colour  of  cleare  and  ruddy 
wyne,  with  a  very  pleasaunt  taste. 

Theyr  wyues  &  women,  are  not  with  them  in  such 
honour  as  they  are  in  other  nations  :  for  they  vse  them  in 
manor  in  the  place  of  seruantes.  The  noblewomen  &  gen- 
tlewomen do  diligently  obserue  their  walkes,  and  haue  an 
eye  to  theyr  chastitie.  They  are  sildom  bydden  foorth  to 
any  feastes :  neither  are  permitted  to  resorte  to  chiuxhes 
farre  of,  or  to  walke  abrode  without  some  great  considera- 
tion.    But  the  common  sorte  of  women,  are  easily  and  for  a 


Their 
women 


AND  KINGDOMES  LYING  THAT  WAY.  253 

small  price  allured  to  lechery,  euen  of  straungers  :  by 
reason  wherof,  the  Gentlemen  doe  litle  or  nothyng  esteeme 
them. 

John  the  father   of  king  Basilius,   dyed  more  then   .xx. 
yeeres  since.     He  maryed  Sophia,  the  daughter  of  Thomas  p^°f*j*^ 
Paleologus,  who  reigned  far  in  Peloponnesus   (now  called 
Morea),  &  was  brother  to  Themperour  of  Constantinople: 
She  was  then  at  Kome  when  Thomas  her  father  was  drvuen  ^®  f°"\, 

J  quest  of  the 

out  of  Grecia  by  the  Turks.  Of  her  were  fine  children  Grecia. '" 
borne,  as  Basilius  hymselfe,  George,  Demetrius,  Symeon, 
and  Andreas.  Basilius  tooke  to  wife  Salomonia,  the  daughter 
of  George  Soboronius,  a  man  of  singuler  fidelitie  &  wyse- 
dome,  and  one  of  his  counsayle  :  the  excellent  vertues  of 
whiche  woman,  only  barennesse  obscured. 

TVhen  the  Princes  of  Moscouia  deliberate  to  marry,  their  Howe  the 

princes 

custome  is  to  haue  choyse  of  all  the  vyro^ynes  in  the  realme,  choose  theyr 
and  to  cause  suche  as  are  of  most  fayre  and  beutifull  vysage 
and  personage,  with  maners  and  vertues  accordyng,  to  bee 
brought  before  them  :  Whiche  afterwarde  they  commyt  to 
certayne  faythful  men,  and  graue  matrones  to  be  further 
viewed,  insomuche  that  they  leaue  no  parte  of  them  vn- 
searched.  Of  these,  shee  whom  the  Prince  most  lyketh,  is 
pronounced  woorthie  to  bee  his  wyfe,  not  AAdthout  great  and 
carefull  expectation  of  theyr  parentes,  lyuyng  for  that  tyme 
betweene  hope  and  feare.  The  other  virgins  also  whiche 
stoode  in  election,  and  contended  in  beautie  and  integritie  of 
maners,  are  oftentymes  the  same  day,  to  gratifie  the  Prince, 
marryed  to  his  noble  men,  Gentelnien,  and  Capytaynes  : 
wherby  it  sometymes  commeth  to  passe,  that  whyle  the 
Princes  contemne  the  lynage  of  royall  descent,  suche  as  are 
borne  of  humble  parentage  are  exalted  to  the  degree  of 
princely  estate,  in  lyke  maner  as  the  Emperours  of  the  Turkes 
were  accustomed  to  be  chosen,  by  coraelynesse  of  personage, 
and  warly  prowesse. 

Basilius  was  under  thagc  of  fourtie  and  seuen  yeeres,  of  P^'^^'^  ^«=i 

VOL.  II.  LL 


254  or  THE  NORTHEAST  FROSTY  SEA 

comly  personage,  singular  vertue,  &  princely  qualities,  by 
all  meanes  studious  for  the  prosperitie  &  commodities  of 
his  subiectes  :  furthermore,  in  benevolence,  liberalitie,  and 
good  successe  in  his  doinges,  to  be  preferred  before  his 
progenitotirs.  For  when  he  had  .vi.  yeeres  kepte  warre 
with  the  Lyuons  that  moued  .Ixxii.  confetherate  cities  to 
the  cause  of  that  warre,  he  obteyned  the  victorie,  &  de- 
parted w*  few  conditions  of  peace,  rather  giuen  then  ac- 
tweene  the  ceptcd.  Also  at  tlic  beginning  of  his  reigne,  he  put  the 
Mosdw-"'"  Polones  to  flight,  and  tooke  prisoner  Constantino,  the  Capi- 
tayne  of  the  Ruthens,  whom  he  brought  to  Moscouia  tyed  in 
chaynes  :  But  shortly  after,  at  the  ryuer  Boristhenes,  aboue 
the  citie  of  Orsa,  he  him  selfe  was  ouercome  in  a  great 
battayle,  by  the  same  Constantino,  whom  he  had  dismissed  : 
Yet  so,  that  the  towne  of  Smolenzko,  which  the  Moscouites 
possessed  before,  and  was  nowe  woon  by  the  Polones,  should 
twtlne  the  styll  partcync  to  the  dominions  of  Basilius.  But  agaynst 
nmfTurtnrs^  the  Tartars,  and  especially  the  Tartars  of  Europe,  called  the 
Precopites,  the  Moscouites  haue  oftentymes  kepte  warre 
with  good  successe,  in  reuenge  of  the  iniuries  done  to  them 
by  theyr  incursions. 

Basilius  is  accustomed  to  bryng  to  the  fielde  more  then  a 
The  Mosco-  hundred  and  fiftie  thousande  horsemen,  diuided  into  three 

uites  army. 

Their  ban-    baudcs,    and   folowyng    the   banners   or   ensignes   of  theyr 
Captaynes  in  order  of  battayle. 

On  the  banner  of  the  kynges  wyng,  is  figured  the  Image 
of  Josue,  the  Captayne  of  the  Hebreues,  at  whose  prayer  the 
Sonne  prolonged  the  day  and  stayed  his  course,  as  wit- 
nesse  the  hysterics  of  holy  scripture.  Armies  of  footemen 
are  in  maner  to  no  vse  in  those  great  wyldernesses,  as  well 
for  theyr  apparel  being  loose  and  long,  as  also  for  the 
custome  of  theyr  enemies,  who  in  theyr  warres  trust  rather 
to  the  swyftnesse  of  their  light  horses,  then  to  trye  the 
matter  in  a  pyght  fielde. 

Theyr  horses  are  of  lesse  then  meane  stature  ;  but  very 


ner. 


AND  KINGDOMES  LYING  THAT  WAY.  255 

stronof  and  swyfte.     Theyr  horsemen  are  armed  with  pykes,  Tiieirhorses 
Rvuettes,  Mases  of  yron,  and  arrowes.     Fewe  haue  hooked  ^"'"• 

•^  J  '  ^  Theire  ai"- 

swoordes.    Theyr  bodyes  are  defended  with  rounde  Targets,  mi""e- 
after  the  maner  of  the  Turkes  of  Asia :  or  with  bendyng  and 
cornarde   Targettes   after  the  maner   of  the  Greekes :    also 
with  coates  of  mayle,  Brygantines,  and  sharpe  Hehnettes. 
Basilius  dyd  furthermore  instytute  a  bande  of  harsrabnsiers  Hargabu- 

-^  •'  °  siers. 

on  horsebacke  :  and  caused  many  great  brasen  peeces  to  be  Gonues. 
made  by  the  workemanshyp  of  certaine  Italyans  :  and  the 
same  with  theyr  stockes  and  wheeles  to   be  placed  in  the 
Castle  of  Mosca, 

The   kynge   him   selfe,   with   princely  magnificence   and 
singular  familiaritie    (wherwith   neuerthelesse   no   parte   of 
the  maiestie  of  a  kyng  is  violate)  is   accustomed  to  dyne  The  prince 
openly  with  his    noble  men,   &  strange  Ambassadours,  in  openly. 
his  owne  chamber  of  presence,  where  is  seene  a  marueyl- 
ous  quantitye  of  syluer  Sc  gylt  plate,  standyng  vppon  tM^o  jjj|'^™""i; 
great  and  high  cubbardes  in  the  same  chamber.     He  hath  of"this"is' 
not    about   him    any    other    garde    for    the    custody    of  his  ^° '  ^' 
person,  sauing    only  his    accustomed   farailie.      For  watch 
and  warde  is   deligently  kept  of  the  faithful  multitude  of 
the    citizens.      Insomuch,   that  euery  warde  or  quarter   of 
the  citie  is  inclosed  with  gates,  rayles,  and  barres :  neyther  of tu'edtie!'' 
is  it  lawfuU  for  any  man  rashely  to  walke  in  the  citie  in  the 
nyght,  or  withowt  lyght.     All  the  courte  consisteth  of  noble  comte""^^ 
men,  Gentelmen,  and  choyse   souldyers,   which   are   called 
out    of  euery  region    by   theyr  townes   and   vyllages,   and 
commaunded  to  wayte  course  by  course  at  certayne  monethes 
appoynted.      Furthermore  when  warre   is  proclaymed,  all 
the  armie  is  collected,  both  of  the  oulde  souldyers  and  by 
muster yng  of  newe   in  all  prouinces.      For  the   Lieueten- 
antes  and   Capytaynes   of  the   army   are   accustomed  in   al 
cities  to  muster  the   youth,  &   to   admyt  to  the    order  of 
souldyers  such  as  they  thynke  able  to  serue  the  turne. 

Theyr    wages    is    payde    them    of  the    common   treasury 


256        OF  THE  NORTHEAST  FROSTY  SEA,  ETC. 

souidyers  eueiy  prouince  whicli  is  geathered,  and  partely  payde  also  in 
treasur"  ^^^  tjme  of  pcacc,  althotigli  it  be  but  litle.  But  such  as 
are  assigned  to  the  warres,  are  free  from  all  tributes,  and 
inioye  certayne  other  priuilegies,  wherby  they  maye  the  more 
gladly  and  cheerfully  serue  theyr  kyng,  and  defende  theyr 
contrey.  For  in  the  tyme  of  warre,  occason  is  mynistred  to 
shewe  true  vertue  and  manhood,  where  in  so  great  and 
necessarie  an  institution,  euery  man  accordyng  to  his  ap- 
proued  actiuitie  and  ingenious  forwardenesse,  may  obtayne 
the  fortune  eyther  of  perpetuall  honour,  or  iguominie. 

Vix  olim  vUa  fides  referentibus  horrida  regna 

Moschorum,  et  Ponti,  res  glacialis  erat. 
Nunc  louio  autore,  ilia  oculis  lustramus,  et  vrbes, 

Et  nemora,  et  monies  cernimus  et  fluuios. 
Moschouiam,  monumenta  loui,  tua  culta  reuoluens, 

Ccepi  alios  mirndos  credere  Democriti. 


THE    END. 


INDEX, 


Abrahemin,  king  of  Kazan,  ii,  58 

Achus,  To'rni  of,  ii,  12 

Aculpa,  king  of  the  Tai'tars,  ii,  51 

Adultery  unpunished,  i,  93 

All  Saints'  Day,  celebration  of,  i,  83 

Altai-,  one  in  each  temple,  i,  57 

Altar  of  Alexander,  ii,  12 

Ambassadors,  manner  of  receiving 
and  treating  in  Russia,  ii,  112 

Andi'ew,  St.,  the  Apostle  of  the  Rus- 
sians, i,  53 

Animals  of  Russia,  ii,  3 

Anointing  and  confii'mation,  cei'emo- 
nies  of,  i,  63 

Aphgasi,  the  people,  ii,  77 

Ai'chbishops,  aiithority  of  amongst  the 
Russians,  i,  53 

election  of,  i,  54 

pri^■ileges  of,  i,  58 

Ai'chimancU-ites,  i,  58 

Aiigo,  Luchino,  hiii 

Ai'tUlery,  use  of,  unknoiivn  to  the 
Russians,  i,  08 

Ascelin,  xxiii 

Astrachan,  the  city,  ii,  76 

A20V,  the  city,  ii,  76 


B. 


Baptism,  ceremony  of,  i,  73-66 
Barbai'a,  wife  of  Sigismund  king  of 

Poland,  i,  47 
Bai'baro,  Josafa,  Ixvi 
Bannai,  i,  44 
Bami,  ii,  82 
Bartholomew,  metropolitan  of  Russia, 

i,  54 
Bassalich,  i,  96 
Bati,  king  of  the  Tartars,  i,  17 
Beai-s,  i,  205 

Bears,  white,  abundance  of,  ii,  37,  39 
Bears,  kept  for  exhibition  in  games, 

ii,  137 
Beaver  skins,  i,  115 
Beluga,  a  large  fish,  i,  39  ;  ii,  13 

VOL.  II. 


Berdebeck,  king  of  the  Tartars,  ii,  51 

Beresina,  the  liver,  i,  27  ;  ii,  85,  153 

Bibliography  of  the  "  Rerum  Mosco- 
viticai'um  Commentaiii",  cxxxvii 

Biela,  the  fortress  of,  i,  23 

the  principahty  of,  ii,  20 

Bieloiesero,  city  of,  ii,  31 

Bielski,  Dimitry,  leader  of  the  Rus- 
sians against  the  Tartar's,  ii,  14,  66 

Bishops,  their  functions,  i,  58  ;  mitres 
of  vai-ious  kinds,  i,  58 ;  their  pii\i- 
leges,  i,  58 ;  their  vestments,  cro- 
ziers,  i,  58 

Bison,  the,  ii,  95 

Bind,  the  councillor  and  betrayer  of 
Yai'opolk,  i,  14 

Bona,  ^vife  of  Sigismund  king  of  Po- 
land, i,  47 

Boranets,  ii,  74 

Boris,  Grand  Duke,  ii,  23 

Boiisov,  the  town,  i,  27 

Boiysthenes,  the  liver,  ii,  21 

Botrigaii,  Galeazzo,  i,  183 

Boyars,  i,  36 

Brandy  di-unk  before  dinner,  ii,  128 

Breslaw,  the  town,  ii,  147 

Bread,  a  token  of  favour  among  the 
Russians,  ii,  128 

of  the  Blessed  Ykgin,  ii,  137 

Brensko,  the  city,  i,  23 

Buda,  ii,  47 

Buifaloes,  ii,  96 

Bulgaria,  i,  6  ;  taken  possession  of  by 
Vasiley,  i,  19  ;  by  the  Tartars,  ii,  50 

Bulgaiians  conquered  by  Svatislaus, 
i,  12 

Bull  of  Alexander  VI  respecting  the 
baptism  of  the  Russians,  i,  74 


Cabot,  Sabastian,  i,  191 ;  first  voyage, 
192  ;  second  voyage,  193,  223 

Caesar's  altar,  ii,  12 

Calmucks,  ii,  76 

Calor,  or  the  Heat,  a  common  disease 
in  Russia,  ii,  6 

Cameniporas  Mountain,  ii,  39 

M  M 


258 


INDEX. 


Capha,  a  Genevese,  the  Banna  taken 

from  biiu,  i,  44 
Casimir,   Duke   of  Lithuania,  i,   46; 

canonized,  40 
Cassimovgorod,  town  of,  ii,  9 
Castroma,  city,  ii,  33 
Castromovgorod,  citj',  ii,  44 
Catalan,  Jourdain,  lii 
Catching  a  Tartar,  i,  81 
Catskius,  i,  1  ]  6 
Cauldron,  naii'acle  of  the  wild  asses, 

ii,  97 
Cazan,  its  kings,  i,  24 ;  its  territory,  ii,  8 
the  Idugdom  of  attacked  by 

the  Russians,  i,  30 
Chancelor,    Richard,   his   voyage    to 

Muscovy,  i,  183-194 
Chelealeck,  king  of  Cazan,  ii,  58 
Chidir,  king  of  the  Taa-tars,  ii,  51 
Chloppigrod,  ii,  27,  32 
Chrysostom  Slatousta,  i,  83 
Circas,  the  town,  i,  5 ;  ii,  82 
Circassians,  ii,  83 
Cirpach,  the  town,  ii,  13,  14 
Codaiclu,  a  Tai'tar,  is  baptized,  ii,  59 
Colchis,  ii,  77 
Colmogor,  ii,  36,  37 
Communion,  ceremonies  of,  i,  78 
Confession,  i,  77 
Constantinoi3le  besieged  by  Oleg,  i,  9 ; 

delivered  from  the  Turldsh  siege, 

ii,  53 
Contarini,  Ambrogio,  Ixxiv 
Cor,  Jean  de,  Ii 
Corela,  the  river,  ii,  30,  104 
Corn,  wonderful  fertility  in,  ii,  7 
Corsa,  the  idol,  ii,  16 
Corsira,  the  town,  ii,  14 
Corsula,  ii,  149 
Corsun,  a  city  of  Greece,  is  besieged 

and  taken,  ii,  27 ;  is  restored  to  the 

emperor  of  Constantinople,  i,  17 
Cosatzkii,  the  peoj)le,  ii,  70 
Cosen,  the  people,  exact  tribute  from 

the  Russians,  i,  7 
Cosle,  the  town,  ii,  1 74 
Cossin,  the  fortress,  ii,  41 

the  river,  ii,  41 

Cotelnitz,  ii,  45 

Cotoroa,  the  river,  ii,  33 

Councils     or    Sjoiods,     authority    of 

among  the  Russians,  i,  00 
Cracow,  praise  of,  ii,  156 
Crepitza,  the  city,  ii,  108 
Cronon,  the  river,  ii,  146,  147 

■ the  town,  ii,  86 

Cropivna,  the  river,  i,  28 
Crubin,  Simon,  ii,  10 
Cumeri,  idols,  i,  16 
Cupa,  the  river,  ii,  77 


Cures,  Prince  of  the  Pieczenigi,  i,  13 

Cureti,  the  people,  ii,  100 

Cusanus,  Nicolaus,  Ixix 

Customs'  dues,  i,  116 

Cyril,  questions  of,  to  Bishop  Niphon, 

i,  68 
Czar,  title  of  sovereign,  i,  33 
Czarigrad,  name  of  Constantinople, i,34 
Czeladin,  Ivan,  i,  27 
Czeremissi,  the  people,  ii,  8,  45,  47 
swift  runners  and  skilful 

archers,  ii,  48,  58 

■  they  han-ass  the  Russians, 


ii,  09 

Czerna,  the  river,  ii,  155 

Czernigov,  the  town,  ii,  14,  18 

Czilme,  the  river,  ii,  38 

Czimburgis,  married  to  Ernest,  Arch- 
duke of  Austria,  i,  47 

Czubaschi,  skilful  archers,  ii,  58 

Czutzko,  the  lake,  ii,  28 


D. 


Daniel,  Archbishop  of  Russia,  i,  54 

Dantiscus,  John,  ii,  143 

Dantzic,  the  town,  ii,  100 

Dasva,  the  idol,  i,  10 

Deacons,  obliged  to  marry,  i,  50 

Demetrio\'ich,  the  town,  ii,  19 

Deng,  the  coin,  i,  109 

Derbt,  the  town,  ii,  101 

Desna,  the  river,  ii,  14 

Dignity,  titles  of,  among  the  Tartars, 

ii,  82 
Dimitriov,  the  fortress,  ii,  30 
Dimitry  Danielovich,  ii,  74 
Dimitry  Michailovich,  Duke,  i,  18 
Dimitry,  the  Grand  Duke,  overcomes 
the  king  of  the  Tai'tars,  i,  18  ;  his 
posterity,  ii,  18 
DitcUoppi,  the  country,  ii,  107 
Disla,  the  city  and  lake,  ii,  147 
Divorce,  i,  93 

Dnieper,  the  river,  i,  5,  ii,  21, 83,  84, 85 
Dnyepersko,  the  village,  ii,  21 
Dobrina,  daughter  of  Calufcza,  i,  12 
Dogs  used   for  draught  by  the  Rus- 
sians, ii,  40 
Don,  the  river,  5  ;  ii,  11-13 

the  lesser  river,  ii,  13 

Donco,  the  town,  ii,  10,  12,  13 
Dowry,  things  given  in,  i,  92 
Dress,  mode  of,  i,  100 
Drevlians,  the  people,  i,  7 ;  are  con- 
quered by  Olga,  Empress   of  the 
Russians,  i,  10 
Drogobusch,  citadel  of,  i,  23 
Drogobusch,  the  town,  ii,  19 
Dront,  ii,  107,  108 


INDEX. 


259 


Drunken  priests  whipped  at  Moscow, 

i,  56 
Dubna,  the  river,  ii,  30 
Dukes  of  Musco\y,  election  and  in- 

augui'ation,  i,  39 
Duna,  the  river,  ii,  22,  145 
Dverschak,  the  town,  ii,  151 
D^\-ina,  the  i-iver.  i,  83, 145 ;  ii,  35, 36, 147 

the  province,  ii,  35,  36 

the  lake,  ii,  22 

the  principality,  ii,  25 


E. 


Emanuel,  king  of  Constantinople,  i,  21 
Emperor,  name  of,  wh}'  given  to  the 

Dukes  of  Russia,  i,  33 
Englishman,  anonymous,  xvii 
Engroneland,  ii,  36,  43,  87 
Eraclea,  the  river,  ii,  77 
Erlingen,  the  town,  ii,  143 
Ermine  slcins,  i,  115 
Eucharist,  ceremonies  with  which  it 

is  celebi'ated,  i,  78 
Eustace  Tascovitz,  ii,  63,  64,  83 


Falcons,  abundance  of  in  Muscovy, 

ii,  135 
Fasts,  i,  62 

Fasts  of  monks  and  priests,  i,  83 
Fasts  of  the  Russians,  i,  82 
Feast  days,  i,  79 
Feast  of  unleavened  bread,  i,  63 
Ferdinand,  is   ci'owned  king  of  the 

Bohemians,  ii,  174 
Finland,  i,  6  ;  ii,  100 
Fiulapeia,  people  of,  ii,  106 
Fish  of  a  human  shape,  ii,  42 
Floating  bridge,  ii,  149 
Forehead,  custom  of  striking  the,  as 

a  saliTtation,  ii,  124 
Fox  skins,  i,  115 

Foxes,  black  and  ash- coloured,  ii,  35 
Frederick     of      Brandenburgh,     the 

younger,  46 
Frederick,  the  emperor,  47 
Frenchmen,  voyages  of,  to  the  land  of 

Baccalaos,  189 
Freystadt,  the  town,  ii,  156 
Frouov,  the  marsh,  ii,  21 
Frozen  Ocean,  ii,  105  112 
Fm-s,  i,  219 


a. 


Gabriel,  Grand  Duke,  his  exploits,  i,  25 
Galitz,  the  principality,  ii,  44 
Gargni,  ii,  82 


Gastaldus,  Jacobus,  i,  201 
George  Danielovich,  Duke,  i,  18 
George,  the  Little,  i,  50,  84 ;  ii,  46 
George,    Grand    Duke,    routed    and 

slain   by  the   Tartars,  and   death, 

ii,  50 
George  Pisbeck,  a   German  knight, 

ii,  90 
Gerodin,  the  town,  ii,  151 
Gu'dle  of  the  world,  mountain,  ii,  42 
Givoites,  worshipped  rejrtiles,  ii,  99 
Golden  Old  Woman,  ii,  41 
Gostinovosero,    the   island   of    mer- 
chants, ii,  68 
Gostomissel,  Piince  of  Novogorod,  i,  9 
Gostomissel,  advises  the  Russians  to 

choose  princes   and   emperors   for 

themselves,  i,  9 
Gothland,  island  of,  ii,  101 
Gothland,  i,  212 
Grand   Dukes,  power   of  over  their 

subjects,  i,  30 
Greeks,  war  of,  with  Svj'atoslav',  i,  12 
Gregory  Istoma,  ii,  105  ;  account  of 

his  itinerary,  ii,  105-108 
Grinki,  the  town,  ii,  146,  154 
Grodno,  town  of,  ii,  86,  154 
Grustina,  the  fortress,  ii,  40 
Grustintzi,  the  people, 
Gustaviis,  king  of  Sweden,  ii,  103 
Gyr-falcons,  ii,  43;   abundance  of  in 

Muscovy,  ii,  135 


H. 

Hafnia  or  Coj)enhagen,  metropolis  of 
Denmark,  ii,  ]  08 

Haitho,  xliii 

Hamerstete,  Lucas,  a  valiant  soldier, 
ii,  102 

Hares  of  various  colours,  abundance 
of,  ii,  20 

Hedrnge,  wife  of  Joachim  of  Bran- 
denburgh, i,  47  ;  Queen  of  Poland, 
45 

Helen,  Duchess  of  Lithuania,  i,  22 

Helen  or  Olga,  Empress  of  the  Rus- 
sians, is  canonized,  i,  12 

Herberstein,  Sigismund  von,  his  title 
of  "  Discoverer  of  Russia",  ii ;  birth 
and  parentage,  Ixsxriii  ;  anecdote 
of  his  family,  Ixxxix  ;  hereditaiy 
estate,  xc ;  his  education,  xci  ; 
enters  the  army,  xciv  ;  made  stand- 
ard-bearer, xcvii;  diplomatic  mis- 
sions to  the  Archbishop  of  Salz- 
burg, &G.,  xcvii  ;  mission  to  Chris- 
tian II  of  Denmark,  xcviii ;  tirst 
joLU'ney  to  Russia,  cii ;    arrives  at 


260 


INDEX. 


Moscow,  cvi ;  leaves  Moscow  after 
a  stay  of  eight  months,  cxii;  the 
estates  of  Styria  apiioint  him  their 
councillor,  cxv ;  ordered  to  appear 
at  the  celebrated  diet  of  Worms, 
cxvii  ;  his  mamage,  cx^dii  ;  his 
second  joiuney  to  Poland  and  Pais  - 
sia,  cxvnii  ;  reception  at  Moscow, 
exxiv ;  retu'es  to  his  estate  to  re- 
cover his  health,  and  is  publicly 
thanked  by  Ferdinand,  cxxxiii ;  re- 
ceives the  title  of  freyheiT,  or 
baron,  cxxx\i ;  dies  in  his  eightieth 
year,  cxxxvi 

Herberstein,  route  on  his  second 
embassy,  ii,  1(3  ;  journeys  into 
Eussia,  ii,  143 

Holmia,  see  Stockholm 

Holy  Nose,  the  headland,  ii,  106 

Homicide,  punishment  of,  i,  101 

Honey,  i,  204,  207,  209 

Hordes,  di^^sion  of  the  Tartars  into, 
ii,  53 

Horses  in  Eussia,  i,  96 ;  their  speed, 
i,  108 ;  care  of  among  the  Tartars, 
ii,  55 

Hranitza,  the  city,  ii,  157 

Hungary,  i,  5 ;  digression  on  its  miser- 
able condition,  ii,  159-166 

Hunting,  as  practised  by  the  Eussian 
sovereigns,  ii,  133 

Hyperborean  mountains,  ii,  43 


Ibn  Batuta,  Ii 

Ibn-Fodhlan,  vii 

Igor,  Emperor  of  the  Eussians,  i,  9  ; 
his  actions,  i,  10 

Igumens,  i,  57 

Ihedra,  the  lake  and  town,  ii,  50 

Ikhri,  i,  70 

Ilmen,  the  lake,  i,  3,  53 ;  ii,  27 

Interiano,  Giorgio,  Ixxi 

Irtische,  the  i-iver,  ii,  40 

Ivan,  the  Scribe,  i,  31 

Ivan,  great  lake  of,  ii,  11 

Ivan  Vasilievich,  monarch  of  all  Eus- 
sia, i,  24 ;  occupies  the  principality 
of  Obskov,  ii,  29  ;  his  decrees,  i, 
102 ;  war  with  Novogorod,  ii,  25 ; 
life  and  character,  i,  24 ;  death,  i, 
25  ;  success  in  war,  24 

Ivan,  Duke,  war  with  his  son-in-law 
Alexander,  i,  22 


J. 


Jachroma,  the  river,  ii,  30 


Jacobites,  heresy  of,  i,  62 

Jagellon,   king   of   Poland,   exploits, 

i,  45 
Jaick,  the  river,  ii,  47,  73,  74 
Jamma,  the  fortress,  ii,  29 
Jamschnick,  master  of  posts,  i,  108 
Januza,  the  river,  ii,  152 
Japhet,     settles    himself    near    the 

Danube,  i,  6 
Jaroslav,  the  city,  ii,  9,  33,  34 
Jasonica,  the  river,  ii,  154 
Jausa,  the  river,  ii,  5 
Jepiphanovlies,  the  wood,  ii,  1 1 
Jerom,  the  citadel,  ii,  40 
Jester  with  brooms,  ii,  17 
Jews,  passover  of  the,  i,  63 
John  the  Bairtist,  fast  of,  i,  82 
John's  (St.)  headland,  i,  2,  77 
John  Albert,  king  of  Poland,  i,  46 
John,  metropolitan  of  Eussia,  letter 

to  the    Eoman   archbishop,  i,  59  ; 

canons,  i,  66 
Jordan,  johann,   an   artillerjinan,   a 

German,  in  the    Eussian    service, 

ii,  64,  65 
Jug,  the  liver,  ii,  37 
Jugaria,  or  Juharia,  the  province,  ii,  46 
Juhiici,  the  people,  ii,  45 
Jurgenci,  the  people,  ii,  75 
Justice,  venality  of  among  the  Mus- 
covites, i,  105 


K. 


Kaiemai,  the  people,  ii,  106 

Kama,  the  river,  ii,  45 

Kantinger,  Justus,  Ixxxiv 

Kesleni,  i,  96 

Kestud,  dies  in  prison,  i,  45 

Khm-land,  ii,  100 

Kiev,  metropolis  of  Eussia,  ii,  84 

Kitai,  the  lake,  ii,  40 

Kitaisko,  the  lake,  ii,  39 

Knesi,  i,  36,  82 

Koninskawoda,  the  river,  i.  72 

Koninzki,  the  river,  i,  82 

KoroU,  i,  33 

Kovar,  Ivan,  ii,  C4 

Krai,  Kyrall,  or  Koroll,  Slavonic  name 

for  king,  i,  33 
Kretzet,  the  bmls,  ii,  135 
Krim,  the  city,  ii,  77 
Ksi,  ii,  82 

Kulvio,  the  river  and  lake,  ii,  38 
Kuthia,  how  made,  70 ;   consecration 

of,  i,  70 
Kwas,  i,  70 
Kyrall,  i,  33 
Kysaleczki,  Michael,  i,  81 


INDEX. 


261 


t. 


Ladoga,  the  lake,  i,  54,  ii,  24,  27 

Lamas,  the  town,  ii,  154 

Lapland, 

Laplanders,  ii,  109;  manners  and  cus- 
toms, ii,  110 

Lech,  prince  of  the  Poles,  i,  3,  6 

Lechi,  the  people,  i,  6 

Lent  among  the  Russians,  i,  82 

Lepin,  the  fortress,  ii,  39 

Leytha,  the  river,  ii,  159 

Limidis,  the  lake,  ii,  27 

Linski,  Michael,  a  valiant  soldier,  ii, 
88 ;  his  wonderful  hberty  of  speak- 
ing, captivity,  exploits,  and  death, 
ii,  91-93 

Linz,  the  town,  ii,  144 

Lipnik,  the  town,  ii,  157 

Lithuania,  i,  6 ;  is  laid  waste  by  the 
Muscovites,  i,  29  ;  description  of,  ii, 
82 ;  its  produce,  ii,  87  ;  bishoprics 
in,  ii,  87,  112 ;  inhabitants  of,  man- 
ners and  customs,  ii,  94 

Lithuanians,  war  with  the  Muscovites, 
i,  22,  29 

Livonia,  description  of,  ii,  101 

Lopata,  Feodor,  is  taken  prisoner 
and  ransomed,  ii,  64 

Loss,  the  animal,  ii,  97 

Lovat,  the  river,  53,  ii,  22,  27 

Lublin,  the  palatinate,  ii,  145 

Lucomorya,  the  people  of,  die  everj- 
year  in  the  month  of  November, 
and  rise  again  in  April,  ii,  40  ;  de- 
scription of,  ii,  41 

Lutinitsch,  the  lake,  ii,  150 

Lynxes,  skins  of,  i,  115 


M. 


Macedonian  heresy,  i,  66 
Machmethemin,  long  of  the  Tartars, 

i,  23 
Machmetgerei,  king  of  Taurida,  his 

warlike  actions,  ii,  61-65  ;  is  slain, 

ii,  81 
Macosch,  the  idol,  i,  16  ;  Grand  Duke 

of  Muscovy,  i,  6 
Magnus,  Joannes,  i,  212 
Maldittus,princeof  theDrevlians,i,  10 
Malpont,  the  river,  ii,  168 
Maluscha,  daughter  of  Kalufcza,  i,  12 
Mamaii,  king  of  the  Tartars,  i,  18,  ii,  80 
Mandeville,  Sir  John,  liii 
Marco  Polo,  xxviii 
Man-iages,  i,  91 
Mary,  the  Virgin,  fast  of,  i,  82 
Master  Merchants,  hall  of  the,  ii,  114 
Matthseus,  cardinal  of  Saltzbarg,  ii,  158 


Maximilian,  the  Monk,  a  religious 
refonner,  i,  83 

Meeting,  day  of,  mode  of  celebrating 
it  among  the  Piussians,  ii,  52 

Melnik,  the  town  of,  ii,  145 

Memel,  or  Mumel,  the  city,  ii,  86,  146 

Men  of  monstrous  shape,  ii,  42 

Mengarlia,  ii,  77 

Merchants,  island  of,  ii,  73 

Merchandize,  articles  of,  and  mode  of 
caiTjing  it  on,  i,  111-116  ;  mutual 
exchange  of,  ii,  40 

Merula,  the  river,  ii,  77 

Meseriz,  the  town  of,  ii,  145 

Metals  of  Norway  and  Sweden,  217 

Methodius  Patanczki,  bishop,  ii,  49 

Metropolitans  of  the  Russians,  whence 
they  derive  their  authority,  i,  53 ; 
election  of,  i,  54 

Mezen,  the  river  and  village,  ii,  38 

Michael,  emperor  of  Constantinople, 
the  first  who  introduced  the  Sla- 
vonic letters  into  Bulgaria,  i,  7 

Midwives,  i,  73 

Miesko,  the  citadel  is  occupied,  ii,  89 

Miracle  of  the  cauldron,  i,  8 

Misceveck,  a  marshy  place,  ii,  13 

Moabites,  the  people,  ii,  49 

Mohilev,  ii,  85 

Mologa,  the  city,  ii,  32 

Moloscha,  the  river,  ii,  IB 

Moncastro,  i,  5 

Money  among  the  Russians,  i,  109 

Monks,  their  fastings,  i,  83 

Monte  Corvino,  Giovanni  di,  xliii 

Montecroce,  Riccoldo  da,  xlvii 

Moon,  light  of,  i,  214 

]NIoravia,  ii,  47 

Moravians,  i,  6 

Mordwa,  the  people,  ii,  9,  48  ;  their 
manners  and  customs,  ii,  9 

Morse,  the  animal,  ii,  39,  111  ;  its 
teeth,  i,  112 

Mosaisko,  a  fortified  town,  ii,  20 

Moscow,  prince  of,  why  called  the 
White  King,  i,  34  ;  the  city,  capital 
and  metropolis  of  Russia,  descrip- 
tion of,  ii,  1 ;  is  occupied  by  the  king 
of  the  Tartars,  i,  18 ;  is  heseiged 
by  Andi'ew  and  Dimitry,  i,  20;  is 
fortified  by  Ivan  Yasihevich,  i,  24  ; 
Grand  Duchy  of,  i,  19 

Mosier,  the  city,  ii,  95 

Mosqwa,  the  river,  ii,  1,  5,  9 

Motka,  the  promontory,  ii,  807 

Mountains,  burning,  ii.  111 

Msta,  the  river,  ii,  150 

Mimster,  Sebastian,  201 

Muscovite  hermits,  i,  58  ;  money, 
i,  109 


262 


INDEX. 


Muscovy,  Prince  of,  the  facility  of  liis 
making  Northern  discoveries, i,  180 ; 
his  truce  with  the  King  of  Poland, 
ii,  139  ;  war  with  the  Tartars,  ii,  59  ; 
his  robes,  ornaments,  etc.,  ii,  133, 
137;  extent  of  his  territory,  ii,  37 

Murom,  the  town,  ii,  8 

Muromani,  principality  of  the,  ii,  8 

Mursa,  ii,  82 

Music,  contempt  of,  i,  58 


N. 


Nagai  Tartars,  ii,  73 

NaU,  the  city,  ii,  4 

Narev,  the  town  and  river,  ii,  145 

Nawer,  the  lake,  ii,  147 

Neglima,  the  river,  ii,  5 

Nemen,  the  river,  ii,  146 

Neva,  the  lake,  ii,  24 ;  the  river,  ii,  27, 
29,  54 

Nerel,  the  river,  ii,  33 

Nerva,  the  fortress,  ii,  28 ;  the  river, 
ii,  28,  101 

Nicholas  of  Bari,  Saint,  miracles,  i,  81 

Czaplitz,  ii,  157 

Radovil,  palatine  of  Vilna,  ii, 

154 

of  Spier,  a  celebrated  bom- 
bardier, ii,  02  ;  is  held  in  great  esti- 
mation by  Vasiley,  ii,  66 

Nildspm-g,  the  fortress,  ii,  158 

Nischa,  the  city  and  lake,  ii,  148 

Niepretz,  the  river,  ii,  21 

Northern  Ocean,  i,  187  189-195 

North  Sea,  fishes  of,  i,  216 

Norti:ioden,  ii,  106 

Novogorod,  city  of,  description,  ii,  8 ; 
conquered  by  Ivan  Vasilierich,  i,  24 ; 
ii,  25  ;  principality  and  town  of,  ii, 
24 ;  their  idolatry,  ii,  26  ;  inhabit- 
ants of,  besiege  Corsun,  a  town  in 
Greece,  ii,  27  ;  their  wives,  during 
the  absence  of  their  husbands, 
many  their  slaves,  ii,  27 ;  is  laid 
waste  by  the  king  of  Kazan,  ii,  61 ; 
market  transfen'ed  to,  from  Kazan, 
i,  104  ;  money  of,  i,  109 

Novogrodeck,  the  town,  ii,  18 

Norway,  description  of,  ii,  104 

Noss,  a  name  given  to  headlands,  ii,  42 

Nugaroli,  Leonard,  narrowly  escapes 
drowning,  ii,  117 

Nuptials,  celebration  of,  ii,  92 

Nuremburg,  ii,  28 


0. 


Oath,  form  of,  80  ;  neglect  of,  i,  113 
Obdora,  the  i^rovince,  ii,  41 


Oby,  the  river,  ii,  39 

Obskov,  the  principality,  ii,  39 

Occa,  the  river,  i,  6  ;  ii,  8,  9  ;  its  source, 
ii,  13  ;  the  river,  island  of,  ii,  9 

Ochakov,  the  fortress,  i,  5 

Ocolnick,  i,  106 

Ohthere,  iv 

Okonitzkilies,  the  wood,  ii,  11 

Olboadula,  ii,  82 

Olbond,  ii,  82 

Oleg,  a  warlike  administrator  of  the 
kingdom  of  the  Eussians,  i,  9  ;  king 
of  the  Drevlians,  is  conquered  by 
his  brother,  i,  14 

Olga,  empress  of  the  Eussians,  her 
warlike  actions,  i,  10 ;  is  baptized, i,  1 1 

Olgird,  Grand  Duke  of  Lithuania,  i,  45 

Opotzka,  the  town,  ii,  28,  149,  152 

Opscha,  the  river,  ii,  20 

Oreschak,  the  fortress,  ii,  27,  30 

Oi-lov,  the  town,  ii,  45 

Orsa,  the  city,  i,  15,  110 

Ossoga,  the  town,  ii,  151 

Ostra,  the  town,  ii,  144 

Ostrava,  the  town,  ii,  157 

Ostra\'itza,  the  river,  ii,  144,  157 

Osventzin,  the  town,  ii,  156 

Otwer,  or  Tver,  a  i3rinci]5ality  of  Rus- 
sia, ii,  23 

Ovka,  is  married  to  Yoleslaus,  Duke 
of  Teschen,  i,  47 

Ovoyov',  the  fortress,  ii,  11 

Ozechi,  i,  6 


Papin,  or  Papinovgorod,  the  city,  ii,  43 

Pai'cho,  the  city,  ii,  149 

Passover,  i,  64 

Pegolotti,  Francesco  Balducci,  Ivii 

Pelas,  the  river,  ii,  28 

Pereaslav',  the  city,  ii,  33  ;  the  seat  of 

the  Eussian  kings,  i,  11 ;  is  taken  by 

Svyatoslav',  i,  12  ;  is  burned,  ii,  50  ; 

the  lake,  i,  44 
Permia,  the  province  and  city,  ii,  45 
Perun,  an  idol  of  the  inhabitants  of 

Novogorod,  ii,  26 
Perunski,  the  monastery,  ii,  26 
Pessetz,  the  animal,  i,  116 
Petchora,  the  river,  ii,  38,  39,  43 
Peter,  Saint,  the  mii-aculous,  i,  39 
Peter  Tomitzki,  bishop  of  Premisl,  ii, 

146 
Peti,  i,  7 

Phasis,  the  river,  ii,  77 
Piecenigi,  the  people,  ii,  49 
Pienega,  the  fortress,  ii,  36 ;  the  river, 

ii,  38 
Piescoya,  the  river,  ii,  38 


INDEX. 


263 


Pieski,  the  town,  ii,  170 
Piesza,  the  river,  ii,  33 
Pietza,  the  river,  ii,  173 
Plague,  not  prevalent  in  Eussia,  ii,  6 
Piano  Carpini,  Joannes  de,  xviii 
Plants,  wonderful,  ii,  74,  75 
Plescovia,  the  river  and  city,  ii,  28 ; 
money  of,  ii,  109 ;  inhabitants  of, 
their  integrity,  etc.,  ii,  2D 
Plussa,  the  river,  ii,  29 
Poland,  kings  of,   their  genealogy,  i, 

45 
Poleni,  the  people,  i,  7 
Poleutzani,  the  people,  i,  7 
Poloniza,  the  city,  ii,  155 
Polovitza,  the  to^vn,  ii,  169 
Polovtzi,  the  people,  ii,  50 
Polta,  the  river,  i,  7 
Poltin,  the  coin,  i,  109 
Pootzko,  the  principality,  i,  148 
Poppel,  Niclaus,  Ixxvi 
Pordenone,  Oderico  di,  xlix 
Possetzen,  Ivan,  ii,  34 
Possoch,  an  episcojDal  staff,  i,  59 
Post  Stations,  i,  108 
Potivlo,  the  town,  ii,  14,  15,  18 
Prague,  the  city,  ii,  174 
Prayer,  upon    inauguration    of    the 

Grand  Duke,  i,  40, 41 
Precop,  the  city,  ii,  81,  84 ;  king  of, 

ii,  97 
Precopskii,  the  kings,  ii,  77 
Prepetz,  the  river,  ii,  85 
Prince  of  Muscovy,  called  the  cham- 
berlain of  God,  i,  32 
Priests,  election  of,  i,  50  ;  marriage  of, 
allowed  by  the  most  ancient  councils, 
i,  63  ;  their  privileges,  i,  56  ;  main- 
tenance, dress,  i,  57  ;  drunken,  pub- 
licly whipped,  i,  56  ;  in  the  Russian 
Church  allowed  to  have  wives,  i,  56  ; 
honour  and  dignity  of  among  the 
Tartars,  ii,  08 
Princes,  then-  avarice,  i,  31;  of  Mus- 
covy, election  and  inauguration,  i, 
30  ;  ceremonies  after  inauguration, 
i,  42 
Ptzima,  the  principality,  ii,  156 
Priors,  how  chosen,  i,  55 ;  their  oath,  i, 

55,  50 
Proscura,  i,  88 

Proscumicse,  the  women,  i,  88 
Pnikh,  the  town,  ii,  1 58 
Pschega,  the  river,  ii,  149 
Pskov,  the  principality,  ii,  29 
Purgatoiy,  where  situated,  ii.  Ill ;  not 
an  article  of  belief  in  the  Russian 
Church,  ii,  80 
Pustoosero,  the  town,  ii,  38 


R. 


Raha,  the  river,  ii,  159 

Rack,  Theodoric,  i,  51 

Rechenberg,  Johann  von,  a  Gennan 
knight,  ii,  90 

Reigning,  memorable  example  of  the 
lust  of,  i,  7 

Reindeer,  abundance  of,  ii,  107  ;  their 
use  in  Norway,  ii,  107 

Reptiles   worshipped  in   Samogithia, 
ii,  99 

Revel,  the  town,  ii,  101 

Rezan,  the  town,  ii,  13 ;  the  princi- 
pality and  province,  ii,  10,  11,  44 

Rhecitza,  the  river,  ii,  45 

Rhiphiean  mountains,  ii,  43 

Riga,  metropolis  of  Livonia,  ii,  22,  20, 
101 

Rochmida,  daughter  of  the  Prince  of 
Plescov',  i,  14 

Rochvolochda,  Prince  of  Plescov',  i,  14 

Roden,  the  town,  besieged  by  Vladi- 
mir, i,  1 5 

Romish  Church,  errors,  i,  01 

Rosseia,  i,  3 

Rostov,  the  city,  ii,  33,  34 ;  the  pro- 
vince, is  laid  desolate,  ii,  50 

Roxolania,  i,  3 

Esova  of  Demetrius,  the  city,  ii,  21 

Rsova,  called  the  Deserted,  the  city, 
ii,  21 

Rubicho,  the  river,  ii,  88 

Rubo,  the  river,  ii,  101 

Rubruquis,  xxv 

Rurick,  Prince  of  Novogorod,  i,  9 

Russ,  the  town,  ii,  28 

Russia,  Princes  of,  said  to  be  sprung 
from  the  Romans,  i,  9  ;  Grand  Dukes 
of,  their  titles,  i,  32 ;  then-  hostility  to 
the  Pope,  i,  35  ;  Princes  of,  form  of 
inauguration,  i,  39 ;  ancient,  ii,  29  ;  is 
laid  waste  by  the  Tartars,  i,  18  ;  how 
long  without  monarchs,i,  20  ;  origin 
of  name,  i,  3  ;  princes  of,  tributaries 
of  the  Tartars,  i,  18 ;  its  situation  and 
extent,  i,  5 ;  is  ravaged  by  tlie  Tar- 
tars, ii,  61 

Russian  abbots,  i,  57;  prisoners  are 
sold  by  the  Tartars,  ii,  65 

Russians,  prefer  slavery  to  freedom, 
i,  95  ;  are  defeated  by  the  Lithua- 
nians, i,  28 ;  wai'  of  the,  with  the  Li- 
thuanians, i,  27;  their  ch'unkenness, 
i,  130 ;  bishops  of  the,  i,  58 ;  abbots  of 
the,  i,  57  ;  dress  of  the,  i,  100  ;  their 
war  with  the  master  of  Livonia,  ii, 
i,  102  ;  Sabbath,  obseiwauce  of  the, 
i,  61,  83  ;  the  people,  i,  4  ;  their  lan- 
guage, i,  4 ;  their  religion,  i,  53  ;  how 


264 


INDEX. 


long  ignorant  of  letters,  i,  7 ;  con- 
tentions among  them  for  the  sove- 
reignty, i,  9  ;  ti'ibute  imposed  on 
them  by  the  Corsari,  i,  7 

Russum,  the  to\iTi,  1,  3 

Eussus,  Prince  of  the  Poles,  i,  3 


S. 


Sables,  black,  ii,  43 

Sable  skins,  i,  114 

Saint  Quentin,  Simon  de,  xxiv 

Saints,  worship  of,  i,  81,  82 ;  images 

of  in  private  dwellings,  i,  107 
Salomea,  daughter  of  Ivan  Sapur,  is 

forcibly  tlirust  into  a  convent,  i,  50 
Salt,  a  token  of  afiection  among  the 

Russians,  ii,  128 
Samara,  the  river,  ii,  18 
Samoged,  the  people,  ii,  39 
Samogithia,  the  prorince,  6 ;  ii,  97-100; 

inhabitants  of,  their  manners  and 

customs,  ii,  98,  99 
Samogithia,   reiJtiles   worshipped  in, 

ii,  99 
Samstin,  the  lake,  ii,  150 
Sandomu',  town,  ii,  155 
Sapgirei,  king  of  Kazan,  ii,  61 
Satabellum,  the  island,  ii,  77 
Savolha,  kings  of,  ii,  74 
Savorsinski,  Ivan,  ii,  88,  89,  146 
Scandia,  description  of,  ii,  104 
Schapka,  a  hat  so  called,  i,  44 
Scliaraitzick,  the  city,  ii,  74 
Schamachia,  the  city  and  counti-y,ii,  76 
Schatibeck,  king  of  Savai,  ii,  52 
Schat,  the  river,  ii,  11 
Scheachmet,  king  of  Savolha,  ii,  79, 154 
Scheale,  king  of  Kazan,  ii,  66 
Schibanskii,  the  jjeople,  ii,  76 
Schildberger,  Johann  von,  Ixiii 
Schii-ni,  ii,  82 

Schlingva,  the  river,  ii,  151 
Scholona,  the  river,  i,  24;  ii,  27, 149 
Schocksna,  the  river,  ii,  31 
Schorna,  the  city  and  liver,  ii,  152 
Schosna,  the  river,  ii,  14 
Scripture,  Holy,  the  authority  of,  i,  66 
Scythians,  subject  to   the  inince  of 

Muscovy,  i,  206 
Selva,  the  river,  ii,  170 
Sem,  the  river,  ii,  14 
Semecka,  Dimitry,  i,  20 
Semeczitzi,  origin  of  the  name,  i,  20 
Semeczitz  Vasiley,  i,  20 ;  ii,  16 ;  his  lust 

of  power,  ii,  16  ;  is  accused  to  the 

prince  of  the  crime  of  rebellion,  ii,  17 
Semes,  the  rock,  ii,  107 
Semla  (Chamiska-),the  country,  ii,  30 
Seranor  Poyas,  the  mountains,  ii,  42 


Semovisten,  Duke  of  Mazo\ia,  i,  47 

Serbli,  the  people,  i,  6 

Sergius,  Saint,  grave  of,  i,  85 

Serponiotzi,  the  peoiDle,  their  manners 
and  customs,  ii,  40 

Sest,  the  liver,  ii,  30 

Sewera,  the  principality,  ii,  15 ;  the 
province,  i,  5 ;  princes  of,  their  ori- 
gin, ii,  18 

Seweri,  or  Sewerski,  the  people,  i,  7 

Seyd,  chief-priest  of  the  Tartars, 
ii,  68 

Siberia,  the  province,  ii,  47 

Sibut,  the  river,  ii,  39 

Sigismund,  king  of  Poland,  i,  48,  49 

Sigismimd,  duke  of  Lithuania  and 
king  of  Poland,  i,  26 

Sigismund,  king  of  Poland,  truce  with 
the  prince  of  the  Muscovites,  ii, 
139-142 

Sigismund,  king  of  Poland,  his  ac- 
tions, i,  27 

Simaergla,  the  idol,  i,  16 

Simeon  Federovitz,  ii,  34,  43 

Simeon  Ivanorich,  duke,  i,  18 

Sinaus,  prince  of  the  Russians,  i,  9 

Skins,  different  kinds  of,  among  the 
Muscorites,  i,  114,  115,  116 

Slata  Baba,  the  idol,  ii,  41 

Slavery  among  the  Muscorites,  i,  95 

Slaves'  Fortress,  ii,  27 

Slavonic  language,  i,  4 

race,  its  antiquity,  i,  6 

Solovoda,  ii,  45 

Smolensko,  the  city,  i,  7 ;  ii,  19 ;  is 
besieged  by  the  Lithuanians,  i,  29 

Sna,  the  river,  ii,  18,  24 

Snups,  Michael,  Ixxxiii 

Sola,  the  river,  ii,  145, 150 

Salovki,  the  island,  ii,  30 

Sonca,  i,  46 

Sophia,  ^rife  of  Ivan  Yasilie\dch,  i,  21 

Sossa,  the  river,  ii,  39,  40 

SquiiTel  skins,  i,  115 

Staradub,  the  town,  ii,  15,  16 

Starosta,  ii,  97. 

Stephen,  palatine  of  Moldavia,  i,  24 

Stephen,  bishop  of  the  Russians,  en- 
rolled amongst  the  number  of  the 
gods,  ii,  46 

Stephen,  count  of  Zips,  i,  47 

Steschicza,  the  to\\Ti,  ii,  173 

Stockholm,  the  city,  ii,  103 

Stolph,  the  mountain,  ii,  43 

Stolpniki,  hermits,  i,  58 

Stratagem  of  the  Tartars,  ii,  60 

Streltze,  the  town,  ii,  37 

Stretimue,  ii,  52 

Striba,  the  idol,  i,  16 

Sturb,  the  island,  ii,  19 


I 


INDEX. 


265 


Strupili,  the  fortress,  ii,  39 

Strupin,  the  river,  ii,  149 

Sturgeon,  three  kinds  of,  ii,  14 

Stzuchogora,  the  river,  ii,  39 

Suchana,  the  river,  ii,  35,  36 

Suchenwirt,  Peter,  lix 

Sula,  the  river,  i,  7 

Sultan,  ii,  82 

Siu"a,  the  fortress  and  river,  ii,  8 

Susdalj,  the  i^rincipality,  ii,  44 

Svortzech,  the  town,  i,  9 

Svyadolt,  urges  Yaropolk  to  make  war 

upon  his  brother,  i,  13 
Svj'atopolk,  aspires  to  the  throne  and 

kills  his  brother,  i,  17 
S^'yatoslav',  king  of  the  Eussians,  i, 

10 ;   his  warhke  acts  and  militaiy 

discipline,  i,  11-13 
Sweden,  desci-iption  of,  ii,  103 
Syh-ius,  Mneas,  Ixxiii 
SjTna,  i,  82 

Szoret,  the  river,  ii,  149 
Szumu,  a  musical  instrument,  i,  100 


Tachnin,  the  river,  ii,  41 
Tachtamich,  king  of  the  Tartars,  i,  18 
Tamenskii,  the  people,  ii,  76 
Tanas,  the  city,  ii,  12 
Tartar's,  thek  division  into  hordes,  ii, 

53;  their  mode  of  fighting,  i,  98;  ii, 

55;  war  with  the  Muscorites,  ii,  59 ; 

their  proceedings  in  Russia,  i,  18  ; 

their  cruelty  to  aged  captives,  ii,  65 ; 

their  origin,  manners,  and  customs, 

ii,  49 
Tartar  kings,  origin  of  the,  ii,  78 
Taurica,  king  of,  crosses  the  Dnieper, 

and  lays  the  countiy  waste,  i,  5 
Tauiimeni,  the  people,  ii,  49 
Temnick  Manais,  ii,  52 
Tersack,  the  town,  ii,  23 
Teya,  the  river,  ii,  144,  158 
Thachamisch,   king   of  the   Tartars, 

lays  Muscovj'  waste,  ii,  52 
Theft,  punishment  of,  i,  56-101 
Themerhoscha,  kills  his  father,  and 

is  made  king  of  the  Tartars,  ii,  51 
Themirassack,  invades  Russia,  ii,  52 ; 

obscurity  of  his  origin,  and  how  he 

obtained  the  regal  dignity,  ii,  52, 53 
Themirkutlu,  king  of  Savai,  ii,  52 
Theodosia,  the  city,  ii,  78 
Thomas,  king  of  the  Peloponnesus,  i, 

21 
Thur,  the  river,  ii,  85 
Thivm,  George  von,  Ixxx 
Tithes,  i,  88 
Toropecz,  the  fortress,  i,  12 ;  ii,  22 

VOL.  II. 


Torture,  instruments  of,  i,  101 

Trinity,  Holy,  feast  of,  i,  80  ;  monas- 
tery of,  in  Moscow,  i,  85 

Troky,  the  castle,  i,  79 

Truce,  form  and  ceremony  of  con- 
cluding a,  in  Muscovj',  ii,  139-142 

Trumpets,  use  of  in  battle,  i,  100 

Truvor,  Prince  of  Plescov',  i,  9 

Tudela,  Benjamin  of,  viii 

Tula,  the  town,  ii,  1 1 

Tumen,  the  fortress,  ii,  40 ;  the  king- 
dom, ii,  42 

Turantum,  the  river,  ii,  147 

Tm-berN-ile,  Master  George,  his  letters 
in  verse,  cxlvii 

Tver  or  Otwer,  the  principality,  ii, 
23;  i,  151 ;  Duchy  of,  i,  18  ;  occu- 
pied by  Ivan,  i,  20  ;  money  of, 
i,  109 

Tvertza,  the  river,  ii,  23 

TjTa,  the  river,  i,  5 

Tziptzan,  ii,  82 


U. 


Uglitz,  principality  of,  i,  19 ;  town  of, 

ii,  32 
Ugra,  the  river,  ii,  18 
Ugritzschi,  the  people,  ii,  40 
Ulan,  title  of  dignity  among  the  Tar- 
tars, ii,  82 
Uppa,  the  river,  ii,  11 
Uslad,  the  idol,  i,  16 
Ussa,  the  river,  ii,  38,  149 
Ustyug,  the  pro^^nce,  ii,  35,  36 
Usuiy,  prevalent    among    the    Rus- 
sians, i,  116 


V. 


Vaga,  the  river,  ii,  35 

Vandals,  their  language  and  power,  i,  8 

Varlamus,  Prior  of  the  monastery  of 
Hutten,  i,  55 

Vasiley  challenges  Machmetgirei  to 
battle,  ii,  67 

Vasiley,  the  Grand  Duke,  sent  to  Ug- 
litz with  his  eyes  put  out,  i,  20  ;  his 
success  in  war,  i,  25  ;  his  war  with 
his  brother  for  the  duchy,  i,  19; 
■\rith  the  Tartars,  ii,  39  ;  his  ingra- 
titude towards  the  Gei-man  bom- 
bardiers, ii,  65  ;  his  titles,  i,  32 

Vasilovogorod,  ii,  9 

Vedrosha,  the  river,  i,  22 

Vegetable  productions  of  Muscovy,  i, 
208 

Velia,  the  river,  ii,  86 

Velikareca,  the  river,  ii,  28 

Velikiluki,  the  city,  ii,  23 

N  N 


266 


INDEX. 


Verasco,  a  faithful  counsellor  of  Yaro- 

polk,  i,  16 
Viatka,  the  province,  ii,  44 
Yidocha,  the  river,  ii,  1 49 
Viepers,  the  river,  ii,  145 
Yiesma,  the  town  and  river,  ii,  19,  20 
Yilna,  the  city,  ii,  86,  87,  146,  147 
Yischora,  the  river,  ii,  45 
Yistula,  the  river,  i,  6 
Yitenen,  Grand  Duke  of  Lithuania,  i,  45 
Yithold,  Grand  Duke  of  Lithuania,  i, 

23,  45  ;  ii,  20 
Yitzechda,  the  river,  ii,  45 
Yladimir,  son  of  Svyatoslav',  is  made 
Prince  of  Norogorod,  i,  12  ;  makes 
war  upon  his  brother  Yaropolk,  i, 
14, 15 ;  maii-ies  Rochmida,  daughter 
of  Rochvolochda,  i,  14 ;  establishes 
many  idols  at  Kiev,  i,  16 ;  institutes 
tithes,  i,  88  ;  his  -^vives  and  concu- 
bines, i,  16 ;  becomes  sole  monarch 
of  Russia,  i,  16  ;  embraces  Chris- 
tianity, i,  17 ;  dies,  and  is  canonized, 
i,  17 

the  city,  17  ;  is  bmnit,  i,  18  ; 

descri^jtion  of,  ii,  7 ;  is  laid  waste, 
ii,  61 
Yladislav',  king  of  Poland,  ii,  46 
king  of  Hungaiy  and  Bo- 
hemia, i,  48  ;  ii,  51 
Yogolici,  the  people,  ii,  39 
Voguslaus,  Duke  of  Stolpen  and  Po- 

merania,  i,  47 
Volchov',  the  river,  i,  53  ;  ii,  24,  27 
Yoldai,  the  lake,  ii,  150 
Yoleslaus,  Duke  of  Teschen,  i,  47 
Yolga,  the  river,  i,  6 ;  ii,  7, 13-22,  31 
Yolga  and  Borysthenes,  the  rivers,  do 
not  spring  from  the  same  som'ce,  as 
some  suppose,  ii,  22 
Yolga,  the  lake,  ii,  21 
Yolkonski,  the  wood,  ii,  21 
Yologda,  the  pro\'ince,  city,  and  for- 
tress, ii,  25,  35 
Yologda,  the  river,  ii,  35 
Yolok,  the  lake,  i,  53 
Yotska,  the  countiy,  ii,  29 


W. 

Wagria^  a  province  of  the  Vandals,  i,  9 

Waregan  Sea,  i,  8 

Waregi,  the  people,  i,  8 

Wai'etzokoie  Morie,  i,  8 

Warfare,  diversity  of  amongst  ditier- 

ent  nations,  i,  98 
Warlike  exercises  of  the  young  meu^ 

i,  100 
Wama,  the  lake,  i,  46 
Washings  of  the  unclean,  i,  78 
WajTvode,  i,  5,  23 
Wedi-apusta,  the  town,  ii,  1 51 
Weissenkii'chen,  the  town,  ii,  1 57 
Widowers  not  allowed  to  administer 

the  sacraments,  i,  56 
Wife,  a,  desnes  her  husband  to  show 

his  love  by  beating  her,  i,  94 
Wild  beasts,  ii,  95 
Winter,  extraordinaiy  severity  of  the, 

ii,  2 
Wisby,  the  city,  ruins  of,  ii,  101 
Women,    then*    miserable    condition 

among  the   Russians,  i,  93  ;  then- 
amusements,  i,  94 
Wonderful  ch'ought,  ii,  2 
Worotin,    the   city  and  principality, 

ii,  15 
Worotinski,  Ivan,  is  deprived  of  his 

pi-iucipality,  ii,  15 


Yaropolk,  i,  12  ;  is  made  monarch  of 
Russia,  i.  14  ;  is  betrayed  by  his 
councillor  Blud,  i,  15  ;  wages  war 
against  his  brother  OJeg,  i,  13 


Z. 


Zanebech,  king  of  the  Tartar's,  i,  18  ; 

ii,  51 
Zapolski,  John,  i,  48 
Ziegler,  Jacob,  i,  211 


TnOJIAS    PaCHARDS,   3r    GREAT   QUEEN    STREET. 


DK 

21 

IU83 

1851 

V.2 


Herberstein,   Si^und, 
Freiherr  von 

Notes  upon  Russia 


PLEASE  DO  NOT  REMOVE 
CARDS  OR  SLIPS  FROM  THIS  POCKET 

UNIVERSITY  OF  TORONTO  LIBRARY 


SEEN  BY 
PRESERVAT50N 


DATE. 


SERVICES 
OCT  0  2  1987 


-5g^