have the same full authoritie and jurisdiction that pertained before to the Patriarch of Constantinople or Sin And that it might be done with more order and solemnitie the 25. of Januarie 1588. the Greek Patriarch accompanied with the Russe Clergie went to the great Church of Precheste or our Ladie within the Emperours castle having first wandred through the whole citie in manner of a procession and blessing the people with his two fingers where he made an Oration and delivered his resignation in an instrument of writing and so layed down his Patriarchicall staff which was presently received by the Metropolite of Mosko and divers other ceremonies used about the inauguration of this new Patriarch The day was holden very solemn by the people of the citie who were commanded to forbear their works and to attend this solemnitie The great Patriarch that day was honoured with rich presents sent him from the Emperour and Empresse of plate cloth of gold furres c. carried with great pomp through the streets of Mosko and at his departing received many gifts more both from the Emperour Nobilitie and Clergie Thus the Patriarchship of Constantinople or Sio which hath continued since the Councel of Nice is now translated to Mosko or they made believe that they have a Patriarch with the same right and authoritie that the other had Wherein the subtil Greek hath made good advantage of their superstition and is now gone away with a rich bootie into Poland whether their Patriarchship be currant or not The matter is not unlike to make some schisme betwixt the Greek and Russe Church if the Russe hold this Patriarchship that he hath so well payed for and the Greeks elect another withall as likely they will whether this man were banished by the Turk or deprived by order of his own Clergie Which might happen to give advantage to the Pope and to bring over the Russe Church to the Sea of Rome to which end peradventure he devised this stratagem and cast in this matter of schisme among them but that the Emperours of Russia know well enough by the example of other Christian Princes what inconvenience would grow to their state and countrey by subjecting themselves to the Romish Sea To which end the late Emperour Juan Vasilowich was very inquisitive of the Popes authoritie over the Princes of Christendome and sent one of very purpose to Rome to behold the order and behaviour of his Court. With this Patriarch Hieronimo was driven out at the same time by the great Turk one Demetrio Archbishop of Larissa who is now in England and pretendeth the same cause of their banishment by the Turk to wit their not admitting of the Popes new Kalender for the alteration of the year Which how unlikely it is may appear by these circumstances First because there is no such affection nor friendly respect betwixt the Pope and the Turk as that he should banish a subject for not obeying the Popes ordinance specially in a matter of some sequele for the alteration of times within his own countreys Secondly for that he maketh no such scruple in deducting of times and keeping of a just and precise account from the incarnation of Christ whom he doth not acknowledge otherwise then I noted before Thirdly for that the said Patriarch is now at Naples in Italie where it may be ghessed he would not have gone within the Popes reach and so near to his nose if he had been banished for opposing himself against the Popes decree This office of Patriarchship now translated to Mosko beareth a superiour authoritie over all the Churches not onely of Russia and other the Emperours dominions but throughout all the Churches of Christendome that were before under the Patriarch of Constantinople or Sio or at least the Russe Patriarch imagineth himself to have the same authoritie He hath under him as his proper diocesse the Province of Mosko besides other peculiars His court or office is kept at the Mosko Before the creation of this new Patriarch they had but one Metropolite that was called the Metropolite of Mosko Now for more state to their Church and new Patriarch they have two Metropolites the one of Novogrod velica the other of Rostove Their office is to receive of the Patriarch such Ecclesiasticall orders as he thinketh good and to deliver the charge of them over to the Archbishops besides the ordering of their own diocesse Their Archbishops are foure of Smolensko Cazan Vobsko and Vologda The parts of their office is all one with the Metropolites save that they have an under jurisdiction as Suffragans to the Metropolites and superiours to the Bishops The next are the Uladikeis or Bishops that are but six in all of Crutiska of Rezan of Otfer and Torshock of Collomenska of Volodemer of Susdalla These have every one a very large diocesse as dividing the rest of the whole countrey among them The matters pertaining to the Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction of the Metropolites Archbishops and Bishops are the same in a manner that are used by the Clergie in other parts of Christendome For besides their authoritie over the Clergie and ordering such matters as are mere Ecclesiasticall their jurisdiction extendeth to all testamentarie causes matters of marriage and divorcements some pleas of injuries c. To which purpose also they have their Officials or Commissaries which they call Boiaren Uladitskey that are Laymen of the degree of Dukes or Gentlemen that keep their Courts and execute their jurisdiction Which besides their other oppressions over the common people reigne over the Priests as the Dukes and Diacks do over the poore people within their precincts As for the Archbishop or Bishop himself he beareth no sway in deciding those causes that are brought into his Court But if he would moderate any matter he must do it by intreatie with his Gentleman Officiall The reason is because these Boiarskey or Gentlemen Officials are not appointed by the Bishops but by the Emperour himself or his Councel and are to give account of their doings to none but to them If the Bishop can intreat at his admission to have the choice of his own Officiall it is accounted for a speciall great favour But to speak it as it is the Clergie of Russia as well concerning their lands and revenues as their authoritie and jurisdiction are altogether ordered and overruled by the Emperour and his Councel and have so much and no more of both as their pleasure doth permit them They have also their assistants or severall Councels as they call them of certain Priests that are of their diocesse residing within their cathedrall cities to the number of foure and twentie a piece These advise with them about the speciall and necessarie matters belonging to their charge Concerning their rents and revenues to maintain their dignities it is somewhat large The Patriarchs yearly rents out of his lands besides other fees is about 3000. rubbels or marks The Metropolites and Archbishops about 2500. The Bishops
Wich put under their sirname as Borris Federowich c. which is a note of honour that the rest may not usurp And in case it be not added in the naming of them they may sue the Bestchest or penaltie of dishonour upon them that otherwise shall term them The fourth and lowest degree of Nobilitie with them is of such as bear the name of Knazey or Dukes but come of the younger brothers of those chief houses through many descents and have no inheritance of their own save the bare name or title of Duke onely For their order is to deliver their names and titles of their dignities over to all their children alike whatsoever else they leave them So that the sonnes of a Voiavodey or Generall in the field are called Voiavodey though they never saw the field and the sonnes of a Knez or Duke are called Knazey though they have not one groat of inheritance or livelyhood to maintain themselves withall Of this sort there are so many that the plentie maketh them cheap so that you shall see Dukes glad to serve a mean man for five or six rubbels or marks a year and yet they will stand highly upon their Bestchest or reputation of their Honours And these are their severall degrees of Nobilitie The second degree of persons is of their Sina Boiarskey or the sonnes of Gentlemen which all are preferred and hold that name by their service in the Emperours warres being souldiers by their very stock and birth To which order are referred their Dyacks or Secretaries that serve the Emperour in every head town being joyned in Commission with the Dukes of that place The last are their Commons whom they call Mousicks In which number they reckon their Merchants and their common artificers The very lowest and basest sort of this kind which are held in no degree are their countrey people whom they call Christianeis Of the Sina boiarskey which are all souldiers we are to see in the description of their forces and military provisions Concerning their Mousicks what their condition and behaviour is in the title or chapter Of the common people CHAP. X. Of the government of their Provinces and Shires THe whole countrey of Russia as was said before is divided into foure parts which they call Chetfirds or Tetrarchies Every Chetfird containeth divers shires and is annexed to a severall office whereof it takes the name The first Chetfird or Tetrarchie beareth the name of Pososkoy Chetfird or the Jurisdiction of the office of Ambassages and at this time is under the chief Secretarie and officer of the Ambassages called Andreas Shalcalove The standing fee or stipend that he receiveth yearly of the Emperour for this service is 100. rubbels or marks The second is called the Roseradney Chetfird because it is proper to the Roserade or high Constable At this time it pertaineth by virtue of office to Basilie Shalcolove brother to the Chancellour but it is executed by one Zapon Abramove His pension is an hundred rubbels yearly The third is the Chetfird of Pomestnoy as pertaining to that office This keepeth a Register of all lands given by the Emperour for service to his Noblemen Gentlemen and others giveth out and taketh in all assurances for them The officer at this time is called Eleazar Wellusgine His stipend is 500. rubbels a year The fourth is called Cassanskoy dworets as being appropriate to the office that hath the jurisdiction of the kingdomes of Cazan and Astracan with the other towns lying upon the Volgha now ordered by one Druzhine Pentcleove a man of very speciall account among them for his wisdome and promptnesse in matters of policie His pension is 150. rubbels a year From these Chetfirds or Tetrarchies is exempted the Emperours inheritance or Vochin as they call it for that it pertained from ancient time to the house of Beala which is the sirname of the imperiall bloud This standeth of 36. towns with their bounds or territories besidâ—â— divers peculiar jurisdictions which are likewise deducted out of those Chetfirds as the Shire of Vagha belonging to the Lord Borrise Federâ—wich Godonoe and such like These are the chief governours oâ— officers of the Provinces not resideâ—â— at their charge abroad but attending the Emperour whithersoever 〈◊〉 goeth and carrying their offices about with them which for the 〈◊〉 part they hold at Mosko as the Emperours chief seat The parts and practise of these foure officeo is to receive all complaints and actions whatsoever that are brought out of their severall Chetfirds and quarters and to inform them to the Emperours Counsell Likewise to send direction again to those that are under them in their said Provinces for all matters given in charge by the Emperour and his Counsell to be done or put in execution within their precincts For the ordering of every particular Province of these foure Chetfirds there is appointed one of these Dukes which were reckoned before in the lowest degree of their Nobilitie which are resident in the head towns of the said Provinces Whereof every one hath joyned with him in Commission a Dyack or Secretarie to assist him or rather to direct him For in the executing of their commission the Dyack doth all The parts of their Commission are these in effect First to hear and determine in all civill matters within their precinct To which purpose they have under them certain officers as Gubnoy Starets or Coroners who besides the triall of self-murders are to attach fellons and the Soudiae or under-Justices who themselves also may hear and determine in all matters of the same nature among the countrey people of their own wards or bayliwicks but so that in case either partie dissent they may appeal and go further to the Duke and Dyack that reside within the head town From whom also they may remove the matter to the higher court at Mosko of the Emperours Counsell where lie all appeals They have under them also Sotskey Starets that is Aldermen or Balives of the hundreds Secondly in all criminall matters as theft murder treason c. they have authoritie to apprehend to examine and to imprison the malefactour and so having received perfeâ—… evidence information of the cause they are to send it ready drawn and orderly digested up to the Mosko to the officer of the Chetfird whereunto that Province is annexed by whom it is referred and propounded to the Emperours Counsell But to determine in any matter criminall or to do execution upon the partie offending is more then their commission will allow them to do Thirdly if there be any publick service to be done within that Province as the publishing of any Law or common order by way of prodamation collecting of taxes and impositions for the Emperour mustering of souldiers and sending them forth at the day and to the place assigned by the Emperour or his Counsell all these and such like perâ—… to their charge These Dukes and Dyacks are appointed to their place by the Emperour
them at the Emperours price whether they will or no. This last year of 1589. was engrossed all the wax of the countrey so that none might deal with that commoditie but the Emperour onely 6. To take up and engrosse in like sort sometime forein commodities as silks cloth lead pearl c. brought into his realm by Turkish merchants Armenians Bougharians Potes English and other and then to force his merchants to buy them of his officers at his own price 7. To make a Monopolie for the time of such commodities as are paid him for rent or custome and to inhanse the price of them as furres corn wood c. what time none must sell of the same kind of commoditie till the Emperours be all sold. By this means he maketh of his rent-corn and other provision of victuall as before was said about 200000. rubbels or marks a year Of his rent-wood hay c. 30000. rubbels or thereabouts 8. In every great town of his Realm he hath a Caback or drinking-house where is sold aquavitae which they call Russe wine mead beer c. Out of these he receiveth rent that amounteth to a great summe of money Some yield 800. some 900. some a 1000. some 2000. or 3000. rubbels a year Wherein besides the base and dishonourable means to encrease his treasurie many foul faults are committed The poore labouring man and artificer many times spendeth all from his wife and children Some use to lay in twentie thirtie fourtie rubbels or more into the Caback and vow themselves to the pot till all that be spent And this as he will say for the honour of Hospodare or the Emperour You shall have many there that have drunk all away to the very skin and so walk naked whom they call Naga While they are in the Caback none may call them forth whatsoever cause there be because he hindereth the Emperours revenue 9. To cause some of his Boiarens or Nobles of his court whom he useth upon trust that have houses in the Mosko to fain themselves robbed then to send for the Zemskey men or Aldermen of the citie and to command them to find out the robberie In default of not finding it to prave or seize the citie for their misgovernment in 8000. 9000. or 10000 rubbels at a time This is many times practised 10. In these exactions to shew their sovereigntie sometime they use very plain and yet strange cavillations As was that of Juan Vasilowich father to this Emperour after this sort He sent into Permia for certain loads of Cedar wood whereof he knew that none grew in that Countrey The inhabitants returned answer they could find none there Whereupon he seassed their Countrey in 12000. rubbels as if they concealed the commoditie of purpose Again he sent to the citie of Mosko to provide for him a Colpack or measure full of live fleas for a medicine They returned answer that the thing was impossible and if they could get them yet they could not measure them for leaping out Whereupon he praved or beat out of their shins 7000. rubbels for a mulct By like cavillation he extorted from his Nobilitie 30000. rubbels because he missed of his game when he went a hunting for the Hare as if their hunting and murdering of hares had been the cause of it Which the Nobilitie as the manner is praved presently again upon the Mousicks or common people of the Countrey This may seem a strange kind of extortion by such pleasant cavils to fliece his poore subjects in good sadnesse but that it agreeth with the qualitie of those Emperours and the miserable subjection of that poore Countrey These and such like means are practised by the Emperours of Russia to encrease their Treasurie CHAP. XIII Of the state of the Commonaltie or vulgar sort of people in the countrey of Russia THe condition of the Commons and vulgar sort of people may partly be understood by that which already hath been said concerning the manner of their government and the state of the Nobilitie with the ordering of their Provinces and chief towns of the land And first touching their libertie how it standeth with them it may appear by this that they are reckoned in no degree at all nor have any suffrage nor place in their Zabore or High court of Parliament where their laws and publick orders are concluded upon which commonly tend to the oppression of the commons For the other two degrees viz. of the Nobilitie and Clergie which have a vote in the Parliaments though farre from that libertie that ought to be in common consultations for the publick benefit according to the measure and proportion of their degrees are well contented that the whole burden shall light upon the Commons so they may ease their own shoulders by laying all upon them Again into what servile condition their libertie is brought not onely to the Prince but to the Nobles and Gentlemen of the Countrey who themselves also are but servile specially of late years it may further appear by their own acknowledgements in their supplications and other writings to any of the Nobles or chief officers of the Emperours wherein they name and subscribe themselves Kolophey that is their villains or bondslaves as they of the Nobilitie do unto the Emperour This may truly be said of them that there is no servant nor bondslave more awed by his Master nor kept down in a more servile subjection then the poore people are and that universally not onely by the Emperour but by his Nobilitie chief officers and souldiers So that when a poore Mousick meeteth with any of them upon the high way he must turn himself about as not daring to look him on the face and fall down with knocking of his head to the very ground as he doth unto his Idol Secondly concerning the lands goods and other possessions of the commons they answer the name and lie common indeed without any fense against the rapine and spoil not onely of the highest but of his Nobilitie officers and souldiers Besides the taxes customes seizures and other publick exactions done upon them by the Emperour they are so racked and pulled by the Nobles officers messengers sent abroad by the Emperour in his publick affairs specially in the Yammes as they call them and through fare towns that you shall have many villages and towns of half a mile and a mile long stand all unhabited the people being fled all into other places by reason of the extreme usage and exactions done upon them So that in the way towards Mosko betwixt Vologda and Yaruslaveley which is two nineties after their reckoning little more then an hundred miles English there are in sight fiftie Darieunes or villages at the least some half a miâ—e some a mile long that stand vacant and desolate without any inhabitant The like is in all other places of the realm as is said by those that have better travelled the countrey then my self had time or occasion
to do The great oppression over the poore Commons maketh them to have no courage in following their trades for that the more they have the more danger they are in not onely of their goods but of their lives also And if they have any thing they conceal it all they can sometimes conveying it into Monasteries sometimes hiding it under the ground and in woods as men are wont to do where they are in fear of forein invasion in so much that many times you shall see them afraid to be known to any Boiaren or Gentleman of such commodities as they have to sell. I have seen them sometimes when they have laid open their commodities for a liking as their principall furres and such like to look still behind them and towards every doore as men in some fear that looked to be set upon and surprised by some enemie Whereof asking the cause I found it to be this That they have doubted left some Nobleman or Sinaboiarskey of the Emperour had been in companie and so laid a train for them to prey upon their commodities perforce This maketh the people though otherwise hardened to bear any toil to give themselves much to idlenesse and drinking as passing for no more then from hand to mouth And hereof it cometh that the commodities of Russia as was said before as wax tallow hides flax hemp c. grow and go abroad in farre lesse plentie then they were wont to do because the people being oppressed and spoiled of their gettings are discouraged from their labours Yet this one thing is much to be noted that in all this oppression there were three brethren Merchants of late that traded together with one stock in common that were found to be worth 300000. rubbels in money besides lands cattels and other commodities Which may partly be imputed to their dwellings farre off from the eye of the Court viz. in Wichida a 1000. miles from Mosko and more The same are said by those that knew them to have set on work all the year long ten thousand men in making of salt carriages by cart and boat hewing of wood and such like besides 5000. bondslaves at the least to inhabite and till their land They had also their physitions surgeons apothecaries and all manner of artificers of Doutcees and others belonging unto them They are said to have paid to the Emperour for custome to the summe of 23000. rubbels a year for which cause they were suffered to enjoy their trade besides the maintaining of certain garrisons on the borders of Siberia which were near unto them Wherein the Emperour was content to use their purse till such time as they had got ground in Siberia and made it habitable by burning and cutting down woods from Wichida to Perm above a 1000. verse and then took it all away from them perforce But this in the end being envied and disdained as a matter not standing with their pollicie to have any so great specially a Mousick the Emperour began first to pull from them by pieces sometimes 20000 rubbels at a time sometime more till in the end their sons that now are are well eased of their stock and have but small part of their fathers substance the rest being drawn all into the Emperours treasurie Their names were Jacove Gregorie and Simon the sonnes of Onyka For the qualitie of their people otherwise though there seemeth to be in them some aptnesse to receive any art as appeareth by the naturall wits in the men and very children yet they excell in no kind of common art much lesse in any learning or literall kind of knowledge which they are kept from of purpose as they are also from all militarie practise that they may be fitter for the servile condition wherein now they are and have neither reason nor valour to attempt innovation For this purpose also they are kept from travelling that they may learn nothing nor see the fashions of other Countreys abroad You shall seldome see a Russe a traveller except he be with some Ambassadour or that he make a scape out of his Countrey Which hardly he can do by reason of the borders that are watched so narrowly and the punishment for any such attempt which is death if he be taken and all his goods confiscate Onely they learn to write and to reade and that very few of them Neither do they suffer any stranger willingly to come into their realm out of any civill Countrey for the same cause further then necessitie of uttering their commodities and taking in of forein doth enforce them to do And therefore this year 1589. they consulted about the removing of all Merchants strangers to the border towns to abide and have their residencie there and to be more wary in admitting other strangers hereafter into the Inland parts of the realm for fear of infection with better manners and qualities then they have of their own For the same purpose also they are kept within the bounds of their degree by the laws of their countrey so that the sonne of a Mousick artificer or husbandman is ever a Mousick artificer c. and hath no means to aspire any higher except having learned to write and read he attain to the preferment of a Priest or Dyack Their language is all one with the Slavonian which is thought to have been derived from the Russe tongue rather then the Russe from the Slavonian For the people called Sclavi are known to have had their beginning out of Sarmatia and to have termed themselves of their conquest Sclavos that is famous or glorious of the word Sclava which in the Russe and Slavonian tongue signifieth as much as Glory or Fame Though afterwards being subdued and trod upon by divers nations the Italians their neighbours have turned the word to a contrary signification and term every servant or peasant by the name of Sclave as did the Romanes by the Getes and Syrians for the same reason The Russe character or letter is no other then the Greek somewhat distorted Concerning their trades diet apparrell and such like it is to be noted in a severall chapter of their private behaviour This order that bindeth every man to keep his ranck and severall degree wherein his forefathers lived before him is more meet to keep the Subjects in a servile subjection and so apt for this and the like Common-wealths then to advance any virtue or to breed any rare or excellent qualitie in Nobilitie or Commons as having no further reward nor preferment whereunto they may bend their endeavours and employ themselves to advance their estate but rather procuring more danger to themselves the more they excell in any noble or principall qualitie CHAP. XIV Of their publick Justice and manner of proceeding in civill and criminall matters THeir courts of civill justice for matters of contract and other of like sort are of three kinds the one being subject unto the other by way of appeal The lowest Court that seems to
life and death and that by evidence upon information though they never saw nor heard the partie who is kept still in prison where the fact was committed and never sent up to the place where he is tried If they find the partie guiltie they give sentence of death according to the qualitie of the fact which is sent down by the Lord of the Chetfird to the Duke and Diack to be put in executien The prisoner is carried to the place of execution with his hands bound and a wax candle burning held betwixt his fingers Their capitall punishments are hanging heading knocking on the head drowning putting under the ice setting on a stake and such like But for the most part the prisoners that are condemned in summer are kept for the winter to be knockt in the head and put under the ice This is to be understood of common persons For theft and murder if they be committed upon a poore Mousick by one of Nobilitie are not lightly punished nor yet is he called to any account for it Their reason is because they are accounted their Kolophey or bondslaves If by some Sinaboiarskey or Gentleman-souldier a murder or theft be committed peradventure he shall be imprisoned at the Emperours pleasure If the manner of the fact be very notorious he is whipped perchance and this is commonly all the punishment that is inflicted upon them If a man kill his own servant little or nothing is said unto him for the same reason because he is accounted to be his Kolophey or bondslave and so to have right over his very head The most is some small mulct to the Emperour if the partie be rich and so the quarrell is made rather against the purse then against the injustice They have no written law save onely a small book that containeth the time and manner of their sitting order in proceeding and such other judiciall forms and circumstances but nothing to direct them to give sentence upon right or wrong Their onely law is their Speaking Law that is the pleasure of the Prince and of his Magistrates and officers Which sheweth the miserable condition of this poore people that are forced to have them for their law and direction of justice against whose injustice and extreme oppression they had need to be armed with many good and strong laws CHAP. XV. Their forces for the warres with the chief officers and their salaries THe souldiers of Russia are called Sinaboiarskey or the sonnes of Gentlemen because they are all of that degree by virtue of their military profession For every souldier in Russia is a gentleman and none are gentlemen but onely the souldiers that take it by descent from their ancestours so that the sonne of a gentleman which is born a souldier is ever a gentleman and a souldier withall and professeth nothing else but militarie matters When they are of years able to bear arms they come to the office of Roserade or great Constable and there present themselves who entreth their names and allotteth them certain lands to maintain their charges for the most part the same that their fathers enjoyed For the lands assigned to maintain the army are ever certain annexed to this office without improving or detracting one foot But that if the Emperour have sufficient in wages the rooms being full so farre as the land doth extend already they are many times deferred and have nothing allowed them except some one portion of the land be divided into two Which is a cause of great disorder within that countrey when a souldier that hath many children shall have sometimes but one entertained in the Emperours pay So that the rest having nothing are forced to live by unjust and wicked shifts that tend to the hurt and oppression of the Mousick or common sort of people This inconvenience groweth by maintaining his forces in a continuall succession The whole number of his souldiers in continuall pay is this First he hath of his Dworaney that is Pensioners or Guard of his person to the number of 15000. horsemen with their captains and other officers that are alwayes in a readinesse Of these 15000. horsemen there are three sorts or degrees which differ as well in estimation as in wages one degree from another The first sort of them is called Dworaney Bulshey or the company of head Pensioners that have some an hundred some fourescore rubbels a year and none under 70. The second sort are called Seredney Dworaney or the middle rank of Pensioners These have sixtie or fiftie rubbels by the year none under fourtie The third and lowest sort are the Dyta Boiarskey that is the low Pensioners Their salarie is thirtie rubbels a year for him that hath most some have but five and twentie some twentie none under twelve Whereof the half part is paid them at the Mosko the other half in the field by the Generall when they have any warres and are employed in service When they receive their whole pay it amounteth to 55000. rubbels by the year And this is their wages besides lands allotted to every one of them both to the greater and the lesse according to their degrees Whereof he that hath least hath to yield him twen tie rubbels or marks by the year Besides these 15000. horsemen that are of better choice as being the Emperours own guard when himself goeth to the warres not unlike the Romane souldiers called Praetoriam are 110 men of speciall account for their Nobilitie and trust which are chosen by the Emperour and have their names registred that find among them for the Emperours ware to the number of 65000. horsemen with all necessaries meet for the wartes after the Russe manner To this end they have yearly allowance made by the Emperour for themselves and their companies to the summe of 40000. rubbels And these 65000. are to repair to the field every year on the borders towards the Chrim Tartar except they be appointed for some other service whether there be warres-with the Tartars or not This might seem peradventure somewhat dangerous for some state to have so great forces under the command of Noblemen to assemble every year to one certain place But the matter is so used as that no danger can grow to the Emperour or his state by this means 1. Because these Noblemen are many to wit an 110 in all and changed by the Emperour so oft as he thinketh good 2. Because they have their livings of the Emperour being otherwise but of very small revenue and receive this yearly pay of 40000. rubbels when it is presently to be paid forth again to the souldiers that are under them 3. Because for the most part they are about the Emperours person being of his Councel either speciall or at large 4. They are rather as paymasters then Captains to their companies themselves not going forth ordinarily to the warres save when some of them are appointed by speciall order from the Emperour himself So the whole number of