to the Volga together with his Associats and came to the Town Saretza where he perswaded the Inhabitants that the Army of the Great Czar was at hand to put them all to death whereas on the contrary that Army was come to assist them against Stenko and thus the Town was surrendred to him and he having made his entry killed the Commander and all the Citizens that refused to joyn with him He marched out again to meet the Army of the Czar which he defeated taking and putting to death the General with many others He took also the Town Sionejaer where he put to the Sword the Governour all the Officers and many Muscovian soldiers Thence he marched to the City of Astracan seated at the mouth of the River Volga not far from the Caspian Sea walled about and having in compass more than two miles The Suburbs lying round about it are most of them bare and exposed to the incursion of any Enemy Some years since was this Town possessed by the Tartars from whom it was taken by the Czar Jwan Waselowitz An. 1553. About it grows no Grain at all but 't is provided from above It is rich chiefly in Salt and Fish the Caspian Sea furnishing the people living on that shore with store of Salt water of which they make whole mountains of Salt And the Volga about Astracan abounds in Fish above all Rivers There they catch those great Fishes Ossotrina Belouga some of the latter being three fathoms long one of which can hardly be carried by thirty men In Astracan is great Commerce managed by forrain Nations Persians Indians Boucharen Armenians and others it hath for its ordinary Garison Twelve thousand Soldiers Stenko Razin coming to this City sent some of his Cossacks into it to stirre up the Soldiers against the Governor which wrought so well that it was concluded the Town should be deliver'd to him and he received into it which was executed according to his wish Kneas Jwan Semenof Prosorofskie being at Church in the midst of Divine Service was thence pull'd away and made to goe up that high square Steeple which stands in the midst of the Castle of Astracan for a Beacon to direct those that Navigate the Caspian Sea or travel in the vast and little frequented fields called Steep From this Steeple the said Governor was cast down head-long 'T is said that Stenko a little before whisper'd him something in his ear at which he shook his head being doubtless tempted by this Traytor to take his part which the Kneas refusing to doe was forced to make this high and Tragical leap Stenko Razin immediately hereupon committed great slaughter and robbing The Brother of the Governor and many Noble-men and others that would not come in to him he put to the sword as also many Dutch and other Officers and some Holland Mariners which though they run into the Caspian Sea yet are said to have been fetcht back and killed Colonel Thomas Bely and Lieutenant-Colonel Jacob Wanderow and others were put to the Sword being in Arms upon the walls of the Town The Churches Cloisters and the Houses of the richest Citizens were plunder'd the Writings of the Chancery burnt the Czar's Treasure of the Kingdom of Astracan carried away many Merchants strangers being there at that time as Persians Indians Turks Arminians and others were put to death with the rest both the Sons of the Governour Prosorofskie he caused to be hung up by the Legs upon the Walls of the Town and to be taken down again putting one of them after much torture to death and causing the other to be beaten half dead and so carried to the Metropolitan His Lady and Daughters he delivered to the Soldiers his Companions to take them for their Wives or if they pleased to abuse them This taking of Astracan happen'd July 28. 1670. After this Stenko marched to Tzaretsa and thence to Tzarataf which were also deliver'd to him and the Governors of them put to death together with many Noble men and the Treasure carried away The like happen'd to the Town Tzamatof from whence Stenko went to the Town Simbierske which he besieged took by storm and burnt to ashes after he had lost a great part of his Cossacks before the Castle of that place The Governor of it was the Lord Jwan Bochdaenwitz Micoslafsky who with extraordinary courage defended it against this Traytor so that Stenko conquerour of all the places upon the Volga was stop'd here from going further without which he was resolved to have marched to the Royal City Casan not far distant from Simbierske Although Stenko was now hindred to pass further as being beaten and wounded himself insomuch that he was constrained to return to his Astracan-Quarters yet did he much mischief in Russia by his Emissaries who here and there stirr'd up the people to insurrection In Galitz the fire began but was soon quenched About the Town Oestiga some of those Emissaries were caught taken and hanged Every where he promised Liberty and a redemption from the Yoak so he call'd it of the Bojars or Nobles which he said were the oppressors of the Countrey In Mosko it self men began to speak openly in his praise as if he were a person that sought the publick good and the liberty of the people for which cause the Great Czar was necessitated to make a publick example of some to deterr the rest A certain aged man being asked what should be done in case that Stenko should approach to the City of Mosko answered that the people should goe and meet him with Bread and Salt which among the Russians is a token of Love and Friendship For which this man was taken and hanged About the same time there was brought into the same City one of the principal Associats of Stenko that had undertaken to debauch the people up and down in the Countrey from their obedience but he had his due reward for one of his Arms and one of his Legs were cut off and he presently hanged on the Gallows All sorts of imaginable mischievous devices were set on foot by Stenko to ruine the Russian Empire and to seduce the common people Amongst other Artifices he had prepared two ships one of which was lined within round about with Red Velvet and he gave out that in it was the Lord Czarawitz of Glorious memory Alexis Alexewitz the Great Czar's eldest Son who yet in the year 1670. on the 17th of January in the presence of his Father in the Pallace of Mosko departed this life and the next day was buried in the Metropolitan Church of S. Michel Stenko boldly pretended that this Prince was yet alive and with him And to colour this lye the better he kept in the said ship a Youth of about 16 years of age descended of one of the Peregorsky Circassian Princes whom Stenko in his former depredations had taken prisoner which young Prince hath received the Great Czar's pardon because he was compelled to act
Confederates praying in the name of all the Cosacks that His Majesty would please to pardon them promising That thereupon you would return home and act no more mischief but serve the Czar with all Fidelity without occasioning any difference between His Majesty and the King of Persia as also without taking any thing upon the Volga or the Caspian Sea Whereupon those two Cosacks having taken an Oath in the name of the whole Body and sent to His Majesty Seven persons to implore his pardon which was granted and your Forces being permitted to go with safety from Astracan to the River Don the place of your dwelling notwithstanding all this thou Villain hast forgot the Grace and Favor of the great Czar and hast by the way exercised on the Volga great robbery and coming to Tzaretsa beaten the Waywood and committed enorm outrages An. 7178 alias 1670. Thou Villain together with thy Companions forgetting the Fear of God and deserting the Holy Catholick Apostolick Church didst when you were upon the Don speak blasphemous words against our Lord Christ and prohibit to build Churches and to perform Divine Service in those that were in being driving away all the Priests and making such people as would marry instead of practising the usual Ceremonies of Marriage to go round about a Tree Thou Villain also slighting the Grace of the great Czar vouchsafed to thee and thy Associates hast afresh rebelled against His Majesty and returned to the River Volga acting the like villainies with Robbing and Killing as formerly and particularly plundering and putting to death some honest antient Cosacks that refused to joyn with you and to approve of your Actions Thou hast likewise killed and cast into the Water those that by the great Czar were sent with Letters of Pardon to the Captain Cornelius Jacolowitz and to other Donsky Cossacks and caused the rest to be so beaten that they died of it Marching from the River Don with thy confederate Cossacks and coming to the Town of Tsaretza thou hast fraudulently perswaded the people of that place that the Czar's Army was coming to put them all to the sword whereas on the contrary his Majesties Army went to assist that Town against thee and thy villainous practices upon which ungrounded perswasion the said Town surrendred themselves to thee and received thee amongst them Entring into it thou hast put to the sword the Commander Turgonova and all those Citizens that would not be partakers in your villanies and thrown them into the water and thereupon thou didst march out against the Army of the Great Czar and by fraud rout the same and didst fling into the water their Colonel Jwan Lapatin and their Lieutenant-Colonel Tedor Jeckschym and others after having put them to very great torments Besides thou hast taken away the Czar's Boats laden with Rye and robbed many Merchants and after that thou didst march to the Town Tzornojaar and there kill the Governor Jwan Sergeof and all Officers and many Moscovian Soldiers Coming before Astracan thou madest some of thy villanous Cossacks enter into it and by them induce the Soldiers to deliver up the Town and the Bojar and Waywood into thy hands which was done accordingly the Astracan soldiers thereupon joyning themselves with thee and upon thy Orders pulling the Bojar Kneas Jwan Simonowitz Prosorofsky out of the Church whom thou didst cast down headlong from a high Steeple commanding also his Brother together with many Noble-men Officers Soldiers and Merchants after grievous Tortures to be put to death and robbing the Houses of God Churches and Monasteries as also the Czar's Treasure and many Houses of the principal Citizens and burning all the Papers of State in the Chancery with the addition of such scoffings as cannot be parallel'd Moreover thou hast caused without any shame many Priests Monks and Nuns to be stripp'd naked and many other people besides Thou hast also commanded most inhumanly to be beaten very many to make them confess where they had hid their Treasure without sparing little children Further thou hast put to death some of the chief Merchants of the King of Persia and many other Merchants strangers Perfians Indians Turkish Armenians and Boucharen who upon the account of Traffick were at that time in Astracan robbing them of their Goods and occasioning matter of discontent to the Great Chach of Persia Again thou Villain hast been insatiable of Blood and continued to spill the most innocent and thou hast not scrupled to hang up by their Leggs upon the Wall both the innocent Children of the Bojar Kneas Jwan Simonowitz Prosorofsky and after great Torture to worry the one and so to beat the other that thou thoughtest he could not live And thou hast also caused the Clerks that served the Great Czar and would not consent to thy designs to be put to painful deaths commanding them to be hanged up by their Ribs Besides Thou Villain after having killed in Astracan many good people hast delivered many Wives and their Daughters to be abused by your confederate miscreants commanding also the Priests that they should marry none at the Metropolitan's Order scoffing at the Church of God and the Ordinances of the Holy Apostles and annulling the Sacrament of Marriage and throwing such Priests as refused to comply with thee into the water Thou Villain hast also robbed the Treasure of the Great Czar in Astracan and after an effusion of much blood thou didst march out of that City to Tsarietza and thence up the River to Tsaratof whose Inhabitants surrendred themselves unto thee and there thou didst rob the Corn-Moneys of his Majesty and great store of Provision putting to death the Waywode Koesmakotesin and many Noble men From Saratof Thou Villain persisting in thy malitious designs didst come to the Town Samarof which also was surrendred to thee and whence thou didst carry away the Czar's Treasure putting to the sword the Governour Jwan Alsienofsky and many Noble-men and Citizens that would not take your part From Samarof thou Miscreant didst proceed to the Town Simbierske to which thou laidst a Siege and tookst it by storm doing much mischief there Thou didst also send to many other Towns some of thy villanous Companions by false Writings bearing them in hand that the Eldest Son of our Great Czar of Glorious memory our Czarawitz Alexis Alexewitz Great Duke of the Greater Lesser and the White Russia was yet living and that thou by Order of his Majesty wast come to put to death as Traytors all Bojars Councellors Noble men and Officers being in his Majesties service whereas on the contrary the said Son of our Great Czar departed this mortal life and pass'd into the everlasting Rest of Heaven and that in his Pallace in the presence of his Lord Father in the year 7178 alias 1670. the 17th of January his Corps being buried in Mosco in the Cathedral of S. Michel amongst his Progenitors the very next day after his death likewise in the presence of his Lord
he that was so perfidious to his Prince deserved no better recompence He was laid hold on about Tzarietza and carried that long way of Two hundred Miles to Mosco entertained all along with the hopes that he should speak with the Great Czar himself and before him by word of Mouth plead his own cause he always imagining that he had many things to say very important for the Czar to know His Brother Frolko was extreamly sad on the way and it seems of a better nature than Stenko whom he charged with all he had done And Stenko seeing his Brother at a certain time more than usually troubled comforted him by representing that coming into the City of Mosco they should receive great honor thousands of people and the greatest of the Land being doubtless ready to meet and to see them Stenko coming within a mile of Mosco the Waggon met him that had been made to bring him into the City according to his deserts In the hind-part of it was erected the Gallows himself was stripped of his Silken habit which he had worn hitherto and an old ragged Sute put upon him and so he was placed in the Waggon under the Gallows with an Iron-Chain about his Neck fastned to the top of the same Both his hands were locked fast to the Side-beams of the Gallows and his Legs divaricated His Brother Frolko was with an Iron-Chain fastned to the Waggon and went a foot on the side of it Thus entred Stenko with his Brother into the City of Mosco Thousands of People of great and mean condition beholding them and so fulfilling his Prophesie of the honor he should have in entring this Town And though he comforted his Brother with this honor yet himself standing in the Waggon looked on no body but held his Face continually downward They were both put to the torture but what they there confessed is not well known onely that Stenko did very much lament the death of his Brother who by the command of Kneas Jurge Dolgeroek had formerly been hanged His Brother Frolko behaving himself most pittifully under the torture Stenko went about to comfort him again and said That he must remember the good things he had enjoyed that he had lived so long among his Friends with great credit and reputation and had commanded thousands and therefore he was now to bear this hard fortune with patience The Russes use this manner of Torture they shave the Crown of the Head of a Malefactor and drop cold Water upon it which they say causeth very great pain It is related That when the Crown of Stenko and his Brother was shaved Stenko said to his Brother I have often heard that none is shaved for a Priest but he must be Learned we are both unlearned and yet they do us the honor of shaving our Crown Four days after that he was brought in he was with his Brother carried to the place of Execution in the Cittadel The Sentence of Death was read before him wherein were expressed the Principal Villanies he had committed He seemed not at all concerned and spoke not a word but stooped And when the Executioner was going to do his office he crossed himself several times directing his face towards a certain Church called Pretsietse Bogorodietse Casaneche that is The most Holy Mother of God of Casan And thereupon he bowed his head thrice towards three several places of the people assembled saying Prostie that is Forgive me And presently he was laid down between two Beams and his Right Arm cut off to the Elbow and his Left Leg to the Knee After this his Head was cut off with an Hatchet All which was done with great speed in a very short time and Stenko gave not the least sigh nor shewed any sign of sense His Brother coming to the place of Execution cryed out That he had the Czar's word a manner of expression when a person hath any secret to reveal which is to be manifested to none but to the great Czar alone Being asked what it was he said It was to be told to none but to the Czar Whereupon he was reprieved and they say That he hath discovered the place of the Treasure digged under Ground by his Brother Stenko This was the end of Stenko Razin his Deputy Sjorte-Ous whom he had left to command in Astracan is said to have raised new commotions putting to Death the Metropolite and others that are contrary to his design God Almighty give to the great Czar Alexis Michaelewitz the Victory over all his Enemies Arch. Angel Sept. 23 23. 1671. on Board of the Ship the Queen Esther The Sentence of Death read before STENKO RAZIN on the Place of Execution June 6. 1671. THou Villain and Renegado Rebel Donsky-Cosack Stenko Razin in the year 7175 alias 1667. abandoning the fear of God and forgetting thy Duty and Oath whereby thou art bound to His Majesty the great Czar Alexis Michaelowitz Emperor and Defendor of the Greater and Lesser and the White Russia hast Rebelled against His said Majesty and having raised other Cosacks hast marched with them to the River Volga there to act thy Villainous Designs And coming there thou hast done great mischief to much people taking the Nasaisky great Boats laden with Salt-fish and Salt belonging to the Patriarch Cloysters and others As also the Boats of many Merchants Which Violence and Robbery thou hast acted as far as to the very Walls of Astracan Again Thou Villain hast betwixt Astracan and the Sorneiner Robbed Killed and Thrown into the Water the Waywood of the great Czar Simon Bellemisch who was sent to speak with thee The like villainy thou hast committed upon the Muscovian Officer Susover that was likewise dispatched to thee for the same end When out of Astracan to the Town Jayck were sent a Waywood and two Russian Colonels with some Soldiers to confer with you in an amicable way and to perswade you to desist from your Villainous attempts and to beg his Majesties pardon thou didst hang both the Colonels and betake thy self with thy Cosacks to Sea from Jayck and return from Sea into the Volga ruining all places of Fishery and burning the habitations of the Tartars Thou Villain hast also been under the Town Tarchi and hast exceedingly endamaged the adjacent places as also part of the Dominions of the King of Persia Being upon the Caspian Sea thou didst rob the Subjects of Persia and take away the Goods of Merchants and their lives also Thou hast also ruined several Towns in Persia and thereby caused great difference between the Two Empires Besides the Soldiers of Astracan upon thy orders have killed their Colonel and joyned themselves to thee doing great mischief in many places An. 7177 alias 1669. The Governor of Astracan Kneas Jwan Simonewitz Prosorofsky sent against you the Waywood Kneas Simon Leibof with His Majesties Army who had girt you all about which thou Villain seeing didst dispatch to that Waywood two of thy chief