other publick Buildings This Man being entrusted with a Commission of so large an Extent did abuse his Trust to the great oppression of the People For there was no Extortion so great which he was not ready to undertake He would receive Presents from both Parties and afterwards leave them in the lurch But not content with this his common Practice was to suborn false Witnesses whose employment was to bring in Charges against such of the Citizens of Musco as he knew to be rich enough to redeem themselves out of his Persecutions For whenever they fell into his hands he did not fail by imprisoning and other violent and oppressive Methods to oblige them to purchase their Liberty and his Favour with the ruine of their Fortunes He had a Brother-in-Law whose name was Peter Tichonovits Trochanistou one of those whom in Muscovy they call Ocolnits who are one degree under the Boyars who are chosen out of their Number Him they had made President of the Puskarskoy Pricas and consequently had the oversight over all the Great Duke's Founders Furbishers Cannoneers Armourers Smiths and Carpenters who wrought to the Arsenal These Mechanicks were usually paid once a Month according to the Custom of Mâ—â—covy where Payments are made with greater Exactness than in any other Part of Europe instead of which he used to keep them in Arrears for many Months together and in the mean while to make use of their Money to his own Advantage and when he had thus droven them to extremity to foice them to compound for half or what they could get and to give Acquittance for the whole Sum. Miloslauski and Morosou play'd the same Game in their several Stations not only by selling at an excessive Rate all the Employments in the Kingdom but also by procuring Monopolies which ruined the Trade of the whole Empire Among others they had got a Patent for one of their own Gang prohibiting the further use of the common Ells hitherto used in Muscovy but instead of that to make use of certain Iron ones with the Great Duke's Mark upon them on purpose to oblige the People to buy the latter at the Price of a Crown per Piece whereas they used to buy the others at 8 or 10 d. a Piece whereby a necessity being laid upon the whole Kingdom of having them from the Patentees at their own Price they gathered a vast Sum of Money without giving any Account of it to the Great Duke's Treasury They had also found out another Invention to raise the Price of Salt from twenty to thirty Pence per Measure containing about forty Pound Weight This proved a heavy Burthen to the People and of no Advantage to the Great Duke For the dearness of the Salt had hindred the Sale of it so that â—bundance of Fish being lost for want of Salting the Great Duke's Revenue suffered by it upon a double Account The Inhabitants of Musco had enjoyed the Fruits of a very quiet and mild Government under the Reign of his late Czarish Majesty who being a Prince of incomparable Clemency endeavoured thro' the whole course of his Reign to make the Government easie to his Subjects who had so long groan'd under the Calamities of their civil Diâ—tensions so that finding themselves thus oppressed beyond all measure they could not brook this sudden Change without shewing publickly their Resentments The Muscovites seldom or never make their Cabâ—s over the Bottle they do not look upon strong Liquor to be a suitable Companion for those who intend to treat of States Affairs they make use of their Hydromel and Aqua vitae according to it's primitive and genuine Institution to exhilerate the Mind and drive away Cares As they are the greatest Zealots in the World so they begin commonly their States Reformations a Jove after they have been at Divine Service Here it was the Chief Citizens used to meet and to utter their Complaints against the Oppressions which they groaned under by the Mismanagement of the Ministers of State and resolved at last to Petition the Great Duke for a Redress of their Grievances But the main difficulty was who among them all durst be so venturesome as to deliver the Petitiâ—â— so that no body being willing to undertake that Task a certain day was appointed to give it to the Great Duke himself with joint Consent as he should come out of the Castle to go to his Devotion They were as yet not so bold as to dare to attempt any thing against Morosou by reason of his near Alliance to the Great Dutchess tho' they knew him to be the main Istrument of these Calamities they suffered but their Petition was for the present chiefly levell'd against Lepont Stepanovits Plessou who by his most barbarous Exactions being become insupportable to them they desired that he might be removed from his Office and his Place be supplied by some Person of known Integrity of whom the People might expect more Justice They had watched several Opportunities to deliver it to the Prince himself as he was going to his Devotions or Divertisements but in vain for the Boyars who attended his Person had always took it from them telling them that they would make a Report of it to the Great Duke but this being done according to the Instructions received from Morosou the Petition was not as much as answered much less their Grievances redressed This hapning so often that they found themselves absolutely mistaken in their whole Expectation it was resolved that they should meet together and inspite of all the Opposition from the Boyars make their Complaints to the Great Duke by way of Mouth The sixth of July in the Year 1648 was pitch'd upon as a day fit for the execution of their Design when they knew the Great Duke was to be present at a Procession to be made to a Monastery in the City called Stertenski The People were got early together in the Morning in the great Market-place before the Castle to see him and his Cavalcade pass by as they were wont to do upon such like Occasions But whether it was that they did not think themselves strong enough other that their Leaders were not present they did not make the least Signs of dissatisfaction at his going to the Monastery But at his return they broke through those that attended the Great Duke came up to him stay'd him and taking hold of his Horses Bridle intreated him to take their present Case into his Consideration to hearken to the just Complaints of his Subjects concerning the Injustices and Violences committed by Plessou desiring that a Person of known Integrity might be put in his Place who should better discharge so great a Trust The Great Duke was not a little startled at this unexpected procedure of the populace but dissembling both his Surprize and Resentment he spoke to them with a very chearful Countenance telling them that he was much troubled to understand the Grievances of his good Subjects occasioned by the
reason of the nearness of the River and the Lake It has besides this two Cities more called Ostrow and Opolsko The Province of Wologda Wologda which sometime belonged to the Dukes of Novogorod is since reunited to the Crown of Muscovy its Capital City has the same Name with the Province both of them having borrowed their Names from the River Vologda which having its rise near the famous City of Novogorod Veliki disembogues in the Baltick Sea The City of Wologda or Vologda is one of the most considerable in those Parts not only by reason of its bigness and strength being surrounded with a very strong Wall but also of its Commerce It is situated on the left Shoar of the River Sucagna raised upon the very Banks of it which River running by Tetma and Vstiga runs some Miles below the latter into the above-mentioned River Dwina which renders it very convenient for Trading and consequently very populous There are two Cities more in this Province called Socsoa and Stâ—litz The Province of Vstiugha Ustiugha lying betwixt the Provinces of Dwina and Wologda was also subject to the Dukes of Novogorod till like all the rest in those Parts it was united to the Crown of Muscovy The Capital City here is likewise called Vstiugha from the Word Vst which signifies as much as the Latin Word Ostium or the Mouth of a River and Jugh it being not far distant from the conflux of the River Jugh and Sucagna built upon the very Banks of the latter which at some Miles below this place exoâ—erates it self in the River Dwina as we have mâ—nâ—ioned before It has its own Weywode or Governour This Province is famous for the best black Foxes it affords above all others in Muscovy It has two Cities more called Kollas and Dobriâ—a The next Province both for Rank and Situation is Novogorod Veliki Noâ—ogorod Veliki owing its Name to its Capital City likewise called Novogorod Veliki It is seated in a very fair spacious Plain at 58 degrees 23 min. Elevation upon the Wologda or Vologda a River different from the Volga The River Vologda The River Vologda hath its rise out of the Lake of Ilmen about three Miles above this City from whence crossing the Lake of Ladoga it passes in its way through the River Niova the Boundary betwixt Muscovy and Sweden on that side near the City of Noteburgh till at last by the Gulph of Finland it exonerates it self into the Baltick Sea This River is of great Advantage to this City affording not only great store of all sorts of most excellent Fish at a very cheap rate but also being Navigable from its very source and the Country round about very fruitful abounding in Wheat Flax Hemp Wax and Honey but especially in Russia Leather which is look'd upon here to be better dress'd than in any other part of Muscovy makes this City to be reputed one of the chief Trading Cities in the whole Empire It was in former Ages governed by its own Princes who having extended their Conquests over several of the adjacent Provinces as has been mentioned before this City was look'd upon as one of the most Potent and celebrated of Europe so that it was grown into a Proverb in those Parts Who can oppose God and the Great City of Novogorod The Hanseatick Towns had in those days an Office of Address in this City so that it was not only frequented by the Livonians and Muscovites but also by the Danes Germans and Swedes It was Sirnamed Veliki which signifies Great there having been some who have compared it for greatness with Rome it self It 's true they have in this much over-shot the Mark nevertheless the great extent of the Ruines of the Antient Walls and the number of its Steeples yet remaining are sufficient Proofs of its foâ—mer Glory and that its present condition falls incomparably short of what it was before its destruction the City being now only surrounded with a Wooden Wall and the Houses built of the same Materials The first that put a stop to the Grandeur of this Place was Vithold Great Duke of Lithuania and at that time General of the Polish Army who in the Year 1427. oblig'd it to pay a considerable Tribute to that Crown About Fifty Years after the Great Duke of Muscovy John Basili Grotsdin famous for his Tyâ—anny after a War of Seven Years having defeated their Army in the Year 1477. forced them to do him â—omage and to receive a Muscovian Governour and soon after put a fatal period to this Great and Poâ—ent City For having considered with himself that its Inhabitants would not fail to take hold of the first Opportunity to recover their Liberty went thither in Person under pretence of establishing the Greek Religion which he pretended to be in danger by the contrivances of the Roman Catholicks being encouraged in his Design by Theophilus the then Archbishop of the City he had no sooner entred the City but it was by his Order pillaged and the Inhabitants transported from thence into other places of Muscovy but especially to Nise-Novogorod which we have spoke of before in whose stead he planted there a Colony of Muscovites The Booty which he got there was incredible having besides all sorts of Rich Stuffs and other sumptuous Moveables carried away Three Hundred Waggons loaded with Gold Silver and Jewels About Fourscore Years after Viz. in the Year 1569. the then Great Duke of Muscovy John Basilowitz having conceived the same Suspicion entred the City with an Army and after he had caused an infinite number of People to be trampled to Death by the Horses Feet and some Thousands killed by the Sword such a multitude of dead Bodies were thrown into the River Wolgda that its Current being stop'd the Neighbouring Fields were overflown round about the Town The stench of the dead Carcasses caused such an Infection in the Air that what had escaped the Fury of the Soldiers was destroyed either by the Plague or Famine no body daring to venture to carry thither any Provisions But that which was the most inhumane of all was that even the few remnants that had escap'd his former Cruelty the Plague and Famine having fed upon dead Carcasses were at last all cut to pieces by the Tyrant's Soldiers Notwithstanding all these Calamities sustained its advantageous Situation for Commerce has in process of time drawn thither a considerable number of new Inhabitants by whose Industry it is brought into that State it appears now which tho' it must only be look'd upon as a meer Shadow of that great Body it represented in former Ages nevertheless next to the City of Archangel it may pass for one of the most considerable Trading Towns in those Parts For besides the Wooden Fortifications we have mentioned before it has a Castle on the other side of the River opposite to the City and joyn'd to it by a Bridge This Castle is surrounded by a strong Stone Wall being
under their own Weywode but the City is inhabited both by Tartars and Muscovites who have their own Governour The Province of Casan lies on the left side of the River Volga bordering to the East upon Astrachan to the North upon the Siberian Tartars It was heretofore Subject to the Cham of Tartary till it was conquer'd by the Muscovites in the following Manner The Great Duke Basili Ivanovits Father to that famous Tyrant Ivan Basilovits after a signal Victory obtained over these Tartars The Conquest of Casan had constituted one Sheale their Governour against whom with the assistance of the Crim Tartars they made an Insurrection and forced him out of the Country Flush'd with this Success they marched into the Southern Muscovy under the conduct of two Brothers Mendligeri and Sapgeri who forced the Muscovites that were Encamped near the River Occa to Retreat under Noviogorod There being nothing in their way to stop their March to the City of Musco the same was besieged taken and plundered and the Castle also forced to capitulate being first reduced to the utmost extremity upon very hard conditions viz. That the Great Duke and his Subjects should be Tributaries to them for ever and as a Sign of this their Subjection the Great Duke should be obliged to smite his Head before the Statue of Mendligeri erected for that purpose in the Market place of the City as often as the Tribute should be paid to the Tartars The Great Duke having been forced by an unavoidable necessity to confirm these Articles by his Letters Patents the two Brothers parted Sapgeri chusing Casan for the Seat of his Empire Mendligeri being the Elder the City of Crim. But the latter having in view no less than the Conquest of the whole Muscovy marched soon after against the City of Rhesan and having summon'd John Kowar the Weywode of the Castle to surrender unto whom he represented how the Great Duke his Master was become his Subject the Governour pretending to be quite ignorant of the Matter desir'd that some more satisfactory Proof might be given him before he could resolve upon a Capitulation Mendligeri imagining that nothing could be more convincing than the Great Duke 's own Letters Patents sent them to the Governour who extreamly glad of having got so favourable an opportunity to recover by this Stratagem the Great Duke's original Letters sent word to the Besiegers that he was resolved to keep both the Letters and Castle to the last drop of Blood Neither was he behind hand in his Promises but with the Assistance of a certain Italian Connoneer he so Gall'd the Tartars that having forced them to Retreat from before the Town and Castle he sent the Letters to the Court of the Great Duke The people being over-joy'd at so lucky and unexpected an Accident broke down the Statue and the Czar taking Courage by the Example of his Subjects besieg'd the City of Casan but after much Blood shed on both sides was forced to raise the Siege After the Death of the Great Duke Basili Ivanovitz his Son John Basilovitz being desirous to revenge the Affront his Father had received before Casan began his Reign with the Siege of that City The place was for the space of two Months batter'd furiously when he offer'd them very advantageous Conditions which they having refused in hopes of Succour from the Crim Tartars the Great Duke not to loose Time ordered his Mines to be sprung which succeeded so well that a vast Number of Tartars were buried in their own Ruins During this Consternation the General Assault was given and the Place carried by Storm the 9th of July in the Year 1552. not without a great Slaughter the Tartars defending themselves with the utmost Bravery in two several Retrenchments within the City after the Enemy had made themselves Masters of the Breach and at last seeing all past Recovery they forc'd their Way out of one of the Gates through the Muscovian Camp and got on the other side of the River Casanska The Czar knowing the Importance of the Place which made him Master of the whole Province ordered immediately the Breaches to be Repair'd and some considerable Additions to be made to the Castle ever since which it has remain'd in the Possession of the Muscovites the Tartars who are allow'd to live in the City not daring under severe Punishments to set a foot between the Walls of the Castle The Country hereabouts is extreamly fertile especially of all sorts of Fruit Melons growing there of an extraordinary Taste coming in bigness near to our Pompions but not very populous by reason of the frequent Incursions of the Cosacks It is to be observed that the course of the River Wolga The course of the River Volga from the City of Nise Novogorod to Casan is East and South East-ward but from thence to the City of Astrachan and so further to the Caspian Sea its current runs from North to South About 60 Miles below Casan the River Kama coming North-East out of the Province of Permia The River Kama falls on the left side into the River Wolga and about 30 Miles lower the River Zerdick being a branch of the River Kama falls also into the same River At about 30 Miles distance from hence is situate on a little Ascent the City of Tetus on the right side of the Shoar resembling by its disorderly Buildings rather a great Village than a City Twenty five Miles lower not many Miles from the opposite Shoar of the River Wolga is the River Vtka which rises near the City of Bulgar The Province of Bulgar the capital of a Tartarian Province to which it had given its name Some Miles lower is an Island called Staritzza being above 15 Miles long and not far below this the Ruins of a considerable City among the Tartars called Vrenoskora It is a place very delightful for its Situation and famous to this day for the Burying of one of their Saints to whom they pay a great deal of Devotion A good many Miles lower at the right side of the River Volga are likewise to be seen the Ruins of two other great Cities not far distant from one another very pleasantly seated near the River side the first was called Simberska Gora the second Arbeuchim from an adjacent Mountain that retains the same name to this day they were both destroyed by Tamerlan being situate under the 53 deg Elâ—v The River Wolga is hereabouts as most all along from its very Source to the Caspian Sea full of Sand-banks and small Islands which lying scatter'd up and down on both Shoars render its passage very difficult and sometimes unpassable for Vessels of great Burthen who are obliged to go for the most part in the Months of May and June when by 〈◊〉 of the Snow being melted and the Rivers which fall into it being thawâ—d the Waters of 〈◊〉 River swell up to an extraordinary hight so 〈◊〉 often they afford a
passage to the Boats over the 〈◊〉 Islands The River Volga contains a prodigious Store of Fish of all Sorts a very good Commodity in Musâ—ovy by reason of the great number of their fast-Fast-days which both the Tartars and Muscovites catch with a Cord but in a different manner The Tartars fasten to the end of a long Cord a pretty big Stone which sinks to the bottom several great pieces of Wood being fastn'd to the other end 〈…〉 which swim upon the Water All along this great Cord many littles ones are fastn'd at some distance from one another each of these has at the end a goodâ—ook baited with a certain Fish which they know the rest to be greedy of by which Invention they catch often Fish of ten twelve and more foot long The Muscovites take also a Cord with a â—ook fastn'd to the end of it this Cord is tyâ—d about a piece of a well plainâ—d Board tinn'd over its â—igness about 4 or 5 Inches square which being draggâ—d behind a Boat by the reflection of the Sun resembles the Scales of Fish by which means they draw up Fish of a very great seize to the Bait and into the Snare Among other Fish wherewith this River abounds the Sturgeon is none of the least considerable whose Eggs afford that Ragout which the Italians call Cavayar 〈…〉 and the Muscovites 〈◊〉 the Eggs are put into a Paste being prepar'd 10 or 12 days with Salt This Commodity affords a considerable Trade to Muscovy being exported from thence to all Parts of Europe where it is look'd upon as the best of this kind for which reason the Czar keeps this Trade to himself Some Miles below the abovementioned ruined places the Shoar on both sides of the River is very Mountainous yet not â—o but that the Valleys afford very pleasant Pastures The first that appears on the right hand is a Mountain out of which the Muscovites get great store of Salt which being prepared in certain Huts at the foot of the Mountain is sent from thence by the River to Mâ—sâ—o Almost opposite to this is another Mountain at the foot of which the River Vssa falls into the Wolga On both sides are very fine Meadows bordering upon the Shoar but at some distance from thence are very thick Woods a place of retreat for the Cosacks which makes it very dangerous for Travellors Below this lies the Mountain Diwiagora or Maids-mountain which being divided into several steepy ' Hills of various colours and bearing Pine-trees in so regular an Order as if they had been planted there on purpose makes it appear very pleasant to the eye At the foot of this rises another which reaches near 40 Miles along the River But what is most remarkable here Thâ— Cyâ—â—â— Valley is the Valleys betwixt them which being stor'd with Apple-trees affords very good Cyder being called by the Muscovites Jabla-New-quas which is as much to say as Drink of Apples Some of these Mountains reach a great way into the Country others bordering only upon the River-side At the left side of the River about two Miles from the Shoar lies the City of Samara belonging to the abovementioned Tartarian Province of Bulgar and above 300 Miles distant from the City of Casan It s Form is square its Buildings all of Wood except the Churches and Monasteries which are three in number The River of Samar from whence it derives its name falls about three Miles below into the Volga About 100 Miles from hence is the Mountain of the Cosacks being all bare without any Wood it serves for a retreating place to the Cosacks living upon the Don or Tanais and hath from thence got its denomination Betwixt this and the City of Saratof above 200 Miles distant from hence are abundance of small Islands in this River so that at certain Seasons it has been fordable and consequently very incommodâ—ous for Ships of Burthen who at such places are obliged to unload part of their Cargo in smaller Boats which they carry along with them for that purpose The City of Saratof is situate in a very fair large Plain about four Miles from the River-side upon a Branch of the Wolga It is inhabited by Muscovite Soldiers who are put there as a Guard against the Incursions of the Tartars called Kalmuches Tartars Kalâ—uches Inhabiting a vast Tract of Ground which extends towards the Caspian Sea betwixt this River and the River Jaika About Three Hundred Miles lower 50 Miles on this side the City of Zariza The River Tanais the River Don the Tanais of the Antient Geographers advances within a days Journey near the River Volga as some Miles below the said City behind a certain Island called the Isle of Zerpinsko there falls a little River called Kamous which rises out of the before-mentioned River Don into the River Volga but it being very shallow affords scarce passage for small Boats Notwithstanding which there are some who affirm that it might be rendred more Navigable and consequently a Communication be established betwixt these two considerable Rivers Near the first of these two above-mentioned places The first Branch of the Wolga before you come to the City of Zariza near Achtobska Vtska the River Volga divides it self into two Branches whereof one taking its course to the left into the Country carries its Stream for a Mile to the North-East quite contrary to the Current of the great River but afterwards reassuming its former course returns to the South-East till it falls into the Caspian Sea About 40 Miles from hence at 5 Mile distance from the River-side are to be seen the Ruins of a great City formerly called Zaaresgorod that is to say the 〈◊〉 Royal built as it is related by Tamerlain Its Palace and Walls were all of Brick which have furnish'd the City of Astrachan for these many Years with Materials for their Walls Churches and Monasteries A few Miles from this Place lies the City of Zariza at the bottom of a Hill on the right side of the River 49 Degrees and 42 min. Elevation It is fortified with several Bastions and Towers but all of Wood it being a Frontier-Garison against the Neighbouring Tartars and Cossacks and inhabited only by Soldiers who also serve for a Convoy to the Vessels passing this way up and down the River All abouts here and even as far as Astrachan it self the Country except the before-mentioned Island of Zerpinsko which is Twelve Miles long and furnishes the Cattle belonging to the Garison with Grass the Soil is so barren that it affords no manner of Corn which defect however is easily supplyed by help of the River the fertile Grounds about Casan furnishing these Parts and even the City of Astrachan with Wheat at a very cheap rate About Sixscore Miles below the City of Zariza the River Wesowi near a small Island of the same Name falls into the Wolga on the right side as does the River Wolodinerski Vtsga 30 Miles lower
by the Circassians Salatto being the Mount of Caucasus of the Antients in the Province of Colchis now called Mengrelia famous in Antient Times for the Expedition of Jason as the height of this Mountain has furnish'd the Poets with that Fiction of Prometheus having from thence conveyed the Fire stoln from the Sun down upon the Earth The Mountain of Taurus and Ararat are so near to it that they appear like one continued Mountain which crosses all Asia from Mengrelia to the Indies The Mount Ararat is one entire vast Rock exceeding in height Mount Caucasus it self The Mountains Taurus and Ararat its top being covered with Snow Summer and Winter It is said to be the same upon which Noah's Ark rested after the Deluge the Armenians who call it Messina believing to this day that there are some remainders of that Ark upon this Mountain but by length of time all petrified which how agreeable or disagreeable to Truth is impossible to be determined the Mountain being so surrounded with Precipices that it is unaccessible These high Mountains are a great direction to the Mariners in those Parts most of whom having little or no Understanding of the Compass the different Prospect they afford towards the Caspian Sea The Caspian Sea serve as an Instruction to the Pilots to discover where-abouts they are The Caspian Sea was in antient times known by the name of Chosar having derived its name from the eldest Son of Thogarma who was the Son of Gomer and Grand child of Japhet third Son to Noah It is now a-days known by various names according to the diversity of the Inhabitants and Provinces bordering upon it Some Geographers have call'd it the Sea of Travisthan the Greek and Latin Authors the Hyrcanian Sea as also Mare Caspium and Caspianum the Muscovites name it Gualenskoi-more It s length from South to North viz. from the mouth of the River Wolga below the City of Astrachan to Ferebath in the Province of Mesenderan reaching eight degrees to the Aquator making 120 German or 600 English Miles Its breadth from the Province of Chuarasm or Karragon to Shirwan viz. from West to East is six degrees making 90 German or 450 English Miles and though according to the opinion both of the antient and most modern Geographers its length be reckoned quite contrary to this viz. from West to East and its breadth from North to South nevertheless upon the most exact Enquiry that could possibly be made the first account has been found most congruous both with the Persian Registers of Longitudes and Latitudes and with the true Situation of the Maritim Provinces adjoyning to that Sea There is also another Error introduced by Pomponius Mela Pliny and some of their followers as Strabo Macrobius and others who affirm the Caspian Sea to be a Sinus or Gulph of the Indian or Tartarian Sea or to have a communication with the Euxine Sea and by the River Tanais with the Palus Meotides But according to the best Survey made by some Europians of late Years of this Sea and the constant Report of the Persians bordering upon it it seems to be now passed all Dispute that the Opinion of Herodotus and Aristotle who affirm that the Caspian Sea is a particular Sea by it self not having any communication with other Seas is the most credible it being on all sides so encompass'd with Land that it deserves the name of the Mediteranean in a more strict sense than that which is commonly known by that name Besides the great Rivers of Wolga Araxis Cyrus the Jaika and Jems the Nios the Oxus and the Orxentes near a hundred other Rivers of less note fall into this Sea and notwithstanding all these prodigious Accessions of Waters it is not sensibly increased which may seem to furnish a probable Argument to those who assert that the Waters of these Rivers must needs be conveyed thence by some great and considerable Passages or open communication with other Seas The Persians are of opinion that under the Mountains near Ferebath betwixt the Provinces of Tauristan and Mesendan there is a Gulph where these Waters are swallowed up and conveyed away under the Earth But why may not the same reason take place here which is alledged for the Oceans not overflowing the Earth by the accession of so many Rivers viz. That besides the Mists which consume a great part the rest is conveyed by infinite secret Channels through the Earth back again to the Source of the Fountains and Rivers so that by the help of those Veins of the Earth these Waters being purified of their Filth and separated by this continual Percolation from their Salt are by an interrupted circulation reconveyed to the same Fountains and Rivers The Caspian Sea being either quite undiscovered The Caspian Sea not very well known to the Antients or but superficially known to the antient Greeks and Romans before the latter carried their Arms beyond the Euphrates it is no wonder if the relations those Authors have left us about it are for a great part not consonant to Truth and some modern Writers misguided by their Authority and having taken the rest perhaps upon hear-say have inferted a great many things which are contradicted by Experience What Curtius relates concerning the Caspian Sea being fresher than the Ocean proves a mistake it being full as Salt as the Waters of the Ocean tho' upon the Coast of Hyrcania now called Kilan the Water is only brackish because of the mixture of a great many Rivers which fall into this Sea on that side which may probably have led the above-mentioned Author into that Error tho' the same may be observed in the Ocean especially upon the Coast of Holland and Zealand by reason of the fresh Waters of divers Rivers which exonerate themselves thereabouts What the same Author relates of a vast number of Serpents in this Sea is positively contradicted by the Inhabitants of the Province of Kilan and others bordering upon that Sea Pomponius Mela in his Geography speaks of a vast number of Monsters which he calls Belluae abiding in this Sea which he alledges for one main Reason why it is scarce Navigable whereas it is sufficiently known that the true Reason why the Persians Tartars and Muscovites seldom venture far into this Sea and that only in Summer is that their Barks and Boats are so small and wretchedly built that they dare not venture far from the Shoar Besides that this Sea has very few Havens to wit that betwixt the Isle of Tzenzeni and the Continent near Terki beforementioned the Havens of Baku Lenkeran and Ferebath none of the safest the Haven near the City of Minkischack on the side of the Grand Tartary being the best in this Sea so that the Inhabitants bordering upon it being generally very bad Seamen and not well skill'd in the Compass it is their own Ignorance and the Danger of this Sea that keeps them near the Shoar not the Terror of these
of the first whose dead Body is carefully concealed is set up in his Room and declared to be the same Dalaè-Lama but only renewed in his Person and this Impostor is the more difficult to be discovered by the common People they being but rarely allow'd to see this High Priest unless it be at a distance when he gives them his Benediction I cannot but take notice here of the Opinion Preste Jean which some that have of late years travell'd into those Parts have conceived of this Dalaè-Lama to wit That he is that same Preste Jean who has made so much noise in the World and has been so variously represented by Historians Thus much is certain that if every thing be duely weighed as it ought to be concerning the Title and other Things which by many Authors are attributed to their Preste Jean the same may in most points be said of this Dalaè-Lama so that I see no reason why we may not with more Justice place him in Asia than these Authors have lookâ—d for him in Abyssina where with all their Endeavours and Shifts they have never been able to find him out hitherto The Portugeses were the first that received and afterwards communicated this erroneous Opinion to the rest of Europe it being certain that the more anâ—ient Authors who have made any mention of this Preste Jean have placed him always in Asia though they have differed both as to his Name and place of Residence And thus far Baltazar Tellez Nicolas Godigno and some others who have been for a considerable time resident in Ethiopia and consequently had the better Opportunity to be inform'd concerning this Matter agree with the Antients that this Preste Jeen is not to be heard of in those Parts The Portugeses were first led into this Error by one Pieter de Coulan who being sent by their King John II. to discover the East-Indies by Land after having traversed a great part of Asia and the Indies could not hear the least Tidings there of this so Famous Preste Jean But in his return homeward coming to Cairo was inform'd that in Ethiopia there was a very Potent Prince who was a declared Protector of the Christians having always a Cross carried before him This Relation agreeing in a great measure with what had been published before concerning Preste Jean was the sooner received as Authentick first in Portugal and afterwards all over Europe The Jesuit â— Kirker has shewn us out of the Latin Chronology of the Kings of Abyssina That there is not the least mention made there of this Preste Jean and if we search narrowly into the Antient Authors that have had occasion to speak 〈◊〉 him we shall find that the greatest part of them have placed him betwixt the Country of the Monguls and China tho' perhaps in several Provinces which difference might perhaps arise from thence that in former Ages this Preste Jean had his several Vicars as the Dalaè-Lama has now which might be taken by some for the Head it self St. Antonius in the third Tome of his History places this Preste Jean in the Greater or Vpper India from whence he says he drove back the Tartars that invaded the Christians in those Parts Those who have assign'd him his Reign in Kitay have questionless comprehended that vast Country situate betwixt the Rivers of Volga and the Oby as far as China under that Name as the Muscovites do to this day especially since Marcus Paulus Venetus who resided several Years with the Great Chan of the Tartars places Preste Jean in the same Kingdom of Tanchut where the Dalaè-Lama has his Residence to this day Both the Antient and Modern Authors have been strangely puzzled in finding out the true Etymology of the Word Preste Jean but in my Opinion that of Scaliger is the most probable who derives it from the Persian Word Prestegiani which signifies as much as Apostolick and might easily by Corruption be transformed into Preste Jean by such of the Europaeans as did not understand its true signification There is but two Objections of any moment to be made against this Assertion The first is that the same Preste Jean who is so much celebrated throughout Europe and his Subjects were Christians whereas the People Inhabiting now adays the Great Tartary are Idolaters The second is that Preste Jean was a Temporal Prince As to the first it is to be observed that tho' at present that vast Country is altogether possess'd by Infidels or Pagans nevertheless it is very probable that in more Antient Times the Christian Religion was introduced into those Parts as well as others and continued there for a considerable time there being certain Remnants of Christianity to be met with to this day among some of its Inhabitants There is a Country in those Parts called by the Moors in derision Kiaferstan that is The Country of the Infidels the Inhabitants of which are called to this day Christians of St. Thomas and tho' no Christians now yet have retain'd Baptism for their Children have painted Crosses in their Churches and bear three Red Crosses made with the Tincture of Sanders-Wood in their Foreheads I think it is almost beyond question that in the thirteenth Age there was a vast number of Christians in Tartary their Emperor Cublai having embraced the Christian Religion and his Brother waged War with great Success against the Caliph of Babylon and other Infidels In the fourteenth Age several of Franciscan Monks who were sent to the Great Chan converted in the Kingdom of Thibet which is next to that of Tanchut a great number of Pagans and it is Remarkable what F. Andrada a Portugese Jesuit relates That in the Year 1624. when he travell'd in those Parts he found among the Inhabitants some corrupted Idea's of Christianity as a certain sort of Confession of that Christian Faith their Ancestors had profess'd in former Ages And I think it no less worth Observation that this Dalaè or High-Priest of the Tartarian bears the Name of Lama which in the Tartarian Language signifies a Cross and that the Tartars of Bogdoi who acknowledge among the rest the Authority of this Dalaè wear always Crosses about them which they call Lama's and keep them with a great deal of Reverence As to the second Objection of this Dalaè not being a Temporal Prince now this may be ascribed to the Wars and Revolutions of a Country inhabited by several distinct Nations so as being first corrupted and at last quite degenerated from their Antient Religion into a Barbarous Idolatry and thereby the whole face of Affairs changed this Successor of Preste Jean from being a Monarch might become the Head of a New Religion or rather Idolatry But Tartars of Mongul it is time after this Digression to proceed in the Description of the Tartarian Provinces between Muscovy and China and among them to the Tartars of Mongul These Tartars inhabit a very large Tract of Ground from the Western sources of the
fifteen or sixteen days But before we part with our Travelling Merchants I cannot forbear to mention here a certain way they use in those Parts of easing these Reens or Sled-Stags in their Travels it being the more surprising the less any thing of that Nature is practised among the Europaeans tho' I remember to have some Years since seen something not unlike to it in Holland viz. a certain Machine driven forward by the help of Sails upon a Level This is performed by the help of Sails which when the Wind favours they put up in their Sleds so that by this means they are driven along sometimes over the Land covered with Snow sometimes over the Rivers frozen with Ice the Dog and Deer supplying the defect of the Wind in a Country all Level Why the Muscovites Travel by Land into China such as is that vast Tract of Ground betwixt Siberia and Mount Caucasus as the Oars in a Vessel when becalmed or labouring against the Wind. It will perhaps seem strange to those who have some knowledge of these North-Eastern Parts that whereas these Travelling Merchants might with more Ease and less Charge take the Advantage of those great numbers of Rivers which are betwixt China and Muscovy they should choose the way by Land as being both more chargeable and troublesome But besides that it is sufficiently evident out of what has been said that the Grand Tartary betwixt China and Muscovy is not so Desart as has been imagined there are insurmountable Obstacles in these Rivers which are sufficient to deter even the best Seamen in the World much more the Russians who are hitherto not the most expert in Sea-Affairs Not to mention here an almost infinite number of Rivers whose Names are not so much as known in Europe the most considerable both for the abundance of Water and extent of their Course are the Rivers Oby Genessay or Jenessay Lena and Yamour The two first have this Inconveniency that where they disembogue into the Sea they are almost all the Year long so choak'd up with whole Mountains of Ice that they are extreamly dangerous besides which the latter of the two is towards the Mouth of it so full of Cataracts or Water-falls at some Leagues distance from one another occasioned by the Rocks whose tops being all over covered with most delicious Flowers by their odoriferous scent perfume the circumjacent Air that they cannot be pass'd without unlading the Vessel which cannot be done without great Charge The Mouth of the River Lena lying more Easterly is not so much pester'd with Ice as the former and its Course much more easie yet the vast number of Rocks and Shelves which lie very close to one another at the very Entrance of it out of the Sea renders it very dangerous if not quite unpassable to Ships of never so little Burthen except it be to very small Fisher-Boats 'T is true the River Yamour the most Easterly of all would be very convenient for Traffick its course being uniform were it not for a prodigious number of Sea-Bull-rushes which at its Entrance into the Sea grow like a Forest of that thickness that a Man can hardly grasp one of them with both his Arms whereby all Passage for Ships to go into the Sea is quite obstructed All these Difficulties and Obstacles considered who can blame the Muscovites if they prefer the most commodious and shortest Way before the dangers of these Rivers which however are not useless but rather very commodious to them in their Land-Travels from Siberia cross the Tartarian Provinces to the Confines of China forasmuch as they travel with more Ease over them when they are frozen and are more Navigable towards their Sources than towards the End of their Courses During the Differences betwixt the Muscovites and Chineses arisen about the Building of the Fort of Albazin by the first upon the River Yamour these Merchants used to go by Water upon the Rivers Oby and Szelinga as far as the City which bears the same name with the last of these Rivers being built there by the Muscovites for the Conveniency of their Travelling Mercants From this City they travel by Land through the Country of the Tartars of Mongul to the place of Residence of the Chan of Becroesain one of their Principal Chans where also resides the Coutusta-Lama or Vicar of the Tartarian High Priest here by the means of some Presents they obtain Guides and Carriages with a good Convoy who conducts them to the Frontiers if China CHAP. VI. Of the Samoyedes Groenland Livonia and Courland THE Samoyedes or Samogedes inhabit that Tract of Ground which lies North-East of Siberia on both sides of the River Oby extending to the Streight of Weigats in the Frozen Sea their Habitation being under the frigid Zone it self This Country was first discovered to the Muscovites by a Russian Merchant whose name was Oneke who having for a considerable time traded with the Inhabitants in rich Furrs and gathered great Wealth at last made a Discovery of it to the Czar of Muscovy who having sent thither a splendid Embassy they soon persuaded them to submit to His Czarish Majesty paying a certain number of Sable Skins for their yearly Tribute They were formerly comprehended under the name of those the Antients called Shytes or Sarmates it being certain that the word Samoyedes is a Muscovian Word signifying as much as self-eaters composed out of Sam which signifies ones self and Geda to eat because they used to eat the Bodies of their dead Friends mixed with their Venison in the last of which this Country abounds and always was and is to this day their ordinary Food Some would have them to be the same Abii of which Curtius speaks that they sent Ambassadors to Alexander the Great and that they were called Obii from the River Oby Tho' they have no Cities yet do they not live a Vagabond-life like most of the Tartars but have their settled Habitations which are certain Cabans or Huts some Foot deep under the Ground of a circular Figure built Vault-wise a top having in the middle of it a Hole underneath which is the Fire-place round about which they lie during the Winter it serves both for a Chimney and sometimes for a Door thro' which they let in the Air when the others are stopt up by the Snow which falls here often six or seven Foot high During this Season which lasts six Months and keeps them in continual Darkness their Correspondence is maintain'd betwixt them by the Trenches or Walks under Ground from one Hut to another by which means they visit one another the absence of the Sun being supplied by the melancholy light of Lamps fed with Oil drawn of a certain Fish of which as well as of all other Necessaries they make provision in the Summer which Season begins here as soon as the Sun comes to the Equinoctial Line and enters into the Septentrional Signs of the Zodiack and rejoyces
they say is occasioned by the Child's having received a Name not suitable to its Constitution and therefore are obliged to give it another They love to do their private Devotions upon Hills or near a Tree in which having made several Incisions and ty'd it up with some red Stuff they there offer their Prayers which always tend to some benefit of this Life The Peasants about Revel and Narva go once a Year viz. on the day of our Lady's Visitation on Pilgrimage to an old ruin'd Chappel betwixt these two Cities where kneeling before a great Stone that is in the midst of it they offer Fruits and Flesh as a Sacrifice for the Preservation of themselves and their Cattle the whole ending with Dancing Drinking and sometimes Fighting All this is not so much to be attributed to their Ignorance as Stubbornness for there is scarce a Village but what has a Church and Minister and the Bishop of the Province residing at Revel keeps as watchful an Eye as possibly he can over the Clergy besides which the Catechism the Gospel and Epistles with certain Explications added to it have been long ago translated into their Native Tongue for their general Benefit but all this has proved insufficient to root out of these stubborn Peasants the remnants of their Idolatrous Superstitions Their Weddings are in a great measure as odd as some other of their Customs Their Weddings For if a Peasant Marries a Country Lass out of another Village he gets on Horseback with a Stick cleft at the top wherein is put a Brass Piece of Money thus equipped and accompanied by two of his Friends with naked Swords in their Hands and a Bag-piper riding before him he comes to fetch the Bride whom he sets behind him and having made her embrace him with the Right-hand away he rides to the House where the Marriage is to be consummated when they come to the Door his two Friends give each of them a stroak with their Swords cross the Door of the House which being opened he gives the Brass Piece of Money to the first he meets with there Being entred his two Friends stick their Swords into a Beam directly over his Head which they pretend to be done to prevent Charms for which purpose also the Bride as she comes along the Road scatters little pieces of some red Stuff or another by the way but especially where any Cross-ways meet or near any Crosses which are put upon the Graves of little Children which die without Baptism whom they bury in the High-way They have however one Custom which among People so barbarous seems to have something extraordinary in it For after the Bride and Bridegroom are set down at the Table with the Guests they don't tarry long there but within half an hour leaving the Guests to themselves they get to Bed after having for the space of two hours try'd one anothers Vigour return to the Table where with Drinking and Dancing they spend the remainder of the Day and following Night till what with Weariness and what with Drunkenness their Legs begin to fail them when they all Pig together in one Nest As for their Garments they are suitable to their wretched Condition to wit of a coarse Cloath the Womens Petticoats being without any Plaits like a Sack Those who have been able to save a little by their Drudgery beyond the rest wear about their Necks a Necklace of Plates of Silver of the bigness of a Crown Piece and upon the Breast one hanging down by a Chain as big as a Trencher but not very thick Their Shooes are either made out of the Barks of Trees or raw Leather of a Cows Hide But because we have had occasion to speak here of the Superstition of these Demi-Christian Peasants in Livonia it will not be altogether beyond our scope to subjoin here some Memorable Observations not commonly known concerning the Religion Sacrifices and certain Customs of the Antient Inhabitants of Livonia Prussia Lithuania Russia and some other Neighbouring Sarmatian Nations when Pagans Forasmuch as there does not only appear a great congruity betwixt them and some of these Idolatrous Superstitions we have just now related of the Livonian Peasantry but also by making a due comparison a great many Customs retained to this day by the Northern Nations and among them more-especially by the Russians as to what relates to their Carnavals Marriages Funerals c. may be observed to owe their first Off-spring to their Pagan Ancestors These Nations before they were converted to the Christian Religion had many Gods unto whom they used to Offer their Sacrifices Occopirnus was called by them the God of Heaven and Earth Antrimpus was the God of the Sea Gardvates the God and Patron of the Sea-faring Men these three being reckoned equivalent among them to Jupiter Neptune and Portuninus by the Romans Besides these Potrympus was their God of all Rivers and Fountains Pilvitus the God of Riches Perguboius the God of the Spring Pargnus the God of Thunder and Tempests Poctus the God of Darkness and Infernal Spirits Poccollus the God of the Spirits of the Air Putscaetus the God of sacred Woods and Groves Ausceutus the God of Health and Sickness Marcoppol the God of Noblemen besides which they had those they called Backtuâ—s or Erdmanlein by the Germans That is to say living under Ground and some other Spirits which used to appear to them in the Russian Tongue called Colkie by the Greeks Coboli and Cobolds in the German Language On St. George's Day they used to offer their Sacrifice to Pergubrius the God of Flowers Plants and Fruits of the Earth in the following manner The Priest holding a Cup of Beer in his right hand adores the Idol 〈…〉 and calling him by his Name sings thus in his praise Thou drivest away the Wâ—nter thoâ— restorest to us the Pleasures of the Spring it is owing to thy Power that our Fields and Gardens appear â—ine and green and that the Trees and Forests are covered with Leaves Having finish'd this Song the Priâ—st taking hold of the Cup of Beer with his Teeth drinks it off quite without the help of his Hands when he throws it backwards over his Head The Cup being taken up from the Ground and replenish'd with the same Liquor all that are present drink one after another singing the abovementioned Hymn in praise of the Idol and spending the remainder of the Day in Feasting and Dancing When the Harvest-time begin to appâ—oach the Country People used to perform the same Sacrifice which in the Russian Language they call'd Zazinck that is to say the beginning of the Harvest The Sacrifice being over they used to chuse one of those that were present to begin the Harvest who cutting down immediately a Handful of Corn carried it to his House till next day when first he and his Servants and then the rest began the Harvest which being ended they used again to meet and perform the same
of Stone and Brick and was formerly the Seat of their Chan from whence these Tartars received first their Name as they were afterwards called Precopians from the City of Precop which is situate on the Eastern side of the Isthmus The Tartars call it 〈◊〉 it is not very large consisting only of 400 or 500 Houses It was called Precop from the Sclavonian Word Precap which signifies a Ditch or Trench because it was built just within the Trench of the Taurica Chersonesus which is made cross the Isthmus Opposite to this on the Western side is the City of Coslow situate upon a Cape of the Chersonesus extending to the Exin Sea It has about 2000 Houses and is a place of good Trade and about five or six Days Journey from Azoph Further Westward at the Mouth of the River Boristhenes or Nieper near the Euxin Sea lies the City of Oczacow having a strong Castle it formerly belonged to the Great Dukes of Lithuania but was taken from them by the Precopian Tartars who inhabit here yet so as to be Tributaries to the Turks who always keep some Gallies here to keep a watchful Eye over the neigbouring Cosacks It is near 200 Miles distant from Precop Baciasaray is the Town where the Chan keeps his ordinary Residence and Court it contains about 2000 Houses besides which he has another Palace called Almasaray where he diverts himself sometimes it is only a Village containing not above 60 or 70 Houses The Taurica Chersonesus is in some parts full of Hills and Woods but in others has very fertile Plains abounding in all sorts of Grain Fruit and very excellent Wine The Tartars that inhabit it seldom apply themselves to Tillage or any other manner of cultivating the Ground but leave it to the Jews or the Christians which are their Slaves And as for the Tartars that live without the Isthmus they make not the least account of it applying themselves entirely to Pasturage and Robberies All their Riches consist in their Cattle but especially in their Horses and in what Booty they get abroad in their Excursions They sell their Prisoners of both Sexes after the Chan has taken his Share of them for his own Use to the Christian and Jewish Merchants at Caffa in Exchange of which they take from them Turkish Horses Arms Stuffs and such other Commodities as they stand in need of From the City of Caffa these Slaves are transported to Constantinople Synope Trebisord and other places in the Levant Among all the Slaves taken by these Tartars the Polish Women are in greatest esteem these are not only transported to Constantinople and Persia but sometimes to the Indies to be entertained in the Seraglio's of these Princes Formerly the Soldans of Egypt used to drive a considerable Trade in these Parts the chief Strength of their Forces being conspâ—â—â—d of such as the Tartars had made Prisoners either in Russia Podolia Muscovy and Circassia But since the Ruin of this Warlike Empire by Selim the Turkish Emperour this Trade into Egypt is quite lost The Crim or Precopian Tartars are for the most part of a middle Size The Crim or Precopian Tartars described strong and well set in their Limbs they have short Necks large and broad Faces with very small Eyes but very black and lively and have some other Features peculiar to themselves by which they may be easily distinguish'd from other Nations They are inur'd to all sorts of Hardship from their Infancy their Mothers being used to bathe them once a Dayat least in cold Water wherein a little Salt is dissolved to make them hardy and render their Bodies proof against the Injuries of the Air. No sooner are they out of their Mother's Tution but their Fathers by degrees bring them to shoot with the Bow which they do with great Dexterity and at the Age of twelve or fifteen make them go along with them in the Wars The Common Tartars especially those living abroad in Tents use no other Cloaths but a Cosaque coming down to their Heels made of Sheep-Skin with a picked Cap or Bonnet of the same Stuff under which they wear perhaps a pair of Linnen Breeches or Drawers The Men and Women are scarce to be distinguish'd in their Dress but that the last wear often a Linnen Coif or piece of coarse Cloth tyed round their Heads The Wives of their Chans and other Women of Quality always wear a Veil over their Faces when they appear in publick and are cloathed in Calicoes Stuffs and sometimes Silk of divers Colours as their chief Men have their Cloaths made of Cloth and use Turkish Saddles for their Horses which are often of the Arabian Breed and adorned with very good Equipages all which they have of the Armenian Merchants or else take from their neighbouring Nations where they make their Inroads For the rest they use nothing but Wooden Saddles Their Arms are commonly a Scymiter a Bow and Quivâ—r furnish'd with twenty or more Arrows These as well as their Saddles they make themselves Their Bow-strings are made out of the Nerves of Horses the Quiver covered with the Skin of the same Beast They make also the best Whips in the World our Whip-makers in Europe having hitherto not been able to come near them in twisting of Whips Besides their Arms they always carry about them a Knife which serves to mend their Bridles and Saddles if any thing happens to be amiss a Tinder-box to strike Fire and a Compass to direct them in their March through the Desarts and Wildernesses where there is not the least Tract of any Road. Their Horses Their Horses which they call Bachmats are very ill-shaped being very long and thin with long Manes and Tails but what they want in Shape they make up in Swiftness and Hardiness being in both these Points together to be preferred before any other in the World They commonly undergo the Fatigue of a long days Journey without the least Food they are continually kept abroad both Winter and Summer and when they are upon an Expedition these Beasts will live upon what they can pick out from under the Snow or upon the Moss Bark or small Branches of Trees or upon any thing else that they light on in their Way Their Chief Men make use of Arabian and Turkish Horses wear under their Cosaques Coats of Mail and use very good Equipages Their Chan especially is most Magnificent in his Horses and Equipages keeps a very good Table and lives as to all other things in great Splendor suitable to his Quality When they live abroad in their Tents Their Food they seldom eat Bread instead of which they make use of Millet Their Ordinary Food is Horse-flesh which they boil either alone or with Millet when they rest in a Place but when they are going upon an Expedition they have it bak'd and upon the March often only roll it together and put it under the Saddle from whence they take it upon occasion and
another It is for this reason they are obliged to March with great Caution through Desarts and unknown Roads and for fear of being discovered Encamp in the very midst of the Winter without Fire Being come near the Place where they intend to make an Irruption their Generals detatch a third Part of the whole Army which being again divided into several Bodies they make their Excursions at ten or twenty Miles distanceâ— on both sides of the Army which in the mean while is kept ready in a Posture to fight the Enemy wherever there may be occasion The first Detatchment being return'd fâ—om Pillaging the second is sent out and at their return the third Part till every one has had his Share in Ravaging round about the Camp as far as they thought it convenient for the space of five or six days then they retire as fast as they can marching sometimes 60 or 80 Miles in 24 Hours till they come to the Great Plains where thinking themselves secure by reason of the Advantage they have in the vast number of their Horses they tarry there for some time as well to recover themselves from the Fatigue they have undergone in the Expedition as to share the Booty and Prisoners they have taken They sometimes make also an Irruption in the Summer-time which is commonly put in Execution by the Tartars of Budziack who seldom go into the Campaign with above ten or twelve Thousand Men at a time The Tartarian Armies are divided into very strong Regiments or Troops Their manner of Fighting consisting of two three and sometimes four Thousand Men they seldom Engage with their Enemies except they know themselves much Superior in Number but when they cannot avoid fighting they divide themselves into a great many Bodies and so make a running Fight our Forces which are obliged to keep their Rank and Order not knowing which of them to Attack first or with the most Advantage Whilst they are Retiring they shoot their Arrows backwards as thick as Hail which they do with the greatest Dexterity imaginable being the best Horse-Men in the World and Riding very short with their Knees bent like the Poles Arabians Turks and Africans they at full Speed raise themselves upon their Stirrops and with their Arrows gall their Enemies Horse and return as frequently to Charge those that pursue them as they find opportunity to do it This is however to be understood when they out number their Enemies for else if they happen to be surprised they run away full Speed and trust to the Heels of their Horses But this is very rarely done they always keeping strong Out-Guards at some distance from their Camp either near a River or on some Eminency from whence they at a great distance descry the approach of the Enemy being as quick-sighted as any People in the World and so give the Alarum to the rest The Prisoners they take in these Expeditions they sell to the Merchants which come from Constantinople and other Places belonging to the Turks in the Levant to Caffa or else they keep them for their own Use either to Cultivate the Ground or to look after their Cattle where they must be contented with the same Food their Masters have which is commonly Horses Flesh half raw which they eat lying upon the Ground after a very beastly manner But this as well as most of the rest we have related concerning the Manner of these Tartars 〈…〉 is to be understood from such among them as live in the Great Plains and these indeed are the greatest part a sort of a Vagabond Life but for such as inhabit within the Isthmus of the Taurica Chersonesus and have settled Habitations in Cities and Villages are much more civilised making not only use of Tables and Seats spread with Carpets and other sorts of Furniture brought thither by the Armenians and other Merchants of the Levant but also their Dyet comes much nearer to that of other Europaeans making use of Bread Mutton Fowl Hydromel and Aqua Vitae in their Houses and have their Mosques like the Turks They are all bare-wall'd within without any Painted or Graven Image for they ridicule the Russians telling them That when their Saints are grown old and Worm eaten they throw them into some River or another from whence says they we perhaps take him up and broil a piece of Horseflesh upon it A fine God indeed that is not able to resist those that are going to destroy it But the Floor of these Mosques are spread with Carpets no body being allow'd to come in with his Shooes on The Day dedicated for their Religious Service is the Friday perhaps because they will not have any thing common with the Christians or Jews when at Sun-rising they are called together not by the Ringing of Bells but by the Priest who being seated in a certain Place made for that purpose on the top of the Mosque with a laudable Voice exhorts them to repair thither Being met he takes the Alcoran written in Arabick Letters in his Hand and reads the Chapter which treats concerning the Manner how to worship God after which they sing certain Songs in the praise of Mahomet and so depart to their respective Homes They do not burn but bury their Dead unless it be after a Defeat when they rather chuse to burn them than let them fall into the hands of the Christians and for the rest believe the Transmigration of Souls We having frequently mentioned the Cosacks in the Description of several of the Muscovian Provinces The Cosacks we will conclude this Chapter with a short Account of their Origin and what else may be found remarkable among a barbarous multitude of People Those that have described the Cosacks as a particular Nation have been grossly mistaken in their Opinion For before the Time of Sigismund the I. they were no more than Volunteers or Freebuteers composed out of a wild and barbarous Rabble most of them Boors that had left their Habitations in the Neighbouring Provinces of the Polish Russia Wolinia and Podolia and had settled themselves in some Islands of the River Boristhenes beneath Kiovia where they lived upon Robbing and Plunder They were called Cosacks from their Agility the Word Cosa intimating as much in the Polish Language which chiefly consisted in passing betwixt the innumerable small Islands situate at the mouth of the River Boristhenes They used to commit their Piracies for the most part upon the Black-Sea and are since that time not only become formidable to the Turkish Gallies but also to Natolia it self where they did not only plunder Trebisond and Sinope but even the Suburbs of Constantinople and brought back their Prisoners and Booty safe to their Habitatations in the Isles of the Boristhenes Their Custom is to Cruise during the Summer in the Black-Sea but as soon as the Winter approaches these Freebuteers return to the Boristhenes where dispersing themselves every one to his respective Home they
From hence also proceed these frequent Irregularities Disorders and Excesses in Debaucheries even to sin against the Course of Nature not only with Men but also with Beasts The Women of the meaner Sort tho' otherwise kept under a very strict Discipline will often find out their Husbands at the Tippling-House and drink with them to that Excess till they can neither stand nor go and are obliged to lay down among them at the Tippling-House Several of the Great Dukes have attempted to put a stop to this Evil by ordering such Publick-houses as were allow'd of by their Authority to sell their Liquor only by certain Measures at a time but this prov'd ineffectual the Neighbours meeting by turns at their own Houses where they play'd the same Game they were used to at the Tippling-Houses Formerly Tobacco was as extravagantly taken Tobacco forbidden as the Aqua Vitae and was the Occasion of frequent Mischiefs forasmuch as not only the poorer Sort would rather lay out their Money upon Tobacco than Bread but also when drunk did set their Houses on Fire through their Negligence Besides which made the Patriarch take a particular Disgust at it they used to appear before their Images with their stinking and infectious Breath all which obliged the Great Duke absolutely â—o forbid both the Use and Sale of Tobacco in the Year 1634 under very rigorous Punishments to wit For the Transgressors to have their Nostrils slit or else to be severely whipt Nevertheless it is of late Years more frequently used than ever it was before since the time of the Edict the Search being not now so strict against the Takers nor the Punishment so rigorously executed Foreigners having the Liberty to use it makes the Muscovites often venture upon it in their Company they being so eager of Tobacco that the most ordinary Sort which formerly cost not above 9 or 10 Pence per Pound in England they will buy at the rate of fourteen or fifteen Shillings and if they want Money they will truck their Cloaths for it to the very Shirt They take it after a most beastly manner instead of Pipes they have an Engine made of a Cows-horn in the middle of which there is a Hole where they place the Vessel that holds the Tobacco The Vessel is commonly made of Wood pretty wide and indifferently deep which when they have fill'd with Tobacco they put Water into the Horn to temper the Smoak They commonly light their Pipe with a Firebrand sucking the Smoak through the Horn with so much Greediness that they empty the Pipe at two or three Sucks when they whiff it out of the Mouth their rises such a Cloud that it hides both their Faces and the Standers by Being debarr'd from the constant use of it they fall down drunk and insensible immediately after for half a quarter of an Hour when the Tobacco having had its Operation they lep up in an instant more brisk and lively than before when their first Discourse commonly tends to the praise of Tobacco and especially of its noble Quality in purging the Head For the rest The Muscovite are hardy and resolute the Muscovites are from their Infancy inur'd to all sorts of Hardship their Children being seldom suckled above two or three Months and this with the coldness of their Climate and their sparing Diet makes them very fit to endure the Fatigues of War being especially very resolute in defending of Places which they will maintain to the utmost extremity I will only alledge here for an Instance the Siege of Noteburgh where the Garrison was reduc'd to two Men before they would hearken to a Capitulation this happen'd in the Year 1579 Good Soldiers in Garrison when the Poles had besieged the Castle of Svikols fortified after the Russian Fashion with wooden Fortifications as they were giving the Assault had set it on Fire yet the Muscovites made good the Breach and were seen to maintain their Ground when their Cloaths were on fire Another example of their Resolution may be given in the Siege of the Abby of Paedis in Livonia where they were reduced to such Extremity for want of Provisions before they would Capitulate that they were no longer able to stand upon their Legs or to be upon their Duty and were not able to meet the Swedes at the Gate when they took Possession of the Place It must be confess'd that they have seldom had any great Advantage against the Poles or Swedes in the Field but the most understanding in Martial Affairs have attributed it more to the defect of their Officers than the Courage of the Soldiers the first being not to be compared to the Poles and Swedes neither for Experience or Conduct as it happen'd at the Siege of Smolensko where the Muscovites received that Disgrace if not by the Treachery at least by the ill Conduct of their Generals It has questionless been for this Reason That the Czars of Muscovy have for a considerable time past and do to this day employ abundance of foreign Officers in their Armies and it is very probable that since a great number of the Cosacks have embraced the Prâ—tection of the Czar of Muscovy they may prove more formidable in Battles than they have done hitherto They are very good at keeping Secrets especialâ—y in what relates to their own Affairs or the Publick in which respect they are so over-jealous that they will scarce allow any Stranger to cast his Eyes upon any Strong-hold tho' of very small consequence and scarce worth taking notice of much less that they should be easie in informing them in any thing tho' of never so lâ—ttle moment which makes it very difficult for Strangers to be truly informed of the Constitution of their Country unless it be by a very long Conversation It is upon this score that all Strangers at their first arrival in the City of Musco except such as bear a publick Character are obliged to pass their Examination in the Chancery in the presence of several Registers who after having asked them as many Questions as they think convenient put down in Writing their Depositions The Muscovites are reckoned to be great Gameâ—ters at Chess as any are in the World and many among them will take now and then a Turn at Dice They are of late Years become very industrious in their way of Trading questionless by their frequent Commerce with the Chineses and Dutch the last of which they strive to imitate not only in this but several other Matters the Muscovites being more ingenious at imitating than inventing The Women in Muscovy have an extraordinary Respect for their Husbands Of 〈…〉 they live exceedingly retir'd and very seldom appear in Publick Virgins if they be of any Quality live under as much if not more Restraint than the Women for besides that they are very seldom allow'd to go abroad when they do they are always covered with a Veil to prevent their being seen so that
hide their privy Parts but a Handful of Herbs moistned in Water which a great many don't think it worth their while to make use of being not very shy to be seen by Men when they are going out to câ—ol themselves in cold Water both Sexes commonly going out and in at one and the same Dooâ— to their Bathing-rooms These Baths are the universal Remedies of the Muscovites not only for cleansing their Bodies but also for the Preservation of their Health which being thus from their Infancy inur'd to the greatest Extremities of Heat and Cold makes them to be of a very strong and healthy Constitution and for the generality long liv'd and very seldom troubled with any Distempers which if they are their Panacea is a hearty Draught of the best Aqua vitae fortified with Garlick and sometimes Pepper tho' it be in a very high Fever they not knowing of any other Evacuation but what is wrought thro' the Pores of the Body Thus they live for the most part without Physicians and many of them without Diseases yet since the last Wars with the Poles they have also made a very intimate Acquaintance with the Venereal Disease which in so cold a Climate as theirs sticks very close to them especially since it may rationally be believ'd that Physick does not appear here in its utmost Perfection tho' it be undeniable that Physick and Physicians have for many Years past been highly esteem'd by the Czar and the Nobility Their Way of Saluting is by putting off their Caps and if they intend to pay a more than ordinary Reverence they decline their Head very low towards the Ground without moving their Feet The Women use the same Way of Saluting only that they bow very slowly letting their Hands hang down by their Sides and neverâ— touch their Bonnets When a Muscovite intends to shew the greatest piece of Civility he is capable of to a Stranger he brings to him his Wife attir'd in her best Apparel to salute her with a Kiss Your ordinary Citizens or Peasants when they appear before their Magistrates or the Nobility bow to the very Ground prostrating themselves and beating their Foreheads to the Ground The same Reverence is paid to the Czar even by the greatest Men in the Kingdom This extraordinary Respect paid by the Commonalty to the Nobles makes them appear so extreamly haughty and jealous of their Authority that Strangers tho' of the first Quality rarely meet with that Civility they might reasonably claim according to their respective Stations unless it be from some who are acquainted with the Customs of Foreign Countries They begin their Day at the rising of the Sun and end it at the setting so that their Night begins as soon as the Sun is down and ends when it rises Their Year they begin on the first of September because they use no other Epoche than from the Creation of the World which they suppose was in Autumn And whereas we account from the Creation of the World to the Nativity of Christ Three thousand Nine hundred and Sixty nine Years they following the Footsteps of the Greeks reckon Five thousand Five hundred and Eight So that in the Year 1697 they reckon in Muscovy 7209 Years from the Creation of the World whilst we account but 5720. They solemnize their New-year's Day with great Processions in all the considerable Towns of Muscovy Their manner of Travelling is extreamly commodious especially in the Winter when their Sleds glide away on the surface of the Ice or Snow in a flat Country with incredible Swiftness and very little Inconveniency to the Horses so that they will travel 50 or 60 Miles a day These Sleds are made of the Bark of the Linden-tree fitted to the length and breadth of a Man they line them with some thick Felt and when a Man is laid in them along he is covered and wrapt up over Head and Ears in good Furs The Carter runs for the most part by the Sled to warm himself and sometimes sits at the Feet of the Person that rides in the Sleds where he is sure to comfort himself with a Drachm of the Bottle These Sleds being very low built if they happen to over-turn are not very dangerous The Ladies Sleds being covered on all sides in the Fashion of a Coach are much higher and heavier and therefore more dangerous Whilst they travel thus the Time is past away for the most part with Sleeping the easie and insensible motion favouring the Repose of the Traveller When they happen to pass through Desarts and great Forests where they are obliged to remain all Night in the open Air they kindle a great Fire and round about it range their Sleds so that being well clos'd up on all sides and covered all over with Furs they sleep more commodiously than in a Country Cottage where Men and Beasts being all together lodged in one Room greatly disturb a Man's rest In the Summer they travel either by Water upon the Rivers wherewith this Country is stor'd every where or else by Land on Horseback by Coach or Waggon the Roads in Muscovy being very broad beautiful and easie for Travelling By Water they make use of certain little Boats made all of one Piece of the Trunk of a Tree made hollow in which they stand upright and row over the Lakes and Rivers These Boats being very light a Man goes a great way in them in a little time but they have this Inonvenience that if not exactly counterpoiz'd they soon turn over They have also certain Floating Bridges made of pieces of Firr joyn'd together which bear themselves up upon the Water The greatest inconveniency in Travelling here is that in the Country there are no Inns or Houses of Entertainment for Travellers so that they are obliged to carry along with them what Provisions and other Necessaries they stand in need of Besides that the violent Heat in the Summer and the prodigious quantities of Flyes are very troublesome and interrupt the Pleasure which a Stranger else might take in the Beauty and Variety of their Forests Brooks and Lakes Marriages is accounted honourable among them Thâ—ir Marriâ—ges and Polygamy forbidden They may Marry twice but to do it the third Time is accounted Scandalous and Immoral They are very Superstitious in observing the degrees of Consanguinity and seldom Marry those that are any wise near to them by Kindred or Alliance Two Brothers are not permitted to Marry two Sisters neither are God-fathers and God-mothers to the same Person to inter-marry There is no such thing as Wooing here betwixt the young Couple Gallantry and Courtship the Preliminaries of Love which insensibly insinuate into the Mind and captivate our Hearts are look'd upon here as Chymera's Marriage being considered as a necessary Evil. Young Men and Maids are not suffered to see much less to have any Conversation with one another so as to talk of Marriage or to be able to make the least Promise by
whole Family upon a very slender Account So much are they accustom'd to Slavery that they scarce look upon it as a Punishment Sometimes the Executioner for a Present will suffer the Debtor to put a small Iron Plate under his Boots The same Rigour is used without any difference to all of what Quality Condition Sex or Age soever A Bojar or Muscovian Lord giving his attendance at Court or at any extraordinary Solemnity Pag. 177 CHAP. X. An account of the Coronation of the Czars of Muscovy their Grandeur Revenue Marriages c. NO sooner is the Czar of Muscovy dead but Messengers are sent every where to summon the Chief Officers of the Court and others who are to be present at the Coronation to repair to the City of Musco where this Solemnity is perfoâ—med with all the Expedition imaginable and sometimes the very next day after the Decease of the Predecessor The Metropolitans Archbishops Knez Boyars and the principal Merchants of the Kingdom being entred the place at the day appointed for the Coronation of the new Czar a Scaffold is erected three Steps high and covered with Persian Tapestry in the great Church within the Castle On this Scaffold are set three very rich Chairs at an equal distance from one another to wit One for the Great Duke another for the Patriarch and the third for the Ducal Cap embroider'd with Pearls and Diamonds with a Tassel on the Crown of it on which hangs a little Crown all over beset with Diamonds of a great Value and the Robe which is made of the richest Brocado lined with Sables The new Czar The Czar's Coronation attended by the Patriarch and Metropolitans being come within the Church the Clergy begin to sing certain Hymns which being done the Patriarch prays to God St. Nicholas and other Saints desiring them to be present at this Great Solemnity The prayer being ended the Chief Minister of State takes the Grand Duke by the Hand and presents him to the Patriarch and says The Knez and Boyars having acknowledged this Prince the lawful Heir to the Crown as being the next of Kin to the late Czar they desire that you may Crown him immediately The Patriarch then leads the Prince upon the Scaffold where being seated in one of the three Chairs he blesses him with a little Cross beset with Diamonds by putting it to his Head and immediately after one of the Metropoâ—â—tans reads the following Prayer O Great Lord our God thou King of kings who by the Prophet Samuel didst once chuse thy faithful Servant David to be King over thy People of Israel hearken to our Prayers which we thy unworthy Servants offer up unto thee at this time Look down from the highest Heaven upon thy faithful Servant here present who through thy Grace thou hast exalted to be King over thy People and thy Son hath redeemed by his Blood Anoint him with the Oil of Chearfulness protect him by thy Power and Crown him with a precious Diadem grant him a long and happy Reign put the Royal Scepter into his Hands that he may sway it upon the Throne of Justice Let all barbarous Languages acknowledge his Power and let both his Heart and Vnderstanding be always directed to thy fear and during the Course of this mortal Life let him never recede from thy Commandments Let Heresie and Schism not come near his Person or Government and may he always maintain and observe what is commanded and ordained by the holy Greek Church Judge thy People in Justice and shew thy Mercy to the Poor that when they leave this Valley of Misery they may be received into eternal Joys The whole Prayer he concludes with these Words For thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost be with us and remain with us The Prayer ended two Metropolitans by order from the Patriarch take the Cap and Robe up which are taken from their Hands by some Boyars who put them upon the Grand Duke whom the Patriarch blesses a second time by touching his Forehead with the Cross of Diamonds and whilst he is saying In the Name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost and imparting the third Blessing to the Grand Duke the Ducal Cap is by two of the Boyars put upon the Patriarch's Head who causes all the rest of the Prelates there present to approach and give the Benediction to the Great Duke but only with their Hands Then the Great Duke and Patriarch sit down but raise again immediately when the Litany is sung every Verse ending with God have mercy upon us and the new Czar's Name The Litany ended both the Great Duke and Patriarch sit down again when one of the Metropolitans approaching to the Altaâ— sings the following Words O God preserve our Czar and Grand Duke of all the Russes whom God out of his great Mercy hath bestowed upon us God grant him good Health and a long and happy Life All that are present repeat the same Words and the Boyars and Chief Lords approaching to the Great Duke as a sign of their Subjection smite their Foreheads before him and afterwards kiss his Hand This Ceremony being over the Patriarch standing alone before the Great Duke admonishes him in the following Words Since through the singular Providence of God the Estates of the Kingdom as well Ecclesiastical as Temporal have Acknowledged and Crowned You Great Duke over all the Russes and have Entrusted You with a Matter of so great Weight as the Government of so great a Kingdom You ought to employ all Your Thoughts to the Love of God to the Obedience of His Commands to the due Administration of Justice and the Protection of the True Greek Religion Then the Patriarch gives him once more his Bendiction and the whole Assembly goes from thence into the Church of St. Michael the Archangel which is opposite to the former where the Lâ—â—any is Sung over again as before the same is done afterwards in the Church of St. Nicholas where an End is put to the Ceremony and the whole Assembly is most magnificently Entertain'd in the great Hall of the Great Duke's Palace In former times the Chiefest Dignity in the whole Empire Principal Offiâ—ers of the Court. was that of Lord High Steward of Muscovy call'd Sunderstrevoi Coiniske When Zurki was called to the Crown he was in that Office since which time it has been suppressed The next and which is now the first in Dignity is the Duaretskoy or Great Master which is correspondent to our Lord High Steward of the Houshold The next in order is the Orusnitshei or Master of the Horse These three precede all the other Boyars and Lords of the Court. Next to these are the two Secretaries of State the first whereof is the Lord Keeper of the Great Seal or Chancellour the other is the Vice Chancellour After them come the Posticnizei or Lord Chamberlain who makes the Great Duke's
Bed next to him the Catamutzoy Klut-ziom or Vice Chamberlain the Cratzey or Carver Then follow the Stolniki or Gentlemen Sewers the Strapsi or Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber and the Duoroini or Gentlemen-Ushers besides the Pages Secretaries and Clerks and a good number of Interpreters for all Languages Besides these there are six Capital Officers belonging to the Court which they call Courts of Chancery The first is for foreign Affairs under the Tuition of its Chancellour the second for War the third for Crown-Lands and the Czar's Revenues under the Lord Treasurer The fourth receives the Accompts of Factors and those that manage the Taverns The fifth is for Appeal in Civil Causes and the sixth for Criminal Causes The Czar has also two Councils with whom he consults concerning Matters of Moment the first is in the nature of the Cabinet Council composed of the Boyars the second is corresponding to our Privy Council composed out of the Ocolnits or Lords out of whose number the Boyars are chosen and all of them depending from the meere Pleasure of the Czar they commonly meet in the Night-time when they are to consult about State Affairs All the Knez and the Boyars who have plentiful Estates are obliged to give their Attendance every day at Court and to smite their Forehead in the Great Duke's Presence which he looks upon as an Argument of their Fidelity and his Security which by their Absence might be put in danger considering the great Authority they have in their respective Provinces They are obliged to appear at Court in great Splendor to live very Magnificiently both in their Houses and Retinue so that those who have no Employments and want Means to make their Appearance at Court have leave given them to retire into the Country where they live rather like Peasants than Noblemen The Knez Boyars and Gentlemen enjoy this Prerogative as well as the Monasteries that they are exempted from Taxes but are obliged to maintain a certain number of Soldiers both Horse and Foot proportionable to their Revenue No body is permitted of what Quality soever to appear in the Czar's presence with a Sword on his side nay not as much as within the Palace The Court of the Czar of Muscovy never appears in greater Splendor The 〈…〉 than at the publick Audiences of Ambassadors when all the Knez Boyars Officers of the Houshold and the Chiefest of the Czar's Factors are obliged to appear in the greatest Magnificence in the World Besides several Regiments of Guards which are drawn up on both sides of the Courts of the Palace to the very bottom of the Stairs where the Ambassador is to pass In the Hall which leads immediately to that where the Audience is to be given the Guards of the Czar's Person are placed in a most splendid Equipage their Vests of Velvet lin'd with Sables their Caps adorn'd with Pearls and precious Stones and their Partisans cover'd with Gold and Silver At the upper End of the Hall of Audience His Czarish Majesty is placed in a Throne of Massie Silver with his Scepter in his Hand and a Crown on his Head The Throne is most curiously wrought standing seven or eight Steps higher than the Floor The Crown which the Czar upon such an Occasion wears upon a Cap lin'd with Sables is covered all over with precious Stones it terminates towards the Top in the Form of a Pyramid with a Golden Cross at the Spire The Scepter glisters all over with precious Stones of great Value his Garments being covered before with Jewels and embroider'd all over with Pearls On both sides of the Chair or Throne but something Lower stand four young Lords remarkable for their Tallness with Silver Battle-Axes over their Shoulders putting their Hands to them as if they were going to strike They are clad always in White sometimes in Sattâ— sometimes in Ermin Vests according to the difference of the Season their Caps nay even their Bâ—ots being cover'd with the same having great Chains of Gold a-cross their Breasts reaching down to their Hips On the right side of the Chair or Throne upoâ— a Pâ—ramid of Silver stands the Imperial Apple of massie Gold of a considerable Bigness representing the World and on the same side five Paces Distance from the Throne stands the Lord Chancellour Round about by the Walls are Benches rais'd three or four steps above the Floor and about the bâ—eadth of a good Walk where are placed the Knez and Boyars sometimes to the Number of two hundred cloathed all of them with Vests of Cloth of Gold and Silver or Velvet adorn'd with Pearls and Jewels The Grose or the Czar's Merchants or Factors stand at the lower End of the Hall in veâ—y rich Râ—bes taken for that purpose out of the Czar's Wardrobe The Sides and Floor of the Hall of Audience as also the Benches where the Lords are plac'd being all covered with rich Persian Tapestâ—y As soon as an Ambassador enters the Hall of Audience he makes a very low Reverence the Throne of the Czar being exactly opposite to the Door Then advancing and stopping in the midst of the Hall he makes a second and when he is ready to speak the third The Credentials being delivered to the Czar who immediately gives them to his Chancellour that stands near the Throne and the Presents sent to the Czar being offered and the Salutes and other Ceremonies us'd upon such Occasions past the Ambassador is reconducted to his Palace where he is splendidly entertain'd with a great number of Dishes out of the Czar's Kitchen which in great State are carried from the Castle to the Ambassadors House There is one thing very remarkable in this Court in the Publick Audience of Christian Ambassadors that they and their Retinue are obliged to kiss the Grand Czar's Hand which as it is otherwise look'd upon as a thing much below the Dignity of an Ambassador so it is consider'd in the Muscovian Court as a particular Favour which is only granted to the Ambassadors of Christian Princes and never permitted to Infidels The Revenues of the Czar of Muscovy are proportionable to the vast Extent of his Dominions For besides that he is Heir to all who die intestate and without Heirs He lays what Imposition he thinks convenient upon the Estates and Persons of his Subjects which indeed in times of Peace are not great but in times of War very excessive so that they pay sometimes the Pottina as it is call'd in Muscovy which is the Fifth Part of every Man's Estate as in the Reign of Michael Federowitz when the famous Siege of Smolensko was to be undertaken in the Year 1632. But most frequently at the Beginning of any great War the Tenth is paid by the Muscovites The Great Duke's proper Demesne is always farm'd out from whence arises so considerable a Revenue that it maintains near a Hundred Thousand Strelitz or Musketeers which are in part employ'd for the Guard of his Person and the City
of Religion They pay their Venerations to the Virgin Mary the Evangelists the Apostles and an infinite number of other Saints not only as Intercessors but Co-operators of their Salvation for they pay to their Saints and Images all the Honours due to none but God Almighty There is never a Family so small in Mâ—scovy but what has its Tutelar Saint's Image hung up against the Wall of the Chamber unto whom the ignorant People pay their daily Devotion and all the religious Instructions they give to their Children tends to no more than to stand with a great deal of Respect and to say their Prayers before those Images for the rest they place the utmost Excellency of their good Works which they believe meritorious in building of Monasteries and Churches and giving Alms. Those who intend to change their Religion and embrace the Muscovian are obliged to go for six Weeks into some Monastery or another where all the Instructions they receive is how to say their Prayers how to reverence their Saints and Images and how to make the Cross The whole Exercise of the Muscovian Religion may be reduced under these several Heads viz. Baptism Reading of the Word of God in their Churches going to Mass Praying to Saints and making Reverences before their Images Processions Pilgrimages Fastings Confession and Communion Baptism Their Baptism they look upon as the most necessary Point of Religion they acknowledge themselves conceived and born in Sin and that by Baptism they are regenerated and cleansed according to God's Institution from their original Impurity They baptize their Children as soon as they are born and unless they be too weak when they Baptize them at home but never in the same Room where the Mother lies they are carried to Church by the Godfather and Godmother where being met at the Door by the Priest he signs the Child with the Sign of the Cross in the Forehead and gives him the Benediction saying The Lord preserve thy coming in and thy going out Then they walk up together to the Font which stands in the middle of the Church cross which the Priest fastens nine lighted Wax-Candles delivered to him by the Godfathers whom he Incenses and Consecrates the Water with a great many Ceremonies Then the Procession begins about the Font the Clerk goes before with the Image of St. John being followed by the Godfathers with Wax-Candles in their Hands thus they go about it three times whilst the Priest Reads out of a Book The Procession being over the Godfathers give the Name of the Child to the Priest in Writing upon his Demand who puts it upon an Image which he holds upon the Child's Breast and after some short Prayers asks the God-fathers Whether the Child believes in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost Having answer'd Yes they all turn their Backs to the Font as a Sign of their Aversion to the three next following Questions to be asked by the Priest to ' wit Whether the Child forsakes the Devil Whether he forsakes his Angels Whether he forsakes his Works The Godfathers answering Yes distnctly to every Question and Spitting three times upon the Ground Then they face about again to the Font and being asked by the Priest whether they promise to bring up the Child in the true Greek Religion they advance with the Child nearer towards the Door for fear the Devil by whom they believe Children to be possess'd before Baptism should take up his Residence in the Church where he begins the Exorcism putting his Hands upon and blowing three times cross the Child with these Words Get out of this Child thou unclean Spirit and make way for the Holy Ghost Then returning to the Font he cuts off a little of the Childs Hair which he puts into a Book and having asked the God-fathers whether the Child was brought thither to be Baptized he takes him stark Naked into his Arms and dips him three times into the Water pronouncing the Words of the Sacrament in the mean while viz. I Baptize thee in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Immediately after the Baptism he signs it with the sign of the Cross on the Forehead upon the Hands Breast and Back with a certain Oyl consecrated for that purpose and having put a corn of Salt in the Child's Mouth and a clean Shirt about him Thou art says he as clean and as clear from thy Original Sin as thy Shirt Then the Priest hangs â—bout his Neck a little Cross of Gold Silver or â—ead according to the Ability of the Parents with 〈◊〉 very strict Injunction to wear it all his life-time â—hich is observed with so much strictness by the Muscovites that they deny Christian Burial to such 〈◊〉 have it not about them at their last Exit out of his World The whole is concluded by the Priest's â—igning the Child a certain Saint whose Image he â—â—livers to the God-father and charges him to take â—â—ectual care that the Child as soon as he is come 〈◊〉 Years of Discretion may pay all due Reverence 〈◊〉 his Patron Lastly he takes his leave from the â—hild and God-fathers with a Kiss exhorting them 〈◊〉 mutual Love but to take heed of intermarryâ—g The Water wherein the Child is to be Baptized is never Warmed over the Fire though the Cold be never so excessive but they put it sometimes in some warm place or other to take off a little of the cold If two or more Children are to be Baptized at the same Font the Water is emptied so often as there are several Children to be Baptized it being their Opinion that the Water which is contaminated with the Original Sin of the first Child is not pure enough to cleanse the second or third from their Impurities Persons of Age who change their Religion and embrace the Muscovite Faith nay even Muscovites who having changed their Religion in another Country are willing to return to their own Communion must be first Re-baptized which is always done in a Brook or River where they are plunged over Head and Ears be it never so Cold nay they oftentimes break through the Ice to come at the Water In the same manner are treated those whom the Russians call Chaldeans who being look'd upon by them as Infidels and who during the time they commit their Extravagancies have withdrawn themselves from the Church must be reconciled to it by Re-baptization on Twelfth-day as that on which happened the Vocation of the Gentiles They are a Company of idle Vagabond Fellows who in Commemoration of Sadrach Mesack and Abednego that were cast into the Fire by the Command of Nebuchadnâ—â—ar represent the Men that heated the Oven for which purpose pursuant to an Ancient Custom they get leave from the Patriarch to Disguise themselves and to run up and down the Streets with Fire-works from the Eighteenth Day of December till Twelve-tide During which time they commit great Insolencies exacting small Gifts from
put on a clean Shirt If the Russian Women were as constant Church-Women as our Ladies they would be obliged to build their Porches bigger than the Churches Most of these Festivals are also solemnized among the Muscovites with Processions among which that upon Palm-Sunday representing the Entrance of our Saviour into Jerusalem is performed in the Presence of the Great Duke and the Patriarch himself in the City of Mosco and throughout the whole Kingdom by the Wayvodes and Metropolitans of the Provinces who represent the Great Duke and Patriarch The Great Duke goes from the Castle Processâ—â—on Palm-Sunday with the Patriarch to the Church called Jerusalem without the Castle-Gate in the following Order After a Hundred or more Scavengers have cleared the Way through which the Procession is to pass there first comes a very large Chariot most like a Pageant drawn by six Horses in which is placed a Tree garnished with abundance of Apples Figs and Grapes which are fasten'd to the Branches Round about it are placed four or five Lads with Surplisses singing Hosannah Next to the Chariot come a great many Priests in their Surplisses and Copes some carrying Books and Crosses others Banners and Images upon long Poles some sing others cast Incense among the People After these march the Duke's Factors and Merchants then the Secretaries Knez and Boyares who go immediately before the Great Duke most of them with Palm twigs in their Hands The Grand Duke himself marches on foot richly clad with a Crowned Bonnet upon his Head supported on both sides by two of the principal Bojares or Counsellors of State and leading by the Bridle which is three or four Yards long the Patriarch's Horse This Horse which is covered all over with a White Fine Linnen Cloth is disguised like an Ass with great Artificial Ears upon which the Patriarch rides sideling having upon his Head a round low Crowned Cap with a narrow Brim lined with Eâ—mins and richly beser with Pearls over which appears a kind of a Diadem In his Right Hand he has a Cross of Diamonds wherewith he blesses the People who receive his Benediction with very low Submissions bowing their Heads to the Ground and making the Sign of the Cross He is surrounded by Metropolitans and other Priests whereof some carry Books others Censers As they pass along there are a great Number of Boys placed on both sides of the Way some of which pull off their upper Garments which they scatter along the Way others lay Pieces of Cloth of several Yardâ— long upon the Ground for the Great Duke and 〈◊〉 to pass over 〈…〉 Thus they march to the above mentioned Church where having stay'd above 〈◊〉 an Hour they return in the same Order till they come to a certain Plat-form where the Patriarch after having presented the Czar and some of the Bojares with Palm-twigs takes off the Great Duke's Cap and having laid it upon a Silver Plate he presents his Diamond-Cross to him to kiss This being done with a most profound Reverence by the Czar the Patriarch waves it on high all round about first towards those upon the Plat-form who also receive this Benediction with the utmost Respect and then to all the People who at the same Instant prostrate themselves upon the Ground especially the Czar's Guards that attend there and upon this Occasion appear the most zealous in their Devotion They conclude with some Hymns which having lengthen'd the whole Devotion to an Hour the Procession marches from thence back to the Castle in the same manner as they went first to the Church The Patriarch as an Acknowledgment of the Honour received from His Czarrish Majesty in leading his Horse presents him with a Purse containing to the Value of an Hundred Guineas Eight Days after this Procession is the Feast of Easter Their Easter which the Muscovites celebrate with great Ceremonies and Rejoicings as well in Remembrance of the Resurrection of our Saviour as that it puts an End to their Mortifications which they have endured in their Lent Their Rejoicings continue for 15 Days during which they feast one another with all manner of good Cheer and to make thmselves a full Amends for their Sufferings during the Lent they ply the Drinking-Houses so warmly that they are filled up every where with Persons of all sorts Men and Women Ecclesiasticks and Laicks and the Streets almost not to be passed for the Multitudes of Drunkards at Night They sell for these fifteen Days Eggs ready dâ—ed of all sorts of Colours but especially of a Red or Crimson which they send as Prâ—â—â—nts to one another to some one some two some three And if they meet one another in this 〈◊〉 they salute one another with these Words Christes wos chrest that is Christ is risen Whereto the other having answered Wâ—stin wos Chrest that is He is certainly risen they kiss one another He that salutes first is obliged to present the other with an Egg no body of what Condition Sex or Quality soever daring to refuse either the Kiss or the Egg. The Great Duke himself does not only present Eggs to the principal Counsellors and Lords of his Court but also to his Military Officers residing in the City of Musco who all come to kiss his Hand and His Majesty imparts to them his Royal Benediction They have many such like Processions Procession on the First of October upon several Occasions and the Great Duke goes frequently on Pilgrimage with his whole Court The First of October is among other Days celebrated with a great deal of Ceremony The Great Duke attended by his Bojares and Officers of his Houshold and the Patriarch accompanied by some Metropolitans and a great Number of other Priests with Books and Crosses in their Hands go in Procession to the same Church we have mentioned before called by them that of the Blessed Trinity and by the Germans and most other Strangers Jerusalem But before they come quite to the Church there is a Theatre erected on the Right Hand as you go to it railed in all about before which are planted two great Pieces of Cannon whereof the Bore is near half an Ell Diameter The Grand Duke and Patriarch without admitting any body else being got within the Rails upon the Theatre the Patriarch presents to the Great Duke a certain Image painted upon a piece of Past-board which folds together in the Middle not unlike a Book and is enriched with Silver at the four Corners to which the Czar makes a very low Reverence touching it with his Forehead whilst the Priests without the Rails are muttering over certain Prayers appointed for that Solemnity This done the Patriarch presents to him a Golden Cross beset with Diamonds of about a Foot in length which after the Great Duke has kissed the Patriarch touches his Forehead and Temples with it and so to Church they go where the Service is performed and the Solemnity ended for that Day With no less
of the Current at parting they cross themselves and cry Prosti Farewel Persons of great Fortunes or Quality adorn their Saints with Pearls or precious Stones but these Demy-Gods are so tenacious of what they have once got into their Clutches that they will never part with any of it again to the Owners though never so â—ecessitous There are not wanting Examples that upon a pinch some have made bold to borrow of their Saints against their Will what formerly was their own who have paid for it with the loss of both their Hands If any one is excommunicated his Saint as well as his Person is excluded from the Church The Muscovian Monks and Priests Their Miracles as ignorant as they are in other matters have been cunning enough not to despoil the Saints of the Art of doing Miracles At Archangel there was once a Gang of them who by such Impostures had got a considerable Sum of Money together but falling out among themselves when they were dividing the Spoil the Fraud was discovered and so had a good Whipping for their pains It must be owned there are but few Instances of this nature among the Muscovites they being else too zealous to call in question the Omnipotency of their Saints whom they believe to have at least something of Divinity in them In the Year 1643. an old Image had began to change Colour and to turn a little reddish This was immediately cry'd up not only for a Miracle but rather for an ill Omen or some Bloody Presage to that Degree that the Great Duke and the Patriarch being frightned thereat as well as the People preparations were making for an extrordinary Fast-day and publick Prayers to be made all over the Kingdom but some of the Bojares having thought it convenient to call together all the Painters about the City they brought in their Verdict That they believed there was nothing ominous in the matter forasmuch as they were assured that time having consumed the Paint had only discovered the colour of the Wood which was Red Among others of their miraculous Saints they have two of a late Date the Name of the first was Sudatworets Philip Metropolite he lived in the Reign of that famous Tyrant John Basilovits unto whom he used constantly to make remonstrances of his wicked Life and Cruelties till the Great Duke not able any longer to endure his Reprehensions caused him to be slain by one of his Servants since which time he has been reckoned among their Holy Martyrs and been famous for the Miracles they have attributed to him which were formerly performed at Archangle near which he was Buried in the Isle of Solofka in the White Sea but has been since from thence translated to the City of Musco and placed in the great Church of the Castle where for some time he did most surprising Miracles by healing the Dumb Deaf Blind Agues and Paraliticks But of late Years it seems the Saint is grown Weary of his Profession of Physick though they affirm that his Body remains entire to this day which is not easie to be disproved since it is forbidden upon pain of Death to lift up the Cloath which covers the Body of the Saint The second and the topping Saint of all Muscovy for Miracles is one Sergius whose Residence was in the Monastery of Troitza about threescore Miles distant from the City of Musco This Saint as it seems was in his younger Days a Military Person of a very graceful Aspect but having taken a Distaste at that Profession and abandoned his vicious course of Life turn'd first Hermite and afterwards got into the Monastery of Troitza which from his Name ever since his Burial there has been called Zergeofski Troitza it being formerly Dedicated to the Trinity where being soon after chosen Abbot he and one of his Disciples called Nikon grew so famous for the many Miracles they performed that they were both Canonized after their Death which hapned in the Year 1563. Their Heads as they say do not only remain entire to this day but also that of Sergius if one may believe them has not lost its Military Operation for when this Monastery was Besieged by the Poles the Head of Sergius only forced them to raise the Siege having caused them to turn their Arms against themselves during the Assault 'T is true this Monastery was Besieged by the Poles under their General John Sapicha who was forced to abandon the Enterpize and thus far the Monks are in the right of it but they were mistaken in the true circumstances of the matter for asmuch as it was not the Head of their Saint or their own Bravery put the Swedish Army that obliged the Poles to raise the Siege But they are not used to examine Miracles with so much nicety here for notwithstanding this the Great Dukes goe thither generally twice a Year to do their Devotion and when they come at two Miles distance from the Monastery alight from their Horses walking the rest of the way on foot Having performed their Devotion they spend some days in Hunting during which time the Abbot entertains the Great Duke and his whole Retinue The Muscovites frequently perform here their Vows of going on Pilgrimage and bestowing their Alms made perhaps in their Travels or Sickness which with the Liberality of the Great Dukes has encreased the Revenues of this Monastery to that Degree that it is accounted one of the Richest and the most Beautiful in all Muscovy and maintains a great number of Monks There is also a Church Dedicated to the Holy Mother of Casan whither many Pilgrimages which are made by the Muscovites as also to Chutina about Eight Miles distant from Novogorod to the Sepulchre of one of their Saints called Werlam who being Born at Novogorod was Buried near the said Monastery of Chutina On the Eve of the Pentecost they perform certain a naual Devotions in Memory of their departed Friends with a great deal of Formality but in a manner very Ridiculous Those of their Churches which are of Stone Their Churches are all round and Vaulted because they say they have thus a nearer resemblance to Heaven which is the Throne of God These have in the midst of four Turrets a Tower form'd at the Top not unlike the Knobs we put on our Bedsteads having upon it a Triple Cross This is to represent our Saviour as the head of the Church and the Cross being the Badge of Christianity they think fit the Church of Christ should be distinguish'd by it from others Within are neither Seats nor Benches because none sit down but all perform their Devotions either standing or prostrating themselves They don't make use of Organs or any other Musical Instruments in their Churches being perswaded that things inanimate cannot glorifie God They believe their Churches profaned by the Entrance of any Stranger that is not of the same Communion wherefore they are not admitted and as soon as Discovered thrust out But if a
Diameter having in the midst a round Piece as big as a Trencher which hangs on the hinder part of the Head They wear in their Hands a Staff forked at the End when they go abroad which they call Posock and serves them for a Crosier There being in the City of Musco above 2000 Churches and Chapels the first of which have at least three or four and some more Priests belonging to them it is no difficult Matter to guess what a vast Number of Priests and Ecclesiasticks there must be in that City Those that are desirous to enter into Holy Orders make their Addresses either to the Patriarch or any one of the Metropolitans the first the best where having been examined concerning their Qualifications which consist only in Reading and Writing and to be able to sing in the Church they are admitted into Orders with an Attâ—station of their being received into Priestood At their Consecration they are invested with the Priestly Habit as we have just now described it They have also the Hair cut off from the Crown of their Heads on which is put a little Cap or Calotte which is the main Character of their Priesthood the which they never move or take off neither at Church or any where else unless it be when they have their Hair cut The chief Respect the Muscovites pay to the Priest he is beholden for to his Calotte and good Reason why for if upon any Contest or Quarrel this Calotte should be pulled off his Head upon the Ground the adverse Party would incurr the Penalty of the Mulct called Bicestie which we have mentioned before To prevent which the Muscovites when they are going to fight with a Priest first reverendly take off his Calotte which after they have soundly cudgell'd or beaten him they put on again with a great deal of Respect Which done they are not liable to any farther Punishment than if they had kick'd or cuffed a Lay-Man The Proto-Popes and Popes or Temple-Priests are not only allowed but obliged to marry once but cannot the second or third time unless they quit their Priesthood This Point of the Marriages of Priests is one of the main Points wherein they differ as well from the Greek Church as the Roman For which they alledge the Text of St. Paul 1 Tim. 3. that a Bishop should be the Husband of one Wife And for the Confirmation of it they alledge the Fourth Cannon of the Council which was held at Gangres in Paphlagonia not long after that of Nice where all those are Anathematized who refuse to take the Communion from the Hands of a Married Priest The Muscovites are so strict in the Observance of this Opinion that their Priests must be in a State of Marriage before they are admitted into Orders Which makes those that intend to embrace that kind of Life marry very young that they may the sooner have an Opportunity of getting a Living They are besides this to marry a Maid and no Widow nor a Woman the least blemished in her Reputation And in this Point they are to be so circumspect that if the Priest the first Night after Marriage finds that the Lock has been opened before by any other Key than his own he must either be divorced from her or lay down his Calotte out of which two you may be sure he chuses the first But if the Parson's Wife stands her Trial fairly the first Night she has however this Comfort before the rest of the Muscovian Women that she is not likely to be kept under so severe an House-Discipline as the rest for as much as the Muscovian Priests hang in a great measure by the Apron-string they being after they once become Widowers not suffered to administer the Sacrament or to assist at Noon-Service when the Communion is received or to give their Benedictions to Marriages but only at the Morning and Evening-Services But to counter-ballance this Advantage the Parson's Wife has before others the Priest is under a most strict Obligation that when-ever he has given his Wife due Benevolence he must not approach the Altar all the next Day so that what with this and the great Number of Fasts she is likely to live upon very slender Diet unless the Parson be so good-nature as sometimes to prefer the Duty to his Wife before that in the Church and substitute one to officiate in his Room at the Altar The Priests however have this Comfort left them after the Death of their Wives that if they do not approve of a single Life they are free to lay down their Cassock and Calotte and turn Merchants Tradesmen or any thing else they can and so marry again If they are too old to undergo the Fatigues of the Sacerdotal Function or of Marriage the last Remedy is a Monastery where they end their 〈◊〉 There is a great Number 〈◊〉 Monasteries all over Muscovy Their Mâ—nasteries both for Men and Women both in Cities and up and down the Country especially all along the Rivers Mosca and Oeca the most fertile Part of all Muscovy Besides the Anchorets who build their Chapels upon the High-ways and live in Woods like Hermites subsisting only by the Alms they receive from Travellers the rest follow the Rule of Great St. Basil They eat no Flesh nor Fresh Fish neither drink they any Wine Aqua-vitae or Hydromel They live only on Salt Fish Honey Milk Cheese Herbs and Pulse Cucumbers both Fresh and Pickled are their chiefest Dainties these they mince very small and eat them with a Spoon in some of their Quaâ—s or Small Hydromels But if they live in great Austerity in their Monasteries when-ever they go abroad which they are allowed to do both Men and Women are very forward in dispensing with the Severity of their Statutes for they seldom refuse any thing that is offered them and will refresh themselves with Strong Liquor to that Degree that it is unsafe for them to go home without good Company Here-tofore Superstition had got so far the Ascendant over the Religious Muscovites that here as well as in some other Countries of Europe they used to make over all that they had for the Benefit of the Monasteries So that if a Stop had not been put to these Extravagancies they would in Time have got into the Possession of the best part of this vast Empire But those that now embrace the Monastick Life are only allowed to carry a certain Part of their Estates with them into the Monastery being obliged 〈◊〉 leave the rest to their Heirs They do not live so retired in them but that they appear in great Numbers both in the Cities and all over the Country where they frequently follow the same Employments with the Peasants some of them also Trading in Malt Hops all sorts of Corn and Cattel Poverty Old Age Infirmities and Domestick Contests being the chief Inducements of those that embrace this Life the fewest chusing it out of a Motive of Devotion it
they remained till they found a convenient Opportunity to send by one Means or another the Governor into the other World Which done his Kindred were sure to meet with the same Fate at Musco the Tyrant never wanting Means to root out the Shrubs after he had fell'd the Tree forasmuch as the Muscovites who are above all other Nations given to caluminate and draw one another into the Snare were always ready to furnish him with sufficient opportunity to rid himself of those under some specious pretence or another Thus he treated Knez Rostoroski descended from the antient Dukes of Roskovie or Rosthovie whom he dreaded for his Courage and Skill in Martial Affairs This Principality as well as those of T were and Bielski were in former Ages allotted to the Younger Brothers of the Dukes of Russia but were by Basili the Father of John Basilovits appropriated to his own Use leaving only to the Heirs a very moderate Share for their Maintenance The last of the Dukes of Kosthovie was Peter Rostowski whom the Tyrant had made Waywode or Governor of Nise Novogorod Having resolved his Ruin he sent thither 40 Ruffians whom he used to employ on such like Occasions with Orders to bring to him the Head of the said Governor These having found him at his Devotion they dragg'd him from thence and having stripp'd him stark naked and tied him in a Sledge they carried him streight-ways to the River Colga where he that commanded the Party having cut off his Head threw the Body into the River His Kindred and Children Fifty in Number were all murther'd by the Tyrant's Order and Forty of his Slaves condemned to perpetual Imprisonment John Pietrovits a Man of a very high Rank in Russia was fain to undergo the same Fate with his whole Family For having been falsly accused in the Year 1568 as if he aimed at the Crown the Tyrant without admitting them to be heard seized upon his Estate both Real and Personal which was very great and condemned him to go as a private Soldier in the War against the Tartars Having not so much left him out of all his Estate as an Horse to ride upon he was furnished with one by a certain Friar who took pity of his Condition so he obeyed his Orders And after having served several Years as a single Volunteer who used to have at his Heels a great Number of Servants he at last returned to Musco The Tyrant not thinking it sufficient to have humbled him thus he called together at a certain Time his Council of Nobles where having summoned Pietrovits to appear he with his own Hands as soon as they were all met put the Ducal Cap and Crown on his Head with a Sceptre in his Hand and thus attired in a very rich Robe set him upon a Throne in the Presence of all the Court where having shewed him the same Revernce as is usually paid to the Czars of Muscovy he spoke thus to him All Hail to our Great Duke and Monarch of Russia Now thou hast obtained what thou so much desiredst now it is thou hast encompassed thy Wish I knew thy Aim was to supply my Place in the Throne of Muscovy See how I have my self created thee Great Duke of Russia in a most solemn manner But know that as it was in my Power to set thee upon the Throne so I am able to dethrone and despoil thee of that Dignity as Pleasure He had no sooner uttered these last Words but he stabbed him with a Dagger several times through the Heart But this was only the Prologue to the following Tragedy for he did not only command all his Servants to be either strangled or drowned but he went in Person to the Castle of Columna 180 Miles distant from the City of Musco and formerly belonging to Pietrovits where 300 of his Vassals were massacred in the Tyrant's Presence But not satisfied with this after he had for a whole Year together ruined his Estate with Fire and Sword he shut up all the Gentlemen of whom there was a considerable Number that held any Lands under Pietrovits in one House and so blew them up into the Air with Gun-Powder Their Wives and Daughters after they had been ravished by his Guards were cut to pieces The Peasants with their Wives and Children were driven stark naked into the Woods The Wife of Pietrovits was shut up in a Monastery and his Children and whole Family destroyed by the Tyrant's Order In the same Year he caused his Chancellor Kozarin Dubrowski to be slain by his Guards with two of his Sons as they were sitting at Dinner and a third Son happening not to be at home escaped present Death for that time but he was afterwards taken and Quartered alive Boris Titow one of his Chief Counsellors of State coming one Day to pay his Reverence as is usual to the Great Duke as he was bowing his Head he cut off one of his Ears with his own Hands and presenting it to the Owner Accept says he of this small Gift at present Another time I will remember you better These Cruelites exercised on Persons of so eminent a Rank struck such a Terrour into the rest of the Nobility that they were resolved to try their utmost whether perhaps they might not be able to divert him from these cruel Designs Being therefore met at a certain Day to the Number of 300 they went all in a Body to represent to the Czar the Heinousness of his Cruelties telling him That they were ready to sacrifice both their Lives and Estates for his Service and that they would always remain stedfast in their Allegiance But on the other hand they hoped he would be pleased not to afflict in so horrible a manner his faithful and innocent Subjects The Grand Duke being not well pleased at their Errand he ordered them all together to be thrown into Prison and some Days after some to have their Tongues others their Legs and Arms cut off and 50 of the most Eminent among them were whipped round the Market-place the rest were dismissed without any Punishment for that time but they paid afterwards the whole Score with Interest For in the Year 1570 one Morning when the Citizens were opening their Shops they were not a little surprized to see 18 Gibbets erected in the Market-place surrounded by the Great Duke's Guards who had brought along with them all manner of Instruments for the Torture besides which there was a great Fire and over it was placed a great Caldron with boiling hot Water in it The Citizens I say being terrified at so horrible a Spectacle and presaging nothing but the worst to themselves as being uncertain for what End all these dreadful Preparations were made some instantly shut up their Shops again others more fearful than the rest left all what they had as it was and were for saving themselves by Flight or at least for hiding in some more remote Part of the City Which Place being thus
put into a general Consternation the Great Duke surrounded by a great Number of his Guards appeared in the Market-place seating himself near the Caldron of boiling Water But perceiving that the Generality of the Citizens had out of Fear either abandon'd their Houses or at least absconded and dispersed themselves into the other Quarters of the the City he rid in Person through the Streets crying out to them Let nothing disturb you Come and see what I am going to do I give you my Word that nothing shall hurt you you may come forth without the least Danger to your selves Therefore come forth and see what a Spectacle I am preparing for you The People partly out of Fear partly out of Curiosity flocked to the Market-place where they saw 400 Noble-men of the most antient Families in Muscovy coupled together Two and Two like Hounds and so miserably disfigured by the Violence of the Torture that they were almost not to be known by their nearest Kindred To gratifie in some measure the People he selected 180 out of their Number Vnto these said he I give their Lives for your sakes I will pardon them all their Offences Let them be presently discharged Which being done accordingly The first that was brought forth to Execution was John Michaelovits Wiskowaty his Chancellor descended from one of the most antient Families in Muscovy Who being charged with Keeping great Correspondence with the King of Poland and inviting the Turks and Tartars to invade Muscovy when he was just going to be put on one of the Gibbets he spoke these following Words I call God Almighty the Infallible Searcher of Hearts to witness of what I am going to say to be true I confess my self before him to be a miserable Swordâ— and trust in his Mercy through the Blood of his 〈◊〉 beloved Son But as to what concerns the Station I was lately in by the Great Duke's Favour I protest to God that I have always discharged my Trust faithfully as I ought to do towards him and therefore I appeal at this Instant to the Tribunal of God where when I shall meet the Duke I will make my Innocence appear to the Great Judge of Heaven and Earth I am sensible that O Duke such is thy Ambition such is thy Avarice and Thirst after innocent Blood that nothing but my Life can satisfie thee at present Glut thy self therefore with innocent Blood but remember that thou must one Day give a most severe Account of all these most barbarous Cruelties Whilst he was going on in his Discourse the Executioner by the Great Duke's Order tied him up to one of the Gibbets with his Feet upwards and his Head hanging down This done one of the Captains of his Guards asked him what he would have farther done with this Malefactor Every one of you said he that belong to my Court here present shall lend an helping Hand to send this Traytor out of the World whom I will have cut Limb by Limb. He had no sooner spoke the Word but the first Captain of his Guards called Molutlo dismounting his Horse he with a little Knife cut off his Right Ear the Second his Left the Third his Lips and so every one in their Turn the rest of his Limbs The Secretary of the Grand Duke being also to have his Share in the Execution at last cut off his Privy Members of which he immediately died Which the Duke perceiving and believing that it had been done on purpose to shorten the Chancellor's Misery he ordered him to eat them instantly which he was forced to do The dead Body of the Chancellor being taken from the Gibbet and cut into small pieces the next that was brought upon the Scaffold was Michael Tumâ—chow the Lord High Treasurer of Muscâ—â—y for no other reason but that he had been an intimate Friend of the Chancellors he was very short in his Expressions saying only these Words I appeal to God from whom nothing can be hidde◠〈◊〉 I never was guilty of any trespass against my Lord and Master and that I have faithfully and without any fraud discharged my Office wherefore I summon thee O Great Duke to appear on the last day of Judgment before the Tribunal of God where thou shalt be obliged to make ample satisfaction to me Having ended these Words he was tied up to the Gibbet in the same manner as the Chancellor with his Head downwards and very close shaved After he had hung thus for some time two of the Captains of his Guards each with a bucket of Water whereof one was Cold the other fill'd out of the Chaldron with Boiling Water we mentioned before approached to the Gibbet and he with the cold Water having first washed his Head the other continually poured the Boiling hot Water upon it till the Skin was quite shriveled together and the poor Treasurer at last died in the midst of the most exquisite Torments The third in order was his Cook who underwent the same Fate as the Chancellor being cut to pieces Limb by Limb. After these follow three of the Great Duke's chief Secretaries George Czapkinou John Buthakow and Basili Stepanow these were all together with their Wives and Children cut in pieces in the Great Duke's presence by his Guards At last two hundred of these Noble Men we spoke of before were brought before the Great Duke upon the Scaffold who having Condem'd them to Die without as much as naming their Crime they were in an instant cut to pieces by his Guards before his Face To conclude the Tragedy the Great Duke ordered to be brought before him out of Prison where he had been detained a great while a certain person venerable for his Old Age and Nobility as being extracted from a very ancient Family whom he run through the Body with his own Lance and not satisfied with that after the Old Man lay upon the Ground wallowing in his Blood gave him at least Fifteen or Sixteen Wounds more till he died upon the Spot This Spectacle having thus continued for four Hours the Tyrant before he returned to the Castle would needs give a Visit to the Widow of the Treasurer whom he had caused to be executed just before She was Sister to the Duke Wiazinski and one of the handsomest Ladies in all Muscovy whom he found shut up in her Bed-chamber all over whelmed with Grief and lamenting the miserable Death of her Husband in Terms so Passionate that it would have moved Compassion in a heart of Stone But the Tyrant being void of all sense of Humanity no sooner entred the House but ordered her to be stript stark Naked and to be set with her bare Buttocks upon a Rope fastned titely for that purpose betwixt two Posts and so to be drawn upon the Rope till the tender Flesh of this Pretty Creature not being able to resist long the violence of this motion was torn every where to the very Bones of which she died some days after She had a
Expedition and the Duke Wisnowiski having also publickly declared for Demetrius a considerable Number of the Polish Nobility on the Frontiers of Muscovy being encouraged by his Example espoused this Interest Being strengthened by these and other Forces which were in several parts of the Kingdom raised for his Service he marched at the Head of them into Muscovy in the heart of the Winter where being joyned by a Body of Cosacks of 10000 Men under their General Corclos who had been engaged with great Promises into his Service Demetrius enters Muscovy by the Artifices of the old Monk it struck such a Terror into the Inhabitants of the neighbouring Provinces that as soon as his Army had passed the Boristhenes at Kiovia they advanced without any Opposition to the very Walls of Eringow which upon the first Summons surrendred to Demetrius The City of Puttiwoll one of the largest and most populous in those Parts followed the Example of Eringow the Garrison which consisted for the most part of Cosacks refused to fight against their Brethren The other Places of less Note trod the Footsteps of the others and put themselves under his Protection so that as he was advancing deeper into the Country his Army was considerably augmented by such as flock'd in to him from all the adjacent Cities of which none attempted to make the least Resistance except the City of Novogorod Sevieâ—â—ki which he besieg'd and attack'd with all the Vigour imaginable The Czar Boris Goudenou in the mean while had not been careless of his Affairs but having ordered considerable Levies to be made before as soon as he received Advice of the most stupendious Progress of Demetrius he published his Declaration wherein he promised Indempnity to all such of his Subjects as would abandon the Party of this Impostour and return to their Duty with most severe Comminations against all such as should persist in their treasonable Designs against their Sovereign in aiding and assisting the pretended Demetrius He sent also a solemn Ambassy to Sigismund then King of Poland who having immediately demanded and obtained Audience made most heavy Complaints That the Truce which was so lately made betwixt the two Crowns for Twenty Years was violated by the Poles who without the least Reason given had invaded the Czar's Territories taken his Towns and ravaged the Country That he hoped the King would take better Measures and not pursue a War that was founded upon nothing but an unjust Pretence but recall his Troops which were at that time employed to maintain the Pretensions of a vile Impostor against one of the most potent Princes in Europe who if provoked would not want means to give himself Satisfaction for the Damages and Affronts received from the Crown of Poland Neither was he sparing in his Promises by which and the great Presents he made to most of the Chief Ministers and other great Men of the Court he hoped to obtain what all his Remonstrances had not been able to effect but in vain for whether it were that they look'd upon Demetrius as the true Heir of the Crown and upon the Affairs of Boris as in a declining Condition or that the Authority of the Pope and Jesuits who had espoused the Interest of the first had made them deaf to all these Applications the Ambassador was sent back with this general Answer That the King and Commonwealth of Poland were not concerned in what was transacted in Muscovy and that if Demetrius who was a Muscovite born had obtained the Assistance of some Polish Volunteers to maintain his Pretensions against the Czar Boris Goudenou this could not be interpreted a Violation of the Truce betwixt the two Crowns which on their side they would observe inviolably Boris having missed his Aim in Poland dispatched a Messenger to the Camp of Demetrius to try once more his Fortune and to endeavour to undeceive the Wayvode of Sendomiria and Wisnowiski concerning the Fallacy put upon them by the Counterfeit Demetrius For this End having found out one of his Uncles in Muscovy whose Name was Smyrna Otropeja and judging not without Reason that if he could be confronted with Grisko Otropeja his Nephew his Confession would be of the greatest Consequence towards the Detecting of this Imposture he sent him along with the Messenger But whether the Wayvode look'd upon that as a Contrivance of Boris Goudenou invented on purpose to blast the Reputation of Demetrius and to ward the Blow which seemed to threaten his Ruin or that he thought himself engaged past retreating the Uncle Smyrna Otropeja was forbid under pain of Death to approach the Camp and the Messenger sent back with Scorn and Indignation Boris Goudenou finding all other Means to fail had Recourse to Arms and ordered his Army which consisted of above a Hundred thousand Men most of them Veteraâ—e Soldiers to march to the Relief of Novogorod Sevierski which defended it self bravely against the Poles under the Conduct of their Governour Bosman Demetrius tho' much inferiour in Number being not much above Twenty thousand but all chosen Men upon the Approach of the Muscovite Army leaving the Siege of Novogorod posted himself as advantageously as he could in sight of the Muscovites to facilitate the Passage of such Officers in the Army of Boris Goudenou as being corrupted before had promised to come over with their Soldiers to his Party But these seeing the great Disproportion there was betwixt the Numbers of these two Armies either quite changed their Resolutions or at least thought it most advisable to delay the Execution of it till a more favourable Juncture Demetrius therefore finding himself in a Post from whence he could not retreat without fighting was forced to put the best Countenance he could upon the Matter and having nothing to trust to but their own Courage the Poles fought so bravely that they not only repulsed the Muscovites who being over confident in their Number attack'd them with more Fury than Skill but also charged them at several times with so much bravery that the Victory remain'd doubtful for several Hours till at last the Muscovites being continually sustained by fresh Troops and the Poles quite tired by the long Fatigues of the Day were forced to give way more to the Number than the Bravery of their Enemies Demetrius routed who at last entirely routed them though not without a great Slaughter on their side killing 9000 of them upon the Spot with the loss of all their Cannon and Baggage If the Muscovites had been as careful in the Pursuit of Demetrius as they were fortunate in obtaining the Victory and had sent their Horse of which they had a considerable number immediately after to disperse such of the Polish Troops as were retreating in several Bodies towards Ribscum they might without question have put an End to the War at this one Stroke or at least have driven him quite out of Muscovy But instead of pursuing their Advantage they besieged Krom which defending
in favour of Bosman by the powerful Influence he had over the principal Officers of the Army soon prevail'd with them to refuse to submit to the Command of Bosman as a Soldier of fortune which Affront he dissembled for a while till he met with a favourable Opportunity to revenge it upon the whole Family of the Great Duke as we shall see anon In the mean while Demetrius had commanded the greatest Part of his Army under the Conduct of Zaporius to advance towards Krom and endeavour its Relief who haveing accordingly directed his March to the Muscovian Camp he received Intelligence by the means of Bosman of the Posture of the Enemy and that he intended to come over to his Party as soon as a favourable Opportunity should present Zaporius being resolved to improve so advantageous an Offer was impatient to come to Blows with the Muscovites but these being both superior in Number and strongly Entrench'd and consequently not to be attack'd without exposing the whole Army he drew them out of their advantageous Entrenchments by the following Stratagem He contrived a Letter directed to the Governour and Chief Officers of the Garrison of Krom wherein after having highly extolled their Valour and Zeal and made them ample Promises of Rewards he told them that he was advanced with a considerable Force near the Enemies Camp to annoy them and to intercept their Foragers till the arrival of Prince Demetrius himself who was on his March at the Head of the Cosacks and other Auxiliaries lately arrived from Poland to oblige the Muscovites to raise the Siege This Letter being given to one who undertook to carry it into the Place he was directed thus to the City by the secret Orders of Zaporius that he must of necessity fall into the Hands of the Enemiâ—s advanced Guards which having suceeded accordingly the poor Fellow was carried before the Muscovite General where haveing been examined he was forced to produce the Letter which as he believ'd was to have been carried into the City Hodwen the General of the Muscovite Army having perused the Letter and over-joy'd at the Discovery of the approach of Demetrius call'd immediately a Council of War wherein it having been judged most convenient to attack the Enemy before they could be join'd by Demetrius it was resolved to leave only a small Body to keep the Avenues leading to the Town and with the rest to give Battle to Zaporius He soon perceiving by the Countenance of the Enemy that his Design had thus far succeeded according to his wish drew out his Forces in Battle-Array but being much inferior in number and fearing not without Reason lest Bosman with his Party might be discouraged by the inequality of their Number he resolved to back his Letter with a second Stratagem He placed all the Servants Suâ—lers and other useless Persons belonging to the Baggage at some distance behind the Army with whom having join'd some Soldiers enough to make up a Front he order'd them after they had seen him Engag'd for some time to advance in good Order with their Colours flying Drums beating and Trumpets sounding Thus having prepared every thing according to his intended Purpose he marched directly towards the Muscovites whom he attack'd with the utmost Vigour but these being without intermission re-inforced by fresh Troops gave so much work to the Poles that the Fight was very obstinate and bloody and the latter would have been in no small danger of losing the Day had not Bosman who Commanded the Body of Reserve in the Muscovian Army as soon as he saw the Polish Mock Army advance in the greatest heat of the Battle with some of his Party gone over to Zaporius and declared for Prince Demetrius crying out aloud to the Muscovites that they should cease to fight against their Natural Prince Bosman being the Darling of the common Soldiers his Words and Example had such a powerful Influence over them that like one Man they cry'd The Muscovites revolt they would live and die with him The Nobility and Chief Officers of the Army finding themselves deserted by the Soldiers resolved immediately to send their Deputies to Demetrius who at that time resided at Puttiwoll to acknowledge their Fault in having so long stood out against their Prince to implore his Pardon for what was past and to give him all the imaginable Assurances of their Fidelity for the future Demetrius transported with Joy at so welcome a piece of News lost no time but having immediately put himself at the Head of such Troops as he had with him at Puttiwoll march'd directly first to Krom where he caused Hodwen the Muscovian General to be clapt in Irons and from thence to Avol where the revolted Army lay Encamped Being arrived there and having received fresh Demonstrations of their entire Submission to his Commands he offer'd his Thanks to the Chief Men but especially to Bosman and his Friends and by his Caresses so gain'd upon the Affections of the common Soldiers that they all with one Voice desired him to Lead them against the Son of the Usurper of his Crown Being thus become absolutely Master of the Field and the Army and believing that now he had but one step left to ascend the Throne to wit to make himself Master of the City of Musco the Capital of the whole Empire he ordered every thing to be got ready for the March Whilst he was thus advancing by slow Marches towards Musco he sent his Letters to the Magistrates of that City wherein he told them he was near at hand with a most Potent Army ready to attack them at his first Command but that taking commiseration of their Condition he exhorted them to make choice of the fruits of Peace before the inevitable Calamities of War That if they preferred the last before the first they must be answerable for all the Miseries which are the necessary Consequences of an intestine War but as he was persuaded they would consult their own Safety he advised them to root out the whole Progeny of that accursed Traytor Boris Goudenou who had murder'd his Brother the late Great Duke Fedor and would have acted the same Tragedy with himself if it had not been prevented by the Vigilancy and Care of his Royal Mother and lastly not to delay any longer to shew their Readiness in Asserting the undoubted Right of their Natural Prince This Letter having been read in the Presence of the People and the Messenger of Demetrius in the Market-place they began to assemble in great Numbers and after a short Consultation what Measures were best to be taken they sent some among them to the Palace of Knez Basilizuski who having peremptorily demanded of him to declare before them whether this were the true Demetrius Youngest Son of Czar John Basilovits that lay now encamped near their City Zuski positively asserted that he was and that he had been saved from the Assassins sent by Boris Goudenou for his Destruction by
occasion should require Being thus prepar'd they pitch'd upon the sixteenth of May which being a Day appointed for an Extraordinary Feast in the Castle was consequently spent in all sorts of Jollities and Divertisments the Guards being even dismissed upon this extraordinary Occasion from their Duty So that every thing conspiring to facilitate the Design of the Conspirators it was resolved among them that at the closing of the Feast when the whole Court should be buried in strong Liquor and Sleep should be the beginning of the Tragedy they intended to act the next Morning The very same Night there happned a certain Accident which had been likely to have once more spoil'd their whole Design For a certain young Fellow who was privy to the Conspiracy drinking with some of the Guards and being elevated by the Force of the strong Liquor had unwarily let fall some Words in his Discourse concerning this intended Conspiracy whereupon being seized and brought before Demetrius he order'd him immediately to be put to the Rack to extort from him the whole truth of the Design But some of the Muscovian Lords who were concern'd in the Plot and in the most imminent Danger that could be of being discovered told the Grand Duke that it was easily to be seen that the young Fellow's Brains were intoxicated by the Strength of the Aqua vitae and that therefore it would be a Madness to make the least Reflection upon what he said while he was drunk Demetrius hurried on by his malignant Fate to his approaching Destiny being also hot-headed with the great quantity of Wine he had drank that Day followed the deceitful Advice of his mortal Enemies and dismiss'd the young Fellow for time with an Intention to have him further examined the next day without taking the least Precaution against the Attempts of his Enemies But the Conspirators had no sooner received Intelligence of what had passed in the Castle and how narrowly they had escaped being discovered immediately prepared themselves to execute their Design without any further Delay For this purpose they had before Break of Day possess'd themselves of the most considerable Parts and Avenues of the City Insurrection against Demetrius which done they caused the great Bell the common Signal of Alarms to be â—oll'd and most horrible Out-cries to be made in the Market-place and adjacent Streets that the Poles who were lately come along with the Grand Dutchess were in Arms with an Intention to Massacre all the Inhabitants of the City The Citizens being soon 〈◊〉 waked by those dreadful Apprehensions with the Assistance of the Conspirators who had dispeâ—ed themselves into those parts of the Town where the Poles were lodged fell instantly upon the Poleâ— in their Quarters who being all drunk and asleep in their Beds they kill'd most of them before they could be sensible of their Danger The Beginning of their projected Design having thus succeeded according to Wish Knez Basili-Zuski at the Head of this Party and a vast number of People having by the Massacre of the Poles secured themselves against all Opposition marched directly with their Scymeters in their Hands towards the Castle where they found every thing in a profound Silence and Security every Soul there being overwhelmed with Sleep Weariness and strong Liquor to that Degree that the Conspirators were advanced to the Gates of the Royal Palace before they took the Alarm within Demetrius being one of the first that awaken'd by the Noise and Out-cries of those that were Massacring all they met within the Castle got to one of the Windows and having soon understood the true Meaning of this Tumult he call'd to Bosman and some other Gentlemen of his Bed-Chamber that were near at hand who haviâ—â— taken what Weapons they could meet with on a sudden endeavoured to stop the Fury of those who press'd forward to enter the Great Duke's Apartment Demetrius himself appearing among them arm'd with a Halbard wherewith he dispatched some of the most forward of the Conspirators but some of them being provided with Pistols and Muskets they discharged so furiously upon the Great Duke and his Company that most of them being slain among whom was Bosman who was stabb'd with a Dagger Demetrius was forced to retire and being pursued from Chamber to Chamber at last threw himself out of the Window down into one of the Courts from whence tho' sorely bruised he at last got into the Fortress of the Castle guarded by Muscovites The Conspirators being enraged at their having miss'd their Prey fell a ransacking the Great Dukes Apartment and forcing their Way with their Scymeters thro' the Bodies of a few Attendants that were left entred the Grand Duke's Bed-Chamber whither all the Polish Ladies of Quality were retired and at the Approach of the Muscovites appeared half dead and immovable like Statues for fear not being able to utter one Word unless it were a certain ancient Lady who somewhat more confident than the rest by reason of her great Age answered the Muscovian Lords that were enquiring where the Great Dutchess was That at the beginning of the Tumult she had found means to get away as she believed to her Father's Palace Having search'd all over the Room and not being able to find her they were resolved to try whether they could put Life into the Ladies and restore to them that Natural Motion they had lost by this sudden Consternation and so to work they went every one catching hold of her he liked best and thus having satisfied their brutish Lust they were going to leave the Room in further Pursuit after Demetrius It is to be observed that among all the Ladies that were there but two escaped their Violences the first was the Lady Palatine of Lamoc we mentiond before secured more by her Wrinkles and Grey Hair than out of any Respect to her Person and another Lady that sate very sick in a large Elbow-Chair One of the Muscovian Lords as they were Just going out hapning to cast his Eyes that way observed some Motion behind that Chair and being curious to know the Meaning of it advanced that Way where having pulled up the Hangings he discovered the poor affrighted Marina who as she was of an extraordinary Presence of Mind look'd upon them with so Majestick an Air that they all withdrew without offering any further Violence By this time the Conspirators being advertised that Demetrius had saved himself among the Muscovites that guarded the Fortress of the Castle they march'd thither and attack'd the Fort with the utmost Fury but these within being encouraged by the Presence of Demetrius who notwithstanding the Violent Bruises occasioned by his leaping out of the Widow fought in this Extremity like a Lion with a Resolution rather to die with his Scymeter in his Hand than to be exposed to the Scorn of his Enemies they were repulsed with great Slaughter but their Strength increasing with their Number they renew'd the Assault several times but were as
often repulsed till the Garrison by their Threats was at last prevailed upon to surrender the unfortunate Demetrius into their Hands From thence they led him Demetrius led in Triumph after they had put a ragged Coat about him thro' the Streets of the City in Triumph under the Imprecations and Scorns of the Rabble who pointed Fingers into his very Eyes pluck'd him by the Nose and Chin asking him whether he was now Demetrius or Grisko All which he bore with a most admirable Constancy not so much as uttering one Word and scarce changing his Countenance But coming near the Market-place and perceiving a great number of the dead Bodies of the Poles slain by the Muscovites wallowing in their own Blood he could not refrain from shedding of Tears expressing a greater Sense of their Sufferings than his own telling them that if they would but have spared his Friends he should not have grumbled at his own Fate tho' perhaps the most severe and not to be parallel'd in History as being their lawful Sovereign and Youngest Son to their Grand Duke John Basilovits for the Confirmation of which he would appeal to his Mother The People being not a little startled at his resolute Behaviour began to abate of their former Fierceness and having sent Knez Basili-Zuski to the Empress Dowager to learn from her own Mouth the whole Truth of the Matter he return'd soon after with this Answer That the Empress Dowager his pretended Mother had declared to him upon the Cross that he was no Son of hers and what she had done before in acknowledging him as such had been done partly to obtain her Freedom and partly to revenge her self upon the Family of Boris Goudenou for the Murther of her Son Demetrius This Answer having been soon spread among the People a certain Muscovite thronging thro' the Croud that surrounded Demetrius with his Pistol ready cock'd in his Hand and coming up close to him Thou infamous Traitor said he take the Reward of thy Imposture Demetrius kill'd and so shot him thro' the Heart that he fell dead the same Instant at his Feet those that stood nearest wounding the dead Carcass with their Scymeters and Pikes and after they had stript and mangled it so as scarce to be known dragg'd it thro' the Streets of the City and committed all manner of Barbarities upon the dead Body of the same Person whom within a few Months before they both dreaded and adored Thus was the Splendor of the Nuptials darkned by the fatal End of Demetrius who after he had scarce tasted the Sweets of a Diadem and the Joys of a fair Bride was snatch'd away from both by the same Fate that not many Months before had exalted him to this sublime Station on purpose as it seems to make his fall the more conspicuous It is a controverted Point to this day not only among a great many of the Russians but especially betwixt the Poles and Swedes whether he was an Impostor or not The Swedes who were engag'd on Boris Goudenou's and Basili-Zuski's side strenuously maintain the first and for the Confirmation of this their Opinion alledge that it was put beyond all question by the Evidence of the Empress Dowager and Basili-Zuski himself who managed the Funeral Solemnities of the true Demetrius slain at Vgletz and asserted that he was certainly murthered by the Assassins sent for that purpose by Boris Goudenou and that the owning of this Impostor to be the true Demetrius by Zuski proceeded from his fear of being Massacred by the People as that of the Empress owes its Origin to the Obligation she had to him for her Liberty and the Satisfaction she received of being revenged of the Borisian Family The Poles on the other hand who sided with this Demetrius assert the contrary affirming that what the Swedes relate of him is founded meerly upon Hear-say suggested by his Enemies on purpose to encompass their Designs of snatching the Crown from the true Family of the Great Duke Basilovits That the Swedes who were not concern'd so nearly in the Matter as the Poles and that not till several years after the Fray was begun ought not to be look'd upon as competent Judges of this Controversie That it would be ridiculous to suppose that so many Persons of Quality in Poland and the King himself could be thus imposed upon that it was not very likely that the Weywode of Sendomiria would have thus engag'd in his Interest and promised him his Daughter in Marriage if besides the great Resemblance he had with that Demetrius at Vgletz he had not had very evident Proofs of the reality of his Extraction That the first Declaration of the Empress Dowager was without question real and that the pretended denial made afterwards to Basili-Zuski concerning this Demetrius was extorted from her by Fear besides that it was only founded upon the Faith of Basili-Zuski who as it sufficiently appear'd afterwards was his Rival for the Crown of Muscovy and succeeded him in the Empire But we must pursue our Tragedy which did not end with the Death of Demetrius For there being a considerable number of Poles quartered in the more remote Parts of the City who being involved in Drink and Sleep had not as yet heard the least Tidings of what had past in and about the Castle and the Muscovites fearing not without Reason that if they should take the Alarm upon so surprising an Occasion they would sell their Lives at a very dear rate they resolved to draw them into the Trap before they could have any notice of this Accident For this purpose certain Messengers were dispatch'd with counterfeit Orders from Demetrius to appear forthwith in the Castle without their Arms the Grand Duke being resolved that at the Day of a general Rejoycing nothing of Terror should appear at his Nuptials The Poles not suspecting the concealed Fraud of this deceitful Message came forth without their Arms thus tamely exposing themselves to the Slaughter which was executed upon them with a more than barbarous Cruelty very few escaping the hands of the bloody Muscovites except some Gentlemen of Quality who having scatter'd some Money among the Rabble had thereby an Opportunity given them to gather into a small Body and so hew'd their Way thro' their Enemies till they came to the Palace of George Mniszeck Weywode of Sendomiria Father-in-Law to the Great Dutchess where was also the Duke Wisnowiski and some other Polish Lords who having opened their way by their Scymiters to this Palace which was pretty strong were resolved to defend it to the utmost and at least not to sell their Lives at a cheap rate Neither was it long before they saw themselves surrounded on all sides by an infinite number of their Enemies who with great Fury attack'd them on all sides but with little Success for the Poles having no other Sanctuary left them fought like desperate Men and as often as they were attack'd by the Enemies drove
pursuant to which Resolution the Place surrendred it self upon very honourable Terms which were however but very ill observed by Zuski who contrary to his Oath caused several of the Chief Officers of the Garrison to be hang'd and the Brave Polutnich and the Cunning Schacopski to be cast into a loathsome Prison where they both vvere miserably Famish'd to death The Cosacks that had hitherto stood firm to the Interest of Demetrius having had no Intelligence of his Approach consequently looking upon his Cause as desperate embraced the Party of Zuski who being overjoyed at the Conquest of Thula and the Accession of so considerable a Force ordered his Army in Conjunction with these Cosacks to form the Siege of Caluga the strongest Place as yet in the Possession of the Demetrians The Army was scarce sat down before the Place when a Rumour being spread among the Cosacks that Demetrius at the Head of an Army was arrived at Staradub they began to mutiny first and having drawn some of the Muscovites into their Party the whole Army upon the News spread industriously by the Cosacks that Demetrius was advancing to fight them was possessed with so panick a Fear that without the least Order Zuski's Army dispersed they at Midnight left their Tents Cannon and Baggage every one making the best of his Way to the City of Musco where they brought the first News to Zuski of their imaginary Defeat and the Flight of his Army without being pursued by any body The Cosacks and their Party being thus left absolute Masters of the whole Camp at the first Break of Day did not fail to give notice of what had happened to the Inhabitants of Caluga and that Demetrius was arrived at Staradub but these looking upon it as a Stratagem and a Contrivance of the Cosacks to catch them in a Trap at first answered them with Fire and Ball till upon their reiterated Assurances that the Muscovites were fled and their offering Hostages as Pledges of what they had related to them to be Truth they sent out some of the Officers of the Garrison into the Camp who at their Return having confirm'd what they had been assur'd of before by the Cosacks they soon open'd their Gates and having shar'd the Booty found in the Camp with them they entred triumphantly into the City After they had bestow'd a few days in rejoicing and refreshing themselves the Cosacks with part of the Garrisonâ— to the Number of Ten thousand marched from thence to the Camp of Demetrius near Staradub where having rejoiced him with the unexpected News of the Relief of Caluga they were received with great Demonstrations of his Royal Favour and vast Promises of ample Rewards after his Recovery of the Throne Thus whilst Zuski was repenting himself of his fatal Error of having receiv'd into his Army so considerable a Number of his Enemies Troops Demetrius encreased in Strength every day The Reputation of what had happen'd before Caluga and his being join'd by the Cosacks made such lively Impressions upon the Minds of the Muscovites that many of them were â—or siding with the most fortunate and the Poles and Lithuanians bordering upon Muscovy being enticed by the Hopes of Reward and Booty flock'd in great Numbers to his Camp so that seeing himself in a Capacity to encounter his Enemies he march'd in quest of them and having found Misinowski the Muscovian General advantageously posted at a strong Pass he nevertheless attack'd him so furiously that he entirely routed them The Zuskians routed killing near Ten thousand upon the Spot besides a great number of Prisoners among whom was their General Matthew Misinowski himself This Victory gained such a Reputation to Demetrius that the whole Province of Severia with some other adjacent Places readily submitted to his Obedience acknowledging him for their true and undoubted Sovereign and promising to furnish his Army with all manner of Necessaries But the Poles being more especially encourag'd by this Success to pursue their Revenge to the Destruction of Zuski sent considerable Supplies to back the Pretensions of Demetrius Duke Roman Rosinski sent a good Body of chosen Horse under the Command of his Friend Walareski Adam Wisnowiski Charlinski Mielski and several other Lords of the first Quality in Poland soon after joined him with such Troops as they had raised in their respective Countries besides that a new Body of 8000 Cosacks upon the first News of his Victory had declared for him and taken service among his Troops Not long after Duke Rosinski being also arrived in the Camp was by the Consent of the Polish Lords and other Principal Officers declared General of the whole Army Basili-Zuski had in the mean while applied all his Care in getting ready his Recruits and making new Levies throughout the whole Empire with an Intention to bring so formidable an Army into the Field as to be able to stop the further Progress of his Enemy For this end having formed an Army of above a Hundred and fifty thousand Men and declared his Brother Demetrius Zuski General he ordered him to march directly towards the Poles and fight them wherever he met them Pursuant to these Orders the Zuskian Army march'd towards the City of Bolchow where having fix'd their Tents within sight of the Enemy some Days were spent in Skirmishes whilst the Generals of both Parties watch'd their Opportunity of Deciding their Quarrel by a Battel to the best Advantage It was not long before they found it being equally eager of Engaging For as I said before scarce had they lain thus encamp'd a few days but they saw the Zuskians early in the Morning drawing out to put themselves in Battle Array having detach'd a Body of their best Horse to possess themselves of some advantageous Posts near to the Demetrian Camp which these have soon been advertised of by their Parties that were abroad to observe the Motion of the Enemy they with all speed sent also a Body of their best Horse to engage the Muscovites and to maintain those advanced Posts till they could be sustained by some of their Infantry The Polish Horse engaged the Muscovites with so much Bravery that after an Engagement of an Hour they forced them to quit those Posts whilst the whole Army was putting in Order of Battle having taken the Advantage of the same Ground which the Muscovites intended to have made use of against them The Muscovites being bassled in their first Enterprize however did not lose Courage as trusting to their Number and Demetrius Zuski their General at the Head of them left nothing unattempted which might encourage his Soldiers to fight bravely against the sworn Enemies of their Country He told them That a great part of the Demetrian Army was composed out of Vagabonds and Rebels whom they had seen fly before them so often of late and who now puffed up with their late Success near Caluga more to be attributed to their Treachery and a Luckâ—y Chance than their
bravery had once more the Impudence to look them in the Face hurried on by their ill Destiny to receive the Reward of their Treacheries from their Hands That the rest were Poles the Hereditary Enemies of their Country and Religion unto whom must be ascribed all the Evils and Mischiefs which had befaln their Empire for these several Years last past That this insolent Nation not being contented to have once before involved their Country in Blood and Confusion by setting up an Impostor instead of the true Demetrius slain at Ugletz were now upon the point of Imposing upon them a Second in order to dispose of the Throne of Muscovy at their Pleasure to enslave their Country and to root out the true ancient Greek Religion He represented to them how inglorious nay ignominious it would be to the whole Russian Nation who had extended their Conquests over most of the neighbouring Countries to receive Laws from the Poles who had conspired their Ruin and Destruction That therefore they being to expect nothing but Misery from their mortal Enemies they must look for their Deliverance in their own Courage with a Resolution not to out-live that Day which if lost would put an End to all the Glory purchased by their Ancestors to their own Felicity and that of all their Posterity Rosinski on the other hand the Demetrian General was not wanting to enflame the Courage of his Soldiers by representing to them That the Muscovites which they saw before them were the Remnants of those whom they had so often beaten with a much less number witness their late Engagement with Misinowski whom to their eternal Glory they had droven from his advantageous Post notwithstanding the inequality of their number That therefore they should not be startled at their Enemies who tho much more numerous were for the most part an undisciplin'd Rabble terrible only in outward Appearance the rest who so lately had experience of their invincible Courage scarce daring to look their Conquerours in the face He desired them to remember the Slaughter of that Countrymen in cold Blood against all the Laws of Hospitality by that very same Rabble whom they were now going to Engage that their Blood crying for Vengeance they had now the fairest Opportunity in the World to take the most ample Satisfaction from those barbarous Wretches and to punish them for their Cruelties He concluded That they ought to consider that the Conquest of whole Muscovy depended upon the points of their Swords and that one day's labour would put them into Possession of a vast Empire and all the Riches and Treasure of their Enemies be the Reward of the Victory Rosinski finding a great eagerness in his Soldiers to Engage led them on straight to the Enemy whom they attack'd with an unparallell'd Bravery and forced them several times to shrink before the daring Poles but being continually reâ—â—forced with fresh Supplies they maintain'd theâ— Ground in spite of the Bravery of the Demetrians so that the Success of the Battle remain'd doubtful for a great part of the Day But it is to be observed that the Cosacks in the same manner as Zaporius did some years before when he fought Hodwen the Borisian General had placed all their Boys and other Attendants belonging to the Baggage with some Soldiers enough to make up a Front at some distance behind the Line of Battle these upon a Signal agreed betwixt them advanc'd during the heat of the Battle with their Colours flying Drums beating and Trumpets sounding which the Muscovites who were already scarce able to sustain the Fury of the Poles having perceived and believing it to be a Body of Reserve coming to attack them afresh they began to give Ground which the Polish Horse being sensible of they renew'd the Charge with so much Bravery that in less than an Hours time they forced the Muscovian Cavalry to quit the Field in great disorderâ— Zuski's Army entirely routed The Infantry being thus exposed both in Front and Flank were soon put to an entire Rout with a great Slaughter being bereav'd of their Horse to cover their Retreat so that out of this vast Army there were not five hundred left that quitted the Field in a Body except five thousand who saved themselves in the City of Belchow but were in a few days after forced to surrender at discretion to Demetrius who falling into the same Error as Zuski did before with the Cosacks took them into Pay and received the same Reward from their hands as we shall see anon Demetrius being by so signal a Victory become Master of the Field and the whole Camp Cannon and Baggage of the Enemy what wonder if all the adjacent Places followed the Fortune of the Conquerour unto whom they opened their Gates without the least Opposition unless it were Moâ—â—â—sko and two or three more who had Courage enough to make some shew of Resistance but at the approach of the Victorious Army surrendred also at Discretion Having thus opened his way to the Capital City of Musco he directed his March thither not questioning but that the Terror of his last Victory would have so strong an influence over the disheartned Citizens as to make them open their Gates at his first arrival before the City It is nâ— difficult thing to imagine that the Loss of so vast an Army on which seem'd to depend the Fate of the whole Empire must needs put that City upon the approach of the Conquerour into such a Consternation as is not easie to be express'd But besides the presence of their Great Duke Basili Zuski who in this extremity of his Affairs was not wanting by all means possible to inspire Courage into his dejected Subjects there were two thingâ— which contributed not a little to the Resolution ofâ— the Citizens to adhere to Zuski to the last Extremity The first was That Demetrius in lieu of Marching directly to the City of Musco trifled aâ— way his Time in the more Northern Provinceâ— where the Poles rambling up and down the Country were often intercepted by the Muscovites who in the mean while had leisure given them to recover themselves out of their first Fright and to take such measures as were most suitable to the present Condition of their Affairs The second was the Perfidiousness of these five thousand Musâ—â—vites who after their Surrender at Bolchow hadâ— taken Service under Demetrius and now having watch'd their Opportunity left him again and went over to Zuski unto whom they gave an Account of the whole Condition of the Army assuring him that the Poles were not near so formidable nor numerous as represented to them by Fame and that it would be no difficult matter foâ— the City to defend it self against them till beâ—â—â— reinforced with fresh Supplies out of the more 〈◊〉 mote Provinces of the Kingdom they might meet with a more favourable Opportunity to remove them from their Walls This relation and the delays of Demetrius haveing put new Courage
beaten a second time that at last they forced them to retreat and thus in one day gained a double Victory over their Enemies The Reputation of which being improved by Fame not only some of the most remote Provinces of the Muscovian Empire sent their Deputies to make their Submission to Demetrius but he was also daily supplied with fresh Recruits out of Poland besides a Body of 4000 new-rais'd Horse under the Command of Zlarowski and Sapiha The Muscovites on the other Hand having scarce left a sufficient Number out of their vast Armies to defend the City of Musco and seeing Demetriâ—â— encrease in Strength daily were forced to have 〈◊〉 course to new Counsels For which Reason they once more addrest themselves to the Polish Ambassadors and the Weywode of Sendomiria who were as yet in their Custody Unto these they promised Golden Mountains if by their Interest at the Polish Court they could prevail with Sigismund King of Poland to recall his Subjects out of the Service of this Pseudo-Demetrius The Ambassadors and the Weywode gladly accepted their offers but being very desirous of their Liberty told them that they did not question if Matters were truly represented to the King he might in time be induced to draw off his Supplies from Demetrius But that as his Interest at Court was back'd by some of the Chiefest Men of the Kingdom and in great Esteem with the King himself so it was not to be supposed that they should be able to prevail against their Power when absent which perhaps when present they might do without much Difficulty by representing to the Court the true State of the Case and the Imposture of Demetrius They represented to them how advantageous it would be to their Affairs in detecting the whole Intrigue of this supposititious Demetrius if Marina in Person appear'd at Court and by her own Confession confirmed the Death of her Lord which would put the Imposture of this Pretender beyond all question and without doubt contribute more than all other Endeavours towards the recalling of the Poles out of the Service of the Impostor The Muscovites did not very well relish these Propositions being unwilling to part with their Prisoners upon so easie Terms But being at last over-ruled by the Speciousness of their alledged Reasons and much more by the absolute Necessity of their Affairs they were at last forced to comply with the Desires of these Polish Lords unto whom as well as to Marina Marina and her Father set at liberty they granted their Liberty under Condition that they should undertake to oblige the King of Poland to draw back the Army of his Subjects which lay encamped under the Walls of the City of Musco They were not sparing in their Promises so that every thing being agreed on betwixt them they were in a few days after permitted to depart under a Guard of five hundred Horse to defend them against the Parties of Demetrius that were continually abroad in great Numbers This Treaty had not been managed with so much Secrecy but that Demetrius who was not without his Spies within the City had got Scent of it by whose Means also having got Notice of the Day of their Departure and judging not without great Reason how disadvantageous their Presence at the Polish Court might prove to his Affairs and on the other hand considering that nothing could contribute more at this time towards the Strengthening of his Party than if by joining their Interest with his he could bring them over to his Side and engage Marina to own him for her Husband he sent out Zlarowski with fifteen hundred Horse to intercept their Passage Zlarowski having been before hand informed which way they were to pass had not marched above two Hours before he met with them and having ordered five or six hundred of his Horse to face the Muscovites who guarded the Polish Lords he in Person with a few of his Officers were advancing to address themselves to Marina and the Weywode her Father But the Zuskian Horse at the first sight of the Poles whom they saw much stronger than themselves look'd for their Safety in the Swiftness of their Horses making the best of their Way towards Musco and leaving the Poles committed to their Charge at the Disposal of their Country-men Zlarowski making his Addresses to Marina Are intercepted and conducted to Demetrius complemenâ—ed her in the Name of Demetrius telling her that he was sent to invite them to his Camp being ambitious not to let slip so favourable an Opportunity of delivering them out of the Hands of their Enemies Marina and the Weywode were at some uncertainty what to answer 〈◊〉 but seeing themselves in no Capacity of making any Resistance they return'd Zlarowski Thanks for his Care and Vigilancy and with a seeming Gladness went forward to the Polish Camp where they were presented immediately after their Arrival to Demetrius Those of a more refined judgment look'd upon this proceeding of Demetrius as a gross Mistake in Point of Policy to admit Marâ—â—â— and the Polish Lords who were quite unprepared for an Interview of this nature into his Presence For Marina as well as her Father and the Ambassadors being surprised at first sight to see this Demetrius differ very much from the Great Duke slain in the City of Musco betray'd their dissatisfaction sufficiently both in their Countenances and the strangeness of their behaviour towards him which having been observed as well by Demetrius himself as some others that were present at the Interview he thought it most advisable to send them to another Quarter of the Camp with Orders not to take notice that they had been seen by him hoping thus to hush up the former Passage till they could concert new Measures to carry on the Intrigue to their mutual Advantage But an Error of this Nature being not so soon corrected the manner of this interview could not be hid from some of the more quick-sighted and among others had not escaped the particular Observance of Kniasus Masalski a Kinsman both to the routed General of that Name and to Zuski himself who was ever since the last Defeat detain'd a Prisoner in the Camp He having watch'd his opportunity a few days after made his Escape and got into the City where he related to Zuski and the Muscovites the Doubts which had at the first interview with Demetrius appear'd in Marina's Countenance and Carriage all which he represented with so much Dexterity and in terms so lively and natural that the Muscovites being fully perswaded of the Imposture unanimously resolved to adhere to Zuski to the last Extremity and rather to endure any thing than to submit themselves under the Government of an Impostor imposed upon them by the Contrivances of their mortal Enemies the Poles Zuskis seeing the People thus confirm'd in his Inâ—erest by the prejudice they had conceived against the Person of his Rival bethought himself of a certain States-Trick by which he hoped
Interview it was given out That the Great Dutchess Marina had been indisposed for these ten days last past ever since her arrival in the Camp and that being now recovered Demetrius was going to conduct her to his Tent. The whole Army therefore being drawn out into the Field Marina receivâ—d by Demetrius with all the great Officers in their respective Stations Demetrius accompanied by all the Nobility of both Nations there present by all the Foreign Ambassadors and Deputies or the revolted Provinces went on Horseback to meet her in the open Field where being met they both at some Yards distance did alight he from his Horse she out of her Coach Having received one another with open Arms they intermingled their Kisses with Tears and with Expressions so tender so passionate and so natural that it was impossible even for the most quick-sighted so much as to suspect an Interview so solemn and passionate to be artificial especially when they saw the Lady Marina after the first Caresses were past pay to Demetrius the highest Reverence and Marks of a most profound Esteem as she had before given him the most passionate Testimonies of an unfeigned Love and the most sincere Affection whilst Demetrius could do nothing else than repay these Endearments with his repeated Embraces After some time spent in those mutual Caresses Demetrius made his particular Application to the Weywode of Sendomiria the Father of Marina unto whom he told That next to the Recovery of his Dear Spouse out of the Hands of those barbarous Wretches nothing could be more pleasing to him at this time than to see himself in a Condition to make him in Person the Acknowledgments due to him for all the Honours he had received at his Hands He put him in mind that as he had been the first who had given real Encouragement to his undertaking by publickly espousing his Interest in Poland so he had ever since been the constant Companion of all his Labours and the various Vicissitudes of Fortune till that unhappy Separation on the sixteenth day of May occasion'd by the Contrivances of their most barbarous Enemies He concluded that the same propitious Fate which had so miraculously preserv'd him from falling into their Hands and now bad once more blest him with the sight of those Persons he lov'd and reverenc'd most in the World in spite of all the malicious Endeavours of their implacable Enemies seem'd already by its auspicious Influence to have directed his Path by which to re-ascend his Throne to enable him to pay his real Acknowledgments to his Friends and to put his Enemies to Shame and Confusion The Weywode after having returned his most humble Thanks to Demetrius for putting so high a Value upon his Services for which he own'd himself sufficiently rewarded by having honour'd his Family with his Alliance in marrying his Daughter and the publick Acknowledgement given just now in the Presence of so many great and brave Men failed not to insert some remarkable Passages common to them both since their first Attempt of entring Muscovy with an Army and concluded that he had all the Reason to believe that the same Power which had been so instrumental in preserving them from so many Dangers and surmounting all these Difficulties would crown all their past Labours in a little time with a happy End To be short the Lady play'd so naturally the Innocent her Father so ingeniously the Politician and Demetrius himself personated so artificially the real Grand Duke that all three acting their Parts to the Life drew Tears from the Eyes of the Spectators the most subtle and quick-sighted being constrained even against their Inclination to rest satisfied in such apparent Testimonies of a well-grounded Love and Friendship as all the rest however wavering before were now confirm'd of the Reality of Demetrius to be past all Dispute The whole Ceremony being ended in the Field with all the Dexterity imaginable they marched in great Pomp under the Acclamations of the whole Army to Demetrius his Tent. The Rumour of this extraordinary Interview having been soon spread all over the neighbouring Provinces and from thence throughout the whole Empire the Muscovites caâ—â—e flocking to the Camp from all Parts and the most remote Provinces sent their Deputies to make their Submission to Demetrius scarce any standing out except Smolensko with its Capital City of the same Name and a few others so that the Camp was abundantly supplied with all manner of Provisions out of the circumjacent Parts Things being in this Posture it was resolved to render the whole Camp more convenient and accommodate it against the approaching Winter For which purpose there was not only a very magnificent Structure after the Muscovite Fashion erected for the Great Duke and Greaâ— Dutchess but there was scarce a Person of Qualty or Officer of Note who had not a House prepared for his Dwelling-place with all the Conveniencies that could be had in a well regulated City the whole Camp being divided into several goodly Streets with a Market and other publick Places the common Soldiers being lodged in Huts well provided against the approaching Winter-Season The whole was encompassed with a very strong Line fortified at certain distances with Redoubts and good store of Cannon so that it had the resemblance of a very large and strongly fortified City The Inhabitants of Musco tho' not a little disheartned by the general Defection of the Country and the Neighbourhood of the Enemy who by the countenance of their Camp seem'd to be resolved not to quit the Enterprize at an easie rate yet did not lose Courage and finding themselves depriv'd of all Means to draw Supplies out of their own Country they had recourse to the same Policy which Boris Goudenou intended to have made use of against the Poles if he had not been prevented by his sudden Death They were sufficiently sensible that Charles then King of Sweden who had found Means to exclude his Nephew Sigismund then King of Poland and lawful Heir to the Crown of Sweden from that Crown would be glad of any Opportunity to stop the Progress of the Poles to prevent their becoming Masters of the Empire of Muscovy which would infallibly open them the way into the Swedish Territories They apply'd themselves therefore to the beforementioned King Charles who upon their Request sent them considerable Supplies and first check'd the course of the Victories of the Poles which gave such Encouragement to many other Provinces of Muscovy that being tir'd with the Insolencies and Exactions of the Demetrians they shook off the Polish Yoke and these being thus entangled in new Difficulties when they thought themselves upon the point of accomplishing their Design fell into Dissentions by the mismanagement of Sigismund King of Poland which at last proved fatal both to Demetrius and the Polish Affairs in Muscovy which was thus unexpectedly delivered from its Enemies when in all Humane Appearance they were ready to triumph over them
Town that way But the Besiegers advanced but slowly in their Works for want of Foot for tho' the King had lateâ—y received a reinforcement of five thousand Cosacks yet there being not above ten thousand Foot in his whole Army which according to the Custom of the Polanders was chiefly composed of Horse these bearing no proportion to so numerous a Garrison they were continually harrassed by the frequent Sallies of the Besieged who often drove them from their Trenches before they could be seconded by their Horse Their approaches being thus carried on not without great difficulty a considerable time was spent before they could possess themselves of some advantageous Posts near the Walls of the City which being very convenient for the Besiegers to fetch in their Supplies of fresh Water put them to some Distress that way yet not so but that they had sufficient Opportunity to furnish themselves with it in the night-time without being perceived by the Enemy by reason of the nearness of the River Thus the Siege continued with abundance of Toil but small Success the King who now began to be sensible of his Error being resolved upon a Punctilio of Honour not to leave the Place till it were reduced cost it what it would so that many of the Poles but especially of the Cosacks paid with their Lives for their King's Obstinacy who might have been employed with much more Probability of Success against the City of Musco For whilst the King was thus wasting his Forces before Smolensko the Zuskians having received Advice of the approach of the Swedish Troops sent to their Assistance began to concert measures how to remove at a further distance the Demetrian Forces that had lain so long at their Doors They were not ignorant of the Inconveniencies which the Poles labour'd under in the Demetrian Camp They had sufficient Intelligence of their Divisions and Animosities in their Councils occasioned by the Multitude of their Chief Commanders who being sway'd more by their particular Interest and Ambition than the Good of the common Cause lost many times an Opportunity of annoying the Enemy This Instability in their Councils caused much Carelesness in the whole Conduct of their Affairs which frequently turn'd to their great Disadvantage as it happned in May in the same Year when a sharp Engagement hapning betwixt the Inhabitants of the City of Musco and the Demetrians these had at first the better of them but making a disorderly Retreat without the least necessity and falling to plunder the Dead gave the Enemy opportunity to Rally and being reinforced with fresh Troops out of the City they so furiously charged the Poles that they entirely â—outed them most of their Foot being either kill'd or taken Prisoners The Disgrace they received not long after at T were must chiefly be ascribed to their divided Counsels For the Poles having got Intelligence that the Swedish Auxiliaries were marching towards Musco sent Zlarowski with three thousand â—orse to observe their Motion and to annoy them if possible in their March Zlarowski having had the good Fortune to surprize one of their Regiments which was advanced at some distance before the rest he cut them all to pieces This so alarm'd the Muscovites who had put all the Hopes of their Saâ—ety in these Auxiliary Troops that they march'd out with their whole Strength and join'd them near the City of T were The Poles having got Notice of their March sent also a considerable Reinforcement to Zlarowski who meeting them some few Miles beyond T were Engagement betwixt the Poles and Muscovites near T were a fierce Engagement ensued both Parties disputing the Victory with great Obstinacy The Polish Horse attack'd the two Wings of the Enemies with an irresistible Courage and the Russians fighting for the last Stake behaved themselves like Men resolv'd either to overcome or die notwithstanding which they were forced to give Ground both Wings being after a bloody and obstinate Fight routed by the Poles who killed 8000 among whom were 1000 German Horse upon the Spot But the Foot stood all this while unmovable and had several times made Zlarowski who commanded the main Body of the Polish Army give Ground and tho' now left by their Horse had possest themselves of an advantageous Post where they could not be attack'd without great Disadvantage The Polish Horse being extreamly tired by the Fatigues of the Day and the whole Army much inferiour in Number to that of the Enemy it was not thought advisable to pursue them but on the contrary all the ablest and most experienced Officers were of Opinion to rest contented with what Advantage they had gotten and to withdraw to some more advantageous Post But Zlarowski emuloâ—s of the Honour the rest had goten would by no means consent to their Advice and being resolved to try his Fortune whether he could in some Measure recover the Disgrace he had received in that day's Action would not stir from his Post tho' expos'd to the Enemies Cannon So that the rest seeing him resolute and obstinate against their Counsels they quartered themselves in some of the adjacent Villages The Enemy having by some Deserters got notice what Effects their divided Counsels had produced soon rally'd their Horse and having rejoined their Foot by break of Day fell with such Fury upon the Poles that seeing themseves thus surprized and in no Capacity to second one another they fought their Way thro' the Enemy the Foot retiring to T were the Horse making the best of their Way to their Camp near Musco with the loss of a great many of their Companions and all their Artillery and Baggage The Muscovites flush'd with this happy Success march'd directly to T were where they stormed the Castle at three several times with more Courage than Conduct for the Polish Foot which got before them within the Place repulsed them every time with great Slaughter so that despairing of carrying the Place by reason of its numerous Garrison they raised the Siege and directed their march towards the River Wolga At some Miles distance from Kolasinum Aâ—â—ther Engagementâ— near Kolasinum they were encounter'd by a great Body of the Demetrian Horse who falling in their Rear brought the whole Arrier-guard in Confusion till seconded by some fresh Regiments they forced the Poles to retire Besides this the Licentiousness of their Discipline in the Demetrian Camp had occasioned several Seditions for want of Pay so that Demetrius to satisfie their Demands was forced to lay such heavy Taxations upon the Provinces which had submitted to his Obedience that at last becoming intolerable most of the great Cities revolted and the Country refused to pay any further Contributions looking upon them as the Fuel that nourished the Flame which had almost consumed them In some Places they grew so outrageous as to seize imprison and kill the Tax-gatherers Demetrius therefore to maintain his Authority and to protect his Officers being obliged to send strong Parties into
to moulder away to nothing by the intestine Dissensions of their Generals and the carelesness of their Martial Discipline but more especially by the mismanagement of Sigismund King of Poland who by the unseasonable Distractions occasioned by his recalling the Poles out of the Demetrian Camp was the chief Instrument of the Deliverance of the Muscovites to his great Detriment for the Enemy who before was scarce able to maintain himself within the Walls of Musco being now freed from that Thorn that stuck so deep in his Flesh soon gathered new Strength for that the King who might if he had given due Encouragement to have Demetrius prosecuted the War at the Expence and Danger of others or at least have shared both with them by his obstinate Perseverance in the Siege of Smolensko drew the whole Burthen of the War upon his own Shoulders and thus robb'd himself of the Glory and Advantage of making himself the Arbitrator betwixt both the contending Parties This memorable Siege was rais'd in the beginning of March in the Year 1610. The Citizens of Musco seeing themselves thus deliver'd from their troublesome Neighbours began now to assume new Courage and Vigour and having driven the Poles out of Peresla and Alexandria most of the Provinces which were revolted to Demetrius now again declared for Zuski offering considerable Supplies and promising their utmost Assistance in chasing the Poles out of Muscovy Zuski having conceived new Hopes of Sâ—ccess from the Zeal of his Subjects march'd to the Riâ—er Wolga where he recover'd all the Places as yet in the Possession of the Demetrians and forced Sapiha who as we mention'd before remain'd stedfast in the Interest of Demetrius to raise the Siege of the strong Convent of Troitza Rosinski after his Separation from Sapiha and the rest of the Demetrian Forces had possess'd himself of Volock and the strong Convent of Ossipow both which he had provided with a good Garrison having sent the rest of his Troops under the Command of Zlarowski to the King of Poland before Smolensko He himself was by reason of an Indisposition occasioned by a hurt he received before Musco detained at Volock His Distemper increasing every day by reason of the Distraction of his Mind created by his late ill Successes he was at last overcome more by the Violence of his Grief than of his Malady which deprived him of his Life in a strange Country Rosinski dyes at that very time when the Zuskians were approaching the Place in order to besiege it Volviowitz the Zuskian General having soon received Intelligence of the Death of Rosinski hastned his March and having immediately caused the Town to be attacked with Vigour the Garrison all in a Distraction by the Death of their General surrender'd it in a few Days without making any considerable Resistance From thence he turn'd his Arms to Ossipoâ— which he also took but not without great Difficulty and the Loss of a great many of his Men. For this Place being garrison'd by a thousand French and Germans they beat off the Muscovites in several bloody Assaults and obliged them to turn the Siege into a Blockade which having reduced the Garrison to the last Extremity for want of all manner of Necessaries they took a Resolution rather to force their way with their Swords in their Hands thro' the Enemies than tamely to surrender upon dishonourable Conditions They chose Midnight as the fittest time for the Exploit when having refreshed themselves with what Provisions there was left and having taken their farewel of one another by Embraces and drinking each a Cup of Aqua vitae they made a Sally out of the Gate which leads to Smolensko and like Men resolved to die attacked the Muscovites in their Posts with an unparallel'd Bravery of whom a great many were kill'd before they could be relieved by fresh Troops when their Number increasing continually they kill'd most of the Garrison but not without great Slaughter on their side two hundred only escaping to King Sigismund's Camp And the rest sold their lives so dearly that some thousands of the Muscovites were slain upon the Place In the mean while the King of Poland had made several fruitless Attacks upon the City of Smolensko the Garrison of which Place defended it self with a most gallant Resolution The Attempt which was made at the Gate of S. Michael by one Nowodorski a Polander and Captain of the King's Guards deserves among the rest a particular Remembrance here For he having fastned a Petard to the abovementioned Gate laid open a Passage into the Town and with a few young Polish Noblemen entred the City with their Scymetars drawn cutting down all before them There is no question but that if they had been vigorously seconded by the rest the Place must have infallibly fallen into the Hands of King Sigismund But most of them not daring to follow he and his small Company were over-powered by the great Number of the Muscovites who flock'd to the Defence of the Gate yet they made good their Retreat with the Loss of two only of their Companions leaving behind them most evident Proofs of their Valour among the Muscovites They being now forewarn'd took care to block up their Gates with Earth and making deep Trenches before them to prevent their being surprized upon the same Account for the future Zuski being flush'd with the variety of these Successes and having got together an Army of above fifty thousand Men all chosen Troops a great many of them being Germans Swedes and French was resolved to push on his Fortune and if possible to clear Muscovy both of its foreign and domestick Enemies If he had bent his whole Force against Demetrius who at thatâ—time lay with the Remnants of his Army near Caluga there is no question but that he might have destroyed him and his Party past all Recovery but despising his small Number he committed the Care of them to his Tartarian Troops whilst he with the main Army march'd to the Relief of Smolensko King Sigismund having received timely Intelligence of their Design was not unprepared for their Reception and having sent Stanislaus Zolkievitski with ten thousand Men to take Possession of some advantageous Posts near Clusin he resolved there to expect the Enemy Not many days were past before the Muscovites were advanced within sight of the Poles when pursuant to a Resolution taken in a Council of War the whole Army was drawn out in order of Battle to attack in their Advantage The left Wing of the Zuskian Army was composed of Muscovites the Right of Swedes French and a good Number of Tartarian Horse the main Body consisting most of Germans and some other mercenary Soldiers The Poles were much inferiour in Number to the Muscovites but trusting upon their Courage and the Advantage of the Ground they received the Enemy with great Bravery who confiding in their Number attack'd them with incredible Fury The Fight was very bloody and remained doubtful for some
and the Acclamations of the People As a further Pledge of their Fidelity and to remove all the Shadow of Dissimulation from themselves they sacrificed Zuski and his two Brothers to the present Exigency of the State who were surrendred into the Hands of Zolkievitzki and by his direction sent to Sigismund King of Poland where the unfortunate Zuski Zuski surrender'd to the Poles with one of his Brothers after having been forced to adorn the Triumph of King Sigismund and Zolkievitzki ended his Days in Prison as will appear out of the following Chapter CHAP. III. Containing a full Relation of the Revâ—lutions which hapned in Muscovy from the time of the Election of Uladislaus Son of Sigismund King of Poland till the Beginning of the Reign of Michael Federowitz the present Czar's Grandfather ZOlkievitzki the Polish General having in the Name of the new Great Duke Vladislaus taken Possession of the Castle of Musco and the Royal Palace with a Guard of a Thousand Poles it was unanimously resolved to send a splendid Ambassy to King Sigismund before Smolensko to make a Tender of the Crown of Muscovy to his Son Vladislaus and to desire his Confirmation of the Articles agreed on betwixt the Russians and the Polish General The Ambassy being composed of some of the Chief Boyars of the Empire attended with a most magnificent and numerous Train they were received with more than ordinary Honour by King Sigismund who sent out the whole Body of Horse from before Smolensko with all the great Officers of the Army and his Courtiers to receive them at some Distance from the Camp Being introduced into the King's Presence they addressed themselves in a Speech full of Flattery and Dissimulation The Muscovites tender the Crown to Uladislaus under which they hid their secret Aversion to the Poles They told him how overjoy'd they were to see that Day which they hoped would restore Tranquility to their harrassed Country by the Choice they had lately made of his Son Vladislaus for their Great Duke humbly beseeching the King that in regard of the near Interest he now had in their Preservation he would vouchsafe to take them and their afflicted Country into his Royal Protection as the only Means to revive the former flourishing State of the Russian Empire which had been reduced to the very Brink of Ruin by their intestine Divisions That their late Election having been unanimous and founded upon Hopes of their future Felicity they begg'd of his Majesty not to deny them their earnest Request but to send as soon as possibly might be their Prince into Russia in order to let them enjoy the Comfort of his Presence and Protection and to compleat their Election by Crowning him Great Duke and Emperour with the usual Ceremonies in the Royal City of Musco They related to him the Conditions upon which he was to be received as we have related them in the foregoing Chapter They enlarged themselves much in praise of the Greek Religion and how necessary it would be for the Prince to accommodate himself to the Rites of the Muscovian Church which they said ought to be looked upon as the Foundation-Stone of that Monarchy from whence depended the common Safety both of Prince and People all which they recommended to his Royal Wisdom King Sigismund who was not ignorant that these subtle Insinuations proceeded more from the present Necessity of their Affairs than any good Will either to himself or the Polish Nation was not wanting to give them an Answer suitable to the present Occasion And having received their Message with a very serene Countenance and seeming Gladness he answered them in general Terms That he could not but receive the Honour conferr'd upon his Son by the Offer of the Crown of so great an Empire with a great deal of Gladness but that as the chiefest Satisfaction he took in their Election was their unanimous Consent so he assured them that he should look upon it as an indispensible obligation to assist at all times hereafter their Country with his Aids and Counsels by which means he hoped a mutual good Correspondency might be established betwixt thâ—se two potent neighbouring Crowns of Muscovy and Poland to their mutual Advantage And as to what related to the Particulars of the Treaty they being of such a Nature as to deserve a particular Consideration he would after having well weighed the Matter send his full Instructions to his General Zolkievitzki Resident in the City of Musco with whom the whole Matter might be compleated at their own Homes to the Satisfaction as he hoped of both Parties The Ambassadors being in all outward Appearance very well satisfied with this Answer there passed abundance of Caresses betwixt them and the Polish Lords by whom they were sumptuously feasted at sundry times with such mutual Professions of Friendship as if they had been but one People The same Kindness was shewn betwixt the Muscovites and Poles in the City of Musco whereby the Inhabitants being inveigled into a profound Security the Poles found Means by degrees to creep into the Castle to the Number of six or seven thousand which afterwards proved fatal to that City The Ambassadors having not long after demanded their Audience of Leave from Sigismund in order to their Departure the King in return to their Demand asked from them the Surrender of Smolensko in the Name of Prince Vladislaus elected and proclaimed Great Duke of Russia unto which they having answered That they had nothing of it in their Instructions and that they were of Opinion the Russians would be unwilling to surrender a Place of such Importance till the Great Duke were come in Person to the Capital City and Crowned and sworn to the Performance of the beforementioned Articles they were not permitted to depart till further Orders For Kiâ—g Sigismund having fully weighed the whole State of the Matter and especially their Refusal of the Surrender of Smolensko began to be more and more convinced of their fraudulent Dealings and knowing that it was not their free Choice but the absolute Necessity of their Affairs that had raised his Son to the Throne he had all the Reason to fear that when he had withdrawn his Forces out of Muscovy they would make their Advantage by the Unexperience of his Son and justle him out of the Throne But if he should forbear to send him till he came to his riper Years they would from thence without question take Occasion to recall their Choice and elect another in his stead And considering that he had reduced them to such Straights as had made them take those Measures so little suitable to their Incinations but meerly invented to disintangle themselves out of their present Distresses he looked upon it not only as inglorious by accepting their Conditions to receive instead of imposing Laws upon them but also quite inconsistent with his own Interest and the Safety of his Son All his Thoughts therefore were bent upon the Siege
not advisable to be the first Aggressor he dissembled his Notice and contented himself with fortifying the two Quarters of the City called Catangorod or the Mid-City and Czargorod or the City-Royal which being surrounded with good Stone-Walls and containing the Castle with the Royal Palace all the Magazines and great Houses of the Nobility and Merchants he proposed to himself as a safe Retreat upon all Occasions The Polish General Gaziouski had scarce finished his Works before the Russians finding by the Precautions used by the Poles that their Design had taken vent resolved to put it in Execution trusting more in their Number than their Conduct and having on the third day after Palm-Sunday drawn together an incredible Number of People by the Ringing of the Bells they attack'd the Poles with a Fury past all Belief as Men resolv'd either to accomplish their Design or to die in the Attempt The Poles The Poles attacked in the City of Musco on the other Hand being surrounded and attack'd on all sides animated by Despair and having the Advantage of a well regulated Discipline against a confused Multitude repulsed their Enemies with great Vigour who tho most obstinate and furious in their reiterated Assaults were nevertheless at last forced to give way to the Bravery of the Poles who made them retreat with the Loss of near Ten thousand Men on their side No sooner had the Poles removed them from their Works but they sallied out with some thousand Men and having prosecuted their Victoâ—y and slain a great Number of them at a great distance from their Quarters they see all the circumjacent Parts of the City on fire which destroyed not only a prodigious Number of Houses but also of Women Children and other helpless Persons The next day the Polish General having received Intelligence that most of the Inhabitants of Musco were retired to the Suburbs called Strelitza Slavoda which lies South of Cataygorod or the Mid-City on the opposite Shore of the River Moska where they were disputing the Passage to Strusius who with a good Body was come from Malsaisko upon the first News of the Tumult to the Relief of his Countrymen he made a strong Sally and having caused the said Suburbs to be set on fire in several parts The City of Musco burnt by the Poles he burnt it quite to the Ground thereby facilitating the Passage of the Poles who came to his Assistance and securing to himself a free Communication which stood him in great stead afterwards upon several Occasions It is computed that a Hundred and twenty Thousand Houses were laid in Ashes by that raging Element and that by the Fire and Sword there fell near Two hundred Thousand of the Inhabitants of all Sorts besides an incredible Quantity of Stores and Merchandices The Remainders of the Inhabitants seeing their City thus laid in Ashes and themselves sufficiently tamed by the Sword implored the Mercy of the conquering Poles rejecting as it is usual in such Cases the Fault upon a few of their Ringleaders who had paid for it with their Lives The Poles knowing themselves not in a Capacity to do any further Mischief and being glad to have reduced them to ask Quarter granted it without Difficulty But as it was owing to the utmost necessity of their Affairs so this Truce so earnestly sued for by the Musâ—ovites lasted not long For the Inhabitants of Musco having invited Lepanovits Prosowecki Zarucki and the rest of the Leaders of the Army we mentioned before to come to their Assistance they advanced with a Hundred thousand Men towards the City upon whose Approach having joined with their Forces they forced the Poles into their Works where they were so closely besieg'd that they had but one Passage left open for their Communication with the Country which was that part on the other side of the River Moska where not long before had stood the Suburbs called Strelitza Slavoda and which they kept open a long time for the Conveniency of their Provisions and other Supplies and made frequent Sallies with great Success on their side till at last by the ill Conduct of King Sigismund they were forced to abandon that Post and soon after the whole City to the irreparable detriment of the said King For whilst the brave Poles were hardly pressed upon by their Enemies he lay immovable at the Siege of Smolensko where his Affairs began to look with a very ill Face For the Soldiers tired with the long Continuance of the Siege grew very uneasie for want of Pay and their Clamours were now risen to that height that the King began to dread every day a Mutiny having not wherewithal to satisfie their just Demands nor any other Means now left to raise Money unless by calling together a Dyet which at last was resolved on and a Convention of the Estates appointed against the September next following This Remedy tho' somewhat slow to satisfie the greedy Appetite of the Soldiers yet were they in Hopes oâ— a happy Success of that Assembly thereby appeased for that time The King in the mean time considering with himself that the Measures he had taken in Muscovy contrary to the Advice of the Senate and his Council having proved abortive would not be very agreeable to the Convention he resolved to make another Attempt for the Gaining of Smolensko not questioning but that if he could appear at the next Dyet as a Conquerour it would in a great measure take off the Blemish of his former Conduct in the Muscovian War A general Assault being therefore resolved on to be made on the 13th day of June the Soldiers encouraged by the Hopes of the Booty of so vast and rich a City shewed a great Eagerness to attack the Place The Assault was made on the East side by the Palatine of Braclow and on the West where then was the King's Quarters Smolensko stormed by General Wyer who commanded the Germans The Soldiers had found means before break of day to raise Ladders in several places upon the Walls unperceived by the Enemy so that at the Signal given the Germans first mounted and got up to the Top of the Walls as did also not long after the Poles under the Command of the Palatine without much Opposition from the Enemy who being thus attack'd upon a sudden when they least expected it those Forces that were left for the Guard of the Walls were not sufficient to stop the furious Assault of the Poles But the Descent from the Wall into the City being very steep and the whole Garrison having by this time taken the Alarm came flocking in great Numbers to the defence of their Walls the Combat grew very hot the Poles pushing forward with great Bravery to maintain the Advantage they had got and the Garrison armed with Despair fighting like Men either resolved to vanquish or die so that the Dispute remained very doubtful and perhaps would have ended to the Disadvantage of the Poles if
next Meeting of the Diet of that Kingdom he was received with all the Pomp and Ceremonies due to a Conquerour The Estates were not sparing in their Addresses and Congratulations many Speeches were made in the Assembly in Praise of the King who had added so great a Province to the Commonwealth made himself Master of the Imperial City of the Muscovian Empire and got their Great Duke Zuski in his Custody Sigismund himself was so intoxicated with these imaginary Honours that he caused Zolkievitzki who first took Possession of the City of Musco to make his solemn Entry in Triumph being attended by a most numerous and magnificent Cavalcade and followed by the Great Duke Basili Zuski Basili Zuski lâ—d in Triumph who with his two Brothers was seated in an open Chariot and thus like Captives led to the Senate-House where being admited Zolkievitzki presented these Captive Princes to the King and Assembly and having in a very lofty Harangue extolled the Fortune of the Commonwealth of Poland in having got these Illustrious Persons into their Possession by whose Misfortune they had opened themselves the Way into the Russian Empire and to the Throne it self by the Election of Prince Vladislans Great Duke of Muscovy He did not want Vanity to compare the Captivity of tâ—ese Princes to the greatest Exploits of the most renowned Heroes of Aâ—tiquity tho' it was sufficiently known that they were fain into his Hands more by the Treachery of the Muscovites than the Bravery of the Poles who whilst they trifâ—ed away their time in Complementing and Flattering thâ—mâ—eâ—ves let slip the best and most favourable Opportunity in the World to make themselves real Masters of that Empire which they had swallowed up in their imaginary Panegyricks Zuski and his two Brothers were by the King's Order sent Prisoners to Goston Castle where they were treated according to their Quality But Basili Zuski did not long survive the Loss of his Empire and Liberty the Weight of his Sorrows having as it is believed deprived him of his Life soon after He was some time after followed by one of his Brothers who also died for Grief They were both privately buried betwixt Warsaw and Thorn where their Ashes â—ested till the End of the War betwixt these two Crowns when they were translated into Muscovy and interred among their Aâ—cestors This Basili Zuski Hâ— dies in Poland Great Duke of Muscovy ended his Life in Captivity in a Foreign Country after a short and troublesome Reign He was a Person of a more than ordinary Capacity and Merit which had raised him to the highest Station in the Empire before he mounted the Throne which as he obtained by Fraud and Blood so he endeavoured to settle it by the same Arts by which he had gained it And knowing the Muscovites to be a People the most unstable in the World and soon hurried from one Extream to another he had at last when he found his Affairs in a declining Condition Recourse to Witchcraft and other violent Means which served him for no other End than to hasten his Ruin and to remove him from the Throne to a Prison where he ended his Days A remarkable Instance of the perpetual Vicissitudes of Human Greatness and the Instability of Popular Favour But it is time to return to the City of Musco and to see what different Effects this Retreat of Sigismund out of Muscovy produced among the Russians and the Polish Garrison The Muscovites being by the Departure of the King delivered from what they dreaded most to wit his Marching to the Relief of the Polish Garrison in Musco re-assumed new Vigour and by their repeated Attacks press'd so hard upon the Poles that they shut them up close within their Fortifications and these seeing themselves thus neglected by their Prince and expos'd to Danger without any prospect of Relief began to contrive Means for their own Safety a great many among them under pretence of want of Pay openly demanding their Dismission Gaziowski their General did endeavour by all means possible to keep them in Obedience flattering them with Hopes of a speedy Relief and perceâ—ving that his Words had not the desired Effect he contriv'd Counterfeit Letters to be brought to him as coming from the King out of Poland fill'd with Promises of a most powerful Relief in a very short time To take away all the Pretence from the Soldiers of demanding their Dismission for want of Pay he caused a Statue of our Saviour's of massie Gold valued at near fifty thousand Pounds which stood with the Twelve Apostles in the Great Church of the Castle the latter being melted down by the Order of Basili Zuski as was mention'd before to be divided among the Soldiery who quickly sacrificed the same Statue to their Avarice which they had adored but a few days before The General having by this and some other Dividends taken out of the Treasury of the Great Dukes of Muscovy which was in his Possession appeased and encouraged his disheartned Soldiers he kept them in continual Exercise by frequent Sallies from whence they seldom return'd without Advantage they were much flush'd with this Success against the Muscovites There was a Magazine of Salt without the Fortifications of the Poles which had been spared by the Flames when the Poles set the City on fire The Besiegers and the Besieged standing equally in need of this Commodity as having no other to supply their present Occasions this gave them constant Employment on both sides This Magazine was at so near a distance from the Poles that it would have been no difficult Matter for them to inclose it within their Lines but their General knowing that their own and the Enemies Wants would engage them in continual Skirmishes did not think convenient to take away this Opportunity of keeping his Men in Action He made it also his Business to sow the Seeds of Discord among the Muscovites and Cosacks that served in the Russian Army from whence he hoped to reap no small Benefit if he could bring over the Cosacks to his Party and at the same time contrive the Destruction of Lepanowitz the Russian General For which purpose he caused several counterfeit Letters to be dispersed in the Provinces written in Lepanowitz's Name wherein he commanded the Muscovites to fall upon the perfidious Cosacks in their Quarters having received certain Intelligence that they intended to side with the Young Demetrius at Caluga The General 's Name of the Dunensian Cosacks that served at that time in the Muscovite Army was Sidorus who formerly had been in the Interest of this Young Demetrius his Father Gaziowski was very careful to cause one of these Letters to fall into his Hands who not in the least suspecting any Fraud in the Matter without any further Consultation communicated it to the other principal Officers of the Cosacks representing to them their common Danger in Terms so lively and natural as sufficiently testified his Apprehension of their imaginary
so that notwithstanding the considerable Accession of these Troops the Muscovites found Means â—o pen them up closer every day and at last to cut of their Communication with the Country by perfecting their Lines on the other side of the River Mâ—sca The Sapihan Horse consisting of four thousand Men seeing themselves in danger of being enclosed without any Hopes of Relief and unwilling to lose the Treasure they had got so lately in their possession declared unanimously that they were resolved not to endure any longer the Dangers and Fatigues of a close Siege without the least Prospect of Success on their side and that they would follow the Example of â—he rest who were some months before marched into Poland Accordingly having chosen one John Zalinski their Commander in Chief they march'd out with all the Crown-Jewels in their Possession and having with great Bravery foâ—ced the Enemy's Lines march'd directly into Lithuania setting up their Head Quarters at Bresla and treading the Footsteps of their Brethren in the Lesser Poland took up their Quarters in the neighbouring Palatinates where they liv'd at discretion upon the King 's Domains and the Ecclesiastical Revenues till their Arrears were paid King Sigismund was by this time become sensible of his fatal Error in not sending his Son Vladislaus into Muscovy especially when the Polish Nobility exasperated by the Insolencies of the confederate Forces in the Lesser Poland and Lithuania began to break out into open Complaints charging the King with the Causes of all these Disordeâ—s which might have been prevented if he had not preferr'd the Insinuations of his flattering Courtiers before the wholesom Advice of his Senate and his most experienced Officers To repaâ—r therefore if possible his former Miâ—â—ake he resolved to bring Vladislaus thither in Person at the â—â—ad of a good Army and having assembled what Forces he had in Readiness march'd directly to Vilna the Capital City of Lithuania Siâ—â—â—mund mâ—rches to the Relief of Musco expecting to be join'd there by the Confederate Forces by reason of their great Zeal for the Interest of their Prince Vladislaus But these having once tasted the Sweets of their pâ—entiful Quarters and having yet in fresh Remembrance their late Fatigues sustain'd in the Castle of Musco were not for changing their present plentiful Condition for the Toâ—â— and Chances of War so that when the King oâ—der'd them to prepare for the March they unanimously declar'd that they would not stir unless they receiv'd full Satisfaction for their Arrears The King tho' disappointed in the Assistance of those Troops in which he confided most having receiv'd a Reinforcement of two thousand German Foot directed his March towards Smolensko where by the Accession of those Forces that Quarter'd thereabouts he hop'd to be in a Condition to attempt the Relief of his Subjects within the Castle of the City of Musco But the same Evil Genius which had alienated the Confederate Forces from his Service did follow him to Smolensko For the Horse in those Parts after the Example of their Brethren in Lithuania and Poland declar'd that they would not stir out of their Quarters till their Arrears were paid them King Sigismund wanting Money to satisfie their Demands and Strength to reduce them to Obedience was fain to have Recourse to Entreaties and Promises not only of their Arrears but also of vast Rewards but these verbal Temptations not making the least Impression upon the Souldiers the King declar'd that if they all refus'd to follow him he would in Person at the Head of his Guards only march to the Relief of his Subjects in Muscovy Some of the Horse overcome with Shame and the Perswasions of their Officers who upbraided them with Cowardice and want of Loyalty being at last prevail'd upon not to leave the King at this critical Juncture Sigismund resolv'd to prosecute his March to Viasna mid-way betwixt Smolensko and the City of Musco I had almost forgot to have mention'd here an Accident that hapned to the King at the time of his marching out of one of the Gates of Smolensko which is call'd the Kings Gate the same was interpreted as an inauspicious Omen to Sigismund For it hapned that just at the same Instant as he was to go thro' the abovemention'd Gate the Portcullice fell down and stopp'd his Passage so that he was forced to â—urn back and take another Way to Viasna where he halted expecting to be join'd by some other Forces that were quarter'd in the neighbouring Provinces Whilst the King who was always dilatory in his Affairs was advancing with slow Marches towards the City of Musco the Russians had pressed on the Siege of the Castle with more Vigour than before and having perfected their Lines on all sides and fortified them with Redoubts at convenient distances and reduc'd the Poles within to great Straights who for want of a sufficient Number of Foot were no longer able to maintain their Works much lest to hinder the Appâ—oaches of the Enemy However they supplied the Defect of their Foot by the Service of their Horse who during the whole Summer notwithstanding all the Passages were fortified and guarded by the Muscovites at several times broke thro' their Lines and brought in Provisions for the Garrison But these Supplies being brought in so small Quantities as not to bear any proportion with the Necessities of the Soldiers who were at last reduced to extream Want Chodkievitski resolv'd to make his last Effort and to try whether he could not by the same Way of the River which he had made use of before bring in a Supply of five hundred Waggons laden with all manner of Provisions into the Castle For which purpose having order'd a Sally to be made with the greatest part of the Horse and all the Foot within the Castle they by break of day forced the Guards of the Muscovites on the other side of the River Mosca to facilitate the Passage of their Convoy which they met at some diâ—tance from the Town But they advancing very â—lowly by reason of the great Number of Waggons the Muscoviteâ— had sufficient Leisure given them to draw the greatest part of their Forces out on that side so that at their Return they were warmly received by the whole Power of the Muscovites who knowing the Fate of the Siege to depend from the Success of this days Action fought with great Obstinancy The Polish Horse induced by the same Motives fought like Men resolved to conquer or to dy and notwithstanding the great Inequality of their Number had brought the Muscovian Horse into Confusion and would in all likelihood have carried the Day if they had been duly seconded by their Foot commanded by Strusius But he being a near Kinsman and Creature of Potocki Poles beaten by the Muscovites who as we mentioned before look'd with an ill Eye upon the Advancement of Chodkievitski under pretence of guarding the Convoy of Provisions advanced so slowly to the Rescue of the Horse
it from them He refused the Great Duke's Horses at his Entrance and made use of his own At his Audience he would needs make his Proposition Sitting and perceiving that when he pronounced the Name and Titles of his King Insolence of a Polish Ambassador the Boyars did not uncover themselves he stopp'd till such time as he saw the Great Duke command them so to do King Vladislaus had not so much as sent the usual presents to the Great Duke without which otherwise Ambassadors are never admitted to publick Audience the Ambassador only presented him as from himself with a very rich Coach which the Great Duke having accepted of he sent him before his Departure a rich Present of Sables which the Ambassador refused with Scorn The Great Duke thereupon sent back his Coach which he was so angry at that he kick'd the Pristaff who brought the Message from the Top of a very high pair of Stairs to the Bottom The Great Duke being highly incensed thereat yet was fain to dissemble his Resentment in the present ill Posture of his Affairs he only sent word to the Ambassador that he knew not whether this Behaviour of his was according to his Master's Order or whether it proceeded from his own violent Inclinations That if he had acted according to the King's Commands he must have Patience till a more favourable Juncture should present to give himself Satisfaction for the Affronts put upon him That tho' by his late Disgrace before Smolensko he was at present not in a Capacity to shew his Resentment as he ought to do the Event of the War was nevertheless in the Hands of God Almighty who might crown his Arms with better Success another time But that if what he had done was without the King's Order as he believ'd and upon his own Account Complaint should be made of it to the King his Master from whose Justice he promised himself ample Satisfaction for the Rudeness and Insolencies committed by his Minister Michael Federovits seeing his Affairs in so ill a Posture Peace betwixt the Muscovites and Poles thought it most advisable to comply with the present Exigency of the State and to clap up a Peace with the Poles in the next following Year by Vertue of which the Muscovites renounced all their Pretensions to the two large Dukedoms of Smolensko and Zernikow In the same Year he caused Herman Shein his General at the Siege of Smolensko to be executed with his Son and all his Kindred to be banished into Siberia by whose Death the Clamours of the People having been appeased he reigned afterwards in great Tranquility and to the great Satisfaction of his Subjects till the Year 1645 when Count Wolmer natural Son to the late King of Denmark came to this Court to sollicite his Daughter in Marriage which being opposed by the Russian Clergy who objected that he was an Heretick the Count proffered that his Chaplains should maintain the Truth of the Lutheran Faith against them which the Muscovite Priests refusing the Grand Czar broke out into a Passion saying to them Why do you impose upon us a Faith you dare not bring to Tryal A few days after going very well to Bed he was seized at Midnight with a most violent Vomiting Michael Federovits dies which put an End to his Life the next Morning being the 12th day of July in the 49th Year of his Age and the 33d of his Reign the Great Dutchess his Wife dying within eight days afâ—er him being generally regretted by the Muscovites who under his Reign enjoyed the Fruits of a peaceable and mild Government Some years before his Death A new 〈◊〉 starts up there started up another Impostor who had Impudence enough to 〈◊〉 the Name and Quaâ—ity of Basili Ivanovits 〈…〉 the Great Duke Basili Zuski tho' it 〈…〉 known that the whole Race of the 〈◊〉 was extinct some Years before For of the three Brothers that were carried Prisoners into 〈…〉 died theâ—e without leaving any Male 〈◊〉 and the third who was releasâ—d and return'd into Muscovy died a few Years before the Discovery of this Impostor without Children There was another Lord of the same Family who had one Son named Michael Basilovits Zuski Scapin who died Young in the Year 1616 without Issue The Name of this Impostor was Timoska the Diâ—inutive of Timothy Ankudina born in the Suburbs of Vologda in the Province of the same Name He was the Son of a Linen Draper who dealt in coaâ—se Cloaths whose Name was Demki Ankudina and his Mother was called Salmaniska The Father having observed something more than Ordinary in him had been very careful of giving him the highest degree of Muscovite Education which consists in Reading Writing and Singing so that he was look'd upon in those Parts as a Person of an uncommon Capacity The Excellency of his Voice and his Skill in Singing had particularly recommended him to the Archbishop of the Place who took him into his Service wherein he behaved himself so well that he bestowed one of his Grand-daughters upon him in Marriage After the Archbishop's Death having squandred away his Wifes Fortune he settled himself in the City of Musco where by the recommendation of a Friend he had at Court he was made one of the Receivers in the Office that is kept there for the Licensing of Taverns and Tippling-Houses But giving himself over to all manner of Extravagancies and Debaucheries he could not make up his Accounts which fell short the first year by a considerable Sum. To repair this Breach he had recourse to an intimate Friend of his one of his fellow-Receivers in the same Office called Basili Gregorovits Spilki him he told that one of the chiefest Merchants of Vologda a near Relation of his Wifes was come to Town and had invited him to Dinner that he being willing to shew his Friend the highest Act of Muscovian Civility intended to let him see his Wife and that he might be able to present her in a Condition suitable to his present Statioâ— he intreated him to lend him his Wifes Pearls and other Jewels which were of a considerable Value His Friend having without the least difficulty granted his Request lent him the Jewels without the least Precaution or taking any thing under his Hand for the Receipt of them so that when he demanded his Jewels Timoska averr'd that he had not lent him any Spilki clapt him up in Prison but having no Evidence against him he was acquitted But instead of making up his Accompts with the Money he received for the Jewels which he sold he squandred it away upon his Extravagancies whereupon great differences arising betwixt him and his Wife who had a very lewd Tongue and would frequently upbraid him with his treacherous Dealings both to his Prince and Friend and fearing that he might be called to an Account for his Perfidiousness and that his Wife might be the main Instrument of his Discovery he took a Resolution
could in any wise contribute to overcome his Obstinacy and induce him to an ingenuous Confession one John Plessou who had been his intimate Friend and with whom he had left his Son before he retired into Poland with several others of his Fellow-Officers at the Tavern-Office were brought before him who each in their turn endeavouring to convince him of his Error and representing to him the Danger wherein he put his Soul in the Condition he was in exhorting him to pull off the Mask which he had made use of for some Years past to cheat the World and to create new Disturbances and infinite Miseries to his Native Country That the whole Mistery of his Impostures being revealed to the World by so many undeniable Witnesses there present he should not rely any longer upon these vain Elusions but consult the eternal Welfare of his Soul and not draw any further the weight of God's Vengeance upon himself He seemed to be moved at their Discourse but continued so obstinate in his former Resolution that he would not speak one Word afterwards The next day he was again put to the Torture which he endured with the same Resolution not vouchsafing to speak one Word Being searched and found circumcised he was immediately carried to the Great Market-place before the Castle where Sentence was pronounced against him and put in Execution First they cut off with an Ax his Right Arm below the Elbow Is execuâ—ed then his left Leg below the Knee next the Left Arm and Right Leg in the same manner all which he endured with an unparalell'd Constancy and without as much as a Groan Last of all the Head being severed from his Body and the Members being set upon Stakes in the Market-place and the Trunck left upon the Ground the last was in the Night devoured by the Dogs and the next morning the Executioner's Servants dragg'd the Members to the place where all the City-Dirt is thrown It is to be observed that some time before a Polish Ambassador was arrived in the City of Muscoâ— And the Muscovites who still bore a Grudge to the Poles on the Account of the Miseries they had endured in their last Civil Dissentions occasioned by the Contrivances of the several Impostors encouraged by the Poles had so well timed it as to give Audience to the Ambassador the same day that Timoska was put to death and to lead him in State through the Market-place just at the very Hour of his Execution where under some pretence or other contrived for that purpose they make a Halt that he might be an Eye-Witness and be able to give an Account in Poland of the tragical Exit of that Imposter whom they had looked upon there as Son to the Great Duke Basili Zuski Kostkaâ— the Servant of Timoska whom we mentioned before to have been carried loaden with Irons out of Sweden into Muscovy having made an ingenuous Confession of the whole Matter was pardoned as to his Life and his Punishment changed into that of losing three Fingers of his Right Hand But the Religion of the Muscovites obliging them to make the Sign of the Cross with their Right Hand thâ—s Punishment was again by the Intercession of the Patriarch moderated so that the same was executed upon his Left Hand after which he was banished into Siberia We said before that the Great Duke Michael Fâ—derovits died in the Year 1645. The next day being the 13th of July the Knez and Boyars theâ— present Alex is Michaâ—lovits crowned resolved unanimously to hasten the Coronation of Alexis Michaelovits his Son who was then not full sixteen Years of Age He was born in the Year 1630 on the 17th of March and had been by his Father committed to the Carâ— of Knez Boris Ivanovâ—s Morosou a Person of very high Extraction and extraordinary Ability It is beyond our Scope to relate here the Rise of the Family of the Romanow's from whence the Family of the present Czar derives its Origin one of the most Antient in Muscovy who first assumed the Name of Czar from whence descended Basil the Father of that Famous Tyrant John Basilovits who reduced most of the neighbouring Princes under the Obedience of the Russian Empire But the Muscovites relate a Story of the Father of this Boris Ivancvits Morosou which may not be beyond our purpose to be inserted here It seems he was a Favorite of the Tyrant John Basilovits and being a Widower presumed so much upon his Interest with the Great Duke that he begged a certain handsom Lady which had been the Tyrant's Mistress for a Wife The Great Duke granted his Request without the least Difficulty but whether it was that he repented himself of what was done or meerly to gratifie his cruel Temper he having got notice that the said Morosou and his new married Lady were at their amorous Sports one Afternoon in a withdrawing Room behind the Bath-stove he got secretly two wild Bears conveyed into the Room who immediately fell upon them and devoured them both This Morosou left two Sons Boris and Câ—leab who being very young were educated by the said Tyrant the eldest of which having improved the Advantages of his high Birth and Education above the ordinary Degree during the intestine Commotions in the Russian Empire was as I said before constituted by Czar Michael Federovits Governour over his Son Alexis Michaelovits whom he used frequently to charge to follow his Advice in all Affairs of Moment Knez Boris Ivanovits Morosou fearing that his Enemies might take Advantage of the Princes tender Years had the Coronation Ceremony performed a few days after his Father's Death who was according to the Russian Fashion deposited in the Church of S. Michael wherein are the Sepulchers of the Great Dukes the next Night after his Decease which was not performed with all the usual Pomp they wanting time to send for all those who are obliged to be present at this Solemnity After the Coronation was over Morosou changed the Quality of Governour into that of Protector exercising during the Princes Minority the same Power in the disposing of his Affairs as he had done over his Person during his Father's Life Knowing the young Great Duke to entertain 〈◊〉 most profound Reverence for the Dutchess Dowager his Mother he bestowed great Employments upon all her Kindred whom he preferred to the best Governments in the Empire but at 〈◊〉 stance from Court as made them incapable of opposing his Interest The same Method he made use of in regard of the Antient Nobility and such as had had the chief Administration of Affairs in the late Great Duke s Reign whom he sent away from the Princes Peâ—sâ—â— to far distant Countries â— Thus he did with the 〈◊〉 Rippine and Corakin the first of whom he constituted Governour of Nisi Novogorod the last of Caâ—an Having thus removed from the Princes Person all such as he thought might any way oppose his Greatness and filled all Places of Profit
and Trust at Court with his own Kindred or Creatures such as he knew wholly to depend on his Fortune He used frequently to get the Young Prince out of the Capital City under preâ—ence of Hunting or some other Divertisements so to beget in him an Aversion to Business whereby the whole Management of Affairs might fall to this share But in order to an entire Establishment of his Fortune he thought nothing more conducing to make sure of the young Princes Favour than if he could get him to chuse a Wife out of such a Family as being absolutely in his Interest and where he himself might engage in an Alliance by Marriage would enage both the Prince and Great Dutchess in his future Preservation The Person he pitch'd upon as most suitable to his Purpose was one 〈◊〉 Danilovits Mioslauski of obscure Genâ—â—â—ty raised by the Death of Grammatine the Chanâ—â—llor of the Ambassadors Office his Uncle by the Mothers side whose Servant he had been formerly This Man was looked upon with a very favourable Eye by Morosou by reason of his constant Attendance on him and his two beautiful Daughters one of which he designed for the Great Duke the other for himself Whilst this Favourite was thus employing all his Cunning to establish his Fortune in the near Alliance with his Sovereign he was upon the Point of having been frustrated in his Hopes if by his Dexterity he had not extâ—icated himself out of that Difficulty which was likely to have rendred his Design abortive For a certain young Lady who was exceedingly beautiful having been brought before the young Great Duke withoutâ— his Knowledge the Czar was 〈◊〉 an instant with so violent a Passion for her that he presented her with a Handkerchief and Ring the usual Present the Czars of Muscovy make to such Ladies as they chuse for their Spouses She was to appear again in Royal Dress in a few days after when according to Custom the young Great Duke was to tye the Crown upon her Head But Morosou having been by this time sufficiently informed of what had passed tho' managed with great Secrecy â— had laid the Plot with the Attire-Women that they should tye up her Hair so hard as to put her in a Swoon which succeedâ—d according to Expectation For whilst she was in the Great Duke's Presence and they were busied in tying the Orown about her Head she fell into a Swoon which was presently by those that were present and most of them Creatures of Boris Morosou construed an Apoplectick Fit So that the poor old Gentleman her Father who believed himself just upon the Point of being exalted to one of the most eminent Stations in the Empire by the Alliance with his Sovereign saw himself not only unexpectedly deceived in his Hopes but being besides accused of 〈◊〉 Treason in pretending to put his Daughter labouring under such a Distemper into the Arms of the Great Duke was forced to undergo the Strapado and was banished into Siberia where he no sooner arrived but he died with Grief leaving his Family in Disgrace The Maid remained a Virgin ever after till her Death and was never known to have had any fit since and the Emperour being conscious of the Wrong done to her and her Father allowed 〈◊〉 a large yearly Pension which made her to be courted by many of the Nobility whom she all refused and kept the Handkerchief and Ring as Pledges of the Injury done to her Family But to return to Morosou who having weathered this Point and relying upon the Fidelity of Ilia Danilovits Miloslauski he took the first favourable Opportunity to speak to the Great Duke concerning him and thence to extoll the Beauty and Deserts of the two Gentlewomen his Daughters These Commendations having raised in the Great Duke a desire to see them he sent to them under pretence of a Visit to be made to the Princesses his Sisters where having taken a full View of â—â—em both he became instantly so enamoured with the Beauty of the Eldest whose Name was Mary that he dispatched one immediately to her Father to bring him the welcom News that the Czar intended to honour him with his Alliance and to marry his eldest Daughter It is easily imagined that as Mâ—iloslauski was not altogether unprepared for it so he received the Message with the most profound Respect and without being in the least discomposed returning his most humble Thanks to his Czarish Majesty for the Honour he intended to do his Family Some days after the Great Duke senâ— Presents of a very great Value to his Bride and having been informed concerning the Circumstances of Miloslauski which being such as that he and his Family could not appear at the Wedding without a present Supply he order'd them a considerable Sum of Money to put them in an Equipage suitable to their Present Condition The Marriage Ceremony was performed in the beginning of the Year 1647 The Young Great Duke 〈◊〉 but very privately for fear of Witchcraft a thing much â—â—eaded among Persons of Quality in Muscovy especially at 〈◊〉 Weddings The Czarissa was a very beautiful Lady besides which her Modest and Religious Behaviour and many Charitable Actions made her afterwards the Darling of the People The next thing Boris Morosou had to do was to petition for Ann the youngest Daughter of Miloslanâ—ki and Sister to the Empress which having been soon granted he married her in eight days after so that his former Interest being now strengthned by this new Alliance his Fortnue was established beyond the reach of his Enemies But his Content at home was not altogether answerable to his great Fortune at Court For he being a Person pretty well advanced in Years and she a brown Buxsome Lass found herself deceived in a great measure in her Expectation so that instead of Children Jealousies were got which produced the ordinary Effects to wit first Contentions and afterwards after the Muscovian way the House-Discipline and some Persons among whom was also an Englishman being suspected to have too free an Access to Boris Morosou's House were by his Instigation banished into Siberia But whatever his Fortune might be at home he was not careless in his Affairs at Court where in Conjunction with Ilia Damilovits-Miloslauski the Great Duke's Father-in-Law they managed every thing to their own Advantage For they not only removed most of the Nobility from Court but by degrees cast off all such old Officers of the Houshold as were yet remaining in whose stead they brought in their own Kindred and Creatures who let sâ—ip no Opportunity to enrich themselves at the Expence of the Publick Among others they had made one Leponti-Steppanovits-Plessou Chief Justice of the Semskoy Duor or Semskoy Pricas a Court instituted for the Judgment of all Civil Causes between the Citizens of Musco where are also paid the Duties arising from Places and Houses that are sold as also the Taxes levied for the Reparation of Bridges Gates Fortresses and
therefore without the least Opposition taken up their several Posts assigned them for their Guards the Great Duke laid hold of this Opportunity to endeavour the Appeasing of the Tumult by the Authority of Knez Nikita Ivanovits Romanow whom he knew to be much respected by the People He appear'd before them with Cap in Hand and told them in the Name of the Great Duke his Master that he hoped they would be satisfied with the Promise and Assurance given by his Czarish Majesty's own Mouth that he himself would take Cognisance of the Matter and remedy the Grievances of which they complained That his Majesty had sent him on purpose to give them fresh Assurances that he was not unmindful of his Word but would give them all the Satisfaction in this Point they could reasonably desire and to advise them to break up the Assembly and for every one to repair to his own Home that he might the better perform what he had promised them the day before This Message being received with the joyful Acclamations of the People sufficiently testifying their Approbation answer was made that they had no reason to be dissatisfied with the Great Duke but with those who made use of his Name and Authority to execute their execrable Villanies upon the People And that therefore they could not rest satisfied nor would they stir from the Place till Boris Ivanovits Morosou Leponti Stephanovits Plessou and Peter Tichtonovits Trochanistou were delivered up to them that they might revenge upon their Heads all those Mischiefs they had done the Kingdom Romanow shewed them his Acknowledgment for the favourable Audience they had afforded him telling them that he would immediately go and acquaint the Great Duke with the Zeal and Affection they had expressed for his Person and that he did not question but that the Great Duke would grant their Request and order the Execution of those three Lords who had drawn upon themselves the Hatred of his good Subjects by their Mismanagement but that he was ready to swear to them by the Cross that Morosou and Trochanistou had made their Escape at the first beginning of the Tumult and for the third he dares engage his Word he should be brought to Execution immediately Romanow being returned to the Great Duke it was after a short Debate resolved to sacrifice Plessou and Trochanistou to the Fury of the People who with a great deal of Impatience waited at the Castle Gatefor the Great Duke's Answer but to endeavour by all means possible the Preservation of Morosou but that to appease the Rage of the People Word should be sent them immediately that Plessou was coming out forthwith to be sacrificed and that the other two should receive the same Punishment so soon as they were found which was done accordingly and the People being desired to send for the Executioner to do his Office they had him ready at Hand with all his Servants attending at the Castle Gate whence in less than a quarter of an Hours time they saw him leading the miserable Plessou into the Market-place before the Castle Plessou massacred in order to cut off his Head But the People were so exasperated against him that they fell upon him immediately with Cudgels so outrageously that they dispatched him in a Moment His Body was dragged by the Feet thro' the Streets accompanied with Millions of Curses of the Populace till at last a Monk who had a particular Spleen against the deceased cut off his Head and carried it away in Triumph The Execution of Plessou and the reiterated Promises of the Great Duke that the rest when found should come to the same end begot some calm in the Peoples Minds who had sent their Messengers upon all the Roads leading to the City in search after Morosou and Trochanistou the first finding his Escape almost impossible by reason of the Peoples searching so closely after him had found means to lay concealed at a particular Friend's House Trochanistou Exâ—cuted at a little distance from the City from whence he returned by secret ways the next night into the Castle But Trochanistou had not the same good Fortune to escape the Hands of his Enemies but being overtaken upon the Road by some of the Great Duke's Messengers who for fear of being thought to have consented to his Escape had been forced to employ all his Care in finding him out he was brought the next day being the 8th of July to the same place where he used to sit as Judge over the Cannoniers Armourers and others belonging to the Great Duke's Arsenal where by order from the Great Duke he had his Head cut off By this time the People being informed how Morosou had been seen in the Country and ignorant of his return into the Castle they seem'd to be satisfied with the Execution of Trochanistou for this time forbearing to press any further upon the Great Duke to give them what was not in his power to do so that towards Noon they began to disperse and prepare to go to their respective Homes The same afternoon several Houses whether by accident or by the malice of the Rabble A Conflâ—ration in Houses who had not quite cleared the streets and committed great Insolences is uncertain were set on fire which made such a Havock in a few hours that it consumed the whole Quarter of Czargorod or City Royal reducing to Ashes all the Houses within the compass of the White Wall which surrounds that Quarter down to the River Neglina Towards Night it got over that River into the Great Duke's Taverns into his Store-Houses for Strong Waters and other Provisions where it consumed above sixty thousand Flitches of Bacon and an incredible quantity of Aqua-Vitae which being the most proper Fuel in the World to nourish the Flame it grew so violent that the Castle was in most imminent danger to have been reduced to Ashes by this raging Element no body endeavouring to stop its fury because those who had the Charge of quenching the Fire being got Drunk and inebriated with the Exhalations of the Strong Waters were incapable of performing that Service many of them lying in the streets choak'd with the Smoak and Vapours which so terified the Muscovites that none among them durst approach the Flames About Mid-night some Foreigners looking with no small astonishment on the Fire which just then had seised upon one of the Store-Houses where were kept a great quantity of Bacon for the Great Duke's Provision they perceived at some distance a Monk with a Sack upon his back coming towards them as if he carried a very great Burthen and coming near to them they asked him what made him thus blow and be all in a sweat He to told them that he had made all the haste he could to come to quench the Flames ' that if they would but lend him a helping Hand to throw the Body which he shew'd them of the cursed Plessou into the Fire they should soon
see the Flame lose its force The Strangers having refused to comply with his desire which they looked upon as ridiculous he heap'd upon them a thousand Curses till some Muscovites upon his perswasions were prevailed upon to do him the good Office and to help him to cast the the dead Carcass into the Fire which in an instant began to abate and in two hours after was quite extinguish'd more by the assistance of those who being encourag'd by the Mâ—nk and came from all Parts to the quenching of the Flames than by the Charms of the Superstitious Fryar Those in the Castle-having thus weathered the Storm that threatned them the following days were taken up in Consultations how to continue this Calm among the People and by which means to preserve Morosou from falling into their Hands For which reason the Patriarch having sent for those among the Priests and Monks whom he knew to be of most Authority among the Populace of the City of Musco they were enjoin'd to do their utmost in endeavouring the Settlement of the unquiet Spirits by their Spiritual Exhortations and to represent to them in the most passionate manner that could be the Respect and Obedience due to their Sovereign The Great Duke having also taken off the New Imposition upon Salt and Promised to suppress all Monopolies lately set up by his Ministers supply'd the Places of the Executed Trochanistou and Plessou the first by the Boyar Knez Jurgi Alexiovits Dolgaruskoi the second with the Ocolnits Za Bogdan Matthâ—ovits Chitrou both Persons of great Ability and approved Probity He Treated the Strelits with Strong Waters and Hydromel and caused Ilia Danilovits his Father-in-law to invite the Chief Citizens of the several Professions in the City of Musco who were very splendidly and kindly Entertained at his Palace for several days together Having thus prepared his way he took the opportunity of a Procession when being accompanied with the same Nikita Ivanovits Romanow who had been so successful before in appeasing the Tumult and now rid by his left side he spoke to the People and told them That he had been extreamly troubled to understand the Violences and Injuries committed by Trochanistou and Plessou upon his good Subjects whose welfare was very dear to him that those Extortions executed under his Name and Authority had been quite contrary to his Inclinations and Commands And that therefore having let them suffer condign Punishment for their Villanies he had put in their Places Persons of known Integrity and Ability whom he believed would be acceptable to the People as knowing them to be Persons that would execute Justice without Corruption or Partiality That he had already abolished the New Imposition upon Salt and would take care that all Monopolies newly introduced by his Ministers should be suppress'd That he for the future would himself keep a watchful Eye over their Actions and not suffer their Priviledges to be diminished but rather it occasion were would see them augmâ—nted The Populace being overjoy'd at this inveigling Speech of the Great Duke shew'd the most pâ—ofound respect they were capable of by smiting their Foreheads on the ground and giving him 〈◊〉 the imaginable Thanks and Promises of their future Fidelity so that the Czar thinking this a fit opportunity to declare his Sentiments concerning Morosou he reassumed the Discourse telling them That he was not forgetful of what he had promised them sometime before concerning Boris Ivanovits Morosou and that he was obliged to confess that he had transacted many things which he would not in any wise justifie but that on the other Hand he had so much confidence in his good People as to hope they would excuse him if at this time he could not immediately resolve to condemn him to Death That this being his first Request he lived in hopes they would not deny it him which was that for once they would pardon the past Miscarriages of Morosou on whom he desired them to look as one who had been the Guardian of their Prince and had Married the Great Dutchess's Sister who upon this double account must needs be very dear to him and consequently that it would be the hardest thing in the World for him to consent to his Death That he himself would be answerable for his future Good Behaviour not questioning but that he would behave himself so as that they should not have the least reason to complain of him and that if they would declare him incapable by their unanimous Vote of being admitted into his Councel for the future he should be dismiss'd The Great Duke being then not twenty Years of Age and of a very tender Constitution could not forbear to accompany his last words with some Tears which so moved the People that they cried out with one Voice Long live our Great Duke God grant him a long and happy Reign Godâ—s and the Great Duke's Will be done The Czar having given them his Thanks and extolled their Zeal and Affection for his Person returned to the Castle well satisfied in having been so successful to reconcile his Brother-in-law to the Citizens of his Imperial City of Musco Some days after the Great Duke according to Custom went a Pilgrimage to the Monastry of Troitza about Threescore Miles from Musco when Morosou took this opportunity of appearing again the first time in Publick As he went through the City he was uncovered Saluting the People on both sides of the way with great Submission He countenanced the Old Nobility for some time and ever after laid hold on all occasions to gratifie the People and assist those who Address'd themselves to him in any Business they had at Court so that in a little time there appear'd a great change in the Affairs of the Government of Muscovy and Morosou became the Favourite of the People and the Patron to all Strangers maintaining his Greatness till his Old Age when he died much lamented by the People but not the Nobility and as much beloved by his Prince as he had been always successful in his Counsels But to return where we left off notwithstanding this Remarkable Alteration in the Government there hapned not long after another Revolt which if it had not been timely prevented by the vigilancy of those at the Helm might have proved of dangerous Consequence to the Empire which was occasioned thus Some differences were arisen betwixt the two Crowns of Muscovy and Sweden by reason that the Subjects of both Kingdom leaving their Habitations in their Respective Native Countries used to seek for shelter in the others Dominions to avoid the Payment of their Debts These differences improved by some Reasons of State were risen to that height that both States seem'd to be threatned with an inevitable War unless prevented by a speedy Composition In order to which the Great Duke Alexis Michaelovits sent in the Year 1649. the next following after the Insurrection in the City of Musco a Solemn Ambassy to Christina Queen of Sweden
should be less dilatory and Criminals to be Examined and Judged by the Governours of the Provinces with their Assistants whereas most of the Criminals were before that time brought to Musco with no less Trouble to the Prisoners than Charge to the Czar He was a great Admirer of Monarchy and a Patron of the English as on the other hand Bogdan Matfeilt always was a secret Enemy both to Nashockin and the English but a great Friend of the Dutch who used to purchase his Favour by great Presents This Bogdan was bred up with the Czar from a Child and was much of the same Age. He was Lord High Sreward of the Houshold having in his disposal all Domestick Affairs He used to be called the Whispering Favourite because the Czar asked his Advice oftner in his Closet than at the Councel-Board It was by his Connivance that the Jews got secretly footing in that Court and the City of Musco whereas before that time they were abominable to the Muscovites because they supplied him with handsom young Slaves out of Poland which he entertaineâ— for his Pleasure some in the Country and some in his Palace in Musco His Lady being Jealous of these Slaves shew'd her Reâ—entment at several times in so outragious a manner that her Death being resolved on she was one Night Poysoned in a Plate of Sweet-meats or as others will have it in a Glass of Wine As for the Czar Alexis Michaelovits himself he was a Person of a Majestick Deportment The Character of Alexis Michaelovits Tall incling to Fat of a Sanguine Complexion and Light Brown Hair Beautiful and Charitable but severe in his Anger of a very strong Memory strict in his Devotion and a great Favourer of his Religion in the Observance of which he was the strictest Man in the World For he never missed Divinâ— Service and if indisposed used to have it performed in his Bed-Chamber On fast-Fast-days he would frequent Mid-night Prayers standing four or five hours together prostrating himself to the Ground During the great Fasts he would eat but three Meals a Week being contented for the rest with a piece of Brown Bread and Salt a pickled Mushroon or Cucumber and a Cup of Quas or small Mead. In short it has been observed of him that no Monk was ever more observant of the Canonical hours than he of Fasts it having been computed that he fasted above Eight Months in the Year He would also frequently appear at the Processions bare-headed and on foot and was always a declared Patron of the Muscovite Church notwithstanding which he would sometimes make bold with the Church Revenue upon Loan in time of War which he was not very careful to repay knowing that the Church Treasury which is supplied out of the best part of the Empire may now and then dispense with a Loss for the benefit of the Publick He also made an Ordinance to restrain the profuse Bounty of dying Men to the Clergy neither would he ever suffer a Monastery to be Founded without his License Every Good-Friday he used to visit in the Night all the Prisons in the City of Musco to take Personal Cognisance of all the Prisoners among whom he would buy out some that were in Debt and release others that were Criminals and bestow sometimes great Summs for the use of such as he knew to be really necessitated He would cause the Empress to do the same and to redeem yearly a certain number of Women out of Prison He ordered also at about seven or eight Miles distance from the Imperial City Work-Houses to be built for Hemp and Flax in that good Order Beauty and Capacity that they were sufficient to Employ all the poor in the Kingdom with Work having settled for that use a good many Miles of waste Lands by which he improved the Manufactury of the Country and fed his Labourers at a very cheap rate He Assign'd that part of the Building where the Women were Employ'd for the Use and Profit of the Empress He was of so mild a Temper that he seldom condemned any to Death but most commonly to the Strapado and Banishment into Siberia Being one time urg'd by some of his Foreign Officers to make it Death for any Man to Desert his Colours he answered them That he thought that would be too hard upon the poor Soldiers since it was certain that God had not given every Man an equal share of Courage Notwithstanding these his Mild and Charitable Inclinations he was of a Warlike Spirit having been Engag'd in Wars against the Poles Swedes Crim-Tartars and Turks For being sufficiently sensible of the Advantage the Poles had got during the late Intestine Commotions in Muscovy by making themselves Masters of the Provinces of Severia and Sâ—olâ—â—sko in the Possession of which they were confirmed by Virtue of the Truce made by his Father Mâ—chael Federoviâ—s after his Disgrace received at the Seige of Smolensko And the Term of the said Truce being now expired when the Poles were Engaged in a Mortal Quarrel with the Cosacks he look'd upon this Juncture as the most fabourable that could be by the Recovery of these Provinces to secure his Frontiers against so Potent a Neighbour For which purpose having settled a Correspondence with Chmielniski the then General of the Cosacks and offered them his Protection these were aâ— first very successful against the Poles of whom they killed Ten Thousand upon the spot and took from them the City of Kiovia And the Poles having drawn out a second time their whole Force against them were again miserably beaten by the Cosacks till at last having committed great Depredations in Poland King John Casimir was obliged to March in Person against them who having totally routed them they Embraced the Protection of the Great Duke Hâ—s Wâ—r with the Poles He finding himself thus strengthened by the accession of so considerable a Force did apply all his Care for the recovery of Smolensko for which purpose having brought together a great Army The Taking of Smolensko and a vast Train of Artislery he besieged the City of Smolensko in the Year 1653. and notwithstanding the Resolute Defence of the Polish Garrison made himself Master of it in the Year next following The taking of which Place was chiefly attributed to the Cosacks who upon all occasions gave the utmost proofs of their Bravery and Hatred against the Poles during this Memorable Seige Having thus opened his way into Poland he carried the Terrour of his Victorious Arms into the Great Dutchy of Lithuania he Ravaged the whole Country took many Cities and in the Year 1655. also the Capital City Takes Vilna called Vilna where as well as in other places the Muscovites committed most horrid Barbarities in Retaliation as they said of those Calamities they had suffered by the Polish Invasion during their Intestine Commotions In the same Year Charles Gustavus King of Sweden entered Poland with an Army of Chosen Men and
Opportunity that should present and had certainly executed his Design if the Contests that arose among the Conspirators concerning the Succession in the Throne had not delay'd the Execution of it Sickler in the mean while who was a good Bottle-Companion having utter'd some Words to a Friend of his at several times relating to their intended Project he conceived so much a horror at it that he was resolved to discover what he had heard Sickler say concerning the Conspiracy But knowing him to be in great favour with the Czar he was not without reason afraid that his Depositions might be interpreted by the adverse Faction as proceeding from Envy or Malice and consequently instead of serving his Prince turn to his own destruction he resolved to proceed with as much caution as possibly he could in a Matter of so much Moment For which purpose having one day met a certain Gentleman an intimate Friend of his and of Sickler and not questioning but that he had made use of the same Expressions to him in relation to the Conspiracy as he had heard him say at several times in his presence he began to enter upon a Discourse of their common Friend Sickler and in a careless Manner to repeat several Passages which he had received from Sickler's own Mouth His Friend being not a little surprised at the Imprudence of his Friend told him that indeed he had heard him say several times many things of that Naâ—â—â—e but looking upon them as the Effects of strong Liquor he never made any further account of them But the other replying that the Concealment of Matters of such a nature might one time or another prove their Destruction and that therefore he was fully resolved not to hide it any longer they went by joint-consent to make their Discovery to the Czar in Person He was just then at a Wedding in the Suburbs Plot discovâ—red against the Czar where the Germans and other Christian Foreigners have their Habitations when being informed of the most imminent danger that threatned his Life he went immediately accompany'd by his Guards and some of his most trusty Boyars to the House of Sickler and looking upon him wiâ—h a stern Countenance after having asked him some general Questions and among others What Punishment ought to be inflicted upon a Person who should not only betray but murder his Friend in cold Blood and the sudden Change of his Countenance and his confused Answer sufficiently betraying the Guilt of his Conscience he caused him to be seised and being confronted with his two Friends who had made the Discovery he confessed the whole Design and received the due reward of his Treachery being broken alive upon the Wheel As to the present Czar's Person he is of a Noble Aspect his Face being of an Oval Figure with very large Eyes and well Featured his Hair of a light brown Colour Dâ—scripâ—ion of the present Czar his Complexion inclining to brown but very clear he is slender but very strong and well-set being above six Foot high and tho' in his whole demeanour there appears a great deal of Majesty yet is his Conversation full of an engaging Familiarity without the least appearance of Pride even to the meanest of his Subjects but his chief delight is in the Conversation of Strangers with whom he will at certain Times converse no otherwise than if they were his Equals and be very frolicksome in their Company Thus he did some Years ago in the River of Arch-Angel with some English Merchants and a Captain of a Ship belonging to the Russian Company This Ship called the Perry and Lane carrying 30 Guns arrived in the Year 1694 in the beginning of July in the River of Arch-Angel at the same time that the present Czar was come thither to take a view of a new Man of War which he had caused to be bought for his Service in Holland The Emperour having some days after invited himself on Board the said Captain he came accordingly at 3 a Clock in the Afternoon with 40 or 50 of his Attendance where he passed away his Time so pleasantly that he did not depart till next Morning after Sun rise The next day he invited the Captain all the English Merchants and Masters of Ships to dine with him at a House in an adjacent Island where being seated at the same Table with the Emperour he after Dinner was over caused them all to be weted with an Engine brought lately from Holland Which done he made them all without the least distinction of Age or Quality to plunge themselves over Head and Ears into the River he in his Person leading the Way and shewing by his own Example what they had to do Having dismissed them for that time they were invited again a few days after to the same Island where they all play'd at Nine-Pins and Bowls till Night when expecting the Czar's Orders to depart he told them that they must stay with him till the Wind turn'd fair so that they were forced to stay two days and nights during which time they spent the days in Merriment and a few hours in the Nights upon the hard Boards when the Wind veering about they got leave to depart and set Sail for England As he takes great delight in the Company of Strangers so he makes use most commonly of foreign Habits even in his own Country which the present Patriarch of Muscovy looking upon as not agreeable to their own Customs took the opportunity when he met the present Czar one day at his Mothers Palace then lying upon her Death-bed to tell him in her Presence That the Czars his Predecessors used always to endeavour to maintain the good Will of their Subjects by accommodating themselves to their most antient Customs and to appear in the same Habit with their Subjects To which the Czar made answer Father are you not the Head of the Muscovian Church to which he having reply'd yes Sir by your Favour the Czar said and why then turn you the Head and Advocate of the Taylors I intend to give my Subjects more substantial Proofs of the care I take for their Welfare than what depends from the imaginary Differences of Dresses or Cloaths But a Priest of his Attendance did not come at so cheap a Rate in the Hague For the Czar having been informed that all the Day of the proclaiming of the Peace he got excessively drunk laid this Penance upon him to wit to be employed in twisting of Ropes for many days together which having cut the poor Fellows Hand to the Bones gave the Priest an experimental Proof of the Cruelties they sometimes with so much freedom exercise upon the Laity The present Czar's Journey into those Parts at a time when he is engaged in a heavy War against the Crim Tartars The Czars Journey and his Presence seems to be absolutely necessary to suppress the Designs of a potent adverse Faction has been the Wonder of all Europe But it is
destruction there will be some that will take surer measures than I have done He was going on in his discourse if he had not been dragged away immediately to Prison where after having been put to the Rack he was executed privately for fear of incensing the people This Outrage was soon after followed by another less dangerous in its Contrivance but sufficiently convincing to GalliZin of the Sentiments the people had of his Ministry He was then just upon his departure for the Army which he was to Command as General against the Crim Tartars when one night a covered Coffin was found at his Pallace Gate with a Note in it containing these Words GalliZin Vnless the Campaign which thou art now going to open prove more successful than the former we are resolved to make sure work with thee The worst of all was that these menaces proved true in the Event for after his return from the Army he was so closely press'd upon by the rest of the Boyars that not being able to justifie himself against the manifold miscarriages laid to his charge he was dismissed from all his Imployments at Court GalliZin banished his Estate Confiscated and he banished into Siberia where he was forced to lead a miserable or rather shameful life Much about the same time Prince Archilla King of Iveria and Mengrelia who had for some Years last past lived with his Princess in the Court of the two Czars was preparing for his return into his Kingdoms This Prince being originally a Georgian by Birth had been prevailed upon to embrace Mahometism for the peaceable enjoyment of the two Kingdoms of Iveria and Mengrelia which border upon Persia The Chan of Persia Prince Archilla who 's Vassal he was and to purchase whose favour he had changed his Religion was very favorable to him at first and tho' he not long after return'd to the Christian Religion which he profess'd before did not use him with the same severity as he did the rest of the Petty Princes that were his Vassals But this seeming kindness of his proceeded as it appear'd afterwards not so much from any inclinations he had for his person as the Beauty of his Princess For having received great recommendations of the excellency of her Person as he was insatiable in his Lust to Women so tho' he never had seen her he was resolved to purchase the enjoyment of so much Beauty at any rate so that he made this unfortunate Prince sufficiently sensible that he had no longer any regard for his person being now become no less troublesome to him than he had appear'd kind before His first endeavours were carried on by fair means by vast promises and hopes of great Rewards but these proving insufficient to obtain his desire he proceeded from mildness to Threats but finding these also not to have the desired effect he had recourse to open Violence ordering his forces to advance into the Territories of Archilla to seize him and his Princess and carry them prisoners to his Court. Archilla dreading the indignation of the Chan who 's Forces he was not strong enough to oppose was obliged to seek for safety in his flight and retired with the Princess to the utmost confines of this Kingdom of Iveria which being the most distant from Persia border upon the Turkish Territories on that side towards the Black Sea in hopes to shelter themselves there against the forces of their enemies But the Chan of Persia resolved not to quit his pretension at that rate found means to engage the Turkish Grand Seignior in his Quarrel who having sent some forces to seize the Prince they surprised and carried him to a Castle under the jurisdiction of the Turks on the borders of Iveria where he was detained Prisoner till further orders They had shewn so much favour to the Princess whom they were unwilling to use with violence that they had not detained her person But she being exasperated to the highest degree by the outrages committed upon her husband retired secretly into Iveria where without any further delay having assembled some Gentlemen the bravest and most trusty among her Subjects she like another Amazon marched at the head of them to the Relief of her husband The Garrison had got some intelligence of her approach some hours before her arrival near the place wherefore having prepared themselves for a resolute defence the Iverians met with a stout resistance But being encouraged by the presence and example of their Princess who was resolved either to deliver her Husband or to fall in the attempt they at last forced the Castle where their Prince was kept Prisoner in spite of all the resistance the Soldiers could make carried him off and set him at Liberty So soon as they had time to reflect upon their present condition they were sufficiently sensible that an act so extraordinary and so bold must needs draw upon them the indignation of both these Great Princes their Neighbours and that consequently they could not tarry long with safety in their Kingdoms encompassed as it was on all sides by their enemies Therefore they were forced to abandon their Subjects to the mercy of these two Potent Neighbours and with some of their most trusty friends to seek for shelter in Muscovy They were received with all the demonstrations of friendship by the two Czars Prince Archilla arrives in Muscovy who assign'd them a Palace in the City of Musco and during the space of three Years allowed them a Pension suitable to their Quality till their Subjects having composed matters with the Grand Seignior and become weary of the Persian yoak sollicited their return into the Kingdoms of Iveria and Mangrelia promising to Sacrifice all what was dear to them for their Interest against the Persians their common enemies The same Year the Youngest of the two Czars The present Czar marries the same who lately honoured this Kingdom with his presence married the Daughter of an Officer of the Army He was then but Eighteen Years of Age and a few days after the marriage was published by the sound of the great Bell in Musco perhaps the finest in the World he was seized with the falling Sickness Those who did not know this distemper to be Hereditary to his Family but were sufficiently acâ—uainted with those frequent misfortunes that happen in Muscovy to persons of a high Rank at the time of their marriages occasioned by the Envy of the contending Rivals of the Female Sex looked upon it as an effect of the Jealousie of such families as being by this marriage excluded from the hopes of that Alliance they had aspired to had let their vengeance fall upon their young Prince But this accident not being attended with any further ill Consequences these Rumors were soon dispersed and the rejoycings continued to the Great Satisfaction of the Muscovites who had placed the chief hopes of their future prosperity in the Activity and Courage of a Prince who soon