proper as they say to the nation of the Iewes Onely the booke of Psalmes they haue in great estimation and sing and say them dayly in their Churches Of the new Testament they allow and read all except the Reuelation which therefore they read not though they allow it because they vnderstand it not neither haue the like occasion to know the fulfilling of the prophecies conteyned within it concerning especially the apostasie of the Antichristian Church as haue the Westerne Churches Notwithstanding they haue had their Antichrists of the Greeke Church and may finde their owne falling of and the punishments for it by the Turkish inuasion in the prophecies of that Booke Secondly which is the fountain of the rest of al their corruptiōs both in doctrine ceremonies they holde with the Papistes that their church Traditions are of equall authoritie with the written worde of God Wherein they prefer thēselues before other churches affirming that they haue the true and right traditions deliuered by the Apostles to the Greeke church and so vnto them 3. That the church meaning the Greeke and specially the Patriarch and his Synod as the head of the rest haue a soueraigne authoritie to interpret the Scriptures and that all are bound to holde that interpretation as sound and authentique 4. Concerning the diuine nature the three persons in the one substance of God that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father onely and not from the Sonne 5. About the office of Christ they holde many fowle errours and the same almost as doth the Popish church namely that hee is the sole mediatour of redemption but not of intercession Their chiefe reason if they bee talked withall for defence of this errour is that vnapt and foolish comparison betwixt God and a Monarch or Prince of this world that must bee sued vnto by Mediatours about him wherein they giue speciall preferment to some aboue others as to the blessed Virgin whom they call Precheste or vndefiled and S. Nicôlas whom they call Scora pomosnick or the Speedy helper and say that he hath 300. angels of the chiefest appointed by God to attend vpon him This hath brought them to an horrible excesse of idolatry after the grossest prophanest māner giuing vnto their images al religious worship of praier thanksgiuing offerings adoration with prostrating and knocking their heads to the ground before thē as to God himself Which because they doo to the picture not to the portraiture of the Saint they say they worship not an idol but the Saint in his image so offend not God forgetting the cōmandement of God that forbiddeth to make the image or likenes of any thing for any religious worship or vse whatsoeuer Their church walles are very full of them richly hanged set forth with pearle stone vpō the smooth table Though some also they haue embossed that stick from the board almost an inch outwards They call them Chudouodites or their miracle workers and when they prouide them to set vp in their Churches in no case they may say that they haue bought the image but exchaunged monie for it 6. For the means of iustification they agree with the Papists that it is not by faith only apprehēding Christ but by their works also And that Opus operatum or the worke for the worke sake must needes please God And therefore they are all in their numbers of praiers fastes vowes offrings to saints almes deeds crossings such like and carrie their numbring beads about with them cōtinually aswel the Emperour his Nobilitie as the cōmon people not only in the church but in all other publike places specially at any set or solemne meeting as in their fastes lawe courts common consultations intertainement of Ambassadours and such like 7. They say with the Papists that no man can be assured of his saluation til the last sentence be passed at the day of iudgement 8. They vse auricular confession thinke that they are purged by the very action frō so many sinnes as they confesse by name and in particular to the Priest 9. They hold three sacramentes of Baptisme the Lords supper and the last annoiling or vnction Yet concerning their Sacrament of extreame vnction they holde it not so necessarie to saluation as they do baptisme but thinke it a great curse and punishment of God if any die with out it 10. They thinke there is a necessitie of baptisme and that all are condemned that die without it 11. They rebaptise as many Christians not being of the Greek church as they conuert to their Russe profession because they are diuided from the true Church which is the Greeke as they say 12. They make a difference of meates drinks accounting the vse of one to be more holy then of an other And therefore in their set fastes they forbeare to eate fleshe and white meats as we call them after the manner of the Popish superstition which they obserue so strictly with such blinde deuotion as that they will rather die then eat one bit of flesh egges or such like for the health of their bodies in their extreme sicknese 13. They hold marriage to be vnlawfull for all the Clergie men except the priests only and for them also after the first wife as was said before Neither doo they well allow of it in Lay men after the second marriage Which is a pretence now vsed against the Emperours only brother a child of six yeres old Who therefore is not praised for in their churches as their manner is otherwise for the Princes bloud because hee was borne of the sixt marriage and so not legitimate This charge was giuen to the priests by the Emperour himselfe by procurement of the Godonoes who make him beleeue that it is a good pollicie to turne away the liking of the people from the next successour Many other false opinions they haue in matter of religion But these are the chiefe which they holde partly by meanes of their traditions which they haue receiued from the Greeke church but specially by ignorance of the holy Scriptures Which notwithstanding they haue in the Polonian tongue that is all one with theirs some few wordes excepted yet fewe of them read them with that godly care which they ought to doo neither haue they if they would bookes sufficient of the old and new Testament for the common people but of their Leiturgie onely or booke of common seruice whereof there are great numbers All this mischief commeth from the clergie who being ignorant and godlesse themselues are very warie to keepe the people likewise in their ignorance and blindnesse for their liuing and bellies sake partly also frō the manner of gouernment setled among them which the Emperours whom it specially behoueth list not to haue chaunged by any innouation but to retaine that religion that best agreeth with it Which notwithstanding it is not
OF THE RVSSE Common Wealth OR MANER OF GOuernement by the Russe Emperour commonly called the Emperour of Moskouia with the manners and fashions of the people of that Countrey ⸪ The Contents are noted in the Table set downe before the beginning of the Booke AT LONDON Printed by T. D. for Thomas Charde 1591 To the Queenes most excellent Maiestie MOst gracious Soueraigne beeyng employed in your Maiesties seruice to the Emperour of Russia I obserued the State and manners of that Countrey And hauing reduced the same into some order by the way as I returned I haue presumed to offer it in this smal Booke to your most excellent Maiestie My meaning was to note thinges for mine owne experience of more importaunce then delight and rather true then strange In their maner of gouernment your Highnesse may see both A true and strange face of a Tyrannical state most vnlike to your own without true knowledge of GOD without written Lawe without common iustice saue that which proceedeth from their Speaking Lawe to wit the Magistrate who hath most neede of a Lawe to restraine his owne iniustice The practise hereof as it is heauy and grieuous to the poore oppressed people that liue within those Countreyes so it may giue iust cause to my selfe and other your Maiesties faithfull subiects to acknowledge our happines on this behalfe and to giue God thankes for your Maiesties most Prince-like and gracious gouernment as also to your Highnesse more ioy and contentment in your royall estate in that you are a Prince of subiectes not of slaues that are kept within duetie by loue not by feare The Almightie stil blesse your Highnes with a most long and happy reigne in this life and with Christ Iesus in the life to come Your Maiesties most humble subiect and seruant G. Fletcher The sum of this discourse conteining the 1. Cosmographie of the Countrie 1. The breadth and length of the Countrie with the names of the Shires 2. The Soyle and Clymate 3. The natiue commodities of the Countrie 4. The chiefe cities of Russia 2. Pollicy 1. The ordering of their State 5. The house or stocke of the Russe Emperour 6. The maner of inauguration of the Russe Emperours 7. The forme or manner of their publique gouernment 8. Their Parliamentes and manner of holding them 9. The Russe Nobilitie and meanes whereby it is kept in an vnder proportion agreeable to that State 10. The manner of gouerning their Prouinces or Shires 11. The Emperours priuie Counsell 12. The Emperours Customes and other Reuenues what they amount vnto with the Sophismus practised for the encrease of them 13. The Russe communaltie their condition 2. Their iudicial procecding 14. Their publique Iustice and manner of proceeding therein 3. Their warlike prouisions 15. The Emperours forces for his warres with the officers and their Salaries 16. Their manner of mustering armour prouision for vittaile encamping c. 17. Their order in marching charging and their martiall discipline 18. Their colonies and pollicie in mainteyning their purchases by conquest 19. Their borderers with whom they haue 20. most to doo in warre and peace 4. Their Ecclesiastical State 21. Their Church offices and degrees 22. Their Leiturgie or forme of Church seruice with their manner of administring the Sacraments 23. The doctrine of the Russe Church 24. Their manner of solemnizing marriages 25. The other Ceremonies of the Russe Church 3. Oeconomie or priuat behauiour 26. The Emperours domestique or priuate behauiour 27. The Emperours houshold and offices of his house 28. The priuate behauiour and manners of the Russe people The description of the Countrie of Rusâ—ia with the breadth length and names of the Shires The I. Chapter THe countrie of Russia was sometimes called Sarmatia It chaunged the name as some do suppose for that it was parted into diuerse small and yet absolute gouernments not depending nor being subiect the one to the other For Russe in that tongue doth signifie asmuch as to parte or diuide The Russe reporteth that foure brethren Trubor Rurico Sinees and Variuus diuided among them the North parts of the countrie Likewise that the Southpartes were possessed by foure other Kio Scieko Choranus and their sister Libeda each calling his territorie after his owne name Of this partition it was called Russia about the yeare from Christ 860. As for the coniecture which I find in some Cosmographers that the Russe nation borrowed the name of the people called Roxellani and were the very same nation with them it is without all good probabilitie both in respect of the etymologie of the word which is very far fet and especially for the seat and dwelling of that people which was betwixt the two riuers of Tanais and Boristhenes as Strabo reporteth quite an other way from the countrey of Russia When it bare the name of Sarmatia it was diuided into two chiefe parts the White and the Blacke The White Sarmatia was all that part that lieth towardes the North and on the side of Liestand as the Prouinces now called Duyna Vagha Vstick Vologda Cargapolia Nouogradia c whereof Nouograd velica was the Metropolite or chiefe cittie Blacke Sarmatia was all that countrey that lieth Southward towards the Euxin or Black Sea as the dukedome of Volodemer of Mosko Rezan c. Some haue thought that the name of Sarmatia was first taken from one Sarmates whom Moses and Iosephus call Asarmathes sonne to Ioktan and nephew to Heber of the posteritie of Sem. But this seemeth to be nothing but a coniecture taken out of the likenes of the name Asarmathes For the dwelling of all Ioktans posteritie is described by Moses to haue beene betwixt Mescha or Masius an hill of the Amonites and Sephace neare to the riuer Euphrates Which maketh it very vnlikely that Asarmathes should plant any colonies so far off in the North and Northwest countries It is bounded Northward by the Lappes and the North Ocean On the Southside by the Tartars called Chrimes Eastward they haue the Nagaian Tartar that possesseth all the countrie on the East side of Volgha towards the Caspian sea On the West and Southwest border lie Lituania Liuonia and Polonia The whole country being now reduced vnder the gouernment of one coÌ„teyneth these chief Prouinces or Shires Volodemer which beareth the first place in the Emperours stile because their house came of the Dukes of that countrey Mosko Nisnouogrod Plesko Smolensko Nouogrod velica or Nouogrod of the low countrey Rostoue Yaruslaue Bealozera Bezan Duyna Cargapolia Meschora Vagha Vstuga Ghaletsa These are the naturall shires preteyning to Russia but far greater larger then the shires of England though not so well peopled The other countries or prouinces which the Russe Emperours haue gotten perforce added of late to their other dominion are these which follow Twerra Youghoria Permia Vadska Boulghoria Chernigo Oudoria Obdoria Condora with a great part of Siberia where the people though they be not natural
the enchaunting of shippes that saile along their coast as I haue heard it reported and their giuing of winds good to their friends and contrary to other whom they meane to hurt by tying of certein knots vpon a rope somewhat like to the tale of Aeolus his windbag is a very fable deuised as may seeme by themselues to terrifie sailers for comming neare their coast Their weapons are the long bow and handgunne wherein they excell aswell for quicknes to charge and discharge as for nearnesse at the marke by reason of their cōntinuall practise wherto they are forced of shooting at wild fowle Their manner is in Sommer time to come downe in great companies to the sea side to Wardhuyse Cola Kegor and the bay of Vedagoba there to fish for Codd Salmon But-fish which they sell to the Russes Danes Noruegians and now of late to the English mē that trade thither with cloth which they exchaunge with the Lappes and Corelians for their fish oile and furres whereof also they haue some store They hold their mart at Cola on S. Peters day what time the Captain of Wardhuyse that is resiant there for the king of Denmarke must be present or at least send his deputie to set prices vpon their stockfish traine oile furres and other commodities as also the Russe Emperours customer or tribute taker to receiue his custome which is euer payed before any thing can be bought or sold When their fishing is done their māner is to drawe their carbasses or boates on shoare there to leaue them with the keele turned vpwardes till the next spring tide Their trauaile too fro is vpon sleds drawen by the Olen deer which they vse to turne a grasing all the Sommer time in an iland called Kilden of a very good soile compared with other partes of that countrie and towards the winter time when the snow beginneth to fall they fetch them home again for the vse of their sledde Of their Ecclesiasticall state with their Church offices The 21. Chapter COncerning the gouernement of their Churche it is framed altogether after the māner of the Greek as being a part of that Church and neuer acknowledging the iurisdiction of the Latine Church vsurped by the Pope That I may keepe a better measure in describing their ceremonies thē they in the vsing them wherein they are infinite I will note briefly First what Ecclesiasticall degrees or offices they haue with the iurisdiction and practise of them Secondly what doctrine they holde in matter of religion Thirdly what leiturgie or forme of seruice they vse in their Churches with the manner of their administring the Sacramēts Fourthly what other straunge ceremonies and superstitious deuotions are vsed among them Their offices or degrees of Churchmen are as many in number and the same in a manner both in name and degree that were in the Westerne churches First they haue their Patriarch then their Metropolites their Archbishops their Vladikey or Bishops their Protopapes or Archpriests their Papes or Priests their Deacons Friers Monkes Nunnes and Eremites Their Patriarch or chiefe directer in matter of religion vntill this last yeare was of the citie of Constantinople whom they called the Patriarch of Sio because being driuen by the Turke out of Constantinople the seate of his Empire he remoued to the Ile Sio sometimes called Chio and there placed his Patriarchiall sea So that the Emperours and clergie of Russia were wont yearely to send gifts thither and to acknowledge a spirituall kind of homage and subiection due to him and to that Church Which custome they haue held as it seemeth euer since they professed the Christian religiō Which how long it hath bene I could not well learne for that they haue no storie or monument of antiquitie that I could heare of to shewe what hath bene done in times past within their countrie concerning either Church or common wealth matters Onely I heare a report among them that about three hundred yeares since there was a marriage betwixt the Emperour of Constantinople the kings daughter of that countrie who at the first denied to ioyne his daughter in marriage with the Greeke Emperour because he was of the Christian religion Which agreeth well with that I finde in the storie of Laonicus Chalcacondylas concerning Turkish affaires in his fourth booke where hee speaketh of such a marriage betwixt Iohn the Greeke Emperour and the Kings daughter of Sarmatia And this argueth out of their owne report that at that time they had not receyued the Christian religion as also that they were conuerted to the faith and withall peruerted at the very same time receyuing the doctrine of the gospell corrupted with superstitions euen at the first when they tooke it from the Greeke Church which it selfe then was degenerate and corrupted with many superstitions and fowle errours both in doctrine and discipline as may appeare by the story of Nicephorus Gregoras in his 8. and 9. bookes But as touching the time of their conuersion to the christiā faith I suppose rather that it is mistaken by the Russe for that which I find in the Polonian storie the secōd booke the third chapter where is said that about the yeare 990. Vlodomirus Duke of Russia married one Anne sister to Basilius and Constantinus brothers Emperours of Constantinople Wherupon the Russe receiued the faith profession of Christ Which though it be somewhat more auncient then the time noted before out of the Russe report yet it falleth out al to one reckoning touching this point vz in what truth and sinceritie of doctrine the Russe receiued the first stampe of religion for asmuch as the Greeke church at that time also was many waies infected with errour and superstition At my being there the yere 1588 came vnto the Mosko the Patriarch of Constātinople or Sio called Hieronomo being banished as some said by the Turke as some other reported by the Greeke clergie depriued The Emp. being giuen altogether to superstitious deuotions gaue him great intertainment Before his cōming to Mosko he had bene in Italy with the Pope as was reported ther by some of his cōpany His arrād was to cōsult with the Emp. concerning these points First about a league to passe betwixt him the king of Spaine as the meetest Prince to ioyne with him in opposition against the Turke To which purpose also Ambassages had passed betwixt the Russe the Persian Likewise from the Georgians to the Emperour of Russia to ioyne league together for the inuading of the Turke on all sides of his dominion taking the aduantage of the simple qualitie of the Turke that now is This treatie was helped forward by the Emperours Ambassadour of Almaine sent at the same time to solicite an inuasion vpon the parts of Polonia that lie towards Rusland and to borrow mony of the Russe Emperour to pursue the warre for his brother Maximilian against the Swedens son now king of Poland But this
consultation concerning a league betwixt the Russe the Spaniard which was in some forwardnes at my comming to Mosko and already one appointed for Ambassage into Spaine was marred by means of the ouerthrow giuen to the Spanish king by her Maiestie the Queene of England this last yeare Which made the Russe Emperour and his Counsell to giue a sadder countenance to the English Ambassadour at that time for that they were disappointed of so good a policie as was this coniunction supposed to bee betwixt them and the Spanish His second purpose whereto the first serued as an introduction was in reuenge of the Turke and the Greeke cleargie that had thrust him from his seat to treate with them about the reducing of the Russe church vnder the Pope of Rome Wherein it may seeme that comming lately from Rome he was set on by the Pope who hath attempted the same many times before though all in vaine and namely in the time of the late Emperour Iuan Vasilowich by one Anthony his Legate But thought this belike a farre better meane to obteine his purpose by treatie and mediation of their owne Patriarch But this not succeeding the Patriarch fell to a third point of treatie concerning the resignation of his Patriarchship translation of the Sea from Constantinople or Sio to the citie of Mosko Which was so well liked and intertained by the Emperour as a matter of high religion pollicie that no other treatie specially of forrein Ambassages could be heard or regarded till that matter was concluded The reason wherewith the Patriarch perswaded the translating of his Sea to the citie of Mosko were these in effect First for that the Sea of the Patriarch was vnder the Turk that is enemie to the faith And therefore to bee remoued into some other countrie of Christian profession Secondly because the Russe church was the only naturall daughter of the Greeke at this time and holdeth the same doctrine ceremonies with it the rest being all subiect to the Turke and fallen away from the right profession Wherein the subtill Greeke to make the better market of his broken ware aduaunced the honour that would growe to the Emperour and his countrie to haue the Patriarches seat translated into the chief citie and seat of his Empire As for the right of translating the sea and appointing his successour hee made no doubt of it but that it perteyned wholy to himselfe So the Emperour his Counsell with the principall of his cleargie being assembled at the Mosko it was determined that the Metropolite of Mosko should become Patriarch of the whole Greeke Church and haue the samefull authoritie iurisdiction that perteined before to the Patriarch of Constantinople or Sio And that it might bee done with more order solemnitie the 25. of Ianuary 1588. the Greeke Patriarch accōpanied with the Russe Cleargie went to the great Church of Precheste or our Ladie within the Emperours castle hauing first wandred thorough the whole citie in manner of a procession and blessing the people with his two fingers where hee made an Oration and deliuered his resignation in an instrument of writing and so laied downe his Patriarchicall staffe Which was presently receiued by the Metropolite of Mosko and diuers other ceremonies vsed about the inauguration of this new Patriarch The day was holden very solemne by the people of the citie who were cōmaunded to forbeare their workes and to attend this solemnitie The great Patriarch that day was honoured with rich presents sent him from the Emperour and Empresse of plate cloth of gold furres c carried with great pompe thorough the streats of Mosko and at his departing receiued many giftes more both from the Emperour Nobilitie and Cleargie Thus the Patriarchship of Constantinople or Sio which hath continued since the Counsell of Nice is now translated to Mosko or they made beleeue that they haue a Patriarch with the same right and authoritie that the other had Wherin the subtil Greeke hath made good aduantage of their superstition and is now gone away with a rich bootie into Poland whither their Patriarchship be currant or not The matter is not vnlike to make some schisme betwixt the Greeke Russe Church if the Russe holde this Patriarchship that he hath so well payed for and the Greekes elect an other withall as likely they will whither this man were banished by the Turke or depriued by order of his owne Cleargie Which might happen to giue aduantage to the Pope to bring ouer the Russe Church to the sea of Rome to which end peraduenture he deuised this stratageam and cast in this matter of schisme among them but that the Emperours of Russia know well enough by the exāple of other christian Princes what inconuenience would grow to their state coūtrie by subiecting themselues to the Romish sea To which ende the late Emperour Iuan Vasilowich was very inquisitiue of the Popes authority ouer the Princes of christendome sent one of very purpose to Rome to behold the order behauior of his court With this Patriarch Hieronimo was driuen out at the same time by the great Turke one Demetrio Archbishop of Larissa who is now in England pretendeth the same cause of their banishment by the Turke to wit their not admitting of the Popes new Kalender for the alteration of the yeare Which how vnlikely it is may appeare by these circumstances First because there is no such affection nor friendlie respect betwixt the Pope the Turke as that he should banish a subiect for not obeying the Popes ordināce specially in a matter of some sequele for the alteration of times within his owne countries Secondly for that he maketh no such scruple in deducting of times and keeping of a iust and precise account from the incarnatiō of Christ whom he doth not acknowledge otherwise then I noted before Thirdly for that the said Patriarch is now at Naples in Italy where it may be ghessed he would not haue gone within the Popes reach and so neare to his nose if he had bene banished for opposing himselfe against the Popes decree This office of Patriarchship now translated to Mosko beareth a superiour authoritie ouer all the Churches not onely of Russia other the Emperours dominions but thorough out all the churches of Christendome that were before vnder the Patriarch of Cōstantinople or Sio or at least the Russe Patriarch imagineth himselfe to haue the same authoritie Hee hath vnder him as his proper diocesse the Prouince of Mosko besides other peculiars His court or office is kept at the Mosko Before the creatiō of this new Patriarch they had but one Metropolite that was called the Metropolite of Mosko Now for more state to their Church and newe Patriarch they haue two Metropolites the one of Nouogrod velica the other of Rostoue Their office is to receiue of the Patriarch such Ecclesiasticall orders as he thinketh good and to deliuer the