Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	face_n	hand_n	left_a	1,460	5	10.4795	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A35310	The antient and present state of Muscovy containing a geographical, historical, and political account of all those nations and territories under the jurisdiction of the present czar : with sculptures and a new map / by J.C., M.D., Fellow of the Royal Society, and a member of the College of Physicians, London.	Crull, J. (Jodocus), d. 1713?	1698 (1698)	Wing C7424; Wing C7425; ESTC R2742	334,877	511

Word or Writing It is transacted by way of Brokeridge so that it is no difficult Matter to put a Counterfeit upon the Bridegroom provided the Parents do but consent to it in the same manner as Laban put the Bleer-ey'd Leah upon Jacob instead of the Beautiful Rebeckah which is frequently practised in Muscovy Their general way of Proceeding is thus If any one have a Marriageable Daughter whom he is willing to bestow upon a certain young Man he approves of he either by himself or his Broker declares his Mind to the young Man's Parents or for want of them to one of the next Kindred If the Match be accepted of two or three Women deputed by him that is to be the Bridegroom are permitted to take a full view of the future Bride stark naked to see whether she has any Defect after which their Friends on both sides treat of and Conclude the Marriage the intended Couple not being allow'd to see one another till they meet in their Bed-Chamber after Marriage When a Marriage is concluded betwixt Persons of Quality Marriage Cerem●ni●s there are two Women appointed one on the Bridegroom 's the other on the Brides side they call them Suacha's whose business is jointly to take Care for the Nuptials The first business of her that is appointed on the Brides side is to prepare the Nuptial-Bed She attended by a great many other Servants who carry all Things necessary for the Bed and Chamber goes on the Wedding-Day to the Bridegroom's House where the Bed is made upon forty Sheaves of Rye compassed about with several Barrels full of Wheat Barley and Oats The same Evening the Bridegroom accompanied by his Kindred goes on Horseback with the Priest before him to the Brides House where being met at the Door and received by all her Friends they are all invited to sit down at a Table with three Dishes of Meat upon it Whilst the Bridegroom is busie in receiving the Compliments of the Brides Friends a young Lad gets into his Place at the Table from whom the Bridegroom is forced to purchase the Place by some Presents when he has taken his Place the Bride is brought into the Room most richly Clad but Veil'd and seated by the Bridegroom but separated by a large Piece of Crimson Taffeta held up betwixt them by two young Lads This done the Brides Suacha paints her tyes up her Hair in two Knots puts the Crown on her Head and dresses her like a Married Woman Whilst the other Suacha is busied in Painting the Bridegroom the Women sing several foolish Songs After that two young Lads in very rich Apparel bring into the Room on behalf of the Bridegroom a very large Cheese and some Loaves the like being done on the Brides part the Priest blesses them all and sends them to Church As they are ready to go to Church there is a Silver Basin put upon the Table fill'd with little pieces of Sattin and Taffeta little pieces of Silver Hops Bar●ey and Oats all mix'd together The Brides Face being covered again the Suacha takes certain Handfuls out of the Basin which she casts among the Company who in the mean while sing a Song and pick up what they find upon the Ground When they come to Church the young Couple standing upon a piece of Taffeta receive the Benediction from the Priest which is performed by holding Images over their Heads The Priest takes the Bridegroom by the Right and the Bride by the left Hand at the same time asking them three times consecutively Whether they are both sides willing and content to Marry and to Love one another After they have both answered Yes all the Company join Hands and the Priest begins to sing the first Verse of the 128 Psalm the Company singing the next and so continue to sing by Turns to the End of the Psalm the Company dancing all this while The Psalm being ended the Priest puts a Garland of Rhue upon their Heads but if a Widow or a Widower about the Shoulders saying Increase and multiply and Consummating the Marriage with these Words Whom God has join'd let no Man separate In the mean while those that are present lighting each of them a Wax-Candle fill the Priest a Glass with Red Wine which he takes off and the Married Couple having pledg'd him by drinking it off each of them three times the Bridegroom throws down the Glass and both of them treading it to pieces under their Feet pronounce these Words May they thus fall at our Feet and be trod to pieces who shall go about to sow Division or Discontent between us Then the Women there present cast some Flax-seed and Hemp-seed at the young Couple wishing them much Joy and Prosperity and pulling the Bride by her Robe as if they would pull her away from her Husband but she keeps very close to him and renders their Endeavours fruitless Then by the Light of several Torches or Wax-Candles they all return to the Bridegroom's House where the Wedding is kept No sooner are they entred the House but the Bridegroom and the Guests sit down at a Table ready furnish'd with all sorts of Meat but the Women carry the Bride up strait-ways to her Chamber where having pull'd off her Cloaths she is put to Bed immediately This done the Bridegroom is call'd away from the Table and conducted by six or eight young Lads with Torches which they stick into the Barrels of Wheat or Barley into the Chamber As soon as the Bride perceives the Bridegroom to approach she goes out of Bed only with her Night-Gown on meets and receives him with a very submissive Reverence with a low Inclination of the Head in the mean while that the new Husband takes this Opportunity to gaze at her this being commonly the first time that he sees her Face Thus they sit down together like Man and Wife for it is to be considered they are not much addicted to Compliment and among other Dishes a roasted Fowl is served up which the Bridegroom pulls asunder casting over his Shoulders that Part which first comes off whether Leg or Wing the rest they eat and all being withdrawn unless it be one old Female Servant that keeps Watch at the Chamber-door to work they go without any further Preamble while their Kindred and Friends are busie in certain Charms which they believe to be of very great Consequence either for fortifying the Codpiece or at least in defending it from Witchcraft which they are sorely afraid of especially People of Quality the Nuns here being accounted very dextrous both in tying and unravelling the Codpiece Point The old Female that stands Centry at the Door asks some time after whether the Battle be won and as soon as the Bridegroom answers that it is she gives the Signal to the Trumpets who make an excellent Noi●● which continues till the Stoves can be got ready where the new Married Couple bathe themselves but apart Here they are wash'd

them with a Day as long but not so tedious as the Night had been before It is then they leave their doleful Huts and apply themselves to their usual Employments which is chiefly Hunting I am apt to believe that it is upon the Account of these Samoyedes that some have founded their fabulous Narrations of a certain People that sleep six Months in the year or that die in the beginning of Winter and rise up again in the Spring like the Swallows or Frogs as that what has been related of some of the Northern Countreys to wit that there are People there without Heads having their Eyes in their Breasts That they have Feet so big as that one of them shades the whole Body and being thus covered with their Feet neither Sun nor Rain can come at them questionless owes its Origin to their Garments and Pattins they make use of in the Winter For their upper Garments are made like Vests or rather Cosaques falling down to the mid-leg border'd below with Furr open only at the bottom by which they get into them and in the upper part where they put out their Faces when the Cold is excessive they cover their Heads with a certain Cap like to the Capuchines made in the same Fashion with the Head of a Man So in the Winter-time these Samoyedes as well as the Laplanders and Finlanders wear a kind of Shooes or Pattins made of Bark of Trees or some very thin Wood Those that are worn by the Samoyedes are an Ell and a half long towards the Toe but those of the Laplanders and Finlanders are as long to the Heels as to the Toes they use them with so much Agility upon the Snow that down a Hill they will out-do in swiftness some Horses For the rest their Garments are made of the Skins of the Reens the Nerves and Veins of these Beasts serving them for Thread to sow their Cloaths At the end of the Sleeves of their Cosaques they have their Muffs sowed on which they either let hang loose or make use of to cover their Hands as occasion requires Under these Cosaques they wear Shirts made of the Skins of young Reens or Rain-Deer which having very short Hair are softer than Linnen and under these Shirts they wear their Drawers Upon their Heads they wear very large Caps or Bonnets which hang down round about their Necks they are commonly made by the Muscovites of Cloath of several Colours lin'd with Furr and sold to the Samoyedes They wear also Boots with the Furr on the out-side which makes them appear at first sght more like Savage Beasts than Men. They have a way of scraping the inside of the Bark of Beech as fine as the Shavings of Ivory which serves them for Handkerchiefs for they take a Handful of it at a time to wipe their Faces Noses or Hands The length of the Winter Season making their Ground not fit for Tillage they have no Corn nor Cattle so that they are contented to live upon what Nature affords them their Food being Fish dry'd in the Wind and Sun instead of Bread Honey and Venison and the Flesh of young Whelps or Puppies is esteem'd a dainty Fare among them Their Stature is very low and mean having very short Legs almost like the Groenlanders of whom we shall have occasion to speak anon their faces large and flat without Beards and their Eyes very little like the Tartars but not so sparkling The Women here are very ugly so that by their Faces and Cloaths which are exactly like to the Men's their Sex is not to be distinguished at first sight Notwithstanding which they are very jealous of them being extreamly nice in preserving their Wives for their own Use For this reason they buy them at the Age of six or seven from their Parents without daring to look upon them before the Bargain is made the usual payment is a certain number of Deers the only valuable Commodity their Country affords thus thinking themselves assured of their Virginity they keep them very close nay more strict than in Italy both before and after Marriage and there is some who affirm that when they go abroad a Hunting they make 〈◊〉 a certain Engine to preserve their Chastity a convincing Instance that Ugliness is no preservative against Jealousie Their Language and Laws are equally unknown to Strangers the latter being altogether established by Custom before they submitted themselves to the Muscovite Government He that is the best Magician is considered among them as the most excellent Man if they happen to sell any of their Deer to Strangers they reserve to themselves the Entrails which they keep for their own eating Their Arms are no other than a Bow and Arrows which they make use of when they go abroad a Hunting which being their continual Exercise they are most excellent at Shooting they have also a certain way of Dancing but the most ridiculous in the World They were formerly all Pagans and Idolaters for when the Hollanders in the Year 1595. in their Voyage to the North landed some of their Men near the Streight of Weigats they found near the Sea-side abundance of Idols for which the Samoyedes had so much Affection that they would not allow the Dutch tho' never so much entreated to carry away one of them But in this Age the Christian Religion was planted there by the help of a Russian Bishop of Wolodimer who having been sent thither with some Priests brought most of them over to the Greek Religion But before we take our leave of these Northern Parts belonging to the Grand Czar of Muscovy's Dominions America 〈…〉 it will perhaps not be amiss to say something concerning a certain Conjecture some of the most Curious among the Russians have of the nearness of America to these Northern Parts They say there is beyond the Oby a very large River call'd Kawoina into which another River named Lepa emptying it self they discharge themselves into the Frozen Sea Near the Mouth of this River is a very spacious Island well peopled whose chief Employment is Hunting but especially after a certain Animal call'd Behemot of which we shall say something anon The Muscovites say that this Creature being very difficult to Hunt most generally upon the sides of the Frozen Sea they oftentimes are obliged to carry their Families along with them so that happening many times to be surprized by a sudden Thaw they are upon huge pieces of Ice that break from one another carried at a great distance They perswade themselves that it were some of these Hunters who being carried upon these floating pieces of Ice to the most Northern Parts of America which is not far from that part of Asia which juts out into the Tartarian Sea settled the first Colonies there They alledge for the confirmation of this Opinion that the Inhabitants of the most Northern Parts of America bordering on that Sea have the same Features with those Hunting Islanders and

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 S●ccess from the Zeal of his Subjects march'd to the Ri●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 Ossipo● 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 that●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

Part of the day for tho' the Poles soon routed the Left Wing commanded by the Brother of Zuski yet the Swedes and the Tartars in the Right fought it out very gallantly and the Germans in the main Body being plac'd upon a Ground full of Shrubs and other Rubbage where the Polish Horse could not advance without great Difficulty repulsed them several times with great Slaughter till at last the Right Wing of the Muscovite Army being brought first into Confusion and afterwards totally routed the German Foot seeing themselves deprived of the Assistance of their Horse Zuski routed and on all sides surrounded by the Poles gave the Signal for Parley which being readily granted by King Sigismund and the Hostages interchanged it was agreed that such as should be willing to enter into Pay in the Polish Army should be entertained by the King according to their respective Stations the rest to remain Prisoners of War Scarce had the Treaty been signed and was just upon the Point of being executed when De la Garde who commanded the Swedish Auxiliaries in Hopes that the German Foot had maintained their Ground having rallied the Wings that were broken before returned to the place of Battle but being informed of what had pass'd he intreated the Germans to return in Conjunction with the Horse to the Charge But these were deaf to all his Admonitions and Perswasions declaring that they would not be guilty of the Breach of the Treaty so lately made with the Poles who thereupon afresh attack'd the Muscovite Horse entirely routed them a second time and after a Pursuit of some Hours made themselves Masters of their Camp Artillery and Baggage Most of the German Foot having taken Service under King Sigismund The Zuskians routed a second time he to terrifie the Garrison of Smolensko ordered a most solemn Triumph to be made in the Camp where a great Number of Captives Colours and other Warlike Ensigns of his late obtained Victory were exposed to the View of the Muscovites within the City unto whom having at the same time caused to represent the irrecoverable Loss of Zuski and his Party after so signal an overthrow he assured them that if they did not make use of this last Offer the King intended to make them of deserving his Mercy they must infallibly expect to be involved in his Ruin Most of the Inhabitants shewed a great Inclination to a surrender upon such honourable terms as were offered by King Sigismund But Sehin their Weywode being a Man of an undaunted Courage would not hearken to any Propositions tho' never so advantageous and having represented to them that their Condition was such as to be able to stop the Carreer of the Victorious Poles and to their eternal Glory to deserve the Honour of having upheld the declining Fate of their Country against its mortal Enemies they unanimously resolved to defend themselves to the last Extremity In the mean time the Muscovites began to feel the direful Effects of the loss of this Battle For Sapiha now the Demetrian General had routed the Muscovian Tartars near Twitza and cut to pieces another considerable Body of their Troops at Borowsko King Sigismund having got notice that Volviowitz the Zuskian General was after the last Defeat retir'd with a Body of ten thousand Men under Czarow sent thither part of his Army the very sight of which so terrified the Muscovites that without striking one Blow they surrendred to the Conquerour's discretion the Demetrian Army began to approach a second time their Capital City and the Poles had detatch'd a considerable Body from the Siege of Smolensko whom they expected to see every day at their Gates The worst of all was that in the last Battle they had lost the Flower of their Army and most of their Foreign Auxiliaries in whom they most confided the Germans having taken Service among the Poles so that having not the least prospect of repairing their ruined Troops nor any other Means left to defend themselves against the Power of two Armies that were on their march to besiege them more closly than ever they were at the greatest Plunge how to extricate themselves out of these impending Miseries After various Debates among the Nobles who most took to Heart the present miserable State of their Country they had recourse to the same States Policy which had prov'd successful to their Affairs before to wit to try whether by raising new Divisions among the Poles and Demetrians they might not find once more an Opportunity to save themselves from this imminent Danger which if not soon prevented threatned their infallible Destruction To encompass this Design it was proposed to seize upon the Great Duke Basili Zuski and to give it out that they were resolved to put Vladislaus the Son of Sigismund King of Poland upon the Throne of Muscovy that thereby they should infallibly ruin the Interest of Demetrius and consequently rid themselves of a vile Impostor whose very Name was become odious to them and at the same time restore immediately Peace to their harrassed Country It was represented that tho' they ought to look upon the Poles as their most dreadful and mortal Enemies that nevertheless their only Business being now to get time and to breath a little the Poles inveigled by their fair Promises would soon become secure and furnish them with an opportunity either quite to elude the Election of Vladislaus or if that was not thought advisable they might find sufficient Means at one time or other to rid their hands of him under pretence of his Childhood which if well tim'd they might make use of so favourable a Juncture to endeavour to return their Government into its antient Channel from whence it had been diverted by the Artifices of their Enemies and had been the occasion of all the Miseries they had endured of late This Design laid upon deep Reasons of State succeeded at last according to their Expectation by the mismanagement of the Poles who were by the good Conduct of the Muscovites not long after obliged to leave that Empire and restore to it that Repose which with vast Expences and the effusion of a great deal of Blood they had robb'd it of for near twenty years before The Muscovian Boyars and Nobles having thus concerted measures among themselves according to which the Ruin of Zuski was resolved on as the only means to encompass the intended Deliverance of their native Country it was by their Instigation whisper'd about among the Populace how that Basili Zuski the present Great Duke ought to be considered as the Chief Author of all their Misfortunes who by his Sorceries and Tyranny had drawn down upon the People of Muscovy the vengeance of God Almighty and that by his Miscarriages they were again plung'd into these Miseries wherewith they saw themselves environed past all Redemption unless they took new measures for their common Safety Zuski had since his accession to the Crown rendered his Government