The Right honble Charles Earle of Carlisle vicoâ—â—â— Howard of Morpeth Baron Dacre of Gilsland Lord Lieutenant in the Counties of Cumberland and Westmoreland and one of the Lords of his Maiesties most Honourable Privy Councell etc. 〈◊〉 fec A Relation Of Three EMBASSIES From his Sacred MAJESTIE Charles II TO THE Great Duke of MUSCOVIE The King of SWEDEN and The King of DENMARK Performed by the Right honble the EARLE of CARLISLE in the Years 1663 1664. Written by an Attendant on the Embassies and published with his L ps Approbation LONDON Printed for John Starkey at the Miter in Fleetstreet near Temple-Barr 1669. To his Excellency the Right Honourable Charles Earle of Carlisle Viscount Howard of Morpeth Baron Dacre of Gillesland Lord Lieutenant in the Counties of Cumberland and Westmorland One of his Majesties most Honourable Privy Councel and at this present Ambassador Extraordinary to the King of Sweden My Lord WHen I consider the Perfections and Sublime Qualifications wherewith Nature hath so advantagiously adorned Your Eâ—cellency I cannot but think would be an injury to the Publicâ— should I omit to attempt some deâ—lineation thereof And seeing 〈◊〉 is no new thing for others to bâ— ambitious of describing the Actioâ— of Great Men it is but reasonabâ— that I who for sometime have beeâ— an ocular witness of those of Youâ— Lordships should erect a Monâ—ment for Posterity of the same Upon this account it is that I noâ— publish this Work under Your Excellencies favourable Protection bâ— which it is manifest that Your Excellency hath born the Charactâ—â— of Your Prince thorow three foâ—raign Nations with all imaginabâ—â— Prudence and Honour There is nothing to be seen in the whole Sâ—ries of Your Lordships Conducâ— but what is generous and Noble and in which Your Excellency makes it appear with what Reason and judgement His Majestie made choice of Your Person for the Representation of his own under the Illustrious Title of His AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY Which same Honour being now conferred upon You again is a sufficient Proof of the Verity of my Sentement and without further Enlarging upon Your Lordships Worth I believe the Knowledge alone of Your Lordship is sufficient to render You beloved which yet one cannot do but with a most profound respect For my part my Lord if I have any Ambition in the Publication of this Work of which Your Excellency is both the Subject and Ornament it is onely that I may have the Advantage to testifie to the World with how much Zeal and Devotion I am MY LORD Your Excellencies Most humble and most Faithful servant G. M. The Authors Preface to the Reader IT was the saying of an Antient That the Spirit of Man affects Novelties which is justified by daily Observation For any thing to which a man is accustomed long commonly grows unpleasant whereas Variety delights him and rescues his Imagination from the tediousness of ordinary Objects Hence is the desire men have naturally to Travaile and though it withdraws one from his Relations and Country and exposeth him to several incommodities and perils yet the pleasure of his Voiage preponderates all apprehensions and renders all discouragements contemptible and vain And as there is Pleasure in Travailing so it hath in my judgment its Vtility likewise and its Profit as well as Diversion Of this Homer seems to be sensible when amongst all the Elogies and Encomiums he gives to Ulysses one of the principal was That he had seen several Countries and made Observation of their Fashions and Manners Ever since I understood that the World was not altogether shut up in my own Country I have had a constant inclination to travail and in my travels a curiosity to observe according to my talent what I thought most considerable In the Voiage I had the honour to make with the Right Honourable the Earl of Carlisle during his Embassies to Moscovy Sweden and Denmark I had a particular opportunity to gratify my self And forasmuch as Moscovy is a Country little known saving to its Neighbours I fixt my design there more particularly and resolved to inform my self as exactly as was possible of the nature of that Country and its Inhabitants In the mean time I observed also all the remarkable passages of our Travails but especially the pompous solemnities wherewith the Ambassador was received as I had besides the advantage of being imployed about the Negotiation I neglected nothing of that whereby I might instruct my self of States-business The Voyage being over I put my Memoires in order and framed them into a continued discourse so that afterwards I had the satisfaction now and then to review all what I had seen I communicated what I had done with some of my Friends who found the subject too good to be buried in oblivion and wanted not arguments to invite me to Print it But then I was not yet of that mind being very careful how I exposed my self to the Censure of the World and I took alwaies that enterprize to be too dangerous and bold Nam nulli tacuisse nocet nocet esse locutum Yet seeing at last that I might doe it under my Lord of Carlisles Protection and with a full Permission I thought nothing could excuse me if I neglected a thing wherein his Excellencies Interest the Publicks and my own perhaps were concerned And accordingly besides the General Description of the Voyage and the manner wherewith the Ambassador was received the Reader will find in the Relation of the first Embassy an exact Description of Moscovy and of all that passed there in his Excellencies Negotiation There I display the naked truth of the business how contrary to the expectations of all Europe his Excellency was treated there after so many effectual testimonies of Friendship the King of great Britain and the Tzar of Moscovy had received from one onother There a man shall see how unworthily some of the Tzars Commissioners dealt with my Lord Ambassador and made such an Embassy fruitless how instead of taking care for the preservation of that Amity which for so long time had continued betwixt the Crowns of England and Moscovy they suffered themselves to be so far transported as to become instrumental in the diminution thereof And this is clear thorough the whole Series of the Negotiation in which on the one side there is nothing to be seen but a just and well grounded deduction of reasons tending only to the reinforcement of the antient Alliance Whereas on the other it is plain their blind interest had prepossessed them and that they were contented to be Friends for the future but upon condition it seems they should be required no more to give any fair and competent testimonies of their being such This is the unexpected humour wherein his Excellency found the Court of Moscovy who causlesly disliking his whole manner of proceeding found fault with those very actions which were generous and honourable in him And indeed why that Court should have
great Dutchess and the young Princes the eldest of which was not above ten years old but this was refused upon this ground that it was not their custome Indeed the Tzars wives live there very retyred and his Sons appear not in publique till they are twelve years old at which age they show them solemnely to the People and the Tzar himself is but rarely to be seen The Eleaventh day being come there were a hundred and thirty persons of the Tzars Guards and threescore sledges sent to carry the Presents from the King the greatest part of which was designed for the Tzar the rest for the two young Princes Knetz Alexcy Alexevitz and Pheodor Alexevitz his Sons But besides the Kings Presents to the great Duke there were Presents also from the Queen to the great Dutchess and some which his Excellence gave the great Duke apart as from himself The whole consisted in Vessels of gold and silver in cloth velvets satins and damaske of divers colours there was also great quantities of stufs and table linnen two gold-watches three clocks two pair of Pistols one gun and two carabins besides six pieces of cast Canon a great quantity of Cornish tynne and a hundred piggs of lead All which was sent before to the pallace the plate being carried by four and twenty men the cloth by threescore ten men carried the Velvets Sattins and Damask six and twenty the stufs and table linning and ten more the Gun the Pistols the Watches and the Clocks and on the sledges they carried the Canon the Tynne and the Lead This being done there were two sledges brought for the Ambassador and my Lord Morpeth and at the same time several white horses for the Gentlemen of his attendance At length we began to sett out about ten a Clock in the morning the Gentlemen on horsback two and two all richly habited their hats covered with fair plumes of feathers which did principally attract the eys of the Moscovits with whom the streets the shops the gates and the windows did swarme at this time There were several English Merchants also who had joyned themselves with the Gentlemen and were fallen into the same Order After them followed my Lord Morpeth in his sledg betwixt the Ambassadors Pristafs who had brought their rich robes along with them to our house and put them on there After my Lord Morpeth the two Trumpets followed after them the six Pages in three ranks and after them the twelve footmen marching in the same Order as at our Entry His Excellence was this day in black having on his haâ— a rich band of Diamonds on either hand he had two of the principal Boyars in their sledges as himself was who had put on their robes also at our house In the Ambassadors sledg there was the Secretary and the chief Interpreter standing and uncovered the Secretarie carrying in his hands upon a yard of red Damaske his Letters of Credence written in parchment whose Superscription contained all the titles of the Tzar in letters of Gold Behind the Ambassador there came none but the Master of the horse on horseback In this manner we past thorow the Tzars Guards who were drawn up in rancks on both sides of us reaching to the very bottom of the staires of the Hall thorow which we were to pass to audience Near the Castlegate we found another regiment of Guards drawn up also in very good order A while after we past thorow another Regiment in one of the Courts of the Castle and in this place we saw a great number of very fair Canon planted on one side and the other with the Canoniers by them and ready in appearance to fire upon us from all parts From thence we passed to another Court filled also with Guards but when we came to the gate of a passage thorow which we were to go all that were in sladdes or on horseback alighted Those who were to go up into the Hall of audience were constraind to leave their swords behind them it being not permitted for any body to pass any further with them by their sides for the prevention of which ceremony his Excellence and my Lord Morpeth carried none with them When we had gone some paces this way which is a way peculiar to Christian Ambassadors those of Infidel Princes being carried another there was a Boyar came to meet the Ambassador complemented him from the great Duke From thence we came to a great stone Galerie where another Boyar received his Excellence with another complement And from thence we came into a Hall thorow which we were to pass in to that of the audience and here it was we saw the Guards of the Tzars body in a most splended Equipage their Vests of velvet being lined with sables their caps richly adorned with pearles and precious stones and their very Partesans covered with gold and silver Neare the door of the Hall of audience the Ambassador received a third Complement from the Tzars own Cousin After which we opened to the right and left and the Ambassador entred first into the Hall after him my Lord Morpeth and then the Gentlemen and the Pages Alexey Michailouitz great Duke of Moscovie Aged xxxiv Yeares 1664 My Lord Ambassador made a low Reverence to his Majestie assoon as he was entred into the Hall the Throne being opposite to the Door then he advanced some paces and stopping at the Pillar in the midst of the Hall he made him a second then being ready to speak made him a third and saluted him in the behalf of his Master the King of England in these words The most Serene and most Puissant Prince Charles the Second by the Grace of God King of England Scotland France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. To You the most High most Potent and most Illustrious Prince Great Lord Emperour and Grand Duke Alexey Michailovitz of all the great and little and white Russia Self-upholder of Moscovie Keavie Volodimerie Nofgorod Emperour of Cazan Emperour of Astracan Emperour of Siberia Lord of Pscove great Duke of Lituania Smolensco Twersco Volinsco Podolsko Vghorsco Permsco Veatsco Bolgarsco c. Lord and Great Duke of Nofgorod in the Lower Countries of Chernigo Resansco Polotsco Rostofsco Yeroslafsco Beloozarsco Oudorsco Obdorsco Condinsco Wetepsco Mâ—stisclaaco and all the Northern parts Lord of the Country of Iversco of the Tzars of Cantalinsco and of Gruzinsco and of the Country of Cabardinsco of the Dukes of Chercasco and Igorsco Lord and Monarch of several other Dominions and Provinces East West and North of which he is Heir from Father to Son by me Charles Earle of Carlisle Vicomte Howard of Morpeth Baron Dacre of Gillesland His Majesties Lieutenant in the Counties of Cumberland and Westmorland one of his Majesties most honourable Privy Councel and his Extraordinary Ambassador sendeth greeting and hath commanded me to deliver these Letters being his Letters Patents which he held in his hand to Your Imperial Majestie Which words being
my Father had at that time for reason of State desired the taking of them away whereas to the contrary He blessed Prince even to His last breath prayed and laboured for the good of His subjects and even as to this matter had prepared a Letter which I yet preserve among His other Reliques wherein He desires of your Tzarskoy majesty the Restitution of the privileges and disavowes Nightingale as an Impostor but had He I say then desired they might be revoked I also do now desire they may be restored The Merchants are complained of for several miscarriages contrary to the condition of the Privileges None of those miscarriages are verifyed but however I ordered my Ambassador to provide against the possibility of any such thing for the future and I my self should also have been a severe Inspector of any such default as intrenching highly upon mine own honour But the Goses and all the Tradesmen of Russia petitioned that the English were become rich by these Privileges and Your Majesties subjects were impoverished How is it then that your Tzarskoy majesty said in your Letter above mentioned that much happiness peace and tranquillity had accrued to both Dominions why do they not also against the Privilege which is enjoyed by the Dutch why not against the Cupshins of Persia for some of these in the mean time have privilege while the English are totally debarred it did the privileges impoverish the Country I should be glad to hear that since they were taken away which hath been time long enough to make an experiment the Country hath thereby grown richer But for my Subjects though if by honest industry they could grow rich they are rather to be commended Yet to the contrary neare thirty of them within this thirty years are undone by the Trade having brought considerable estates into your Dominions The English Merchants to whom the Privileges were granted are dead One of them is still living however which is so enough to continue the claim of the inviolable Tzarskoy privilege and though all were dead I understand it to have been granted to their Successors and I have given my Ambassador order to name new In other Countries every where strangers pay double custome How comes it then that the English Merchants Adventurers pay no custome in Holland and have besides free houses given them and freedom from excise and all other immunities denyed their own subjects That likewise they have the same privileges and pay no custome at Hamburgh in which places the English drive a much greater trade than here Do not the English Merchants not only pay no custom themselves but divide the customes of all other Nations with the Shagh of Persia at His Port of Ormus Do the English also impoverish all those Countries But then your Tzarskoy Majesty hath warre with the Crim and the Pole Your Tzarskoy majesty must pardon me if at this reason and considering most of those before which are in a manner word for word what was returned by the Messenger of that Usurper Cromwel I find my self something moved Were there therefore no warrs when the English privileges were first granted by Tzar Jvan Basilovich were there never in all the times they have been since enjoyed If your Tzarskoy majesty hath such Enemies that seem so considerable to you will it hurt you to continue me your Friend And is six thousand rubles yearly that is three thousand pounds which is the uttermost the English customes have amounted to since the cassing of the privileges is it I say so necessary a summe to so great a Prince for the carrying on of his wars that the effects of my friendship and the commerce of the English Nation cannot countervail it But I denyed your Tzarskoy Majesty the loan of mony I hope so impossible a summe to the greatest Prince of Christendome to advance on the sudden being I may name it to your Tzarskoy majesty ten thousand Poods of silver to the value of above thirty hundred thousand Rubles was not demanded on purpose to have a pretext to deny the privileges and by proposing an impossibility to refuse what is rational The less the Courtesie is asked the greater disobligation not granted and posterity which sits in judgement upon the memory of the greatest Princes will not so much blame Me for excusing so much as You for denying so little Your Tzarskoy majesty surely received from your own Ambassadors my Answer to that particular And the Merchants of the Muscovia Company refused a much less summe to Your Ambassadors Truly the former Merchants named in the privileges were dead all except one these now living have been impoverished and disinabled by the want of the privileges this seventeen years and Evan Zelobuskey offered them but ill security for the money an Obligation that it should never be that they should trade without custome These it seemes are the reasons with which they strive to shake to use your Tzarskoy majesties own expressions that brazen wall which hath stood so many years built by the wisdome of our Ancestors and now leaning upon the stability of Your own Princely promise and shall such Pellets be able to ruine it Have I for this sent mine own ship into the sound to fetch your Ambassadors Have I lodged them in the Palace of one of my greatest Princes layd them in mine own beds mine own hangings and treated them continually in mine own Vessel Have I done them the honor to enter in my Coach within the gate of my Court given them private Audience my self as oft as they desired it and as frequent Conferences with my Counsel as they pleased I repent it not I reproach it not I bear more honour to your Tzarskoy majesty my loving Brother than to do so But I doubt that some of them have not truly informed You of all the honour they received much more than I tell You. Have I not after this sent Ambassador to You my Cosin and whatsoever may have been told You to the contrary my privy Counsellor and that ever since my return into England one of the principal Noblemen of Our Kingdomes descended of Thomas Duke of Norfolk Charles Earle of Carlisle Viscount Howard de Morpeth Baron Dacre of Gillesland Lord Lieutenant of the Counties of Comberland and Westmorland having destinated him not only for this Ambassy but to have been my perpetual Remembrancer could I have been forgetful of any thing that tended to your Service Have I committed to him the secret of my heart in all things wherein I might pleasure you and shall your Tzarskoy majesty by him refuse me so small and perhaps the only thing which ever I can have occasion to ask of you the Privileges This indeed would repent me for the World will take more notice of it then can stand with Mine and Your honor and it will be the subject of much discourse and wonder when men shall consider what advantages this your Tzarskoy Crown hath recived from time to
opposed it self so obstinately against his Lordship I know no other reason but because his Lordship acted with much Zeal and Vigour for the Interest of the King and his Subjects and because he would not prostitute the dignity of his Office to the ridiculous pride of a Stolnick or a Boyar nor patiently endure several disobligations in their manner of proceeding In the Courts of Sweden and Denmark during our small Residence amongst them it was clear otherwise For there his Excellence received all manner of satisfaction being laden with praise and honour and in short used with as much kindness and respect as could be expected from two Nations whose Politeness and Vrbanity are clear different from the Humour of the Moscovite So that in changing of Climates we found also a great difference of Humours From whence it is easy to be seen that if the Court of Moscovy were not favourable to my Lord Ambassador it was only Prepossession and Interest which hindered them from making a right estimate both of his person and affair For it is most certain his Excellency employed all imaginable endeavors and that nothing obstructed them but a fatal Pertinacity in those that treated with him This being in general the nature and success of these Embassies the first makes the greatest part of my history for the other two Embassies being speedily performed affoard but little matter besides the Complements which the Ambassador made in the behalf of his Royal Master to the Kings and Queens of Sweden and Denmark But the thing that concludes this Work is an Apology presented by his Excellency soon after his return to London against the pretensions of those Ambassadors whom the Tzar had sent to the King after the first Embassy to complain of his Excellencies comportment in that Court. In this Apology his Lordship gives for his justification a large Narrative of the manner both of his own proceeding and of that of the Moscovites towards him to the Russ Ambassadors confusion who had laid an hainous charge against him Thus having given here a general account of these Embassies I leave the perusing of the whole Work to the Reader intending to have it shortly published also in French the Copy being now ready for the Press ERRATA PAge 25. last line read of this Entry p. 32. l. 5. for they change r. there are some Gourds that change p. 37. 23. r. with one small oar p. 43. l. 4. r. tops l. 10. for furr r. felt p. 56. l. 7. r. than they do p. 60. l. 24. r. short sighted p. 65. l. 27. r. illuminated p. 68. last l. r. Altin p. 83. l. 26. r. streets p. 93. l. 21. dele and l. 29. r. Shousca p. 104. l. 2. r. fell l. 20. r. which p. 118. l. 15. r. fumosi p. 120. l. 22. r. Me. p. 151. l. 25. r. amazed p. 159. l. 26. r. Indiâ p. 160. l. 9. r. subjungit p. 177. l. 6. r. great Prince p. 180. l. 12. r. himself p. 215. l. 27. r. Serena p. 228. l. 25. r. remotis p. 235. l. 1. r. tam longam p. 239. l. 6. r. nisi p. 242. l. 26. r. recensere p. 243. l. 4. r. que p. 245 l. 23. r. excedere and last l. r. dixerint p. 253. l. 23 r. Tzarskoy Majesty p. 288. l. 11 for and r. from p. 309. l. 3. dele and p. 315 l. 1 r. intuitu p. 325 l. 16 for re r. ne p. 354. l. 14. r. that friendship p. 357 l. 2 r. contribuere and l. 11. r. effusissimam p. 367 l. 1. for who r. and his Majesty p. 384. l. 12 for only r. But not far from it p. 392 ◠13. r. constitutae p. 396. l. 14. after Queen r. his Excellency received p. 417. l. 2. r. afflaverint Having seen the Relation of my Embassies into Moscovy Sweden and Denmark written by G. M. I do hereby give him leave to print and publish the same Carlisle The 30. of November 1668. Licensed March the 26. 1669 Roger L' Estrange The Table THe Occasion of these Embassies Pag. 1 2 The whole extent of the Voiage Pag. 5 Of our Voiage from London to Archangel Pag. 6 Of the Embassadors Entry into Archangel Pag. 23 The Description of Muscovy Pag. 26 The Russes Origine Pag. 39 Their Shape and Proportion Pag. 39 Their Habits Pag. 40 Their Language Pag. 43 Their Nature and Genius Pag. 44 Their manner of living in oeconomy Pag. 49 Their Women have great respect for their Husbands Pag. 51 How they use Bath-stoves which are very common amongst them Pag. 53 Ther manner of Divertisements Pag. 54 Under what Policy they live and what kind of Government they have Pag. 56 The Greatness Riches and absolute Power of their Tzar Pag. 58 The great Humility his Subjects express to him Pag. 60 Three general Maxims whereby the Russians are kept under a strict Discipline Pag. 61 What kind of Magistrates the Tzar keeps under him Pag. 66 Their Law-suits are quickly dispatched Pag. 67 Their manner of punishment Pag. 67 Their Coyn Pag. 68 What time they begin their day and their year Pag. 69 Their Religion Pag. 70 Of the Embassadors Stay at Archangel and how unmannerly his Pristaf shewed himself when first he received him Pag. 79 A short Description of the Samojedes Pag. 83 The Preparations for our Voiage to Vologda Pag. 85 Of his Excellences Voiage from Archangel to Vologda Pag. 86 A passage therein of a rude and stubborn Governour of a Province Pag. 90 Of the Ambassadors residence in Vologda Pag. 95 How ill we were used there some three or four weeks Pag. 96 97 Of our Journey from Vologda to Mosco in sledges Pag. 107 Our preparations for our Entry into Mosco Pag. 113 The description of the Entry about which the Embassador received two or three affronts and the Letter he sent thereupon to the Great Duke Pag. 115 A Description of Mosco Pag. 135 The maner of our living there Pag. 139 The preparations for the Audience the presents from the King to the Great Duke and how my Lord went to the Pallace Pag. 143 The Pomp and splendor of that Court as we saw it at this Audience Pag. 147 The Speech which the Embassador made in the name of the King his Master to the Grand Duke Pag. 164 Some remarkable passages of this Audience after the Speech was ended Pag. 180 Another short Audience two days after Pag. 184 The beginning of my Lords Negotiation with six Lords Commissioners whom the Tzar had appointed him Pag. 185 The unexpected answer given to his Excellency about his business Pag. 248 Some smart Replyes since given on both sides Pag. 196 A Speech said at a Private Audience by my Lord Ambassador to the Tzar about the ill success of his business Pag. 248 His Excellence demanded Reparation from Pronchiss of one of his Pristafs and one of the Commissioners as having affronted him in several points Pag. 278 Some other passages of
covering of his sledge was of scarlet whose edges hanging down very low were guarded round about with crowns made of little peices of sky coloured velvet edged with silver lace and the back of his sledge was drest up with the skin of a white Bear On the right side of his sledge upon a plank layd cross sate his chief interpreter with his head uncovered behind there was another board layd at the bottom of the sledge on which there stood two Pages the twelve footmen in the mean time marching six of a side with Partisons trim'd according to their Liveries one behind another and all bare Behind his Excellence followed my Lord Vicomte Morpeth the Ambassadors only Son then of about seventeen years of age who bare his Father company in all his Embassies He sate in a very faire glass coach drawn by six black horses with rich housses of Scarlet very well laced and fringed with silver which upon black shew very handsom and behind his Coach he had two Pages also After my Lord Morpeth came my Lady Ambassadress in her Caftnaz covered on the out side all over with Crimson velvet with very broad laces of gold and silver and lined within with blew damaske according to the Liveries which were red lined with blew On each side there were great windows which served as doors to go in at besides which there were little windows also which her Ladiship might looke thorow without being seen her selfe she had one of her Gentle-women in the Caftnaz with her two Pages standing upon a plank behinde and three footmen running by After my Ladies Caftnaz came my Lord of Morpeths sledg but without any body in it after which there followed two Caftnazes more and so in order all the rest of the train and baggage which made up about two hundred sledges A while after we had left this Village which was about two a clock we entred into a very faire champaigne in which the Moscovian horse were drawne up and had been two days there putting into Order Amongst the rest they had a great Number of Archers with their Quivers full of arrows and for their Musique there were so many Trumpets Kettle-drums Howboys and other such instruments of war which they had disperst in parties thorow all their Troops that for two miles we were in no want of Musique But they having battered our ears with one continued aire above two hours together all the way as we marcht the noise of those Instruments which at first had delighted us with their melody became now obstreperous and troublesome In the mean time there were a great number of Boyars of Stolnicks and other persons of the Court which came to meet the Ambassador richly clad in Vests or Tuniques of cloth of gold and silver or velvets lined with Sables with great caps on their heads of black Fox made in the fashion of a Muff which they use commonly in their Ceremonies They were most of them very well mounted upon good horses with rich trappings and bridles of silver made like chains with the linkes very broad and thin so that whilst their horses were in motion they made a noise altogether Majestique There were severall also who had their housses covered with pretious stones whose lustre seemed to adde a richer light to the light of the day and behinde them they had their servants carrying covers for their sadles of Leopard skins cloth of gold velvet and scarlet All the Gentlemen of the Tzars chamber were there ready to accompany the Ambassador to his very house At length the Master of the great Dukes horse came to present to the Ambassador from the Tzar a sledg another for my Lord Morpeth with several white horses for the Gentlemen A while after came Pronchissof one of the Tzars Counsel and Gregory Cosmevitz along with him who were both deputed to serve his Excellence as Pristafs or Masters of the Ceremonies during his residence in Mosco And in this occasion it was we had another ridiculous example of the pride and rusticity of the Moscovites who are so quick and precise in anticipating the Prerogative of Ambassadors Pronchissof being arrived within some small distance of the Ambassadors sledg gave him to understand that he was sent to receive him from the grand Duke his Lord and that he expected the Ambassador should first come out of his sledg But his Excellence signified to him by his Interpreter that his expectations were very ill grounded that he represented the person of the King his Master and that in that case all such Kind of respect was due to himself Pronchissof however continued unmoveable in his sledg as a Master of Ceremonies and sent back to the Ambassador that he also was sent from the Tzar his Master to represent his person so that to have seen him one would have thought he had taken upon him the forme of a statue to represent the Majesty of his Prince This answer how absurd soever it was caused several smart replies both on one side and the other till at last the Ambassador to prevent any further delay in his Entrance condescended to this That they should both of them come out of their sledges together But in this Pronchissof tooke occasion to deceive his Excellence and falsify his word hanging in the aire betwixt the armes of his servants and but touching the earth with his tiptoes whilst the Ambassador came out freely At their meeting they saluted one another and Pronchissof first delivered his complement which consisted in declaring his Employment and acquainting his Excellence that the Tzar had sent him and his associate Gregory Cofmovitz who was there present also to take care that all things necessary should be provided during his continuance at Mosco But the greatest part of his complement was the recitation of his Masters Titles which he enumerated from the first to the last in a most troublesome and ridiculous maner as will appeare hereafter His complement being made and the Ambassador having answered him with a very good grace they retired both of them into their sledges Pronchissof returning in the same posture he came his servants holding him up by his armes as if they were afraid he should sinke under the burthen of the emploiment which his Master had given him At this time Nestrof and Davidof giving place to Pronchissof and Gregory Cosmovitz the new Pristafs took their leaves of the Ambassador After which Ceremonies we disposed our selves to enter into the Town the Ambassador having Pronchissof on his right hand and Cosmovitz on his left my Lord Morpeth had two Lords of the Court to accompany him so that in every ranke there were three sledges a breast The Gentlemen were all on horseback betwixt Sinboyars or Gentlemen of the Court The Chaplaine Physitian and Musique-Master with several English Merchants and two Vallets de Chambre were joyned with them so that they made up about five and twenty ranks on horse-back marching three a breast All