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
all these Obligations And for all these new causes and upon those good and auncient grounds his most Serene Majesty declares in your own Imperial words than which none could be either more significant in themselves or more consonant to his sense That his most Serene Majesty taking into consideration the flourishing estate of his Kingdomes that intire brotherly love and amity and frequent correspondency which was inviolable held and continued from the beginning of the Reign of his Royal Father Charles the First of blessed memory with Your Imperial Father of blessed memory the great Lord Emperour and great Duke Michael Pheoderovith of all Russia self-upholder and the happiness and tranquillity thereby accruing to both Dominions doth most earnestly and heartily desire not only the continuance thereof but a nearer and dearer and firmer affectionate brotherly love and frequent correspondency with Your Imperial Majestie His deare and loving Brother than formerly For Conclusion wishing and praying to the Omnipotent God His and Your only King and Sovereign that he will grant you length of daies tranquillity of Reign perpetuity of friendships and all other Imperial blessings beyond the atchievements of all Your immortal Ancestors and that there may never want of Your most Illustrious line to sit upon your Imperial Throne so long as the Sun and Moon endure His most Serene Majestie likewise returnes his most affectionate salutations and friendly congratulations to the great prince Alexey Alexevich the Heir of your Imperial Dominions and the great Pheodor Alexevich Those two Shafts of the Imperial Quiver which at what so ever glorious marke Your Majestie shall draw them you can miss with neither Those two Pledges of peace to Your Subjects and a double terrour to your Enemies His most Serene Majestie had long since heard of their hopefulness and virtues worthy of so Illustrious a parantage and therefore was highly delighted to understand by Your Ambassadors that in their affection to Him also they did so well follow their Fathers pattern which he therefore thankfully accepts as an Obligation on Himself and a Treasure for his Successors Certainly augurating that those two Sonnes of the Russian Eagle as they are now sharpning their sight daily at the most clear eyes of Your Imperial Majestie so will also in due time extend their wings after Your example and soar to the highest pitch that true virtue and indefatigable labour can carry the magnanimous offspring of Princes And now for what concerns my self as I can receive no command from His most Serene Majestie my most Gracious Lord Master but what places a new honour upon me so must I acknowledg that in chusing me for this Embassage He has done me as great an honour as He could command me For whereas from the supreme munificency of Himself and His immortal Ancestors I have and inherit several possessions and dignities but of which other men might also be equally capable may it be spoken without vanity the Sun only that posts on a daily Embassage betwixt both Your Dominions can justly dispute the precedence with me in this Employment So that having been thus farr made a partaker and witness of the Glorie and Serenity of Your Imperial Majestie which may it long continue I can have nothing further in my wishes than that You will still vouchsafe me the same favour toward the happy expedition of His most Serene Majesties affaires for the mutual Advantage of both Your Crowns and the good of posterity Unto which ends as I am bound by all the Obligations of dutie to my most Gracious Prince Lord and Master so shall I bring all the affection Zeale and diligence which may befit so laudable an undertaking In order to which I doubt not but Your Imperial Majestie likewise will appoint me such Commissioners as shall bring the same â—andor and inclination together with â—hat dispatch and expedition which is necessary for the furthering of so great â—nd good a design My Lord Ambassador having made an end of his speech which was well approved of His Tzarskoy Majestie told him that he would do him the honor to let him kisse His hand therefore he went up again to the Throne and kissed His hand according to the custom of Christian Ambassadors For it is a ceremonie that they must be subject to in this Court though indeed it is a thing much inferior to the dignity of an Ambassador who under that Character should rather keep themselves equal with the Princes Majestie than to condescend to such a low submission Nor do I doubt but that my Lord Ambassador had rather accepted of such a condition as they put to Infidels Ambassadors who are not admitted to the performance of this Ceremonie because the Tzar counts it a great favour and therefore He does reserve it only for Christians He did also the same honour to my Lord his Gentlemen who all kissed his hand decently and in good order while his Excellency sate upon a forme that his Tzarskoy Majestie Himself called for to that purpose The mean while there was a Boyar to uphold the Tzars right hand that was kissed lest He should come to be tired and with the left hand He held His heavy Scepter In this conjuncture my Lord recommanded from the King to his Tzarskoy Majestie Sir John Hebdon who was come along with my Lord from England where he had been of late his Tzarskoy Majesties Agent And therefore because being in that employment he had bestowed a great care and prudence in promoting the common good of both Crowns His Majestie thought fit to acquaint upon this occasion his Tzarskoy Majestie with the singular esteem He had for his person These are the words my Lord spoke in the said Knights behalf as he was stepping next to my Lord of Morpeth to kisse the Tzars hand This Gentleman saies he is I suppose well known to Your Imperial Majestie He hath done Your Imperial Majestie very good service in the Court of England and therefore his Majestie hath a particular esteeme for him and has commanded me to recommend him more particularly when I shall next have the honour to be admitted to Your Imperial presence The Gentlemen having all kissed the Tzars hand the Presents that were sent by the hundred and thirty men came in and passed in very good order on one side of the great pillar and so went about into a room next to the hall Thereupon my Lord Ambassador stood up and said to his Majestie His most Sèrene Majestie hath sent a Present as a token of His affection to Your Imperial Majestie which whatsoever it is the value thereof will be multiplied by the kind acceptance of Your Imperial Majestie The First thing that came in was a Gun of King Charles the First and therefore his Excellencie presented it with this Compliment This Gun was delivered to me by his Majesties own hand being excellent in its kind the same which his Royal Father of blessed and glorious memorie used to
before being surpriz'd with the alarm of the skirmish came back thereupon and at length the business was composed but so that whereas we had usually five waggons before we went from hence but with four and the Page made the rest of his voiage without his Periwig The manner of our Treatment at this place perswaded us very strongly that the Ambassador was not known in this Town in which we found the People so unkind that we might perhaps with as much reason call it Poneropolis as that to which Philip King of Macedon gave that name being inhabited only by a sort of rude and raskally People The next day being arrived at Bremen we understood by the Gazette that my Lord Morpeth was prisoner at Wesel and that the Hollanders had taken him and his Train some two or three miles from Munster in his way to Cologne True it is the Gazette made not mention of his name but all the circumstances of the news were clear indications to us that it was his Lordship whom it meant which his Excellence applied to himself as a dangerous Omen And having designed to follow him upon the same Road he took all possible care to avoid the like misfortune for which cause he had a particular care to make a short stay in every Town and to assume only the bare title of a Gentleman In which act one might have said his Excellence seemed as well to represent the person of the King his Master in his Exile as he had lately done in the Pomp and Splendour of his Restoration In short we were no sooner arrived at Munster three days after our departure from Bremen but we understood the truth of the News and all the circmstances of my Lord Morpeth's being betrayed in that Town For by accident we lay in the very same Inn he had lain in before us And because it was very easy for us to have been discovered by the Liveries though the same were something disguised to prevent all intelligence that might be given to the Governour of Wesel his Excellence thought good to remove with all speed from Munster lest we should be surprised in the same manner So that we staid at Munster not above four or five hours which Expedition was so fortunate to us that we escaped the like danger thereby After we were gone a day or two's journey from the Frontiers we were not much sollicitous any more unless it were in our passage betwixt Calais and Dover but his Excellence managed this Voiage with that prudence and caution that at last we arrived very happily in England At Rochester we understood that the Ambassadors Lady was arrived at London fifteen days before and as for himself that the Court did not expect his coming so soon after they knew the condition of my Lord Morpeth Insomuch that the Court was altogether surprised with his arrival as they were soon after with that of his Son who arrived three days after my Lord his Father the States having released him and his Train after some days confinement at Wesel The Ambassador being returned to London in this manner went immediately to pay his Duty to his Majesty carrying with him the Letter which the Tzar had delivered him at Mosco The King having first signified the satisfaction he received to see him returned from so long a Voiage at length amongst other things spake to him about the Embassy which he had lately received from the Tzar and commanded him in order to his justification to give in writing a Narrative of all that had passed relating to himself in his first Embassy Which he performed to the confusion of the Ambassador that brought the accusation against him And for fear I should leave this work imperfect I thought it necessary to adjoyn to it my Lords Apology for without doubt it would have been a great indecorum having brought the Reader thus far to leave him in suspence in a business of so great Importance True it is the most things that are contained in it have been mentioned by me before yet there are several passages also which I reserved for this place to give the Reader more satisfaction and entertainment The Style being plain is therefore the more proper for this Relation whose business it is only to give an ingenuous Narrative entirely conformable to the truth and which answers directly to the Articles which the Tzars Ambassador presented against his Excellence I thought it not necessary to introduce the Articles by themselves because they are all of them particularly refelled in his Answer made in the following form â—n his Excellencies behalf as a justification â—f his proceedings The Lord Ambassadors Apology HAving received a writing from His Tzarskoy Majesties Embassadors whereâ— they testifie the extraordinary affection of His Tzarskoy Majesty toward his Royal â—ajesty and the great honours therefore â—ewn to the Earle of Carlisle His Royal â—ajesties late Embassador justifying moreâ—er all the proceedings of his Tzarskoy Majesties Commissioners treating with the â—d Earle of Carlisle and laying on the â—ontrary an hainous charge of several Arâ—les against the said Earle of Carlisle conâ—rning his Demeanor and Conduct in the â—d Embassy We therefore return for anâ—er a Narrative of the whole matter of â—ct as the said late Embassador extraordiâ—ry upon his Royal Majesties Command â—th stated it for his own just and necessary â—dication And first at the said Earle of Carlisleâ— first descent upon the bridge of Archangel there met him one Bogdan declaring he was appointed his Pristaf whom therefore the said Earle of Carlisle saluted and respected accordingly And when they should have gone toward the place appointed for his lodging the said Pristaf took the right hand of the Ambassador and said that he had such orders from Knez Sherbatof the Governour of Archangel Which the Earle of Carlisle refusing to submit to was forced to stand upon the open bridge in the sight oâ— so many strangers of several Nations about half an hour till the Pristaf might send up to the Castle for the Governours further pleasure who at last sent and altered the Pristafs orders Moreover the Earle of Carlisle being upon his journey from Archangel towards Vologda the Pristaf sent before to Knez Ivan Machailovitz Governour of the Vaga that meâ— might be ready at Arsinoa for drawing up the boats But the said Governour threatned the Strelitz that was sent reviled thâ— Pristaf and spoke slightingly of the Embassador nor took any care for providing meâ— necessary Insomuch that the Embassador was left there in a strange Countrey noâ— knowing how either to go forward or backward till by his own great care he got meâ— together being inforced to hire them at his own expence from Arsinoa to Yagrish Which money indeed at the Ambassadors departure from Mosco was repaid him Further the Stolnick Offonassy Evanovich Nestrof and the Diack Evan Stepanovich Davidof coming to Vologda as new Pristaves to conduct the Ambassador to Mosco the said Stolnick at his