satisfaction is given heretofore They do not like at all this expression of my Lords where he saies that they seeme to weigh the generous actions of Princes by Salotnicks As to the several Demands contained in another paper none but the second demand had a satisfactory answer The demand is this that all English Merchants desiring to repair home might have their passes to go over sea with their wives and families without any molestation But it is frustrated by reason of the next following article that justice might be done the English Merchants for their debts for of this there was no care at all taken The next demand to that which is of a great moment and much against the custome of Russia that all his Royal Majesties Subjects of what condition soever might upon their desire have full liberty to return is left without an answer Now concerning some particular subjects of the Kings who looked for the Tzars favour or justice upon this occasion by my Lord Ambassador they were all either rejected or put off The 27. of May the Commissioners sent to my Lord Ambassador their Answer to his Speech said at the private Audience the 22. of April but as to his Complaints against Pronchissof who as in spight of his Excellency was still in his Pristafs office there was not one word said to that nor to the other Memorial And indeed they might as well have left the speech unanswered seing their writings signify no more than their silence For as heretofore so concerning this speech that perhaps might have had any where else a favourable answer they say amongst many words very litle or noting to the purpose Their whole business it seemes is to catch at some expressions which interpreting alwaies to their disadvantage they take thereby occasion to give his Tzarskoy Majesty an ill tast of his Excellency and so to obstruct his business To that purpose they alledge first that in a place of his speech he calles them persons of great wisdom and experience whereas there is of great nobility and experience and that in another place he writes as if they could not shew in all their answers one certain or solid reason for the denyal of the propounded Privileges They do extreamly wonder at such an expression and that being a man of great understanding he would sometimes praise them which they take in very good part and sometimes vilify them But whereas my Lord saies in another place of his Speech That he received from his Commissioners so unexpected an answer that had Heaven fallen as the windows of the Councel-Chamber broke in twice at the recital it could scarce have been more strange or miraculous to him they are pleased to say that it was not fitting for him to speak so to his Tzarskoy Majesty But here is the grand scandalous and unhandsome expression as they take it that stickt to the Tzars very heart when his Excellency speaking as from the Kings Majesties own mouth concerning that unproportionable sum of money that his Tzarskoy Majesties Ambassadors demanded of his Royal Majesty in England said I hope so impossible a sum to the greatest Prince of Christendom was not demanded on purpose to have a pretext to deny the Priviledges and by proposing an impossibility to refuse what is rational The Commissioners answered that this unhandsome expression was an indignity not only to the friendship between both Princes but chiefly to the person of his Tzarskoy Majesty that such a Declaration was far from his Royal Majesties meaning and that therefore their Great Lord would write about it to the King As for the Priviledges they put them off till the wars be put to an end and then the Merchants must stand upon the Tzars courtesie Lastly his Tzarskoy Majesty doth indeed acknowledg the Kings affection to him where it is spoken of those fit opportunities that his Royal Majesty had and might have afterwards of assisting Him upon all occasions of War The Commissioners said that their Great Lord received these Declarations of the Kings in brotherly friendly amity and love Therefore they desired my Lord Ambassador to declare them against which of his Tzarskoy Majesties Enemies his Royal Majesty would assist their Great Lord and whether with warlike men and ammunition and if so with how many warlike men and armes and with what ammunition and whether his Royal Majesty would give this Assistance out of his own Treasury and for what time and to what place these his Majesties men were to come To that my Lord Ambassador gave them this answer that in all these things he was not at all limited but that they were left at his own best discretion provided first that his Tzarskoy Majesty would shew a just value of his Royal Majesties constant brotherly love and friendship But what concernes the propounded Mediation betwixt the Tzar and his Majesty of Sweden it was answered by the Commissioners that there was an Everlasting Peace concluded between Them and that those things that fell out after the Conclusion might be quieted by Messages on both sides As to the Additional Memorials presented to the Tzars Majesty against Pronchissof my Lord had at last an answer after a long sollicitation but it was too much like their Reparation about the miscarriage of our Entrance at Mosco They said that my Lord ought not to complain against him that whatsoever he was told by him in familiar discourses it was not out of malignity but after a friendly way so that his Excellency might take care of himself and of his affaires As to the Reparation promised upon his Entrance at Mosco they do not so much as speak one word of it And now to put an end to a Negotiation where so much is said and so little effected I shall add another important business that passed betwixt his Excellency and his Commissioners My Lord having newly received power and authority from the King to offer his Mediation betwixt the Tzars Majesty and the King of Poland thought that so kind an offer might perhaps bring his business to a better end than he had done hitherto He acquainted his Commissioners with it and offered himself to do his uttermost in prosecution of that affair in what manner his Tzarskoy Majesty should direct for his Service Provided that He would first manifest a just value of his Royal Majesties most sincere and constant brotherly affection by the grant of his former demands The offer did please them very well because it came in very good time but the condition annexed was too hard seeing they had doubtless resolved not to grant the Priviledges Yet they desired my Lord Ambassador to give this matter in writing at a Conference which they agreed upon to be had the first of June and the mean while the Tzar appointed for that purpose new Commissioners to treat of this matter that newly was come in hand So that at last his Excellency was rid from Pronchissof whom the Tzar had still
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
Regno evenire potuisset serenissimum Regem meum quod sine Procancellarii ignominia dicitur nobilissimum e Magnatibus aliquem missurum fuisse qui rem excusaret neque antea destiturum priusquam reorum sanguine quantacunque gratiâ aut nobilitate pollentium tam barbarum inhumanum facinus expurgasset Rem hanc fabulae ludibrio toti mundo futuram Ne igitur quamvis Imperatoriae Vestrae Majestatis conspectu fruendi cupientissimum in hoc loco pessimè habitum nullo tamen modo hinc exiturum donec de eorum corio mihi satisfieret quicunque quantum in se erat Serenissimi Regis mei Majestatem Imperatoriam Vestram Majestatem Sanctissimam Legatorum dignitatem violassent proculcassent profanassent Haec utì facta dicta erant Imperatoriae Vestrae Majestati exposui ut in gravissimo hoc negotio quod Imperatoriâ Vestrâ magnitudine prudentiâ dignum est constituere possit Interpreti meo mandavi ut responsum Vestrum Imperatorium in hâc re expectaret De caetero Imperatoriae Vestrae Majestati summam faelicitatem voveo exopto 6. Februarii Anno D ni 1664. CARLISLE The Superscription was thus Magno Domino Imperatori Magno Duci Alexio Michailovicio totius magnae minoris albae Russiae Autocratori multarum aliarum Ditionum Regionum Orientalium Occidentalium Septentrionalium Haeredi earum à Patre Avis Domino Monarchae Most Illustrious and most Renowned Prince and Emperour THis new and unaccustomed resolution of writing to your Imperial Majestie before I have the most desired Honour of being admitted to Your Majesties presence is occasioned by a misfortune if not an indignity which hapned to me Yesterday After a tedious Journey from Vologda and three Days waiting at the distance only of four miles from Your Imperial Court when I had risen very early and according to the advertisement of Offonarius Evanovitsius Nestrof had fitted my self for my Journey nevertheless I was constrained to languish till after Ten without any manner of refreshment in the confinement and dirt of a smoaky Cottage All which things though most unworthy the Majestie of the King my Master Your Imperial Grandeur and my particular Character I patiently sustained with the hope however of Entring Your Imperial City and approaching the presence of Your Imperial Majestie and declaring my just complaints At length when Night was now at hand notice was given for our setting forwards And after the Guides had like Ignes fatui mislead me up and down the Fields in the Night it was signified to me that I must quarter in this pitiful Village amidst all kind of inconveniences and swarms of troublesome Insects I confess I received from Your Imperial Majestie by a certain Vice-chancellor a very courteous Message excusing the matter and charging the fault upon the negligence of the Guides and Posts I then answered him and write the same now to Your Imperial Majestie lest the good man may have forgotten something by the way That I give Your Imperial Majestie very great thanks and no wise doubt of your Generosity but that the thing is not of so small importance as to be blown off so easily That the fault proceeded not from the Posts or Messengers but from others of greater Quality perhaps though but of equal merit That affronts done to the Honour of the King my Master Your Imperial Majestie or my self ought not to go unpunished That the King my Master who is Your Imperial Majesties highest and chiefest Friend gives not such Reception to the Ambassadors of Enemies much less to those of Friends And that in case any such thing should happen in his Kingdom the King my Master would have sent some person of the highest Nobility to excuse it which I speak without reproach to the Vice-chancellor and not desisted till he had expiated so barbarous and inhumane an action with the blood of the Criminals of whatever quality or consideration That this proceeding would give cause of talk and laughter to the whole World That therefore however desirous I was of approaching of Your Imperial Majestie and ill accommodated in this place yet I should not stir from it till satisfaction were given me upon the Persons of those who as much as in them lay had violated and affronted the King my Master Your Imperial Majestie and the sacred Character of Ambassadors I have related these things to Your Imperial Majestie as they were done and spoken to the end that You may make such determination in this most weighty business as shall be suteable to your Imperial Grandure and Prudence I have commanded my Interpreter to wait for your Majesties answer in this matter And I wish and imprecate to your Imperial Majestie all Happiness Carlisle This Letter was scarce gone when Demente Bashmacof Diack of the great Dukes Cabinet arrived at the Ambassadors Wisby from the Tzar he acquitted himself of his Message to his Excellence so well that having promised him all manner of satisfaction he prevailed with him upon those termes to make his Entry immediately And as Bashmacof was returning very well pleased the Interpreter who departed with the Letter at the same time Bashmacof came to his Excellence arrived with this answer that Almaze the Diacke of the Embassy office into whose hands he had given the Letter told him that Bashmacof was gone towards the Ambassador to give him satisfaction in the behalf of his Tzarskoy Majesty This being past we departed immediately to make our Entry in which we received indeed very evident tokens of the Grandeur of that Prince there being all the splendor and glory that precious stones rich furrs cloth of gold and silver velvets and other rich stuffs goodly horses and a noble Equipage could make besides the noise of an incredible number of Trumpets Kettle-drums and other Instruments of military Musique so that it was reported every where in the court that the City of Mosco never saw the Entry of any Ambassador so glorious as this which was made on saturday the sixth of February in a very faire day with the same Order and Circumstances that follow The Ambassadors Trumpeters sounding their silver Trumpets as they went marcht on horsback in the Van. They were followed by the Gentlemen one after another every one in his sledge the inferior formost so that he whose place and quality was immediately before the other followed him immediatly in this procession to the end that thereby he might have the advantage of being so much nearer the person of the Ambassador Each of them had his sledge adorned with Bearskins so disposed that half of them hung down behind The Pristafs domestiques followed two and two all very well clad and they made five ranks on horsback After them came the Pristafs each of them in his sledge And my Lord Ambassador followed Nestrof in his sledge drawn by two white horses which is the most esteemed colour for horses in Moscovie The Tilt or
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
shoot in and which as a Relique of that renowned Prince he thought could not be better dedicated than to the hands of Your Imperial Majestie Next to the Gun came a paire of Pistolets whereupon my Lord spoke again That pair of Pistolets saith he his Majestie delivered me also with his own hand commanding me to excuse their oldness which he thought would not make them less acceptable when You knew they where those with which after so long adversity He rid in His triumphant Entry into His Metropolitan City of London The Plate came next to those Pistolets and in the first place a great silver-guilt Basin supported upon two mens armes so all the rest passed by without stopping next to the Tzars the presents allowed for the two Princes then the Queenes present to the Dutchess and at last my Lord Ambassadors Thus ended the Audience and my Lord being brought home was treated as it is usual in that Court at Audience-daies with the Tzars own meat and it was therefore sent presently from the Palace There was about an hundred dishes brought publickly in order with good store of wine brandy and meade His Majestie sent also one private Boyar to take a care of all the Ceremonies that were to be observed but the greatest Ceremonie being to drink many healths he made sure to have every health written in a bill in the same order as the Tzar had appointed him His Excellency sate at the middle of the table upon his chair of State at his right hand was my Lord of Morpeth and at his left Sir John Hebdon both at each end of the table so that they were prettie distant from my Lord Ambassador the Moscovites sate together at the other side of the table which was square and crosswise set My Lord having furnished his own plates took occasion to make use himself alone of a dozain of silver-guilt plates he had but the Boyars not liking that Ceremonie seemed to look upon it with a jealous eye yet his Excellency kept them as cheerful as he could both by his graceful presence of spirit and the sweetness of his Musick The Boyar who directed the feast did also play his part with his healths holding the paper in his hand and presently begun his great Lords good health Though indeed I think he liked farr better the King of Englands for my Lord Ambassador presented him with the cup wherein he drunk it being of silver-guilt wherewith he was so much taken that he scarce minded any thing else and so went away with it The 13. of February my Lord had again Audience of the Tzar and also his first Conference with the Commissioners appointed by his Tzarskoy Majestie We went in the same order and manner as we did the first time but my Lord Ambassador was led into another hall much handsomer than the first the inner-roof being fairely guilt with very good pictures there were also fair windows and very rich tapestrie The Tzar was upon a little Throne not above two steps over the ground yet having still the Crown upon his head and the Scepter in his hand and at his right hand there was the Imperial Globe This Audience being a little private and therefore not so copious of Boyars the Tzar inquired of the Ambassadors health and told him besides that having caused the Kings Letter to be translated he knew thereby his Majesties desire and that consequently he had appointed six Commissioners amongst his near Boyars and Counsellors to treat with him about his affaires So my Lord did not stay with the Tzar above a quarter of an hour then he stood very near to him but still with his hat off While he was going to the room appointed for the Conference he was met twice by some of their Boyars wearing great gold chaines about them which I thought to be something like those Aethiopian slaves whose chaines were also of gold My Lord being come to the room he and his Commissioners sate together and he delivered them one paper about the Reparation promised in his Tzarskoy Majesties name before he made his Entrance and another concerning the Restitution of the Privileges enjoyed formerly by the English Company Thus was the first paper written FOr as much as the second day after my arrivall at the Yaws but five versts from this Citie notice having been given me by Offonassie Evanovich Nestrof my Pristaff that his Imperial Majestie expected me the next day being the fifth of February in Mosco and that about nine a Clock I should be ready to set forward I was thereupon before the said houre ready accordingly with all my train and equipage to make my solemn Entry into His said Imperial Citie of Mosco but was nevertheless detained in a noisome wisby the whole day without meat or drink for my self or attendants And when at the last order came to my Pristaff I was after having been for an houres time or more led up and down the Fields out of the way to the Citie instead of entring into the Imperial Citie according to appointment lodged in a mean village three miles distant Which indeed was the same evening in the name of his Imperial Majestie excused to me upon the mistake of the Posts and Messengers sent out for direction Whereupon I thought necessarie to write thence to his Imperial Majestie to inform His said Imperial Majestie of what had passed and of my resolution not to stirr out of that place until satisfaction were given me for so great an indignity as it to me appeared And forasmuch as before the answer to the said Letter there was upon the sixth of February sent from his Imperial Majestie to me the Diack of the imperial Cabinet to desire me by any means to make my Entrance the same day and the said Diack promising that all satisfaction should be given me concerning the said indignitie I did therefore accordingly make my Entry into this Citie the said sixth day of February but have not yet received any sufficient account concerning the occasion the manner and the punishment of the said miscarriage as in so weighty a business appertaines And forasmuch as by reason of the said miscarriage I was which I account a damage irreparable detained one whole day longer from the honor and felicity of seeing His Imperial Majestie and am so much the longer withheld from proposing what I have from the King my Master for the good of both Estates And forasmuch as in the eye and discourse of the whole World the honour of the King my Master has thereby exceedingly suffered and will daily more without a satisfaction as publick and notorious as the miscarriage And forasmuch as otherwise I can give no good account to the King my Master to whom I am responsible with my head should I digest any such indignities I therefore desire that his Imperial Majestie will be pleased to command that a perfect narrative in the most authentick manner of the reason of that disorder
the near Boyars and Councellors of his Tzarskoy majesty nor subscribed by my self nor translated into Russe by my Interpreter but only as a piece of curiosity which is now restored me and I am possessed of it so that herein his Tzarskoy majesties near Boyars and Councellors are doubtless ill grounded But again I say concerning the value of the words Illustrissimus and Serenissimus compared together seeing we must here from affaires of State fall into Grammatical contests concerning the Latin tongue that the word Serenus signifieth nothing but still and calm and therefore though of late times adopted into the Titles of great Princes by reason of that benigne tranquillity which properly dwells in the majestick countenance of great Princes and that venerable stillness of all the Attendants that surround them of which I have seen an excellent example when I was in the presence of his Tzarskoy majesty yet is more properly used concerning the calmness of the weather or season So that even the night is elegantly called Serene by the best Authors Cicero in Arato 12. Lucretius l. 1.29 Serena nox and upon perusing again what I have writ in this paper I finde that I have out of the customariness of that expression my self near the beginning said And that most serene night c. Whereas on the contrary Illustris in its proper derivation and signification expresseth that which is all resplendent lightsome and glorious as well without as within and that not with a secondary but with a primitive and original light For if the Sun be as he is the first fountain of light and Poêts in their expressions as is well known are higher by much than those that write in Prose what else is it when Ovid in the 2. of the Metamorphoses saith of Phoebus speaking with Phaêthon Qui terque quaterque concutiens Illustre caput and the Latin Orators as Pliny Ep. 139. When they would say the highest thing that can be exprest upon any subject word it thus Nihil Illustrius dicere possum So that hereby may appear to his Tzarskoy Majesties near Boyars and Counsellors what diminution there is to his Tzarskoy Majesty which farr be it from my thoughts if I appropriate Serenissimus to my Master and Illustrissimus to Him than which nihil dici potest Illustrius But because this was in the time of the purity of the Latin tongue when the word Serenus was never used in the Title of any Prince or Person I shall go on to deale with the utmost candor forasmuch as in this Nation the nicety of that most eloquent language is not so perfectly understood which gives occasion to these mistakes * And indeed there being no literature amongst them they have no occasion to learne the Original Languages so that few of them do understand Latin True it is that in the Court some have the curiosity to learn it as this Golozof who is spoken of before Which gave my Lord occasion to write sometimes in Latin I confess therefore that indeed in the declination of the Latin tongue and when there scarce could be found out words enough to supply the modern ambition of Titles Serenissimus as several other words hath grown in fashion for a compellation of lesser as well as greater Princes and yet befits both the one and the other So there is Serenissima Respublica Veneta Serenitates Electoriae Serenitates Regiae even as the word Highness or Celsitudo befits a Duke a Prince a King or an Emperour adjoyning to it the respective quality and so the word Illustris But suppose it were by modern use which I deny depressed from the undoubted superiority that it had of Serenus in the purest antiquity yet being added in the transcendent degree to the word Emperour the highest denomination that a Prince is capable of it becomes of the same value So that to interpret Illustrissimus unto diminution is to find a positive in a superlative and in the most orient light to seek for darkness And I would seeing the near Boyars and Counsellors of his Tzarskoy Majesty are pleased to mention the Title given to his Tzarskoy Majesty by his Cesarian Majesty gladly be satisfied by them whether ever any Cesarian Majesty writ formerly hither in High-Dutch and whether then they styled his Tzarskoy Majesty Durchluchtigste which is the same with Illustrissimus and which I believe the Caesar hath kept for Himself But to cut short his Royal Majesty hath used the word to his Tzarskoy Majesty in his Letter not out of imitation of others although even in the Dutch Letter to his Tzarskoy Majesty of 16. June 1663. I finde Doorluchtigste the same and said with Illustrissimus but out of the câ—â—stant use of his own Court further joyâ—â—â—â— before it Most High Most Potent and adding after it Great Lord Emperour which is an higher Title than any Prince in the World gives his Tzarskoy Majesty and as high a Title of honour as can be given to any thing under the Divinity For the King my Master who possesses as considerable Dominions and by as high and self-dependent a right as any Prince in the Universe yet contenting Himself with the easiest Titles and satisfying Himself in the essence of things doth most willingly give to other Princes the Titles which are appropriated to them but to the Tzarskoy Majesties of Russia his Royal Ancestors and to his present Tzarskoy Majesty his Royal Majesty himself have usually and do gladly pay Titles even to superfluity out of meer kindness And upon that reason He added the word most Illustrious and so did I use it in the Latin of my speech Yet that You may find I did not out of any criticisme of honor but for distinction sake use it as I did You may see in one place of the same speech Serenitas speaking of his Tzarskoy Majesty and I would have used Serenissimus an hundred times concerning his Tzarskoy Majesty had I thought it would have pleased Him better And I dare promise You that his Majesty will upon the first information from me stile him Serenissimus and I notwithstanding what I have said shall make little difficulty of altering the word in that speech and of delivering it so to You with that protestation that I have not in using that word Illustrissimus erred nor used any diminution which God forbid to his Tzarskoy Majesty but on the contrary after the example of the King my Master intended and shewed him all possible honor And so God grant all happiness to His most high most Potent most Illustrious and most Serene Tzarskoy Majesty and that the friendship may daily increase betwixt His said Majesty and his most Serene Majesty my Master Such was concerning this matter my Lord Ambassadors answer who thought fit also on his side to give them notice seeing they were so scrupulous about the Tzar's Titles to use for the Kings Majesty the Title of Defender of the Faith which hitherto they had alwaies omitted The King
Majestatem legavi Consanguineum Nostrum quicquid alii dixerint à Sanctioribus nostris Consiliis hoc ab ipso reditu nostro Carolum Comitem Carleolensem Vice-comitem Howard de Morpeth Baronem Dacre de Gillesland Statae militiae Praefectum Locum tenentem Regium in Provinciis nostris Cumberlandiae Westmorlandiae qui etiam si monitore egerem Memoriae nostrae perpetuò subjiceret quicquid in rem vestram esse videretur Nonne arcana pectoris mei illi commisi in omnibus quibus Czareae vestrae Majestati potero commodare Et num Czarea vestra Majestas per illum mihi exiguam fortassis unicam rem negabit quam à Czareâ vestrâ Majestate unquam petere possim Privilegia Hoc quidem me poeniteret utpote magis notum pervulgatum quà m aut cum nostrâ aut vestrâ existimatione possit consistere Et totus terrarum orbis multâ cum admiratione ejusmodi frustrationem intuebitur quum praesertim reputaverint quot quanta emolumenta ab augustissimis nostris Majoribus sub suis auspiciis ad Czaream vestram Coronam redierint Illi portum vestrum investigari fecerunt totius Europae mercaturam ad Archangeli fanum deduxerunt Illi in Orientali mari quum Principes adjacentes faedere inter se facto de obstruendâ narvâ convenissent Classem hostilem delerunt Captivos Praefectis vestris tradidêre Illi pecunias ad bella vestra mutuò dederunt milites Duces vobis suppeditarunt Illi pacem inter Vos Principes vicinos conciliarunt Illi in summâ annonae caritate fruges huc transportari sinebant quas Angli mercatores sine ullo compendio aut lucro incolis vestris vendiderunt multa alia tam pace quà m bello necessaria omnibus aliis prohibita Possem etiam majus adhuc hisce omnibus beneficium commemorare uni è Czareis Vestris Majoribus delatum si adeo dictu tempestivum videretur Et ego qui Legato nostro mandavi ut vobis declararet propositum mihi esse omnes Majores nostros studio erga Czaream vestram Majestatem exedere Privilegiis prohibeor subditorum nostrorum industriâ redemptis cum maximis suis impensis jacturis maximis in indagando instruendo hactenus continuando hoc commercium Ego ipse à reditu meo D no. Johanni Hebdon sine ullis Czareae autoritatis literis in rem vestram tria millia equitum peditumque concessi è flore militiae Anglicanae quae qualis sit alii meliùs dixerunt Et si Legati Vestri Extraordinarii quicquam praeter intempestivam illam impossibilem pecuniae molem petiissent aut rerum Vestrarum conditionem meliùs exposuissent Ego nullo modo Czareae Vestrae Majestati defuissem Tamen antequam Legatum meum mitterem quam potui rerum Vestrarum notitiam aliunde comparavi Comperi Polonum adhuc vos infestare Inter Czaream Vestram Majestatem Suecum pace factâ quaedam tamen discordiae semina adhuc pullulare Alia quaedam didici de quibus mecum meditando credidi propter causas Majestati Vestrae non ignotas nostram inter Czaream Vestram Majestatem Illum interpositionem minus gratam Ei futuram Praeterquam quod Ipse mecum reputavi solum cum nullam ad me de laetissimo reditu gratulatoriam Legationem adornasse ut neque ego cum dignitate nostrâ Illum ultro potuerim compellare Inter Czaream Vestram Majestatem Regem Sueciae interventum nostrum magis opportunum esse posse utrobique acceptum speravi si operae pretium videretur latentes contentionum scintillas antequam flammam darent comprimere restinguere Consideravi praeterea quanta nobis copia esset semper sit futura Ducum militum navium armatarum apparatus instrumenti bellici quantam semper autoritatem influxum habiturus essem 〈◊〉 plerosque Europae aut etiam extra Europam â—rincipes qui Czareae Vestrae Majestati nocere aut incommodare possent de hisce omnibus mandata necessaria dedi Legato nostro Extraordinario Et proculdubio quum Ipse à Czareâ Vestrâ Majestate beneficio affectus fuerim quum talia in literis nostris promiserim quibus Ego sanè me obligari sentiebam quum talem Virum ad Czaream Vestram Majestatem legaverim Czarea Vestra Majestas neque in rebus hujusce nec alius naturae quae mihi non potuerunt succurrere me ingratum aut immemorem invenisset Quum haec tanquam ex ipso Regiae Suae Majestatis ore pro nostrâ tenuitate Czareae Vestrae Majestati repraesentaverim haud deceat ex nostro aliquid addere aut subnectere sed Czaream Vestram Majestatem solummodo rogare ut de hisce seriò maturatè pro Summâ illâ Prudentiâ quâ Deus Czaream Vestram Majestatem impertivit Ipse deliberare decernere velit brevem expeditionem mihi indulgere ut primâ cum anni tempestate quod Regia sua Majestas mihi injunxit iter incipere possim Actum Moscuae 22. Aprilis Anno D ni 1664. CARLISLE May it please Your most Potent and most Serene Tzarskoy Majesty HAving continued here ten weeks since your Tzarskoy majesty appointed me your near Boyars and Counsellors Commissioners and finding my self still further of every day from any good success of my Negotiation I have been forced as those who cannot get over the violence or winding of the river to make up to the fountain Your Tzarskoy majesty is through your so great Dominions the only Fountain of Power and Reason and as all your subjects ought to humble themselves to your power so dare I subject my self to your Reason Forasmuch as it seemes to me that God has given as to Solomon not only riches and honor to your Tzarskoy majesty but also an understanding heart So that as there was none among your Tzarskoy Progenitors before so neither can any arise after like unto you Therefore have I desired and obtained this private Audience from your Tzarskoy majesty And even so did that first and great founder of the Amity betwixt the English and Russian Crowns of the Privileges to the English Nation Tzar Ivan Basilovich So did He use to discourse and converse in private with the Ambassadors of the Kings and Queens of England and by that means notwithstanding the ill offices of some of his Counsel and the then Lord Chancelour he took such true measures of his own affaires that ever since the mutual friendship and commerce hath continued and flourished betwixt the two Crowns and Nations till your Tzarskoy majesty now reigning Neither do I doubt but that I being come for the said purpose with as sincere intentions betwixt Princes mutually professing much greater affection shall by Gods blessing go away hence from the cleare eyes of your Tzarskoy majesty with as full satisfaction For whereas all other great Princes without any notice from his Royal majesty took care to follow
Britain he esteemed it a particular one that he had chosen his Excellence the Earle of Carlisle amongst all the Nobility of England for his Ambassador Extraordinary towards him And having made reflexion upon the Prudence and Dexterity which he had used to unite the Interests of the two Kingdoms of Swedeland and England he heartily wished he might have had a longer enjoyment of his presence there But seeing he was recalled by his Majesty of great Britain the King of Swedeland thought himself obliged before his departure to give him assurances of his good affection towards the King of England And lastly he wished my Lord Ambassador a happy return into his own Country and withall assured him That he might be alwaies very confident of his Favour This Audience being ended his Excellence was conducted towards the Queen Mother of whom he took leave in these terms Madam BEing now upon my departure I ought by commandment of his Majesty and likewise of the Queen to represent again in the most lively and effectual expressions Their great Affection to your Majesty and what part They take in your Majesties Interests the same with the Interests of the King and Kingdom But as there are no words sufficient to depaint so real an affection and being moreover obliged in his Majesties name to give You thanks for all the Honours which in respect to Him your Majesty hath conferred upon me I find now a decency even in my defects and that my want of language hath been but a foresight of the King my Master and a fit Complement upon His part seeing upon so extraordinary occasions as these the boldest Eloquence would lose its Speech and had I an hundred tongues I should be struck silent Therefore I shall only pray for your Majesties happiness and prosperity and as the greatest part thereof for the health of the King Your Son upon Whom all the joyes and cares of your Majesty do so worthily center And wheresoever I go but especially to Their Majesties I shall make report of â—our Majesties unparalelled Virtues and shall my self preserve an immortal memory of all Your Royal Favours This Complement was also interpreted in French Whilst the Ambassador was making this Complement there happened an accident â—hat surprised all the Company For about â—he middle of his Speech where he saith That the boldest Eloquence would lose its â—peech his Excellence made a long pause as â—f by that he had designed to have verified â—hat he had said For my part at first I believed it was the sincerity of my Lord Ambassadors discourse that produced this effect and that it being too great a task for him to represent to the Queen the great honour his Master the King of England had for her and the great sence himself had of the Favours which he had received from her Majesty his Speech had failed him according to that saying of Seneca Curae leves loquuntur ingentes stupent Small cares may be expressed great ones are unutterable But when I saw the Secretary fall himself upon the same rock and stop in the same place when he interpreted the Complement in French then I concluded the thing had been so contrived At length both of them having recollected they finished the Harangue which in her Majesties name was thus answered That her Majesty was very much obliged both to the King and Queen of England by the new assurances of friendship which his Excellence had given her in their behalf That her Majesty desired his Excellence to testify to the King his Master with how much joy and satisfaction She received those declarations and that for her part She would not fail to employ the utmost of her Care for the Religious conservation of the happy correspondence which was now established betwixt the King of Swedeland her Son and his Majesty of great Britain That She desired also that he would signify to her Sister the Queen of England with what zeal She honoured her Person and Virtues and what delight She took in her prosperity And lastly That her Majesty was very well pleased with the generous Comportment of the Ambassador and that she had a very great esteem of his Person and merits His Excellence having taken his leave in this manner of their Majesties he was conducted into a large dining Room where in their Majesties name he was treated with all kind of Magnificence and Pomp in the Company of the principal Officers of the Court. Of my Lord Ambassadors Voiage from Stockholm to Copenhagen THe long and tedious time his Excellence had spent amongst those Sons of Winter in the Court of Moscovy constrained him to make but a short stay here to the end he might return the sooner into England And for this reason on the 13. of October two days after he had taken his leave his Excellence departed from Stockholm towards Denmark And the wind serving very well for the beginning of our Voiage he made all possible haste to embark in good time And notwithstanding the Extremity of the cold we travailed the whole night almost upon the water that his Excellency might betimes reach the Man of War which for a fortnight or three weeks had attended for him about some ten Leagues from Stockholm The next morning we embarked and about evening the Master of the Ceremonies and the Queens Mareshal or Steward of her house who had bare his Excellence company so far took their leave after the best entertainment that could be made them there amongst the thundring of the Cannon of which the Captain of the Ship was not at all sparing The Ship was called the Centurion and had at least fifty Guns mounted and an hundred and seventy Seamen so that it was no easy matter for the most part of the Ambassadors Servants to find place convenient to lodg themselves In the mean while the Coach and Horses being judged troublesome to be transported by Sea they were dispatched away by Land and arrived not at Copenhagen till after the Ambassador In this posture we continued on boord four days without power to depart by reason his Excellencies goods which were appointed to have followed immediately made us lose the opportunity of the wind by their arriving a day or two too late The 18. of October the wind serving again we set sayle but the weather proved so misty and duskish that we were constrained to cast anchor however in the afternoon the clouds â—eing a little dispersed we advanced three â—r four leagues till at night we were forced â—o come to an anchor again This Road is so â—angerous by reason of the narrowness of â—he passage and the multitude of Rocks in those parts of which some are eminent above â—ater others lie under or are at most but â—evel with the water that besides the beâ—efit of good weather a good Conduct and â—are extraordinary is required to avoid Shipwreck For this reason the Captain took Pilots along with him from that very place â—uch as
And it extended no further than a bare treaty of Amity for the security of both the Allies and as my Lord Ambassador was assured aimed not at the prejudice of any Prince much less of the King of Great Britain who was expresly comprised therein and might have been received into the Alliance if he pleased himself Mr. de Treslon staid in this Court not above three weeks and on the fifteenth of November he departed from Copenhagen for Stockholme where he had another Embassy to make from the King his Master But besides the feasting that was occasioned by the intimacy of these two Ambassadors there was one more than ordinarily remarkable on the seventeenth of November which was at the Christening the child of my Lady Ambassadress who was brought to bed about a fortnight before of a Son It was Christened by the King the Queen and his Royal Highness and was named Frederick Christian on a Sunday at night in the House where his Excellence resided As soon as our Chaplain had administred the Baptism according to the Liturgy of the Church of England the King went to salute my Lady Ambassadress in her Chamber which was near the Room where the Infant was Baptized The Queen accompanied the King in this Visit his Royal Highness with the two Princesses his Sisters several Ladies of the Court following them There were several of the chief Ministers of State came in also to congratulate her Ladiship upon her happy delivery From this Visit their Majesties past into a large Room where his Excellence had prepared a Noble and Magnificent Collation for them The King would not sit down but choose rather to stand on one side of the table as her Majesty did also on the other with the Prince Christian and the two Princesses His Majesty continued bare all the while drinking several Healths with the Ambassador and other great Persons of his Court amongst which the Lord Treasurer who had been lately his Ambassador to the King of England was one My Lord Morpeth his excellence's Son entertained the Queen all the time his Excellence taking only now and then opportunity to address himself to her Majesty The Gentlemen and Pages that were attending on his Majesty were in the same Room where they also had their share of this Entertainment as well as the rest of the more inferiour servants who remained in the Court below At length after about half an hours time his Majesty retired with the Ambassador waiting upon him Three daies after his Excellence treated his Royal Highness again very sumptuously and after dinner His Highness was pleased to divert himself in dancing some howers with his Excellence and his principal Gentlemen Besides these Collations and some others which I pretermit his Excellence had two or three daies recreation in hunting the Hare with his Royal Highness At other times he took a survey of whatsoever was most remarkable in the City and amongst other things the Arsenal and some other magazins for their Anmunition Instruments of War At our entrance into the Arsenal which we found very fine and in good order we were surprised at first to see a Coach passing before us as it were by a peculiar motion of its own but the motion was performed by wheel-work with a kind of rudder to steer it For which purpose there were two men placed secretly within it one to turn the wheels which was the reason it moved and the other to manage the Stern They shewed his Excellence the Rarities also in the Kings Pallace which were several very curious pieces of Mechanicks besides many Curiosities brought from the remotest Countries The Rareties were disposed in five or six several appartements on one floor and indeed were the only observable things almost we saw in that Pallace Amongst other things in one of these appartements we had a sight of an excellent piece of Art which was a little Ship ready rigged whose Mast Ladders Sailes and Cannon were all of Ivory But his Majesty having a particular desire to caress his Excellence he thought good to shew him his Pallace at Frederixburgh which without contradiction is is a most magnificent and exact Pile In the mean time the King had the Curiosity to go and see the Man of War which brought his Excellence from Stockholm and was then at Anchor in the Harbour attending his departure This Visit being made of a suddain and in the absence of the Captain and the greatest part of the other Officers of the Ship the Seamen were at no small loss to receive his Majesty as he ought to have been Nevertheless that hindered not but his Majesty left some tokens of his being there by a considerable Present which he sent to the Captain and all the Seamen The Captain at his return being desirous to publish his Majesties generosity thought he could not do it any waies more remarkably than by firing his great Guns which though in the Night he discharged so freely at his return to his ship that the noise gave the Town an alarm immediately the drums beating through the streets and all people running to their Arms till at last they understood the occasion and turned their apprehensions into laughter About this time my Lord Ambassador had advertisement from Mosco amongst other things that Calthof who was detained by the Tzar after our departure was constrained to re-engage himself for two Years in the Great Dukes service He had notice likewise that his Tzarskoy Majesty had dispatched an Ambassador to the King of Great Britain to complain of him as a person that had been deficient in his respects to the Tzar and his principal Boyars in the whole process of his Negotiation But the Ambassador having from time to time sent Copies into England of all that had passed betwixt him and the Commissioners and being otherwise well advised that the King his Master did well approve of what he had done he troubled not himself with what the Tzar should attempt being very well assured as indeed it afterwards happened that all his efforts would not be able to shake the reason and justice upon which his conduct was founded About the latter end of our Residence there there was a publick combat performed in the presence of the King with portable Pumps or Engins such as are used frequently in the quenching of great fires It was managed before the Pallace betwixt six or seven men one against another having several others appointed for the management of their Pumps and for supplying them with water from the Canal Every one discharged upon his adversary by lifting up the Pipe and levelling it against his Enemy exposing themselves to the force of the Engins within fifteen or sixteen paces and plying their business so well that they left one of the Champions but one eye to guide him back again to his House My Lord Morpeth departed for England on the first day of Dicember with four or five Gentlemen and some Footmen in
and had a continual free Cabal of Dutch Spyes upon the Embassador while before the first audience none were suffered to enter to the Embassador and alwaies after the admittance very severe some examined others repulst others beaten might be removed specially seeing the Lodging was so strait that Almaz Evanof the Posolskoy Diack and one of the Commissioners said it was good for the English Gentlemen to ly close together lest the Rats should run away with them and the Dutch openly bragging that he should continue there in spight of the Ambassador the said Doomnoy Dvoranin as being the Ambassadors Pristaf being often urged to effect it did either neglect or hinder it so that he continued there at pleasure Also the said Doomnoy Dvoranin telling the Embassador one day that the King of Poland had sent a Messenger to his Tzarskoy Majesty to beg the mercy and grace of his Tzarskoy Majesty to grant him peace and the Embassador replying that those were terms which the most subjugated Princes did never descend to but that he was glad to hear his Tzarskoy Majesties affairs were in so good a posture the said Doomnoy Dvoranin went forthwith and acquainted his Tzarskoy Majesty with the first part of the Embassadors reply but so disguised and with so ill a gloss that he thereby incensed his Tzarskoy Majesty highly against the Embassador Beside his Tzarkoy Majesty having as is said done the Ambassador the honour to invite him to see the Solemnities of Palm-Sunday the said Pronchissof afterwards asking the Ambassador how he liked it and the Ambassador witnessing his satisfaction in so venerable a Ceremony the said Doomnoy Dvoranin went strait to his Tzarskoy Majesty and told him the Ambassador said it was a pretty Comedy which also displeased his Tzarskoy Majesty as good reason Whereas the Doomnoy Dvoranin himself only used those words to the Ambassador asking him if it were not a pretty Comedy Also the Embassador discoursing with the said Doomnoy Dvoranin concerning Tzar Evan Basiliwich and his desire and progress toward a marriage with a Lady of the blood Royal of England he most irreverently as to both Princes replied that the said Tzar Evan Basilowich had many such women speaking it in a very ill sense Moreover the said Doomnoy Dvoranin took occasion several times to vilify the Present sent by his Royal Majesty to his Tzarskoy Majesty in the presence of the said Embassador and to say that when he saw the Tin shine he was in good hopes it had been Silver But of these things the Embassador never spoke at any time till upon this forcible occasion of his own vindication But the said Doomnoy Duoranin having spoke dishonorably and fasly concerning the posture of His Royal Majesties affairs and telling him to his face as if he were a Posoulnick or agent of the Muscovia company and having told the Embassador that he neglected his Majesties affairs in respect of the Merchants and threatning him with his Tzarskoy Majesties displeasure and that His Tzarskoy Majesty would complain of him to his Royal Majesty as if he had transgressed his instructions which certainly the Doomnoy Duoranin was never acquainted with by the Embassador he charged him therewith before his Tzarskoy Majesty The success it seems of that private Audience was this The Embassador having together with the Enlish Copy subscribed given in a Latin Copy translated as near as possible but not subscribed but by his Secretary having only prepared it to save time and as an help to their Russ translation because one of the Commissioners Golozof understood Latin this Golozof was imployed several daies to the Embassador to perswade him subscribe â—he Latin translation also This Golozof pressed under that colour and pretext that so many things being said therein to the honour of His Tzarskoy Majesty and of his Royal Majesties affection toward Him so that it was most fit to continue upon Record this also being subscribed it would be so much the stronger and as under two witnesses But the Ambassador refused as not being his own language Yet at last though he guest at the true reason to give His Tzarskoy Majesty that satisfaction he subscribed it with this addition Except any difference with the English which 〈◊〉 soon as they had obtained they discovered forthwith their true intention First they complain as if he had spoke with dis-respect of Tzar Ivan Basilovich where he saith That first and great Founder of the Amity betwixt the English and Russian Crowns and of the Privileges to the English Nation Tzar Ivan Basilovich because he added not all his other Titles and they required the Ambassador should alter that expression accordingly which how reasonable soever he did Though the Commissioners nevertheless the private Audience having been upon the twenty second of April gave to the Embassador a paper of the twenty fourth of May wherein they named the late King only King Charles and his present Majesties former Embassador the Lord Culpepper the messenger William Culpepper Which horrid and probably wilful mistake they would never alter till the Embassador had taken his last leave of His Tzarskoy Majesty Then they as now the Ambassadors accuse him for an expression concerning the falling in of the Windows at their first abrupt refusal of the Privileges which notwithstanding was very true And whereas they then and now the Ambassadors lay much load upon an Expression about the loan of ten thousand pood of Silver desired by Knez Peoter Semonovich as if the Embassador therein offered an indignity to His Tzarskoy Majesty an indignity to the friendship betwixt both Princes transgressed His Instructions and his Tzarskoy Majesty would as he hath now done complain thereof to His Royal Majesty the Embassador did then only speak in His Royal Majesties person I hope that such a sum was not desired for such an end c. And His Royal Majesty doth still hope so Then as to the Doomnoy Duoranin notwithstanding so just and high a complaint prefer'd against him he was the man chosen to come next from His Tzarskoy Majesty to enquire of the Ambassadors health and was so imployed for many days as afore At last indeed there was another Pristaf appointed in his place truly a much civiler person but of lesser quality which is the present Ambassador of His Tzarskoy Majesty But it was signified from His Tzarskoy Maj ty by Gregory Cosmevich the other Pristaf to the Embassador that this removal was upon the Doomnoy Duoranins own desire to be dismist Also no Reparation was given the said Embassador against the Doomnoy Duoranin but in a paper afterwards delivered he was justified in all these enormities and the Ambassador accused that after all these provocations and the charge given up against him to His Tzarskoy Majesty the Embassador would not as formerly discourse with him of affairs of the Embassy as if he had there in affronted the said Doomnoy Duoranin Concerning the Entry nothing of Reparation would be given The Embassador had
during this time a power that came for mediating betwixt His Tzarskoy Majesty and the King of Poland which he imparted to his Tzarskoy Majesty and He kindly accepted but not being pleased to effect any thing in the Privileges it fell to the ground And therefore the Embassador having even from the 29. of February intimated his desire to depart and having been held up from time to time several moneths to no end so that he lost the Winter way to Riga to the prejudice of his Royal Majesties occasions pressed importunately for a dispatch which it was long before he could obtain and when near obtaining in one and the same day had three times contrary orders sent him about his departure At the Embassadors taking leave of his Tzarskoy Majesty recredentials were given him wherein his Royal Majesties Title of Defender of the Faith was omitted and contrary to the mutual trust due to an Embassador the Copy was although he demanded it flatly refused him After he had taken his leave of his Tzarskoy Majesty it seems his Tzarskoy Majesty was desirous to have placed some marks of his generosity upon the Embassador and his retinue and the not receiving of them is used by the Embassadors of his Tzarskoy Majesty in aggravation against him whereas that business past in this manner The Embassador it is true had for several reasons hereafter expressed resolved that it became him not to receive the Presents unless those things were rectified And therefore to avoid the ill aspect of refusing them after they should be sent he resolved also first to send for the Ockolnichoy Vasilia Semonovich Volinskoy and for Larivon Mitrevich Lopookin Posolkoy Diack to communicate his reasons For which he thought he had time enough his Pristafs whose office it is not having yet advertised him But contrariwise Lookian Timopheovich Golozof the Diack the Embassador being at dinner sends him word by a servant that he was coming with the Presents The Embassador rising from Dinner and about to send to the Ockolnichoy and Posolkoy Diack aforesaid desired the Servant to stay a little when on a sudden Lookian comes in with the Sables The Embassador began to discourse soberly with him of his unexpected coming and the reasons why he deliberated upon refusing the Present Which Lookian would not endure to hearken to but interrupting the Ambassador continually without any patience and with great clamour flung rudely away from him and departed Vasilius Semonovitch Volinskoy came the next day to the Embassador desiring from his Tzarskoy Majesty to be informed of the reasons why he had refused the Presents The Embassador it seems had in order to his departure demanded several things of Common right or courtesie As Satisfaction to the English Merchants for their old debts and houses For this the Commissioners reduced the debts within twenty six Rubles according to their account and for houses nothing That all English Merchants desiring to repair home may have their Passes to go over Sea with their Wives and Families without molestation This had a satisfactory answer But to the third That justice might be done the English Merchants for their debts there was no care at all of it but to the contrary great severity toward them so that this frustrated the former answer which was satisfactory That all his Majesties Subjects of whatsoever other condition may upon their desire have full liberty to return To which there would no answer be given in writing But the verbal answer was that they who have once taken service under his Tzarskoy Majesty though not expressed for life yet if not expressed for term of Years are thereby Servants as long as his Tzarskoy Majesty pleases As it seemed they intended to practise it in the case of General Dyel and Lieutenant General Drummond who were forced so long to march about Mosco with his Royal Majesties Letter and could get none to receive it That Collonel Baily accused of Treason by Cherillo Clopoue might be brought to a speedy trial Which though his accuser was in Town and promised yet would not be done That Collonel James Mein exiled with his Wife and Family into Siberia might if guilty have mercy if guiltless justice See the Civility of the answer Collonel Jacob Mein is sent into Siberia for a great fault and it is not fit to recal him out of Siberia That Collonel Cuningham accused of Treason might be brought to a speedy trial Which would not be granted That Mrs. Francis Rose according to his Royal Majesties desires by Letter may have liberty to return into England her Husband also desiring it Which was not granted but her being of the Russian Religion alledged as extinguishing her allegeance The Embassador upon a general review of these and all other passages in his Negotiation gave for answer and reason of his Refusal Defender of the Faith omitted in the Kings Title The late Kings Title and Lord Culpeppers not amended No satisfaction about his Entrance Nor concerning Pronchissof His Tzarskoy Majesty holding himself for affronted c. The Priviledges as good as refused Nightingales Letter pretended to be lost No justice to English Merchants No liberty for his Majesties Subjects upon expiring of their obligations to depart Affirmed in writing that the Moscovy Company killed the King Mrs. Rose Collonel Mein Collonel Baily c. Concluding that all the effect of this Embassy had been only the release of three English common Soldiers taken prisoners from the Pole after long sollicitation and upon condition that two of them should serve his Tzarskoy Majesty Adding moreover That for all these reasons he knew that not having done his Majesties business and lying still under Pronchissofs aspersion of receiving the Merchants money and accused by his Tzarskoy Majesty of doing an affront to Him it befitted him not to receive any Present at his hand Although otherwise he should account the least favour from his Tzarskoy Majesties hand a perpetual ornament honor and obligation to himself and Family and would receive though it were but a Cap cloth from Him as a Coronet and was prepared at any time when these things were rectified to receive any testimony of His Tzarskoy Majesties remembrance and affection After this the 24. of June the Embassador departed from Mosco Calthof riding publickly and openly in his Train The Embassador being about half a mile out of Town a Writer of the Posolskoy Precaz comes in His Tzarskoy Majesties name to demand him The Ambassador at last let him got hinking it not prudent to adventure his own journey on Calthofs and hoping to gain his dismission which he tried by two Letters writ back in his journey to the Posolskoy Diack These are the Letters the Embassadors complain of in two places as if the Earle of Carlisle told them therein that they did not rightly understand themselves Wheras the words are only Quorsum haec vergant nescio neque vos ipsi scitis qui facitis What these things tend to I know
the Negotiation Pag. 280 The Ambassadors Complement to the Great Duke when he took his leave of him Pag. 288 Some Memorable Passages that had hapned besides during our residence at Mosco and first the description of a Feast which the Tzar had made us Pag. 290 A Narrative of a noble Procession on Palm-sunday Pag. 295 Three several Conflagrations we saw in a little time Pag. 301 A Duel between one of my Lords Domesticks and a Scotch man an Officer in the Tzars Militia Pag. 302 How the Embassador refused the Presents which the Tzar sent him Pag. 302 Of his Excellences Journey from Mosco to Riga Pag. 306 A new business that fell out about Calthof at our departure from Mosco and the Letter my Lord Embssador sent to Mosco since about it which angered the Tzar very much upon occasion of a ridiculous mistake on their side Pag. 313 The danger we were in to be robbed at the Frontiers and how we were conveyed by 500 souldiers by the care of the Governour of Plesco Pag. 322 Another Letter sent by my Lord from Plesco about Calthof Pag. 324 How his Excellence was met at the Frontiers by two Swedish Officers sent from Riga by the Governour General of Livonia Pag. 332 A short Description of Livonia or Lifland Pag. 332 Of the Embassadors Entry into Riga and his Residence there Pag. 338 Of our Voiage from Riga to Stockholme Pag. 342 Of his Excellences Entry into Stockholme Pag. 349 Of our Residence at Stockholme wherein is contained a Description of the City Pag. 351 The Audience Pag. 353 My Lords Negotiation Pag. 361 Some Particular Passages during our stay in this Court Pag. 362 My Lords last Audience Pag. 368 Of our Voiage from Stockholme to Copenhagen Pag. 375 Of our Residence at Copenhagen wherein is contained a Description of the City Pag. 384 The Audience Pag. 385 My Lords Negotiation Pag. 400 Some particular Passages during our stay in this Court Pag. 406 My Lords last Audience Pag. 413 Of his Excellences Voiage from Copenhagen to London Pag. 424 My Lords Apology against the Russ Ambassador Pag. 535 FINIS A RELATION Of Three EMBASSIES From his Sacred Majesty CHARLES II. Into MOSCOVY SWEDEN And DENMARK Performed in the Years 1663 and 1664. THe most Serene and most Mighty Prince CHARLES the SECOND King of Great Britain c. being happily â—estored to His Dominions which the malice â—nd iniquity of this age had deprived him â—f His Alliance which had been interrupted â—uring his misfortunes was by the rest of the â—hristian Princes immediately re-desired To which end their several Ambassadors were disâ—atched with extraordinary Pomp and Splenâ—our sutable to the Dignity and Grandeur of â—im it had pleased God to restore But amongst all the Princes of Europe that by their congratulations of his Re-establishment seemed ardently to aspire at His Alliance the Tzar of Moscovy had the most equitable pretentions For besides that admirable Sympathy which has been so long time betwixt the Kings of England and the great Dukes of Moscovy Alexey Michailovitz the present Duke had so great an abhorrency of the murther of King CHARLES the First that he resolved in some measure to revenge it upon the English Company at Archangel whom he looked upon as assertors if not associates in the Rebellion And as a certain instance of the constancy of his affection he no sooner understood the calamities Our present King was reduced to but he assisted him immediately with a considerable sum of money From hence it was that his Majesty gave his Ambassadors so great a Reception as made the Friendship he had for that great Monarch conspicuous to all the World And it was this Embassage from the Tzar and those from the Kings of Sweden and Denmark that gave occasion to his Majesty of Great Britain to return these which are the present matter of this Relation The first Embassy was addressed to the Great Duke of Moscovy The second to the King of Sweden The third to the King of Denmark It is true the first had beside That a peculiar subject of Importance touching Commerce at Archangel in Moscovie viz. To obtain a re-establishment of the Priviledges of the English Company which consisted in this That the Merchants of this Kingdom did formerly trade into that place without paying any Impost Which Immunity was but a generous recompence that one of the former Dukes Ivan Basilovitz made the English for their discovery of that Port and introduction of so considerable a Commerce thither The present Great Duke had vacated these Priviledges in the time of the late Rebellion in England because conceiving the Merchants complices in that rebellion he esteemed them unworthy of his favour therefore of enjoying any longer these Immunities The Company having since that time to the happy Return of his Majesty been deprived of their Priviledges the King by this Embassage desired things might be restored to their former state and that upon two principal considerations One because his Subjects for whose rebellion they were taken away were returned again to their obedience The other because these very Priviledges were the basis and foundation upon which the Amity betwixt the two Crowns of England and Moscovy were superstructed And these were two fundamental Reasons that were strong enough to induce his Majesty to hope for success in his Demand but he could expect no less from the generosity and promise of the Tzar Yet He was flatly refused as if the Tzars kindness had been already quite exhausted The Earle of Carlisle to whom the King encharged these Embassies was without contradiction in all respects proper for the employment For besides that he was of a comely and advantageous stature a Majestick mine and not above four and thirty years of age he had a peculiar grace and vivacity in his discourse and in his actions a great promptitude and diligence In a word he was adorned with all perfections that could render a man acceptable and especially with those that were requisite for the discharge of so important an affair Gratior est pulchro veniens è corpore virtus Virg. His Train consisted of near fourscore persons amongst which he had ten Gentlemen six Pages two Trumpets and twelve Footmen He had also a Chaplain several Interpreters a Chirurgeon six Musicians besides many Tradesmen that were very necessary in Moscovy And forasmuch as his Excellence was to begin that way the circle of his Embassies to the end he might come back by Liefland into Sweden by Sweden into Denmark and from thence come into England before his departure he provided himself of all such necessary things as Russia could scarce afford So that besides the Liveries which were made at London he was also forced to provide himself of Beds Chairs and even of all Kitchin-moveables only the Chimney excepted and that would have been too most serviceable in several places Besides these his Majesty provided his Excellency with a magnificent Canopy of red
their Policie and after that to their Religion Policie and Religion are the two Poles on which the Globe of civil Societie moves And though it is possible some places may be found very barbarous and licentious where Learning and Civility were in no esteem and where the Government by Kings was not usual yet it is hard to name any place that hath subsisted without some Policie or other and where they have not had some sense or apprehension of a Deitie But amongst all the Policies of the World Monarchie is manifestly the most advantageous as most conformable to the Majestie of God who alone manages and presides over the whole Universe The State of Moscovie which is now before us is Monarchical but it is also Despotical and Absolute insomuch as the Tzar being Lord and Master as it were over all his Subjects disposeth uncontroulably of their lives and estates as he thinks good And under this kind of Monarchie it was they lived which were antiently called Barbarians as the Assyrians Medes and Persians whose Princes usurped that Magisterial Authoritie over their Persons and Goods governing their Subjects no otherwise than as a Lord doth his slaves And such at this day is the Government in Turky where the Grand Segniour hath so absolute a Sovereignitie over his Subjects that he disposeth of their lives and fortunes as an absolute Lord. But for the better comprehension of the State of Moscovie under the Domination of so unquestionable a Prince it is First to be considered in what his greatness and Authoritie consists Secondly the Submission Obedience and singular Respect his Subjects bear him Thirdly the Policie and Order by which his Dominion over his Subjects is maintained and the union and concurrence of Obedience in his Subjects preserved and established The Tzars of Moscovie having the Power and Right of disposing of the Lives and Estates of their Subjects in this vast Tract of ground under their Dominion no question but it is absolute over all depending upon that Government It is the Tzar alone that gives Laws to the People it is he that disposeth of the Government of the Provinces it is he that sends and receives Ambassadors it is he that levies Imposts and Taxes and in short doth every thing that he pleases And from hence it is he is called Grand Seigneur and * Tzar is the right pronuntiation according to the Russes therefore I had rather spell it so than Czar with a C as it is commonly written because it seems to be derived from Caesar Tzar which is as much as to say King or Emperour else he is called Velika Knez which signifies Great Duke His Armes are an Eagle with two Heads carrying three Crowns which import Moscovie Casan Astracan two Kingdoms he possesses in Tartary There is also in his Escutchion a Cavalier represented in Combat with a Dragon which without doubt must be intended for Michael the Archangel or St. George And as the Authoritie of this Prince must be acknowledged to be great so his Revenues must be owned to be extraordinary and commensurate For besides his proper Demains which are very considerable he hath an incredible Revenue from the Taverns which he licenseth thorow all his Dominions besides five per Cent he exacts for all Merchandise imported or exported and a vast Sum of Money he receives from the Factors he imployes himself He hath a great Revenue also out of his Furs and Cavyar being a commodity he reserves entirely to himself he makes very great advantages by that also Yet this I must needs say that if his Treasure be vast his Issues and Expences are not small as well in respect of the Splendour and extraordinary Pompe he lives in as the continual Wars he maintains with his Neighbors either the Swedes or the Polanders or else the Tartars For which reason he frequently raises mighty Armies and for his better Success gives great Pensions to his Officers which are paid very punctually and by this means he draws many Stangers to him whose service he likes very well and knows which way to gratifie their Prudence and Fidelity True it is generally upon the commencement of a War it is the People that supply him according to his demands by which he gives them severely sometimes to understand the Power he hath over their fortunes and estates The greatness of this Prince being establisht in this manner through the vast extent of his Dominion by the abundance of his Wealth the magnificence of his Court and the absolutenesse and indisputablenesse of his power over all his Subjects it is not to be doubted but the same imprints a most profound respect in the hearts of the people towards his Person And indeed so abject are they and submissive to the Soveraigns command that they will themselves declare their own servitude and caknowledg they hold their Estates from God and him only Some would not refuse any danger for his sake and would perhaps many times be over joy'd to expose their innocent lives at the Capriccio or fury of a Tyrant They will freely confess to be his Slaves and as a Testimony of their Humility they will never name themselves in his presence but with a diminutive as if a Petitioners name be Peter he will say I little Peter the humblest of all your Vassals do implore c. They boast of nothing more than the sparkling eyes of their Prince be he never so shore-sighted as Dyonisius of Syracuse was for they cry always I have had the honor or shall have the honor to see the cleare eyes of our Tzar And did not Christian modesty restrain them a little in the Religious respect they bear unto their Monarch they would be near to fly out into such Extravagant acclamations as were used to King Herod and say of his voice that it is the voice of a God and not of a man They are very careful also of insinuating this Reverence into their Children and of making them know the Majesty of their Prince before they are capable of understanding the misery of their condition And this discipline is principally founded upon three general Maximes one of which is That it is prohibited upon pain of death to any man to Travail out of that Country unless they be the Tzars Merchants or Ministers of State which he sends to other Princes in quality of Ambassadors The reason is lest by their Travails into other parts they should bring back some new customes at their return and having tasted the sweetness of the liberty other Nations injoy they should some time or other break asunder the chains of their own Servitude This maxime to us that are inamoured with the happy liberty we are born under might perhaps seem barbarous and intollerable but the Russians are so accustomed to this kind of Slavery that they are scarce sensible of it and do comfort themselves in the vastness of their Country which affords them space enough for their Travails and in
the Examples of other Countries which have lived and do live under the same maxime The Lacedaemonians amongst others who gloried and boasted that they lived under the greatest liberty were subject notwithstanding to this Law forbidden any Commerce with forreign Nations Whereas the Muscovites are permitted to Traffick with them in their own Country Which gives me some hopes they will in time leave off that rustick and barbarous humor which is so natural to them and learn by degrees to live with more civility for they are already delighted with the Conversation of forreign Merchants and do please themselves very much in their manner of living And were they under a gentler Government and had a free Trade with every body no doubt but this Nation would in a short time be taken with our civility and decent way of living But this maxime that we do now discourse of has no less effect towards the maintenance of their Religion than their civil Customes and is so exactly observed that the very Strangers themselves that have entred into the service of the Tzar or have otherwise embraced their Religion are not exempt from it For to have made himself a servant to the Great Duke is to have made himself his Slave and to have taken up his Religion is to have abandoned his own Country and to be always confined within the Limits of Muscovie In short by this Policy it may be easily imagined the Muscovites understand little of Navigation seeing they exercise it so little and indeed they know no other Compass than the Earth nor do any of them except some few fisher-men expose themselves to the Sea and they no farther than within sight of the Shore The Second Maxime the Tzars make use of for maintaining the Policie of their Estate is That they marry no forreign Princesses nor look out any farher for a Wife than their own proper Slaves The other Princes of Europe who are solicitous of nothing but the good and happiness of their Subjects do comport themselves cleer otherwise they marry themselves with forreign Ladies for the Alliance of their Nations and in order to establish a reciprocal and perpetual Amitie betwixt them for the benefit of both By which means they avoid the insolence of their Wives Relations which is almost inevitable where a Prince takes a Wife out of his own Subjects Moreover it is certainly more honourable and more worthy the Majestie of a King to espouse a Princess that is not of the number of his Subjects uniting and mingling as it were their Crowns as well as their blood to produce a Posterity perfectly Royal. Whereas to take a Wife from that infinite distance which there is betwixt a King and a Subject to join her to the Crown to descend from his Throne as it were to raise her up thither who perhaps is very unfit for so great an elevation is no less than to prostitute and debase the Majestie of a Monarch Yet amongst the Tzars of Moscovy it is very usual lest by introducing a foreign Princess she should bring some new Customes along with her which in time might cause some alteration in the State And from hence it was that this present Tzar vouchsafed on Shrove-Sunday 1647. which was then the seventeenth year of his Age and the second of his Reign to marry the eldest Daughter of Ilia-Danilovitz Miloslausky a person at that time in no excellent Condition for to speak properly there was nothing but the Beauty of his Daughter to induce the Tzar to honour him with so great a Relation The Third Maxime by which their Policie and Religion is preserved is their Ignorance of Learning which is so well established in this Country that they never learn farther than to write and read their own Language And indeed Experience doth teach us this truth that Seditions and Revolutions have not been any where so frequent as in Commonwealths where Learning was commonly in great esteem and even when it triumphed most The reason of which is plain forasmuch as Ambition and Pride march alwaies in the Rear of great Knowledge whereas Ignorance as is evident amongst the Peasants and common People every where renders them more supple and obedient And this Valentian and Licinius Emperors of Rome had experience of when they termed Learning the Plague and Poison of a Kingdom Lycurgus was not far from this opinion when he establisht Ignorance in his Republique And we see at this day the greatest Enemy of Christendom triumphing partly by vertue of this Maxime over all the Monarchs of this Age. The Tzars of Muscovie also find great benefit by this Policy which conduces much to the easie Conservation of Obedience in their Subjects towards their Soveraign Empire So that the Muscovites have this advantage that they quietly enjoy their apprehensions of Nature as they are at first sight represented to their sense or their reasons without any scandalous Imputation of Ignorance They do not trouble themselves with the heighth of the Heavens nor the greatness of the Earth whether the Sun as Anaximenes thought be as flat as a Trencher or whether it be hunch backed underneath like a Cockboat as Heraclitus held or whether it be round or square They disturb not their heads with the dimensions of the Moon to know whether she be hung loose in the Air or inhabited or not whether the Stars be but Earth Muminated as Thales maintained or whether perfect fire as Plato They leave Nature to it self and think it sufficient to know who is its Author to discover the use of things by experience and to give God thanks as they are able They amuse not themselves to make Syllogismes after the Model of Barbara or of Festino to dispute whether Logick be an Art or Science nor to determine sundry other curious and impertinent questions which though of no use but to molest and torture the brain are yet at this day amongst the learned people in great practice and use upon a meer principle of Curiosity Ambition or Interest In stead of Books the Muscovites use Rolls of Paper as the Jews did sometimes they glue every leaf together by the ends with a certain Glue they have out of Siberia a Province of the Tzars which they moisten only with the end of their tongue and drawing it upon the Edges of the two leaves they are to joyn they put the Edges upon one another which fasten so close it is scarce perceivable where they are joyned and in this manner they make Rolls sometimes of seven or eight Fathoms long Furthermore amongst the Magistrates that Govern Muscovie in their Councel of State there are in the first place thirty Noblemen or Boiars so properly called which the Tzar obliges to be Resident in Mosco After them there be the a Ockolnitz that is to say a Privy Councellor Ockolnitz the b Dumeny Duorainy signifies the same Office but in lower degree Dumeny Duorainy the Sin Boyarsky the Chancellor two
And therefore finding himself now stated by his Almighty Grace and Providence in full fruition of all the blessings that can crown a Sovereign head he hath chosen this as the most fortunate hour to salute so great an Emperour Friend and Brother and to congratulate and augurate to your Imperial Majesty a perpetuity of the same or if it may be greater happiness For if Victory over Enemies obedience of Subjects and multitude of Friends be as doubtless they are the greatest strength and ornaments of the Regal Throne certainly his most serene Majesty having been a miracle of courage and aequanimity in his adverss fortune is at this day a greater miracle of prosperity For as for Enemies none hath provoked or tried his power but those infamous Pirates of Algier Enemies of Christianity and mankind whom therefore at two thousand miles distance he blocked up in their own dens destroyed their ships battered their forts rescued the captives and forced those miscreants to his own conditions For his subjects they have gladly assisted to the punishment of those Traytors and Tyrants which so long oppressed and misled them and with so much more veneration and duty do pay their homage unto their natural most Gracious Sovereign and have with their ancient loyalty washed out the staines of the late Rebellion And for Friends as he hath no Christian Prince at enmity with him so is there scarce any of them but have addressed themselves to him by extraordinary Embassages and have upon their desires been received into his nearer Alliance Covenanting first to deliver up as they have done those detestable fugitives who were imbrued in the blood of his most glorious Father And if after all these things there were leisure to discourse of the largeness of his Dominions he hath to his Hereditarie Kingdoms in Europe Himself added several Provinces in Asia Africa and America beyond whatever was acquired by his immortal Ancestors The Sea is his Bridge betwixt so distant Territories and as oft as he pleases his Navies do carry a moveable Frontire to all the habitable World so that the Fame of his former afflictions hath not been heard so farr as his present Dominions extend But though the Extent of Empire be consonant to the greatness of his mind the Government of subjects natural to his Prudence and Justice and Victory over Enemies must needs be gustable to the height of his Courage yet he a Prince so well exercised in the vicissitude of humane affaires could even disrelish Victory because it tasts of blood and relax his Government rather than it should oppress the liberty of mankind and looks upon whatsoever Extent of Dominion but as a confinement of those more capacious thoughts wherewith he adores the Author of all these mercies Nor values he himself therofore so much upon all these things though in themselves excellent and desirable not upon the largeness of his Territories nor the tranquillity of his Kingdoms nor the fortunateness of his Armes in comparison of the constancy of his Friends He hath himself been fashioned to it by experience and is by nature all made up of friendship Nor should I have made this defective rehearsal of things so universally known did not the commemoration of his present Greatness shew him to be the more considerable Friend and imply the gratitude he professes to those his Friends who formerly made his adversity more tolerable and do now give the truest season and sweetness to his better fortune And among all those Friends who can be preferred or who indeed is comparable to your Imperial Majesty For whether his most Serene Majesty consider the Greatness of the Prince the ancientness of Alliance or freshness of Obligations what Tree is there that spreads a deeper root or sheds a greener shade or beares a fruit more delicious His most Serene Majesty himself useth with much delight to discourse among us who have the honour to be nearest his Sacred Person how above an hundred yearâ— ago one of his Royal Ancestors Edward the fixth did out of an heroical mind man out his ships to trace out the limits of the World and joyn the most distant and unknown Nations by intercourse These were they that first discovered the vastness of the Northern Ocean counted till then unnavigable who as the Children of Israel with a pillar of fire by night so were conducted by a pillar of continual day through that wilderness of waters unto this your Empire They may justly be said to have invented the true use of the load stone and that supernatural needle then first rested at the finding out of your northern principalities to which it had pointed in vain for so many ages Having escaped the hazards of the sea they were yet in danger twice to be lost first in the remaining journy through so spacious Dominions and then in the brightness of that Majesty which they expected not out of their own Country But they were not only refreshed as it was seasonable by the courtesy of the then Emperour but received moreover from his munificency and as a reward of the trade then first opened and introduced on that side of your World those Immunities and priviledges from which thence forward both the Nations have reaped no small Advantage And ever since a most sincere and hereditary Amity hath been transmitted between the Successors of both Princes from Father to Son unto your Majesties now reigning 'T was much about that time that other Princes had sent out their Navies likewise for new discoveries The Portuguez found out and conquered in the East-Indies the Land of pearls and spices though none so orient or fragrant as what his present Majesty of Portugal hath deposited by the side of my most Serene Lord and Master The Spaniard in the West-Indies seized upon the mines of Gold and Silver So that when nothing of value seemed left for the Kings of England they found what was more adequate to the desires of Princes who neither needed nor coveted further Empire a Friend And his most Serene Majesty is wont to say that his was the best lot of the three and that he would not change his Friend of an hundred years for the Treasure of both the Indies And He adds for reason his own Experiment forasmuch as when his Subjects were generally revolted His Friends as it is usual most of them failed and when it seemed that Heaven and Earth had conspired his ruine while they were but contriving his happiness He was then not only readily assisted by your Imperial Majesty but the addresses of the Usurpers rejected and your protection withdrawn from all who might seem any way tainted with the infection of that disloyaltie And therefore his most Serene Majesty as he hath readily repayed into the hands of your Imperial Ambassador those sums with which you did then pleasure him so will he always retain deposited in the most sacred recess of his Royal heart and transmit to his Successors the memory of
of names of the persons criminal both principals and accessory and what example of justice his Imperial Majestie who cannot but be most tender of the honor of a Prince and such a Prince as the King my Master hath shewed upon them may be delivered to me under the hands and seales of the Lords Commissioners for my justification Which I do expect with the most vehement impatiency that I may forthwith proceed into the particulars of that friendly Negotiation In order to which I have leapt over all complaints of lesser moment as not being come to pick quarrels but to cement the most perfect union that ever hath been betwixt the two Crowns unto which God grant an happy success and perfection Given the 13 of February Anno D ni 1663. 4. CARLISLE These were the words of the Second paper WHereas the first foundation of that happy Correspondency and great Amity betwixt the Kings of England and Emperours of Russia was laid in the Privileges granted to the English Merchants by the said Emperours of Russia in regard of the trade first introduced by them by the way of Archangel Whereby not only the Subjects of both Countries and of this Country especially have reaped great advantages but also both Princes and particularly the Emperours of Russia in several great affaires of state and otherwise have had further occasion to receive great assistance and effectual testimonies of friendship from one another His Majestie of England desiring not only to equalize but to excel all His Predecessors in the firmness strictness of brotherly amity intire correspondence with his Imperial Majestie and considering that those first foundations layed by the singular Providence of God and wisdom of the former Princes and which by the duration of so many years have been approved to be most solid and permament are therefore the most proper grounds whereon to raise a building of perpetual Friendship hath therefore commanded me as I do in His name first of all to desire the Restitution of the former Privileges as they were enjoyed in the time of the Father of his Imperial Majestie and in the Reign of his present Imperial Majestie before the taking of them away upon occasion of the late Rebellion in England And these being first granted his Majestie will further manifest by me the great affection which He bears to his Imperial Majestie Given the 13 of February Anno D ni 1663. 4. CARLISLE The 17. my Lord Ambassador had another Conference in the Pallace where his Commissioners read to him their answer to his two papers but refused to give him yet a Copy of it In that answer all things were quite contrary to his expectations so that he thought fit thereupon to speak somewhat hard to them Then it happened that one great casement of the room wherein they were assembled together fell down with such a horrid noise that the Lords Commissioners were quite astonished and wished my Lord had spoken more gently An Interpreter of theirs who was an outlandish man speaking afterwards to that purpose said If saith â—he two or three words of anger of My Lord Ambassador's do so shake off the house how would they tremble if they heard King Charles thundring at their ears with just indignation The 26. Pronchissof brought my Lord Ambassador a Copy of their answer read to him the seventeenth But lest I should tire the Reader with an ill compacted discourse whose stile and meaning are equally rude and unpleasant I shall only tell the substance of it in as few words as I can And first as to the Reparation demanded by my Lord Ambassador in his first paper of 13. of February they say when they have much extolled the greatness of the pomp that was shewn at his Reception which they take to be the most glorious that ever was made in their Court to any Ambassador that the disorder aforesaid happened upon the mistake of the Posts That it was not fit he should make his Entry by night and that his Tzarskoy Majestie had therefore given order that he should lodge that night nearer Mosco so that the next day he might be received betimes with a splendor answerable to his quality And so that so many strangers who lived in Mosco might see by this Reception how great is the Amity which their Great Lord beares to his Majestie and that they might discourse of it in their several Countries But to that they added a thing that surprised very much his Excellency saying that he himself staied also a great while the next day after many Messengers were sent unto him And presently after they make bold to tell him that he ought not to have demanded satisfaction in that place where then he was And at last without any other proofs they only say that those Messengers who accidentally missed their way the first day had been chastised Their answer to the second Paper concerning the Priviledges of the English Company was no less unreasonable they refused them under the following pretences which they alledge for good and solid reasons First of all they say the Priviledges were abolished upon occasion of the late Rebellion of England and that the English Company of Archangel was guilty of it Then they speak of one Luke Nightingale whom they affirm to have been sent secretly to his Tzarskoy Majestie by the late Kings Majestie during the Rebellion to give Him notice of it and to desire Him to abrogate the Priviledges of the English Company as having also put off their Obedience Adding moreover that this same Nightingale had Letters from the King that he was very private with his Royal Majestie â—nd very trustie to Him Besides they tell what this pretended Agent gave the Boyars â—hat treated with him notice of that the Faâ—tors of the English Company had at that time â—roguish design with one Iohn Cartwrite a â—ember of the Company to rob his Tzarskoy Majestie 's Subjects in the East-Countries and â—hat shortly after the said Cartwrite did accomplish his design Whereupon they say that John Hebdon so they call the Knight that I mentioned before was Factor to this same Cartwrite Afterwards they lay an hainous charge against the said Company as that they had not furnished the Tzars treasury with their commodities at the same price they were sold for in England that they had sold prohibited commodities as Tobacco and that besides they offered to take strangers goods to carry them through the Country custome free Lastly they speak of a general complaint made by the Russes Merchants and Tradesmen as if the English Merchants had all the trade themselves and grew thereby very rich in a short time whereas his Tzarskoy Majesties Subjects grew poorer every day They alleadge also that the Merchants who were first nominated for the Priviledges were dead so that it seemes they will have the Priviledges to dy with them After this answer the Commissioners were pleased as if they had a mind thereby to be
revenged of the former Reparation required by his Excellencie to complain also on theiâ— side most vehemently of the Title most Illustrious that he had given his Tzarskoy Majestie This was the occasion and manner oâ— their complaint Pronchissof one of the sâ— Commissioners had of my Lord upon hiâ— desire a Latin Copy of the Speech said aâ— the first Audience where indeed he gives the Tzar the Title of Illustrissimus That was the thing that they stickt to but as to the expression said publickly by word of mouth before the Great Duke himself which should be thought more offensive they had the goodness to interpret it in good part because they gave it a good sense according to their own will But a writing that was only given â—o satisfie a mans curiositie who desired to see it is now become a very great matter of State every word of it is examined strictly â—s if the whole business were only to pick quarrels Such was the occasion of the great â—nvective they gave here in writing against â—llustrissimus which they take to be much â—nferiour to the dignity and grandeur of their Monarch Therefore they require of my Lord Ambassador that instead thereof he make use â—f Serenissimus that he would also acquaint â—is Royal Majestie with it whom they desire â—ogether to leave off most Illustrious and to â—rite most Serene when it shall be his pleaâ—ure to write to their Great Lord. To that â—urpose they say that all other Princes of Euâ—ope do it according to his Princely worth â—nd amongst others the Caesar for a proof â—hereof they had already shewed my Lord â—mbassador one of his Letters being at Conâ—erence with them His Excellencie took then â—otice how the Emperour called Him only Tzar according to His own Language and therefore he resolved ever since to do so and never name him Emperour as he had done hitherto after the custome of English Monarchs and their Subjects The 29. my Lord Ambassador had another Conference where he did so reply in writing first concerning the Reparation promised the sixth of February I reply saith he that it is hard for me to conceive whereas his Tzarskoy Majestie is able at so great distances in his absence by the good order of his Generals to embattle so numerous and victorious Armies upon the sudden opportunities of fighting aâ— Enemy that after my so slow advancing from Vologda and three days lodging almost undeâ— the Gates of his Tzarskoy City the continuaâ— Attendants upon his own Person where theâ— can learn and see nothing but the most perfecâ— and exquisite Order should not in a wholâ— day be in a posture to receive the Ambassadoâ— of a Friend And again that it is almost aâ— strange to me that his Tzarskoy Posts whâ— run daily at his Command through so spacious Dominions which may ever be inlarged that they who would not miss a foot at midnight thorough the very desarts of Tartary yet should lose their way in broad day-light within three or four miles of Mosco Anâ— yet I am most assured that his Tzarskoy Majestie did really intend to reflect upon me that day all the Honour which according to the custome of his Court is due to the Character I bring from my Royal Master So that there seemes to be much more in it than an accident especially seeing that Persons sent that same day to the same place upon an incivility to Sir John Hebdon a Gentleman of his Majesties privy Chamber and of my Train could finde the way early in the morning but those that were sent about my Reception did miss it till night And therefore because so many Strangers of several Nations which dwell in his Tzarskoy City were winesses that day of such miscarriage contrary to the good pleasure of his Tzarskoy Majestie as no age nor no Nation can paralel and that they have and do and will discourse of it according to their own apprehensions both here and in their several Countries neither to the advantage of the King my Master nor yet of his Tzarskoy Majestie unless His prudence may appear in his Justice Therefore I say I demanded what is in my first paper mentioned But instead thereof I am told in this paper delivered to me the 26. of February that the next day after many Messengers being sent unto me I also stayed late To which I reply that it is very possible that many Messengers were sent to me that day and that they lost their way then as the others the day before And indeed in the place where I was it was yet difficulter to finde me especially seeing it appeares the nearer one comes to Mosco men are more ignorant of the Roads But the first message that I received that day was by a very considerable Person the Diack of the Imperial Cabinet and assoon as we had spoken together and he promised me satisfaction which if I ought not to have asked he ought not to have promised but being promised ought to be effected I was ready in a quarter of an hour though it was then not two a clock after the English account and I but at two Versts distance which indeed according to the proportions of the former day made me suspect as also it proved that by how much I was yet nearer I should come in so much later to Mosco However though I could have wished to have entered by day as indeed it was fitting and might perhaps the third day have succeeded yet out of complacency to his Tzarskoy Majesties good pleasure I took my chance of the night And what I discerned before it was dark of the the Honour his Tzarskoy Majesty intended and did me joyned with those most friendly and cordial Sentiments which I brought along to Him from my Royal Master made me interpret that very obscurity for splendour and that most Serene night which brought me so near his Tzarskoy Majesty was by me preferred before the most Illustrious day that had detained me from Him But whereas it is said that I ought not in that place to have demanded an answer of my being hindered the former day After having first protested that whatsoever I have said above in reference to my self upon the second day hath not been upon any account or obligation that I have or ought of answering any charge accusation or recrimination against me but only out of the desire that I have by all honourable means to retain the good opinion of his Tzarskoy Majesty as being so great a Prince and Friend of the King my Master and which I have neither forfeited yet and may possibly deserve further before my going away unless upon some unhappy interruption from other persons I add next that none but the King my Master knowes what I ought to have done and therefore I desire that all expressions to the contrary may be omitted for the future But if upon promise from so considerable a person as the Diack of the Tzarkoy Cabinet I did
enter this City and if upon the fairest hopes given me by his Tzarskoy Majestie 's Boyars and Counsellors I leaving it upon the honour of so worthy persons I have passed from this Complaint into His Majestie 's other business and that no redress be given me then indeed I have done what I ought not And that such redress hath as yet not been given me I must affirm seeing all that is said tending thereto is that in the meeting of me the height of Honour was shewn me which is nothing if in not meeting of me the day before there was shewed me all Dishonour For the actions of his Tzarskoy Majesty are all equal and of one thread and so magnanimous a Prince is far from being so straitned and necessitated in courtesy that to make that Courtesy appear the higher He must do a Discourtesy the day before And then to say that those by whom the delay was caused have been punished I appeal to your selves whether if mine were your own case you would think so slender and transitory an account a sufficient satisfaction to his Tzarskoy Majesty or a competent discharge for your selves And therefore I insist upon my demands as they were expressed in my former Paper of the thirteenth of February Thus my Lord answered to their Excuses concerning the Hinderance of his Entry the first day Now he comes to the second part of their answer concerning the Privileges and indeed he does so discuss and refute their Objections alledged against the granting of them that nothing could be said more just and reasonable First sayes he as to the sending the English Merchants out of the Moscovian Dominions and whatsoever passed either in publick or in secret in any year in relation to those affairs is perfectly known to his Majestie my Master who hath chosen to interpret it all to the best advantage and accordingly both at Council before the King my Master as also here in publick I have still mentioned it with honour to his Tzarskoy Majestie Forasmuch as though all the English were involved in the calamitie of that Rebellion but the better part alwayes free from the guilt thereof and though the English here did generally put on mourning out of their abhorrence and grief for that detestable Parricide and though most of them had from the Lord Culpepper his Majesties Ambassador in this Court testimonie under his hand and seale of their fidelitie to his Majestie which they also witnessed by considerable summes of mony furnished at that time by them for the service of his Majestie to the said Ambassador nevertheless his Tzarskoy Majestie might very well not be informed of the said particulars And therefore though he sent the English out of the Moscovian Dominions and seized upon their houses and commanded in their bonds and bills which they had upon Russes yet did therein a generous and most obliging act to the King my Master Especially if as followes in the answer of his Tzarskoy Majestie near Boyars and Counsellors there came from his Majesties Father of ever blessed memory Luke Nightingale and as follows in the said Boyars and Counsellors narrative thereof before recited But neither did the same Luke Nightingale come with his Majesties Letters privately For what Letter he brought was very publick being without a seale or open neither was that Letter from his Majestie as will appeare if the near Boyars and Counsellors of his Tzarskoy Majestie produce that Letter they mention which in the name of the King my Master I desire may be done And whereas the said near Boyars and Counsellors say the said Luke was always about his Royal Majestie without going from Him to the contrarie his Majestie never knew such a person or heard of him before his crimes in Russia the said Luke Nightingale being a broken merchant a perjured fellow and a grosse Imposter Which will further appeare if the said his Tzarskoy Majesty near Boyars and Counsellors will be pleased to remember that his Tzarskoy Majestie in a Letter dated July 11. 7155. to his Royal Majesties Father of ever blessed memorie did make the same relation which his Tzarskoy Majesties Boyars and Counsellors do now make of the said Nightingale and to compare with that what I now offer them delivered to me by his Majesties command out of the Secretarie of States office being an extract of his Majesties Royal Father of ever blessed memorie His answer to the said Letter which having been prepared ready could not by reason of his death shortly succeeding be sent over Lastly whereas Your Imperial Majestie hath intimated that one Luke Nightingale hath presumed to treat with Your Imperial Majestie in Our name and to present a writing in Your Majesties Office we therefore finding our selves much dishonoured thereby desire a Copy of the said writing that thereupon when he shall repaire into Our jurisdictions we may according to justice proceed against him as a person abusing our name and treating without our Royal Commission and order in propounding matters repugnant to our Royal intentions 1648. And though the fellow be since dead and hath escaped so the justice of the King my Master yet in his Majesties name I desire the letter may be delivered into my hands as also that I may know with what Boyars he treated or writ or spoke in that matter that by what they remember of the matter I may give his Majestie more perfect information thereof And though by what appeares already whatsoever he hath said here of that nature is most false and not to be valued any further by any person of honor and understanding yet can I not omit what upon his account his Tzarskoy Majesties near Boyars add concerning Sir John Hebdon For I cannot comprehend to what purpose he is mentioned in this place the said Sir John Hebdon being ten years before free from the Service of Cartwrite and being he who procured the remanding of Nightingale from Novogorod and his detaining here some time till he got away as privately as he came and never daring to repaire to the sight of his late Majestie of ever blessed memorie or of his Majestie now reigning dyed like a villain at Riga But indeed the near Boyars and Counsellors did very prudently when upon their urging this matter upon me as a truth and realitie they made difficulty to admit the said Sir John Hebdon though then required by me according to the desire of his Royal Majestie and though at the same time Forainers were all the while present to spie and observe my discourse concerning his Majesties affaires For they could not be ignorant that Sir John Hebdon was able to give a pertinent account of all the Impostures of the said Nightingale and in two minutes to have discovered the nakedness of all that falshood which for want of Audience all this time has gone current for a truth of great authority And as for that Cartwrite if being opprest by some of the late Tzarskoy Majestie of
ever glorious memorie His Ministers he sought abroad any reparation contrary to his late Majesties of ever blessed memorie will or knowlege I have nothing to say for him at this time But whereas the said near Boyars and Counsellors passing from that reason of taking away the Privileges upon occasion of the late Rebellion are pleased to alledge several Miscarriages of the English here in their way of trading in this Country I confess it is some thing new to me And it seemes thereby to appeare which I am unwilling to believe as if the said Boyars knew some other reasons than his Tzarskoy Majesties generous resentment of the injuries and inhumanities done to his late Majestie of ever blessed memorie for the taking away those Privileges Which being so contrary to what the King my Master hath always believed and that from several expressions in his Tzarskoy Majesties own Letters I am therefore the lesse prepared to answer Yet thus much I shall say after minding the said near Boyars and Counsellors of his Tzarskoy Majestie that their allegations had been more weighty had they named the particular persons guilty of such miscarriages as first to their not furnishing of his Tzarskoy Treasury wherewith they are charged The Merchants have from time all along yea to the very time of his Tzarskoy Majesties taking away of their Privileges furnisht his Treasury with Cloth Tyn Lead Pewter and all other Commodities of the growth and manufacture of England at prices farr cheaper than the Dutch or Hamburghers did or could deliver them if their Commodities were answerable to those furnisht by the English And it is affirmed by the Company of English Merchants that their Servants and Factors have at several times offered to deliver goods into his Majesties Treasury at the prices they cost there in England but they would not be accepted And when they have been accepted or received into his Tzarskoy Treasury the Factors here could very seldome or never get their monies without great bribes to his Officers nay several of them could never get any thing for their goods so delivered And the said Merchants do and can justly affirme that his Treasury hath not suffered in that particular but that they have been much sufferers in what they have delivered for want of good payment As to their dealing with Tobacco the Companies care and orders were such each member being under an oath to observe the same that if any man trading under the Privileges were known or found to have any it was presently taken and burnt before the Russes his Subjects whereof many presidents may be produced So that in this particular of what is said there is nothing proved no not so much as any one instance of any one member of the Company trading here under the Privileges As to buying of strangers Commodities the Merchants privileged here have ever been so farr from dealing in prohibited Commodities as also from taking or meddling with any strangers goods to carry them from Archangel to Moscow custome-free and so defraud his Majestie of his customes that they have from time to time made very strict orders to the contrary So that if any person were found faulty in that particular he should be delivered to the Emperors laws and not be protected by the Agent or Company there residing Nay further of late years the Company have been so fearful to offend in colouring strangers goods that they have made strict orders to prohibit all trade with the Dutch Hamburghers or any other strangers either at Archangel or any other place in his Dominions As to the first Merchants being dead It was never understood as farr as I know by the Tzar his Predecessors here nor I am sure by the Kings of England there who by their Ambassadors capitulated and made agreements in which the Companies Privileges were included that those Privileges were made only to particular and individual men and that when those men should dy the Privileges should cease and dye with them For it was then understood that the Privileges granted was a due to the Nation and not only those men which were then nominated but likewise to those who should succeed them in the trade And for what belongs the Petition of the Goess and all other Tradesmen of the Muscovian Dominions and all the pretences which are hudled together against the English Merchants I shall only say at present that it seemes natural enough to me that the Goses a small number of persons might desire thereby to ingross the whole trading to their own hand though to the prejudice of the generalitie of his Tzarskoy Majesties subjects But that the whole Tradesmen of Russia who receive great advantage from the traffick with the English should in that manner petition seemes not so probable because less reasonable Therefore passing over all such colours or realities which may easily be discussed in succeeding Conferences unless this new and abrupt answer shall give me occasion wholly to give over the business I shall my self say roundly inviting thereby the near Boyars and Counsellors of his Tzarskoy Majestie to the same way of proceeding that if the Privileges were only taken away upon occasion of the late Rebellion and the Impostures of Luke Nightingale as hath been given to understand to the King my Master that therefore the same Impostures being now discovered and the said Rebellion being extinguished and pardoned and his Majestie now desiring by me that they may be restored again It is now therefore time for his Tzarskoy Majestie hereby to redouble the former obligation upon the King my Master But if these other Pretences were the sole or the concurrent reasons of their taking away His Majestie is ready by me both to invigorate the execution of any good orders formerly made for the preventing the like miscarriages and also to make for the future such further provision and regulation as may secure the interest of his Tzarskoy Majesty and Subjects And therefore however the King my Master desireth that before all things the said Privileges may be revived not that thereby there is any advantage or gain to his Royal Majesty who could willingly shoot away yearly as much powder as the value of them comes to at the health of his Tzarskoy Majesty his dear and loving Brother Nor that the Merchants his Subjects have thereby as is alleged so inricht themselves in any comparison with what the Subjects of his Tzarskoy Majesty have reaped this hundred years from the English Trade For on the contrary the English merchants have in their free way of living and expense in the Country rather strove to defray only and maintain the friendship with the inhabitans than to accumulate wealth to themselves Which yet if they had done they could not be envyed nor ought to be reproached therewith by those whose Country hath by their benefit drawn in the Commerce and riches of all Europe Nor yet that his Majesty expects herein as it were a recompense of all
my Master saith he hath one essential Title and which He prizes more than those of all his dominions Defender of the Faith an immemorial indubitable successive Title from his Ancestors and as alwaies heretofore so in His last Letter to his Tzarskoy Majesty He useth it in this Court ever since my coming I think by some inadvertency omitted I desire that in styling his Majesty my Master and in all Letters to Him henceforward it may be inserted according as belongs to Him The nineteenth of March Pronchissof brought to my Lord an answer to his given the 29. of February whereby the Commissioners complain much in the first place that he writ with slighting the honourable orders of his Tzarskoy Majesties forces and with little repute for his Posts Therefore they do not like at all this expression of my Lords where he saies that the nearer one comes to Mosco men are more ignorant of the Roads so that they freely say it was not handsom for him to speak so Moreover they deny the foundation of the Friendship between the two Crowns to be as my Lord said the Grant of the Priviledges but only the mutual Love of both Princes That therefore the Priviledges were taken away by reason of the English Rebellion to his late Majesty and that his present Majesty being in misery his Tzarskoy Majesty comforted Him with Letters and as they are pleased to say furnished him with Bread and Money Whereas His Royal Majesty doth not offer to give their great Lord any assistance against his present Enemies the Pole and the Crim Tartar as had done formerly his Royal Father to his Tzarskoy Majesties Father against Vladislaus King of Poland But besides the wars wherein the Tzar was then engaged and the King 's cold assistance they blame also the English merchants who had lately refused the Tzars Ambassadors in England to lend him money for the war Yet notwithstanding it seemes the Tzar will allow ten English merchants new men such as His Royal Majesty shall think fit to make choice of that should faithfully observe such lawful conditions as should be required of them to drive a free trade after such a time that his Tzarskoy Majesties Warrs cease with John Cassimir King of Poland and the Cham of Crim. Lastly they finde the answer about the Titles to be mighty full of offences and that his Excellency doth much diminish their respect when he saies that they are not fitly grounded Whereas being at Conference with them he called them as they say His Tzarskoy Majesties potent Boyars wise and rightly honourable And that therefore that man is not fit to lay the foundation of things who praises in his words and in his writings dispraises without the truth But as to the first Complaint his Excellency by an answer given in Conference the 22. of March replies that as it is easie to be seen his words are misunderstood and what tended to the honour of all persons that deserve it is by His Commissioners perverted to the slighting of them And whereas they say it was not handsom for him to say that the nearer one comes to Mosco men are more ignorant of the Roads he answers that it seemes they rather undertake to censure him as Judges on the bench than treat with him as Counsellors of his Tzarskoy Majesty That perhaps out of hast to answer his last paper which indeed is a jest put upon them seeing they had been near three weeks about it they had omitted the words As we conceive so that the whole sense would have run thus It was not as we conceive handsome for you to declare At last he still insists upon the satisfaction demanded As for the Reproach which my Lord took very ill of his Tzarskoy Majesties assistance to the King whom their most Wise Prince as they call him furnished with bread his Excellency said he agreed in that with them forasmuch as the Wisest of Princes saith Cast thy bread upon the waters and after many daies thou shalt finde it again as also it hath happened And again he said that only our blessed Saviour could multiply the five loaves That his Majesty hath and will own perpetually that courtesy that he hath in his name declared it and given his thanks in the face of the whole World But this he would minde his Tzarskoy Majesties Boyars and Counsellors that even papers of Obligation are sullied and worn out with too much handling and so is it in regard of the Obligations themselves when men too often repeat their own good actions Concerning the matter of Trade his Excellency tells them that with all becoming thanks for the good intention of his Tzarskoy Majesty he refuses to treat of any such conditions as were in their last proposal having no Commission or Latitude from the King to go less in matter of Trade than the Restitution of the former Priviledges And whereas the Commissioners had pleased to say that his Royal Majesty doth not upon this occasion of wars as his Royal Majesties Father of highly glorious memory who had sent his Collonel Thomas Sanderson with many warlike men to assist his Tzarskoy Majestie Michaelo Phederovich against his Enemy Vladislaus King of Poland his Excellency tells them whether seeing in this and many other expressions they seem to weigh the generous actions of Princes by Salotnicks or ounces they would think it civil in him should he say that his Royal Majesties Father of highly glorious memory lent his Tzarskoy Majesties Father of highly glorious memory besides those men of Sandersons forty thousand Rixdollers and they were repaid even as His present Tzarskoy Majesty lent his present Royal Majesty the same sum and they are repaid And that moreover upon his Tzarskoy Majesties Commission to Sir John Hebdon his present Majestie granted the levying of three thousand horse and foot for his present Tzarskoy Majesty which might have proved as good as either Bread or Treasury and if it were not effected it was not his Royal Majesties fault So that hitherto the obligations are equal As to those offences contained as the Commissioners pretend in the latter part of his Excellencies answer it seemes they fix them all in his saying That they are not well or fitly grounded Which words as oft as they shall have the same occasion to use towards him he doth promise them he shall take it kindly and civilly of them But whereas they say that in Conference with them he called them His Majesties Boyars Velmoshnei wise and rightly honourable his Excellency doth acknowledg that they are indeed wise and rightly honourable but I do not remember saith he that ever I called you Velmoshnei as fearing that it came too near the word Velmoshneshei that is to say most potent one of the proper Titles of his Tzarskoy Majesty Although if according to the custom of this Court it may be given you I shall heartily pay it to you and all other expressions of civility esteem and affection
him into his Kingdoms with Extraordinary Ambassages of Congratulation the King my Master out of his singular kindness and affection did to your Tzarskoy majesty alone of all the Princes in Christendom write first the tenth of May 1661. before You had sent your Ambassadors to inform You of His happy Restauration acknowlege your Tzarskoy majesties brotherly kindness shewed to Him in His affliction And further in the same letter signified that though Sir John Hebdon had not presented any Letters of Credence to his Royal majesty from your Tzarskoy majesty yet in confidence of the trust your Tzarskoy majesty reposed in him his Royal majesty had upon his desire for your service granted the levy of three thousand horse and foot under Officers of great courage ability and fidelity Adding moreover that your Enemies should know by the instance of his Royal majesties Ministers that they should do a thing very grateful to him in making a good and lasting peace with your Tzarskoy majesty and if by Their default such peace were not imbraced that they and all the World should see the great affection He hath for the prosperity of your affaires which should be alwayes in his particular care Also in the same Letter his Royal majesty acknowleges your Tzarskoy majesties magnanimity in withdrawing your Protection from the English Merchants during the late Rebellion and desires that all his Royal majesties good Subjects being now returned to their Allegeance your Tzarskoy majesty would restore them their houses estates and privileges and that You declare the same Upon which your Tzarskoy majesties declaration he would send forthwith his Ambassador to expresse further His sense of your Tzarskoy majesties affection and to make all possible returns of the same Hereupon your Tzarskoy majesty returned answer of the 28. July 1661. That your Tzarskoy majesty desired to continue with his Royal majesty the same friendship and correspondency which had been betwixt both your Fathers of blessed memory and that as to what his Royal majesty said he would send his Ambassador about your Tzarskoy majesty would be ready so farr as is possible to give assent thereto After this your Tzarskoy majesty in your Letter of the 31. July 1662. sent by your late Extraordinary Ambassadors writ also that taking into your princely consideration the flourishing Estate of your Tzarsva and that intire brotherly love and amity and frequent correspondency which inviolably was held and continued betwixt both your Fathers of blessed memory and the happiness peace tranquillity accruing thereby to both Dominions your Tzarskoy majesty doth most earnestly heartilie desire not only the continuation thereof but a more nearer dearer and firmer affectionate blessed brotherly â—ove amity frequent correspondency with his Royal majesty your dear loving Brother than formerly with all readiness and freeness on all occasions to the utmost of Your power to answer the desires of his Royal majesty Your dear and loving Brother Upon these assurances on your Tzarskoy majesties part his Royal majesty dispatched me hither where what I said in the face of the whole World by his Royal majesties Command in his name concerning the mutual and equal affection of his Royal majesty is perfectly known to Your Tzarskoy majestie Your Tzarskoy was then pleased to appoint me Commissioners persons of great nobility and experience for which I give Your Tzarskoy majesty thanks and wish I could as justly give You thanks also for their affection all of them to the amitie and good correspondencie betwixt the two Crowns and for their expedition in the business committed to them But when as I at my first Conference according to his Royal majesties order moved first for the Restitution of the Privileges signifying in the same writing that these being granted I had other things to profer on his Royal majesties part out of his affection to your Tzarskoy majesty I received from my Commissioners so unexpected an answer that had heaven faln as the windowes of the Counsel-chamber broke in twice at the recital it could scarce have been more strange or miraculous to me It amounted in effect to an absolute denyal of the Privileges First indeed they say that they werâ— taken away upon occasion of the laâ— Rebellion But after that they affirm that his late Royal majesty of ever blessed memorie by Luke Nightingale desired that the Privileges might be nulled then they allege several miscarriages of the English Merchants after that a petition of the Goses and all the Traders in Russia then that the English Merchants are dead In a second paper they speak of Your warrs with the Crim and the Pole that his Royal majesty furnished not your Tzarskoy majesty with mony that the Merchants of the Moscovia Companie refused to lend mony towards your Tzarskoy majesties warrs being desired by your Ambassadors And several other reasons to make up the number though any one of them would have served if it be indeed resolved before hand not to grant the Privileges but altogether will not compound one solid argument if weighed by so piercing and deep a judgement as that of Your majesty So that my Commissioners wholly cutting off all hopes of the Privileges for the present insisted only that I should declare to them what else I had to offer from his Royal majesty And I profering to them that if they had any thing as that remained on their part and was proper for them to propound for your Tzarskoy majesties service I should give them a fitting answer And only desiring to be resolved by them whether in case my proposals should seem to them equivalent to the Privileges they had then power to grant them they could not or did not give me any satisfaction therein I appeale to your Tzarskoy majesty whether I having a plenipotential Letter from his Royal majesty to your Tzarskoy majesty which is in it self sufficient and over and above that a particular Commission under the great seale of England for the Recovery of the privileges it were fit for mâ— further to divulge the secrets of his Royal majesties singular affection and brotherly intentions towards your Tzarskoy majesty to persons not impowred and fully authorized to conclude with me or that had only a power to deny but none to assent to my proposals And therefore this being the whole State of my business and such being the answers which in your Tzarskoy majesties name I have received from my Commissioners so that the matter will now shortly return out of our hands to be decided betwixt his Royal majesty and your Tzarskoy majesty your selves I shall as I have the honour to represent his Royal majesties person â—o take the liberty to represent his words upon this occasion as if He and You could meet together and did in â—resence contemplate both Your unspeaâ—able Majesties in that glasse of friendâ—hip the most clear eyes of one another â—s farr as my weak judgement can â—ade into the dephts of his Royal majesties
time from my Predecessors They discovered the port and opened you the Trade and Market of all Europe at Archangel They fought your Enemies ships in the Eastern-seas when the Princes there adjacent had leagued together to shut up the Narve and delivered the prisoners to the Russian Governours at the Narve They lent summs of mony for the wars they furnished Souldiers and Commanders to fight your Enemies they made peace for you with neighbour Princes They suffered the Merchants to supply the Country in the times of great dearth with corn who sold it to the Nation â—t the rate it cost them and several other things to be transported hither for your accommodation in peace or warr prohibited to all other Nations I could mention yet an higher Obligation than all these upon the desire of one of your Tzarskoy Ancestors were it so seasonable to relate it And I my self who ordered my Ambassador to tell You that herein I desired to exceed all my Ancestors yet am refused the Privileges the purchase of my Subjects industry and their vast expense and great losses in finding out and carrying on the Trade to this present I my self at my first coming to the Crown granted to Sir John Hebdon without Credentials three thousand horse and foot of the flower of the English forces for Your service which what they can do and are let the world witness And had your Ambassadors either demanded any thing of me but an unproportionable and unseasonable summe of mony or had they but acquainted me with the posture of your Tzarskoy majesties affaires in any measure You should not have found me wanting However before I sent my Ambassador over I did my best to inform my self otherwise I found that the Pole was likely still to molest You and that notwithstanding the late Peace with Sweden some points remained yet undecided Reflecting upon which I thought for the reasons Your Majestie knowes as concerning the Pole that he would not think me a competent Mediator betwixt You seeing besides that the King of Poland only hath not yet sent me any Ambassage to congratulate my happy Return For the Swede I saw no reason why mine interposition betwixt your Tzarskoy majesty and Him might not be acceptable and seasonable on all sides if your Tzarskoy majesty â—hought it necessary to quench any parks of contention before they broke â—ut further Moreover I consider the opportunity that I have and shall always of assisting You with Commanders and Souldiers ships armour and ammunition against any Enemies You might have for the future and the influence and authority that I should have from time to time with most Princes of Europe or out of Europe that could annoy You for the composing of any differences And upon all these things I had given such order as I thought fitting to my Ambassador And doubtless considering mine own Obligations to your Tzarskoy majesty and the promise I had made You in mine own Letter formerly which I took my self bound to accomplish and the choice of the person of my Ambassador You would not have found me ungrateful in any thing of this or other nature which could not occurre to me Having represented these words as from his Royal majesties own mouth to your Tzarskoy majesty it becomes me not to continue them with any of mine own further than to desire that your Tzarskoy majesty will seriously and speedily according to your great prudence wherewith God hath inspired You reflect upon them and give me a quick dispatch one way or other that I may not lose the very first season of the year to depart hence as his Royal majesty hath given me positive order Given at Mosco 22. April 1664. CARLISLE This speech being thus ended my Lord Ambassador added four Memorials which he gave also in writing but in a paper by it self Three of them were against Pronchissof who endeavoured by all meanes to obstruct my Lords affaires and to make him odious to this Court. It seemes he had told my Lord that his Royal Majesties affaires were in a dangerous and weak condition so that my Lord being confident that he had strove to instil this false report into the Tzars ear thought himselfe bound upon this occasion to inform his Tzarskoy Majesty that what he said therein was contrary to the truth and maliciously invented by Enemies of his Royal Majesty and that the King was in as good condition of quiet at home and power abroad as any Prince in Christendom Another time the same Pronchissof told my Lord Ambassador at his house in the presence of Dementè Bashmacof and of a Colonel van Staden their Interpreter that it was reported his Excellency had received a great summe of mony of the Merchants to recover the Privileges and upon the effecting thereof was to receive yet greater from the said Merchants whereupon my Lord requiring his author he would or could name none so that his Excellency took him for the Author himself as it was very likely Therefore upon this occasion he acquainted the Tzar with it and desired his Majesty to cause Reparation to be given him by the said Pronchissof for so malicious and high a slander Besides the said Pronchissof at several other times spoke to my Lord Ambassador as if he had neglected his Royal Majesties business in respect to the Merchants and threatned him with the Tzars displeasure that he should not depart with honour and as if his Tzarskoy Majesty would complain of his conduct to his Royal Majesty whose instructions he said that my Lord had transgressed In all which things he much diminished the respect due to his Excellency and doubtless exceeded any Commission from his Tzarskoy Majesty My Lord did not neglect to informe his Majesty of all these things upon this present occasion and to tell Him that for these and for the former reasons he takes the said Pronchissof who was at this Audience to be an Enemy to the good correspondence betwixt his Royal Majesty and his Tzarskoy Majesty and consequently no Friend to himself And that therefore whatsoever he might have reported at any time or would afterwards concerning him to give his Tzarskoy Majesty as he had all reason to suspect an ill taste and impression of him He desires his Tzarskoy Majesty to hold it for falshood as he himself was ready to prove it if his Majesty had thought fit at any time to communicate any such thing to him for his own satisfaction He put moreover his Tzarskoy Majesty in minde of the former Reparation promised which still his Commissioners had neglected hitherto The 24. of May my Lord received his Commissioners answer to his papers given at Conference the 22. of March wherein first they blame his Excellency for saying in the beginning that they misunderstood his words as if he had a mind thereby to tell them that they were not able to understand his meaning But for the Posts innocent mistake as they call it they say that
employed a great while when He sent any message to my Lord Ambassador notwithstanding the solemn Declaration made against him at the private Audience and in his stead there was another supplied for a Pristaf who was indeed a civiller man but of lesser quality The Proposition given by my Lord in writing at this Conference was written after this manner HIs most Serene Majesty my Master desiring to fulfil all parts of a most sincere brotherly affection toward his most Serene Tzarskoy Majesty according to His promise in his former Royal Letters and by me his extraordinary Ambassador taking into consideration the present war continued betwixt his Tzarskoy Majesty and the King of Poland to the so great detriment of the Common Christian Interest hath therefore although He knowes that his Tzarskoy Majesty doth neither want sufficient forces nor most prudent counsels whereby He may probably bring that war to a conclusion yet for the better facilitating of a firme and honourable peace betwixt his Tzarskoy Majesty and the King of Poland Impowred me if it may be acceptable and desirable to his Tzarskoy Majesty to offer his Mediation toward so good a work and hath therefore laid aside all respects to the contrary believing that so laudable a design will so much the rather find with his Majesty of Poland all effect and acceptance And this being but as an earnest of all those other counsels and good offices which his Tzarskoy Majesty may promise Himself continually from his Royal Majesty I do no ways doubt but his Tzarskoy Majesty will manifest a just value of his Royal Majesties most sincere constant brotherly affection Vnto which I shall always strive to be in my place instrumental according to my duty to his Royal Majesty and my great devotion towards the service of his Tzarskoy Majesty so great a Prince and so dear a Friend and Brother of his Royal Majesty Given at Mosco 1. June 1664. The Commissioners Answer to this matter was that his Tzarskoy Majesty was well pleased with this profer of his Royal Majesty that his Excellency in prosecution thereof should send a Post to his Majesty of Poland by way of Smolensco and proceed himself in the business as might be meet and fitting But it seemes they did not or would not mind what his Excellency had required before he would ingage his Prince in so long and chargeable a designe Therefore he made them understand that otherwise he could not undertake it because his Royal Majesty took it for granted that he had before this effected his business which was the reason of this His last generous profer The Commissioners postposing any thing to the Customes taken and the English Merchants my Lord took occasion to give over his Profer and to take his Leave of the Tzar having left into the hands of his Tzarskoy Majesties near Boyars and Counsellors some Memorials of remaining business besides that point which he most insisted upon that in time they might be redressed The 24. of June He had his last Audience where he took his Leave of his Majesty in few words Most Serene and most Potent Tzar THe King my Master hath commanded me to make hast from hence about his other affaires committed to me and since your Tzarskoy Majesty hath not been pleased to grant what I was sent for the greatest Kindness You can shew the King my Master and the greatest favour to my self is the allowing me this liberty of taking my leave of your Majesty and permitting me to depart with speed I have nothing to desire of your Tzarskoy Majesty at parting but that as is due and right there may be the same liberty to all other his Majesties Subjects whensoever the respective time of their Obligations shall be expired and that to those who must in the mean time remain speedy and equal justice may be afforded which hath not been hitherto I return my thanks for the plentiful enâ—ertainment I have had in your Country 〈◊〉 shall very truly give the King an acâ—ount of all the honours and favours I â—ave received and with the same â—uth and candor give an account of all â—hings that have passed in my Negotiaâ—ion and shall pray to God to bless your Majesty with a long and happy Government Whereupon the Tzar being on his Throne desired the Ambassador to salute his Brother the King of great Brittaine and delivered the Letter he sent him with his own hand He pretended to be much troubled that the State of his affaires would not permit him to comply with his desires and prayed God for the prosperity of his Voiage Upon which his Excellence kist his hand as did likewise all his Gentlemen after him and being returned they brought him his dinner from the Palace This being the Negociation and success of the Embassie let us now take a prospect of the most memorable passages that hapned during our residence at Mosco The first thing that presents it self is the description of a Feast which the Tzar made to my Lord Ambassador the 19. of February in the hall wherein his Excellence had Audience it was a meale of near nine houres long from two in the afternoon till eleven at night My Lord Ambassador was conducted thither very solemnly but being entred into the hall the Tzar who was sitting upon his Throne forgot not to retain his ordinary gravity and though he had not then his Crown upon his head he thought it too great a condescention for a person of his grandeur to vaile his bonnet to the Ambassador From whence it may be easiely conjectured that his Excellence was not admitted to his table and indeed it was so farr from that that he was plac't at another on his left hand some steps lower than his own whilst his principal Boyars had not only their table on his right hand but at a less distance from his Throne In so much as in that place where my Lord Ambassador ought to have received all honor and civility there it was that they studied as it were to treat him disobligingly He was seated alone on one side next the wall and on the other there was one of the Tzars Councelors and a Stolnick to bear him Company In a direct line and near his table they plac't my Lord Morpeth and with him by express order from the Tzar not only the Gentlemen and Pages but the Footmen also it being his pleasure to regale us altogether Assoon as every one was sate his Tzarskoy Majesty uncoâ—ered himself and put not on his grave â—onnet of black fox again till we went away â—o that he continued bare as we did though is hair was so short that one of our Company â—ook occasion to say he wondered so great 〈◊〉 Monarch should want hair to cover his â—ars But in my judgment we had more reaâ—n to wonder when we saw that we had no â—apkins and that the Table-cloth was no â—ider than the Table In the mean time â—r meat not being
Czaream suam Majestatem benevolentiâ alienissimum ut ille quem Czareae suae Majestati nullo modo obstrictum ulterius aut addictum esse innotuerit tamen contra voluntatem suam nostram intercessionem vestra promissa diutius detineretur Quapropter te etiam atque etiam rogo Domine Cancellarie ut si Calthofius adhuc vobiscum haereat Serenissimae Czareae suae Majestati haec exponere velis ne in re adeo exiguâ tam magnum amicitiae detrimentum patiatur Me autem re magis injuriarum quam beneficiorum memorem esse Existimetis hâc occasione tibi adeóque Czareae sua Majestati significandum esse duxi egregiam Boyarij Knez Jvan Borissovitz Repenini erga me in itinere nostro per Novogorodam humanitatem quam semper praedicabo Majorem etiam si major esse posset Knez Pheodor Gregorevitz Romadonofsky in hoc loco comitatem qui ambo omnibus honoris benevolentiae indiciis me cumularunt Neque enim ipsis imputandum est si quod dicitur sentoria de Czareo suo curru minus laboro in limi te Nihusiano mihi auferantur quae Czarea sua Majestas si bene Ockolniohey Basilium Volinskoy intellexi mihi Rigam usque commodavit propter quae ipse alia nostris impensis mihi comparare omisi Dona quidem a Czarea sua Majestate mihi oblata quoniam ita me decebat recusavi non itidem usum eorum quae ad itineris nostri commoditatem faciebant Et quum sub Pellibus noluerim sub Tentoriis certe pernoctare licuisset Si autem ita omnino decretum est non sum adeo mollis ut per aliquot dies militari more sub dio agere nequeam ne a Praefecto Suecico petere videar quae â Czarea sua Majestate suppeditanda esse credideram Cui nihilominus de omnibus beneficiis atque honoribus mihi delatis gratias ago quà m maximas ea Domino meo Regi fidelissime recencebo Vale Plescuae 14. Julii 1664. CARLISLE My Lord Chancellor THough the esteem I have and ought to have of the justice and prudence of his most Serene Tzarskoy Majesty perswaded me that Calthof would be dismist if not before at least as Soon as my Letters from T were on the 30. of June were arrived yet being advanced as farr as Plesco and having no advertisment thereof I have dispacht this messenger again to Mosco for that very affair Which though to you it may not appear so considerable as it ought yet to me it is of that importance it can not be pretermitted without neglecting the Commands of the most Serene King my Master and the liberty of Calthof his Subject And indeed it would be unjust and contrary to the mutual amity betwixt the King my Master and his Tzarskoy Majesty should he who is manifestly now under no farther Obligation or engagement to his Tzarskoy Majesty be contrary to his own will my intercession and Your promises detained any longer I do make it my request therefore my Lord Chancellor that if Calthof be still amongst You You would represent these things so effectually to his Tzarskoy Majesty that the amity of our soveraignes may receive no diminution from so small and inconsiderable an occasion For my own part lest you should think me better at remembring injuries than benefits I have taken this occasion to signify to You and by consequence to his Tzarskoy Majesty the great civility Boyar Knez Jvan Borissovitz Repenini shewed me in my Journey by Novogorod which I shall always acknowledg and the greater if greater can be of Knez Pheodor Gregorevitz Romadonofsky in this place both of them loading me at it were with testimonies of honor and respect Nor do I think it imputable to them if the Tents for of his Tzarskoy Majesties coach I am not so solicitous be taken from me at the Borders at Nihuisen though if I well understood Ockolnickey Basilius Volinskoy his Tzarskoy Majesty was pleased to spare me them as farr as Riga and for which reason I had neglected to furnish my self at my own charges It is true I did refuse as became me his Tzarskoy Majesties presents that were sent me but not those conveniences that were necessary in my journey And though I did not for the reasons fore-mentioned accept of his furs it might have been allowed me to have slept under his Tents However if it be peremptorily decreed I am not so soft and effeminate but rather than request those things from the Swedish Governour that I thought were to have been supplyed by his Tzarskoy Majesty I can like a Souldier for some days take my fortune in the fields I do notwithstanding return many thanks to his Tzarskoy Majesty for all the honors and favours I received from him and shall make a faithful enumeration of them to the King my Master Plesco the 14. of July 1664. CARLISLE This Letter being dispatched the next day â—y Lord Ambassador departed from Plesco â—his Town is not of any great circumfeâ—ence but it is very convenient and pleasant â—aving a faire River which riseth in a Lake â—bout half a League from it running by the â—own Our Convoy from Plesco to the Frontiers â—eing so good as I said we had no reason to â—pprehend the danger that threatned us I â—ean the Regiment of Thieves who by their â—xploits had got themselves a great Name in â—he Province of Pscove We had as I said before â—e hundred armed foot to secure our bagage â—hich marched alwaies before besides a â—quadron of horse that attended on the perâ—on of the Ambassador And if on the one â—de this Convoy was necessary for our proâ—ection so on the other side his Excellence â—ooked upon it as a great honour and repuâ—ation to see himself the Object of so much â—are and respect At every Stage he was â—onourably received amongst the noise of â—rums and the Soldiers drawn up in very â—ood Order and at night had very strong Guards placed about him Insomuch that in two days march we arrive at the Frontiers without any visible danger And we had not â—een half an hour on the Frontiers but the â—wo Officers deputed from the Governour General of Livonia and the Governour of the Castle of Nihuisen arrived to salute thâ— Ambassador with a Complement in Frencâ— very obliging and full of Civility Among other things they gave him to understand the King and Queen Mother of Sweden attended him with impatience and that knowing the difficulty of the Passage from Nihuisâ— to Riga they had commanded he should 〈◊〉 accommodated with all things that migâ— expedite his arrival and be necessary for 〈◊〉 journey To which his Excellence replieâ— that he was already surprised to understanâ— by the Governour Generals Letter the eâ—traordinary care that Crown had taken 〈◊〉 his Voiage that there was nothing he aspire to with more passion than to injoy the honour of seeing their Majesties but that he wâ— very desirous to continue his
cannon â—hat the Page very much surprized thought â—t best to leave him alone in that Kind of exâ—rcise And so the horse went away as he â—ame without Eyes or Sadle or bridle and â—he Page after that time made his Voiage alâ—ost wholly in the wagons Some there â—ere that day that were forced to march on â—ot for want of horses Others were so tyred â—ith them they were sometimes constrained â—o the same thing for their refreshment But if we suffred in our travailing we were not much better accomodated in our Lodgings the most of us being forced to make use of some Barn or Kitchen to put our beds in to pass away the night The Gentlemen for the most part lay in their litle coaches they had brought along with them from Moscovie True it is we were entertained in three or four Castles and Marienborough amongst the rest where our accomodation was something better At Riga the Ambassador was very well received they did him all the honor we could possibly desire nor did he appear on his side less pompous and magnificent But our entry being followed immediately with terrible tempests and after the noise of the Canon with dismal claps of thunder it was lookt upon immediatly by the superstitious people as an ill omen and presage Of the Ambassadors Risidence at Riga RIga is scituate upon the bank of the Duina a River that rises as has been said before in the Province of T were oâ— Twersco in Moscovie and empties it self in to the Baltick Sea some four leagues from this City It is a Town of no great extent but compact and very well peopled Its buildings are all of stone or brick and fortifyed with a good wall good ditches and Ramparts on that side towards Moscovie besides towards the River it has a strong and well forâ—efied Castle in which the Governour Geâ—eral of Livonia keeps his residence But this Town is principally considerable in respect of â—he great commerce which it draws from all â—arts especially by the Baltick Sea from whence the Vessels come up the Duina to the â—ery Gates of the Town In winter they maintain a great trade with Moscovy by the â—onvenience of their sledges in which the Merâ—hants convey themselves and their Commoâ—ities as farr as Plesco Novogorod or Mosco On the other side of the River lyes Courland â—hich depends in part on the Duke of that â—ame whose ordinarie residence is at Mittau â—ome six Dutch miles from Riga The Lanâ—uage they speak in Riga is High Dutch and â—he Religion they profess is the Lutheran The next day after our arrival in this place â—ount Oxenstern made a visit to the Ambasâ—dor who the next day returned him the â—ke in the Castle His Excellence exprest himâ—lf very sensible of the care which he had taâ—en to facilitate his Journey and that he might 〈◊〉 some measure discharge himself of the Obliâ—ation he had to that Crown for the expence â—hich had been made in his favour and that the King his Master might not be brought into any new Engagements he made a proffer of reimbourcing them again But the Governour General replyed that what was done was by express order of his King who was willing to take that slender opportunity to testify the joy he conceived at his arrival and designed not thereby to put any Obligation upon his Majesty of great Britain My Lord Ambassador was in like manner visited by the Mayor and Senators of the Town Fifteen days we staied in this place partly in expectation of a Man of Warr that was to come from Stockholm to transport us and partly for a good wind So that we had time enough to refresh our selves after the Voyage we had now finisht And indeed most of us did very well overcome the fatigues of our Journey especially by the help of the feather beds they use in Riga as they dâ— in Swedeland Germany and Danemarke Nevertheless these kind of double beds being little in use in England many of us could noâ— endure them and were altogether surpriseâ— to find our selves sinking into a quagmire oâ— feathers which constrained us to lye rouleâ— up in a heap But they were no sooner in commoded in this posture but they began tâ— declaim against these kind of beds in 〈◊〉 much as one somewhat a Critick took occâ—sion to call them Beds of Ignorance according to that expression of the Poet. Non jacet in molli veneranda scientia Lecto Learning 's not found in Beds of Down For three days after our arrival we were entertained at the Charge of the Town in so much as the 7. of August was the first day his Excellence began to provide meat for himself since our arrival at Archangel During our residence at this place the weather proved so ill in respect of the great store of raine lightning and thunder which hapned every day that we were forced to lead a very sedentary and recluse life But that which was our greatest consolation was the joy we conceived in being out of all commerce with the Moscovits to find our selves amongst Christians of very good conversation and after a tedious association with a people barbarous and rude to fall amongst those that were civil and urbane In short to observe an exquisite neatnes and cleanlynes in all things after having lived amongst the Moscovits after a very slovenly manner The 10. of August Count Oxenstern entertained the Ambassador with so much splendor and Pomp that to give account of it in few words it was more like the entertainment of a King than an Ambassador The place resounding with an admirable consort of Musick Trumpets Ketle-drums and Cannonâ— and every thing seeming with emulation to contribute to the publication of the glory of this Embassy This entertainment being over the Ambassador prepared himself to embarque as soon as possible the Man of Warr being arrived which was a Fregat called the Amaranthe carrying fortie brass pieces mounted My Lords Coach and horses being to be transported by themselves there was a shallop hired on purpose for that Of his Excellencies Voiage from Riga to Stockholme upon the Baltick-Sea On the 18. of August the Ambassador departed from Riga by water to go on ship-board about a League and an half from thence where our Vessel was at anchor but the wind was so contrary that we were constrained to yield to its violence and put to shore in the sight of the whole Town and make the rest of our way towards the ship by Land We were no sooner out of the Town but the Castle made all things eccho again with the noise of their Artillery But when we came near the Vessel we found the wind blowing so fiercely against us that we were glad to take a resolution of retiring â—o a Country-house hard by where we past â—way the Night ill enough The next morning the wind not being so â—igh the Captain sent two Boats to bring us board the Skif which carried the
Master of the Ceremonies came aboord our Ship to signify to the Ambassador from their Majesties the King and Queen Mother the satisfaction they received at his arrival But before he could deliver his Complement we escaped â—ery narrowly from being cast away For having weighed our anchors in the morning to take advantage of the wind that was something favourable the Pilot doubling a point to gain the greater benefit by it the Vessel on a sudden ran so near the Rocks the Pilot in a great fright was forced to tack immediately with all the dexterity he was able which was not so great but the Ship struck with her Poop as she was turning about But by the Grace of God it was done without any other mischief than a concussion that waked and affrighted too all that were then asleep in the Ship After this our Vessel was managed so well that at length we gained the point that was so near destroying us and came to anchor within a League of Stockholm At this time the Master of the Horse who was arrived the day before came aboord the Man of war â—o give an accompt to the Ambassador of his Voiage and amongst the rest of an accident â—efel one of his Coach-horses at Sea which â—e had ordered to be thrown over board beâ—ng fallen ill beyond any hopes of recovery â—n the mean time my Lord Ambassadors Lady â—eing big with child thought convenient to get a-shore assoon as she could The 8. of September the Ambassador made his Entry where he received all possible expressions of an Amity extraordinary True â—t is there was not that Bravery and Ceremony as at his Entry at Mosco but I dare affirm there was much more Sincerity Frankness and Decorum And whereas in that the Moscovites made demonstration only of their Grandeur and Vanity The Swedes in this made no other expression but of Kindness Civility Their Artillery which is so dreadful in the wars was become here the grateful Proclaimer of Peace and Affection nothing being to be heard about the Town for an hour together but the noise of their Cannon and great Guns For assoon as the Ambassador had left the ship and was entered with his Train into the Boats that were sent him by the King the Fregat gave us a whole round with his Cannon and whilst we were making for the shore they saluted him with many from land so that they made a very strange clattering amongst the Rocks As we past along we had the sight of a Diver that came up out of a place twenty fathoms deep into which they let him down out of a shallop with a Cord to look for the Guns of a Man of War that had been cast away there He was clad all in leather and sate under a certain Engine something like a bell in which he said himself he had space enough to breathe the water comming no higher than his breast After this we came to a Bridg covered over with Carpets of Tapestry at which place his Excellence was complemented from their Majesties by one of the principal Senators And from thence he was conveyed in the Kings Coach to a House set a part for Ambassadors Their Majesties having joyned several of their Gentlemen Pages and Footmen to his Train The Liveries my Lord Ambassador had in this place were new Liveries brought him with several other goods by Mr. Watson to Riga They were like those which they wore at Mosco of Scarlet cloth the King of Englands Colour but trimed up after another fashion according to the Mode at that time and in all points very rich and handsom Of the Ambassadors Residence at Stockholm HIs Excellence having spent but five weeks in this Town I shall not have many â—hings to speak upon occasion of this Embassy â—he principal end whereof was to declare in â—he behalf of the King of great Britain the â—incere desire his Majesty had to enter into a â—ricter correspondence with the King of Swedeâ—and But before we enter upon this subject â—t will not be inproper to premise a word or â—wo concerning this Court. The word Stockholm is properly the name of the Isle in which the City is built which â—sland is called Stockholm which signifies the â—sle of the Tronk or body of a Tree Holme â—ignifying an Iland and Stock the trunck of a Tree For the Capital City being burned of â—ld they which layd the foundation of this did it as they relate it in this manner They â—hrew the Trunck of a tree into the water and â—esolved that at what Island soever the same Trunck first rested in that place they would â—uild their Town and the Trunck resting in â—his place the Town was accordingly built â—here and called Stockholm as the Island also â—s The Town is very compact but even with â—he suburbs is not altogether so big as Roven â—n France The buildings are most of stone yet some also of wood Of the first sort there are several very magnificent and amongst them that of General Wrangel and the Chancellors There are some parts of the Town which being built off from the Island stand like parts of Venice upon piles so that the Sea flows under them The Palace hath nothing in it very remarkeable saving that it stands on the bank of the Sea and has a faire prospect of several Ships that ride hard by and the Kings Men of Warr amongst the rest But that which is most considerable in Stockholm is that in so cragged and unpleasant a place the people should be so courteous and friendly and that amongst so many Rocks and uninhabited Islands which are as so many fortresses to the Town we should find a Court so civil and benigne In Moscovie we had experience of the contrary where in a Country pleasant beautiful we found a people whose manner of living is very rude and austere Whereas here in a place that seems to be the very refuse of nature we found all manner of humanity and politeness Besides the peculiar language of the Country the nobility do with great industry addict themselves to the French and indeed they speak it as freely as if it were their own Their humor and manner of living has great affinity with the French also they are free and open hearted and no less affectors of Gallantry As for their Religion they follow as they do in Denmark the doctrine of Luther His Excellence being arrived at this Court â—e was for three days entertained at the â—harges of the Swedish King and on the third which was a Sunday he had Audience from his Majesty I shall not delay my self so much as to make any discription of their Ceremonies they being the same that are ordinarily used in other Courts of Europe This only 〈◊〉 shall say in relation to the person of the King that at that time he was not fully arrived at the ninth year of his age and yet was at that age indued with all the
perfections so young a Prince is capable of He was very handsom and had a certain kind of cheerfulnes and alacrity in his Looks that made all those that were present admire him In short he is a young King in whom all the â—eroick virtues of his Ancestors seem to revive His hair was very light his habit cloth of silver with his cloake and sword and a â—aire plume of white feathers in his hat He stood before his chair of State under a Caâ—opy with the Regents of his Kingdome on each side of him besides a great number of other of his Nobles His Excellence assoon as â—e approached after his reverences made this â—omplement to him which the young Prince â—eceived with an admirable gravity and grace Most Puissant and most Serene King THe King my Master has sent me to Your Majesty to cultivate and celebrate the Friendship already happily established betwixt Your Majesties to congratulate in His stead and pertake of Your Majesties present felicity wishing You the same for the future and to assure You that wherein the affection of the King my Master may add to all Your blessings He will no wayes be wanting And when His Majesty saith that He speakes not only of that present Amity of State betwixt You He thinks friendship but narrow which is confined in Treaties buâ— He understands therewith a personal and most particular affection to Your Majesty an affection large and deep as the heart of Princes without condition without reserve upon all occasions wherein Hâ— may gratify Your Majesty And even thâ— seeming lateness of these professions is sâ— farr from any contrariety on his Majeâ—ties part that indeed He hath herein â—iven that precedence to this Embassy â—hich the end hath over the beginning to â—e first in intention though last in exeâ—ution and if there be any fault it must â—est wholy upon my misfortune coming â—rom a climate and people where it costs 〈◊〉 much time to do nothing But thereâ—ore I cannot but so much the more esteem â—e honour I now have to contemplate so â—reat a Monarch who are in so young â—ars so accomplished a Prince and as he â—â—ce said of that little Hercules Parvusque videri Sentirique ingens â—nd in so excellent a model represent all â—e magnanimity and grandeur of Your â—oyal Ancestors I congratulate the hapâ—ness of Your Kingdom for which it â—mes that Gods Providence would to 〈◊〉 the more exemplary alter its usual â—axime and what he once threatned as a malediction hath made it the greatest blessing of Your Subjects to have a Prince in His nonage to rule over them And in conclusion I profess and offer my self to Your Majesty as a most ready willing and I heartily wish as proper an instrument in all occasions to witness and approve his Majesties most sincere and constant desires of a most perfect correspondence with Your Majesty to Your mutual contentments and the further welfare of both Your Kingdoms His Excellence having delivered himselâ— in English with his hat on his Secretary rendered what the Ambassador had spoken iâ— the following Latin Domine Rex DOminus Rex meus ad Majestatem Vestraâ— me legavit ut excolerem concelebrareâ— amicitiam inter Majestates Vestras jam optimâ— auspiciis contractam ut gratularer sua viâ— participarem praesentem Majestatis Vestrae felâ— citatem eandem etiam in posterum augurandoâ— utque Majestati Vestrae confirmarem quod 〈◊〉 quo modo fortunis Vestris superaddere suo affectu contribueri possit nulla in re Majestati Vestrae defuturam Et quum Majestas sua haec dicit non tantum de presenti publica inter Majestates Vestras sua Regna societate loquitur angustiorem illam amicitiam existimat quae foederum hactenus tractatuum veluti cancellis circumscribitur Sed intimam quandam singularem benevolentiam innuit benevolentiam quantum ipsa Regum corda effutissimam profundam sine conditione sine limite quâcunque in re Majestati Vestrae gratificare commodare possit Ne verò hoc tardius quam pro summo quo Majestatem vestram complectitur honore profiteri videatur hoc ipsum Majestati Vestrae honori datum est ut quo modo finis initia antecedit ita haec ad Majestatem Vestram Legatio posterior quidem Executione sed meditamento consilio prima existeret Si autem alicubi hujus morae culpa residat sola mea fortuna argui potest utpote qui ab illa regione gente recens adveniam ubi ad nihil agendum non nimori tempore opus Erat. Sed eò jam impensiùs mihi gratulor dum Majestatem Vestram tandem conâ—emplor in tam tenerâ aetate jam consummatum Principem de quo uti de parvo illo Hercule meritò dici potest Parvusque videri Sentirique ingens Et in quo tanquam in perfectissimo modulo heroicam omnium Majorum Vestrorum magnanimitatem caeteraque Regii tam animi quà m corporis lineamenta recognoscimus videmus Nec possum Regni Vestri fortunas satis laudare quibus ut magis velisicetur ipsa Divina Providentia cursum suum mutavit quod suo olim populo interminata est in summam subditorum vestrorum faelicitatem convertit faciendo ut Pupillus super eos regnaret De caetero memet ipsum offero profiteor uti paratissimum utinam aptissimum instrumentum ad contestandum approbandum omni occasione constantissimum sincerissimum Majestatis suae voâ—um perfectissimae cum Majestate Vestra amicitiae societatis ad mutuum Majestatum Vestrarum gaudium quodcunque ulterius Regnorum Vestrorum emolumentum After this Interpretation the Count Magnus Gabriel de la Garde returned an answer in the Swedish language in the name of his Master the King which answer was likewise rendred in Latin He said the King his Master thought himself much honored by so splended an Embassy in which his Majesty of great Britain had done him the honour to salute him and congratulate the felicity of his Government That he also bore his part in the prosperity of the King of great Britain and that on his side he should be always ready to entertain a nearer and more strict amitie with him And at â—ength he intimated how great value and â—steem the King his Master had for the person of the Ambassador The next day my Lord Ambassador had audience of the Queen Mother in her own appartement She is a Princess which besides the graces of her minde is no less embellisht with the advantages of her person She was under a Canopy before her Chair with several Ladies and Gentlemen of the Court attending her His Excellence being advanced near delivered his Compliment bare in this manner Madam THe King my Master hath laid a peculiar Command upon me to salute and congratulate Your Majesty on His behalf both in respect of Your Quality â—s so great a Queen and of Your relation
â—o the Government of this Kingdom with which He is at amity and of Your happiness of being Mother to a Prince his Friend who makes already so great a part of the discourse and hopes as He will one day of the history of Christendom His Majesty my Master rejoyces extreamly in the happy constitution of all Your affaires and under God attributes it much to Your Majesties Prudence that in the conjuncture of so young a King yet there is no possibility of other contention here then that decent contest whether You or the Kingdom have a greater share in Him And his Majesty my Master offers himself as a third to foment so amiable a controversy being resolved never to hold himself in neutrality thorough such blessed wars of friendship and affection as in all other things He saith he shall be most happy to witness the singular esteem and honour that for all these reasons He beares to Your Majesties person The Qeen my Sovereign Lady hath charged me with all commands of the like nature to express how amorous and how great an admirer She is of Your Royal person and virtues and most desirous of shewing by all means the great honour She retains and cherishes for your Majesty to whom I beg leave on mine own part to present all due honour and service This Complement his Excellencies Secretary immediately interpreted into French My Lord Ambassador after this Audience imploied most of that little time he had to stay in that Court in bringing the Amity and Alliance between these two Crowns to a nearer and firmer Connexion And this was the reason he had several conferences with the principal Ministers of that Kingdom both in publick and private Amongst other things he intimated the design the King his Master had to enter into a strict League with that Crown and the Kingdom of Danemark he demonstrated the great advantages would accrue thereby and that without doubt the security of the three Kingdoms of England Swedeland and Danemark would principally depend thereupon That for this reason his Majesty of great Britain deputed two Gentlemen in quality of his Envoies Extraordinary one to this Court and the other into Danemark to the end this affair might be brought to a happy Conclusion The design was acceptable enough in this Court which alwaies expressed a great inclination of uniting themselves more strictly with the Crown of England And as there seems to be naturally betwixt the two Nations of England Swedeland a kindness and propensity one to the other so was it very material that so good a principle should be actuated and imployed and that Art might give perfection to Nature His Excellence interceded likewise in the behalf of several English Merchants and others that either had there some business of concernment or that desired some favour or other And in this respect also my Lord Ambassador found this Court so favourable that he was sooner weary of asking than they were of gratifying his Lordship There being at Stockholm three Residents one from France the other from Danemark and the third from Holland his Excellence had several Conferences with each of them and treated them afterwards one after another with all honourable entertainment In the mean time his Excellence had the honour to be regaled by their Majesties the King and Queen Mother in a most obliging manner in a small Palace some few Leagues from Stockholm where assoon as he was arrived his Excellence was received with a Colâ—ation and after he was shown all the Curioâ—ities in the Castle he was carried to Dinner with the King and the Queen Mother The King drank to the Ambassador the King of Englands health but drinking it with more zeal than ordinary and the glass being too â—ig it hapned he spilt a good part of the Wine upon his cloths which put his Majesty so out of countenance that he looked as he would willingly have drunk it again with more caution if by that means he could have got that disaster forgotten After Dinner his Excellence went a hunting in a fair Park well stocked with Deer The King was there on Hors-back also and observing his Excellence scrupulous of shooting a large Deer that was within his reach he asked him why he did not shoot who answering that a smaller Deer would be sufficient for him the King replyed he should take no care for that if he left but one he might dispose of the rest as he pleased At length his Excellence retired after a long chase he being forced to shoot 2. or 3. times before the Doe would fall and being of his own killing it was sent immediately to his house Some few days after there was a great Ball at which my Lord Ambassador was desired to be present where we had opportunity to see the great Gallants of Stockholm and the politeness of those that made the most gloriouâ— part of that Court. Two days after his Exceâ—lence had the curiosity to go see the King greatest Men of Warr which where then a Anchor near the Town where indeed wâ— found his Majesty was very well provided This visit ended in a very fair collation which the Count Stenbock Admiral of Swedelanâ— made for his Excellence in which he was entertained with Trumpets Drums and Cannon The next day his Excellence was treated again with extraordinarie pomp by the Chancellor in one of his Country houses some mileâ— from Stockholm in the Company of the principal nobility of that Court where he received all possible demonstrations of the friendship and honour they bore to his person every thing corresponding with his Dignity As soon as he was arrived he was presented with the Collation excellent musick after that he had the diversion for half an hour to see nine Earles run at the Ring in his presence with great agility and address From thence he was attended to the Table where he found enough to indulge every one of his sences they remaining almost four hours at the Table Amongst other things there was a noble concert of Violins of Trumpets Ketle-Drums and at his departure of Cannon And this Entertainment was the occasion of another the next day in the Ambassadors house where his Excellence regalled the 〈◊〉 me Company again with all manner of â—anckness and civility The 3. of October his Excellence and all his â—tinue were treated again by the English â—erchants residing in Stockholm But this â—east was scarce over when there hapned a â—atal Quarrel betwixt two of the Ambassaâ—ors Gentlemen one of which was a German â—ollonel whom his Excellence had received â—nto his Family at Mosco in the quality of a â—entleman of his Train The other that kilâ—ed him being of his acquaintance had lent â—im a considerable sum of money with promise and expectation to have it suddenly â—epaid The Collonel having been a prisoner â—ome time in Mosco put himself with this â—oney into a good Equipage but instead â—f repaying it as he had promised
he inâ—ratefully contented himself with giving him â—ll language from time to time So as being â—oth of them present at this Feast they took â—ccasion assoon as my Lord Ambassador was â—etired to decide the controversy by the Sword The Combat was fatal to the Collonel who received his deaths wound at the â—irst pass and he which brought the first Tidings of it to the Ambassadors house was â—he person himself that killed him who not contented to triumph amongst us went out â—nto the streets to declaim against his adversary and publish the good office he had donâ— in exterminating a person that was not worthy to live amongst men But however hâ— was satisfied with himself he was presentlâ— apprehended in the midst of his exultation and clapt in Prison whilst his Excellencâ— who was not yet acquainted with the accident was taking his ordinary repose Buâ— the next morning assoon as he was informeâ— of the business his Excellence examined alâ— the circumstances himself and finding by aâ— concurrence of evidence that came in againsâ— the Collonel that the other had received the injury in the Quarrel he judged it aâ— good ground to discharge him of his imprisonment who had run himself into it by his imprudence and indiscretion It was deposed against the Collonel that he was a quarrelsome person of an ill life that he had nothing but formal exteriour honesty that he had cheated his adversary in matters of Importance that upon the demand of his money he had provoked him to fight This Evidence being confirmed it was thought solid enough to justifie the business in some measure so as the Defendant was discharged but out of respect to his Excellence he removed himself for some time from his attendance and went into Danemark to stay there till we came Mr. Henry Coventry being arrived at Stockholm in quality of Envoy Extraordinary from his Majesty of great Britain who having sent 〈◊〉 Man of War to attend the Ambassador to â—openhagen his Excellence prepared with all â—eed for his departure for Danemark But â—efore his departure his Lady was obliged to â—ake a Visit to the Queen for though she had â—efore excused her self by reason of her being â—ith Child yet the Queen expressed so great desire to see her that she could no longer â—rbear paying her Majesty her respects in the â—alace Her Ladyship had not been long with â—e Queen who discoursed with her all the â—hile by the assistance of an Interpreter but â—e King came in to salute her and a while â—fter she took leave of both their Majesties About this time the Ambassador had received noble present from the King which was a â—edail of himself with a rich Sword set â—ith diamonds round about the Hilt and â—e pummel For which cause his Excellence â—hat he might in some sort make an acknowâ—â—dgment of the value of the Present he receiâ—ed by the present he made to the Gentlemen â—ages Musicians and other of the King and â—ueens servants that had been employed â—bout his Excellence during the entertainment â—e had there since his arrival he gave them â—ear a thousand Crownes in Ducats to be â—estributed according to their ranks The â—arshal or Steward of the house had given â—im for his share in a silver purse threescore Ducats he that introduced him to the Ceremonies had five and twenty in a purse of silver likewise his Cupbearer and Carver and thâ— principal Gentlemen that attended her Ladiship in an apartement where she had a Tablâ— by her self had each of them twenty Ducats iâ— a purse of silver the rest was distributeâ— without purses The 11. of October in the night his Excellencâ— tooke his leave of the King and Queen Mother and this was the complement which hâ— addrest first to the King in English Sir HIs Majesty having thus far satisfyed by me the obligation due to that sincere Friendship betwixt the two Crowns hath now commanded me hence It was necessary He should command me otherwise like those that observe the Stars I might have forgot my self iâ— admiring your Luster so pleasant hath iâ— been to me to see Your young Majesty sparkle among the Regents and make up with them the proper number of the Northern Constellation I shall confirm his Majesty in all that he hath heard â—itherto of Your Majesties Greatness â—nd Virtues in which I assure You none â—oth more rejoyce and take part than his Majesty And He hath in the mean time â—ommanded me still to reiterate the same â—rofessions of a cordial and universal â—ffection and friendship toward Your Majesty For mine own part I shall only â—esire this Character from Your Majesty â—hat seeing the friendship betwixt Your Majesties was so great that it could not â—e augmented however I have not dimiâ—ished it In Conclusion I render mine â—wn thanks to your Majesty entring â—owever all Your Royal favours upon His Majesties account and shall heartily â—ray that the same Amity may still last â—etwixt the two Crowns the same Vnion â—ay alwaies continue in your Majesties â—ounsels that your Majesties Felicity and â—irtues may still encrease at the same â—roportion and that the Triumphs of your Peace may surmount and outlast the Trophies of all your Ancestors This afterwards was rendered in Latin in this manner Domine Rex QVum Majestas sua Dominus meus clementissimus mutuis amicitiae inter duas Coronas Officiis hactenus per me satisfecerit Suo jam mandato accersor Accersi hinc revocari opus erat ne quod Stellarum studiosis usu venit in splendore Majestatis vestrae contemplando semper defixus haererem tantae voluâ—tatis fuit Majestatem vestram admirari ut inter Regentes scintillet justum cum illis Septentrionum suorum Sydus ac numerum implere videatur Majestati suae de Prosperitate Virtutibus vestris omnia fi delissimè narrabo quo nihil optatius aut jucundius Majestati suae potest accidere Ego interim Majestatis suae jussu eâdem quâ prius asseveratione integerrimam constantissimam suam amicitiam Majestati vestrae confirmo Et quâ—m ea sit inter Majestates Vestras mutua benevolentia ut augeri nequeat sperabo saltem eam per me non esse imminutam Majestati vestrae gratias de regiis suis beneficiis summas ago quas quoniam ipse referre non possum Regem etiam spondeo debitorem Quod reliquum est Deum Optimum Maximum discessurus veneror precor ut eadem amicitia inter Majestates vestras suas Coronas aeterna permaneat ut idem animorum consiliorum consensus in hoc suo Regimine perpetuetur ut Majestatis vestrae Gloria Virtutes paribus incrementis semper eodem modo assurgant utque pacis vestrae Triumphi Majorum Vestrorum Trophaea excedere possint superare To this it was answered in Swedish and in Latin That amongst the great marks his Majesty had received of the sincere Amity of his Majesty of great
was that the Vice-Admiral was dispatched to his Excellence to excuse this delay On Thursday the 27. of October my Lord Ambassador made his solemn Entry with great Magnificence And if from thence a judgment might be made of their Friendship to his Majesty of great Britain we might without all scruple conclude that the Amity of this Court in that respect exceeded the affection of the Swedes In the first place two noble Gallies and a Galliot came to receive his Excellence and his Train for the wind was come about so cross that it was impossible to get our Ship up into the Harbour Assoon as my Lord and his Attendants were entered into the Gallies our Ship gave us twenty Guns and in an hour and an halfs time we arrived in the Harbour where we â—aw his Majesties Men of War with all the glory of their Flags and Streamers displayed There were twenty pleasure Boats also very â—ell furnished to receive his Excellence and â—is Train in the Harbour and in these Boats â—e made our Entry to the Town The Footmen first then the Pages and Gentlemen â—fter them my Lord Morpeth and next my â—ord Ambassador accompanied by the Vice-Admiral and the Master of the Ceremonies â—n this manner our Boats following one anoâ—her in a File cross the whole Harbour we â—ad the opportunity as we past to survey a â—reat number of the Kings Ships very nobly â—quiped and to hear the noise of the Cannon â—aluting his Excellence as he went by every â—ne of them being laden with bullet At last we landed at a place which they had covered with Tapestry and in which his Excellence was complemented from his Majesty That done he went into the Kings Coach which was there ready to attend him and was conducted to the House of Ambassadors where we continued during our Residence in this Court Of my Lord Ambassador's Residence aâ— Copenhagen COpenhagen stands upon the Sea and though it be not naturally so strong noâ— of that circumference as Stockholm yet it iâ— artificially well fortified and the Country being plain of a much better Scituation There is a Canal that hath no more stream than there is before Stockholm yet it is deep enough for some Merchants ships to ride therein safely The Pallace hath nothing worth the Description only there is a Tower which is very considerable for its height but especially for its ascent which being paved so broad that a Coach might easily be drawn up and turned at the top riseth insensibly without stairs This Tower was built for the use of the Astronomers out of which there is a fair Library erected by the side of it From hence are several marks of the last Swedish Leagure to be seen especially on a Steeple hard by which was so battered by their Cannon that the King to perpetuate the Memory of that Siege hath ordered the holes of the several shot to be gilt over with Gold I could insert other Curiosities likewise that are to be seen in Copenhagen but my desigâ— not being to give an exact Description of such things as are so well known I shall saâ—isfy my self in giving this short Character of â—he Court That if the Swedish Court hath a â—reat resemblance with the French humour â—his hath much more the Genius of the Gerâ—an and that if the former be more franck â—nd active these are more solid and of better â—nvention The Danish Language differs not â—o much from the Swedish but that the people â—an easily understand one another And as â—or French the Nobility of Denmark are as â—ndustrious and diligent in learning it as those â—f the Court of Sweden Being arrived at this Town his Excellence â—as treated as at Stockholm three days at â—he Kings charge and had his Audience on â—he third The Ceremonies were all in the â—ame fashion as in the Court of Sweden and â—here being no Present to be made here more â—han was there his Excellence had no more â—o do but to make his Complement from the â—ing his Master The King of Denmark apâ—eared to us very grave and Majestick and â—f a large Stature He was booted à la Cavaâ—ere and though he was then at least threeâ—ore Years old yet he scarce looked to be â—fty He had a Sword by his side a long Coat â—overed with broad Gold and Silver lace and 〈◊〉 noble Plume of white Feathers in his Hat â—e stood under his Canopy with five or six â—f his chief Ministers of State on one side of him and in the midst of the Hall some ten oâ— twelve of the Life-Guards The Ambassadoâ— being come into the Hall made him a loâ— Reverence and the King saluted him againâ— and when he was come up near him undeâ— his Canopy of State he put on his Hat at thâ— same time his Majesty put on his and delivered his Complement in these Terms Sir AMong so many Prerogatives of thâ— highest Fortune yet Princes havâ— one disadvantage that They can seldoâ— attain to that reality and intimacâ— which we may see among private Persons The equality of their Sovereigâ— Power exposeth them to perpetual Competitions the Interest of their Peoplâ— obliges them to a constant Jealousy anâ— even the Fidelity and Prudence of theâ— Ministers seems rather made to entertain them in mutual Cautele and Suspâ—cion than in perfect Friendship Bâ— betwixt the King my Master and Your Majesty it is all otherwise You are perâ—aps the only two Princes in Christendom â—ho in so great a nearness yet can never â—ustle And having betwixt You all the â—ndearments of which private Persons â—re capable Your Royalty only inclines â—nd inables You to cultivate and express â—hem in a more honourable manner â—hat Subjects of one King could ever â—ve so peaceably and kindly together as â—hose two Excellent Princes His Majeâ—â—ies Grand-Father and Your Majesties â—ather by Whom those bonds of Hospiâ—ality and Consanguinity were so closely â—oven betwixt You visiting one the â—her in their Kingdoms as familiarly as â—eighbours in the same City and taking â—unsel together as confidently as Broâ—ers in the same Family And ever â—ce what mutual good Offices what â—mmunication of Counsels have there â—en betwixt both Kings both in adverse â—d prosperous fortune with so much constancy especially on Your part in that most turbulent storm of the English Monarchy that His Majesty must keep it in a most grateful and eternal memory and so universal a sympathy upon all occasions that all Antiquity would be troubled to furnish a paralel for so golden and real a Friendship And as the bonds of reciprocal Obligations and those animated ligaments of Blood and Nature have knit both Your Majesties in the most refined union so as to the grosser interest of Commerce and Navigation 〈◊〉 may say without a similitude that iâ— hath been moored on both sides even with anchors and cables betwixt the People Therefore those affaires having beeâ— regulated and constituted at the time 〈◊〉 the Extraordinary Embassage
sent by Your Majesty to England His Majesty hath now sent me to return that honouâ— and obligation and to assure Your Majesty that as He shall most faithfully observâ— that inviolable League then perfected bâ— the prudence of Your Ambassador betwixt â—our Majesties so shall He most gladly â—pprove on all occasions to Your Majesty â—hat antient radicated and private afâ—ection which hath from Your Ancestors â—itherto flourished so happily betwixt â—ou His Majesty is only troubled that â—hat by the composition of his own afâ—airs and what by my slow arrival this â—ffice is performed later to Your Majesty â—ut He hopes your Majesty will consider â—hat however the Embassy was then sent â—hen his Letter was first subscribed â—nd that to recompense and excuse my â—ecessary delay He hath taken care to â—pply it in the mean time by his Extraâ—rdinary Envoyè who I doubt not â—ccording to his great abilities and â—ffection hath already herein sufficienly â—formed Your Majesty So that I need â—y nothing more at present than at the â—ginning that as both Your Majesties â—overeign Power is free from all shock â—nd competition and your Peoples mutual Interest dispenses you from alâ— suspicions and jealousy so I even out oâ— fidelity to the King my Master besidâ— mine own proper inclination find my selâ— bound to contribute all things towarâ— the entertainment and certainty of thâ— most perfect Friendship betwixt your Majesties and shall make it my business to give all the real proofs and testimonies thereof during the time allotted me for this Employment This Speech was rendred into Latin after this manner Domine Rex INter tot summae fortunae Ornamenta hoc tamen incommodi Principibus adhaeret quòd rarò ad intimam illam apertam animorum communicationem aspirare possint quam inter tenuioris sortis homines saepius observamus Regii enim illa fastigii paritas perpetuâ ferè aemulatione concurrit diversae ut plurimum Subditorum rationes aut studia etiam Dominos trahunt ipsa ministrorum suorum prudenâ—ia fides ad cautelam potiùs suspicionem quà m ad amicitiae inter Reges simplicitatem facere videntur Inter Regem autem Dominum meum Majestatem Vestram res aliter omninò sunt comparatae soli forsitan estis ex Europae Principibus quorum neuter in tantâ vicinitate alterius liminibus obstruat Sed quum omnia quae etiam privatos conciliant benevolentiae charitatis irritamenta inter Majestates Vestras intercedant suprema Vtriusque Potestas hoc tantum efficit ut majori cum dignitate fructu mutuam amicitiam exercere excolere possitis Si enim felicissimam Majestatis suae Avi Majestatis vestrae Patris memoriam replicemus quorum auspiciis hospitalitatis consanguinitatis jura inter Majestates Vestras propius coaluere nullius unquam Principis Subditi tam unanimes concordes quantum ipsi illi Reges fuerunt Eâdem familiaritate quâ Cives in eâdem urbe in Regnis suis se mutuò inviserint nec minori cum fiduciâ in commune consulebant quà m fratres in eâdem familiâ Quae deinceps officiorum reciprocatio quae communicatio consiliorum quae prosperorum adversorum inter Angliae Daniae Reges societas permansit tali praecipuè ex Vestrâ parte constantiâ in turbidissimâ illâ Regni Anglicani procellâ ut istud gratissimâ aeternâ memoriâ Majestas Sua retineret tantus denique animorum urdequaque consensus ut neque ex ultimâ antiquitate tam sincerae constantis aureae amicitiae exemplum eruere possimus Et uti beneficiorum mutui nexus animata illa sanguinis naturae vincula purissimâ unione Majestates Vestras illigarunt ita quo ad Populorum communionem utramque Nationem crassioribus navigationis commerciorum nodis tanquam rudentibus anchoris obstrictam inter se contextam videmus Quum autem publicae illae utriusque Populi rationes tempore extraordinariae à Majestate Vestrâ Legationis optimè constituta fuerint Majestas sua Dominus meus clementissimus per me eundem Legationis honorem officium Majestati Vestrae nunc reddere perfolvere voluit Et Majestati Vestrae per me testatum facere se non solum summâ fi de perseveraturum in sanctissimo illo foedere inter Majestates Vestras Extraordinarii Vestri Legati operâ prudentiâ confecto sed etiam omni occasione Majestati Vestrae approbaturum esse antiquum innatum singularem illum affectum qui ab Augustissimis Vtriusque Majoribus propagatus inter Majestates Vestras hactenus religiosissimè conservatur Hoc unicum Majestatem suam malè habet quòd propter urgentissima sua negotia tardiorem nostrum adventum seriùs aliquantò hoc officium reciprocare potuerit Sperat tamen Majestatem Vestram reputaturam Legationem hanc jam inde missam quum primum Literas mihi ad Majestatem Vestram dederit utque necessariam nostram moram meliùs compensare excusare posset Se interea per Ablegatum Extraordinarium curasse Neque dubito quin Dominus Ablegatus Extraordinarius pro suâ prudentiâ optimo affectu Majestati Vestrae hâc in re abundè satisfecerit Ità ut supervacaneum omnino foret in praesens aliquid addere nisi sicut in Principio orationis dixi Regiam Vtriusque dignitatem hoc ipso Majestates Vestras melius conciliare communes Subditorum Vestrorum rationes ab omni invidiâesse sejunctissimas ità me Majestatis suae Ministrum praeter propriam animi nostri propensionem etiam pro fide quam Majestati suae debeo omnia contributurum ad certitudinem ad declarationem perfectissimae suae cum Majestate Vestra amicitiae quo ad hîc manebo totam in ejus argumentis testimoniis operam nostram tempus collocaturum After this was done the Chancellor of Denmark in the Name of his Master made a reply which was turned into Latin also Amongst other things he declared the sence his Master had of the great Expressions of kindness which he had received from his dear Friend and Allie the King of Great Britain That there was nothing his heart was more inclined to than to entertain a happy Correspondence with him and that he would be always ready to embrace a Conjunction of Interests with the King of England Lastly that his Majesty was very well satisfied with the Abilities and Affection of his Excellence and that he might assure himself of his Royal favour and Good will In the mean while the King and the Ambassador observed one thing punctually as had been done in Sweden that every time the word Majesty was pronounced in English Danish or Latin both the one and the other pulled off their hats and afterwards put them on again at the same time exactly After the Kings answer was made his Excellencies Son and all the Gentlemen went in order to make their Reverence to his Majestie and that
done his Excellence was conducted towards the Queen whose Character is very well exprest in the Complement the Ambassador made her with his head uncovered which was interpreted in French Madam THe King my Master hath commanded me to wait upon Your Majesty and in His Majesties Name to make to You all the most entire professions of Friendship Affection and Esteem which are due to so Great a Queen so near a Kinswoman and so admirably accomplished a Princess But seeing it is impossible to execute those commands worthily and to the full unless His Majesty could not only imprint His Character upon me but inspire me too with his great Soul and Royal Understanding I must beg Your Majesties pardon if I fall short where His Majesties sense is so far above expression and Your own Perfections are so ineffable Therefore I shall only in my ordinary and safer way assure Your Majesty that no Prince in Christendom doth interess Himself more in your Majesties health and prosperity than the King my Master And no less the Queen who as She makes His affections the rule and model of Hers hath yet moreover a singular affection and admiration of Her own for your Majesty hath commanded me to express how much She regards and loves you considering your Heroical Person as the Example of Queens and Glory of Women After which whatsoever of thoughts or words can remain to my self wherein to testifie mine own great Veneration and Service to your Majesty I shall consecrate to your Fame upon all occasions but present them to your Self involved rather in a most devout and respectful silence To which in the name of the Queen received an answer with expressions of her acknowledgment and affection From thence the Ambassador was conducted towards his Royal Highness the Prince Christian who was at that time about eighteen years of age To whom his Excellence made this Harangue with his hat on Sir THe King my Master hath commanded me particularly to wait upon your Royal Highness And as He professes a signal obligation to His Majesty your Father that according to the old familiarity and kindness betwixt the two Kings of England and Denmark He was pleased so lately to intrust so great a Pledge as your Royal Highness with Him so He desires you to believe That in that your too short stay with Him He nevertheless took such true Impressions of your Royal Highnesses most Hopeful Vertuous and Princely Disposition that were there not all those other Obligations of Friendship Kindred and Confederacy betwixt Him and the King your Father He should for your own sake have a most Sincere and Personal Friendship Kindness and Esteem for your Royal Highness and accordingly wishes you all the happiness and health as to Himself and offers Himself upon all occasions to manifest His Royal inclinations and hearty affection towards your Royal Highness For mine own part I shall from this present as I was from the first minute I had the honour to see you desire to be entred into the list of your Highnesses servants To which his Highness returned his Answer himself in two or three words After which his Excellence Complemented Prince George in his own appartement he is a handsom young Prince of great hopes and who is now much about fifteen or sixteen years of age This was the Complement his Excellence made him by Command from the King his Master Sir THe King my Master hath given me particular order to wait upon your Highness from Him as well out of Affection as Curiosity For whereas your Highness being the second Son of Denmark hath thereby a very just title to His Majesties Affection so he having heard so much of you as of a most accomplished Prince in so tender an age was very curious to know the truth of it I am most happy in this occasion to be able to certifie His Majesty with how much reason Fame hath said what she hath of you and I assure your Highness that his Majesty will take great interest and pleasure in it and desire nothing more than to be a witness thereof Himself by seeing you one day in his Court as you are already in His heart For mine own particular I am perfectly your Highnesses most humble servant The answer that was returned in the name of the Prince contained Expressions of his Acknowledgments and Respect for the King of England and towards the latter end the Prince gave his Excellence particular thanks and an assurance of his favour And now as to those things that concern my Lord's transactions in that Court during the small time we continued there after the first Audience I shall speak first as I did in my description of the second Embassy of the Ambassadors Negotiation next of his Entertainment and last of all of the most considerable passages that hapned besides during the seven weeks time his Excellence remained in that Court About this time it was that preparations were making on all sides for that unhappy War which so long afflicted both England and Holland and filled all Europe with the noise of it In order whereunto the Estates of Holland and the rest of the United Provinces inclining to the interest of France did at the same time endeavour to have joyned the Forces of the Crown of Denmark with their own The King of England on the other side laboured as much to get the Crowns of S d en and Denmark over to himself The management of which affair was the province of Mr. Coventry in Sweeden and of â—r Gilbert Talbot in Denmark who before â—he Ambassadors arrival had made some proâ—ress in the business Whence likewise it â—as his Excellencies principal Emploiment â—uring his residence there to bring the propoâ—ed League to a happy conclusion to conâ—ribute every thing that might conduce thereâ—nto True it is that according to the geâ—eral opinion it would have been a great â—ngratitude in the Dane who had received â—o great assistances from the Hollander in his â—te troubles with Sweeden to have not only â—bandoned his Alliance with the Estates but â—pposed them in this occasion by a conjunâ—tion with England But considering all the â—anner in which the Estates comported â—hemselves at that time even the Danes â—hemselves thought they had reasons enow â—o have justified such a desertion But to pass â—y this gloss I shall here only insert some â—ew Informations which the King of Denâ—arks Commissioners delivered to the Amâ—assador upon certain points which he desiâ—ed might be explained before his departure â—or the greater facilitation of the treaty which â—r Gilbert Talbot had begun For though â—he business succeeded not and all things â—ent contrary by reason the Dane not being â—ble to come to any agreement with the â—weed sided at last with the Dutch yet it will not be superfluous to give some small prospect of the proceedings of Denmark in this Conjuncture And first of all the King of Denmarkâ— Commissioners declared that his Majesty
would without any difficulty enter into a particular Alliance with Sweden especially if it were done by the interposition of the King of Great Britain with whom he was so nearly allied that he could not conceive any thing would be recommended by him buâ— what would be effectually for the advantage of the Crown of Denmark according to hiâ— Excellencies declaration That his Masterâ— would not endeavour to bring the Swede to any conditions that should be to the prejudice of his Majesty of Denmark And that iâ— this confidence he was very willing the King of England should negotiate a Confederacâ— with the Crown of Sweden as strict as hiâ— own affairs did require and with as much advantage to himself as was possible Anâ— that furthermore for the better success in thâ— League which the King of England desired tâ— establish betwixt the Crowns of Denmark England and Sweden his Majesty conceived that one of the most necessary points waâ— that the Swedes should be brought to abaâ— and retrench in some measure in the Privâ—ledg they enjoyed of being exempt froâ— Gabels and Customs in the Sound and tâ— condescend that all Tolls in that place might â—n respect of the Hollander be restored to the â—ondition wherein they were in the Year 1642. â—o the end that the three Kingdoms of Denmark England and Sweden might manage â—heir Commerce for the future with equal â—dvantage But if this Proposition should not be accepted by the Crown of Sweden â—he Commissioners declared that the King â—heir Master left it to the judgment of his Majesty of Great Britain what other means â—ight be used to accomplish the Union proposed and whether it would not be â—onvenient to offer the Swedes a proportionable sum of money for the resignation of â—heir Priviledg and to give them sufficient â—ecurity for the sum that should be so offered and accepted They thought it necessary moreover that â—he Subjects and Ships of the three Kingdoms might reciprocally trade into the Ports of each King with the same Priviledges as the â—nhabitants of the same Country without any difference or limitation And without doubt â—his equality would have been of great imâ—ortance for the conserving the three Kings â—n a perfect and perpetual Union Besides this his Majesty of Denmark judged â—t expedient that it should not be lawful for either of the three Kings to permit the Traiâ—ors or Rebels of the two other or either of them to have any shelter or protection in their Kingdoms and that the same rule should be observed toward such Subjects as should convey themselves out of the Dominion of their Masters without his consent To that which related to the exemption of the Subjects of his Majesty of Great Britain from paing Toll at the Passage into the Sound as was proposed by his Majesty to the King of Denmark The Commissioners gave his Excellence to understand that the Registers of the Gabels of the Sound having been examined how the same had been paid from time to time by all Nations trading into those Seas and particularly by the English they had found that his Majesty of Denmark could not demand less than an hundred and twenty thousand Rixdollers or Crowns yearly to exempt the King of Englands Subjects from the payment of Tolls at their passage into the Sound And that the King of Denmark would reserve the right of Sovereignity which he pretends to there entire to himself without any prejudice directly or indirectly by this Compact As to the design his Majesty of great Britain had to joyn with the King of Sweden in removing and turning the trade from Archangel and bringing it thorough the Sound The King of Denmark answered by his Commissioners that when he understood upon what conditions and terms the King of Enâ—land would joyn himself with the Swede in â—ursuance of this design his Majesty would â—eclare himself more largely thereupon and â—ive manifest Evidence of his Inclination to â—romote as much as possible the Commerce â—f the Subjects of his Majesty of Great Briâ—ain And that only in case the Proposal â—efore mentioned did not succeed Otherâ—ise the generality of the English Commoâ—ities which pass thorow the Sound would â—ot have need of any other Priviledg But 〈◊〉 case that should not be admitted it might â—t least be accommodated by a particular â—ransaction touching the manner in which the Toll was to be paid in the Sound for all such Commodities as should be brought from Moscovy that way The Commissioners deâ—lared further as to what concerned the Proâ—osition about Moscovy that his Majesty of Denmark was not in any particular League â—ith that Crown and that there was then â—ome differences depending betwixt them â—bout their Limits where the Frontiers of â—orway are adjacent to the Dominions of the â—zar As to that part which related to the sum â—f money which the King of Denmark should â—emand in case he set out a Fleet for the serâ—ice of his Majesty of England The Commisâ—oners made answer that the King their Master intending to set out twenty Men of War at the begining of the Spring with nine hundred and fourscore or a thousand pieces of Cannon and five thousand good Seamen and Soldiers besides Officers it would be necessary that five and twenty thousand Crowns extraordinary should be paid him at least besides what charges he should be forced to be at himself to maintain them at Sea In short the King of Denmark insisted that his Majesty would endeavour that the King of Sweden should declare himself as to the Union proposed and that nothing should be transacted in this matter without his knowledg and consent And this being all we have to say of the Ambassadors Negotiation it follows that we say something of his manner of Entertainment in this Court which was almost the same as at Stockholm in Feasts and Treatments For besides the Entertainments of the three first daies after his arrival which some charged of having somewhat in them of the Bacchanalian air there were several otheâ— feasts as particularly when his Excellence treated Mr. de Treslon the French Ambassador of whom I have spoken before From which time there was so great a friendship betwixt the two Ambassadors as would have made one admire to behold the extraordinary frankness and civilities which passed between them They visited one another very frequently and that by surprize sometimes and treated one another with all imaginable Respect and Courtship Mr. Treslon being the first of the two at Copenhagen made the first Visit to my Lord Embassador who met him at the outward Gate next the street giving him the precedence and right hand whilst he was in his house which was likewise observed by the French Ambassador when his Excellence visited him and this was the commmon reception they used to one another The business of that Embassy from the King of France was for the consummation of a League which was in transaction betwixt that King and the King of Denmark
his retinue His Excellence sent him by Land that he might have the advantage of seeing some remarkable places in the way betwixt Denmark and England but especially in Flanders thorough which his design was to pass The Ambassador in the mean time prepared to â—ake his own Voiage by Sea but the weather â—roving cold and the Sea frozen before Copenâ—agen so hard that our ship which was to â—arry us was become unmoveable his Excelâ—ence took a resolution of following his Son â—y Land and according to that design took â—is leave of his Majesty the 11. of December â—n this manner Sir BEing now ready to lay off the Publick Character which his Majesty my Master had given me I am obliged by his Commands to reiterate the assurances of His most sincere and constant Affection to your Majesty For the performing of which I shall not need much Oratory both because his Majesty himself desires rather to fulfill that Friendship in the effects than to express it in words neither is it so pertinent to â—vary that in language which is immutable in the intention beside that Your Majesty is your self already sufficiently perswaded of it So that without affecting any ornament I shall only make use of that force which the occasion naturally gives me the words of those that are upon departing being alwaies the most real serious and weighty I say therefore that his Majesty my Master is by blood by alliance gratitude inclination and interest a Friend to your Majesty and that he will not faile upon all occasions to make good all those relations to your Majesty And as beside all those there seems to be so near a similitude in Your Stars and fortune that both Your former adversities kept time together and had but too great an influence on each others affairs so doth He gladly see and hope and will alwaies endeavour upon his part that His and Your present Prosperity may have as strong a sympathy and reflexion Nor will He think himself the less obliged to this by the great honors and favours which Your Majesty hath for His sake â—hown me who am by my Employment â—ut his Majesties shadow and that too made darker by mine own imperfections But therefore I shall not faile to give his Majesty a most exact and full account of all Your Majesties affection to Him and of all Your Royal graces to my self Being most obliged and most desirous to perform all offices whereby I may encrease as far as that which is perfect can be encreased the good Correspondency betwixt both Your Majesties And for mine own particular I pay and shall perpetually my thanks to your Majesty and shall alwaies pray for your Majesties health long life and prosperity and that the solidity and strength of your Government may be the delight and pattern of all other Princes This Complement was thus expressed in Latin by my Lord Ambassadors Secretary Domine Rex DEpositurus hanc Legationem Majestati Vestrae iterum sincerissimum constantissimum Majestatis suae Domini mei Clementissimi affectum in hâc ultimâ salutatione confirmare debeo Ad hoc autem faciendum non est apparatu ornatu Oratorio opus tum quòd Majestas sua amicitiam erga Majestatem Vestram reipsâ potiùs approbare quà m verbis adumbrare cupiat tum etiam quod immutabilem illam Regii sui animi sententiam tenorem dicendo variare minus decorum videatur praesertim quum Majestas Vestra jam antea de illâ re abundè sibi persuasum esse testetur Quapropter neglectis omnibus artis pigmentis eo tantùm utar orationis auxilio quod ipsa hujus occasionis natura suppeditat Quae enim in procinctu ab abituris verba dictantur uti simplicissima in se atque intentissima ità majorem vim efficaciam pondus apud alios habere obtinere solent Dico igitur Majestatem suam sanguinis nexu foederum societate obligatione beneficiorum spontaneâ animi propensione communibus rationibus Majestati Vestrae esse conjunctissimam neque ergo commissuram ut in ullo hujus amicitiae officio suae partes desiderentur Et quum praeterea occultior quidam Vtriusque Syderum consensus esse videatur tantus ut adversae Alterius res Alterum pariter tanquam ejusdem mali conâ—agione olim afflatuerint ità futurum sperat Ipse allaborabit ut prospera Vtriusque fortuna non minùs ad mutuum Amborum ornamentum utilitatem redundet Neque immiâ—uetur haec Majestatis suae erga Majestatem Vestram benevolentia quum audiverit quantos â—onores suâ causâ Majestas Vestra mihi exhiâ—uerit qui in hoc Legationis munere umbram â—antùm Majestatis suae gero illam quidem â—ropter defectus nostros adhuc obscuriorem â—deoque de summo erga Majestatem suam Maâ—estatis Vestrae affectu deque tot honoris â—enevolentiae erga me ipsum indiciis nihil â—eticebo quandoquidem officii mei esse duco â—aximè cupio omnia conferre ad augendam 〈◊〉 quantum quidem perfectissima possunt augeri â—utuam inter Majestates Vestras amicitiam â—go autem Majestati Vestrae Serenissimae gratias â—ostrus nunc ago in posterum semper â—m acturus Majestati Vestrae prosperam â—aletudinem longam Vitam perpetuam Feliciâ—tem precor voveo atque praesens haec Reâ—iminis sui firmitas omnibus aliis Principibus â—cemplo voluptati esse possit The Chancellor returned an answer in the â—ame of his Master full of all manner of â—rotestations of mutual Amity which was â—ndred into Latin likewise After which â—e Ambassadors Gentlemen advanced to make their Reverence to his Majesty That done the Ambassador went to take his leave of the Queen which he performed in these terms Madam I Could never answer it to his Majesty should I not in best manner reassure your Majesty of that great honour and esteem He hath for You. But your Majesty having done the King my Master that right as so easily to believe it hath thereby acquitted me of my commission and your own Royal perswasion hath excused the Embassador yet nevertheless 〈◊〉 cannot omit to witness how much his Majesty rejoyces to have heard so lately of the health and prosperity of your Majesty and your whole Family which as it is without competition the most flourishing Family oâ— all Europe and worthy only to have sprung from such a Mother so hiâ— Majesty wishes to all of them as fair and suitable fortunes as the greatness of their Perfections Vertues and Extraction doth promise and challenge And yet this is but one part of that happiness which in all other things He prayes for your Majesty and which upon all occasions His majesty himself will endeavour and count Himself most happy to promote to the uttermost For my self I have so much to acknowledge for all the honours that your Majesty hath in respect to the King my Master done me that should I take the time
to do it it would frustrate my departure and the frost or my thanks would be the same thing But I assure Your Majesty that I carry with me an heart most sensibly touched with Gratitude and most humble Devotion to Your majesty and that I shall not fail to inform the King my Master of all those Obligations The Answer that was returned in the name of the Queen consisted only like the former of affectionate Expressions toward their Majesties of Great Britain with assurances of the favour She had for the person of the Ambassador After which his Excellence was conducted to his Royal Highness in his Appartement of whom he took his leave in this manner Sir Your Royal Highness knows the King my Master so well that I need no new Credentials when I renew to your Royal Highness the assurances of his esteem and affection But if I stood need of witnesses I would cite only Your own merits it being absolutely impossible that a Prince so clear sighted as the King my Master should have an indifference for a Prince of the Qualities and Birth of your Royal Highness Or if the examples of others could prevail herein more with his Majesty than His own Inclination and Judgment He could not fail of loving and esteeming your Royal Highness seeing all those who have had the honour to know you do no less But his Majesty pretends not to imitate others but rather to set them an Example and excel them all in all the most Essential Proofs of Affection toward your Royal Highness In the mean time He entreats your Highness to furnish him as He Himself will constantly search occasions of expressing it never finding himself more happy than when He may in any way oblige You. For mine own part who can never sufficiently acknowledge the favours your Royal Highness hath done me I desire nothing with more ardour and passion than to continue in Your good Grace And I beseech You to honour me with Your Commands for I now devest my self of my Publick Character to enter henceforward into the Quality of the most humble servant of your Royal Highness To which the Prince made answer himself in two or three words as he had done before And from his Highness the Ambassador departed towards Prince George with this Complement Sir I am very happy that the last employment of this Embassage is to salute your Highness once more in his Majesties name I assure your Highnes that I hold it for a Recompense too glorious and too pleasant of all my labours that I am to conclude them in this manner For in this grand Tour of the North that I here make an end of I have indeed seen several things very remarkable but chiefly the King your Father a Prince of an admirable Generosity constancy and goodness the Queen the most adorable Princess of the World and whose unparalel'd vertues give no less courage to Fame than despair to Imitation His Royal Highness who hath travelled thorough all hearts and without any forces but those of his own merits hath won himself an universal Empire over the Esteem of all Europe the Princesses wonders of Nature and miracles of Education But after all this I must avow that I never yet saw a Prince so little and so great as your Highness or whose young mine did in his greenest years promise and threaten so much and so handsomly I leave it to your Highnesses Judgment with how much pleasure and contentment the King my Master will hear these news for I assure your Highness that he takes and will take more and more interest every day in all that concerns You. And for mine own particular I beseech your Highness to retain me in Your favour and to dispose alwaies of my person as consecrated to your Highnesses service Whereunto answer was given in the name of the Prince with great acknowledgment affection and respect towards the King of England and his Excellence had also therein several expressions of the particular affection his Highness had for his person That same day there was a great Ball made in the Pallace in which my Lord Ambassador past most part of the night But in the mean while by the favour of a Southerly wind the weather became so gentle that within three or four daies time the ice was dissolved so that our Man of War was in a condition to set sail Whereupon my Lord Ambassador chang'd his design of going by land and prepared himself to embarque with all speed for which reason he quit himself of of his coach and horses and presented them to the Master of the Ceremonies Of his Excellences Voiage from Copenhagen to London ON the fifteenth of December four days after the Audience of Congé his Excellence embarqued and the next day we came to an Anchor before Elsinore six Dutch miles from Copenhagen where we lay in expectation of an Easterly wind About this time the Publick Peace began to be broke betwixt the English and the Dutch acts of Hostility being committed on both sides though the War was not as yet formally declared yet the Goods and Persons of either Nation were subject to the outrages and depredations of War Which consideration without doubt would have been enough to have made us apprehensive of some disastrous event in our voiage had not our earnest desire of seeing England again and the advantage we had of being in a Man of War so well provided taken away all impressions of fear True it is we had daily advice of five or six Dutch men of War which lay to watch for us in the way and doubtless for his Excellences sake would have done their utmost to have taken us Yet the greatest part of us thought little of being taken and expected rather to catch some prey or other For want of a fair wind we lay six dayes at Anchor before Elsinore so that we had time enough to take a view of the Town and the Castle which secures the same very well In the mean time we had news of his Tzarkskoy Majesties Ambassadors arrival at London and with what coldness he was received by the King who immediately gave him to understand his resentment of the small satisfaction his Tzarskoy Majesty had given him in that honourable splendid Embassy which his Tzarskoy Majesty had received from him And it being about this time we made the first discovery of the great Comet that then appeared in Europe one of us took occasion to say That the Great Dukes Ambassador had already found the effects of it At length on the 23 of that moneth very early in the morning we departed from Elsinore We were scarce advanced twenty leagues in our way but the wind turned about came cross as before so that we were forced back to Elsinore My Lord Ambassador observing the uncertainty he was in and that he was become the pastime of wind and Sea believed it his most expedient course to travail by
advanced along upon cloth to a certain Platform where the Patriach presented Palmes to the Tzar first and then to the rest That done he took off the Tzars Cap laid it upon a Silver plate and presented his golden cross to him to kiss Which being with great reverence performed the Patriarch waved it on high to both sides to them first that were in the Platform who received that Benediction with great reverence likewise and then to the People that were present who at the same instant cast themselves along upon the ground but more especially the Tzars Guards who were amongst them After this they sang certain hymns which lengthned their Devotion a compleat hour At this time there fell out a very pleasant accident occasioned by the Lady Ambassadresses maid mentioned at the beginning of this Narrative who desirous to see the glory of this Procession had slipt herself amongst my Lord Ambassadors Train into the place appointed for us to see the Ceremonies The place being higher than the rest and uncovered the Tzar lifting up his eyes often towards us at length took notice of this Maid and observing her well dressed and near his Excellence which was more than he had discerned he presently imagined it was the Ambassadors Lady and sent immediately one of his Boyars to enquire of her health The Ambassador altogether surprised with the Complement returned his thanks to the Tzar for his obliging intention and withall gave him notice of the mistake whereupon the Maid was dismist with a severe reprehension and being amazed at the strangeness of the adventure departed silently confused betwixt the honor and shame she had received at the same time A while after for default of an ass they brought the Patriarch to the entrance of the Platform a horse disguised like an ass with great artificial Ears and perhaps lest they should have discovered him to be a horse by his Coat or else have taken him for a red ass they covered him over with white Linnen And then having covered his sadle with several very rich coverings the Patriarch mounted by the help of a footstool and placed himself sideling upon the horse After that he blest the people with his Cross as he went along and the Tzar having reassumed his bonnet and Crown marched a foot before him leading his horse by the bridle as soon as they began their march there was a Chariot drawn by six horses covered with white linnen also that went before them in which Chariot there was a tree garnished with a great number of apples which they had fastned to it and on the Branches five or six men singing Hosanna The motion of this Tree was so strange to those who not seeing the horses that drew it were ignorant of the cause that some of them at first sight lookt upon it as a Miracle Eight days after this Procession we had the Feast of Easter in which the Moscovites have a Custome of presenting one another with coloured Eggs. When they salute one they cry Christos wos chrest which is as much as to say Christ is risen and the other answers Wostin wos chrest which is He is risen indeed They do ordinarily kiss one another in their Salutations and he which salutes the other presents him with a coloured Egg. This Ceremony continues fifteen days insomuch as at that time there are many Shops in which they sell these Eggs ready dyed into a red or a Crimson colour The Tzar himself makes use of them to his Military Officers residing in Mosco who coming all of them to kiss his hand his Majesty gives each of them an Egg accompanying his present with his Royal Benediction for the Success of their Armes On the nine and twentieth of May with great joy we solemnized both the birth of his Royal Majesty and his glorious Return to his Capital City His Majesty and the Tzar being born both in the Year 1630. there is no great difference in their Age only the Tzar was born the seventeenth of March and is by consequence ten weeks older In this Feast his Excellence treated amongst others the principal of the three Ambassadors whom the Tzar had a while before sent to the King and who departed from London but some few weeks before us But that could not be done without the Tzars permission who according to their Politicks was much in trouble ere he could resolve to grant him this grace And this notwithstanding the great amity they had contracted at London was the only opportunity they had of seeing one another again The Tzar for the augmentation of their Mirth sent them a good quantity of Spanish Wine and Mead. My Lord Ambassador entertained the Swedish Resident who was at that time in Mosco very often also by which means he had frequent conferences with him About this time the Marriage was consummated betwixt the good man that had hurt himself with his fall at Gravesend the next day after his departure from London and the Maid I mentioned but lately But the Bridegroom being as yet something lame of his fall as Vulcan was with being tumbled from heaven it gave occasion to one to say and not unpleasantly that if he plaied Vulcans part no doubt but she could play that of Venus as well I have before represented Mosco much Subject to fire and we had three instances of it during our residence there The greatest of all hapned on easter day but devoured only some hundreds of houses and yet there was no more notice taken of it than of the two other For to make a conflagration remarkable in this Country there must be at least seven or eight thousand houses consumed But they have this advantage at Mosco that they may buy houses ready made especially in that part of the Town called Scoradom which houses they take to pieces and having carryed them to the place where they designe their habitation it requires no great time to put them together again Besides this they have other great markets where they sell wood for building and that in such quantity one may have enough there to build a whole Town In this place it was we had experience as well as at Vologda of the verity of that saying of Juvenal Maxima quaeque domus servis est plena superbis Which is that great houses are commonly furnisht with haughty Servants And without doubt there had been great disorder amongst the Ambassadors Gentlemen had not he prevented it by a resolution which he declared of not sparing any one that sought to make division by unlawful ways Notwithstanding there hapned one duell betwixt one of our family and a stranger that was a Lieutenant in the Militia of the Tzar The quarrel was that being in company together this last though a Scotchman seemed to extol the grandeur and glory of the Tzar to the diminution of the King of England which the other disgusting magnifyed the King as much as was possible contrary to the judgment
of his Antagonist and challenged him thereupon into the field And some few days after this quarrel was disputed by the sword and had the preeminence of these Princes depended upon the success of that combat his Majesty of great Brittaine had had the advantage For in a short time our Champion disarmed the Lieutenant and came triumphing amongst us that he had vindicated his King The sixteenth of June which was four days after my Lord had taken his Leave the Tzar sent the Ambassador a present of Sables for himself and his whole family His Excellencies portion was worth two thousand Crownes that of the Countess was worth fourteen hundred and my Lord Morpeth's a thousand the rest were to be distributed according to every mans rank and imploiment in the house But the Ambassador considering he had been neglected in all his affaires would by no meanes admit of this obligation but from a generous principle returned the Present as having been otherwise so much disobliged Nevertheless that his refusal might not pass for an affront in the judgment of the Tzar my Lord designed to have prevented the sending of it but he had not time enough for that For Golozof of whom we had occasion to speak in the Description of our Entry into Mosco imagining without doubt he should receive great kindnesses from the Ambassador dispatched away one of his Clerks to advertise him that he was coming to him with a Present from his Tzarskoy Majesty wherewith he intended to honour him before his departure And presently after without acquainting any of the Pristafs in which he did ill he arrived himself with four and thirty men bearing the Present in their hands The Ambassador took Golozof aside and let him know that he could not accept of this Honour for the reasons which he alledged Golozof extreamly amazed ran â—ut immediately swelled up with rage as he had been with vain hope of reward at his coming in he leapt down the stairs by half douzains as if he had been mad and clapping his breast cried out with a loud voice That such a thing had not been heard of nor ever happened before in the whole Empire of Russia In short he was in such a rage that one would have sworn he would have caused us all to be banished into Siberia as they sometimes did an Ambassador of France and that having refused the Great Dukes present they would make us hunt Sables in that Country which is the penalty of their greatest malefactors But that which most afflicted the Ambassador's Domesticks was the disadvantage they received by his refusal in being so deprived of the Honour of receiving so profitable testimonies of the generosity of so great a Prince However we comforted our selves in the Prudence of the Ambassador and although each of us was deceived in the hopes he had conceived yet we could not for all that forbear praising the generosity of his Conduct Whereas on the other side Golozof in very great passion mounted his horse his footmen following him two and two whereupon his Excellence took great pleasure to behold them marching in that Order and the indignation which they carried in their faces Every one looked after them with a profound silence imagining this refusal so Extraordinary that it affronted the Grandeur and Dignity of the Tzar and that his Tzarskoy Majesty would not fail to take exemplary vengeance upon an action so presumptuously bold others not knowing the cause suspended their judgments The Tzar being informed of this affair and exceedingly surprised with it called his Councel of State immediately and was present there himself the result of which was that Volinskoy one of the new Commissioners was deputed to repair to his Excellence to know the reason of this refusal which he performed with more mildness and discretion than we had occasion to hope for The Ambassador answered him that he was so far from doing it out of any contempt that on the contrary he looked upon his Tzarskoy Majesties Present as an effect of his great Generosity but that the acceptance thereof would oblige him too far He acquainted him how his affairs stood that his Embassy had had no success and that in this case it was not proper for him to receive any favour from his Tzarskoy Majesty till he had first received the Justice he demanded That otherwise he should have taken the least favour from his hands as a perpetual Ornament to himself and his family and that still he was ready provided any good order might be taken with his affaires to receive any testimony whatever of the Tzars affection This gave Volinskoy satisfaction in some measure especially when he understood after what manner Golosof had brought the Presents that is without the knowledge of his Excellencies Pristafs who ought first to have given him notice of the design and thereby prevented the dishonour of so publick a refusal So that Golozof had no recompence for all his pains but a grave reprehension for having wanted discretion in the discharge of this affair On the other side the Tzar returned the Present which he had received at his first Audience from the Ambassador to him again it was a Basin and Ewer of Silver parcel gilt two wrought Silver Dishes and another Dish of Silver parcel gilt also His Excellence received it with this Complement I give his Tzarskoy Majesty thanks for this and I receive it with as great kindness as if it had been a greater Present I shall keep it alwaies by me because it hath had the honour to be in the Possession of his Tzarskoy Majesty Of his Excellencies Journey from Mosco to Riga THis Embassy being finished and that which was to have been into Poland layd a side the Ambassador prepared for his departure towards Sweden choosing the way by Riga in Livonia to pass to Stockholm by Sea And being to Cross Livonia which is 〈◊〉 desart Country he dispacht an Express with 〈◊〉 Letter to Count Oxenstern Governour Generaâ— of Livonia to desire that being upon an Embassy towards his Majesty of Sweden he would please to give orders that at his arrival upon the frontiers he might be accommodated at his own cost with fresh horses and wagons for his train and baggage to pass that Country with all In the mean time my Lord Ambassador attended by a Regiment of horse departed from Mosco the 24. of June about the Evening with intention to retreat seaven Versts that night from the Town The 29. we arrived at T were the cheif City of Twersco The 3. of July we came to Tarsock and from thence to Budeva The 4. to Wisny Volsock the 7. to Zimnogoray and Volday the 8. we past by Rakina and Vena two Townes the 9. we lodged at Brunitze a little Borough The 10. in the afternoon we made 27. Versts by water in twenty boats they had provided against our coming so as passing a small Arm of the Lake Ilmin into which the River that passes by