place from the Mosko vnder the tuition of his mother and hir kinred of the house of the Nagaies yet not safe as I haue heard from attempts of making away by practise of some that aspire to the succession if this Emperour die without any issue The nurse that tasted before him of certaine meat as I haue heard died presently That hee is naturall sonne to Ioan Vasilowich the Russe people warrant it by the Fathers qualitie that beginneth to appeare already in his tender yeares He is delighted they say to see sheepe and other cattel killed and to looke on their throtes while they are bleeding which commonly children are afraid to beholde and to beate geese and hennes with a staffe till he see them lie dead Besides these of the male kind there is a widdow that hath right in the succession sister to the old Emperour and aunt to this man somtime wife to Magnus Duke of Holst brother to the king of Denmarke by whom shee had one daughter This woman since the death of hir husband hath bene allured again into Russia by some that loue the succession better then hir selfe which appeareth by the sequele For hir selfe with hir daughter so soone as they were returned into Russia were thrust into a Nunnerie where hir daughter died this last yeare while I was in the countrie of no naturall disease as was supposed The mother remaineth still in the Nunnerie where as I haue heard shee bewayleth hir selfe and curseth the time when she returned into Russia entised with the hope of marriage and other fayre promises in the Emperours name Thus it standeth with the imperiall stock of Russia of the house of Beala which is like to determine in those that now are to make a conuersion of the Russe estate If it be into a gouernment of some better temper and milder constitution it will be happy for the poore people that are now oppressed with intollerable seruitude Of the manner of crowning or inauguration of the Russe Emperours The 6. Chapter THe solemnities vsed at the Russe Emperours coronatiō are on this manner In the great Church of Precheste or our Lady within the Emperours castle is erected a stage whereon standeth a scrine that beareth vpon it the Imperiall cappe and robe of very riche stuffe When the day of the Inauguration is come there resorte thither first the Patriarch with the Metropolitanes Archbishops Bishops Abbots and Priors all richly clad in their Pontisicalibus Then enter the Deacons with the quier of singers Who so soone as the Emperour setteth foote into the Church beginne to sing Many yeares may liue noble Theodore Iuanowich c Whereunto the Patriarch and Metropolite with the rest of the Cleargie answere with a certaine Hymne informe of a prayer singing it all together with a greatnoyse The hymne beyng ended the Patriarch with the Emperour mount vp the stage where standeth a seat ready for the Emperour Whereupon the Patriarch willeth him to sit downe and then placing himselfe by him vpon an other seate prouided for that purpose boweth downe his head towardes the ground and sayeth this prayer Oh Lord God King of Kinges Lord of Lordes which by thy prophet Samuel diddest choose thy seruant Dauid and annoint him for King ouer thy people Israell heare now our prayers and looke from thy sanctuarie vpon this thy seruant Theodore whome thou hast chosen and exalted for King ouer these thy holy Nations annoint him with the oyle of gladnesse protect him by thy power put vpon his head a crowne of golde and pretious stones giue him length of dayes place him in the seate of Iustice strengthen his arme make subiect vnto him all the barbarous nations Lette thy feare bee in his whole heart turne him from an euill faith and from all errour and shewe him the saluation of thy holy and vniuersall Church that hee may iudge thy people with Iustice and protect the children of the poore and finally atteyne euerlasting lyfe This prayer hee speaketh with a lowe voyce and then pronounceth a lowde All prayse and power to God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost The prayer beyng ended hee commaundeth certaine Abbots to reach the imperiall roabe and cappe whiche is done verie decently and with great solemnitie the Patriarch withall pronouncing alowde Peace be vnto all And so he beginneth an other praier to this effect Bowe your selues together with vs and pray to him that reigneth ouer all Preserue him oh Lord vnder thy holy protection keepe him that hee may doo good and holy things let iustice shine foorth in his dayes that wee may liue quietly without strife and malice This is pronounced somewhat softly by the Patriarch whereto hee addeth againe alowd Thou art the King of the whole worlde and the sauiour of our soules to thee the Father Sonne and Holy ghost be all prayse for euer and euer Amen Then putting on the roabe and the cappe he blesseth the Emperour with the signe of the crosse saying withall in the name of the Father the Sonne and the Holy ghost The like is done by the Metropolites Archbishops and Bishops who all in their order come to the chaire and one after an other blesse the Emperour with their two fore-fingers Then is sayed by the Patriarch an other prayer that beginneth O most holy virgin mother of God c. After which a Deacon pronounceth with an high lowde voice Many yeares to Noble Theodore good honourable beloued of God great Duke of Volodemer of Mosko Emperour and Monarch of all Russia c. Whereto the other Priestes and Deacons that stand somewhat farre of by the altar or table answeare singing Many yeares many yeares to the noble Theodore The same not is taken vp by the Priestes and Deacons that are placed at the right and left side of the Church and then all together they chaunt and thunder out singing Many yeares to the noble Theodore good honaurable beloued of God great Duke of Volodemer Mosko Emperour of all Russia c. These solemnities beyng ended first commeth the Patriarch with the Metropolites Archbishops and Bishops then the Nobilitie and the whole companie in their order to doo homage to the Emperour bending downe their heads and knocking them at his feete to the very ground The stile wherewith he is inuested at his Coronation runneth after this manner THeodore Iuanowich by the grace of God great Lord and Emperour of all Russia great Duke of Volodemer Mosko and Nouograd King of Cazan King of Astracan Lord of Plesko and great duke of Smolensko of Twerria Ioughoria Permia Vadska Bulghoria and others Lord and great duke of Nouograd of the Low countrie of Chernigo Rezan Polotskoy Rostoue Yaruflaueley Bealozera Liefland Oudoria Obdoria and Condensa Commaunder of all Siberia and of the North partes and Lord of many other Countries c. This stile conteyneth in it all the Emperours Prouinces and setteth foorth his greatnesse And therefore they haue a great delight and pride in it forcing
the enchaunting of shippes that saile along their coast as I haue heard it reported and their giuing of winds good to their friends and contrary to other whom they meane to hurt by tying of certein knots vpon a rope somewhat like to the tale of Aeolus his windbag is a very fable deuised as may seeme by themselues to terrifie sailers for comming neare their coast Their weapons are the long bow and handgunne wherein they excell aswell for quicknes to charge and discharge as for nearnesse at the marke by reason of their cōntinuall practise wherto they are forced of shooting at wild fowle Their manner is in Sommer time to come downe in great companies to the sea side to Wardhuyse Cola Kegor and the bay of Vedagoba there to fish for Codd Salmon But-fish which they sell to the Russes Danes Noruegians and now of late to the English mē that trade thither with cloth which they exchaunge with the Lappes and Corelians for their fish oile and furres whereof also they haue some store They hold their mart at Cola on S. Peters day what time the Captain of Wardhuyse that is resiant there for the king of Denmarke must be present or at least send his deputie to set prices vpon their stockfish traine oile furres and other commodities as also the Russe Emperours customer or tribute taker to receiue his custome which is euer payed before any thing can be bought or sold When their fishing is done their māner is to drawe their carbasses or boates on shoare there to leaue them with the keele turned vpwardes till the next spring tide Their trauaile too fro is vpon sleds drawen by the Olen deer which they vse to turne a grasing all the Sommer time in an iland called Kilden of a very good soile compared with other partes of that countrie and towards the winter time when the snow beginneth to fall they fetch them home again for the vse of their sledde Of their Ecclesiasticall state with their Church offices The 21. Chapter COncerning the gouernement of their Churche it is framed altogether after the māner of the Greek as being a part of that Church and neuer acknowledging the iurisdiction of the Latine Church vsurped by the Pope That I may keepe a better measure in describing their ceremonies thē they in the vsing them wherein they are infinite I will note briefly First what Ecclesiasticall degrees or offices they haue with the iurisdiction and practise of them Secondly what doctrine they holde in matter of religion Thirdly what leiturgie or forme of seruice they vse in their Churches with the manner of their administring the Sacramēts Fourthly what other straunge ceremonies and superstitious deuotions are vsed among them Their offices or degrees of Churchmen are as many in number and the same in a manner both in name and degree that were in the Westerne churches First they haue their Patriarch then their Metropolites their Archbishops their Vladikey or Bishops their Protopapes or Archpriests their Papes or Priests their Deacons Friers Monkes Nunnes and Eremites Their Patriarch or chiefe directer in matter of religion vntill this last yeare was of the citie of Constantinople whom they called the Patriarch of Sio because being driuen by the Turke out of Constantinople the seate of his Empire he remoued to the Ile Sio sometimes called Chio and there placed his Patriarchiall sea So that the Emperours and clergie of Russia were wont yearely to send gifts thither and to acknowledge a spirituall kind of homage and subiection due to him and to that Church Which custome they haue held as it seemeth euer since they professed the Christian religiō Which how long it hath bene I could not well learne for that they haue no storie or monument of antiquitie that I could heare of to shewe what hath bene done in times past within their countrie concerning either Church or common wealth matters Onely I heare a report among them that about three hundred yeares since there was a marriage betwixt the Emperour of Constantinople the kings daughter of that countrie who at the first denied to ioyne his daughter in marriage with the Greeke Emperour because he was of the Christian religion Which agreeth well with that I finde in the storie of Laonicus Chalcacondylas concerning Turkish affaires in his fourth booke where hee speaketh of such a marriage betwixt Iohn the Greeke Emperour and the Kings daughter of Sarmatia And this argueth out of their owne report that at that time they had not receyued the Christian religion as also that they were conuerted to the faith and withall peruerted at the very same time receyuing the doctrine of the gospell corrupted with superstitions euen at the first when they tooke it from the Greeke Church which it selfe then was degenerate and corrupted with many superstitions and fowle errours both in doctrine and discipline as may appeare by the story of Nicephorus Gregoras in his 8. and 9. bookes But as touching the time of their conuersion to the christiā faith I suppose rather that it is mistaken by the Russe for that which I find in the Polonian storie the secōd booke the third chapter where is said that about the yeare 990. Vlodomirus Duke of Russia married one Anne sister to Basilius and Constantinus brothers Emperours of Constantinople Wherupon the Russe receiued the faith profession of Christ Which though it be somewhat more auncient then the time noted before out of the Russe report yet it falleth out al to one reckoning touching this point vz in what truth and sinceritie of doctrine the Russe receiued the first stampe of religion for asmuch as the Greeke church at that time also was many waies infected with errour and superstition At my being there the yere 1588 came vnto the Mosko the Patriarch of Constātinople or Sio called Hieronomo being banished as some said by the Turke as some other reported by the Greeke clergie depriued The Emp. being giuen altogether to superstitious deuotions gaue him great intertainment Before his cōming to Mosko he had bene in Italy with the Pope as was reported ther by some of his cōpany His arrād was to cōsult with the Emp. concerning these points First about a league to passe betwixt him the king of Spaine as the meetest Prince to ioyne with him in opposition against the Turke To which purpose also Ambassages had passed betwixt the Russe the Persian Likewise from the Georgians to the Emperour of Russia to ioyne league together for the inuading of the Turke on all sides of his dominion taking the aduantage of the simple qualitie of the Turke that now is This treatie was helped forward by the Emperours Ambassadour of Almaine sent at the same time to solicite an inuasion vpon the parts of Polonia that lie towards Rusland and to borrow mony of the Russe Emperour to pursue the warre for his brother Maximilian against the Swedens son now king of Poland But this
The one part hee called the Oppressini or Select men These were such of the Nobilitie and Gentrie as he tooke to his owne part to protect and mainteyne them as his faithful subiects The other hee called Zemskey or the Commons The Zemskey conteyned the base and vulgar sort with such Noblemen and Gentlemen as he meant to cut off as suspected to mislike his gouernment and to haue a meaning to practise against him Wherein he prouided that the Oppressini for number and qualitie of valure money armour c farre exceeded the other of the Zempskey side whom he put as it were from vnder his protection so that if any of them were spoiled or killed by those of the Oppressini which hee accounted of his owne part there was no amendes to bee sought for by way of publike iustice or by complaint to the Emperour The whole number of both partes was orderly registred and kept in a booke so that euery man knewe who was a Zempskey man and who of the Oppressini And this libertie of the one part to spoyle and kill the other without anie helpe of Magistrate or lawe that continued seuen yeeres enriched that side and the Emperours treasurie and wrought that withall which hee intended by this practise viz. to take out of the way such of the Nobilitie as himself misliked whereof were slayne within one weeke to the number of three hundred within the citie of Mosko This tyrannicall practise of making a generall Schisme and publike diuision among the subiects of his whole Realme proceeded as should seeme from an extreame doubt and desperate feare which hee had conceiued of most of his Nobilitie and Gentlemen of his Realme in his warres with the Polonian and Chrim Tartar What time hee grewe into a vehement suspition conceiued of the ill successe of his affayres that they practised treason with the Polonian and Chrim Whereupon he executed some and deuised this way to be ridde of the rest And this wicked pollicy tyrannous practise though now it be ceassed hath so troubled that countrey and filled it so full of grudge mortall hatred euer since that it wil not be quenched as it seemeth now till it burne againe into a ciuill flame 3 Hauing thus pulled them and seased all their inheritaunce landes priuiledges c. saue some verie small part which he left to their name hee gaue them other landes of the tenour of Pomestnay as they call it that are helde at the Emperours pleasure lying farre of in an other countrey and so remoued them into other of his Prouinces where they might haue neyther fauour nor authoritie not being natiue nor well knowen there So that now these of the chiefe Nobilitie called Vdelney Knazey are equalled with the rest saue that in the opinion and fauour of the people they are of more account and keepe stil the prerogatiue of their place in al their publike meetings Their practise to keepe downe these houses from rising againe and recouering their dignities are these and such like First many of their heires are kept vnmaried perforce that the stocke may die with thē Some are sent into Siberia Cazan and Astracan vnder pretence of seruice and there either made away or else fast clapped vp Some are put into Abbeyes and shire themselues Friers by pretence of a vowe to be made voluntary and of their owne accord but indeede forced vnto it by feare vpon some pretensed crime obiected against them Where they are so garded by some of special trust and the Couent it selfe vpon whose head it standeth that they make no escape as that they haue no hope but to ende their liues there Of this kinde there are manie of verie great Nobilitie These and such like wayes begunne by the Emperour Iuan Vasilowich are still practised by the Godonoes who beyng aduaunced by the mariage of the Empresse their kinsewoman rule both the Emperour and his Realme specially Borris Federowich Godonoe brother to the Empresse and endeuour by all meanes to cut of or keepe downe all of the best and auncientest Nobilitie Whereof diuers alreadie they haue taken away whom they thought likeliest to make head against them and to hinder their purpose as Knez Andreas Guraken Bulgatkoue a man of great byrth and authoritie in the Countrey The like they haue done with Peeter Gollanni whom they put into a dungeon where he ended his life with Knez Vasilie Vrywich Golloohen with Andrieu luanowich Suskoy accounted among them for a man of a great wisedome So this last yeere was killed in a Monasterie whither they had thrust him on Knez Iuan Petrowich Suskoy a man of great valure and seruice in that Countrey who about fiue or sixe yeeres since bare out the siege of the Citie Vobsko made by Stepan Batore King of Polonia with a 100000. men and repulsed him verie valiantly with great honour to himselfe and his countrey and disgrace to the Polonian Also Mitheta Romanowich vnckle to the Emperour by the mothers side was supposed to haue dyed of poyson or some like practise The names of these families of greatest Nobility are these in their order The first is of Knez Volodemer which resteth at this time in one daughter a widow and without children mentioned before sometime wife to Hartock Magnus brother to the king of Denmark now closed within a trūnery The 2. knez Metheloskey thrust into a Friery and his only sonne kept frō mariage to decay the house The 3. Glimskoy But one left of his house he without children saue one daughter The 4. Suskoy wherof there are 4. brethren yong men vnmaried al. The 5. Hubetskoy Of this house are 4. liuing The 6. Bulgaloy now called Guletchey house whereof are fiue liuing but youths al. The 7. Vorallinskoy Two left of that stock The 8. Odgoskey Two The 9. Telletskoy One The 10. Taytoue three These are the names of the chiefe families called Vdelney Knazey that in effect haue lost all now saue the very name it selfe and fauour of the people which is like one day to restore them againe if any be left The 2. degree of Nobility is of the Boiarens These are such as the Emperour honoureth besides their nobility with the title of counsellers The reuenue of these 2. sorts of their Nobles that riseth out of their lands assigned thē by the Emperour held at his pleasure for of their owne inheritaunce there is little left them as was said before is about a thousand marks a yeere besides pension which they receiue of the Emperour for their seruice in his warres to the summe of 700. rubbels a yeere and none aboue that summe But in this number the lorde Borris Federowich Godenoe is not to be reckoned that is like a Transendent and in no such predicament with the rest being the Emperors brother in law his protectour for direction for commaund and authority Emperour of Russia His yerely reuenue in land pension amounteth to the summe of 93700.
and holdeth them vp as it were to be tyed hoping to saue his life by offering himselfe bondslaue The chiefe bootie the Tartars seeke for in all their warres is to get store of captiues specially yong boyes and girls whom they sell to the Turkes or other their neighbors To this purpose they take with them great baskets made like bakers panniers to carrie them tenderly and if any of them happen to tyer or to be sicke on the way they dash him against the ground or some tree and so leaue him dead The souldiers are not troubled with keeping the captiues and the other bootie for hindering the execution of their warres but they haue certein bands that intend nothing els appointed of purpose to receiue and keepe the captiues and the other praye The Russe borders being vsed to their inuasions lightly euery yeere in the sommer keepe fewe other cattel on the border parts saue swine onely which the Tartar will not touch nor driue away with him for that he is of the Turkish religion and will eate no swines flesh Of Christ our Sauiour they confesse asmuch as doeth the Turke in his Alkaron vz. that hee came of the Angell Gabriel and the Virgin Marie that hee was a great Prophet and shalbe the Iudge of the world at the last day In other matters likewise they are much ordered after the manner and direction of the Turke hauing felt the Turkish forces when hee wonne from them Azou Caffa with some other townes about the Euxine or Blacke sea that were before tributaries to the Chrim Tartar So that now the Emperour of the Chrims for the most part is chosen some one of the Nobilitie whom the Turke doeth commend whereby it is brought nowe to that passe that the Chrim Tartar giueth to the Turke the tenth part of the spoyle which hee getteth in his warres against the Christians Herein they differ from the Turkish religion for that they haue certeine idole puppets made of silke or like stuffe of the fashion of a man which they fasten to the doore of their walking houses to be as Ianusses or keepers of their house And these idols are made not by all but by certeine religious women which they haue among them for that like vses They haue besides the image of their King or great Cham of an huge bignes which they erect at euery stage when the army marcheth this euery one must bend and bowe vnto as hee passeth by it bee he Tartar or stranger They are much giuen to witchcraft ominous coniectures vpon euery accident which they heare or see In making of mariages they haue no regard of alliance or consanguinitie Onely with his mother sister and daughter a man may not marrie and though hee take the woman into his house and accompany with her yet hee accounteth her not for his wife till he haue a childe by her Then he beginneth to take a dowrie of her friendes of horse sheepe kyne c. If she be barren after a certeine time he turneth her home againe Vnder the Emperour they haue certeine Dukes whome they call Morseis or Diuoymorseis that rule ouer a certeine number of 10000. 20000. or 40000. a piece which they call hoords When the Emperour hath any vse of them to serue in his warres they are bound to come to bring with them their souldiers to a certeine nomber euery man with his two horse at the least the one to ride on the other to kill when it commeth to his turne to haue his his horse eate For their chiefe vittaile is horse flesh which they eate without bread or any other thing with it So that if a Tartar be taken by a Russe he shall be sure lightly to finde a horse legge or some other part of him at his saddle bow This last yeere when I was at the Mosko came in one Kiriach Morsey nephewe to the Emperour of the Chrims that now is whose father was Emperour before accompanied with 300. Tartars and his two wiues whereof one was his brothers widdow Where being intertained in very good sort after the Russe manner hee had sent vnto his lodging for his welcome to bee made ready for his supper and his companies two very large and fatte horses ready flawed in a sledde They preferre it before other flesh because the meate is stronger as they say then beefe mutton and such like And yet which is marueile though they serue all as horsemen in the warres and eate all of horse flesh there are brought yeerely to the Mosko to be exchanged for other cōmodities 30. or 40. thousand Tartar horse which they call Cones They keepe also great heards of kine and flockes of blacke sheepe rather for the skins and milke which they carry with them in great bottels then for the vse of the flesh though sometimes they eate of it Some vse they haue of ryse figs and other fruites They drinke milke or warme blood and for the most part carde them both together They vse sometimes as they traueile by the way to let their horse blood in a vain and to drinke it warme as it commeth from his body Townes they plant none nor other standing buildings but haue walking houses which the Latines call Veij built vpon wheeles like a shepheards cottage These they drawe with them whithersoeur they goe driuing their cattaile with them And when they come to their stage or standing place they plant their cart houses very orderly in a ranke and so make the forme of streetes and of a large towne And this is the manner of the Emperour himselfe who hath no other seat of his Empire but an Agora or towne of wood that moueth with him whithersoeuer hee goeth As for the fixed and standing building vsed in other countreys they say they are vnwholsome and vnpleasant They beginne to mooue their houses and cattaile in the spring time from the South part of their Countrey towards the North parts And so driuing on til they haue grased all vp to the farthest part Northwarde they returne backe againe towardes their South countrey where they continue all the winter by ten or twelue miles a stage in the meane while the grasse being sprung vp againe to serue for their cattaile as they returne From the border of the Shalcan towards the Caspian sea to the Russe frontiers they haue a goodly Countrey specially on the South and Southeast partes but lost for lacke of tillage Of money they haue no vse at all and therefore preferre brasse and steele before other mettals specially bullate which they vse for swords kniues and other necessaries As for golde and siluer they neglect it of very purpose as they doe all tillage of their ground to be more free for their wandring kinde of life and to keepe their Countrey lesse subiect to inuasiōs Which giueth them great aduantage against all their neighbors euer inuading neuer being inuaded Such as haue taken vpon them to