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
first coming to the Ambassador said to him that His Tzarskoy Majesty had ordered them and the Ambassador to come to Mosco naming themselves before the Ambassador Likewise the said Stolnick refused absolutely to furnish the Gentlemen with sledds convenient and would only allow them such bare sledds as are used by the common Mousicks so that the Ambassador was forced to buy those sledds for the Gentlemen with his own money Also the said Stolnick was so strict in matters of provision that the Ambassador was refused one single egg for his use the Chalavalnicks or Purveyors alledging that they durst not do it without the said Stolnicks order and that they durst not wake him Besides at Yeroslaf Troitza and other places upon the way the Ambassador was unnecessarily detained several daies from proceeding on his journey to his Tzarskoy Majesty And at last the Ambassador being arrived at the Yaws some four English miles from Mosco and having staid there two days was overnight upon the fourth of February told by the said Stolnick that he had orders for his entring into Mosco the next day and therefore desired him to be ready by nine a clock in the morning which he was Nevertheless he and his whole retinue were staid all the next day at the Yaws till four in the evening without any meat or drink or the least refreshment whatsoever and at that unseasonable hour orders came for their going on to Mosco And being more than half way thither then came new orders that the Ambassador should not make his Entry that night but turn into a village yet worse than the Yaws There came that night to the Ambassador the Diack Lookian Timopheovich Golozof from the Tzar laying the fault upon the messengers sent with orders from Mosco who he said mist their way to the Yaws The Ambassador spoke neither then nor at any time else of all or any of the former indignities but this being so notorious he demanded reparation and that till then he would not stir hence toward Mosco And yet Demente Bashmacof Diack of the Taynich Deal coming to him the next morning promising in his Tzarskoy Majesties name he should have satisfaction in less than a quarter of an hours space he condescended to make his Entry and did not spend half an hour in setting forward But whereas his Tzarskoy Majesty Commissioners formerly as now His Embassadors say that the Earle of Carlisle spun out that day also until the evening it was not so But all the time that was spun out was partly by Doomnoy Duoranin Evan Offanassevich Pronchissof who though he were sent forth to the Embassador to be his Pristaf into Mosco sat in his Sledd formalizing a long time that the Embassador should first come out of his Sledd to him and after a tedious capitulation and agreement before so many spectators whereby they were to come out together yet the said Doomnoy Duoranin making a feint of stepping forward hung in the air among the arms of his attendants to cheat the Embassador And the other stay which was very long was by reason of those troops of Gentlemen and others that were present who to make the guard continue and hold out to the eye were forced ever and anon to make a stand while those that had met the Embassador before should under the blind of those next to him gallop away behind to fill up a new station forward And so it was night again before the Ambassador could enter which might have been prevented by expecting one day longer as the Ambassador moved the Diack of the Taynich Deale But those great Wax-tapers which the Ambassadors speak of in their paper were in so good order that it is evident it was resolved upon a night Entry in good time before hand As to the Ambassadors first Audience it was indeed agreed upon that it should be upon the ninth of February and the Doomnoy Duoranin told the Ambassador that was a great sign of his Tzarskoy Majesties favour yet it was afterwards put off that it must not be till the eleventh of February for what contrary reason the Ambassador knows not Also although at his first Audience he told his Tzarskoy Majesty that he had particular commands from his Royal Majesty concerning Sir John Hebdon yet the Ambassador was refused to deliver that recommendatory Letter concerning him to his Tzarskoy Majesties own hand but obliged to tender it to his Commissioners Also at coming to Conference the Lords Commissioners stood up alwaies within the Room without moving to meet the Ambassador and also at all Conferences they took the high end of the Table The Ambassador delivered at the first Conference a very treatable and courtly demand of reparation for the miscarriage of his Entry And though he then signified that he could not proceed to other matters of State till that were rectified yet upon the Commissioners earnest motion and ingaging their honours towards his Reparation he at the same time delivered in another Proposition concerning the restitution of the Priviledges And the Restitution of the Priviledges is a matter of State joyntly concerning the true brotherly love of both great Princes and certainly the foundation thereof was laid in the Priviledges To these first Propositions of the Ambassador the Commissioners gave in their answer Wherein they assume all their own Titles and name themselves before the Ambassador Extraordinary but him they call only plain Knez Charles Howard Also speaking of his Royal Majesties Father they call him only Slauopamite of glorious memory but his Tzarskoy Majesties Father Blagenniopamite of ever blessed memory Concerning the Ambassadors Entry they now add another pretence the long time of arraying the Courtiers and military Troops for his Reception They say the Ambassador ought not before he came into Mosco to have demanded reason and reparation of his being staid the first day They accuse the Ambassador for staying the second day And they say the Messengers by whom the delay was caused had been punished which was not so and if ever the least thing had been done in order thereto the Ambassador had desisted and he signified frequently to the Commissioners that he himself would have interceded for their pardon Then as to the matter of Priviledges for answer they raise an high accusation against the whole Russia Company word for word as it was delivered to Prideaux Cromwel's Agent of which nothing was then or ever since proved in particular But whereas his Tzarskoy Majesty had given to understand to his Royal Majesty as if the Priviledges had been taken away in detestation of the late Rebellion in England that is only mentioned for numbers sake But they lay great stress upon a Letter sent they say by his late Majesty to his Tzarskoy Majesty by Luke Nightingale desiring the abrogating of the Priviledges And in this their first answer they conclude positively against the granting any Priviledg not so much as blanching it in hansom words as his Tzarskoy
no body knew what to make of this dis-order Nestrof himself was amazed and could not imagine the reason unless it was that the Tzar was a-sleep and no body durst wake him At length about half an hour before night the Messengers arrived with orders for our departure when we were in despair of making our Entry The Ambassador was much surprised at it and could not imagine what their designe should be to receive him in the night in so much that he represented to Nestrof that it was not the Custome to receive Ambassadors in that Manner However orders being come and we tyred with an extream impatience all day of removing from those Wisbies he prepared to depart and expose all his pomp and splendor to the darkness of the night Of the solemne Entry of the Ambassador into Mosco THe Glory of Princes is in some proportion like the glory of the Sun and suffers its Eclipses the disorders and irregularities of their Officers many times intercepting the rays of their glory Of this we have an instance in the condition we were in all that day contrary to the Tzars designe who stayd near four houres with the Empress or great Dutchesse at one of the gates of the Town to see the splendor of this Embassy which was to be more particularly illustrious at this Entry But those who were the contrivers of this so great miscarriage were the cause also of that which happened after our setting forth and which his Excellence resented with great indignation which was the deferring of our Entry till the next day after we had advanced a good part of our way and arrived within sight of the Town For it being very late and the night overtaking us when as of five Versts we had past but two his Tzarskoy Majesty thought good his Excellence should retire and send orders to Nestrof to conduct him into a little Village on the Left hand to the end the Ambassador might from thence make his Entry the next morning in good time We had already in some manner presaged this disorder when we took notice how we were lead thorough by ways and that they had by designe drawn us out of the high way For which cause the Ambassador reflecting upon the ill treatment he had received that day and imagining this delay would become every where a matter of laughter and contempt he was so farr transported that he resolved and protested not to make his Entry till he had lawfull reparation thereupon And to testify the resentment he had of this affront he commanded his Trumpets should be silent Thus this day which should have been a day of Pomp and Magnificence proved a day of fasting of trouble and discontent this day in which his Excellence ought to have received the extraordinarie Markes of the greatest Amity that ever was betwixt two Crownes was a day in which he received but the tokens of indignity and contempt True it is the Ambassador was no sooner arrived at the Village we were retired to by order from the great Duke but a Diack whose name was Loukian Golozof arrived from him to excuse this disorder and accordingly he alledged that the Messengers that were sent with the orders for our departure had imprudently lost their way and that his Majesty judging it inconvenient his Excellence should make his Entry so late he thought good to defer him till the next morning that he might give him a Reception suitable to his Character But the Ambassador being assured that this wandring of the Messengers was but a pretence for he was otherwise informed that all this happened because they were not ready to receive him he was so farr from being satisfied with his apology that he was disgusted at the very person of the Diack and told him that without any reflexion upon him it had been more becomming to have sent a person of greater quality than he was of to excuse such proceedings In the mean time our Cooks were sent back who brought us some provision along with them to recover those Spirits we had lost that day for want of victuals The next day in the morning his Excellency apprehending Golozof might have either disguized or concealed his answer he commanded his Secretarie to draw up a letter in writing to the Tzar in which he should inform him of the principal circumstances of this disorder and intimate his resolution not to stirr from thence till some correction were given to the Authors and Instruments of it The Letter was in these Termes Illustrissime atque Excellentissime Imperator NOvum hoc inusitatum ad Imperatoriam Vestram Majestatem scribendi antequam optatissimo ejus conspectu frui liceret consilium expressit hesternae diei infortunium dicam an opprobrium Quippe post tot in itinere à Vologda moras tertiae diei quatuor tantùm ab aulâ vestrâ Imperatoriâ milliaribus expectionem quum multò manè surrexissem Offonarii Evan Vizy Nestrof monitu ante horam diei * * Tertia diei hora apud Moscovitas tum erat nobiscum circiter nonam Primam enim ut prius affirmavi numerant horam ab Oriente sole tertiam ad iter me comparassem ultra decimam tamen inter famosi gurgustii sordes angustias sine cibo aut potu detentus marcebam macerabar Quae quidem omnia quamvis Serenissimi Regis mei Majestate Imperatorio Vestro Fastigio nostrà Dignitate indignissima utcunque Metropolin Vestram intrandi ad Majestatem vestram Imperatoriam appropinquandi justissimas querelas nostras exponendi spe tolerabam Tandem quum jam advesperasceret signum proficiscendi datum Tunc verò postquam quod ignes fatui solent per camporum noctis errores me circumduxissent pronuntiatur in ignobili hoc Pago ubi cum omnibus incommodis honor sit auribus cum vilissimis insectis conflictor pernoctandum Accepi quidem ab Imperatoriâ vestrâ Majestate per quendam Procancellarium nuntium humanissimum qui rem excusaret in Angarorum Veredariorum negligentiam culpam derivaret Cui ego tunc quidem respondi idem jam ne optimo homini per viam aliquid interciderit ad Majestatem vestram Imperatoriam perscribo me Imperatoriae vestrae Majestati quà m maximas gratias persolvere nullo modo de humanitate vestrâ dubitare sed neque hanc rem tam parvi momenti esse ut tam facilè dilui possit deleri Neque ab Angaris aut Veridariis proculdubio hoc crimen profectum sed ab aliis qui majori in ministerio eodem tamen in numero haberi mereantur Neque tam impune serenissimi Regis mei honori Imperatoriae Vestrae Majestati aut nostrae Dignitati posse illudi Serenissimum Regem meum qui summus praecipuus est Imperatoriae Vestrae Majestatis Amicus nequidem Inimicorum multò minùs Amicorum Legatos ità accipere Et si modò aliquid hujusmodi in suo
covering of his sledge was of scarlet whose edges hanging down very low were guarded round about with crowns made of little peices of sky coloured velvet edged with silver lace and the back of his sledge was drest up with the skin of a white Bear On the right side of his sledge upon a plank layd cross sate his chief interpreter with his head uncovered behind there was another board layd at the bottom of the sledge on which there stood two Pages the twelve footmen in the mean time marching six of a side with Partisons trim'd according to their Liveries one behind another and all bare Behind his Excellence followed my Lord Vicomte Morpeth the Ambassadors only Son then of about seventeen years of age who bare his Father company in all his Embassies He sate in a very faire glass coach drawn by six black horses with rich housses of Scarlet very well laced and fringed with silver which upon black shew very handsom and behind his Coach he had two Pages also After my Lord Morpeth came my Lady Ambassadress in her Caftnaz covered on the out side all over with Crimson velvet with very broad laces of gold and silver and lined within with blew damaske according to the Liveries which were red lined with blew On each side there were great windows which served as doors to go in at besides which there were little windows also which her Ladiship might looke thorow without being seen her selfe she had one of her Gentle-women in the Caftnaz with her two Pages standing upon a plank behinde and three footmen running by After my Ladies Caftnaz came my Lord of Morpeths sledg but without any body in it after which there followed two Caftnazes more and so in order all the rest of the train and baggage which made up about two hundred sledges A while after we had left this Village which was about two a clock we entred into a very faire champaigne in which the Moscovian horse were drawne up and had been two days there putting into Order Amongst the rest they had a great Number of Archers with their Quivers full of arrows and for their Musique there were so many Trumpets Kettle-drums Howboys and other such instruments of war which they had disperst in parties thorow all their Troops that for two miles we were in no want of Musique But they having battered our ears with one continued aire above two hours together all the way as we marcht the noise of those Instruments which at first had delighted us with their melody became now obstreperous and troublesome In the mean time there were a great number of Boyars of Stolnicks and other persons of the Court which came to meet the Ambassador richly clad in Vests or Tuniques of cloth of gold and silver or velvets lined with Sables with great caps on their heads of black Fox made in the fashion of a Muff which they use commonly in their Ceremonies They were most of them very well mounted upon good horses with rich trappings and bridles of silver made like chains with the linkes very broad and thin so that whilst their horses were in motion they made a noise altogether Majestique There were severall also who had their housses covered with pretious stones whose lustre seemed to adde a richer light to the light of the day and behinde them they had their servants carrying covers for their sadles of Leopard skins cloth of gold velvet and scarlet All the Gentlemen of the Tzars chamber were there ready to accompany the Ambassador to his very house At length the Master of the great Dukes horse came to present to the Ambassador from the Tzar a sledg another for my Lord Morpeth with several white horses for the Gentlemen A while after came Pronchissof one of the Tzars Counsel and Gregory Cosmevitz along with him who were both deputed to serve his Excellence as Pristafs or Masters of the Ceremonies during his residence in Mosco And in this occasion it was we had another ridiculous example of the pride and rusticity of the Moscovites who are so quick and precise in anticipating the Prerogative of Ambassadors Pronchissof being arrived within some small distance of the Ambassadors sledg gave him to understand that he was sent to receive him from the grand Duke his Lord and that he expected the Ambassador should first come out of his sledg But his Excellence signified to him by his Interpreter that his expectations were very ill grounded that he represented the person of the King his Master and that in that case all such Kind of respect was due to himself Pronchissof however continued unmoveable in his sledg as a Master of Ceremonies and sent back to the Ambassador that he also was sent from the Tzar his Master to represent his person so that to have seen him one would have thought he had taken upon him the forme of a statue to represent the Majesty of his Prince This answer how absurd soever it was caused several smart replies both on one side and the other till at last the Ambassador to prevent any further delay in his Entrance condescended to this That they should both of them come out of their sledges together But in this Pronchissof tooke occasion to deceive his Excellence and falsify his word hanging in the aire betwixt the armes of his servants and but touching the earth with his tiptoes whilst the Ambassador came out freely At their meeting they saluted one another and Pronchissof first delivered his complement which consisted in declaring his Employment and acquainting his Excellence that the Tzar had sent him and his associate Gregory Cofmovitz who was there present also to take care that all things necessary should be provided during his continuance at Mosco But the greatest part of his complement was the recitation of his Masters Titles which he enumerated from the first to the last in a most troublesome and ridiculous maner as will appeare hereafter His complement being made and the Ambassador having answered him with a very good grace they retired both of them into their sledges Pronchissof returning in the same posture he came his servants holding him up by his armes as if they were afraid he should sinke under the burthen of the emploiment which his Master had given him At this time Nestrof and Davidof giving place to Pronchissof and Gregory Cosmovitz the new Pristafs took their leaves of the Ambassador After which Ceremonies we disposed our selves to enter into the Town the Ambassador having Pronchissof on his right hand and Cosmovitz on his left my Lord Morpeth had two Lords of the Court to accompany him so that in every ranke there were three sledges a breast The Gentlemen were all on horseback betwixt Sinboyars or Gentlemen of the Court The Chaplaine Physitian and Musique-Master with several English Merchants and two Vallets de Chambre were joyned with them so that they made up about five and twenty ranks on horse-back marching three a breast All
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
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
presently brought most of us imployed our selves in observing the great stone Pillar mentioned before which they had adorned for a Show with a wonderful quantity of Gold and Silver Vessels amongst which there were many curious pieces In this manner we sate almost half an hour before our meat was brought up At last the Stolnicks entred with their great bonnets upon their heads and brought the first meat to the Tzars Table presently afterwards they served the Boyars and then my Lord Ambassador and his Train Our first dish was Caviare which we eat as a Sallad after which we had a sort of Pottage that was very sweet as also several sorts of fish baked fried and boyled but no flesh because it was Lent Yet that hindered not but that we had near five hundred dishes which were very handsomely dressed had not the dishes been so very black that they looked more like Lead than Silver Of all these dishes they made as it were but one course new coming in continually but as we had no napkins allowed us so wanted we but little of having no plates also All we could obtain for so many dishes was but every one his own and my Lord Ambassador in that respect had no advantage of his Servants Besides these we were well provided with very good Spanish Wine white and red Mead Quaz and strong Waters which they had tempered with sweet and odoriferous ingredients We were not much troubled nor importuned to drink to Excess only they would often advertise us not to forget their great Dukes health Those that attended us were all Gentlemen of quality which perhaps was the reason we were not so well served as we could have wished When meat was brought in there were twelve of the Guards du Corps ordered to enter who put themselves in order with their Halbards by the Hall door right over against his Majesty After them entered two Lords with the Swords Royal who approaching the Throne with a profound Reverence placed themselves of each side of the Tzar with their swords naked upon their shoulders Night drawing on they furnished their Sconces with Wax-candles and a while after the Tzar signified his desire to discourse for some time with the Ambassador Whereupon his Excellence rose from the Table and being come near the Tzar he stood before him on the other side of the Table so that they discoursed face to face His Majesty drank a Cup of Wine to the memory of the late King of England in these words To the memory of that glorious Martyr Charles the first who endured great afflictions here and enjoyes now a greater measure of glory After that he drank a health to our present King and gave the Cup alwaies to the Ambassador with his own hand His Excellence also at his turn began a health to the two young Princes and the Tzar seeming to neglect it the Ambassador very gracefully intreated him to remember it Some serious discourse they had also about affaires of State the Tzar spake to him about His Wars with the King of Poland and his Excellence on his side failed not to mention to him the subject of his Embassy and to let him know he expected success in it from himself only and not from his Commissioners By this time the desart came in and the Tzar invited the Ambassador to rake his place at the Table again The first things they brought in were little artificial trees with store of branches candyed and guilt at the ends on purpose for a shew the rest were nothing but a kind of fritters wafers and such like trifles in paste made up after their fashion After we had been about half an hour longer at the Table the Ambassador rose again and turning towards the Tzar they drank to one another several times the Ambassador's Gentlemen having the honour to drink with his Tzarskoy Majesty and receive their Wine from his own hands But his Excellence observing with what ease the Tzar took off his Goblets declared to him after a pleasant manner the just suspicion he had of his liquour which apparently could not be so strong as that which was given to himself The Tzar being in a good humour gave him no answer but laughed heartily at it Yet a while after he found himself so warmed that he fell a bleeding at the nose as he was speaking to the Ambassador who departed thereupon having first given his Majesty thanks for his magnificent entertainment The seventeenth of March we celebrated as the birth of the present Tzar who was born on that day in the Year 1630. for which his Tzarskoy Majesty sent us a great dinner and three or four Boyars to rejoyce with the Ambassador The third of April being Palme-Sunday we had the sight of a very noble Procession which is annually observed eight daies before Easter in representation of our Saviours Entrance into Jerusalem The Tzar invited the Ambassador to see the Ceremonie and their Sledges being then out of date by reason the Ice was for the most part dissolved sent his Coach with a Stolnick and Gregory the Pristaf to accompany him The Ambassador being about to enter first into the Coach the Stolnick had the presumption to thrust himself forward and throw himself into it as it were headlong before him and this with such a disorder that it cost him some trouble to recollect himself His Excellence observing his temerity left him in sole possession of the Coach and was returning up the stairs when the Stolnick came out again in great confusion to assure him that he had done nothing but by express order and according to their Custome The Ambassador replied he knew very well such incivilities were not practised in other places and that in England the Tzars Ambassadors had not been used in that manner The Stolnick understanding his Excellencies resolution not to go at all upon those terms dispatched a Messenger immediately to the Tzar to advertise him of what had past and of the Ambassadors persistence The Tzar was then at his Devotion in the Church of Jerusalem as they call it near the Castle-gate and all things were ready to begin the Procession insomuch as his Tzarskoy Majesty to accelerate the Ambassadors arrival countermanded the orders of the Stolnick Whereupon they departed immediately and being come to the place that was reserved for us we found the Tzar already gone out of the Church and marching on foot with his Crown on his head in the midst of a great number of Boyars and Churchmen amongst which there were two of his principal Counsellors of State that led him by the armes The Patriarch a handsome man and of a good age had a kind of a Diadem upon his head and a great Cross of Gold in his hand The rest of the Clergy were in their Surplices and carrying Books Banniers Crosses and Images upon long staves before them some of them singing and some of them fuming the people with Incense In this posture they
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