A brief Historical RELATION Of the Empire of RUSSIA AND Of its Original Growth OUT OF 24 Great Dukedomes INTO One entire Empire Since the yeer 1514. Humbly presented to the view and serious perusal of all true-hearted English-men that love and honour the peace and happiness of this their native Country By J. F. London Printed by J.C. for William 〈◊〉 at the Blackmoors head neer Fleâ—â—-â—â—â—ge 1654. READER THe clear Fountain of pure Justice Judgement and Mercy springing forth in its clear and free current to all degrees of men without respect of persons is that which truely advances a Nation brings glory to God peace to the mindes of a distempered people and true honour and safety to the Supreme Ruler who thereby becomes embraced by all in the arms of Love and born upon their hands of Sasety and most freely on all occasions supplied with their gifts of bounty The impartial observation and administration of this by Borice the Elected Emperour of Russia made him so famous and ingraved him so deep in the hearty affection of all the people as that they accounted themselves more happie and safe in him then in him or them whose right by birth at that time the Empire was as in the following Story will appear It was the impregnable Staff of Justice and Mercie by which like a Shepherd he led the people and by which like a most valiant Champion he quell'd and beat down to the ground all his enemies and all that ever dared in the least to oppose or appear against him It was That that became a Wall of Peace and Safety to him and an unexpressible happiness to that Nation during the whole time of his happie Reign This happiness from my soul I wish and desire may ever attend him whom God hath at present placed over us and by whom as by a second Joshua the Lord hath done great things and hath brought mighty things to pass for us yea such as all our Chronicles and all the Stories of Europe and Asia cannot parallel For which select Instrument duty bindes us to return glory and praise to God and to beg that the Lord in mercy to this Nation would keep his heart close to himself causing him to walk close to the Lord by the impartial Rules of Justice Judgement and Mercy knowing in some measure by his own expressions that it is the desire of his soul so to do even to walk close with the Lord and humbly with his God But methinks I hear some Christians say That they dare not approve of these high Titles of Honour to be attributed seeing they do not reap the fruits of Liberty and Justice according to the Reformation promise for that they still see Iniquity Bondage and Oppression to bear the sway the dens of Cruelty upheld the Law streaming forth in as corrupt a delatory chargeable current as before the Adversaries encouraged and his and this Nations true Friends slighted My answer and humble Christian desire to all such shall be onely this That they would be pleased to possess their souls in patience wait upon the Lord and doubtless are long their eyes shall see and behold the salvation of God deliverance wrought yea mighty things brought to pass by him seeing new the Lord hath been pleased to put the power into his hand For it cannot enter into my heart to think or believe that ever his Highness for whom the Lord hath done so great things and if this be not enough will yet do greater things should so far dishonour God and himself and all that have taken part with him by putting their hand unto the Work as to suffer these Norman evils to continue or that ever he should fall off from the pious Rules of Justice Charity and Love so far as to slight those his friends who have ever been faithful to him and this their native Country and have suffered for him Surely Grace and Goodness teacheth him who is in mercy sanctified therewith far better things and will enable him to bring this to pass and much more mangre all his and this Nations enemies Therefore let us not resist lest we be found fighting against God and let him but keep close unto the Lord his God and then go on and prosper I say as I said long before Go on and prosper Now the God of all grace mercy and peace who hath bound up his life in the bundle of his grace sanctifie him thorowout by his holy Spirit perfect his work by him and by him make bare the arm of his mighty power for us against all the potent enemies of this Nation who threaten his and our destruction and this Nation 's ruine and cause his Highness still to be the Lord 's powerful victorious threshing-instrument upon his and this Nations enemies as also the Lords happie instrument of justice and mercy to the people of God and to all the poor distressed oppressed and enslaved to the widow the fatherless and strangers in this Land that so his fame may ring thorowout the world and his name become as a sweet odour in the nostrils of all men All which are and ever shall be the constant addresses to the throne of grace in that behalf for him and the moâ—â— hearty desires of His Highness and this Common-wealths most humble and faithful servant in the Lord during life J. F. Most honorable and Truely honored and Beloved in the Lord Jesus THe Lord having caused me in the days of this my Pilgrimage even from my youth up to taste both of sweet and bitter waters to partake in forraign and domestick Princes Courts abundance of Prosperity and in my own Country the like measure of bitter Adversity for these fourteen or fifteen yeers past In which my days of travel and residence at home some part of the Raign of the two late Kings of England I was diligent to note and observe the most remarkable passages presenting themselves to my Genius and in special some which happened in the vast and potent Empire of Russia to some of which passages I was an eye-witness Of which as also of the original rise and growth of those people of Russia to one entire Empire I have been often for many yeers past by many sollicited to make some brief description or relation In answer therefore now to their earnest desires and according to my best intelligence I have adventured to set pen to paper for their further satisfaction in brief as followeth The people now called Russians or Moscovites are said to be originally descended from the ancient Scythians and those of them now called Belorusians are said to be descended from the Ruthenians whose chief City then was Navagradia and the Ruthenians principal City was then called Wolodeemer who upon the incursions made by Tamerlain the great Cham of the Tartarians into those several parts many thousands of them were scattered or sown abroad into the remotest parts and clodest climates of that vast Continent and thereupon
triumphant Godfrey of Bullein and the victorious Gustavus Adolphus King of Swethland who was the terrour of Germany And as the Lord in raising him up hath thus by him brought home peace to every man's door in these three Nations so I desire and wish from my soul that with all due thankfulness he and we may return praises to his great and glorious Name for those his rich and abundant mercies by this his select instrument Oliverus conferred on us it being the onely true way for the continuation of his showers of mercies on us and in stead of kicking against the pricks to rest satisfied and wait patiently upon the Lord and then doubtless the salvation of God will appear for he that believeth maketh not haste For that sacred Power that hath hitherto by him accomplished mighty things for us will assuredly perfect his work even his own great work so that the enemies of God and all that hate us beholding it shall stand amazed shall be enforced to confess and say that it is the Lords doings and it is marvelous in their eyes And when once according to his sundry expressions at several times to that effect he appears mighty in pulling down the strong holds of Satan and advancing the thrones of Justice Judgment and Mercy to the glory of God the good of this Nation and his own eternal praise then shall his enemies be abashed and England's enemies confounded but on him shall the mercies of God flourish For it is Justice and Mercy exalts a Nation and the administration thereof without respect of persons is the honour of a Nation and of him that is the Head of the Nation Witness those unalterable decrees of the Medes and Persians and Solomon tells us that the throne is established by justice and upholden by mercy Prov. 20.28 For he that ruleth over men must be just honourable and unalterable in his word and promise ruling in the fear of God 2 Sam. 23.3 And he set judges in the land city by city and said to the judges Take heed what ye do for ye judge not for man but for the Lord who is present with you in the judgment for there is no iniquity nor respect of persons with the Lord nor taking of gifts 2 Chron. 19.5 6 7. This undoubtedly was the lesson which our just Alfred King of England gave to all the County-Judges and Chancellors in his days and this was the charge of that renowned Emperour Borice and this I hope will be the Rule and unalterable Charge of our victorious Caesar And in so doing he shall assuredly retain the favour of God the love of the whole Nation and make his enemies vanish like the smoke And so doing go on and prosper the Lord shall give thee thine hearts desire O that the Lord in mercy to this Nation would turn the present tyrannous destructive Norman law of England into a law of mercy preservation to the people thereof that so they might not be thereby in their estates rights liberties and lives daily sold as sheep are in Smithfield-market and by Bayliffs and Serjeants most spitefully daily haled like dogs to several dungeons of misery from their families and callings and cruelly destroyed in prisons their estates by piecemeal torn and rent from them for a trifle and their wives and children enforced to beg their bread yea many poor hang'd for ten or twenty shillings whilst those that rob this Nation of their estates liberties and lives and that by a Law escape the halter Wherefore my most humble and earnest suit unto his Highness the Lords threshing-instrument 15 That he would be pleased to take seriously to heart the misery of this Nation as good Nehemiah did who accounted their misery his misery their bondage his bondage their flesh as his flesh and their children as his children And lo saith he you suffer to be brought into bondage your sons and your daughters causing thereby the enemies of God to blaspheme Neh. 5.5 9. and the oppressed to groan under the burthen The works and words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood but the mouth of the upright shall deliver the oppressed Prov. 12.6 And also seriously to consider the admonition of Solomon saying If thou forbear to deliver those that are haled to death or dungeons of death and if thou sayst Behold I knew it not doth not he that pondereth thy heart and keeps thy soul know it And so of the Lords judgement denounced by Jeremiah against the Rulers of Judah saying Ye have not hearkned unto me in proclaiming liberty every one to his brother and every one to his neighbour nor loosed the bands of wickedness nor undone the heavie burdens nor let the oppressed nor enslaved go free Therefore will I proclaim liberty unto you even to the sword to the plague and to the famine Jer. 34.17 And do we not see the anger of the Lord kindled against us by troubles abroad jealousies at home and fears on every side Therefore take away the Cause which is Injustice Cruelty and Oppression and the Effect will cease assuredly For when in these things a mans ways please the Lord his very enemies shall be at peace with him If therefore the Lord in mercy to his Highness and this Nation be pleased to incline his heart to loose the bands of wickedness by abolishing the Capias and to let the oppressed go free to pull down the thrones of iniquity and to break every yoke Then shall his light break forth to the Nation as the morning and his health shall then spring forth speedily his righteous acts shall then be his van-guard and the glory of the Lord in the power of his might shall be his rere-guard For blessed shall he be that considereth the cause of the poor especially those that are of upright heart the Lord shall deliver him out of his enemies hands and he shall be blessed upon the earth yea his enemies shall be destroyed but he shall be established in righteousness and his seed after him if he despise not the counsel of the poor whose trust is in the Lord if he cleave not to the generation of cruel men but ease this Nation of this cruel Norman bondage and deliver the inslaved for debt out of the several dens of cruelty in this Land causing speedy justice to have its free current without respect of persons that so all that are oppressed and defrauded of their estates lands or goods may gain speedy restitution with damage for false imprisonment or detention of their estates unjustly All which once effected will assuredly appease the wrath of God against these Nations unite the hearts of all this great people to his Highness as the heart of one man and will enable him to go in and out before this great people in the strength of the Lord and the power of his might in peace and much safety maugre all his enemies and all that strive to disturb his and this Nations peace
intituled themselves Ros-seyans which signifieth A people sown abroad upon the face of the earth The people in process of time divided themselves into four and twenty several Dukedoms and so continued until the yeer 1514. At which time John Bazilious Chercaskee the then-Duke of Volodeemer most subtilly contrived and raised a discord amongst all the Dukes of Russia by means whereof they having weakned and destroyed one another the said John Bazilious within very few yeers gained the Conquest of them all together with the Kingdoms of Cazan Astrachan Chorelia and Sibiria and uniting them into one entire Empire he was in the yeer 1524 declared and crowned Emperour of Russa placing his Imperial Throne in the City of Mosco the then-chief City of the Dukedom of Moscovia where it remaineth to this day In his days the Cham of the grim Tartars invaded Russa with an Army of Four hundred thousand men besieged the Imperial City of Mosco some three months burnt and spoiled all the Country many hundred miles in compass and upon his departure he required Homage of the Emperour which was That the Emperor of Russia should come forth of the City of Mosco on foot attended by his Princes and Nobles of Russia bare-headed and that the Emperour should then bring Oats in his Cap and present them to the Cham of Tartary his horse he himself then sitting upon his horse-back and to feed the horse out of his Cap All which for the saving of the lives of many thousands of his people and utter devastation of his Empire the Emperour performed feeding the great Cham of Tartary's horse with Oats out of his own Cap or Colpack This Homage being performed the Cham of Tartary stroaked the Emperour of Russia three times on the face and beard presented him with a Cymiter and a Bowe and Case of Arrows and so departed carrying many thousands captive This John Bazilious the Emperour towards his latter days grew a mighty Tyrant delighting much in blood causing many of his Nobles on the least occasion to 〈◊〉 themselves upon their own swords to 〈◊〉 thrown alive unto Bears Wolves and Lions some he caused both men and women to be tyed to spits and rosted alive till they died some to be torn asunder by horses and many other unexpressible inhumane cruelties were by him practised who after he had like a second Herod reigned 35 yeers being very aged he died of a Dropsie at which time there was a Note of the names of seventeen persons under his pillow A Note sound of 17 persons by him appointed for death appointed to die To him succeeded his son Theodor who being of a shallow capacity and from his youth addicted to blinde devotion and ringing of bells did thereby neglect the great affairs of the Empire whereby the people though acquitted from his father the Tyrant yet their burthens of Contention and Oppression by his folly increased They then by and upon their humble Petition to the Emperour and by his consent and permission chose the then-Lord General of the Imperial Army Borice Feodorowick Godoonove Lord Protector of the Empire who though illiterate was a man endowed with many excellent natural parts being of a deep judgement a strong memory and of a discerning spirit endowed with much sageness being also a great lover of Justice the last of these crowned all the rest of his vertues raising him high in the hearty affections of the people so that to this day his fame rings thorow all that vast Empire like that of Queen Elizabeth in this Nation By him were all their exorbitant abuses of their Law regulated and brought to their pristine condition all the Provincial Vayvodes and Chancellors were for acts of injustice and oppression severely punished in their persons and by their estates compelled to yeeld satisfaction to all parties by them wronged by false Judgement Note this well The long-usurped power of all the Arch-bishops Bishops Priests and Friers in Secular affairs quite extinguished And by fear and terrour of punishment without respect of persons Justice in its purity was compelled from the corruptest persons in Authority which forced also the greatest refractory persons formerly in power to vail and crouch before the Lord Protector seeing the peoples affections thereby become as a wall of brass for his safety and preservation from their secret plottings of his destruction by shooting their secret arrows of detraction abroad to his defamation for which many of them not long after by his impartial hand of Justice were made exemplary Thus after the Emperour Theodor had possessed the Imperial Diademe 15 yeers he died in the Imperial Palace at Mosco 1566. At which time the Lord Protector Borice retiring to the Maiden Monastery seemed to resolve the leading of a Monastick life and to wave the Government of that great Empire which occasioned his secret enemies though before seeming friends to display their Banners of reviling speeches against him endeavouring both by themselves and their instruments to render him odious to the people Yea many of his own servants appeared then in their colours which afterwards caused many of their heads to cleave to the block For the Souldiery over whom he still remained as Lord General during the time of his Protectorship and the Commonalty whose affections he had gained by acts of Justice and Mercy exercised by him without fear or flattery did all unanimously make their repair to him to the said Maiden Monastery and there openly declaring his Paternal care and prudential disposing of the affairs of that vast Empire with all the several conquered parts thereof in the days of their late Emperour Theodor Evanowiche did press upon him the acceptance of the Imperial Diademe Upon whose acceptation they forthwith declared him for their Emperour and soon after his repair to the Imperial Palace he was with very great magnificence and acclamation of the people crowned Emperour of Russia being a Gentleman of an humble spirit constant in his resolutions and carried always an open ear to the complaints of all poor and oppressed persons doing them speedy justice His custom was to sit three days in the fore-noons with his Privie Councel and in the afternoons to hear and answer Petitions causing his Orders and References always to be drawn up in his own presence punishing all Chancellors and other Officers for their corrupt and partial dealing and for their slighting of his Decrees and falsifying of his Orders and References He also called all the Provincial Judges and Chancellors to a strict account yeerly and most impartially heard all mens complaints against them and such as were found corrupt and faulty he punished severely in their persons and by their estates compelled them to give full satisfaction to all persons by them wronged in Judgment or any ways oppressed or defrauded He carried also a vigilant eye over all the Lords of his Privie Councel so that none of them durst tread out of the path of Impartial Justice either for
the wall being all of massie timber and earth But the unsavoury fruit of this their bloody Tragedie was by the just hand of heaven returned into their own bosomes for the Country forthwith raised two mighty Armies under the conduct of the Lord Troobetscoy and the Lord Pazarskee who besieged the Polonians in the City close on every side for the space of two yeers and through extreme famine enforced the Polonians to yeeld up that famous Metropolitan City and therewith the Prince of Poland's right to the Empire of Russia so as of 35000 valiant men there returned not twenty persons into Poland Those few hundreds that yeelded up the City coming once to plenty of victuals died with meat in their mouthes through meer weakness having not tasted a bit of bread in six months before In which Siege a loaf of bread sometime was sold for a thousand Robles which is 500 l. Sterling During the time of this cruel Siege wherein I continued 22 months being lodged in the Imperial Palace several objects of misery presented themselves to my fight and observation from the besieged as the eating of the flesh of horses dogs cats and all sorts of leather boyled in ditch-water which served in stead of Tripes But that which took most impression of grief upon my spirits was to see many Russian Ladies nobly descended and brave young Gentlewomen who not long before scorned that the moist earth should have touched the soles of their feet were now become miserable constrained to go bare-footed and for food to prostrate themselves to every mean persons disposal yea when they were discarded by some I have seen them with tears in their eyes profer their service to others and all for a miserable livelihood which then called to my remembrance this old saying Pride must have a fall and Hunger will break stone-walls But after the famine grew very great and all women children and aged persons turned out of the City to the Russians who received them very courteously â—ery much condoling their miserable conditions there followed a very great judgement of God upon the Polonians obâ—â—inacie and hardness of heart who all bound themselves by Oath and receiving the Sacrament upon it not to yeeld up the City to the Russians so long as there was a man of them alive which brought them to that extremity that they by casting lots who should die next to maintain the rest alive did devour one another from 3000 to 400 persons And at the surrender of the City divers Commanders of the Russian Army seizing upon sundry large chests conceiving them to be full of treasure having them broken up found in them nothing but the bodies of men slain for food to the living Upon the regaining of this Imperial City in 1612. forthwith followed the free election of Mighaylo Theodorowiche of the lineage of Borice that famous Emperour by the two National Armies consisting of 13000 Horse and Foot who was crowned the 5 of August 1613. This young Prince for a time walked in the path of that Princely myrrour of Justice Borice under whose Government after a few yeers of trouble the Nation enjoyed Halcyon days of peace and tranquillity after the cessation of that long intestine War between the Emperors of Russia and Charles Duke of Swethland and his son Gustavus the late King of Swethland which was accomplished and the Country of Scythia restored to the Russian by the mediation of King James and the indefatigable restless pains and travel of the truly-honorable sage States-man Sir John Merick employed Lord Ambassador there for that work for the space of three yeers and eight months who accomplished a League offensive and defensive between the two Crowns of Russia and Swethland in 1617. which is since ratified by the now-Emperour Olexey Michaylowiche and the Queen of Swethland This worthy States-man Sir John Merick was by King James employed upon a second Embassie unto the said Emperour of Russia in the yeer 1621. being accompanied by six Gentlemen of quality of whom Robert Kelloway Esq was first in degree and by 60 followers all in a rich Livery who accomplished his Embassie with content to the King and very great honour to himself and this Nation In both which great Embassies I had the honour to be with him all the time Thus after this peaceable Emperour had reiâ—ned 35 yeers he died to whom succeeded Olexey his son who being yet of tender yeers and not knowing the great and weighty causes and motives inducing his Princely predecessors to grant that great Charter of Free-trade unto the English Company of Merchants thorowout that vast Empire free of Custom and all other duties hath as is supposed by the aggravation of some Dutch Resident there deprived the English of that Charter But now I hope upon better information and apprehension of the constant love of the English to his Majestie and that Nation and their readiness on all occasions from time to time to serve and supply his predecessors with all necessaries even in the times of their greatest straits will be a sufficient motive to him most honorably and freely to restore unto the English Merchants the said Charter of Free-trade and will thereby manifest his Princely affection to our victorious Chieftain or Caesar who hitherto hath been the Lords threshing-instrument of terrour to all the potent and raging enemies of this Nation both by land and sea All which the Dutch as well as others have been made very sensible of and of which they above any others can make a most true Narrative if they please to the glory of God the honour of his Highness and this nation and to their own correctiâ—e instruction for the future lest their insulting pride draw them down by a second Duke d'Alva to the gulf of destruction and enforce them once again to intitle themselves to our Caesar The poor distressed States of the Netherlands as they did in the days of Elizabeth Queen of England who purchased those United Provinces from the Spaniard by the inestimable life-blood of more then 100000 English-men besides Scots and Irish and the expence of more then two millions of treasure Never to be fully satisfied by the worth of all the Netherlands But if any shall be offended at these my foregoing expressions touching our presentâ— victorious Chieftain or Caesar I shall humbly desire them to look back into the recorded transactions of all the Worthies in former ages and see if they can comparatis comparandis balance those many several noble and victorious acts of his with any of theirs in the scale of Honour and true Magnanimity by him accomplished in three famous Kingdoms viz. England Scotland and Ireland and all within the space of 3 or 4 yeers without the least foil or repulse at any time by him received from his this Nation 's potent enemies Wherein in my judgment he surpasses the Romane Caesars the furious Goths and Vandals the valiant Scanderbeg Prince of Epirath the