Britain he esteemed it a particular one that he had chosen his Excellence the Earle of Carlisle amongst all the Nobility of England for his Ambassador Extraordinary towards him And having made reflexion upon the Prudence and Dexterity which he had used to unite the Interests of the two Kingdoms of Swedeland and England he heartily wished he might have had a longer enjoyment of his presence there But seeing he was recalled by his Majesty of great Britain the King of Swedeland thought himself obliged before his departure to give him assurances of his good affection towards the King of England And lastly he wished my Lord Ambassador a happy return into his own Country and withall assured him That he might be alwaies very confident of his Favour This Audience being ended his Excellence was conducted towards the Queen Mother of whom he took leave in these terms Madam BEing now upon my departure I ought by commandment of his Majesty and likewise of the Queen to represent again in the most lively and effectual expressions Their great Affection to your Majesty and what part They take in your Majesties Interests the same with the Interests of the King and Kingdom But as there are no words sufficient to depaint so real an affection and being moreover obliged in his Majesties name to give You thanks for all the Honours which in respect to Him your Majesty hath conferred upon me I find now a decency even in my defects and that my want of language hath been but a foresight of the King my Master and a fit Complement upon His part seeing upon so extraordinary occasions as these the boldest Eloquence would lose its Speech and had I an hundred tongues I should be struck silent Therefore I shall only pray for your Majesties happiness and prosperity and as the greatest part thereof for the health of the King Your Son upon Whom all the joyes and cares of your Majesty do so worthily center And wheresoever I go but especially to Their Majesties I shall make report of â—our Majesties unparalelled Virtues and shall my self preserve an immortal memory of all Your Royal Favours This Complement was also interpreted in French Whilst the Ambassador was making this Complement there happened an accident â—hat surprised all the Company For about â—he middle of his Speech where he saith That the boldest Eloquence would lose its â—peech his Excellence made a long pause as â—f by that he had designed to have verified â—hat he had said For my part at first I believed it was the sincerity of my Lord Ambassadors discourse that produced this effect and that it being too great a task for him to represent to the Queen the great honour his Master the King of England had for her and the great sence himself had of the Favours which he had received from her Majesty his Speech had failed him according to that saying of Seneca Curae leves loquuntur ingentes stupent Small cares may be expressed great ones are unutterable But when I saw the Secretary fall himself upon the same rock and stop in the same place when he interpreted the Complement in French then I concluded the thing had been so contrived At length both of them having recollected they finished the Harangue which in her Majesties name was thus answered That her Majesty was very much obliged both to the King and Queen of England by the new assurances of friendship which his Excellence had given her in their behalf That her Majesty desired his Excellence to testify to the King his Master with how much joy and satisfaction She received those declarations and that for her part She would not fail to employ the utmost of her Care for the Religious conservation of the happy correspondence which was now established betwixt the King of Swedeland her Son and his Majesty of great Britain That She desired also that he would signify to her Sister the Queen of England with what zeal She honoured her Person and Virtues and what delight She took in her prosperity And lastly That her Majesty was very well pleased with the generous Comportment of the Ambassador and that she had a very great esteem of his Person and merits His Excellence having taken his leave in this manner of their Majesties he was conducted into a large dining Room where in their Majesties name he was treated with all kind of Magnificence and Pomp in the Company of the principal Officers of the Court. Of my Lord Ambassadors Voiage from Stockholm to Copenhagen THe long and tedious time his Excellence had spent amongst those Sons of Winter in the Court of Moscovy constrained him to make but a short stay here to the end he might return the sooner into England And for this reason on the 13. of October two days after he had taken his leave his Excellence departed from Stockholm towards Denmark And the wind serving very well for the beginning of our Voiage he made all possible haste to embark in good time And notwithstanding the Extremity of the cold we travailed the whole night almost upon the water that his Excellency might betimes reach the Man of War which for a fortnight or three weeks had attended for him about some ten Leagues from Stockholm The next morning we embarked and about evening the Master of the Ceremonies and the Queens Mareshal or Steward of her house who had bare his Excellence company so far took their leave after the best entertainment that could be made them there amongst the thundring of the Cannon of which the Captain of the Ship was not at all sparing The Ship was called the Centurion and had at least fifty Guns mounted and an hundred and seventy Seamen so that it was no easy matter for the most part of the Ambassadors Servants to find place convenient to lodg themselves In the mean while the Coach and Horses being judged troublesome to be transported by Sea they were dispatched away by Land and arrived not at Copenhagen till after the Ambassador In this posture we continued on boord four days without power to depart by reason his Excellencies goods which were appointed to have followed immediately made us lose the opportunity of the wind by their arriving a day or two too late The 18. of October the wind serving again we set sayle but the weather proved so misty and duskish that we were constrained to cast anchor however in the afternoon the clouds â—eing a little dispersed we advanced three â—r four leagues till at night we were forced â—o come to an anchor again This Road is so â—angerous by reason of the narrowness of â—he passage and the multitude of Rocks in those parts of which some are eminent above â—ater others lie under or are at most but â—evel with the water that besides the beâ—efit of good weather a good Conduct and â—are extraordinary is required to avoid Shipwreck For this reason the Captain took Pilots along with him from that very place â—uch as
The Right honble Charles Earle of Carlisle vicoâ—â—â— Howard of Morpeth Baron Dacre of Gilsland Lord Lieutenant in the Counties of Cumberland and Westmoreland and one of the Lords of his Maiesties most Honourable Privy Councell etc. 〈◊〉 fec A Relation Of Three EMBASSIES From his Sacred MAJESTIE Charles II TO THE Great Duke of MUSCOVIE The King of SWEDEN and The King of DENMARK Performed by the Right honble the EARLE of CARLISLE in the Years 1663 1664. Written by an Attendant on the Embassies and published with his L ps Approbation LONDON Printed for John Starkey at the Miter in Fleetstreet near Temple-Barr 1669. To his Excellency the Right Honourable Charles Earle of Carlisle Viscount Howard of Morpeth Baron Dacre of Gillesland Lord Lieutenant in the Counties of Cumberland and Westmorland One of his Majesties most Honourable Privy Councel and at this present Ambassador Extraordinary to the King of Sweden My Lord WHen I consider the Perfections and Sublime Qualifications wherewith Nature hath so advantagiously adorned Your Eâ—cellency I cannot but think would be an injury to the Publicâ— should I omit to attempt some deâ—lineation thereof And seeing 〈◊〉 is no new thing for others to bâ— ambitious of describing the Actioâ— of Great Men it is but reasonabâ— that I who for sometime have beeâ— an ocular witness of those of Youâ— Lordships should erect a Monâ—ment for Posterity of the same Upon this account it is that I noâ— publish this Work under Your Excellencies favourable Protection bâ— which it is manifest that Your Excellency hath born the Charactâ—â— of Your Prince thorow three foâ—raign Nations with all imaginabâ—â— Prudence and Honour There is nothing to be seen in the whole Sâ—ries of Your Lordships Conducâ— but what is generous and Noble and in which Your Excellency makes it appear with what Reason and judgement His Majestie made choice of Your Person for the Representation of his own under the Illustrious Title of His AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY Which same Honour being now conferred upon You again is a sufficient Proof of the Verity of my Sentement and without further Enlarging upon Your Lordships Worth I believe the Knowledge alone of Your Lordship is sufficient to render You beloved which yet one cannot do but with a most profound respect For my part my Lord if I have any Ambition in the Publication of this Work of which Your Excellency is both the Subject and Ornament it is onely that I may have the Advantage to testifie to the World with how much Zeal and Devotion I am MY LORD Your Excellencies Most humble and most Faithful servant G. M. The Authors Preface to the Reader IT was the saying of an Antient That the Spirit of Man affects Novelties which is justified by daily Observation For any thing to which a man is accustomed long commonly grows unpleasant whereas Variety delights him and rescues his Imagination from the tediousness of ordinary Objects Hence is the desire men have naturally to Travaile and though it withdraws one from his Relations and Country and exposeth him to several incommodities and perils yet the pleasure of his Voiage preponderates all apprehensions and renders all discouragements contemptible and vain And as there is Pleasure in Travailing so it hath in my judgment its Vtility likewise and its Profit as well as Diversion Of this Homer seems to be sensible when amongst all the Elogies and Encomiums he gives to Ulysses one of the principal was That he had seen several Countries and made Observation of their Fashions and Manners Ever since I understood that the World was not altogether shut up in my own Country I have had a constant inclination to travail and in my travels a curiosity to observe according to my talent what I thought most considerable In the Voiage I had the honour to make with the Right Honourable the Earl of Carlisle during his Embassies to Moscovy Sweden and Denmark I had a particular opportunity to gratify my self And forasmuch as Moscovy is a Country little known saving to its Neighbours I fixt my design there more particularly and resolved to inform my self as exactly as was possible of the nature of that Country and its Inhabitants In the mean time I observed also all the remarkable passages of our Travails but especially the pompous solemnities wherewith the Ambassador was received as I had besides the advantage of being imployed about the Negotiation I neglected nothing of that whereby I might instruct my self of States-business The Voyage being over I put my Memoires in order and framed them into a continued discourse so that afterwards I had the satisfaction now and then to review all what I had seen I communicated what I had done with some of my Friends who found the subject too good to be buried in oblivion and wanted not arguments to invite me to Print it But then I was not yet of that mind being very careful how I exposed my self to the Censure of the World and I took alwaies that enterprize to be too dangerous and bold Nam nulli tacuisse nocet nocet esse locutum Yet seeing at last that I might doe it under my Lord of Carlisles Protection and with a full Permission I thought nothing could excuse me if I neglected a thing wherein his Excellencies Interest the Publicks and my own perhaps were concerned And accordingly besides the General Description of the Voyage and the manner wherewith the Ambassador was received the Reader will find in the Relation of the first Embassy an exact Description of Moscovy and of all that passed there in his Excellencies Negotiation There I display the naked truth of the business how contrary to the expectations of all Europe his Excellency was treated there after so many effectual testimonies of Friendship the King of great Britain and the Tzar of Moscovy had received from one onother There a man shall see how unworthily some of the Tzars Commissioners dealt with my Lord Ambassador and made such an Embassy fruitless how instead of taking care for the preservation of that Amity which for so long time had continued betwixt the Crowns of England and Moscovy they suffered themselves to be so far transported as to become instrumental in the diminution thereof And this is clear thorough the whole Series of the Negotiation in which on the one side there is nothing to be seen but a just and well grounded deduction of reasons tending only to the reinforcement of the antient Alliance Whereas on the other it is plain their blind interest had prepossessed them and that they were contented to be Friends for the future but upon condition it seems they should be required no more to give any fair and competent testimonies of their being such This is the unexpected humour wherein his Excellency found the Court of Moscovy who causlesly disliking his whole manner of proceeding found fault with those very actions which were generous and honourable in him And indeed why that Court should have
great Dutchess and the young Princes the eldest of which was not above ten years old but this was refused upon this ground that it was not their custome Indeed the Tzars wives live there very retyred and his Sons appear not in publique till they are twelve years old at which age they show them solemnely to the People and the Tzar himself is but rarely to be seen The Eleaventh day being come there were a hundred and thirty persons of the Tzars Guards and threescore sledges sent to carry the Presents from the King the greatest part of which was designed for the Tzar the rest for the two young Princes Knetz Alexcy Alexevitz and Pheodor Alexevitz his Sons But besides the Kings Presents to the great Duke there were Presents also from the Queen to the great Dutchess and some which his Excellence gave the great Duke apart as from himself The whole consisted in Vessels of gold and silver in cloth velvets satins and damaske of divers colours there was also great quantities of stufs and table linnen two gold-watches three clocks two pair of Pistols one gun and two carabins besides six pieces of cast Canon a great quantity of Cornish tynne and a hundred piggs of lead All which was sent before to the pallace the plate being carried by four and twenty men the cloth by threescore ten men carried the Velvets Sattins and Damask six and twenty the stufs and table linning and ten more the Gun the Pistols the Watches and the Clocks and on the sledges they carried the Canon the Tynne and the Lead This being done there were two sledges brought for the Ambassador and my Lord Morpeth and at the same time several white horses for the Gentlemen of his attendance At length we began to sett out about ten a Clock in the morning the Gentlemen on horsback two and two all richly habited their hats covered with fair plumes of feathers which did principally attract the eys of the Moscovits with whom the streets the shops the gates and the windows did swarme at this time There were several English Merchants also who had joyned themselves with the Gentlemen and were fallen into the same Order After them followed my Lord Morpeth in his sledg betwixt the Ambassadors Pristafs who had brought their rich robes along with them to our house and put them on there After my Lord Morpeth the two Trumpets followed after them the six Pages in three ranks and after them the twelve footmen marching in the same Order as at our Entry His Excellence was this day in black having on his haâ— a rich band of Diamonds on either hand he had two of the principal Boyars in their sledges as himself was who had put on their robes also at our house In the Ambassadors sledg there was the Secretary and the chief Interpreter standing and uncovered the Secretarie carrying in his hands upon a yard of red Damaske his Letters of Credence written in parchment whose Superscription contained all the titles of the Tzar in letters of Gold Behind the Ambassador there came none but the Master of the horse on horseback In this manner we past thorow the Tzars Guards who were drawn up in rancks on both sides of us reaching to the very bottom of the staires of the Hall thorow which we were to pass to audience Near the Castlegate we found another regiment of Guards drawn up also in very good order A while after we past thorow another Regiment in one of the Courts of the Castle and in this place we saw a great number of very fair Canon planted on one side and the other with the Canoniers by them and ready in appearance to fire upon us from all parts From thence we passed to another Court filled also with Guards but when we came to the gate of a passage thorow which we were to go all that were in sladdes or on horseback alighted Those who were to go up into the Hall of audience were constraind to leave their swords behind them it being not permitted for any body to pass any further with them by their sides for the prevention of which ceremony his Excellence and my Lord Morpeth carried none with them When we had gone some paces this way which is a way peculiar to Christian Ambassadors those of Infidel Princes being carried another there was a Boyar came to meet the Ambassador complemented him from the great Duke From thence we came to a great stone Galerie where another Boyar received his Excellence with another complement And from thence we came into a Hall thorow which we were to pass in to that of the audience and here it was we saw the Guards of the Tzars body in a most splended Equipage their Vests of velvet being lined with sables their caps richly adorned with pearles and precious stones and their very Partesans covered with gold and silver Neare the door of the Hall of audience the Ambassador received a third Complement from the Tzars own Cousin After which we opened to the right and left and the Ambassador entred first into the Hall after him my Lord Morpeth and then the Gentlemen and the Pages Alexey Michailouitz great Duke of Moscovie Aged xxxiv Yeares 1664 My Lord Ambassador made a low Reverence to his Majestie assoon as he was entred into the Hall the Throne being opposite to the Door then he advanced some paces and stopping at the Pillar in the midst of the Hall he made him a second then being ready to speak made him a third and saluted him in the behalf of his Master the King of England in these words The most Serene and most Puissant Prince Charles the Second by the Grace of God King of England Scotland France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. To You the most High most Potent and most Illustrious Prince Great Lord Emperour and Grand Duke Alexey Michailovitz of all the great and little and white Russia Self-upholder of Moscovie Keavie Volodimerie Nofgorod Emperour of Cazan Emperour of Astracan Emperour of Siberia Lord of Pscove great Duke of Lituania Smolensco Twersco Volinsco Podolsko Vghorsco Permsco Veatsco Bolgarsco c. Lord and Great Duke of Nofgorod in the Lower Countries of Chernigo Resansco Polotsco Rostofsco Yeroslafsco Beloozarsco Oudorsco Obdorsco Condinsco Wetepsco Mâ—stisclaaco and all the Northern parts Lord of the Country of Iversco of the Tzars of Cantalinsco and of Gruzinsco and of the Country of Cabardinsco of the Dukes of Chercasco and Igorsco Lord and Monarch of several other Dominions and Provinces East West and North of which he is Heir from Father to Son by me Charles Earle of Carlisle Vicomte Howard of Morpeth Baron Dacre of Gillesland His Majesties Lieutenant in the Counties of Cumberland and Westmorland one of his Majesties most honourable Privy Councel and his Extraordinary Ambassador sendeth greeting and hath commanded me to deliver these Letters being his Letters Patents which he held in his hand to Your Imperial Majestie Which words being
with a loud voice explained by his Interpreter which stood by his Excellencies side the Ambassador advanced towards the Throne to present the Letter which he immediately delivered into the hands of his Chancellor His Excellence returning to his place the Tzar rose up and the Boyars doing the like all of them at the same time their Vests of Tissue made such a ruffling one against another that we were something amuzed at the suddenness of the noise Then after a short silence his Majestie began to speak and to enquire of the Ambassador concerning the Kings health but there being a too great distance between the Tzar and his Excellence the Chancellor had the care of coming to the Ambassador and repeating what the Tzar had said To which the Ambassador returned answer in these termes The most Serene and most Mighty Prince Charles the Second by the Grace of God King of England Scotland France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. was through the mercy of the Omnipotent God in perfect health upon the twentieth day of July in the Year of our Lord 1663. when I had last the honour to kiss his Royal hands at my departure This answer being interpreted to the Tzar He arose again and enquired concerning the Queen Mother in these words How doth the desolate Widow of that glorious Martyr Charles the First To which the Ambassador having in like manner replied began the following Speech of which he had a Copy in English and his Interpreter another in the Moscovian Language As he spoke it every period was interpreted apart so that when his Excellence had concluded one Sentence the intepretation succeeded before he began the next which was conceived the properest way to entertain their attentions Therefore the Ambassador and his Interpreter were obliged to read from time to time and to observe punctually their several Periods This Harangue was also translated into Latine of which Translation because we shall have occasion to speak I shall make no difficulty to insert a copy in this place the Style being besides sufficiently elegant Illustrissime atque Excellentissime Princeps Imperator PErvenit nuper ad Serenissimam suam Majestatem Dominum meum Clementissimum perhonorifica Legatio cujus quidem splendor uti magnificentiâ tanti Principis unde est profecta dignissimus extitit ità argumentum Ei ad quem missa est longè erat gratissimum Vtpote quo praeter optatissimum de prosperâ valetudine Vestrâ rebus secundis nuncium gratulatio quoque de laetissimo Ejus in Regna sua Reditu summâ Serenissimae suae Majestatis felicitate Commemoratio antiquae inter Augustissimos Vtriusque Majores amicitiae perseverantia Vestra in eâdem colendâ atque in futurum augendâ continerentur Itaque inaestimabilis ille intimi animi Vestri affectus tam luculentae Legationis honore expressus illustratus instar gemmae clarissimae videbatur cui postquam Natura ultimam manum imposuit perfectissima quoque artis politura accessit Vel ut de nuncio tam opportuno dicam quod Salomon Regum prudentissimus de verbo commodè dicto erat velut aurea mala cum figuris argenteis Vnum tamen est de quo Serenissima sua Majestas cum Majestate Vestrâ Imperatoriâ meretissimò quidem conqueritur praeoccupatum sese beneficio Majestatem Vestram Imperatoriam praeripuisse sibi ne quod semper animo destinaverat Majestatem Vestram Imperatoriam eâ celebritate pompâ quae summam Vtriusque amicitiam deceret dignitatem primus salutaret Ego verò si tantulum à Domini mei Serenissimi sententiâ dissentiri liceret dum Vtriusque pares annos communes rationes adeoque consimilia studia atque affectus considero Neutri Vestrûm priores in hoc officio partes tribuendas sed in excellentissimis Amborum mentibus easdem causas uno momento eandem utrobique Voluntatem excitasse crediderim Sed astrorum quorum fulgores Majestatum Vestrarum lucem optimè adumbrant efficacitas pro variâ corporum intermediorum naturâ suspenditur retardatur Nec amici quorum nobilissimum exemplar in Majestatibus Vestris resplendet tam commodam opportunam rationem hactenus inire potuerunt ut absentes mutua mentis sensa condicerent pariter repraesentarent Quum igitur alteri necessariò de tempore concedendum esset Serenissima sua Majestas minùs laborat quod eò se praeverterit Imperatoria Vestra Majestas dum ne quod nunquam fieri patietur constantiâ etiam sinceritate affectûs Ipsum antecedat Neque verò gravatur Serenissima sua Majestas utì solet inter amicos rationem consilii sui reddere justissimis suis excusationibus adversus Majestatem Vestram Imperatoriam uti solam nempe negotiorum domesticorum molem obstare potuisse quo minus honorem hunc quo dum Majestatem Vestram Imperatoriam afficit Se ipsum impertit maturiùs Majestati Vestrae Imperatoriae deferret Et quum compluribus Principibus sibi propioribus eodem beneficio prior esset obligatus Se tamen interposuisse omnibus Majestatis Vestrae Imperatorae remunerationem utpote quo Neminem benevolentiâ amore magis propinquum haberet Se denique ab omni tam debiti officii dilatione tantùm abfuisse ut occasionem modò idoneam persolvendi illud Majestati Vestrae Imperatoriae captaverit Quamvis enim Serenissima sua Majestas non soleat ex syderum motu consilia sua suspendere aut ex Coelorum ordine de rerum suarum sucessu superstitiosè hariolari solet tamen ex Omnipotentis Dei nutu totus pendere ad ejus coelorum ejusdem Regiae felicitatis authoris significationes actiones suas ut ità dicam modulari Postquam igitur divinâ Benignitate in plenissimâ eorum omnium possessione Se constitutum vidisset quaecunque summam ornare possent fortunam cumulare hoc tandem uti auspicatissimum tempus elegit quo potissimùm Imperatorem tam Illustrem Fratrem Amantissimum Charissimum Amicum salutaret Majestati Vestrae Imperatoriae eandem vel fi fieri possit majorem etiam felicitatem auguraret Quum enim in his tribus Hostium Terrore Subditorum Obsequio Amicorum multitudine atque constantiâ praecipuum Regalis Solii firmamentum robur consistat liceat omnino affirmare Serenissimum Regem meum qui in rebus adversis admirandum undequaque virtutis fortitudinis suae specimen dederit nunc etiam è contrario ad miraculum usque melioris fortunae esse evectum Quod enim Inimicos attinet nemo inventus est qui recentem Ejus felicitatem interpellare voluerit praeter infames istos Praedones Africanos Christiani Nominis Humani generis hostes quos igitur quamvis bis mille passuum millibus distantes in illa sua spelunca Algeriensi obsedit Naves eorum partim cepit partim depressit captivos liberavit piratas nefarios suis conditionibus in posterum
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
Majestatem legavi Consanguineum Nostrum quicquid alii dixerint à Sanctioribus nostris Consiliis hoc ab ipso reditu nostro Carolum Comitem Carleolensem Vice-comitem Howard de Morpeth Baronem Dacre de Gillesland Statae militiae Praefectum Locum tenentem Regium in Provinciis nostris Cumberlandiae Westmorlandiae qui etiam si monitore egerem Memoriae nostrae perpetuò subjiceret quicquid in rem vestram esse videretur Nonne arcana pectoris mei illi commisi in omnibus quibus Czareae vestrae Majestati potero commodare Et num Czarea vestra Majestas per illum mihi exiguam fortassis unicam rem negabit quam à Czareâ vestrâ Majestate unquam petere possim Privilegia Hoc quidem me poeniteret utpote magis notum pervulgatum quà m aut cum nostrâ aut vestrâ existimatione possit consistere Et totus terrarum orbis multâ cum admiratione ejusmodi frustrationem intuebitur quum praesertim reputaverint quot quanta emolumenta ab augustissimis nostris Majoribus sub suis auspiciis ad Czaream vestram Coronam redierint Illi portum vestrum investigari fecerunt totius Europae mercaturam ad Archangeli fanum deduxerunt Illi in Orientali mari quum Principes adjacentes faedere inter se facto de obstruendâ narvâ convenissent Classem hostilem delerunt Captivos Praefectis vestris tradidêre Illi pecunias ad bella vestra mutuò dederunt milites Duces vobis suppeditarunt Illi pacem inter Vos Principes vicinos conciliarunt Illi in summâ annonae caritate fruges huc transportari sinebant quas Angli mercatores sine ullo compendio aut lucro incolis vestris vendiderunt multa alia tam pace quà m bello necessaria omnibus aliis prohibita Possem etiam majus adhuc hisce omnibus beneficium commemorare uni è Czareis Vestris Majoribus delatum si adeo dictu tempestivum videretur Et ego qui Legato nostro mandavi ut vobis declararet propositum mihi esse omnes Majores nostros studio erga Czaream vestram Majestatem exedere Privilegiis prohibeor subditorum nostrorum industriâ redemptis cum maximis suis impensis jacturis maximis in indagando instruendo hactenus continuando hoc commercium Ego ipse à reditu meo D no. Johanni Hebdon sine ullis Czareae autoritatis literis in rem vestram tria millia equitum peditumque concessi è flore militiae Anglicanae quae qualis sit alii meliùs dixerunt Et si Legati Vestri Extraordinarii quicquam praeter intempestivam illam impossibilem pecuniae molem petiissent aut rerum Vestrarum conditionem meliùs exposuissent Ego nullo modo Czareae Vestrae Majestati defuissem Tamen antequam Legatum meum mitterem quam potui rerum Vestrarum notitiam aliunde comparavi Comperi Polonum adhuc vos infestare Inter Czaream Vestram Majestatem Suecum pace factâ quaedam tamen discordiae semina adhuc pullulare Alia quaedam didici de quibus mecum meditando credidi propter causas Majestati Vestrae non ignotas nostram inter Czaream Vestram Majestatem Illum interpositionem minus gratam Ei futuram Praeterquam quod Ipse mecum reputavi solum cum nullam ad me de laetissimo reditu gratulatoriam Legationem adornasse ut neque ego cum dignitate nostrâ Illum ultro potuerim compellare Inter Czaream Vestram Majestatem Regem Sueciae interventum nostrum magis opportunum esse posse utrobique acceptum speravi si operae pretium videretur latentes contentionum scintillas antequam flammam darent comprimere restinguere Consideravi praeterea quanta nobis copia esset semper sit futura Ducum militum navium armatarum apparatus instrumenti bellici quantam semper autoritatem influxum habiturus essem 〈◊〉 plerosque Europae aut etiam extra Europam â—rincipes qui Czareae Vestrae Majestati nocere aut incommodare possent de hisce omnibus mandata necessaria dedi Legato nostro Extraordinario Et proculdubio quum Ipse à Czareâ Vestrâ Majestate beneficio affectus fuerim quum talia in literis nostris promiserim quibus Ego sanè me obligari sentiebam quum talem Virum ad Czaream Vestram Majestatem legaverim Czarea Vestra Majestas neque in rebus hujusce nec alius naturae quae mihi non potuerunt succurrere me ingratum aut immemorem invenisset Quum haec tanquam ex ipso Regiae Suae Majestatis ore pro nostrâ tenuitate Czareae Vestrae Majestati repraesentaverim haud deceat ex nostro aliquid addere aut subnectere sed Czaream Vestram Majestatem solummodo rogare ut de hisce seriò maturatè pro Summâ illâ Prudentiâ quâ Deus Czaream Vestram Majestatem impertivit Ipse deliberare decernere velit brevem expeditionem mihi indulgere ut primâ cum anni tempestate quod Regia sua Majestas mihi injunxit iter incipere possim Actum Moscuae 22. Aprilis Anno D ni 1664. CARLISLE May it please Your most Potent and most Serene Tzarskoy Majesty HAving continued here ten weeks since your Tzarskoy majesty appointed me your near Boyars and Counsellors Commissioners and finding my self still further of every day from any good success of my Negotiation I have been forced as those who cannot get over the violence or winding of the river to make up to the fountain Your Tzarskoy majesty is through your so great Dominions the only Fountain of Power and Reason and as all your subjects ought to humble themselves to your power so dare I subject my self to your Reason Forasmuch as it seemes to me that God has given as to Solomon not only riches and honor to your Tzarskoy majesty but also an understanding heart So that as there was none among your Tzarskoy Progenitors before so neither can any arise after like unto you Therefore have I desired and obtained this private Audience from your Tzarskoy majesty And even so did that first and great founder of the Amity betwixt the English and Russian Crowns of the Privileges to the English Nation Tzar Ivan Basilovich So did He use to discourse and converse in private with the Ambassadors of the Kings and Queens of England and by that means notwithstanding the ill offices of some of his Counsel and the then Lord Chancelour he took such true measures of his own affaires that ever since the mutual friendship and commerce hath continued and flourished betwixt the two Crowns and Nations till your Tzarskoy majesty now reigning Neither do I doubt but that I being come for the said purpose with as sincere intentions betwixt Princes mutually professing much greater affection shall by Gods blessing go away hence from the cleare eyes of your Tzarskoy majesty with as full satisfaction For whereas all other great Princes without any notice from his Royal majesty took care to follow
done his Excellence was conducted towards the Queen whose Character is very well exprest in the Complement the Ambassador made her with his head uncovered which was interpreted in French Madam THe King my Master hath commanded me to wait upon Your Majesty and in His Majesties Name to make to You all the most entire professions of Friendship Affection and Esteem which are due to so Great a Queen so near a Kinswoman and so admirably accomplished a Princess But seeing it is impossible to execute those commands worthily and to the full unless His Majesty could not only imprint His Character upon me but inspire me too with his great Soul and Royal Understanding I must beg Your Majesties pardon if I fall short where His Majesties sense is so far above expression and Your own Perfections are so ineffable Therefore I shall only in my ordinary and safer way assure Your Majesty that no Prince in Christendom doth interess Himself more in your Majesties health and prosperity than the King my Master And no less the Queen who as She makes His affections the rule and model of Hers hath yet moreover a singular affection and admiration of Her own for your Majesty hath commanded me to express how much She regards and loves you considering your Heroical Person as the Example of Queens and Glory of Women After which whatsoever of thoughts or words can remain to my self wherein to testifie mine own great Veneration and Service to your Majesty I shall consecrate to your Fame upon all occasions but present them to your Self involved rather in a most devout and respectful silence To which in the name of the Queen received an answer with expressions of her acknowledgment and affection From thence the Ambassador was conducted towards his Royal Highness the Prince Christian who was at that time about eighteen years of age To whom his Excellence made this Harangue with his hat on Sir THe King my Master hath commanded me particularly to wait upon your Royal Highness And as He professes a signal obligation to His Majesty your Father that according to the old familiarity and kindness betwixt the two Kings of England and Denmark He was pleased so lately to intrust so great a Pledge as your Royal Highness with Him so He desires you to believe That in that your too short stay with Him He nevertheless took such true Impressions of your Royal Highnesses most Hopeful Vertuous and Princely Disposition that were there not all those other Obligations of Friendship Kindred and Confederacy betwixt Him and the King your Father He should for your own sake have a most Sincere and Personal Friendship Kindness and Esteem for your Royal Highness and accordingly wishes you all the happiness and health as to Himself and offers Himself upon all occasions to manifest His Royal inclinations and hearty affection towards your Royal Highness For mine own part I shall from this present as I was from the first minute I had the honour to see you desire to be entred into the list of your Highnesses servants To which his Highness returned his Answer himself in two or three words After which his Excellence Complemented Prince George in his own appartement he is a handsom young Prince of great hopes and who is now much about fifteen or sixteen years of age This was the Complement his Excellence made him by Command from the King his Master Sir THe King my Master hath given me particular order to wait upon your Highness from Him as well out of Affection as Curiosity For whereas your Highness being the second Son of Denmark hath thereby a very just title to His Majesties Affection so he having heard so much of you as of a most accomplished Prince in so tender an age was very curious to know the truth of it I am most happy in this occasion to be able to certifie His Majesty with how much reason Fame hath said what she hath of you and I assure your Highness that his Majesty will take great interest and pleasure in it and desire nothing more than to be a witness thereof Himself by seeing you one day in his Court as you are already in His heart For mine own particular I am perfectly your Highnesses most humble servant The answer that was returned in the name of the Prince contained Expressions of his Acknowledgments and Respect for the King of England and towards the latter end the Prince gave his Excellence particular thanks and an assurance of his favour And now as to those things that concern my Lord's transactions in that Court during the small time we continued there after the first Audience I shall speak first as I did in my description of the second Embassy of the Ambassadors Negotiation next of his Entertainment and last of all of the most considerable passages that hapned besides during the seven weeks time his Excellence remained in that Court About this time it was that preparations were making on all sides for that unhappy War which so long afflicted both England and Holland and filled all Europe with the noise of it In order whereunto the Estates of Holland and the rest of the United Provinces inclining to the interest of France did at the same time endeavour to have joyned the Forces of the Crown of Denmark with their own The King of England on the other side laboured as much to get the Crowns of S d en and Denmark over to himself The management of which affair was the province of Mr. Coventry in Sweeden and of â—r Gilbert Talbot in Denmark who before â—he Ambassadors arrival had made some proâ—ress in the business Whence likewise it â—as his Excellencies principal Emploiment â—uring his residence there to bring the propoâ—ed League to a happy conclusion to conâ—ribute every thing that might conduce thereâ—nto True it is that according to the geâ—eral opinion it would have been a great â—ngratitude in the Dane who had received â—o great assistances from the Hollander in his â—te troubles with Sweeden to have not only â—bandoned his Alliance with the Estates but â—pposed them in this occasion by a conjunâ—tion with England But considering all the â—anner in which the Estates comported â—hemselves at that time even the Danes â—hemselves thought they had reasons enow â—o have justified such a desertion But to pass â—y this gloss I shall here only insert some â—ew Informations which the King of Denâ—arks Commissioners delivered to the Amâ—assador upon certain points which he desiâ—ed might be explained before his departure â—or the greater facilitation of the treaty which â—r Gilbert Talbot had begun For though â—he business succeeded not and all things â—ent contrary by reason the Dane not being â—ble to come to any agreement with the â—weed sided at last with the Dutch yet it will not be superfluous to give some small prospect of the proceedings of Denmark in this Conjuncture And first of all the King of Denmarkâ— Commissioners declared that his Majesty
And it extended no further than a bare treaty of Amity for the security of both the Allies and as my Lord Ambassador was assured aimed not at the prejudice of any Prince much less of the King of Great Britain who was expresly comprised therein and might have been received into the Alliance if he pleased himself Mr. de Treslon staid in this Court not above three weeks and on the fifteenth of November he departed from Copenhagen for Stockholme where he had another Embassy to make from the King his Master But besides the feasting that was occasioned by the intimacy of these two Ambassadors there was one more than ordinarily remarkable on the seventeenth of November which was at the Christening the child of my Lady Ambassadress who was brought to bed about a fortnight before of a Son It was Christened by the King the Queen and his Royal Highness and was named Frederick Christian on a Sunday at night in the House where his Excellence resided As soon as our Chaplain had administred the Baptism according to the Liturgy of the Church of England the King went to salute my Lady Ambassadress in her Chamber which was near the Room where the Infant was Baptized The Queen accompanied the King in this Visit his Royal Highness with the two Princesses his Sisters several Ladies of the Court following them There were several of the chief Ministers of State came in also to congratulate her Ladiship upon her happy delivery From this Visit their Majesties past into a large Room where his Excellence had prepared a Noble and Magnificent Collation for them The King would not sit down but choose rather to stand on one side of the table as her Majesty did also on the other with the Prince Christian and the two Princesses His Majesty continued bare all the while drinking several Healths with the Ambassador and other great Persons of his Court amongst which the Lord Treasurer who had been lately his Ambassador to the King of England was one My Lord Morpeth his excellence's Son entertained the Queen all the time his Excellence taking only now and then opportunity to address himself to her Majesty The Gentlemen and Pages that were attending on his Majesty were in the same Room where they also had their share of this Entertainment as well as the rest of the more inferiour servants who remained in the Court below At length after about half an hours time his Majesty retired with the Ambassador waiting upon him Three daies after his Excellence treated his Royal Highness again very sumptuously and after dinner His Highness was pleased to divert himself in dancing some howers with his Excellence and his principal Gentlemen Besides these Collations and some others which I pretermit his Excellence had two or three daies recreation in hunting the Hare with his Royal Highness At other times he took a survey of whatsoever was most remarkable in the City and amongst other things the Arsenal and some other magazins for their Anmunition Instruments of War At our entrance into the Arsenal which we found very fine and in good order we were surprised at first to see a Coach passing before us as it were by a peculiar motion of its own but the motion was performed by wheel-work with a kind of rudder to steer it For which purpose there were two men placed secretly within it one to turn the wheels which was the reason it moved and the other to manage the Stern They shewed his Excellence the Rarities also in the Kings Pallace which were several very curious pieces of Mechanicks besides many Curiosities brought from the remotest Countries The Rareties were disposed in five or six several appartements on one floor and indeed were the only observable things almost we saw in that Pallace Amongst other things in one of these appartements we had a sight of an excellent piece of Art which was a little Ship ready rigged whose Mast Ladders Sailes and Cannon were all of Ivory But his Majesty having a particular desire to caress his Excellence he thought good to shew him his Pallace at Frederixburgh which without contradiction is is a most magnificent and exact Pile In the mean time the King had the Curiosity to go and see the Man of War which brought his Excellence from Stockholm and was then at Anchor in the Harbour attending his departure This Visit being made of a suddain and in the absence of the Captain and the greatest part of the other Officers of the Ship the Seamen were at no small loss to receive his Majesty as he ought to have been Nevertheless that hindered not but his Majesty left some tokens of his being there by a considerable Present which he sent to the Captain and all the Seamen The Captain at his return being desirous to publish his Majesties generosity thought he could not do it any waies more remarkably than by firing his great Guns which though in the Night he discharged so freely at his return to his ship that the noise gave the Town an alarm immediately the drums beating through the streets and all people running to their Arms till at last they understood the occasion and turned their apprehensions into laughter About this time my Lord Ambassador had advertisement from Mosco amongst other things that Calthof who was detained by the Tzar after our departure was constrained to re-engage himself for two Years in the Great Dukes service He had notice likewise that his Tzarskoy Majesty had dispatched an Ambassador to the King of Great Britain to complain of him as a person that had been deficient in his respects to the Tzar and his principal Boyars in the whole process of his Negotiation But the Ambassador having from time to time sent Copies into England of all that had passed betwixt him and the Commissioners and being otherwise well advised that the King his Master did well approve of what he had done he troubled not himself with what the Tzar should attempt being very well assured as indeed it afterwards happened that all his efforts would not be able to shake the reason and justice upon which his conduct was founded About the latter end of our Residence there there was a publick combat performed in the presence of the King with portable Pumps or Engins such as are used frequently in the quenching of great fires It was managed before the Pallace betwixt six or seven men one against another having several others appointed for the management of their Pumps and for supplying them with water from the Canal Every one discharged upon his adversary by lifting up the Pipe and levelling it against his Enemy exposing themselves to the force of the Engins within fifteen or sixteen paces and plying their business so well that they left one of the Champions but one eye to guide him back again to his House My Lord Morpeth departed for England on the first day of Dicember with four or five Gentlemen and some Footmen in
to do it it would frustrate my departure and the frost or my thanks would be the same thing But I assure Your Majesty that I carry with me an heart most sensibly touched with Gratitude and most humble Devotion to Your majesty and that I shall not fail to inform the King my Master of all those Obligations The Answer that was returned in the name of the Queen consisted only like the former of affectionate Expressions toward their Majesties of Great Britain with assurances of the favour She had for the person of the Ambassador After which his Excellence was conducted to his Royal Highness in his Appartement of whom he took his leave in this manner Sir Your Royal Highness knows the King my Master so well that I need no new Credentials when I renew to your Royal Highness the assurances of his esteem and affection But if I stood need of witnesses I would cite only Your own merits it being absolutely impossible that a Prince so clear sighted as the King my Master should have an indifference for a Prince of the Qualities and Birth of your Royal Highness Or if the examples of others could prevail herein more with his Majesty than His own Inclination and Judgment He could not fail of loving and esteeming your Royal Highness seeing all those who have had the honour to know you do no less But his Majesty pretends not to imitate others but rather to set them an Example and excel them all in all the most Essential Proofs of Affection toward your Royal Highness In the mean time He entreats your Highness to furnish him as He Himself will constantly search occasions of expressing it never finding himself more happy than when He may in any way oblige You. For mine own part who can never sufficiently acknowledge the favours your Royal Highness hath done me I desire nothing with more ardour and passion than to continue in Your good Grace And I beseech You to honour me with Your Commands for I now devest my self of my Publick Character to enter henceforward into the Quality of the most humble servant of your Royal Highness To which the Prince made answer himself in two or three words as he had done before And from his Highness the Ambassador departed towards Prince George with this Complement Sir I am very happy that the last employment of this Embassage is to salute your Highness once more in his Majesties name I assure your Highnes that I hold it for a Recompense too glorious and too pleasant of all my labours that I am to conclude them in this manner For in this grand Tour of the North that I here make an end of I have indeed seen several things very remarkable but chiefly the King your Father a Prince of an admirable Generosity constancy and goodness the Queen the most adorable Princess of the World and whose unparalel'd vertues give no less courage to Fame than despair to Imitation His Royal Highness who hath travelled thorough all hearts and without any forces but those of his own merits hath won himself an universal Empire over the Esteem of all Europe the Princesses wonders of Nature and miracles of Education But after all this I must avow that I never yet saw a Prince so little and so great as your Highness or whose young mine did in his greenest years promise and threaten so much and so handsomly I leave it to your Highnesses Judgment with how much pleasure and contentment the King my Master will hear these news for I assure your Highness that he takes and will take more and more interest every day in all that concerns You. And for mine own particular I beseech your Highness to retain me in Your favour and to dispose alwaies of my person as consecrated to your Highnesses service Whereunto answer was given in the name of the Prince with great acknowledgment affection and respect towards the King of England and his Excellence had also therein several expressions of the particular affection his Highness had for his person That same day there was a great Ball made in the Pallace in which my Lord Ambassador past most part of the night But in the mean while by the favour of a Southerly wind the weather became so gentle that within three or four daies time the ice was dissolved so that our Man of War was in a condition to set sail Whereupon my Lord Ambassador chang'd his design of going by land and prepared himself to embarque with all speed for which reason he quit himself of of his coach and horses and presented them to the Master of the Ceremonies Of his Excellences Voiage from Copenhagen to London ON the fifteenth of December four days after the Audience of Congé his Excellence embarqued and the next day we came to an Anchor before Elsinore six Dutch miles from Copenhagen where we lay in expectation of an Easterly wind About this time the Publick Peace began to be broke betwixt the English and the Dutch acts of Hostility being committed on both sides though the War was not as yet formally declared yet the Goods and Persons of either Nation were subject to the outrages and depredations of War Which consideration without doubt would have been enough to have made us apprehensive of some disastrous event in our voiage had not our earnest desire of seeing England again and the advantage we had of being in a Man of War so well provided taken away all impressions of fear True it is we had daily advice of five or six Dutch men of War which lay to watch for us in the way and doubtless for his Excellences sake would have done their utmost to have taken us Yet the greatest part of us thought little of being taken and expected rather to catch some prey or other For want of a fair wind we lay six dayes at Anchor before Elsinore so that we had time enough to take a view of the Town and the Castle which secures the same very well In the mean time we had news of his Tzarkskoy Majesties Ambassadors arrival at London and with what coldness he was received by the King who immediately gave him to understand his resentment of the small satisfaction his Tzarskoy Majesty had given him in that honourable splendid Embassy which his Tzarskoy Majesty had received from him And it being about this time we made the first discovery of the great Comet that then appeared in Europe one of us took occasion to say That the Great Dukes Ambassador had already found the effects of it At length on the 23 of that moneth very early in the morning we departed from Elsinore We were scarce advanced twenty leagues in our way but the wind turned about came cross as before so that we were forced back to Elsinore My Lord Ambassador observing the uncertainty he was in and that he was become the pastime of wind and Sea believed it his most expedient course to travail by
opposed it self so obstinately against his Lordship I know no other reason but because his Lordship acted with much Zeal and Vigour for the Interest of the King and his Subjects and because he would not prostitute the dignity of his Office to the ridiculous pride of a Stolnick or a Boyar nor patiently endure several disobligations in their manner of proceeding In the Courts of Sweden and Denmark during our small Residence amongst them it was clear otherwise For there his Excellence received all manner of satisfaction being laden with praise and honour and in short used with as much kindness and respect as could be expected from two Nations whose Politeness and Vrbanity are clear different from the Humour of the Moscovite So that in changing of Climates we found also a great difference of Humours From whence it is easy to be seen that if the Court of Moscovy were not favourable to my Lord Ambassador it was only Prepossession and Interest which hindered them from making a right estimate both of his person and affair For it is most certain his Excellency employed all imaginable endeavors and that nothing obstructed them but a fatal Pertinacity in those that treated with him This being in general the nature and success of these Embassies the first makes the greatest part of my history for the other two Embassies being speedily performed affoard but little matter besides the Complements which the Ambassador made in the behalf of his Royal Master to the Kings and Queens of Sweden and Denmark But the thing that concludes this Work is an Apology presented by his Excellency soon after his return to London against the pretensions of those Ambassadors whom the Tzar had sent to the King after the first Embassy to complain of his Excellencies comportment in that Court. In this Apology his Lordship gives for his justification a large Narrative of the manner both of his own proceeding and of that of the Moscovites towards him to the Russ Ambassadors confusion who had laid an hainous charge against him Thus having given here a general account of these Embassies I leave the perusing of the whole Work to the Reader intending to have it shortly published also in French the Copy being now ready for the Press ERRATA PAge 25. last line read of this Entry p. 32. l. 5. for they change r. there are some Gourds that change p. 37. 23. r. with one small oar p. 43. l. 4. r. tops l. 10. for furr r. felt p. 56. l. 7. r. than they do p. 60. l. 24. r. short sighted p. 65. l. 27. r. illuminated p. 68. last l. r. Altin p. 83. l. 26. r. streets p. 93. l. 21. dele and l. 29. r. Shousca p. 104. l. 2. r. fell l. 20. r. which p. 118. l. 15. r. fumosi p. 120. l. 22. r. Me. p. 151. l. 25. r. amazed p. 159. l. 26. r. Indiâ p. 160. l. 9. r. subjungit p. 177. l. 6. r. great Prince p. 180. l. 12. r. himself p. 215. l. 27. r. Serena p. 228. l. 25. r. remotis p. 235. l. 1. r. tam longam p. 239. l. 6. r. nisi p. 242. l. 26. r. recensere p. 243. l. 4. r. que p. 245 l. 23. r. excedere and last l. r. dixerint p. 253. l. 23 r. Tzarskoy Majesty p. 288. l. 11 for and r. from p. 309. l. 3. dele and p. 315 l. 1 r. intuitu p. 325 l. 16 for re r. ne p. 354. l. 14. r. that friendship p. 357 l. 2 r. contribuere and l. 11. r. effusissimam p. 367 l. 1. for who r. and his Majesty p. 384. l. 12 for only r. But not far from it p. 392 ◠13. r. constitutae p. 396. l. 14. after Queen r. his Excellency received p. 417. l. 2. r. afflaverint Having seen the Relation of my Embassies into Moscovy Sweden and Denmark written by G. M. I do hereby give him leave to print and publish the same Carlisle The 30. of November 1668. Licensed March the 26. 1669 Roger L' Estrange The Table THe Occasion of these Embassies Pag. 1 2 The whole extent of the Voiage Pag. 5 Of our Voiage from London to Archangel Pag. 6 Of the Embassadors Entry into Archangel Pag. 23 The Description of Muscovy Pag. 26 The Russes Origine Pag. 39 Their Shape and Proportion Pag. 39 Their Habits Pag. 40 Their Language Pag. 43 Their Nature and Genius Pag. 44 Their manner of living in oeconomy Pag. 49 Their Women have great respect for their Husbands Pag. 51 How they use Bath-stoves which are very common amongst them Pag. 53 Ther manner of Divertisements Pag. 54 Under what Policy they live and what kind of Government they have Pag. 56 The Greatness Riches and absolute Power of their Tzar Pag. 58 The great Humility his Subjects express to him Pag. 60 Three general Maxims whereby the Russians are kept under a strict Discipline Pag. 61 What kind of Magistrates the Tzar keeps under him Pag. 66 Their Law-suits are quickly dispatched Pag. 67 Their manner of punishment Pag. 67 Their Coyn Pag. 68 What time they begin their day and their year Pag. 69 Their Religion Pag. 70 Of the Embassadors Stay at Archangel and how unmannerly his Pristaf shewed himself when first he received him Pag. 79 A short Description of the Samojedes Pag. 83 The Preparations for our Voiage to Vologda Pag. 85 Of his Excellences Voiage from Archangel to Vologda Pag. 86 A passage therein of a rude and stubborn Governour of a Province Pag. 90 Of the Ambassadors residence in Vologda Pag. 95 How ill we were used there some three or four weeks Pag. 96 97 Of our Journey from Vologda to Mosco in sledges Pag. 107 Our preparations for our Entry into Mosco Pag. 113 The description of the Entry about which the Embassador received two or three affronts and the Letter he sent thereupon to the Great Duke Pag. 115 A Description of Mosco Pag. 135 The maner of our living there Pag. 139 The preparations for the Audience the presents from the King to the Great Duke and how my Lord went to the Pallace Pag. 143 The Pomp and splendor of that Court as we saw it at this Audience Pag. 147 The Speech which the Embassador made in the name of the King his Master to the Grand Duke Pag. 164 Some remarkable passages of this Audience after the Speech was ended Pag. 180 Another short Audience two days after Pag. 184 The beginning of my Lords Negotiation with six Lords Commissioners whom the Tzar had appointed him Pag. 185 The unexpected answer given to his Excellency about his business Pag. 248 Some smart Replyes since given on both sides Pag. 196 A Speech said at a Private Audience by my Lord Ambassador to the Tzar about the ill success of his business Pag. 248 His Excellence demanded Reparation from Pronchiss of one of his Pristafs and one of the Commissioners as having affronted him in several points Pag. 278 Some other passages of
the Negotiation Pag. 280 The Ambassadors Complement to the Great Duke when he took his leave of him Pag. 288 Some Memorable Passages that had hapned besides during our residence at Mosco and first the description of a Feast which the Tzar had made us Pag. 290 A Narrative of a noble Procession on Palm-sunday Pag. 295 Three several Conflagrations we saw in a little time Pag. 301 A Duel between one of my Lords Domesticks and a Scotch man an Officer in the Tzars Militia Pag. 302 How the Embassador refused the Presents which the Tzar sent him Pag. 302 Of his Excellences Journey from Mosco to Riga Pag. 306 A new business that fell out about Calthof at our departure from Mosco and the Letter my Lord Embssador sent to Mosco since about it which angered the Tzar very much upon occasion of a ridiculous mistake on their side Pag. 313 The danger we were in to be robbed at the Frontiers and how we were conveyed by 500 souldiers by the care of the Governour of Plesco Pag. 322 Another Letter sent by my Lord from Plesco about Calthof Pag. 324 How his Excellence was met at the Frontiers by two Swedish Officers sent from Riga by the Governour General of Livonia Pag. 332 A short Description of Livonia or Lifland Pag. 332 Of the Embassadors Entry into Riga and his Residence there Pag. 338 Of our Voiage from Riga to Stockholme Pag. 342 Of his Excellences Entry into Stockholme Pag. 349 Of our Residence at Stockholme wherein is contained a Description of the City Pag. 351 The Audience Pag. 353 My Lords Negotiation Pag. 361 Some Particular Passages during our stay in this Court Pag. 362 My Lords last Audience Pag. 368 Of our Voiage from Stockholme to Copenhagen Pag. 375 Of our Residence at Copenhagen wherein is contained a Description of the City Pag. 384 The Audience Pag. 385 My Lords Negotiation Pag. 400 Some particular Passages during our stay in this Court Pag. 406 My Lords last Audience Pag. 413 Of his Excellences Voiage from Copenhagen to London Pag. 424 My Lords Apology against the Russ Ambassador Pag. 535 FINIS A RELATION Of Three EMBASSIES From his Sacred Majesty CHARLES II. Into MOSCOVY SWEDEN And DENMARK Performed in the Years 1663 and 1664. THe most Serene and most Mighty Prince CHARLES the SECOND King of Great Britain c. being happily â—estored to His Dominions which the malice â—nd iniquity of this age had deprived him â—f His Alliance which had been interrupted â—uring his misfortunes was by the rest of the â—hristian Princes immediately re-desired To which end their several Ambassadors were disâ—atched with extraordinary Pomp and Splenâ—our sutable to the Dignity and Grandeur of â—im it had pleased God to restore But amongst all the Princes of Europe that by their congratulations of his Re-establishment seemed ardently to aspire at His Alliance the Tzar of Moscovy had the most equitable pretentions For besides that admirable Sympathy which has been so long time betwixt the Kings of England and the great Dukes of Moscovy Alexey Michailovitz the present Duke had so great an abhorrency of the murther of King CHARLES the First that he resolved in some measure to revenge it upon the English Company at Archangel whom he looked upon as assertors if not associates in the Rebellion And as a certain instance of the constancy of his affection he no sooner understood the calamities Our present King was reduced to but he assisted him immediately with a considerable sum of money From hence it was that his Majesty gave his Ambassadors so great a Reception as made the Friendship he had for that great Monarch conspicuous to all the World And it was this Embassage from the Tzar and those from the Kings of Sweden and Denmark that gave occasion to his Majesty of Great Britain to return these which are the present matter of this Relation The first Embassy was addressed to the Great Duke of Moscovy The second to the King of Sweden The third to the King of Denmark It is true the first had beside That a peculiar subject of Importance touching Commerce at Archangel in Moscovie viz. To obtain a re-establishment of the Priviledges of the English Company which consisted in this That the Merchants of this Kingdom did formerly trade into that place without paying any Impost Which Immunity was but a generous recompence that one of the former Dukes Ivan Basilovitz made the English for their discovery of that Port and introduction of so considerable a Commerce thither The present Great Duke had vacated these Priviledges in the time of the late Rebellion in England because conceiving the Merchants complices in that rebellion he esteemed them unworthy of his favour therefore of enjoying any longer these Immunities The Company having since that time to the happy Return of his Majesty been deprived of their Priviledges the King by this Embassage desired things might be restored to their former state and that upon two principal considerations One because his Subjects for whose rebellion they were taken away were returned again to their obedience The other because these very Priviledges were the basis and foundation upon which the Amity betwixt the two Crowns of England and Moscovy were superstructed And these were two fundamental Reasons that were strong enough to induce his Majesty to hope for success in his Demand but he could expect no less from the generosity and promise of the Tzar Yet He was flatly refused as if the Tzars kindness had been already quite exhausted The Earle of Carlisle to whom the King encharged these Embassies was without contradiction in all respects proper for the employment For besides that he was of a comely and advantageous stature a Majestick mine and not above four and thirty years of age he had a peculiar grace and vivacity in his discourse and in his actions a great promptitude and diligence In a word he was adorned with all perfections that could render a man acceptable and especially with those that were requisite for the discharge of so important an affair Gratior est pulchro veniens è corpore virtus Virg. His Train consisted of near fourscore persons amongst which he had ten Gentlemen six Pages two Trumpets and twelve Footmen He had also a Chaplain several Interpreters a Chirurgeon six Musicians besides many Tradesmen that were very necessary in Moscovy And forasmuch as his Excellence was to begin that way the circle of his Embassies to the end he might come back by Liefland into Sweden by Sweden into Denmark and from thence come into England before his departure he provided himself of all such necessary things as Russia could scarce afford So that besides the Liveries which were made at London he was also forced to provide himself of Beds Chairs and even of all Kitchin-moveables only the Chimney excepted and that would have been too most serviceable in several places Besides these his Majesty provided his Excellency with a magnificent Canopy of red
Town one of them fell in as close as he could to the Ambassadors person who was then attended with sixteen sledges the other who was but then preparing to depart being come up to him fell foul upon the former with design to quarrel with him and nothing could serve his turn but he must stop his sledg that he himself might go before him according to his place The other not at all pleased with so strange a dealing refused him and gave him withall ill language Upon this they both betook themselves to their swords and leaping on shore they fell presently to fight But the Ambassador having the alarm came presently in and seeing how deficient they had bin in their respect to his person he used them both severely However every one lamented the ill fortune of the assailant who appeared to have ingaged in this busines upon a publique accompt and made use of this only as an occasion the other being an imperious person and one that by reason of his long relation to his Excellence with had gained him some favours seemed to despise the whole family And indeed nothing but his long standing in that family could be the ground of all his presumption for of his other qualities there was no body believed he had any reason to boast In the 18. of December we saw that strange representation that is annually made by the Moscovites of the fiery furnace in which Shadrech Mesec and Abednego were cast by the King of Babilon The Persons that act in it are disguised their beards rubbed over with honey their hats of wood with which they run up and down the streets and with wild fire in their hand burn the hair or beard of any body they meet with great insolence During this Extravagance the Moscovites look upon them as so many Pagans and profane persons but on the feast of Kings they baptize them again because that day they believe was the first calling of the Gentils and for that reason they return them into the bosome of the Church Our devotions at Christmas being over my Lord Ambassador made all necessary preparations for our Voiage from Vologda to Mosco In order to which he sent to Nestrof to desire that he might have good sledges chiefly for his Gentlemen and that the same might attend them quite through his journey to spare the trouble of changing them by the way But this demand was presently rejected by Nestrof who had been will pleased if all his Excellencies Retinue would have marched on foot His answer was he could not furnish him with any but the Ordinary sledges which are commonly very thin and split in their sides Upon this answer my Lord Ambassador dispatched his Secretary to him who told him freely it was most undecent to have persons of quality worse accommodated for their confidence in the Care of the Tzar so great a Monarch than if they had been at their own charges He replied they might do as they pleased no body hindered them from takeing their own course And thereupon he declared that his Excellence had no reason to complain that his Tzarskoy Majesty had done him extraordinary honor in sending a person of his quality so far to conduct him to Mosco To which the Secretary replied that my Lord Ambassador acknowlegded his quality but that he never thought it so great that he and his associate ought to preferr themselves before him as they had done at their first visit But after all this expostulation his Excellence was constrained to provide himself of sledges at his own charges In the mean time to secure themselves from the wind and the snow every one took care to make himself a kind of a tilt of cloth stretched upon two or three hoops as the people of quality of those parts are used to do And the weather being exceeding cold the greatest part lined their sledges with a course kind of felt that is sold on purpose for that use as they did likewise their Coverlets with good furs to wrap themselves up in The rest provided as well as they could to cover themselves so that our Samojedes Vests were not with out imployment nor were our Buck and Sheeps skin unusefull in this Voiage everyone endeavouring above all things to be furnished with furrs against the cold Of his Excellencies Journey from Vologda to Mosco MY Lord Ambassador foreseeing what the inconvenience would be if he marched with his whole train along with him especially from Vologda to Yeroslaf upon which road there was nothing but Villages thought good to send before his Horses and all things belonging to his Stables with sixty sledges in which there was also a good part of his bagage and some nine or ten Servants who had all their quarters assigned that they might have the better care of the Goods The 7. of January 1664. they set forward and on the 15. of the same moneth his Excellence with a Train of about an hundred and forty Sledges On the 19. he arrived at Yeroslaf having crossed the Volga at the Towns-end which was Frozen over and covered with Snow The 22. we parted from Yeroslaf all together and passing by Rostof we came the 24. to Peroslaf The next day his Excellence departed from Peroslaf and arrived on the 27. at Troitza where we stayed five days At length we came to the Yawes on the third of February which is a little Village some five Versts from Mosco and there it was my Lord Ambassador prepared himself for his Entry which began the fifth and was not finished till the sixth at Night The Weather was so sharp and the Frost so violent when Mr. Godbolt the Master of the Horse departed with my Lord's Coach and Horses from Vologda that notwithstanding our provision of Furs we thought we should never have been able to overcome it But this extremity continued not above five or six days the Heavens had reserved more mild and propitious weather for his Excellencies departure so that it thawed till the very day we arrived at Yeroslaf but it began then to reassume its former fierceness as by very sensible Convictions we found afterwards We marched as well night as day every one in his sledge at his full length And because the upper parts of us were more exposed to the injuries of the Aire we took a particular care of covering our selves and to stop all the chinks the cold might possibly come in at We had every one of us besides our Furs his bottle of strong water which we drunk off now and then as an excellent preservative of Heat The Kitchin went still before with the Russ Harbingers which the Pristafs sent away to take up our Lodgings in good time and to get such meat dressed as they had along with them and having dispatched these away they advanced to the next place some three or four hours before the Ambassador The Pristafs Equipage made the whole journey on horse-back true it is they were well
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
time from my Predecessors They discovered the port and opened you the Trade and Market of all Europe at Archangel They fought your Enemies ships in the Eastern-seas when the Princes there adjacent had leagued together to shut up the Narve and delivered the prisoners to the Russian Governours at the Narve They lent summs of mony for the wars they furnished Souldiers and Commanders to fight your Enemies they made peace for you with neighbour Princes They suffered the Merchants to supply the Country in the times of great dearth with corn who sold it to the Nation â—t the rate it cost them and several other things to be transported hither for your accommodation in peace or warr prohibited to all other Nations I could mention yet an higher Obligation than all these upon the desire of one of your Tzarskoy Ancestors were it so seasonable to relate it And I my self who ordered my Ambassador to tell You that herein I desired to exceed all my Ancestors yet am refused the Privileges the purchase of my Subjects industry and their vast expense and great losses in finding out and carrying on the Trade to this present I my self at my first coming to the Crown granted to Sir John Hebdon without Credentials three thousand horse and foot of the flower of the English forces for Your service which what they can do and are let the world witness And had your Ambassadors either demanded any thing of me but an unproportionable and unseasonable summe of mony or had they but acquainted me with the posture of your Tzarskoy majesties affaires in any measure You should not have found me wanting However before I sent my Ambassador over I did my best to inform my self otherwise I found that the Pole was likely still to molest You and that notwithstanding the late Peace with Sweden some points remained yet undecided Reflecting upon which I thought for the reasons Your Majestie knowes as concerning the Pole that he would not think me a competent Mediator betwixt You seeing besides that the King of Poland only hath not yet sent me any Ambassage to congratulate my happy Return For the Swede I saw no reason why mine interposition betwixt your Tzarskoy majesty and Him might not be acceptable and seasonable on all sides if your Tzarskoy majesty â—hought it necessary to quench any parks of contention before they broke â—ut further Moreover I consider the opportunity that I have and shall always of assisting You with Commanders and Souldiers ships armour and ammunition against any Enemies You might have for the future and the influence and authority that I should have from time to time with most Princes of Europe or out of Europe that could annoy You for the composing of any differences And upon all these things I had given such order as I thought fitting to my Ambassador And doubtless considering mine own Obligations to your Tzarskoy majesty and the promise I had made You in mine own Letter formerly which I took my self bound to accomplish and the choice of the person of my Ambassador You would not have found me ungrateful in any thing of this or other nature which could not occurre to me Having represented these words as from his Royal majesties own mouth to your Tzarskoy majesty it becomes me not to continue them with any of mine own further than to desire that your Tzarskoy majesty will seriously and speedily according to your great prudence wherewith God hath inspired You reflect upon them and give me a quick dispatch one way or other that I may not lose the very first season of the year to depart hence as his Royal majesty hath given me positive order Given at Mosco 22. April 1664. CARLISLE This speech being thus ended my Lord Ambassador added four Memorials which he gave also in writing but in a paper by it self Three of them were against Pronchissof who endeavoured by all meanes to obstruct my Lords affaires and to make him odious to this Court. It seemes he had told my Lord that his Royal Majesties affaires were in a dangerous and weak condition so that my Lord being confident that he had strove to instil this false report into the Tzars ear thought himselfe bound upon this occasion to inform his Tzarskoy Majesty that what he said therein was contrary to the truth and maliciously invented by Enemies of his Royal Majesty and that the King was in as good condition of quiet at home and power abroad as any Prince in Christendom Another time the same Pronchissof told my Lord Ambassador at his house in the presence of Dementè Bashmacof and of a Colonel van Staden their Interpreter that it was reported his Excellency had received a great summe of mony of the Merchants to recover the Privileges and upon the effecting thereof was to receive yet greater from the said Merchants whereupon my Lord requiring his author he would or could name none so that his Excellency took him for the Author himself as it was very likely Therefore upon this occasion he acquainted the Tzar with it and desired his Majesty to cause Reparation to be given him by the said Pronchissof for so malicious and high a slander Besides the said Pronchissof at several other times spoke to my Lord Ambassador as if he had neglected his Royal Majesties business in respect to the Merchants and threatned him with the Tzars displeasure that he should not depart with honour and as if his Tzarskoy Majesty would complain of his conduct to his Royal Majesty whose instructions he said that my Lord had transgressed In all which things he much diminished the respect due to his Excellency and doubtless exceeded any Commission from his Tzarskoy Majesty My Lord did not neglect to informe his Majesty of all these things upon this present occasion and to tell Him that for these and for the former reasons he takes the said Pronchissof who was at this Audience to be an Enemy to the good correspondence betwixt his Royal Majesty and his Tzarskoy Majesty and consequently no Friend to himself And that therefore whatsoever he might have reported at any time or would afterwards concerning him to give his Tzarskoy Majesty as he had all reason to suspect an ill taste and impression of him He desires his Tzarskoy Majesty to hold it for falshood as he himself was ready to prove it if his Majesty had thought fit at any time to communicate any such thing to him for his own satisfaction He put moreover his Tzarskoy Majesty in minde of the former Reparation promised which still his Commissioners had neglected hitherto The 24. of May my Lord received his Commissioners answer to his papers given at Conference the 22. of March wherein first they blame his Excellency for saying in the beginning that they misunderstood his words as if he had a mind thereby to tell them that they were not able to understand his meaning But for the Posts innocent mistake as they call it they say that
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
of his Antagonist and challenged him thereupon into the field And some few days after this quarrel was disputed by the sword and had the preeminence of these Princes depended upon the success of that combat his Majesty of great Brittaine had had the advantage For in a short time our Champion disarmed the Lieutenant and came triumphing amongst us that he had vindicated his King The sixteenth of June which was four days after my Lord had taken his Leave the Tzar sent the Ambassador a present of Sables for himself and his whole family His Excellencies portion was worth two thousand Crownes that of the Countess was worth fourteen hundred and my Lord Morpeth's a thousand the rest were to be distributed according to every mans rank and imploiment in the house But the Ambassador considering he had been neglected in all his affaires would by no meanes admit of this obligation but from a generous principle returned the Present as having been otherwise so much disobliged Nevertheless that his refusal might not pass for an affront in the judgment of the Tzar my Lord designed to have prevented the sending of it but he had not time enough for that For Golozof of whom we had occasion to speak in the Description of our Entry into Mosco imagining without doubt he should receive great kindnesses from the Ambassador dispatched away one of his Clerks to advertise him that he was coming to him with a Present from his Tzarskoy Majesty wherewith he intended to honour him before his departure And presently after without acquainting any of the Pristafs in which he did ill he arrived himself with four and thirty men bearing the Present in their hands The Ambassador took Golozof aside and let him know that he could not accept of this Honour for the reasons which he alledged Golozof extreamly amazed ran â—ut immediately swelled up with rage as he had been with vain hope of reward at his coming in he leapt down the stairs by half douzains as if he had been mad and clapping his breast cried out with a loud voice That such a thing had not been heard of nor ever happened before in the whole Empire of Russia In short he was in such a rage that one would have sworn he would have caused us all to be banished into Siberia as they sometimes did an Ambassador of France and that having refused the Great Dukes present they would make us hunt Sables in that Country which is the penalty of their greatest malefactors But that which most afflicted the Ambassador's Domesticks was the disadvantage they received by his refusal in being so deprived of the Honour of receiving so profitable testimonies of the generosity of so great a Prince However we comforted our selves in the Prudence of the Ambassador and although each of us was deceived in the hopes he had conceived yet we could not for all that forbear praising the generosity of his Conduct Whereas on the other side Golozof in very great passion mounted his horse his footmen following him two and two whereupon his Excellence took great pleasure to behold them marching in that Order and the indignation which they carried in their faces Every one looked after them with a profound silence imagining this refusal so Extraordinary that it affronted the Grandeur and Dignity of the Tzar and that his Tzarskoy Majesty would not fail to take exemplary vengeance upon an action so presumptuously bold others not knowing the cause suspended their judgments The Tzar being informed of this affair and exceedingly surprised with it called his Councel of State immediately and was present there himself the result of which was that Volinskoy one of the new Commissioners was deputed to repair to his Excellence to know the reason of this refusal which he performed with more mildness and discretion than we had occasion to hope for The Ambassador answered him that he was so far from doing it out of any contempt that on the contrary he looked upon his Tzarskoy Majesties Present as an effect of his great Generosity but that the acceptance thereof would oblige him too far He acquainted him how his affairs stood that his Embassy had had no success and that in this case it was not proper for him to receive any favour from his Tzarskoy Majesty till he had first received the Justice he demanded That otherwise he should have taken the least favour from his hands as a perpetual Ornament to himself and his family and that still he was ready provided any good order might be taken with his affaires to receive any testimony whatever of the Tzars affection This gave Volinskoy satisfaction in some measure especially when he understood after what manner Golosof had brought the Presents that is without the knowledge of his Excellencies Pristafs who ought first to have given him notice of the design and thereby prevented the dishonour of so publick a refusal So that Golozof had no recompence for all his pains but a grave reprehension for having wanted discretion in the discharge of this affair On the other side the Tzar returned the Present which he had received at his first Audience from the Ambassador to him again it was a Basin and Ewer of Silver parcel gilt two wrought Silver Dishes and another Dish of Silver parcel gilt also His Excellence received it with this Complement I give his Tzarskoy Majesty thanks for this and I receive it with as great kindness as if it had been a greater Present I shall keep it alwaies by me because it hath had the honour to be in the Possession of his Tzarskoy Majesty Of his Excellencies Journey from Mosco to Riga THis Embassy being finished and that which was to have been into Poland layd a side the Ambassador prepared for his departure towards Sweden choosing the way by Riga in Livonia to pass to Stockholm by Sea And being to Cross Livonia which is 〈◊〉 desart Country he dispacht an Express with 〈◊〉 Letter to Count Oxenstern Governour Generaâ— of Livonia to desire that being upon an Embassy towards his Majesty of Sweden he would please to give orders that at his arrival upon the frontiers he might be accommodated at his own cost with fresh horses and wagons for his train and baggage to pass that Country with all In the mean time my Lord Ambassador attended by a Regiment of horse departed from Mosco the 24. of June about the Evening with intention to retreat seaven Versts that night from the Town The 29. we arrived at T were the cheif City of Twersco The 3. of July we came to Tarsock and from thence to Budeva The 4. to Wisny Volsock the 7. to Zimnogoray and Volday the 8. we past by Rakina and Vena two Townes the 9. we lodged at Brunitze a little Borough The 10. in the afternoon we made 27. Versts by water in twenty boats they had provided against our coming so as passing a small Arm of the Lake Ilmin into which the River that passes by
Czaream suam Majestatem benevolentiâ alienissimum ut ille quem Czareae suae Majestati nullo modo obstrictum ulterius aut addictum esse innotuerit tamen contra voluntatem suam nostram intercessionem vestra promissa diutius detineretur Quapropter te etiam atque etiam rogo Domine Cancellarie ut si Calthofius adhuc vobiscum haereat Serenissimae Czareae suae Majestati haec exponere velis ne in re adeo exiguâ tam magnum amicitiae detrimentum patiatur Me autem re magis injuriarum quam beneficiorum memorem esse Existimetis hâc occasione tibi adeóque Czareae sua Majestati significandum esse duxi egregiam Boyarij Knez Jvan Borissovitz Repenini erga me in itinere nostro per Novogorodam humanitatem quam semper praedicabo Majorem etiam si major esse posset Knez Pheodor Gregorevitz Romadonofsky in hoc loco comitatem qui ambo omnibus honoris benevolentiae indiciis me cumularunt Neque enim ipsis imputandum est si quod dicitur sentoria de Czareo suo curru minus laboro in limi te Nihusiano mihi auferantur quae Czarea sua Majestas si bene Ockolniohey Basilium Volinskoy intellexi mihi Rigam usque commodavit propter quae ipse alia nostris impensis mihi comparare omisi Dona quidem a Czarea sua Majestate mihi oblata quoniam ita me decebat recusavi non itidem usum eorum quae ad itineris nostri commoditatem faciebant Et quum sub Pellibus noluerim sub Tentoriis certe pernoctare licuisset Si autem ita omnino decretum est non sum adeo mollis ut per aliquot dies militari more sub dio agere nequeam ne a Praefecto Suecico petere videar quae â Czarea sua Majestate suppeditanda esse credideram Cui nihilominus de omnibus beneficiis atque honoribus mihi delatis gratias ago quà m maximas ea Domino meo Regi fidelissime recencebo Vale Plescuae 14. Julii 1664. CARLISLE My Lord Chancellor THough the esteem I have and ought to have of the justice and prudence of his most Serene Tzarskoy Majesty perswaded me that Calthof would be dismist if not before at least as Soon as my Letters from T were on the 30. of June were arrived yet being advanced as farr as Plesco and having no advertisment thereof I have dispacht this messenger again to Mosco for that very affair Which though to you it may not appear so considerable as it ought yet to me it is of that importance it can not be pretermitted without neglecting the Commands of the most Serene King my Master and the liberty of Calthof his Subject And indeed it would be unjust and contrary to the mutual amity betwixt the King my Master and his Tzarskoy Majesty should he who is manifestly now under no farther Obligation or engagement to his Tzarskoy Majesty be contrary to his own will my intercession and Your promises detained any longer I do make it my request therefore my Lord Chancellor that if Calthof be still amongst You You would represent these things so effectually to his Tzarskoy Majesty that the amity of our soveraignes may receive no diminution from so small and inconsiderable an occasion For my own part lest you should think me better at remembring injuries than benefits I have taken this occasion to signify to You and by consequence to his Tzarskoy Majesty the great civility Boyar Knez Jvan Borissovitz Repenini shewed me in my Journey by Novogorod which I shall always acknowledg and the greater if greater can be of Knez Pheodor Gregorevitz Romadonofsky in this place both of them loading me at it were with testimonies of honor and respect Nor do I think it imputable to them if the Tents for of his Tzarskoy Majesties coach I am not so solicitous be taken from me at the Borders at Nihuisen though if I well understood Ockolnickey Basilius Volinskoy his Tzarskoy Majesty was pleased to spare me them as farr as Riga and for which reason I had neglected to furnish my self at my own charges It is true I did refuse as became me his Tzarskoy Majesties presents that were sent me but not those conveniences that were necessary in my journey And though I did not for the reasons fore-mentioned accept of his furs it might have been allowed me to have slept under his Tents However if it be peremptorily decreed I am not so soft and effeminate but rather than request those things from the Swedish Governour that I thought were to have been supplyed by his Tzarskoy Majesty I can like a Souldier for some days take my fortune in the fields I do notwithstanding return many thanks to his Tzarskoy Majesty for all the honors and favours I received from him and shall make a faithful enumeration of them to the King my Master Plesco the 14. of July 1664. CARLISLE This Letter being dispatched the next day â—y Lord Ambassador departed from Plesco â—his Town is not of any great circumfeâ—ence but it is very convenient and pleasant â—aving a faire River which riseth in a Lake â—bout half a League from it running by the â—own Our Convoy from Plesco to the Frontiers â—eing so good as I said we had no reason to â—pprehend the danger that threatned us I â—ean the Regiment of Thieves who by their â—xploits had got themselves a great Name in â—he Province of Pscove We had as I said before â—e hundred armed foot to secure our bagage â—hich marched alwaies before besides a â—quadron of horse that attended on the perâ—on of the Ambassador And if on the one â—de this Convoy was necessary for our proâ—ection so on the other side his Excellence â—ooked upon it as a great honour and repuâ—ation to see himself the Object of so much â—are and respect At every Stage he was â—onourably received amongst the noise of â—rums and the Soldiers drawn up in very â—ood Order and at night had very strong Guards placed about him Insomuch that in two days march we arrive at the Frontiers without any visible danger And we had not â—een half an hour on the Frontiers but the â—wo Officers deputed from the Governour General of Livonia and the Governour of the Castle of Nihuisen arrived to salute thâ— Ambassador with a Complement in Frencâ— very obliging and full of Civility Among other things they gave him to understand the King and Queen Mother of Sweden attended him with impatience and that knowing the difficulty of the Passage from Nihuisâ— to Riga they had commanded he should 〈◊〉 accommodated with all things that migâ— expedite his arrival and be necessary for 〈◊〉 journey To which his Excellence replieâ— that he was already surprised to understanâ— by the Governour Generals Letter the eâ—traordinary care that Crown had taken 〈◊〉 his Voiage that there was nothing he aspire to with more passion than to injoy the honour of seeing their Majesties but that he wâ— very desirous to continue his
cannon â—hat the Page very much surprized thought â—t best to leave him alone in that Kind of exâ—rcise And so the horse went away as he â—ame without Eyes or Sadle or bridle and â—he Page after that time made his Voiage alâ—ost wholly in the wagons Some there â—ere that day that were forced to march on â—ot for want of horses Others were so tyred â—ith them they were sometimes constrained â—o the same thing for their refreshment But if we suffred in our travailing we were not much better accomodated in our Lodgings the most of us being forced to make use of some Barn or Kitchen to put our beds in to pass away the night The Gentlemen for the most part lay in their litle coaches they had brought along with them from Moscovie True it is we were entertained in three or four Castles and Marienborough amongst the rest where our accomodation was something better At Riga the Ambassador was very well received they did him all the honor we could possibly desire nor did he appear on his side less pompous and magnificent But our entry being followed immediately with terrible tempests and after the noise of the Canon with dismal claps of thunder it was lookt upon immediatly by the superstitious people as an ill omen and presage Of the Ambassadors Risidence at Riga RIga is scituate upon the bank of the Duina a River that rises as has been said before in the Province of T were oâ— Twersco in Moscovie and empties it self in to the Baltick Sea some four leagues from this City It is a Town of no great extent but compact and very well peopled Its buildings are all of stone or brick and fortifyed with a good wall good ditches and Ramparts on that side towards Moscovie besides towards the River it has a strong and well forâ—efied Castle in which the Governour Geâ—eral of Livonia keeps his residence But this Town is principally considerable in respect of â—he great commerce which it draws from all â—arts especially by the Baltick Sea from whence the Vessels come up the Duina to the â—ery Gates of the Town In winter they maintain a great trade with Moscovy by the â—onvenience of their sledges in which the Merâ—hants convey themselves and their Commoâ—ities as farr as Plesco Novogorod or Mosco On the other side of the River lyes Courland â—hich depends in part on the Duke of that â—ame whose ordinarie residence is at Mittau â—ome six Dutch miles from Riga The Lanâ—uage they speak in Riga is High Dutch and â—he Religion they profess is the Lutheran The next day after our arrival in this place â—ount Oxenstern made a visit to the Ambasâ—dor who the next day returned him the â—ke in the Castle His Excellence exprest himâ—lf very sensible of the care which he had taâ—en to facilitate his Journey and that he might 〈◊〉 some measure discharge himself of the Obliâ—ation he had to that Crown for the expence â—hich had been made in his favour and that the King his Master might not be brought into any new Engagements he made a proffer of reimbourcing them again But the Governour General replyed that what was done was by express order of his King who was willing to take that slender opportunity to testify the joy he conceived at his arrival and designed not thereby to put any Obligation upon his Majesty of great Britain My Lord Ambassador was in like manner visited by the Mayor and Senators of the Town Fifteen days we staied in this place partly in expectation of a Man of Warr that was to come from Stockholm to transport us and partly for a good wind So that we had time enough to refresh our selves after the Voyage we had now finisht And indeed most of us did very well overcome the fatigues of our Journey especially by the help of the feather beds they use in Riga as they dâ— in Swedeland Germany and Danemarke Nevertheless these kind of double beds being little in use in England many of us could noâ— endure them and were altogether surpriseâ— to find our selves sinking into a quagmire oâ— feathers which constrained us to lye rouleâ— up in a heap But they were no sooner in commoded in this posture but they began tâ— declaim against these kind of beds in 〈◊〉 much as one somewhat a Critick took occâ—sion to call them Beds of Ignorance according to that expression of the Poet. Non jacet in molli veneranda scientia Lecto Learning 's not found in Beds of Down For three days after our arrival we were entertained at the Charge of the Town in so much as the 7. of August was the first day his Excellence began to provide meat for himself since our arrival at Archangel During our residence at this place the weather proved so ill in respect of the great store of raine lightning and thunder which hapned every day that we were forced to lead a very sedentary and recluse life But that which was our greatest consolation was the joy we conceived in being out of all commerce with the Moscovits to find our selves amongst Christians of very good conversation and after a tedious association with a people barbarous and rude to fall amongst those that were civil and urbane In short to observe an exquisite neatnes and cleanlynes in all things after having lived amongst the Moscovits after a very slovenly manner The 10. of August Count Oxenstern entertained the Ambassador with so much splendor and Pomp that to give account of it in few words it was more like the entertainment of a King than an Ambassador The place resounding with an admirable consort of Musick Trumpets Ketle-drums and Cannonâ— and every thing seeming with emulation to contribute to the publication of the glory of this Embassy This entertainment being over the Ambassador prepared himself to embarque as soon as possible the Man of Warr being arrived which was a Fregat called the Amaranthe carrying fortie brass pieces mounted My Lords Coach and horses being to be transported by themselves there was a shallop hired on purpose for that Of his Excellencies Voiage from Riga to Stockholme upon the Baltick-Sea On the 18. of August the Ambassador departed from Riga by water to go on ship-board about a League and an half from thence where our Vessel was at anchor but the wind was so contrary that we were constrained to yield to its violence and put to shore in the sight of the whole Town and make the rest of our way towards the ship by Land We were no sooner out of the Town but the Castle made all things eccho again with the noise of their Artillery But when we came near the Vessel we found the wind blowing so fiercely against us that we were glad to take a resolution of retiring â—o a Country-house hard by where we past â—way the Night ill enough The next morning the wind not being so â—igh the Captain sent two Boats to bring us board the Skif which carried the
Master of the Ceremonies came aboord our Ship to signify to the Ambassador from their Majesties the King and Queen Mother the satisfaction they received at his arrival But before he could deliver his Complement we escaped â—ery narrowly from being cast away For having weighed our anchors in the morning to take advantage of the wind that was something favourable the Pilot doubling a point to gain the greater benefit by it the Vessel on a sudden ran so near the Rocks the Pilot in a great fright was forced to tack immediately with all the dexterity he was able which was not so great but the Ship struck with her Poop as she was turning about But by the Grace of God it was done without any other mischief than a concussion that waked and affrighted too all that were then asleep in the Ship After this our Vessel was managed so well that at length we gained the point that was so near destroying us and came to anchor within a League of Stockholm At this time the Master of the Horse who was arrived the day before came aboord the Man of war â—o give an accompt to the Ambassador of his Voiage and amongst the rest of an accident â—efel one of his Coach-horses at Sea which â—e had ordered to be thrown over board beâ—ng fallen ill beyond any hopes of recovery â—n the mean time my Lord Ambassadors Lady â—eing big with child thought convenient to get a-shore assoon as she could The 8. of September the Ambassador made his Entry where he received all possible expressions of an Amity extraordinary True â—t is there was not that Bravery and Ceremony as at his Entry at Mosco but I dare affirm there was much more Sincerity Frankness and Decorum And whereas in that the Moscovites made demonstration only of their Grandeur and Vanity The Swedes in this made no other expression but of Kindness Civility Their Artillery which is so dreadful in the wars was become here the grateful Proclaimer of Peace and Affection nothing being to be heard about the Town for an hour together but the noise of their Cannon and great Guns For assoon as the Ambassador had left the ship and was entered with his Train into the Boats that were sent him by the King the Fregat gave us a whole round with his Cannon and whilst we were making for the shore they saluted him with many from land so that they made a very strange clattering amongst the Rocks As we past along we had the sight of a Diver that came up out of a place twenty fathoms deep into which they let him down out of a shallop with a Cord to look for the Guns of a Man of War that had been cast away there He was clad all in leather and sate under a certain Engine something like a bell in which he said himself he had space enough to breathe the water comming no higher than his breast After this we came to a Bridg covered over with Carpets of Tapestry at which place his Excellence was complemented from their Majesties by one of the principal Senators And from thence he was conveyed in the Kings Coach to a House set a part for Ambassadors Their Majesties having joyned several of their Gentlemen Pages and Footmen to his Train The Liveries my Lord Ambassador had in this place were new Liveries brought him with several other goods by Mr. Watson to Riga They were like those which they wore at Mosco of Scarlet cloth the King of Englands Colour but trimed up after another fashion according to the Mode at that time and in all points very rich and handsom Of the Ambassadors Residence at Stockholm HIs Excellence having spent but five weeks in this Town I shall not have many â—hings to speak upon occasion of this Embassy â—he principal end whereof was to declare in â—he behalf of the King of great Britain the â—incere desire his Majesty had to enter into a â—ricter correspondence with the King of Swedeâ—and But before we enter upon this subject â—t will not be inproper to premise a word or â—wo concerning this Court. The word Stockholm is properly the name of the Isle in which the City is built which â—sland is called Stockholm which signifies the â—sle of the Tronk or body of a Tree Holme â—ignifying an Iland and Stock the trunck of a Tree For the Capital City being burned of â—ld they which layd the foundation of this did it as they relate it in this manner They â—hrew the Trunck of a tree into the water and â—esolved that at what Island soever the same Trunck first rested in that place they would â—uild their Town and the Trunck resting in â—his place the Town was accordingly built â—here and called Stockholm as the Island also â—s The Town is very compact but even with â—he suburbs is not altogether so big as Roven â—n France The buildings are most of stone yet some also of wood Of the first sort there are several very magnificent and amongst them that of General Wrangel and the Chancellors There are some parts of the Town which being built off from the Island stand like parts of Venice upon piles so that the Sea flows under them The Palace hath nothing in it very remarkeable saving that it stands on the bank of the Sea and has a faire prospect of several Ships that ride hard by and the Kings Men of Warr amongst the rest But that which is most considerable in Stockholm is that in so cragged and unpleasant a place the people should be so courteous and friendly and that amongst so many Rocks and uninhabited Islands which are as so many fortresses to the Town we should find a Court so civil and benigne In Moscovie we had experience of the contrary where in a Country pleasant beautiful we found a people whose manner of living is very rude and austere Whereas here in a place that seems to be the very refuse of nature we found all manner of humanity and politeness Besides the peculiar language of the Country the nobility do with great industry addict themselves to the French and indeed they speak it as freely as if it were their own Their humor and manner of living has great affinity with the French also they are free and open hearted and no less affectors of Gallantry As for their Religion they follow as they do in Denmark the doctrine of Luther His Excellence being arrived at this Court â—e was for three days entertained at the â—harges of the Swedish King and on the third which was a Sunday he had Audience from his Majesty I shall not delay my self so much as to make any discription of their Ceremonies they being the same that are ordinarily used in other Courts of Europe This only 〈◊〉 shall say in relation to the person of the King that at that time he was not fully arrived at the ninth year of his age and yet was at that age indued with all the
perfections so young a Prince is capable of He was very handsom and had a certain kind of cheerfulnes and alacrity in his Looks that made all those that were present admire him In short he is a young King in whom all the â—eroick virtues of his Ancestors seem to revive His hair was very light his habit cloth of silver with his cloake and sword and a â—aire plume of white feathers in his hat He stood before his chair of State under a Caâ—opy with the Regents of his Kingdome on each side of him besides a great number of other of his Nobles His Excellence assoon as â—e approached after his reverences made this â—omplement to him which the young Prince â—eceived with an admirable gravity and grace Most Puissant and most Serene King THe King my Master has sent me to Your Majesty to cultivate and celebrate the Friendship already happily established betwixt Your Majesties to congratulate in His stead and pertake of Your Majesties present felicity wishing You the same for the future and to assure You that wherein the affection of the King my Master may add to all Your blessings He will no wayes be wanting And when His Majesty saith that He speakes not only of that present Amity of State betwixt You He thinks friendship but narrow which is confined in Treaties buâ— He understands therewith a personal and most particular affection to Your Majesty an affection large and deep as the heart of Princes without condition without reserve upon all occasions wherein Hâ— may gratify Your Majesty And even thâ— seeming lateness of these professions is sâ— farr from any contrariety on his Majeâ—ties part that indeed He hath herein â—iven that precedence to this Embassy â—hich the end hath over the beginning to â—e first in intention though last in exeâ—ution and if there be any fault it must â—est wholy upon my misfortune coming â—rom a climate and people where it costs 〈◊〉 much time to do nothing But thereâ—ore I cannot but so much the more esteem â—e honour I now have to contemplate so â—reat a Monarch who are in so young â—ars so accomplished a Prince and as he â—â—ce said of that little Hercules Parvusque videri Sentirique ingens â—nd in so excellent a model represent all â—e magnanimity and grandeur of Your â—oyal Ancestors I congratulate the hapâ—ness of Your Kingdom for which it â—mes that Gods Providence would to 〈◊〉 the more exemplary alter its usual â—axime and what he once threatned as a malediction hath made it the greatest blessing of Your Subjects to have a Prince in His nonage to rule over them And in conclusion I profess and offer my self to Your Majesty as a most ready willing and I heartily wish as proper an instrument in all occasions to witness and approve his Majesties most sincere and constant desires of a most perfect correspondence with Your Majesty to Your mutual contentments and the further welfare of both Your Kingdoms His Excellence having delivered himselâ— in English with his hat on his Secretary rendered what the Ambassador had spoken iâ— the following Latin Domine Rex DOminus Rex meus ad Majestatem Vestraâ— me legavit ut excolerem concelebrareâ— amicitiam inter Majestates Vestras jam optimâ— auspiciis contractam ut gratularer sua viâ— participarem praesentem Majestatis Vestrae felâ— citatem eandem etiam in posterum augurandoâ— utque Majestati Vestrae confirmarem quod 〈◊〉 quo modo fortunis Vestris superaddere suo affectu contribueri possit nulla in re Majestati Vestrae defuturam Et quum Majestas sua haec dicit non tantum de presenti publica inter Majestates Vestras sua Regna societate loquitur angustiorem illam amicitiam existimat quae foederum hactenus tractatuum veluti cancellis circumscribitur Sed intimam quandam singularem benevolentiam innuit benevolentiam quantum ipsa Regum corda effutissimam profundam sine conditione sine limite quâcunque in re Majestati Vestrae gratificare commodare possit Ne verò hoc tardius quam pro summo quo Majestatem vestram complectitur honore profiteri videatur hoc ipsum Majestati Vestrae honori datum est ut quo modo finis initia antecedit ita haec ad Majestatem Vestram Legatio posterior quidem Executione sed meditamento consilio prima existeret Si autem alicubi hujus morae culpa residat sola mea fortuna argui potest utpote qui ab illa regione gente recens adveniam ubi ad nihil agendum non nimori tempore opus Erat. Sed eò jam impensiùs mihi gratulor dum Majestatem Vestram tandem conâ—emplor in tam tenerâ aetate jam consummatum Principem de quo uti de parvo illo Hercule meritò dici potest Parvusque videri Sentirique ingens Et in quo tanquam in perfectissimo modulo heroicam omnium Majorum Vestrorum magnanimitatem caeteraque Regii tam animi quà m corporis lineamenta recognoscimus videmus Nec possum Regni Vestri fortunas satis laudare quibus ut magis velisicetur ipsa Divina Providentia cursum suum mutavit quod suo olim populo interminata est in summam subditorum vestrorum faelicitatem convertit faciendo ut Pupillus super eos regnaret De caetero memet ipsum offero profiteor uti paratissimum utinam aptissimum instrumentum ad contestandum approbandum omni occasione constantissimum sincerissimum Majestatis suae voâ—um perfectissimae cum Majestate Vestra amicitiae societatis ad mutuum Majestatum Vestrarum gaudium quodcunque ulterius Regnorum Vestrorum emolumentum After this Interpretation the Count Magnus Gabriel de la Garde returned an answer in the Swedish language in the name of his Master the King which answer was likewise rendred in Latin He said the King his Master thought himself much honored by so splended an Embassy in which his Majesty of great Britain had done him the honour to salute him and congratulate the felicity of his Government That he also bore his part in the prosperity of the King of great Britain and that on his side he should be always ready to entertain a nearer and more strict amitie with him And at â—ength he intimated how great value and â—steem the King his Master had for the person of the Ambassador The next day my Lord Ambassador had audience of the Queen Mother in her own appartement She is a Princess which besides the graces of her minde is no less embellisht with the advantages of her person She was under a Canopy before her Chair with several Ladies and Gentlemen of the Court attending her His Excellence being advanced near delivered his Compliment bare in this manner Madam THe King my Master hath laid a peculiar Command upon me to salute and congratulate Your Majesty on His behalf both in respect of Your Quality â—s so great a Queen and of Your relation
was that the Vice-Admiral was dispatched to his Excellence to excuse this delay On Thursday the 27. of October my Lord Ambassador made his solemn Entry with great Magnificence And if from thence a judgment might be made of their Friendship to his Majesty of great Britain we might without all scruple conclude that the Amity of this Court in that respect exceeded the affection of the Swedes In the first place two noble Gallies and a Galliot came to receive his Excellence and his Train for the wind was come about so cross that it was impossible to get our Ship up into the Harbour Assoon as my Lord and his Attendants were entered into the Gallies our Ship gave us twenty Guns and in an hour and an halfs time we arrived in the Harbour where we â—aw his Majesties Men of War with all the glory of their Flags and Streamers displayed There were twenty pleasure Boats also very â—ell furnished to receive his Excellence and â—is Train in the Harbour and in these Boats â—e made our Entry to the Town The Footmen first then the Pages and Gentlemen â—fter them my Lord Morpeth and next my â—ord Ambassador accompanied by the Vice-Admiral and the Master of the Ceremonies â—n this manner our Boats following one anoâ—her in a File cross the whole Harbour we â—ad the opportunity as we past to survey a â—reat number of the Kings Ships very nobly â—quiped and to hear the noise of the Cannon â—aluting his Excellence as he went by every â—ne of them being laden with bullet At last we landed at a place which they had covered with Tapestry and in which his Excellence was complemented from his Majesty That done he went into the Kings Coach which was there ready to attend him and was conducted to the House of Ambassadors where we continued during our Residence in this Court Of my Lord Ambassador's Residence aâ— Copenhagen COpenhagen stands upon the Sea and though it be not naturally so strong noâ— of that circumference as Stockholm yet it iâ— artificially well fortified and the Country being plain of a much better Scituation There is a Canal that hath no more stream than there is before Stockholm yet it is deep enough for some Merchants ships to ride therein safely The Pallace hath nothing worth the Description only there is a Tower which is very considerable for its height but especially for its ascent which being paved so broad that a Coach might easily be drawn up and turned at the top riseth insensibly without stairs This Tower was built for the use of the Astronomers out of which there is a fair Library erected by the side of it From hence are several marks of the last Swedish Leagure to be seen especially on a Steeple hard by which was so battered by their Cannon that the King to perpetuate the Memory of that Siege hath ordered the holes of the several shot to be gilt over with Gold I could insert other Curiosities likewise that are to be seen in Copenhagen but my desigâ— not being to give an exact Description of such things as are so well known I shall saâ—isfy my self in giving this short Character of â—he Court That if the Swedish Court hath a â—reat resemblance with the French humour â—his hath much more the Genius of the Gerâ—an and that if the former be more franck â—nd active these are more solid and of better â—nvention The Danish Language differs not â—o much from the Swedish but that the people â—an easily understand one another And as â—or French the Nobility of Denmark are as â—ndustrious and diligent in learning it as those â—f the Court of Sweden Being arrived at this Town his Excellence â—as treated as at Stockholm three days at â—he Kings charge and had his Audience on â—he third The Ceremonies were all in the â—ame fashion as in the Court of Sweden and â—here being no Present to be made here more â—han was there his Excellence had no more â—o do but to make his Complement from the â—ing his Master The King of Denmark apâ—eared to us very grave and Majestick and â—f a large Stature He was booted à la Cavaâ—ere and though he was then at least threeâ—ore Years old yet he scarce looked to be â—fty He had a Sword by his side a long Coat â—overed with broad Gold and Silver lace and 〈◊〉 noble Plume of white Feathers in his Hat â—e stood under his Canopy with five or six â—f his chief Ministers of State on one side of him and in the midst of the Hall some ten oâ— twelve of the Life-Guards The Ambassadoâ— being come into the Hall made him a loâ— Reverence and the King saluted him againâ— and when he was come up near him undeâ— his Canopy of State he put on his Hat at thâ— same time his Majesty put on his and delivered his Complement in these Terms Sir AMong so many Prerogatives of thâ— highest Fortune yet Princes havâ— one disadvantage that They can seldoâ— attain to that reality and intimacâ— which we may see among private Persons The equality of their Sovereigâ— Power exposeth them to perpetual Competitions the Interest of their Peoplâ— obliges them to a constant Jealousy anâ— even the Fidelity and Prudence of theâ— Ministers seems rather made to entertain them in mutual Cautele and Suspâ—cion than in perfect Friendship Bâ— betwixt the King my Master and Your Majesty it is all otherwise You are perâ—aps the only two Princes in Christendom â—ho in so great a nearness yet can never â—ustle And having betwixt You all the â—ndearments of which private Persons â—re capable Your Royalty only inclines â—nd inables You to cultivate and express â—hem in a more honourable manner â—hat Subjects of one King could ever â—ve so peaceably and kindly together as â—hose two Excellent Princes His Majeâ—â—ies Grand-Father and Your Majesties â—ather by Whom those bonds of Hospiâ—ality and Consanguinity were so closely â—oven betwixt You visiting one the â—her in their Kingdoms as familiarly as â—eighbours in the same City and taking â—unsel together as confidently as Broâ—ers in the same Family And ever â—ce what mutual good Offices what â—mmunication of Counsels have there â—en betwixt both Kings both in adverse â—d prosperous fortune with so much constancy especially on Your part in that most turbulent storm of the English Monarchy that His Majesty must keep it in a most grateful and eternal memory and so universal a sympathy upon all occasions that all Antiquity would be troubled to furnish a paralel for so golden and real a Friendship And as the bonds of reciprocal Obligations and those animated ligaments of Blood and Nature have knit both Your Majesties in the most refined union so as to the grosser interest of Commerce and Navigation 〈◊〉 may say without a similitude that iâ— hath been moored on both sides even with anchors and cables betwixt the People Therefore those affaires having beeâ— regulated and constituted at the time 〈◊〉 the Extraordinary Embassage
before being surpriz'd with the alarm of the skirmish came back thereupon and at length the business was composed but so that whereas we had usually five waggons before we went from hence but with four and the Page made the rest of his voiage without his Periwig The manner of our Treatment at this place perswaded us very strongly that the Ambassador was not known in this Town in which we found the People so unkind that we might perhaps with as much reason call it Poneropolis as that to which Philip King of Macedon gave that name being inhabited only by a sort of rude and raskally People The next day being arrived at Bremen we understood by the Gazette that my Lord Morpeth was prisoner at Wesel and that the Hollanders had taken him and his Train some two or three miles from Munster in his way to Cologne True it is the Gazette made not mention of his name but all the circumstances of the news were clear indications to us that it was his Lordship whom it meant which his Excellence applied to himself as a dangerous Omen And having designed to follow him upon the same Road he took all possible care to avoid the like misfortune for which cause he had a particular care to make a short stay in every Town and to assume only the bare title of a Gentleman In which act one might have said his Excellence seemed as well to represent the person of the King his Master in his Exile as he had lately done in the Pomp and Splendour of his Restoration In short we were no sooner arrived at Munster three days after our departure from Bremen but we understood the truth of the News and all the circmstances of my Lord Morpeth's being betrayed in that Town For by accident we lay in the very same Inn he had lain in before us And because it was very easy for us to have been discovered by the Liveries though the same were something disguised to prevent all intelligence that might be given to the Governour of Wesel his Excellence thought good to remove with all speed from Munster lest we should be surprised in the same manner So that we staid at Munster not above four or five hours which Expedition was so fortunate to us that we escaped the like danger thereby After we were gone a day or two's journey from the Frontiers we were not much sollicitous any more unless it were in our passage betwixt Calais and Dover but his Excellence managed this Voiage with that prudence and caution that at last we arrived very happily in England At Rochester we understood that the Ambassadors Lady was arrived at London fifteen days before and as for himself that the Court did not expect his coming so soon after they knew the condition of my Lord Morpeth Insomuch that the Court was altogether surprised with his arrival as they were soon after with that of his Son who arrived three days after my Lord his Father the States having released him and his Train after some days confinement at Wesel The Ambassador being returned to London in this manner went immediately to pay his Duty to his Majesty carrying with him the Letter which the Tzar had delivered him at Mosco The King having first signified the satisfaction he received to see him returned from so long a Voiage at length amongst other things spake to him about the Embassy which he had lately received from the Tzar and commanded him in order to his justification to give in writing a Narrative of all that had passed relating to himself in his first Embassy Which he performed to the confusion of the Ambassador that brought the accusation against him And for fear I should leave this work imperfect I thought it necessary to adjoyn to it my Lords Apology for without doubt it would have been a great indecorum having brought the Reader thus far to leave him in suspence in a business of so great Importance True it is the most things that are contained in it have been mentioned by me before yet there are several passages also which I reserved for this place to give the Reader more satisfaction and entertainment The Style being plain is therefore the more proper for this Relation whose business it is only to give an ingenuous Narrative entirely conformable to the truth and which answers directly to the Articles which the Tzars Ambassador presented against his Excellence I thought it not necessary to introduce the Articles by themselves because they are all of them particularly refelled in his Answer made in the following form â—n his Excellencies behalf as a justification â—f his proceedings The Lord Ambassadors Apology HAving received a writing from His Tzarskoy Majesties Embassadors whereâ— they testifie the extraordinary affection of His Tzarskoy Majesty toward his Royal â—ajesty and the great honours therefore â—ewn to the Earle of Carlisle His Royal â—ajesties late Embassador justifying moreâ—er all the proceedings of his Tzarskoy Majesties Commissioners treating with the â—d Earle of Carlisle and laying on the â—ontrary an hainous charge of several Arâ—les against the said Earle of Carlisle conâ—rning his Demeanor and Conduct in the â—d Embassy We therefore return for anâ—er a Narrative of the whole matter of â—ct as the said late Embassador extraordiâ—ry upon his Royal Majesties Command â—th stated it for his own just and necessary â—dication And first at the said Earle of Carlisleâ— first descent upon the bridge of Archangel there met him one Bogdan declaring he was appointed his Pristaf whom therefore the said Earle of Carlisle saluted and respected accordingly And when they should have gone toward the place appointed for his lodging the said Pristaf took the right hand of the Ambassador and said that he had such orders from Knez Sherbatof the Governour of Archangel Which the Earle of Carlisle refusing to submit to was forced to stand upon the open bridge in the sight oâ— so many strangers of several Nations about half an hour till the Pristaf might send up to the Castle for the Governours further pleasure who at last sent and altered the Pristafs orders Moreover the Earle of Carlisle being upon his journey from Archangel towards Vologda the Pristaf sent before to Knez Ivan Machailovitz Governour of the Vaga that meâ— might be ready at Arsinoa for drawing up the boats But the said Governour threatned the Strelitz that was sent reviled thâ— Pristaf and spoke slightingly of the Embassador nor took any care for providing meâ— necessary Insomuch that the Embassador was left there in a strange Countrey noâ— knowing how either to go forward or backward till by his own great care he got meâ— together being inforced to hire them at his own expence from Arsinoa to Yagrish Which money indeed at the Ambassadors departure from Mosco was repaid him Further the Stolnick Offonassy Evanovich Nestrof and the Diack Evan Stepanovich Davidof coming to Vologda as new Pristaves to conduct the Ambassador to Mosco the said Stolnick at his
and had a continual free Cabal of Dutch Spyes upon the Embassador while before the first audience none were suffered to enter to the Embassador and alwaies after the admittance very severe some examined others repulst others beaten might be removed specially seeing the Lodging was so strait that Almaz Evanof the Posolskoy Diack and one of the Commissioners said it was good for the English Gentlemen to ly close together lest the Rats should run away with them and the Dutch openly bragging that he should continue there in spight of the Ambassador the said Doomnoy Dvoranin as being the Ambassadors Pristaf being often urged to effect it did either neglect or hinder it so that he continued there at pleasure Also the said Doomnoy Dvoranin telling the Embassador one day that the King of Poland had sent a Messenger to his Tzarskoy Majesty to beg the mercy and grace of his Tzarskoy Majesty to grant him peace and the Embassador replying that those were terms which the most subjugated Princes did never descend to but that he was glad to hear his Tzarskoy Majesties affairs were in so good a posture the said Doomnoy Dvoranin went forthwith and acquainted his Tzarskoy Majesty with the first part of the Embassadors reply but so disguised and with so ill a gloss that he thereby incensed his Tzarskoy Majesty highly against the Embassador Beside his Tzarkoy Majesty having as is said done the Ambassador the honour to invite him to see the Solemnities of Palm-Sunday the said Pronchissof afterwards asking the Ambassador how he liked it and the Ambassador witnessing his satisfaction in so venerable a Ceremony the said Doomnoy Dvoranin went strait to his Tzarskoy Majesty and told him the Ambassador said it was a pretty Comedy which also displeased his Tzarskoy Majesty as good reason Whereas the Doomnoy Dvoranin himself only used those words to the Ambassador asking him if it were not a pretty Comedy Also the Embassador discoursing with the said Doomnoy Dvoranin concerning Tzar Evan Basiliwich and his desire and progress toward a marriage with a Lady of the blood Royal of England he most irreverently as to both Princes replied that the said Tzar Evan Basilowich had many such women speaking it in a very ill sense Moreover the said Doomnoy Dvoranin took occasion several times to vilify the Present sent by his Royal Majesty to his Tzarskoy Majesty in the presence of the said Embassador and to say that when he saw the Tin shine he was in good hopes it had been Silver But of these things the Embassador never spoke at any time till upon this forcible occasion of his own vindication But the said Doomnoy Duoranin having spoke dishonorably and fasly concerning the posture of His Royal Majesties affairs and telling him to his face as if he were a Posoulnick or agent of the Muscovia company and having told the Embassador that he neglected his Majesties affairs in respect of the Merchants and threatning him with his Tzarskoy Majesties displeasure and that His Tzarskoy Majesty would complain of him to his Royal Majesty as if he had transgressed his instructions which certainly the Doomnoy Duoranin was never acquainted with by the Embassador he charged him therewith before his Tzarskoy Majesty The success it seems of that private Audience was this The Embassador having together with the Enlish Copy subscribed given in a Latin Copy translated as near as possible but not subscribed but by his Secretary having only prepared it to save time and as an help to their Russ translation because one of the Commissioners Golozof understood Latin this Golozof was imployed several daies to the Embassador to perswade him subscribe â—he Latin translation also This Golozof pressed under that colour and pretext that so many things being said therein to the honour of His Tzarskoy Majesty and of his Royal Majesties affection toward Him so that it was most fit to continue upon Record this also being subscribed it would be so much the stronger and as under two witnesses But the Ambassador refused as not being his own language Yet at last though he guest at the true reason to give His Tzarskoy Majesty that satisfaction he subscribed it with this addition Except any difference with the English which 〈◊〉 soon as they had obtained they discovered forthwith their true intention First they complain as if he had spoke with dis-respect of Tzar Ivan Basilovich where he saith That first and great Founder of the Amity betwixt the English and Russian Crowns and of the Privileges to the English Nation Tzar Ivan Basilovich because he added not all his other Titles and they required the Ambassador should alter that expression accordingly which how reasonable soever he did Though the Commissioners nevertheless the private Audience having been upon the twenty second of April gave to the Embassador a paper of the twenty fourth of May wherein they named the late King only King Charles and his present Majesties former Embassador the Lord Culpepper the messenger William Culpepper Which horrid and probably wilful mistake they would never alter till the Embassador had taken his last leave of His Tzarskoy Majesty Then they as now the Ambassadors accuse him for an expression concerning the falling in of the Windows at their first abrupt refusal of the Privileges which notwithstanding was very true And whereas they then and now the Ambassadors lay much load upon an Expression about the loan of ten thousand pood of Silver desired by Knez Peoter Semonovich as if the Embassador therein offered an indignity to His Tzarskoy Majesty an indignity to the friendship betwixt both Princes transgressed His Instructions and his Tzarskoy Majesty would as he hath now done complain thereof to His Royal Majesty the Embassador did then only speak in His Royal Majesties person I hope that such a sum was not desired for such an end c. And His Royal Majesty doth still hope so Then as to the Doomnoy Duoranin notwithstanding so just and high a complaint prefer'd against him he was the man chosen to come next from His Tzarskoy Majesty to enquire of the Ambassadors health and was so imployed for many days as afore At last indeed there was another Pristaf appointed in his place truly a much civiler person but of lesser quality which is the present Ambassador of His Tzarskoy Majesty But it was signified from His Tzarskoy Maj ty by Gregory Cosmevich the other Pristaf to the Embassador that this removal was upon the Doomnoy Duoranins own desire to be dismist Also no Reparation was given the said Embassador against the Doomnoy Duoranin but in a paper afterwards delivered he was justified in all these enormities and the Ambassador accused that after all these provocations and the charge given up against him to His Tzarskoy Majesty the Embassador would not as formerly discourse with him of affairs of the Embassy as if he had there in affronted the said Doomnoy Duoranin Concerning the Entry nothing of Reparation would be given The Embassador had
during this time a power that came for mediating betwixt His Tzarskoy Majesty and the King of Poland which he imparted to his Tzarskoy Majesty and He kindly accepted but not being pleased to effect any thing in the Privileges it fell to the ground And therefore the Embassador having even from the 29. of February intimated his desire to depart and having been held up from time to time several moneths to no end so that he lost the Winter way to Riga to the prejudice of his Royal Majesties occasions pressed importunately for a dispatch which it was long before he could obtain and when near obtaining in one and the same day had three times contrary orders sent him about his departure At the Embassadors taking leave of his Tzarskoy Majesty recredentials were given him wherein his Royal Majesties Title of Defender of the Faith was omitted and contrary to the mutual trust due to an Embassador the Copy was although he demanded it flatly refused him After he had taken his leave of his Tzarskoy Majesty it seems his Tzarskoy Majesty was desirous to have placed some marks of his generosity upon the Embassador and his retinue and the not receiving of them is used by the Embassadors of his Tzarskoy Majesty in aggravation against him whereas that business past in this manner The Embassador it is true had for several reasons hereafter expressed resolved that it became him not to receive the Presents unless those things were rectified And therefore to avoid the ill aspect of refusing them after they should be sent he resolved also first to send for the Ockolnichoy Vasilia Semonovich Volinskoy and for Larivon Mitrevich Lopookin Posolkoy Diack to communicate his reasons For which he thought he had time enough his Pristafs whose office it is not having yet advertised him But contrariwise Lookian Timopheovich Golozof the Diack the Embassador being at dinner sends him word by a servant that he was coming with the Presents The Embassador rising from Dinner and about to send to the Ockolnichoy and Posolkoy Diack aforesaid desired the Servant to stay a little when on a sudden Lookian comes in with the Sables The Embassador began to discourse soberly with him of his unexpected coming and the reasons why he deliberated upon refusing the Present Which Lookian would not endure to hearken to but interrupting the Ambassador continually without any patience and with great clamour flung rudely away from him and departed Vasilius Semonovitch Volinskoy came the next day to the Embassador desiring from his Tzarskoy Majesty to be informed of the reasons why he had refused the Presents The Embassador it seems had in order to his departure demanded several things of Common right or courtesie As Satisfaction to the English Merchants for their old debts and houses For this the Commissioners reduced the debts within twenty six Rubles according to their account and for houses nothing That all English Merchants desiring to repair home may have their Passes to go over Sea with their Wives and Families without molestation This had a satisfactory answer But to the third That justice might be done the English Merchants for their debts there was no care at all of it but to the contrary great severity toward them so that this frustrated the former answer which was satisfactory That all his Majesties Subjects of whatsoever other condition may upon their desire have full liberty to return To which there would no answer be given in writing But the verbal answer was that they who have once taken service under his Tzarskoy Majesty though not expressed for life yet if not expressed for term of Years are thereby Servants as long as his Tzarskoy Majesty pleases As it seemed they intended to practise it in the case of General Dyel and Lieutenant General Drummond who were forced so long to march about Mosco with his Royal Majesties Letter and could get none to receive it That Collonel Baily accused of Treason by Cherillo Clopoue might be brought to a speedy trial Which though his accuser was in Town and promised yet would not be done That Collonel James Mein exiled with his Wife and Family into Siberia might if guilty have mercy if guiltless justice See the Civility of the answer Collonel Jacob Mein is sent into Siberia for a great fault and it is not fit to recal him out of Siberia That Collonel Cuningham accused of Treason might be brought to a speedy trial Which would not be granted That Mrs. Francis Rose according to his Royal Majesties desires by Letter may have liberty to return into England her Husband also desiring it Which was not granted but her being of the Russian Religion alledged as extinguishing her allegeance The Embassador upon a general review of these and all other passages in his Negotiation gave for answer and reason of his Refusal Defender of the Faith omitted in the Kings Title The late Kings Title and Lord Culpeppers not amended No satisfaction about his Entrance Nor concerning Pronchissof His Tzarskoy Majesty holding himself for affronted c. The Priviledges as good as refused Nightingales Letter pretended to be lost No justice to English Merchants No liberty for his Majesties Subjects upon expiring of their obligations to depart Affirmed in writing that the Moscovy Company killed the King Mrs. Rose Collonel Mein Collonel Baily c. Concluding that all the effect of this Embassy had been only the release of three English common Soldiers taken prisoners from the Pole after long sollicitation and upon condition that two of them should serve his Tzarskoy Majesty Adding moreover That for all these reasons he knew that not having done his Majesties business and lying still under Pronchissofs aspersion of receiving the Merchants money and accused by his Tzarskoy Majesty of doing an affront to Him it befitted him not to receive any Present at his hand Although otherwise he should account the least favour from his Tzarskoy Majesties hand a perpetual ornament honor and obligation to himself and Family and would receive though it were but a Cap cloth from Him as a Coronet and was prepared at any time when these things were rectified to receive any testimony of His Tzarskoy Majesties remembrance and affection After this the 24. of June the Embassador departed from Mosco Calthof riding publickly and openly in his Train The Embassador being about half a mile out of Town a Writer of the Posolskoy Precaz comes in His Tzarskoy Majesties name to demand him The Ambassador at last let him got hinking it not prudent to adventure his own journey on Calthofs and hoping to gain his dismission which he tried by two Letters writ back in his journey to the Posolskoy Diack These are the Letters the Embassadors complain of in two places as if the Earle of Carlisle told them therein that they did not rightly understand themselves Wheras the words are only Quorsum haec vergant nescio neque vos ipsi scitis qui facitis What these things tend to I know
would without any difficulty enter into a particular Alliance with Sweden especially if it were done by the interposition of the King of Great Britain with whom he was so nearly allied that he could not conceive any thing would be recommended by him buâ— what would be effectually for the advantage of the Crown of Denmark according to hiâ— Excellencies declaration That his Masterâ— would not endeavour to bring the Swede to any conditions that should be to the prejudice of his Majesty of Denmark And that iâ— this confidence he was very willing the King of England should negotiate a Confederacâ— with the Crown of Sweden as strict as hiâ— own affairs did require and with as much advantage to himself as was possible Anâ— that furthermore for the better success in thâ— League which the King of England desired tâ— establish betwixt the Crowns of Denmark England and Sweden his Majesty conceived that one of the most necessary points waâ— that the Swedes should be brought to abaâ— and retrench in some measure in the Privâ—ledg they enjoyed of being exempt froâ— Gabels and Customs in the Sound and tâ— condescend that all Tolls in that place might â—n respect of the Hollander be restored to the â—ondition wherein they were in the Year 1642. â—o the end that the three Kingdoms of Denmark England and Sweden might manage â—heir Commerce for the future with equal â—dvantage But if this Proposition should not be accepted by the Crown of Sweden â—he Commissioners declared that the King â—heir Master left it to the judgment of his Majesty of Great Britain what other means â—ight be used to accomplish the Union proposed and whether it would not be â—onvenient to offer the Swedes a proportionable sum of money for the resignation of â—heir Priviledg and to give them sufficient â—ecurity for the sum that should be so offered and accepted They thought it necessary moreover that â—he Subjects and Ships of the three Kingdoms might reciprocally trade into the Ports of each King with the same Priviledges as the â—nhabitants of the same Country without any difference or limitation And without doubt â—his equality would have been of great imâ—ortance for the conserving the three Kings â—n a perfect and perpetual Union Besides this his Majesty of Denmark judged â—t expedient that it should not be lawful for either of the three Kings to permit the Traiâ—ors or Rebels of the two other or either of them to have any shelter or protection in their Kingdoms and that the same rule should be observed toward such Subjects as should convey themselves out of the Dominion of their Masters without his consent To that which related to the exemption of the Subjects of his Majesty of Great Britain from paing Toll at the Passage into the Sound as was proposed by his Majesty to the King of Denmark The Commissioners gave his Excellence to understand that the Registers of the Gabels of the Sound having been examined how the same had been paid from time to time by all Nations trading into those Seas and particularly by the English they had found that his Majesty of Denmark could not demand less than an hundred and twenty thousand Rixdollers or Crowns yearly to exempt the King of Englands Subjects from the payment of Tolls at their passage into the Sound And that the King of Denmark would reserve the right of Sovereignity which he pretends to there entire to himself without any prejudice directly or indirectly by this Compact As to the design his Majesty of great Britain had to joyn with the King of Sweden in removing and turning the trade from Archangel and bringing it thorough the Sound The King of Denmark answered by his Commissioners that when he understood upon what conditions and terms the King of Enâ—land would joyn himself with the Swede in â—ursuance of this design his Majesty would â—eclare himself more largely thereupon and â—ive manifest Evidence of his Inclination to â—romote as much as possible the Commerce â—f the Subjects of his Majesty of Great Briâ—ain And that only in case the Proposal â—efore mentioned did not succeed Otherâ—ise the generality of the English Commoâ—ities which pass thorow the Sound would â—ot have need of any other Priviledg But 〈◊〉 case that should not be admitted it might â—t least be accommodated by a particular â—ransaction touching the manner in which the Toll was to be paid in the Sound for all such Commodities as should be brought from Moscovy that way The Commissioners deâ—lared further as to what concerned the Proâ—osition about Moscovy that his Majesty of Denmark was not in any particular League â—ith that Crown and that there was then â—ome differences depending betwixt them â—bout their Limits where the Frontiers of â—orway are adjacent to the Dominions of the â—zar As to that part which related to the sum â—f money which the King of Denmark should â—emand in case he set out a Fleet for the serâ—ice of his Majesty of England The Commisâ—oners made answer that the King their Master intending to set out twenty Men of War at the begining of the Spring with nine hundred and fourscore or a thousand pieces of Cannon and five thousand good Seamen and Soldiers besides Officers it would be necessary that five and twenty thousand Crowns extraordinary should be paid him at least besides what charges he should be forced to be at himself to maintain them at Sea In short the King of Denmark insisted that his Majesty would endeavour that the King of Sweden should declare himself as to the Union proposed and that nothing should be transacted in this matter without his knowledg and consent And this being all we have to say of the Ambassadors Negotiation it follows that we say something of his manner of Entertainment in this Court which was almost the same as at Stockholm in Feasts and Treatments For besides the Entertainments of the three first daies after his arrival which some charged of having somewhat in them of the Bacchanalian air there were several otheâ— feasts as particularly when his Excellence treated Mr. de Treslon the French Ambassador of whom I have spoken before From which time there was so great a friendship betwixt the two Ambassadors as would have made one admire to behold the extraordinary frankness and civilities which passed between them They visited one another very frequently and that by surprize sometimes and treated one another with all imaginable Respect and Courtship Mr. Treslon being the first of the two at Copenhagen made the first Visit to my Lord Embassador who met him at the outward Gate next the street giving him the precedence and right hand whilst he was in his house which was likewise observed by the French Ambassador when his Excellence visited him and this was the commmon reception they used to one another The business of that Embassy from the King of France was for the consummation of a League which was in transaction betwixt that King and the King of Denmark